Notes about the wines we have tried recently.
If you are a casual wine drinker, or new to wine, you may associate Malbec with Argentina – and with good reason. More Malbec is produced in Argentina than anywhere else in the world today. Argentinian Malbec is fruity, easy to like and relatively inexpensive. And it’s widely available. But, dating back at least to the Middle Ages wine has been made from Malbec along the Lot River in southwest France near the village of Cahors. This Malbec is not so well known, and that’s a shame.
On May 24, 1976 Chateau Montelena’s fortunes changed for the better — and in a big way. Jim Barrett’s 1973 Chardonnay won the Judgement of Paris white wine competition. It wasn’t just any competition. The Judgement of Paris was organized as a blind tasting of California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon against France’s best Burgundy and Bordeaux. Not insignificantly the competition was in France and the judges were French.
Few things make me as happy as a glass of bubbly. Bubbles are beautiful in the glass and I love that explosive sensation once I take a sip. Often we think of bubbles as a celebratory beverage, and certainly bubbles can make any occasion a celebration, but it isn’t necessary to wait for a celebration to enjoy a glass of bubbly. An enjoyable Prosecco we recently received as a tasting sample proved just that point.
Ever have one of those evenings when you just don’t feel very decisive about the type of wine you want to drink? When the weather is very warm my choice is easy: white wine or rosé. As the weather cools I’m all in for red wines. It is during the in-between seasons that I feel most indecisive. I’m not ready to give up on white wine and rosé, but it may be too warm for a heavy red wine.
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.
