“I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not.” – Coco Chanel
Nothing says Valentine’s Day like Champagne – especially when it’s pink! So in honor of this most romantic holiday, I’m happy to announce a glamorous Valentine’s Day Giveaway featuring a luxurious bottle of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne that will go to a very lucky winner (a $100 value)!
In the 1960’s, making a non-vintage rosé Champagne was virtually unthinkable but Bernard de Nonancort, the charismatic Chairman and CEO of Laurent-Perrier at the time, was just the man to make it happen. Laurent-Perrier’s Cuvée Rosé was launched in 1968 in an elegant bottle inspired by French King Henri IV.
This gorgeous sparkler is a lovely, salmon pink hue with seductive aromas of fresh red berries, minerals, and smoke. The palate is lively and layered with notes of strawberry, black currant, gingerbread, and a hint of anise followed by a delightfully lengthy finish. While perfect on its own, the Cuvée Rosé pairs beautifully with a variety of dishes including foie gras with red currants, roasted chicken with mushrooms, beef tenderloin – or whatever your heart desires!
To enter the glamorous Valentine’s Day Giveaway for the Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne, simply leave a comment at the end of this post sharing your idea of the most romantic Valentine’s Day meal. So whether it’s a multi-course tasting menu complete with wine pairings at your favorite restaurant OR indulging in your favorite comfort food lovingly prepared at home by either you or your Valentine – I want to hear about it! Entering the giveaway is as simple as that and for additional chances to win, you can (1) sign up to receive my weekly newsletter by clicking here and/or (2) leave a comment on another blog post. Each additional comment left on a blog post here on my website will count as one additional chance to win.
This Valentine’s Day Giveaway is open to anyone 21 years of age or older who lives in the continental United States and ends Sunday, February 11, 2018 at 6:00pm EST when a winner will be randomly drawn. The lucky winner will be contacted immediately to arrange shipment/delivery in time for Valentine’s Day – the cost of which is included as part of the contest!
Thanks in advance for your participation, best of luck and remember, you have to play to win so please leave your comments now. I’m looking forward to drawing a winner on Sunday and can’t wait to hear your Comments!
Cheers,
The post A Glamorous Valentine’s Day Giveaway: Enter to Win a Bottle of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne 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.
Welcome and thanks for joining me for my first “Wines of the Week” show of 2018! I’m thrilled to be back and after a few weeks of shameless indulging, I think today’s episode is, ahem, extremely relevant. Now that the holiday indulgence is over, it seems the popular inclination is to relegate January to a month of self-imposed restriction in order to lose weight or ‘get fit’ which requires that every enjoyable thing is banished from our homes.
Now that just doesn’t sound like a very Happy New Year, does it?
You see, I’m a firm believer in the motto “all things in moderation” and in keeping with that philosophy I don’t think there’s any reason you have to give up your daily glass of wine to achieve optimal health. What about your spiritual health and well being – shouldn’t that count for something too?
In this episode I share four delicious waistline-friendly wines that are least likely to sabotage your New Year’s fitness or weight loss goals. I’ll also share tips on how to shop for these wines at your local wine or grocery store. Who knows, by allowing yourself this daily indulgence you might not only find yourself losing weight but in a much better mood as well!
THIS EPISODE’S WAISTLINE-FRIENDLY WINES:
1.) Tesoro della Regina Prosecco, Veneto, Italy, NV ($16)
2.) Martin Codax Albariño Rias Baixas, Spain, 2016 ($14)
3.) Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2016 ($16)
4.) Michele Chiarlo Barbera D’Asti Le Orme, Piedmont, Italy, 2014 ($15)
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:
– Waistline-friendly Wine Guide
– The Wines of Michele Chiarlo
For ALL the details on this week’s Waistline-friendly Wines for 2018, please check out my Facebook LIVE video above. Also, to view previous episodes of “Wines of the Week,” please click here. Thanks so much for tuning in and if YOU have any wines you’re looking forward to enjoying while accomplishing those New Year’s resolutions – I’d LOVE to hear about them! Please let me know in the Comments section below.
Cheers,
The post Wines of the Week: Waistline-friendly Wines for 2018 appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
With your New Year’s Eve hangover in the rear view mirror, here are 5 Fabulous Wine Resolutions to guide your vinous exploration in the New Year. From becoming a better taster to planning a trip to your favorite wine region, I’ve got ya covered:
1.) Mix It Up: Because the world of wine can be confusing it’s often easier to just stick with the same wine day in and day out – but how boring is that?!? To break out of your vinous rut, why not vow here and now to sample a different wine every week or at least every month. I’ll have plenty of great recommendations here on The Glamorous Gourmet as well as my weekly Facebook LIVE Show “Wines of the Week.” I also recommend finding a local retailer who can guide you towards selections based on your preferences. To sign up for my weekly newsletter with ALL the latest wine dish, please click here.
2.) Start a Wine Collection: If you’ve been drinking wine long enough to have a favorite wine region and/or producer why not sock a few bottles away for a later date? Aged wine can be a truly enjoyable revelation but collecting wine does NOT mean you have to commission a custom built, 15,000 bottle capacity cellar, in fact, far from it! All you’ll need is a small wine fridge and a few age-worthy bottles to put in it. This piece of equipment is VERY important since varying temperatures and humidity levels as well as any mechanical vibration (i.e. refrigerator, A/C unit) are the arch-enemies of wine. Also, if your budget allows, purchase a fridge with a little room to grow, wine lovers have a habit of outgrowing them faster then they think.
3.) Learn to Taste Wine: I know we all know how to physically “taste” wines, just take a sip, right? But to really learn about wine you need to taste it in a particular way, utilizing ALL of your senses including sight, smell AND taste. This sensory information provides valuable insight into a wine’s place of origin, grape variety and “terroir” which are all critical factors to learning about and understanding wine. So if becoming a better wine taster is on your list of New Year’s Resolutions, please join me every Friday at 5pm EST for my brand new Facebook LIVE show “Wines of the Week” where you can taste four wines along with me EVERY week (click here to be taken there).
4.) Drink more sparkling wines: The focus on sparkling wine/Champagne consumption around special occasions like New Year’s Eve leaves the majority of the year unbearably bubbly-free. While Champagne’s price tag may limit it to more of a special occasion wine, there are many sparklers from around the globe that are priced for everyday consumption. Wines like Prosecco, Cava and Crémant (for some examples, please and here) are perfect for enjoying on a Tuesday night after work or when a friend stops by to visit. As an added bonus, sparkling wines also have less calories and alcohol than a glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir – affordable, delicious AND figure-friendly – what’s not to love about that?
5.) Wine-related Travel: Next time you’re booking a getaway why not head to your favorite wine region? Whether you’ve collected wine for years or are new to it, nothing will give you a greater appreciation for what’s in your glass than standing in the vineyard where the grapes are grown and talking to the people who make the wine. Most wineries offer tours and tastings which you can sign up for via their website and they’re usually very happy to hear from you! Here’s a link to some of my travel-related articles.
I hope these suggestions inspire you to further embrace the world of wine in the New Year! If you have any other wine-related resolutions I’d love to hear about them, please let me know in the Comment section below.
Cheers,
The post 5 Fabulous New Year’s Wine Resolutions! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
I’m NO baker – but I do LOVE wine! So any recipe I discover that’s even remotely related to wine…well, I feel a responsibility to explore it further. Especially when it looks outrageously delicious!
Such was the case with the Canelé, a delightful French pastry known for its mahogany, burnt sugar crust and contrasting decadent, custardy center. Typically flavored with rum and vanilla, these beauties are baked in a special Canelé mold to achieve their hallmark striated, cylindrical shape.
Are you wondering where the wine comes in yet?
The Canelé originated in Bordeaux, a region many wine lovers adore due to its legendary full-bodied, age worthy red wines. Well, critical to the production of these wines is a process called “fining” in which a compound, usually egg whites, is added to the wine which binds to any potentially harmful chemicals. To get geeky, the positively charged albumin in the egg whites binds to negatively charged, undesirable polyphenols in the wine which then congeal and settle to the bottom of the barrel where they can be easily removed.
Since only the egg whites are used to “fine” the wine, the Canelé was born as a way to utilize all the leftover yolks. And personally, I can’t think of a better place for them than the delightfully eggy, dense custard center of these glorious pastries!
On our first visit to Bordeaux we noticed Canelés everywhere, usually in miniature form. But this amazing recipe is for the standard size, which are bigger and allow for a better contrast between the caramelized outer crust and tender center. Plus, there’s just more Canelé to enjoy – what’s not to love about that?
Now, if you’re like me and not the most proficient baker, you might be a little intimidated by this recipe at first glance. I know I was, BUT I also love a challenge, especially one that leaves you with fabulous French pastries at the end. And, I’m here to tell you, Erin McDowell, food stylist and Food52 Baking Consultant, has written a brilliant recipe here. As a food blogger for almost 10 years now, I’m a stickler for a well-written recipe and this one is so well-written you actually feel like McDowell’s in the kitchen with you, offering helpful advice at every step.
In addition to a few basic ingredients you probably already have in your pantry (i.e. eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla and butter) the only additional things you need to make this recipe are: (1) time and (2) a Canelé mold. This is the perfect weekend project since you need to let the batter rest overnight in the fridge before baking, which will also take a few hours. And, forget the elaborate and difficult to care for copper molds of the days of yore, McDowell recommends this brilliant silicone Canelé mold which can be found on Amazon for under ten dollars!
Now, the Canelés do require a little babysitting during the baking process. The mold needs to be generously buttered and pre-heated before adding the batter which aids in the caramelization process. The oven temperature also needs to be dropped after the first thirty minutes as well.
And, perhaps the ONLY thing McDowell doesn’t prepare you for is the flipping of the Canelés in the mold for the final stage of baking. You might end up with some scorched fingertips but again, these beauties are so delicious you won’t even notice those minor burns as you sink your teeth into these lovely confections!
Also, if you’d like a little something to sip with your Canelés, a Sauternes would be an exquisite pairing. This dessert wine also hails from the Bordeaux region of France and I’m a fan of the tenet, “If it grows together, it goes together.” This special wine owes its delightful honeyed citrus, floral, peach and ginger notes to a very special type of mold, botrytis cinerea, which imparts unique flavors and a delightful viscosity to the wine which would complement these pastries beautifully.
I especially like the Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes ($40/half-bottle), a delightful blend of 95% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon Blanc, the two main grapes used to make Sauternes. I also adore the Chateau Climens Barsac ($80/750mL bottle) a rare 100% Semillon wine from the Sauternes sub-region of Barsac helmed by the wonderful Bérénice Lurton. Both embody the hallmark tension between honeyed viscosity and fabulous acidity which makes these wines so incredibly special.
Rather than include McDowell’s Canelé recipe in this post, I’m linking to it on the Food52 website where I discovered it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have and I’d also love to encourage any established or aspiring bakers out there to check out McDowell’s brand new cookbook, The Fearless Baker ($17.50). Her website is also chock full of gorgeous food photos as well.
After experiencing such success with these Canelés, it has definitely inspired me to bake more. Plus, I can’t wait to pair these sweet treats with even more amazing wines as well.
Bon appétit,
The post Wine Country Baking: Canelés (Cannelés) de Bordeaux appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
On this special Holiday edition of Wines of the Week on FB LIVE I’m sharing some of my favorite wines AND wine-related gifts perfect for the wine lover in your life. So in this episode I’ve got you covered with creative ideas for everyone from: (1) The Holiday Hostess, (2) The Red Wine Lover, (3) The Collector and (4) The Champagne Lover.
1.) THE HOLIDAY HOSTESS: Nobody wants to show up to a holiday party empty handed but what to bring? Flowers? Another lame candle? How about something sparkling that won’t break the bank? In all the years I’ve hosted holiday parties I’ve always been happy to receive bubbles which are universally appealing and super festive. I especially like these delicious bottles:
Mionetto Prosecco Brut Treviso, Veneto, Italy, NV ($14): Hailing from Veneto region of Italy, this delightful Prosecco is light, crisp and refreshing with notes of white flowers, apples and citrus. While delicious on its own, this wine is also perfect for sparkling wine based drinks such as Mimosas, Bellinis and one of my faves: Rosemary Pomegranate Royales!
Mumm Napa Brut Prestige, Napa Valley, California, NV ($20): Made in the same method as Champagne, this delightful domestic sparkler is a blend of 45% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Gris. It has lovely notes of citrus, apple, vanilla, with hints of toast, honey and gingerbread spice with ith a fine acidity and rich, lingering finish.
And since your Hostess went through lots of effort to create a magical evening (even if she won’t admit it) why not surprise her with one of these stylish and unique accessories:
“Bring on the Bubbly” Flutes ($28 – set of two)
Rose Gold Jewel Wine Glasses ($25 – set of two)
Both sets of glasses are available at Linen Closet boutique in downtown Delray Beach (303 NE 4th Street, Delray Beach, FL 33444 (561)266-0766. Ask for Christina or Carolann & tell them The Glamorous Gourmet sent ya!
2.) THE RED WINE LOVER: This is the time of year to sip and savor those big, bold red wines and what’s better than a Cabernet Sauvignon? I especially adore these two California Cabernets available at two different price points to suit your budget:
Fortress Knight’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma, California, 2013 ($35): This wine is an interesting blend of grape varieties including 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Syrah, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc. It’s aged in a mixture of French and American oak and has delicious notes of dark fruit, mocha & spice.
Round Pond Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, Napa, California, 2012 ($60): This wine is from one of my FAVE producers in the Napa Valley who make exceptional wines from the acclaimed Rutherford AVA of California’s Napa Valley.
One potential problem when drinking red wine can be those pesky tannins which can make a wine taste too astringent. In order to tame those tannins you need to aerate the wine and I especially love these two accessories which should be in every red wine lover’s repertoire:
Perfect for the Red Wine Lover: the Vinturi (left) & Riedel Decanter (right)
Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator ($20): This handy aerator is perfect for when you don’t feel like indulging in a whole bottle of wine.
Riedel Ultra Wine Decanter ($170): This beautiful and functional crystal decanter is perfect for decanting an entire bottle of wine. It is easy to use and clean and can also be used in conjunction with the Vinturi for extra aeration!
3.) THE WINE COLLECTOR: People collect wine to observe and enjoy how it ages over time. All types of wine can benefit from aging including sparkling, red, white and even dessert wine as long as it has the right combination of acid, tannin and/or sugar. Here are two of my favorites:
Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy, 2014 ($75): From the famed Ornellaia estate’s younger vineyards, this true, imminently ageable “second wine” is a delicious blend of 50% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot.
Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes, Bordeaux, France, 2014 ($40/375mL bottle): This delightful blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc gets its magical flavor profile from a mold known as “Noble Rot” which shrivels the grapes on the vine which then produce a heavenly viscous sweet juice. Sauternes are some of the most ageable wines on the planet and would be a welcome surprise to any wine collector!
How do you know when those special bottles are ready to open? If ONLY there was a way to sample a wine so you could tell when it was JUST perfect without opening the entire bottle too early or too late. Well, friends, the Coravin is the answer to your vinous prayers. The device’s thin needle allows wine to be siphoned out of the bottle without removing the cork and spoiling the wine. While initially only found in restaurants, consumer models are now available and, for the wine collector, – money well spent!
Coravin Model One (left) and Model Two Elite in Rose Gold (right)
Coravin Model One Starter Wine System ($230): If you’re a budding oenophile this model is perfect with easy to use, convenient silicone, soft touch grips.
Coravin Model Two Elite Wine System ($349): The Ferrari of the Coravin models with a graphite body and chrome clamps and trigger. You can also get it in custom colors to match your home as well as bundle it with other accessories.
4.) THE CHAMPAGNE LOVER: There’s no better time to indulge in decadence than the holidays and if you really want to dazzle the Champagne lover in your life, here are a few of my favorite bottles.
Taittinger Brut La Francaise, Reims, France, NV ($45): I love this spectacular sparkler from one of the few remaining family owned and run Champagne houses in France. This wine is predominantly Chardonnay, the signature grape of the House, which produces a light, crisp and elegant wine with aromas and flavors of citrus, apple and toasted brioche.
Laurent Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne, Reims, France, NV ($80): This unique bottle was inspired by King Henri IV and the fabulous wine inside is 100% Pinot Noir. The wine gains it’s gorgeous deep pink color from a 48-72 hour maceration with the grape skins which imparts added body and tannin structure to the wine. The wine has gorgeous aromas and flavors of raspberry, red currant, black cherry and spice.
Pair of Juliska Amalia Champagne Flutes ($150): These exquisite hand blown flutes of lead-free glass are made in the hills outside of Prague by Capucine and Dave Gooding.
Laguiole en Aubrac Champagne Saber ($200): Handcrafted in France, this special saber is used to perform the traditional ritual of Sabrage in which the top of a Champagne bottle is removed as the dull edge of the blade hits the neck of the bottle. This saber come in a beautiful display box and features a stainless blade complete with the “Laguiole en Aubrac” insignia and a beautiful horn handle.
Kate Spade Finer Things Champagne Bucket Bag ($358): If the Champagne lover in your life also happens to like fashion, this whimsical bag is a must! It features a cross-body strap and a silver glitter-encrusted bucket complete with faux Champagne bottle and ice cubes. The bag opens with a discrete magnetic closure and comes with a stylish dust bag as well – FABULOUS!
To view the entire Facebook Live Holiday Episode, please see FULL video below:
The post Wines of the Week: Holiday Gifts for the Wine Lover appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
Your favorite cashmere sweater. A cozy fleece blanket. A steaming hot bowl of savory Boeuf Bourguignon. These are definitely a few of my favorite Winter things and you know what makes them ALL even BETTER? A nice, BIG glass of RED WINE!
In my opinion Red Wine is the PERFECT Winter accessory and today’s episode of “Wines of the Week” features some of my favorites that are guaranteed to keep you warm and toasty during the chilliest time of year.
4 Wonderful Red Wines for Winter – 2 STEALS & 2 SPLURGES:
(Please watch full episode below for detailed tasting notes & MORE helpful advice)
1.) Leese-Fitch Firehouse Red, California, 2015 ($12)
2.) Alta Vista Premium Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, 2012 ($18)
3.) Xavier Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France, 2010 ($40)
4.) Lucia Soberanes Vineyard Syrah, Sta. Lucia Highlands, California, 2012 ($50)
BELOW ARE RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S SHOW:
Wine Atelier Podcast: Red Wine 101: http://bit.ly/2BmzwQo
Quick Coq au Vin Recipe: http://bit.ly/2aZtl7i
Our visit to Pisoni Vineyards in Sta. Lucia Highlands, California: http://bit.ly/2ruvuDJ
For ALL the details on this week’s Wonderful Winter Red Wines, please watch the Facebook LIVE video above. To view previous episodes of “Wines of the Week” on Facebook LIVE, please click here. And if YOU have any favorite red wines you’re looking forward to enjoying this Winter – I’d LOVE to hear about them – Please let me know in the Comments section below.
Cheers,
The post Wines of the Week: Wonderful Red Wines for Winter appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
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