Wine School - Syrah/Shiraz Blind Tasting, September 12, 2013

 Theme:  Syrah/Shiraz-Can you tell the difference?

          With the summer coming to an end, I was ready to get back to reds so I wanted to try something we haven't done in a while.  I chose a wine that was the same grape but three different parts of the world-California, Australia, and France.  I wanted to see how  the difference in terroir would effect the wines.  Blind tasting was just going to let our senses take charge. Here we go!

The Wines

Qupé 2010 Central Coast Syrah

• Color:  Beautiful ruby colored, the lightest in color of the three wines.
• Nose:  Delicate nose with white pepper, subtle red fruit, earthiness with floral notes as the wine opened up.
• Mouth:  Medium bodied wine with light tannins, a long finish with pepper and mineral notes.
• Price:  $19.99
• Conclusion:  An enjoyable wine, definitely lighter in body than some California fruit bomb Syrah's out there. We all agreed this was our second favorite of the evening. It paired well with the majority of the evening's dishes.

 

Elderton 2008 Barossa Shiraz

• Color:  Dark inky purple wine with a hint of brown around the edges - the darkest of the three wines of the evening.
• Nose:  Very rich, dark luscious, red fruit that made our mouth water. Hint of chocolate as the wine opened up.
• Mouth:  A full bodied wine with tart fruit, and bigger tannins than the first wine as we expected by the appearance. A lovely long finish. Definitely a wine that will stand up to meat.
• Price: $21.99
• Conclusion:  Hands down this was the favorite wine of the evening. We all agreed we loved this wine alone as well as it pairing best with all of the food. We loved the luscious, dark fruit this wine displayed.

Chateau de Lancyre 2009 Coste d'Aleyrac Coteaux d Languedoc

• Color:  Dark purple
• Nose:  This wine had more musty, earthiness on the nose. Each wine's varied terroir has really come through on the noses of these wines.
• Mouth:  Medium body with big mineral and dark licorice on the finish.
• Price: $19.99
• Conclusion:  We enjoyed the mouth feel of this wine but felt it definitely benefited from being paired with food. At times we felt the minerality was too strong for our liking.

The Pairings

Cheeses

• Drunken Goat (Spanish):  Wow! This cheese was fantastic and definitely the best wine and cheese pairing of the evening. It was to die for with the Elderton Shiraz. Thank you Wine and Cheese Shop for recommending this pairing.
• Old Brugge (Belgium):  This cheese was delicious. It had a great nuttiness. We enjoyed it very much with the Elderton (not as much as Drunken Goat though) and with Qupé. Those overpowering mineral notes came through too much when paired with the French wine. 
• Five Year Gouda:  We enjoyed this cheese, but was our least favorite of the evening with these wines. Again it was the best with the Australian Shiraz, the fruit of this wine standing up to this strong cheese. It definitely was a no with the Qupé, but was a bit better when paired with the French Syrah.

Entrée

• BBQ Ribs:  Excellent choice for our entrée! We thought it paired best with the French wine, but Qupé was a close second. This was one of the only choices for the evening that we didn't enjoy as much with Elderton Shiraz.
• Mashed Potatoes:  Who would of thought mashed potatoes would be such a great side paired with these wines. We enjoyed with all three wines, it especially gave the French wine more complexity.

Chocolates

• Lindt Touch of Sea Salt Dark Chocolate:  Our favorite chocolate pairing of the evening-went will with all three wines.
• Ghirardelli Intense Dark Cabernet Matinee:  This chocolate did not work with any of the wines.
• Ghirardelli Twilight Delight 72% Cacao:  This intense, dark chocolate did not work well with the French wine, brought out the fruitiness in the Cali Syrah, and didn't work at all with the Aussie wine.

Conclusion

Beth:   What a successful wine class, cheers to Lisa! It is always a challenge to taste wines blindly. I find myself second guessing my answers like I'm back in school taking a test! This blind tasting really highlighted how terroir can affect the wine. The Australian, with warm sunshine, was big and powerful while the French and American wines had more of a savory aspect with spice and mineral notes coming through. I must agree with Mary Jo that my favorite of the evening was the Barossa Shiraz. It was luscious! And the Drunken Goat with the Barossa was out of this world.
Lisa:  Blind tasting is always fun- it's like a box of chocolates- you never know what you're gonna get!  Starting with the nose, each of the wines was sssooo different. From peppery to earthy to musty, the terrior made the difference.  Yes, the hands down favorite was the Barossa and we guessed that one right! As for the cheeses, the Drunken goat was the fav.  I was so looking forward to the aged gouda but was surprised it didn't pair very well.  The entree of ribs and mashed potatoes was best with the French wine.  We realized it wasn't a stand alone wine and the food sure brought out the best of it. Again, one chocolate stood out above the rest and it was the Touch of Sea Salt by Lindt.  All in all it was a fun night!
Mary Jo:  I love blind tastings!  It is truly a class where you have to really concentrate on what you have learned, to try to identify different characteristics that make up each wine.  It is also a time when you realize you might not know as much as you think you do!  These three wines were distinctly different.  My favorite of the three was the Barossa Shiraz.  I must stay, the Barossa paired with the Drunken Goat cheese was probably the best wine and cheese pairing I have enjoyed to date.  I was overwhelmed with how rich the wine tasted with this cheese.  It brought out a caramel/toasted flavor in the wine that was simply delicious.  It paired well with almost everything.  We have found that some of the cheeses, by virtue of their aftertaste, can sometimes make pairing difficult.  We definitely noticed this with the 5 year gouda.  The cheese is delicious, but the aftertaste does not go well with the wines.  The French wine paired very well with the ribs, and, overall, I felt this wine wasn't one that should be enjoyed without food.  The Qupe paired well with most of the foods and was the lightest bodied of the three.  It had a nice, lingering peppery finish, and was more earthy than fruity.  A wonderful class, with some great wines!  Of course, the company always makes it a perfect night!  Thanks, Lisa!!

 

Cooking With Wine

I have become quite fond of cooking.  I really enjoy finding new recipes and bringing them to life!  I also, as most of you know, love wine.  What could be better than bringing the two together!?  Yes, I love to have a glass (or two) of wine while cooking, but today I am talking about cooking with wine as one of the ingredients!

First, decide on your recipe.  Obviously, it needs to call for wine if you are a novice at making up your own recipes.  You don't want to simply add wine if you aren't familiar with the types of recipes that call for it.  At that point, does the dish call for red or white wine?  The rule of thumb I have found over time, is to use the wine that you plan to enjoy with your meal in your recipe.  If you are working with a darker meat, such as steak, go with red wine.  If you are preparing a lighter meat, such as fish, go with a white wine.  Pork stands in the middle and can be prepared with either.  Further, consider using a wine from the region of the dish you are preparing.  For example, is dinner going to consist of a Spanish dish that calls for wine?  Consider using a Rioja!

If your dish calls for white wine, make sure to watch for other acidic ingredients that may need to be reduced to make room for the acid in the wine.  The more delicate the fish or vegetables, you may want to consider a dry non-oaked wine.  Cooking Light Magazine suggests a dry American Sauvignon Blanc if the recipe calls for white wine.  Making a tomato sauce packed with tomatoes, onions and carrots?  Consider a fuller-bodied, less dry red or white wine.  For heartier dishes, try a Zinfandel or Petite Syrah.  A lighter dish might call for a Pinot Noir or a Chianti.

Deciding on the brand of wine to use for your recipe calls for a simple analysis - if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it!  This is why "cooking wines" are not recommended.  However, you also don't want to use the best bottle you have, either.  An everyday bottle will work just fine.  In making your decision as to type of wine, consider what flavors you would like to elicit from your dish.  WebMD.com suggests you cook with white wine if you are looking for melon, apple, pineapple, pear, citrus, vanilla, caramel, olives and mushrooms.  If you are looking to elicit berries, peaches, currants, plums, cherries, oranges, chocolate or coffee - use red wine.

Wonder when to use fortified wines such as Sherry?  Cooking Light Magazine offers this information:

-Port has a rich sweetness and depth that's especially good in meat-based casseroles.
-Sherry's complex roasted nutty flavors can enhance just about any soup, stew, or sautéed dish. Two styles of Sherry that work best are Amontillado or Oloroso.
-Madeira can be mesmerizingly lush with toffee-caramel notes. Use the medium-rich style known as Bual, a touch of which will transform ordinary sautèed mushrooms. 
-Marsala's light caramel-like fruitiness is an integral part of Mediterranean sautès, many of which bear the wine's name in their titles.

Cooking Light Magazine also makes some suggestions for substituting wine for oil.  For example, if you are sautéing vegetables, consider utilizing a little wine in place of oil or butter.  It is healthier and will provide the flavor and moisture you will need.  Also, with a marinade, reduce your typical 1/2 cup of oil to 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup of wine.  Finally, substituting a dessert wine for oil in a cake would be a delicious and healthy touch.

There is one myth I must dispel:  some people believe all the alcohol is cooked off during food preparation.  This is not true. However, depending on the method of preparation, a substantial amount reduction in the wine can be attained.  The following table was found at http://www.ochef.com/165.htm

Preparation Method Percent of Alcohol Retained 

alcohol added to boiling liquid & removed from heat - 85% alcohol flamed - 75% no heat, stored overnight - 70% baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred into mixture - 45% baked/simmered, alcohol stirred into mixture: 15 minutes - 40% 30 minutes - 35% 1 hour - 25% 1.5 hours - 20% 2 hours - 10% 2.5 hours - 5% 

As with any type of cooking, have fun and experiment!

Here is a simple recipe from WebMD.com to get your started!

Merlot & Onion Roast

2 pounds beef top round roast, or similar (this roast is usually already trimmed of all visible fat)
Salt and pepper
8-10 garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons canola or olive oil
3/4 cup French onion soup, condensed, from a can (such as Campbell's)
3/4 cup merlot (or other mellow red wine)

If your roast is the rolled-up type, remove mesh or ties from surface and unroll the roast. Arrange garlic cloves evenly on top, and then sprinkle freshly ground salt and pepper over the top. Roll the roast up (but don't put any mesh or ties back on).

Start heating the canola or olive oil in a medium nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the rolled-up roast to the pan and let the bottom brown for a couple of minutes. Flip and brown the other side (a couple minutes more). Carefully place browned roast in slow cooker so that it remains rolled up.

Pour onion soup concentrate and wine over the top. Cover and cook on LOW for about four hours.

Feel free to comment on our blog with your own recipes that include wine!

Cheers!

Mary Jo

Wine School-Summer Roses, August 19, 2013

Wines of the Evening

Theme: Summer Rose

Our St. Louis summer will be coming to an end before we know it, so I thought it would be a perfect time to sample Rose wines! I chose wines from three different regions: Charles & Charles from Washington State, Domaine De La Janasse from France, and Isabel Mondavi IM Deep Rose from Napa. As you have probably noticed, we are gals that love our red wine, so sampling these roses would be a new experience for us. What better time to try a rose than  a hot, summer evening. If you plan to sample rose wines at home, make sure you put a good chill on your wines.
Beth

The Wines
Charles & Charles 2012 Rose

• Color:  Pink with a hint of orange, think red grapefruit.
• Nose:  Peach with a hint of butter and roses
• Mouth:  Very crisp with acidity definitely present on the finish. Tart cherries with a bit of strawberry  and citrus.
• Price:  $12.99
• Conclusion:  A bit too much acidity for our tastes unless paired with the proper food. When paired with the salmon the wine really rounded out and balanced the acidity. Amazing how well it paired with the olives-if you like olives!

Domaine De La Janasse 2012 Cotes du Rhone Rose

• Color:  Blush pink.
• Nose:  Earthy terroir, we couldn’t pick up any fruit.
• Mouth:  Bone dry with a definite mineral-chalky finish.
• Mouth:  $13.99
• Conclusion:  We all agreed the mineral notes were too overpowering for our tastes. A few of the foods did help the fruit in the wine come through, but was definitely our least favorite of the evening. Not a rose for sipping by the pool on a hot, St. Louis summer day.

Isabel Mondavi IM 2012 Deep Rose

• Color:  Cranberry
• Nose:  Fruitiest of the wines on the evening. Very pleasant with strawberry and cranberry aromas.
• Mouth:  Richest of the three wines with red fruit and a bit of tarty cranberry.
• Price:  $18.99
• Conclusion:  We have all had this wine in the past and love it for a summer sipper. It was definitely our favorite wine of the evening. Overall it was the most versatile with the food pairings. The richness of the Cabernet grape came through in a light, refreshing version.

The Pairings
Note:  For the pairings tonight we sampled a number of lighter fare/small plate dishes.
Cheese

• Dill Havarti Cheese:  As much as we love this cheese it was a definite no go with all the wines. Mary Jo pointed out that it really affected the finish of the wines in negative light.
• Manchego Cheese:  Another of our favorite cheeses that didn’t work with the wines this evening. It was ok with the IM rose but a miss match with the others.
• Sun-dried Tomato Cheddar Cheese:  The winning cheese of the evening when it came to pairing. We really enjoyed it with the Charles & Charles and it also paired nicely with the Cotes Du Rhone wine, taming some of the overwhelming mineral aftertaste. Mary Jo enjoyed it with IM as well, although that was not a favorite for Beth and Lisa.

Olives

• Olives Stuffed with Sun-dried Tomato:  As it turns out olives, if you like them, go well with rose wine! It really toned down the tartness of Charles & Charles. And even though we weren’t a big fan of these olives to begin with, they improved with the wine. Unfortunately nothing can get Mary Jo to enjoy olives!
• Marinated Olives:  Again, olives and rose works! 

Small Plates

• Melon with Prosciutto:  The fresh melon and prosciutto are a great pairing for rose wine we all agree!! With the Charles and Charles there was the perfect balance between the tartness of the wine and the sweet and salty treat. It also tamed the overpowering minerals in the Cotes du Rhone, and the wonderful fruit in the IM deepened.
• Tomato Bruschetta:  This pairing was a mixed bag. We enjoyed it with the Cotes and IM. The fruit that we found lacking in the Cotes du Rhone was enhanced and it just really richened the IM. The only downfall was with Charles & Charles, too much tartness in the wine to pair with the acidic tomatoes.
• Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese:  This was a simple and delicious appetizer to prepare. Just spread some softened cream cheese on a cracker and top with smoked salmon-delish!! It was also wonderful with the Charles & Charles the tartness in wine balanced out well with the smoky fish. It was a definite mismatch with the French wine and seemed to flatten that wonderful, rich fruit of the IM.
• Lobster Bisque:  We enjoyed this match with the Charles & Charles; it balanced out that tartness. It was too creamy for IM; toned down the fruit. We all just did not enjoy at all with the French rose.

Pizza

• Roasted Vegetable Flat Bread:  We thought the roasted vegetables, thinking of summer foods, would pair well with these wines, but it was nothing to write home about. It probably paired best with IM and was passable with the Charles& Charles, but nothing special. Mary Jo did not like at all with the French wine.
• BBQ Chicken Flat Bread:  This pairing demonstrated how everyone has their own likes and dislikes. Mary Jo enjoyed this best with the IM, while Beth and Lisa thought it went well with the Cotes du Rhone-balancing the mineral finish of the wine.

Dessert

• Peaches:  The fresh peaches from Eckert’s were delicious, but not a hit with the wines. They stood up best to the Charles & Charles-tartness playing off the sweetness of the peaches. The remaining wines fell flat with the peaches.
• Ghiradelli Sea Slat Soiree Dark Chocolate:  We were not at all sure we could pull of chocolate with roses, but we can’t have wine school without our chocolate! The Charles & Charles was the only wine to even hint at working with this chocolate.
• Lindt Chili Dark Chocolate:  With the spiciness of this chocolate, the pairings were a better, especially with the Charles & Charles. It bombed with IM.

Conclusion
Beth:  An interesting evening of tasting! I must say my hands down favorite wine of the evening was The IM Rose! I have enjoyed this wine in the past and still love it! A perfect wine to sip around the pool. My favorite pairing of the evening has to be the melon wrapped prosciutto with any of the wines. It was a very refreshing treat for hot weather. The most interesting match I thought was how well olives and rose wines pair together. In preparing for the evening I found this pairing mentioned a number of times, but I wasn’t sure how it would work out. It was wonderful. I loved how the tartness played with the saltiness of the olives. If I planned this night again I would definitely try these wines with some BBQ too.
Lisa:  Unfortunately I have a disclaimer for the evening.  I was fighting a cold and thought that only my nose might be affected.  However, my taste buds didn't want to cooperate either.  As for the food alone, everything was delicious.  When it came to the wine, all I could find on the tongue was a metallic taste (darn cold meds).  Listening to Beth and Mary Jo describe the flavors I know I missed out!  I did however enjoy the time with my wine buddies!
Mary Jo:  I was skeptical at first that I would be able to enjoy rose wine glass after glass, as is typical of wine school.  Wow, was I wrong!  In fact, I dare say, I may have enjoyed them TOO much!  I would definitely agree with Beth that the IM Rose was my favorite.  This was not the first night I had tried this wine, so I knew I liked it.  But, while the others were enjoyable, the IM truly stood first in most pairings.  It was amazing with the prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe.  The Charles and Charles went well with the salmon.  All in all, a very enjoyable evening.  Unfortunately, Lisa wasn't feeling well, I must have picked up her slack.  ;)

Steak and a Cab- Delicious!

So over the Labor Day weekend my husband and I, along with Mike and Beth, decided to check out a steak house that is well known (in these here parts) but kind of out in the middle of nowhere.  Living only about 20 miles east of St. Louis on the OTHER side of the Mississippi we usually venture into the big city.  However, this time we headed farther east to Clinton county to a tiny town called Saint Rose.  In this cute little town sits Popeye's Chophouse.
I had called ahead to let them know we were coming and
asked if they would allow us to bring our own bottles of wine.  They said sure!

So we arrived when we said we would and they had a packed house!  Told you they were popular.  Well the wait was definitely worth it. We opened our first bottle which was a 2006 Lancaster Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is a wine we brought home from our first trip together to California in 2011. This  Cab was a deep purple in color and had the rich Cab nose with a little cassis, white pepper, dark berry and hint of spice.  We thoroughly enjoyed it with the crab cakes for appetizers. It had rich tannins and the fullest body of the two wines we enjoyed that night. It opened up very well and wondered what it would have been like had it been decanted first.  It was great!







We decided to open our second bottle a little early to let it breath while we finished the crab cakes and salads (and the first bottle). This one was from this past trip to California and I kind of already blogged about it but....(you know I already love it) it was a 2009 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon.  Since this restaurant was a chophouse we all had to have steaks (hence the Cabs). So when our entrees were delivered, the wine delivered as well!  The Jordan was also a deep purple and the nose was a little fruitier than the first. The taste was a lighter body and softer tannins but with an excellent finish. Beth's filet was a perfect match.  Bart's Tenderloin Bordelaisse  was delicious with the taste of the blue cheese.  Mike and I both had the Filet Mornay which was stuffed with crab and topped with a smoked gouda sauce which just melted in my mouth and the wine paired superbly!

 

What a night of fine wine and delicious food!  Can't wait for the next time :).

 

Cheers!

Lisa

Happy Labor Day

Labor Day-the unofficial last day of summer. After suffering through a late summer heat wave, we woke this morning to a beautiful day! With no special plans for the day, my husband and I decided to load up the bikes and head out for a ride on the bike trails. Cycling does work up an appetite, so we like to stop along the trail for a bite to eat and a refreshing glass of wine!


Today we stopped in at Mike Shannon’s Grill,(www.mikeshannonsgrill.com) in Edwardsville, IL. If you have been to his downtown restaurant this is a more relaxed, casual atmosphere with plenty of Cardinal memorabilia everywhere! The menu has burgers, steaks, salads, and seafood. We were seated at a table on the outdoor patio overlooking a wooded ravine that features a television(surprise-playing the Cards game) and a fire pit for cool evenings yet to come. A perfect spot for a salad and glass of wine before heading back to the trails. My wine of choice this afternoon was a Maso Canali Pinot Grigio, a lovely light, refreshing wine perfect on a warm summer day. The wine was a perfect match for my Greek salad with a lemon feta vinaigrette. The citrus of salad dressing complimenting this light refreshing wine perfectly. I have also enjoyed this wine with the Chevre pizza next door at Peel Wood Fired Pizza (www.peelpizza.com). Another winning combination!

After a full weekend of dinners and catching up with old friends, our Labor Day weekend bike ride was a relaxing end to a wonderful weekend!

Cheers,
Beth

Sommeliers - The True Wine Experts

Have you ever patronized an exceptional restaurant to celebrate a special occasion and felt a little (maybe a lot) intimidated by their extensive wine list?  Have you ever been afraid that you will spend an exorbitant amount of money on a bottle (or even a glass), and be disappointed?  Or, have you ever just wanted to try something new and needed some guidance as to which wine will suit your palate? Many higher end restaurants take care of these fears or desires to try something new by offering in-house sommelier service.

Since I started branching out in my wine drinking, I have learned that these well-trained individuals can offer invaluable advice and a bit of education, when it comes to wine.  In fact, while dining at the Las Vegas Wine Restaurant,Aureole, I was handed what looked like an iPad, but was a 3,200 bottle touch screen wine list complete with pairing suggestions!  Talk about overwhelmed!  I didn't know where to begin!  I definitely needed an experienced sommelier to help me navigate this incredible wine list.

If you have utilized a sommelier's services, you know how valuable their knowledge can be when selecting wine.  But the question is, where do these individuals get their training?  They are obviously extremely knowledgable about a vast array of wines, pairings and how to help complete strangers find the perfect wines for their tastes and occasions.

After enjoying an amazing dinner recently at Porters Steakhouse in Southern, Illinois (http://www.porterscollinsville.com), our party was treated to a four wine tasting and a wealth of information from resident Certified Sommelier Jeff Callahan.  Mr. Callahan offered us an explanation of each wine and what we should expect on the nose and mouth.  Mr. Callahan was friendly, well-spoken, and certainly knew his wine.  We spoke to him for quite a while and learned a lot of about his wine-drinking history, as well as his training.

After dinner, I thought a lot about what we had discussed with Mr. Callahan.  I also thought about the Stay At Home Winos, and where we saw our group going in the future.  Our conversation at dinner also made me realize how surprisingly little I knew about the sommelier training process.  I felt that since, from time to time, we utilize the services of these individuals, maybe it would be interesting to know just how they become so well-versed!  We all know that no one can possibly try or be an expert in every single wine that is available.  But sommeliers really seem to know it all!  Here is what I found:

Defined by Wikipedia, a sommelier (or wine steward), is a knowledgeable and trained expert in the field of wine, who specializes in the areas of wine, wine and food pairing and wine service.  These individuals often work in fine restaurants and their role is more specialized and informed than a wine waiter.

In 1977, the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) (http://www.mastersommeliers.org), was established under the supervision of The Vintners Company, The Institute of Masters of Wine, The British Hotels and Restaurants Association, The Wine and Spirit Trade Association of Great Britain and the Wholesale Tobacco Trade Association.  The CMS is the independent examining body for the four levels of sommeliers.   These four levels are: 1) Master Sommelier Diploma; 2) Advanced Sommelier Certificate; 3) Certified Sommelier Certificate; and 4) Introductory Sommelier Certificate. As of 2011, 186 people around the world held the title of Master Sommelier.

In Canada, China and the USA, the International Sommelier Guild (ISG) (https://www.internationalsommelier.com) also educates and certifies sommeliers.  Also, the North American Sommelier Association was founded in 1996 to provide sommelier certification.  Finally, in South Africa, the Cape Wine Academy introduced the Cape Sommelier program, leading to the certification as a Cape Wine Master.

Many schools offer classes related to wine.  I did find that the ISG and CMS organizations both offer classes and certifications specific to becoming a sommelier.  The ISG offers schools in Denver, Arizona, Texas, Virginia and Washington.  CMS offers their introductory and certified courses in several cities.

As far as compensation is concerned, a 2012 Forbes article discussing unusual jobs and their salaries estimates that experienced and extremely knowledgeable master sommeliers can earn between $80,000 and $160,000 per year. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/05/25/unusual-jobs-that-pay-surprisingly-well/)  Some articles I reviewed estimate the lower end more towards the mid forties.  However, whatever the paycheck, to me, becoming an expert on wine and being able to assist others in enjoying something I love, would be a treat in and of itself!

I have decided that I would like to begin my journey toward certification.  In doing so, I purchased the book "the Sommelier Prep Course: An Introduction to the Wines, Beers, and Spirits of the World" by Michael Gibson.  I have learned so much in the first few chapters alone, about the history of wine and science of growing grapes (and the art!).  After I read this book from cover to cover, I will decide on my next step.  Hopefully, I can even convince two other Winos I know to make the journey with me!  Stay tuned!!!

Cheers,
Mary Jo

Gift Giving for the Discerning Wino-The Decanter

So when it comes to giving a gift for the wino who probably has everything, what do you do?  It would never fail by giving a wonderful bottle of their favorite wine or maybe one of YOUR favorite wines.  But once that bottle has been enjoyed (as I'm sure it will be), you just have an empty bottle.  Now you could use the cork for some future decorating project ( Beth made a cool lazy susan) or put a candle wick in it for ambient lighting (Mary Jo made several of these from special bottles) or for the not so crafty person that I am, you have to come up with something else.

As for some favorite "toys" for the wino, one that is very useful and can be used over and over, is the decanter.  I do have to admit I have a couple of decanters that get plenty of use. So why a decanter?  What is the purpose of a decanter?





Well, for starters there are a couple of reasons one chooses to decant a wine.  One is for aeration.  This is mainly for full-bodied red wines whose aroma, flavor, and complexity can improve with aeration.  We have noticed that during some of our wine classes the wines change after the first tasting, then pairing with some foods and later tasting again once the bottle has been open for a while.  This decanter just helps speed up the process.  We've also noticed it can enhance the flavor of an inexpensive wine.  These don't have to be fancy but best to use either glass or crystal because they won't alter the wine's taste.  Also, make sure they are large enough to hold an entire bottle of wine and still have plenty of room. There should be plenty of surface area exposed to air.

Another reason for decanting is for removal of sediment.  Again, for full-bodied reds since, as they age, they can develop a deposit that settles to the bottom of the bottle.  The decanter helps to separate the clear wine from the sediment, because no one enjoys that unpleasant taste.

Now let's explore which wines should be decanted.  According to Andrea Immer Robinson, the Rule of Thumb: Older red wines (typically ten years and older, but visually inspect bottles with three or more years of age to be sure) may have sediment, and are thus candidates for decanting.  All vintage Port has sediment, and should be decanted--the older the wine, the thicker the sediment.  Young, very full-bodied red wines can benefit from decanting for aeration. 

Speaking of aeration, if you don't wish to enjoy the entire bottle at the time, using an aerator for pouring a glass at a time is the perfect solution.  My pick of choice is the Vinturi.  Just hold it over your glass, pour and instant aeration!  It's fun to try a little wine without the aerator and then after and taste the difference.  It's amazing how the wine really opens up.

 





Now if you are like me and really love pretty toys, I picked up a beautiful wine funnel from JordanWinery in California on our last trip.  It's not only functional but pretty to use.

 

So if you are looking for a fun gift or just want to enhance a wonderful bottle of wine, try a decanter!

Cheers!

Lisa