21 Oct

Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio: The Denim of White Wine

Pinot Gris is the wine world’s answer to denim. Sipping a glass of easy-drinking, affordable Pinot Gris is like throwing on your favorite well-worn pair of jeans. Both are about kicking back and getting comfortable.

Core Words for Pinot Grigio:

  • Dry: Most bottlings of Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are considered dry though wines labeled Pinot Gris often sport a whisper of sweetness. It’s not that sugar is added to the wine as many people think, rather that a little of the sweet grape juice was left unfermented during the making of the wine. The wines won’t taste sweet like some Rieslings, for example, but will be juicy and fruity.
  • Crisp or Smooth: When grapes are grown in cool climates or harvested earlier as they often are in northern Italy, the wine tastes crisp and vibrant. If the grapes are grown in a warmer climate such as Alsace or Oregon, the acidity is lower and the final wine tends tastes softer and smoother.
  • Light and Medium-Bodied: Pinot Grigios tend to be lighter-bodied and Pinot Gris medium-bodied. In Alsace, however, the Pinot Gris can be so full and fleshy it almost needs a girdle to contain itself.

Here’s one of our favorite appetizers to pair with Pinot Grigio:

Figs and Goat Cheese: Cut fresh figs in half. Place face up on cookie sheet top each fig half with a dollop of goat cheese. Broil just until bubbly. Squeeze a dash of lemon juice on top and sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper. Serve as finger food at room temperature.

What are your suggestions for appetizers that go well with Pinot Grigio?

19 Oct

Cabernet Sauvignon- The Classic Red

Cabernet Sauvignon is often considered a classic red wine. It is a wine wardrobe essential. Cabernet remains the most popular red wine on the market because it offers distinctive drinking in a wide range of prices and styles.

  • Dry: Cabernet Sauvignon is considered dry wine. It often tastes more dry than shiraz or pinot noir, for example, but not as dry as sangiovese-based wines from Italy.
  • Bright: Cabernet sauvignon grapes are naturally higher in acidity than merlot grapes so the resulting wine often has a more vibrant character (think of green plums verus ripe, juicy ones), especially when the grapes are grown in cooler areas such as Bordeaux.
  • Medium or full-bodied: styles of cabernet sauvignon range from elegant to powerful depending upon where the grapes are grown (warmer regions equal riper grapes, higher alcohol (13-14 percent) and fuller body, cooler regions equal less sugar in the grapes and slightly lower alcohol levels (12-13 percent). In the glass, that translates to the difference between satin and velvet, or brushed cotton and winter wool.
  • Medium to strong tannins: These are thick-skinned grapes, which mean the wines are inherently more tannic than most all other reds. If you don’t like the sometimes drying, astringent feel from tannins (see page 000 for details on tannins), cabernet sauvignon may not be to your top pick in reds. Try merlot or pinot noir.

VALUE TIP: One of the best-value Cabs on the market today comes from Gallo of Sonoma whose Sonoma County bottling (often under $10) is produced with a healthy dose of Alexander Valley grapes.

Have you tried this?

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Fresh Mint Sauce: Rub the outside of the leg of lamb with a mixture of honey, Dijon mustard, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and chopped fresh mint and rosemary. Grill or roast until cooked. For the Mint Sauce, mix chopped fresh mint with a little olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Stir it into couscous or rice and serve with the thinly sliced lamb.

What are your favorite recipes/food ideas to go with your favorite Cab Sauv?

Share with us your favorite Cab Sauvs and why you like them.

19 Oct

Thirsty Girl Wine Tips and Terms

Here are some exclusive tips and sips from our Head Thirsty Girl, Leslie Sbrocco. Next time you find yourself at the bar by yourself, strike up a conversation with person next to you or the bartender. Wow them with your fabulous knowledge.

Cheers to that!

  • Toasting the oak staves in new barrels imparts notes of vanilla and spice to wine. After a few years of use, the barrel becomes a neutral vessel imparting little oak character.
  • Tannins are chemical compounds found in the skins, stems and seeds of grapes that impart an astringent sensation in young red wines. Tannins help wine age and pair with food.
  • A varietal wine, such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, must contain a minimum of 75% of that grape variety.
  • Wines that simply say Oregon can be a blend of grapes from the state’s various growing regions, which include places like the Willamette, Umpqua, Columbia and Rogue Valleys.
  • Pinot Grigio is the same grape variety as Pinot Gris. Both mean pinot grey in reference to their pink/maroon skin color.
  • White Sauvignon Blanc is a tad untamed since it takes its name from the French word for savage. It, along with elegant red Cabernet Franc, gave birth to the hearty red Cabernet Sauvignon grape.
  • Wine Words: Crisp, bright, smooth = acidity levels in wine from higher to lower
  • Wine Words: Dry, off-dry, medium-dry, sweet = sweetness levels in wine
  • Wine Words: Light, medium and full-bodied = the feel of the wine in your mouth. These relate to alcohol and residual sugar levels. The less alcohol, the lighter the wine feels. The sweeter the wine, the richer and more dense it can feel.

What tips would you add?