The Century Block vineyard is located on the east side of the Mokelumne River AVA (a sub-AVA of the Lodi Appellation) and was planted in 1905. The 3-acre vineyard is a tiny island among cherry orchards and much younger Zinfandel used for bulk wine production.
How do I most enjoy a glass of wine? With a leisurely meal, always. On a warm afternoon sitting in the shade after finishing the yard work. Give me a glass of red wine on a chilly evening as I watch the flames of a fire in the fireplace and I’m a happy gal. I like to take my time with a glass of wine; to pay attention to how it changes in the glass over time. Quality is much more important than quantity.
Our Wine Pairing Weekend (#winePW) challenge for November came from Camilla Mann who blogs at Culinary Adventures with Camilla. The Feast Nearby – Grateful for Local Vintners and Seasonal Foods is the theme this month. Perfect for the Thanksgiving month of November.
When we learned the Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC16) would be held in Lodi, August 11 – 14, 2016, we were thrilled. Not only are there lots of exciting things happening in the Lodi wine world these days, but the drive to Lodi from our home is only 20 minutes. It would be the shortest travel time we would ever have to a WBC. As it turned out our drive was a bit longer than expected because we took a very enjoyable detour through Amador County wine country.
We don’t drink very much Grüner Veltliner. When we do it is usually at a wine tasting, a wine bar or in a restaurant with a diverse wine list. We always make a point of drinking adventurously when we dine out, as we do when at home, but on a daily basis we just don’t think of Grüner Veltliner. That’s a shame.
The Labor Day has come and gone signaling the end of summertime. Some will have their white clothes safely stored for next summer. Many more of us will continue to wear our white clothing year-round flaunting the rules just like Coco Chanel. Happily there is no such rule prohibiting the enjoyment of white wine year-round. If that were the case I would ignore that rule as well.
I am always drawn to a wine with an interesting backstory. And while every wine has a story my personal bias is going to take me in the direction of family winemaking and organic or biodynamic viticultural practices. Or in the direction of a winemaker resurrecting a forgotten style of wine. Winemaking in Old World wine regions using indigenous varieties will catch my eye […]
The best way to learn about a wine region is to visit the region, see the lay of the land, talk to the winemakers and taste the wines. When travel to a region isn’t possible virtual travel along with wine tasting can be an effective way to learn about a winery and by extension the wine region. We recently participated in a virtual tasting which included four wines provided to us as tasting samples. The virtual tasting was hosted by Snooth and we had the opportunity to taste the wines made by winemaker Robbie Meyer at Murrieta’s Well Estate Vineyard in the Livermore Valley as he told us about his winemaking and answered our questions. It was the next best thing to visiting the winery.
For the longest time I thought of Champagne as a strictly celebratory libation. What is more festive than a glass of bubbly to celebrate a marriage, a birthday, or a new job? A still wine just doesn’t have the same impact. Over time, though, I have discovered how versatile Champagne really is. Looking beyond the bubbles to the bright acidity (that wine made from cool-climate grapes often possesses) and complex flavors (that come from extended lees aging) you will discover Champagne pairs with a wide variety of food — and not just appetizers. Champagne is just as delicious with a meal as a still wine.
Wine from South Africa is the theme for our August Wine Pairing Weekend group of food and wine bloggers. The challenge was posed by Sarah of Curious Cuisiniere. Sarah and Tim Ozimek recently returned from a trip to South Africa which was the inspiration for their choice of themes.
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.