I can’t think of a better place to kick off Rosé Month on “Wines of the Week” than Provence which is considered the birthplace of rosé! With its balmy Mediterranean breezes, sun-drenched fields of lavender and snow-capped mountain ranges, there are few more gorgeous wine regions on Earth.
However, despite its natural beauty, the region’s wine has never been considered especially noteworthy. In fact, quite the contrary. Rosé was considered an everyday, “cheap and cheerful” style of wine…until a few years ago.
And today, with the popularity of this style of wine hitting the stratosphere, any wine lover seeking to “empower their palate” needs a guide to these pink wines which can vary widely in terms of style and quality. This is why I hope you’re here and why you’ll join me on this month-long, rosé-soaked journey which we’ll begin with four of my favorites from Provence.
TODAY’S FEATURED WINES:
1.) Château Sainte Marguerite “Love Provence” Rosé Côtes de Provence Cru Classé, 2017 ($24)
2.) Château Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé, Provence, France, 2017 ($25)
3.) Domaines Ott Chateau de Selle Côtes de Provence Cru Classé, Provence, France, 2016 ($50)
4.) Château D’Esclans “Les Clans” Côtes de Provence Rosé, Provence, France, 2012 ($75)
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
– My Fox News article: “The Truth About Rosé Wine”
– Our amazing Visit to Chateau D’Esclans
– Wine Word of the Week: Saignée
I hope you enjoyed this episode of “Wines of the Week” featuring the first in our month-long series on Rosé Wine! If you’re a fan of rosé please feel free to share your favorites in the Comments section below. To view previous episodes of “Wines of the Week,” please click here ~ Enjoy!
Cheers,
The post Wines of the Week: The Rosés of Provence appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
Hello, Wine Lovers! My Facebook LIVE “Wines of the Week” series continues with a special Saturday episode entitled, Wine Collecting 101, a topic I’m very passionate about! Nothing is more magical than the way a wine transforms over time. Acid, tannins, sugar and alcohol converge in a dynamic, alchemical dance which ultimately creates something greater and more complex than the sum of its parts.
And while many people are used to consuming wine shortly after purchasing it, I hope this episode inspires your curiosity and patience. Think of wine collecting as delayed gratification that will reward you many times over. In today’s episode I debunk some commonly held myths about aging and collecting wine and feature some stellar selections to add to either your existing collection or inspire you to start one. The first myth I’d like to debunk is that you need some custom built, 5,000 bottle cellar to collect wine – you absolutely do NOT!
All you need is a cool, quiet, dark place on your home free from vibration, light or widely fluctuating temperatures and you are good to go. Please see below for the featured wines & resources mentioned in this episode as well as the full Facebook LIVE video. Even if you watch it after the live broadcast, please feel free to ask questions or make comments – I PROMISE to get back to you!
TODAY’S FEATURED WINES:
1.) Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Rhone Valley, France, 2010 ($120)
[To purchase the current release of this wine, please click the following link:
Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Rhone Valley, France, 2015 ($80)]
2.) Marchesi Antinori Tignanello IGT, Tuscany, Italy, 2001 ($90)
[To purchase the current release of this wine, please click the following link: Marchesi Antinori Tignanello IGT, Tuscany, Italy, 2014 ($90)]
3.) Darioush Shahpar Late Harvest, Napa Valley, California, 2004 ($140 – 375 mL)
[To purchase the current release of this wine, please click the following link: Darioush Shahpar Late Harvest, Napa Valley, California, 2011 ($70 – 375mL)]
4.) Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port, Douro, Portugal, 2005 ($28)
[To purchase the current release of this wine, please click the following link: Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port, Douro, Portugal, 2012 ($20)]
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
– Coravin Model Two Wine System ($290) – One of my FAVORITE wine accessories which uses a super thin, surgical grade needle to pierce the porous cork of a bottle, allowing you to extract some wine without affecting the wine’s aging process. This way you can see if a wine is ready to drink without committing to the entire bottle. If it’s not quite ready, simply return the bottle to its resting place and sample again at a later date. For info on purchasing, please click here.
– Suggested Age-Worthy Wines:
(1) White Wines: White Rioja, German Riesling, White Burgundy, high-acid white Greek wines & Champagne
(2) Red Wines: Bordeaux, Burgundy, California Cabernets & Spanish reds
(3) Late Harvest/Dessert Wines: Sauternes from Bordeaux, Quarts de Chaume from the Loire Valley, Hungarian Tokaji & German Riesling
(4) Fortified Wines: Various styles of Port, Sherry, Madeira & Marsala
– Photo of grapes affected by Botrytis Cinerea (aka Noble Rot) used to make Sauternes, the legendary, sweet wines of Bordeaux.
To view the full “Wine Collecting 101” Facebook LIVE episode please play the video above and for information or questions regarding my Cellar Consulting Services, please e-mail me at Stephanie [at] theglamorousgourmet [dot] com. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Also, to view previous episodes of “Wines of the Week,” please click here. Thanks so much for tuning in and if you’d like to share any of your own experiences with ageing or collecting wines – I’d LOVE to hear about them! Please let me know in the Comments section below and be sure to join me next Friday, February 9th at 5pm EST on Facebook LIVE for some special Valentine’s Day wine selections.
Cheers,
The post Wines of the Week: Wine Collecting 101 appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
This week’s installment of “Wines of the Week” on Facebook LIVE, entitled an “Homage to Fromage,” features four essential wine and cheese pairings guaranteed to delight your palate and inspire you to explore new ways of combining these two imminently enjoyable elements. I thought this was also the perfect topic to feature as we’re officially kicking off “Entertaining Season,” since pairing wine and cheese is definitely one of my favorite, no-stress means of entertaining.
I mean, who wants to be slaving over a hot stove while hosting an elaborate dinner party? Why not simply set out some thoughtfully paired wines and cheeses and enjoy a delightful evening with your friends and family? You actually get to mix and mingle with your guests while watching them happily explore some truly delightful pairings.
In addition to the wine and cheese, round out your offerings with some fun accoutrements such as grapes, marcona almonds, figs, honey and even red pepper jelly (it pairs especially well with Brie!) and you’re sure to look like the Host or Hostess with the Mostess! I’ve even included some key Pairing Principles to help you create some of your own delicious personalized pairings.
PAIRING PRINCIPLE #1: PAIR WINE & CHEESE WITH SIMILAR FLAVORS
Wine #1 – Michel Redde Pouilly-Fumé La Moynerie, Loire Valley, France, 2011 ($30): Crisp, tangy and refreshing, this single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley demonstrates this wine’s beautiful hallmark acidity and minerality.
Cheese #1 – Chèvre: the tangy acidity of this fresh goat’s milk cheese creates a delightful synergy as it mirrors the identical flavors found in the Pouilly-Fumé.
PAIRING PRINCIPLE #2: PAIR WINE & CHEESE WITH SIMILAR WEIGHT
Wine #2 – Hartford Court Seascape Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, Sonoma, California, 2013 ($70): Winemaker Jeff Stewart has transformed beautiful, exceptional fruit which hails from one of the coldest vineyards in all of Northern California into a wine of amazing complexity and elegance. On the palate, the fuller-bodied white wine coats the palate with its viscosity and exhibits layer upon layer of delicious flavor including spiced pear, apple, citrus and orange blossom with a kiss of toasty oak.
Cheese Pairing #2 – Brie: This soft-ripened, bloomy rind, cow’s milk cheese was dubbed the “Queen of Cheeses” at the 1815 Congress of Vienna for reason! Immensely popular even to this day, it’s luxurious decadent mouthfeel makes it the perfect pairing for this opulent Chardonnay, creating a 1 + 1 = 3 experience.
PAIRING PRINCIPLES #3: IF IT GROWS TOGETHER IT GOES TOGETHER
Wine #3 – Castello d’Albola Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy, 2013 ($18): This tasty red, a blend of Sangiovese with a dollop of Canaiolo, is characteristic Chianti with notes of sour cherry, pomegranate, earth and spice accompanied by the hallmark acidity that makes these wines so immensely food-friendly.
Cheese #3 – Parmigiano-Reggiano: This hard, cow’s milk cheese is aged for 24 months, until the moisture evaporates. This process leaves the cheese delightfully toothsome with its hallmark granular texture which perfectly complements the acid and tannin in the red wine. Food and wine which hail from the same country or region often complement each other remarkably well, making it one of my favorite pairing tenets!
PAIRING PRINCIPLES #4: PAIR HARD CHEESES WITH RED WINE
Wine #4 – Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva Unfiltered, Rioja, Spain, 2012 ($15): This blend of classic Spanish grapes including Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano exhibits delightful, savory notes of cherry, plum, leather, earth and minerals.
Cheese #4 – Manchego: There’s something magical about the way the concentrated flavors and textures of hard cheese in which the moisture has been evaporated through extended aging, which complement similar components in red wine. And because this pairing also hails from similar geography, the grows together, goes together tenet also holds true.
For ALL the details on our “Homage to Fromage,” please watch the Facebook LIVE video above and to view past episodes of “Wines of the Week” on Facebook LIVE, please click here. And if YOU have any favorite wine and cheese pairings I’d LOVE to hear about the in the Comments section below!
Cheers,
The post 4 Essential Wine & Cheese Pairings on Facebook LIVE appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
The weather’s getting chilly, the holidays are coming and who doesn’t want someone special to snuggle up with when the weather man issues the first “Snuggle Alert” of the season?
I’m here to help set the mood for l’amour with my latest installment of Wines of the Week featuring four fabulous “Date Night Wines.” So whether you’ve got a (1) Casual First Date, (2) Hot Date with your new Match.com crush, (3) Special Occasion Date or (4) ‘Date Night’ with your husband or wife of many years on the calendar, I’ve got something for everyone!
1.) Galerie Naissance Sauvignon Blanc, Napa, California, 2015 ($30): This elegant white wine from winemaker Laura Díaz Muñoz is a STEAL and is so incredibly versatile it can pair with pretty much any date OR situation. So whether you’ve got a picnic at the beach or movie night at home planned you’re GOOD to GO! And this isn’t your everyday Sauvignon Blanc either, Muñoz ferments one third of the grapes in stainless steel for crispness, another third in French oak for aromatics and the remaining third in concrete egg for minerality resulting in a thoroughly enjoyable, complex wine. The name “Naissance” also means “New Beginning” in French and who knows…this first date could be the beginning of something special!
2.) Cuvaison Spire Pinot Noir, Carneros, California, 2013 ($50): There is no grape sexier than Pinot Noir. It’s temperamental, expensive, high maintenance and often called “the heartbreak grape” by the winemakers themselves but you know what? It’s TOTALLY worth it! Pinot Noir is highly aromatic with seductive aromas & flavors of black cherries, chocolate, earth and spice with an undeniably supple, sexy and sensuous mouthfeel…think liquid velvet. There’s simply NO better wine for a Hot Date and I love this special splurge from Cuvaison’s sustainably farmed Estate Vineyard!
3.) Taittinger Prestige Brut Rosé Champagne, Reims, France, NV ($70): Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary or even an engagement, Champagne is the perfect choice for the Special Occasion Date. I adore this delightful rosé from Taittinger which gets its gorgeous pink hue from the addition of still Pinot Noir wine which imparts delicious notes of strawberry and raspberry to the finished wine. It’s fuller body also makes it perfect for Fall. And since true Champagne can only come from the Champagne region of France (for Champagne 101, click here), don’t show up with a bottle of a bargain bubbly – an inexpensive bottle like Prosecco might just to get you ghosted!
4.) Chateau Le Trois Croix, Fronsac, Bordeaux, 2011 ($35): ‘Date Night’ or simply taking a night to focus on each other without the intrusion of kids, work, pets or phones is very necessary in this day and age. But rather than blowing a lot of money on an expensive bottle of wine, why not just enjoy something with some special significance to both of you? Picking a wine you enjoyed on your first date or discovered during a trip or special meal can be a way of upping the intimacy without breaking the bank. This bottle has special significance to my hubby and me (please watch video below for ALL the deets!) and is a total STEAL at $35 a bottle.
For ALL the details on these special “Date Night Wines,” please watch the Facebook LIVE video above and to view past episodes of “Wines of the Week” on Facebook LIVE, please click here. And if YOU have any favorite “Date Night Wines” I’d LOVE to hear about the in the Comments section below!
Cheers,
The post Wines of the Week: “Date Night Wines” on Facebook LIVE appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
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