Rosé is wonderful for so many reasons. It is a beautiful color in the glass and can be light and refreshing or carry more flavors and complexity. It’s as variable as the grape varieties used to make it and the best examples have ample acidity. Rosé pairs well with a variety of food, depending on its style, and I rarely […]
It seems Rosé is hitting the marketplace earlier than in the past. We used to be hard-pressed to find new vintages by May. That’s when the weather warms and we begin spending happy hour outside on the patio. But it is currently the end of April and we have already been to two Rosé tastings at a local wine shop. […]
Today’s Cellar Note includes three varietal wines from two very different wine regions in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is represented by Oregon Trails Wine Co. Pinot Noir and Washington state’s Columbia Valley by Pacific Crest Wine Co. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Both brands are part of the Wine Trees portfolio of wines. We received all three as tasting […]
The Lost Chapters is the name of a range of wines made by Paul Scotto and Mitch Cosentino. This dynamic duo of winemakers collaborate on twenty-odd wine labels under the Scotto Cellars umbrella of wines. Both winemakers are blending specialists. Paul considers himself a blendologist, using grape varieties to make wine with layers of flavors the way a chef uses […]
It wasn’t until I began to take wine seriously that I became interested in the story behind a bottle of wine. My first interest was the variety and then, with a bit of experience, I began to consider style. The story of the winery came much later, after I began to grapple with wine regions. I think it was simply […]
As wine drinkers our connections to wine come in many forms. Sometimes we connect with the scenic beauty of a wine region, a winery location or simply the label on a bottle of wine. Other times our connection is more personal; it can be the winemaker, the person pouring that wine for you in a tasting room or the friend […]
When I think of a blended wine, I think first of a wine made by blending different varieties, as in a Bordeaux or in a Rhône-style wine. Blending multiple varieties allows for greater complexity and balance in the finished wine. Blending of vintages, as in the production of a non-vintage Champagne or sparkling wine, allows for consistency from year-to-year…a house style. But, it is also possible to blend wines of the same variety from different regions to produce wines of balance and elegance. This is the tack taken by negotiant winery Adler Fels, established in 1979, with great success in the two wines we tasted.
It’s February so, of course, the Wine Pairing Weekend group has collected some sweet, romantic and otherwise interesting food and wine pairings to share with you for your Valentine’s Day celebration. Christy, who blogs at Confessions of a Culinary Diva, sent out this month’s invitation. My goal for our Valentine’s Day pairing was to create a pairing that was special, but one that would leave me time to spend with my valentine.
It was a beautiful fall morning in San Francisco, warm enough to enjoy an iced coffee at an outdoor table in Union Square. I was taking in the sights and sipping my coffee when I heard a woman ask, “Do you mind if we share this table?” I looked up and replied, “Not at all, please do!”
The monthly call for bloggers to participate in Wine Pairing Weekend for November came from David, who blogs at Cooking Chat. David is the founder and major organizer of the monthly food and wine pairing event. This month, our task was to come up with Creative Thanksgiving Pairings.
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.