2014 Oscar Party Wine Winners

Oscar Night is a fun night in our house.  It’s a perfect evening to celebrate what we love… movies and wine!  We’ve hosted this event a number of years (2013 Results, 2012 Results).  Whether it is who takes home the Best Picture award, or which wine is the favorite of the evening, each night brings different surprises.  All wines selected are under $20, and ones we’ve shared or discovered with friends. 

While the food pairings give a good hint to what’s inside the bag, it is always fun watching friends guess the varietals.  This year had a little twist, as they were all blends.  I must say, the surprise for me was how many of our friends came pretty darn close to nailing every single wine!  After tasting all the selections, and before the reveal, votes are cast for the favorite.  This year’s winner…

4^th Place: Gruet Blanc de Noir

We first discovered this wine as part of our “Coast to Coast, Champagne Toast” New Year’s Eve parties.  At these events, we shared sparkling wine from each time zone, welcoming the New Year on each hour (including Hawaii!). It was a tough challenge to find a decent selection from each US time zone, but this one was a winner for the Mountain region.  It has rich and toasty flavors, smooth and refreshing finish, and a great deal. Retails $17.

Food pairing: Ginger-Soy chicken wraps, vegetable spring rolls, parmesan cheese

3^rd Place: 17^th Edition Sokol Blosser Evolution

We discovered this wine while visiting their tasting room.  It is one of my favorite “summer” wines.  Intense tropical fruit notes up front, with a nice crisp, clean finish.  Blended from 9 grapes, this smooth, layered white is an excellent food wine, and is enjoyable all on its own.  Retails $14

Food pairing: Bacon crostini, butternut squash tartlets, baked camembert with roasted garlic onion jam

2^nd Place: 2009 E. Guigal Cotes Du Rhone

We first shared a bottle of this wine with our friend Darren, in Dublin.  It is a versatile, light-bodied red wine blend of 52% Grenache, 45% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre.  It tastes well on its own, even better with food.  It’s a crowd pleaser in flavor and price. Retails $12

Food pairing: Italian sausage pigs in a blanket, port salut cheese

1^st Place: 2010 Wattle Creek Kristine’s Cuvee

This is another one we discovered at the tasting room.  It is a Bordeaux blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 14% Petit Verdot, 13% Merlot, 13% Malbec.  Friends enjoyed the aromas and flavors of plum, cherry, and caramel, and lower alcohol and light tannin profile. Retail $20

Food pairing: Balsamic beef sandwiches, aged cheddar cheese

Under $20 Sparkling Wine Picks for Oscar Night

The 86th annual Academy Awards are this Sunday, March 2. For wine lovers, that can only mean one thing - sparkling wine!

Last year, we compiled a list of some of our favorite sparkling wines that sell for under $20.

Life would be boring if we always drank the same wine, so we’ve compiled a new list of tasty under $20 sparklers for 2014.

Roederer Estate Brut

There’s frequently a bottle or two of this sparkler in our house. It’s light and crisp with a subtle pear taste. It was also the favorite wine at our 2012 Oscar Party.   

• $19.99 at BevMo (with Club Bev discount)
• $17.47 at Total Wine
• $19.88 at Specs
• $17.95 at San Diego Wine Company

Chandon Brut Classic

Jeff got to taste Chandon at a tasting event at 3rd Corner in OB. A nice alternative to the Roederer Estate, look for green apple and pear flavors and a crisp finish.

• $17.99 at BevMo
• $12.97 at Total Wine
• $15.15 at Specs

Gruet Blanc de Noirs

Fun fact - this sparkler is made in New Mexico. It’s plenty good - good enough to share with Jeff’s Mom last Mother’s Day. It’s slightly salmon colored from leaving the red Pinot Noir grapes in contact with the skins just a little longer. It has berry and pear notes on the nose with a slightly creamy finish.

• $16.99 at BevMo
• $15.99 at Total Wine
• $14.31 at Specs

What will be in our glass come Oscar night? It’s still a closely guarded secret, but we’ll reveal all next week.

Mother's Day Brunch with Gruet Blanc de Noirs

Mother’s Day is a time to treat Mom to a few of her favorite things. For my Mom, these include sun, roses, and sparkling wine. Our backyard provided the first two while the third was from New Mexico.

That's right - bubbly from New Mexico!

The winery is called Gruet and they make some outstanding sparkling wine. We recently enjoyed some Gruet Demi-sec with my parents and also mentioned Gruet in a recent post about some of the many great reasons to open a bottle of bubbly.

Today’s sparkling wine was Gruet’s Blanc de Noirs. It’s made entirely from red grapes and is distinguished by a reddish tint. It is a creamier sparkling wine with wonderful berry flavors that paired perfectly with our meal. Our Sunday brunch consisted of a hash brown casserole, scones, and berries.

Jeff's Mom & Dad enjoying Mom's Day brunch

You can find Gruet Blanc de Noirs at Bevmo, Specs, and Total Wine.

Sparkling Wines ~ great with more than celebrations

Weddings, holiday parties, birthday celebrations.  These are all events in which it is common to serve a little bubbly.  Yes, these are great wines to enjoy with big festivities, but sparkling wines are versatile and can be enjoyed with a variety of foods, in various settings.  We’ve been known to pop open a bottle with brunch (and not spoil it with OJ), but why not enjoy alongside appetizers before dinner with friends, or while sitting on the patio enjoying the afternoon sun? 

Here are a few different styles of bubbly we’ve shared with friends:

Blanc de Noirs 

Blanc de Noirs are made from dark grapes.  Grab a seat on the patio and enjoy with an assorted cheese platter.  Select rich, buttery triple – crèmes and brie type cheese, like camembert and herbed cream cheese

Recommend: Gruet ($15): We first discovered this sparkling wine for our New Year’s Eve, “Coast-to-Coast Champagne Toast” party.  A surprising find from New Mexico! 

 Crémant 

Crémant is French for “creamy” and traditionally refers to a sparkling wine with softer effervescence.  This is a great one to pair with appetizers, or as a palate cleanser before a great meal.  Try it with salty, sharp cheese, fruit plates, and even Thai food.

Recommend: Scharffenberger Cellars ($25): We discovered this on our latest California wine adventure.  Unfortunately, it is only available direct through the winery, but a great find…go ahead, order it!

Brut

Brut style sparlings taste quite dry on the palate.  A great brunch bubbly, and it’s perfectly ok to drink straight up, don’t mix with OJ or other juice!  This pairs well with great brunch staples like eggs, potatoes, bacon and sausage, and pastries. 

Recommend: Roederer Estate ($20): This is a regular find in our fridge, and can be found in most wine shops like BevMo and Total Wines.  Well balanced, crisp with lemon and apple flavors. 

Prosecco

Prosecco is generally sweeter than Champagne-style sparkling wines.  Bring this one along on your picnic and pair it with creamy pastas, spicy foods, seafood, and even fried chicken.  I’d skip enjoying with anything too fruity, as it clashes with the higher acidity of this wine.

Recommend: LaMarca ($15):We were introduced to this bubbly when our friend Terri shared a bottle with us.  It has crisp peach and apple flavors, and goes surprisingly well with popcorn.  That could be why Terri loves it so much!

Chef’s Table Dinner at La Villa (in San Diego!)

Sally and I enjoyed an unforgettable chef’s table dinner in late 2011 that may have been one of our best meals ever. So it was no wonder that we were excited when we heard about a chef’s table at La Villa San Diego.

La Villa is an Italian farm to table restaurant in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood. It’s part of the Buon Appetito Restaurant Group, whose Buon Appetito restaurant is no stranger to this blog. Don’t bother searching for the chef’s table on their website. Just know that it’s there and call to make your reservation.

Our five course dinner was paired with wine and was simply outstanding. 

First Course
Beef carpaccio with parmesan, capers, and chianti mustard served over a bed of lettuce. Paired with NV Gruet Demi-sec (sparkling wine).

Sally and Jeff's Mom, Kathy

Second Course
Burrata with oven roasted tomatoes, artichoke, frisée, wild arugula, balsamic, olive oil, and pesto. Paired with a 2010 Stolpman L’Avion Roussanne.

Jeff and Jeff's Dad, Bob (Jeff is on the right)

Third Course
Ravioli with poached egg and mushroom. Paired with a 2010 Windy Oaks Estate Pinot Noir.

We're all enjoying course #3

Fourth Course
Prime rib-eye paired with potatoes, carrots, and sweet peas. Paired with a 2010 Storybook Mountain Zinfandel.

Mmmm!

Fifth Course
Dessert two ways (a polenta cake and ice cream). Paired with a Canadian ice wine (apple) and a South African late harvest Chenin Blanc.

Dessert two ways paired with dessert wine two ways