November, 2011

Domaine Carobelle Gigondas 2009

Grapes 80% Grenache 15% Syrah 5% Cinsault Facts I have a special little place in my heart for Gigondas, it was one of the first bottles that really got me into the world of wine. The name Gigondas [jhee-gon-dahs] comes from the Latin Jocunditas meaning “great pleasure”, as the region was home to many Roman Legions as an area of recreation.   Grenache is always the main grape in red Gigondas, and is not permitted…

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It’s Mulled Wine Time!

Since last night was officially the first night whereby I said “….holy hell it’s cold outside!!!”, I figured there’s probably no better time for me to post my recipe for mulled wine.   I’ve mixed my recipe up a little since last year, and the beautiful thing about mulled wine is that there really is no right or wrong answer! Feel free to change-up the recipe I’ve posted below as much as you see fit….

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Little James’ Basket Press – A Wine by Louis Barroul.

Grapes 100% Grenache   Facts Louis Barruol, the winemaker behind the Little James Basket Press is part of the new generation of winemakers in the Southern Rhone region of France, who through years of study and instruction from his winemaking father, has breathed a fair amount of new life into their old family-held estates.   The Barruol family has a long heritage in winemaking and has been involved with the hugely respected Chateau de St….

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Grilled Flank Steak in a Garlic, Balsamic and Red Wine Marinade, Paired with Masseria Pietrosa Salice Salentino.

If you’ve been following these food and wine pairings, you’ll know that I ideally like to keep the recipes as quick and simple as possible. This pairing epitomizes that concept. The wine for this pairing is the Masseria Pietrosa Salice Salentino; yet another European wine which doesn’t do itself any favors with its name or label, so I’ll help explain: Salice Salentino is actually the town in the Southern Apulia region of Italy (the “heel…

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Conundrum Red Blend 2009 from California

Grape(s) No clue. I reached out for the winery, and their lips are staying sealed. I don’t think any of the grapes in the blend will be a huge surprise.   Facts Imagine my surprise walking down the aisle of the local-dirty-great-big-wine-store, when out of the corner of my eye I saw this on the shelf! I’d always heard that the Wagners (the winemaking family behind Conundrum, Caymus, Belle Glos and Mer Soleil) made a…

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Understanding Sherry, Should You Want to…

“Sherry!?!? Who the bloody hell drinks Sherry?!?!” Well, that’s a very good question! Who does drink Sherry? The answer? Not very many people at all! Which is kind of a shame…. Being from England, drinking Sherry is almost a right of passage (saying that, it’s normally only at Christmas). I would state though, if you haven’t ever tried a good Pedro Ximenez with an aged Gouda cheese, you’re missing out! It’s been one of my…

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This Week in Wine–11.6.11

A New Harvest at Chateau Changyu. The picture to the left shows an artist’s rendering of the newly updated “Disney-esque” Chateau Changyu Baron Balboa winemaking facility, scheduled to be completed next year. The Chinese chateau now has a combined 16,666 hectares of vineyards in Xinjiang, Ningxia, Shandong,Shaanxi, Liaoning and Beijing – a quarter of the entire grape growing area in China. With dry weather, favorable soil conditions and 2,700 hours of annual sunshine, the area…

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