Red, White, and Beer

Wondering what to serve while celebrating this weekend?  With the help of What to Drink with What you Eat, here are suggested pairings with traditional, and not so traditional July 4^th grub.  Because sharing a cold one is sometimes the way to go, we’ve added a few favorites to the list, creating our Red, White, and Beer recommendations ~ Happy 4^th!

You should find all of these at large beverage stores, such as BevMo, Specs, and TotalWine - all are under $20

Hot Dogs

RED: A to Z Pinot Noir

WHITE: Seghesio Pinot Grigio

BEER: Anchor Steam

Hamburgers

RED: Smith & Hook Cabernet Sauvignon (especially with cheeseburgers!)

WHITE: about as “white” as you may want to get is Rose – go with any Spanish one

BEER: Abita Amber

BBQ

Any meat with smoky and/or sweet sauce

RED: “The Franc” – Cosentino Cab Franc

WHITE: Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling

BEER: Blue Moon White Ale

Grilled Meatloaf

RED: Plungerhead Old Vine Zinfandel

WHITE: Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc

BEER: Shiner Bock

Apple Pie

By this time, I’m sure you’ll just want a nice cup of coffee.  If not, a little sherry always goes nice with pie.

“Drink Yourself Blind” and Discover New Wine

One of my favorite ways to discover new wines is with unique tasting experiences.  It’s a fun way to share wine with friends and try something you may not otherwise.  This week, co-workers were in town and our friends at Bacchus Wine Market & Tasting Room set up a very fun tasting experience for us, “Drink Yourself Blind”. 

For the tasting, we were served 8 mystery wines ~ 4 white, 4 red.  We were provided a list of possible wines.  Of course, they didn’t make it easy, as each list had an extra wine that was not part of the tasting.  We were also provided grape descriptions to help us along.  Here’s the list of our potential wines with actual selections marked with (x):

WHITE:

(x) Le Capitaine Vouvray Chenin Blanc, France

(x) Cavallotto Chardonnay, Italy

(x) J. Rickards Sauvignon Blanc, California

(x) Trefethen Riesling, California

Lagar de Cervera Albarino, Spain

RED:

(x) Medlock Ames Merlot, California

(x) White Hawk Syrah, California

(x) In Situ Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

J. Rickards Zinfandel, California

(x) Aster Ribera del Duero Tempranillo, Spain

The wines were served one at a time, starting with the whites.  After every taste, we each made a guess and then took the most common answer as our ‘team pick’.  After tasting all the whites, I learned, well… I really suck at this ~ it was hard!  I only got 2 correct.  Our collective team pick scored the same, and we gave mad props to our co-worker who successfully picked three.  I was confident I’d do better with the reds.  Not so much.  I didn’t get any correct (ouch!), and I once again matched our team score.  The best among our group was a total of 4 correct picks. 

I have convinced myself I would do better if the wines were tasted all together and I could compare side by side.  Then again, maybe I just need the practice, and should take it as a sign to share more wine!

Bacchus is holding the "Drink Yourself Blind" event on Friday, Oct 12, 4-8:30pm and Saturday, Oct 13, 2-8:30pm.  Tickets are only $20. If you are in San Diego during this time, I highly recommend it ~ tons of fun!

Sharing a fun wine tasting experience with co-workers at Bacchus Wine Market, downtown San Diego

Good Food, Good Wine, and Good Fortune in 2012

Good wine deserves good food.  We partnered with our friend, and food blogger, AGirlInTheSouth, to create a perfect pairing for New Year’s Day.

According to tradition, New Year’s Day supper will bring you good fortune in the year to come.  There are a variety of foods that are believed to be lucky and improve the odds that next year will be a great one ~ including grapes!

AGirlInTheSouth put together a tasty New Year’s Day menu that is sure to bring luck your way.  We selected some of our favorite grapes to pair with it to make a very fortunate feast!

Menu

 Pork with Apple and Onion Confit

 Shaved roasted brussel sprouts

 Latkes (sour cream on the side)

 Dessert ~ chocolate cupcakes

A nice white wine pairs best with this lineup.  We recommended going with a Gewurztraminer, Riesling, or Viognier.  Here are a few of our favorites, all of which can be found at larger wine shops, such as BevMo and Specs:

Gewurztraminer:  Handley Cellars ($18) - Dry wine with flavors of grapefruit, vanilla, and lychee  

Riesling: Chateau Ste Michelle ($10) - Off-dry, sweet lime and peach character with subtle mineral notes  

Viognier: Anglim ($25) - Fruit-forward, with fragrant ripe melon and white peach

If white wine really isn’t your thing, or you want to offer a red option for your guests, with this meal we suggested a fruitier pinot noir.  Wild Horse makes a very food friendly pinot noir ($20).  It is a fruitier, California style pinot that has flavors of cherry, pomegranate, and cola.   

Pair a port or a muscat (especially black/orange) to wash down the chocolate cupcakes.  One of my favorite ports is Heitz Cellars Ink Grade Port ($35 for 750ml bottle).  This is a traditional Portuguese style port, and is simply delicious! 

Wishing you all good food, good wine, and good fortune in 2012!

Perfect Thanksgiving wines under $20

Thanksgiving is a great time of year to enjoy the three Fs: family, food, and football! The tricky part is picking the right wine to go with your Thanksgiving feast. Some of your guests will appreciate a pairing that goes well with the meal while others will gulp down anything you put in front of them. 

Here are our suggestions for great Thanksgiving wines that are all under $20. They all go well with turkey, ham, and a wide range of fixins. Even better, you'll probably find them in your local liquor store, wine shop, or supermarket no matter what part of the country you are in.

Riesling
An off-dry Riesling can be a refreshing compliment to a heavy Thanksgiving feast. Our choice is the 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling. It earned a 91 point rating from Wilfred Wong and retails at BevMo for $7.99.

Chardonnay
This is a good choice if your guests want a white wine but don't want the sweetness of a Riesling. Stick with lighter Chardonnays and avoid anything that is too oaky or buttery. Our pick is the 2008 Simi Sonoma County Chardonnay, a nicely balanced Chardonnay that has a light apple taste without a lot of citrus. It retails at BevMo for $18.99.

Pinot Noir
This is a terrific choice for a red wine that won't overwhelm the food. Stick with more fruit forward, light-bodied California Pinot Noirs. Our selection is the 2010 Chalone Monterey County Pinot Noir, which always tastes like a more expensive Pinot. Little known fact about Chalone - Julia Child was a part owner. This wine retails for $18.99 at BevMo.

Zinfandel
This varietal is a terrific choice if you are looking for a medium-bodied red wine that pairs well with your menu. You can't go wrong with the 2008 Lake Sonoma Zinfandel. The last time I shared a bottle with friends it quickly disappeared and I was glad I had a second bottle in reserve! It normally retails for $19.99, but the current club price at BevMo is only $9.99!

Happy Thanksgiving!