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10 Fabulous Spring Wines Under $25!

It’s time to bid adieu to the wines of winter and embrace the fresh, fruity flavors of Spring! Here are ten fabulous wines that are sure to please your palate this delightful time of year without breaking the bank: 1.) Badenhorst Secateurs Rosé, Swartland, South Africa, 2015 ($16): This blend of Cinsault, Shiraz, Grenache and Carignan exhibits a delightfully pale... Read More

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The Glamorous Gourmet’s Spring Giveaway featuring a Williams-Sonoma Farmers’ Market Herb Wreath!

Spring has finally sprung and with it so has every plant, flower and tree in our yard including the herb garden, orchids and crepe myrtles. Even our bougainvillea (aka “Boogey”), who we thought was on his last “legs” a few months ago, is now thriving and brimming with bright fuchsia blooms! In the spirit of the season, The Glamorous Gourmet... Read More

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Wines of the Week: Spring is the Perfect Time for Chablis!

The flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping and sunny days are steadily replacing the gloom of winter. Spring is upon us and one of my favorite wines to enjoy this time of year is Chablis. These wines should not be confused with the low quality, jug wine made infamous in the 1970’s. In fact, quite the contrary, authentic Chablis... Read More

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Wines of the Week: Spring is the Perfect Time for Chablis!

Chablis, Burgundy, Wine Atelier, The Glamorous Gourmet, Stephanie Miskew, Jean-Francois Bordet

Jean-François Bordet & Moi

The flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping and sunny days are steadily replacing the gloom of winter. Spring is upon us and one of my favorite wines to enjoy this time of year is Chablis. These wines should not be confused with the low quality, jug wine made infamous in the 1970’s. In fact, quite the contrary, authentic Chablis is all about freshness, elegance and purity.

Chablis is the northernmost wine district of Burgundy, one of France’s most acclaimed wine regions. This is undeniably white wine country and Chablis’ signature grape is Chardonnay. Unlike Chardonnay produced in warmer climates such as California, Burgundy’s cool climate produces wines which are light and lemony, and known more for their lively acidity and minerality than opulent fruit and spice. These wines are perfect for sipping on a bright, sunny Spring day or paired with a wide variety of cuisines.

I recently had the pleasure of attending a Chablis tasting in Miami at La Mar by Gastón Acurio located in the tony Mandarin Oriental Hotel. This chic Peruvian eatery strategically overlooks both the beautiful Biscayne Bay and dramatic Miami skyline. Since it was a beautiful sunny South Florida day, we enjoyed our tasting al fresco, guided by our charming host, Jean François Bordet, President of the Chablis Wine Board and proprietor of Domaine Séguinot-Bordet, his family’s winery founded in 1590.

Chablis, Burgundy, Kimmeridgian limestone

Burgundy’s hallmark Kimmeridgian limestone

Our tasting involved a selection of wines from three of Chablis’ four appellations which are: Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru. When sampling Burgundian wine, the concept of terroir is always at the forefront (for more information on “terroir” please click here). Terroir essentially refers to the intersection of soil, grape variety, climate and winemaker influence and how these factors come together to create wine that is unique to a specific place which cannot be produced anywhere else in the world. Key to this theory are Climats, or designated plots of land with specific geological and climatic conditions, which impart their own unique impression on wine.

Domaine Seguinot Bordet, Chablis, wine, France, Burgundy

The soils of Chablis are legendary for their limestone content and were formed long ago in the Kimmeridgian period (Upper Jurassic era). This unique soil contains millions of fossils of oysters and other marine creatures and is primarily found in the Chablis and Chablis Premier Cru appellations. Petit Chablis is situated on soils formed more recently, which contain limestone from the Portlandian period. The Chablis Grand Cru vines grow on steep slopes rife with Kimmeridgian limestone as well as an extremely rich subsoil.

La Mar, Mandarin Oriental, Miami, Ceviche, Chef Gaston Acurio

Chef Acurio’s Cebiche Nikei

Our tasting featured a selection of wines which beautifully represented their respective appellations. Chef Acurio prepared an assortment of delicious dishes to pair with each group of wines which were served in three consecutive flights.

Our first flight featured one wine, the 2013 Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Chablis Vieilles Vignes. Vieilles Vignes means “old vines” which, in this case, are 78 years old and located on the family’s 40 acre estate in Maligny. The wine was fermented in oak barrels (15% new) and stainless steel (85%) resulting in a fresh, lively wine that was classic Chablis! It paired beautifully with Chef’s dishes which included Cebiche Nikei with tuna, red onion, nori, avocado, daikon cucumber, and tamarind leche de tigre; Causa Congrejo featuring beet causa, crab, avocado, huancaina sauce, fried kale, cherry tomatoes and quail egg; and a perennial favorite, Empanadas with pork adobo and pepian de choclo, chalaca, and huacatay sauce. Chef Acurio’s dishes were as much a feast for the eyes as the palate and the wine definitely held it’s own amidst the onslaught of deliciousness. It’s hallmark acidity tempered the richness and variety of textures while also allowing the flavors of the food to shine through.

Chablis, Burgundy, wine, Miami

The second course featured three Chablis offerings from the Premier Cru appellation which is comprised of 40 individual Climats, 17 of which are most prominent. These wines generally exhibit more complexity and structure than basic Chablis and have good aging potential as well, approximately 5 to 10 years. The words “Premier Cru” and the name of the Climat of origin may be added to the name Chablis on the wine’s label.

Quinoa Caprese, La Mar, Chef Gaston Acurio, Miami, Mandarin Oriental

Quinoa Caprese

The three wines in our second flight included the 2011 Maison Simonnet Febvre Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons; 2011 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre; and the 2009 Domaine Oudin Chablis 1er Cru Vaugiraut. This collection of wines provided an insightful snapshot of the Premier Cru appellation. The Simmonet Febvre Vaillons had notes of white peach and citrus with a clean, racy acidity and lengthy finish; the Billaud-Simon Montée de Tonnerre was a study in elegance with floral and mineral aromas accompanied by vibrant citrus, limestone and gunflint; the Domaine Oudin Vaugiraut was slightly older than the two other wines and had a slight oxidative quality in addition to notes of gunflint, minerality and citrus. Chef Acurio’s Quinoa Caprese was beautifully colorful with heirloom tomatoes, basil, red quinoa, burrata cheese with an aji amarillo vinaigrette which paired best with the Domain Oudin Vaugiraut. The Seared Scallop Conchitas with lomo saltado sauce, garlic chips and crispy sweet potato strings paired brilliantly with the other two wines.

Seared Scallop, La Mar, Chef Gaston Acurio, Miami, Mandarin Oriental

Seared Scallop Conchita with Lomo Saltado Sauce, & Garlic Chips

The third course featured two wines from Chablis’ Grand Cru appellation which consists of seven Climats: Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur and Vaudésir. These wines represent the jewel in the crown of the Chablis region. They also have the most aging potential (usually around 7-10 years), a more generous mouthfeel, lengthier finish and more complexity which is usually manifested in notes of spice, honey, almond and dried fruit.

Amazon Fish, La Mar, Chef Gaston Acurio, Miami, Mandarin Oriental

Amazon Fish with Tamarind Chorillana Sauce, Yucca & Smoked Bacon

Drouhin Vaudon Vaudésir, Chablis, wine, France, Burgundy

Our third flight consisted of two Grand Cru wines, the 2010 Maison Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir and the 2009 Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot. The Drouhin Vaudon Vaudésir, served en magnum, is a product of thirty year old vines whose grapes were manually harvested and gently pressed to preserve the quality of the fruit. The wine was fermented entirely in oak (0% new) for 12 months and the resulting wine offered a complex array peach, honey, spice and almond with a lengthy, mineral-tinged finish. This nuanced wine had a rich texture yet was also was bright and lively with plenty of finesse – a beautiful effort! The Domaine Laroche Blanchot, a product of 45 year old vines, was also manually harvested and fermented partially in stainless steel (60%) while the remainder went into French oak barrels (15% new) for 14 months. The resulting wine was also lovely and layered with notes of peach, apple, limestone and honey which continued to evolve in the glass over our third course. To enjoy with our Grand Cru Chablis, Chef Acurio prepared a mouth watering Amazon fish with tamarind chorillana sauce, yucca and smoked bacon – a truly divine pairing!

Chablis, wine, BurgundyI hope you feel inspired to explore the wines of this very special region this Spring! For more information on the Chablis region, please click here. For pricing information or to purchase any of the wines mentioned in this post, please click here to go to the Wine Atelier.

Cheers,

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Springtime Giveaway: Win a bottle of Michel Redde Sancerre “Les Tuilières”!

“Despite the forecast, live like it’s Spring!” – Lilly Pulitzer Words to live by from the iconic Lilly Pulitzer and thankfully Spring has officially sprung! In addition to the return of sunnier days, colorful clothing and oodles of blooming flowers it’s also time for The Glamorous Gourmet’s Springtime Giveaway! This month’s giveaway features one of our Springtime faves, the Michel... Read More

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Springtime Giveaway: Win a bottle of Michel Redde Sancerre “Les Tuilières”!

Michel Redde, Wine, Sancerre, Loire, Weather vane

Michel Redde’s iconic weathervane

“Despite the forecast, live like it’s Spring!” – Lilly Pulitzer

Words to live by from the iconic Lilly Pulitzer and thankfully Spring has officially sprung! In addition to the return of sunnier days, colorful clothing and oodles of blooming flowers it’s also time for The Glamorous Gourmet’s Springtime Giveaway!

Michel Redde, Sancerre, Les Tuilieres, Loire Valley, Wine Atelier, Giveaway

This month’s giveaway features one of our Springtime faves, the Michel Redde Sancerre “Les Tuilières” (a $30 value)! This delightful white wine is, as in most wine regions of France, named for where it’s from, the Sancerre region of France’s Loire Valley. Sancerre is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes and is known for its delightful notes of citrus and minerals accompanied by its hallmark racy acidity. This profile makes it perfect for either sipping on a sunny day by the pool or paired with just about any type of cuisine you’d squeeze a lemon on, such as shrimp, oysters, scallops or a salad studded with goat cheese. Thirsty yet?

Michel Redde family, Sancerre, Loire, wine, atelier

Romain, Thierry & Sebastien Redde

To enter the giveaway for a bottle of the 2013 Michel Redde Sancerre “Les Tuilières,” simply leave a comment at the end of this post and tell us your favorite Springtime dish. Whether it’s a salad, entree or dessert we want to know about it! Feel free to include a link to the recipe on your own website if you have one but if not, just the name of the dish is fine. Entering the giveaway is as simple as that and for an additional chance to win, you can (1) sign up to receive our weekly newsletter by clicking here and/or (2) leave a comment on another one of our blog posts. Each additional comment left on another blog post will count as an additional chance to win.

This giveaway is open to anyone 21 years of age or older who lives in the continental United States and ends Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 6:00pm EST when a winner will be randomly drawn. The lucky winner will be contacted immediately to arrange shipment – the cost of standard ground shipping is included as part of the contest. But remember you have to play to win so please leave your comment(s) now and Happy Spring!

Cheers,

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