This summer has been warmer than the past few. We have been hit with heat waves lasting several days that have brought temperatures over 100º F. In between we’ve enjoyed cooler temperatures in the 80s and 90s with mornings and evenings that cool off nicely. This is when we reach for red wine, otherwise it’s mostly rosé and white wine. […]
Terrunyo is a range of wines made by the well-established Chilean producer Concha y Toro. Terroir is the focus of this range. Specific vineyard blocks in prime locations for each grape variety have been identified and are the source of grapes for these wines. The range includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère and Syrah in addition to Sauvignon Blanc. This Sauvignon Blanc, […]
As much as I enjoy oven-roasted beef, pork or chicken, there is no substitute for outdoor grilling in terms of flavor. With the weather improving quickly it’s time to fire up the grill and begin to think about the wines to pair with your outdoor meals. This trio of Malbec (received as tasting samples) produced by Trivento in Argentina cry […]
This wine was received as a tasting sample.2013 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon, Puente Alto — dense ruby in the glass with earthy, dark fruit aromas seasoned with hints of dried herbs, black pepper and vanilla. Ripe red berries combine with plum and blackberry flavors, hints of cedar, leather and earth. Interesting backnotes of dried alfalfa lend complexity to this medium-bodied wine. Tannins are […]
With every glass of wine comes the opportunity to learn something new. Sometimes it’s a new variety, new producer or new region. In the case of this group of wines from Concha y Toro a close look at the labels provides us with the opportunity to learn a bit about three wine regions in Chile. Wine and geography, this should be fun!
Let me just get this out of the way at the very beginning of the post. We are not football fans. Heresy, I know. Football fans, please forgive us. We just don’t watch the game faithfully, every Sunday, during what seems like an ever-expanding season. We do, however, look forward to the Super Bowl. We whip up some of our favorite munchies and, there is always wine.
Summertime means warm weather, time spent outdoors and food cooked on the grill. Oh, and wine. You will need wine to accompany your outdoor gatherings with friends and family.
May’s Wine Pairing Weekend theme came to us from Lori at Dracaena Wines. As I recall, Lori came up with the idea during one of our prior Wine Pairing Weekend Twitter chats. The pairing idea turned out to be loads of fun for us. It provided a walk down memory lane for me.
The bottle came wrapped in tissue paper. A little package to unwrap, adding to the anticipation of finally tasting the wine. Pete pulled the cork and we gave it a quick sniff. We looked at each other and smiled. He poured a small glass for us to sample before pouring the remainder of the bottle into a decanter. It would be an hour before our friends arrived for dinner.
These days, Carmenere is a varietal wine most closely associated with Chile. But, that is a relatively recent development — within the last 20 years. Lucky for those of us who enjoy Carmenere, viticulturists brought cuttings to Chile from France before the phylloxera epidemic of the 1860s all but destroyed the variety in its native Bordeaux region. Because Carmenere can be difficult to grow and fully ripen in Bordeaux, after the phylloxera epidemic it was not widely replanted. As a result, Chile is home to the vast majority of Carmenere plantings world wide.
We enjoy wine, food and travel. Pull That Cork is a chronicle of our wine adventures, the food and wine pairings we create and our travels which are increasingly organized around wine.
