Winos of the Bus!

This past Saturday we had the pleasure of hosting a wine tasting for a group of Rotarian spouses attending a conference at Four Points Sheraton in Fairview Heights, IL. Sounds like a fun way to spend a beautiful, sunny fall afternoon, right? The twist! It was on a big, yellow school bus! No we weren’t off to tour wineries-we were off to visit two wonderful venues that the Rotary has helped make a reality!


We began the first tasting in the parking lot of the Four Points thinking it would be wise to pour the wine before the bus began moving. Our first wine was Joel Gott 2011 Unoaked Chardonnay, a favorite wine of the Stay at Home Winos. We paired it with Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar, graciously donated to the Rotary for this event. This wine was a surprise to some who have only experienced the oaky version of this varietal. Once everyone was served the bus took off to our first stop, the future home of Miracle League Field of Fairview Heights. As much as everyone was enjoying this lovely, fresh wine with aromas of apple and melon, the real star of the show was the field being built and the woman who has helped make it a reality, Rotarian Brenda Wagner. This field was built so that children and adults with special needs have a place that is safe for them to play baseball and kickball. There will be no need to worry about a walker or wheelchair getting stuck in the mud or a baseball base at this field. The surface of the field will be completely artificial with specialized coloring in the surface to indicate the bases, infield and outfield. Thanks to private donations including a large donation from Mike Matheny’s Catch 22 Foundation and fundraising, this field will be a reality very soon. To find out more about this field and the organization behind it, please visit their website at www.miracleleagueplaysball.com. As much as everyone enjoyed the wine, we would have to agree the star of this stop was the Miracle Field!


Next we were off to Rock Springs Park in O’Fallon, IL, but before we began that journey we poured the second wine of the day, Columbia Crest H3 2011 Cabernet. This medium bodied red wine has soft tannins with dark berry fruit and a hint of spiciness. This lovely red wine was paired with Cabot’s Seriously-Sharp Cheddar. A short drive to the park gave everyone a chance to enjoy their wine and cheese before a walking tour of what the park has to offer. With the trees just beginning to turn color it was a lovely day to visit the Dog Park and see the log cabin that have benefitted form the work of the Rotary. When our little group arrived back from the their jaunt in the park, we had the next pairing ready! This was a bit of an unusual pairing, the last cheese donated by Cabot was their Horseradish Cheddar. Our first thought was this would be great with a nice cold beer, but this was a wine tasting! We quickly decided the best wine to pair with this spicy cheese would be Chateau Ste. Michelle 2011 Gewürztraminer. Fruit and clove pop out of this wine, but it is still has a lovely crispness that was quite refreshing on this fall day, and it definitely stood up to this cheese with a bite. The wine and cheese were both a hit! Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, so the big yellow bus headed back to the Four Points.
 


A big thank you to Kelly Young from Rotary for inviting us to share our love of wine on this special tour. It is heartening to see the fruits of the labor of this organization. But as we find time and time again, the absolute best part is the wonderfully generous people we continue to meet on our wine journey!

Cheers,
Beth

A Summer for Whites

     Wow, it has been a summer for the record books! Records have been broken for the number of days over 100° and the lack of rain. You know the heat has been extreme when 90° sounds refreshing. The silver lining of all this heat and drought – I have a new appreciation for white wines.

     Usually I’m a red wine drinker. I love Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Rioja from Spain, and Sangiovese from Italy just to name a few. A spicy Syrah or Zinfandel is great with BBQ. A Pinot Noir is perfectly paired with salmon, but unfortunately this summer has been so relentless in its heat that red wine just isn’t as appealing as usual. The solution – trying more white wines, and I have been quite pleased. I’ve already written about the fabulous Verdecchio from Fazi Battaglia. Here are a few more whites I’ve tried and fallen in love with this summer.

§  Sauvignon Blanc: I’ve sampled these from all over the world this summer-from California to France to Argentina. In this hot summer you can’t beat the crispness of this wine. It is wonderful as an aperitif or with a salad. Just think of lighter sauces, cooking methods for the hot summer and chances are you will have a match. It is also fun to share a couple bottles of Sauvignon Blanc from two different regions, say California and New Zealand or New World verses Old World, and discover the how the region and wine producing style affects the grapes. Some of my favorites right now: Portillo (Argentina), Kim Crawford (New Zealand), Joel Gott (California).

§  Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris: In Italy it is Pinot Grigio and Oregon it is known as Pinot Gris, but it is the same grape. You may find the Oregon variety to have a bit more body to it. I had a chance to sample some fantastic Pinot Gris while in Oregon earlier this summer. Arbor Brook was a favorite of mine. An easy drinking everyday Pinot Grigio I have enjoyed this summer is Riff Pinot Grigio. It is definitely light bodied good for sipping by the pool or served with antipasto or light seafood dishes. I found this treasure at my local Whole Foods for $11.99 a bottle.

§  Torrontés: If you haven’t tried this white wine from Argentina, you are in for a treat. Argentina is known for their Malbec, but the Torrontés is becoming more readily available with the increase in wine exported from Argentina. This white has moderate acidity with wonderful fresh aromatic nose. One that I love recently was Callia Alta Torrontés. When pairing this food think Asian, Mexican, and especially guacamole.

     Serving temperature of your wines is always important and that includes the whites. Serving your white wines straight from the refrigerator is too cold. Let them sit out for about 15 minutes. You want the serving temperature to be in the 45-55° range. If the wine is too cold you miss out on the full taste and aromas that the wines have to offer. Good Chardonnays can be served a little warmer according to Kevin Zraly, he suggests 55-60°. And don’t forget your reds need a bit of a chill too. He suggests serving lighter reds like Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese at 55-60°. Fuller bodied Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon at 60-65°

     This is just one more thing that I love about wines-there are so many to try and enjoy. Don’t be afraid to try different wines for different seasons. Six months from now when the temperatures will be at the other extreme you will probably find me by the fire with a rich, warm Malbec.

Cheers,

Beth