My beer loving friends can, however, indulge in such a trip through time! Luckily, Dogfish Head has worked in conjunction with a team of archaeologists to recreate ancient recipes. Now we just need some wineries to get on top of it!
This is not really an original post- but I have some interesting news tidbits and miscellany I wanted to share. I've been listening to the awesome podcast "Stuff you Missed in History Class" and quite some time ago, they had a very awesome episode about ancient spirits, wines, and beers (give it a listen- it's fascinating!) Well, this week, an important archeological wine discovery was made- lookee! If they are ever able to recreate the recipe, I'd love to give it a taste! I'm sure that ancient wine tasted nothing like our modern wines, but I'd be so intrigued to find out!
My beer loving friends can, however, indulge in such a trip through time! Luckily, Dogfish Head has worked in conjunction with a team of archaeologists to recreate ancient recipes. Now we just need some wineries to get on top of it!
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'Tis the season here in the US- the holidays are upon us and we are often left wondering what to bring to holiday meals. Now, I love Thanksgiving. I love the variety of food, I love cooking, I love the unabashed gluttony I am able to indulge in once a year. And I love wine. Good combo! I personally think you can pair just about anything with Thanksgiving dinner because it has so many varied components. Malbec too much for the turkey? Yeah, probably. But put it alongside bacon and chestnut dressing and it probably does just fine!
That said, there are some more versatile Thanksgiving options out there, so here are my recs. 1. Dry rose. I know I harp on rose a lot. I love it, what can I say? A dry rose goes with so many things, is juicy and refreshing, and the acid helps you digest your meal. What more can you ask for? Try a blanc de noirs sparkling rose, almost any dry french rose, or, if you can find it, a gamay rose. Mmm... 2. Speaking of Gamay- Gamay! Remember my Beaujolais post? (You should, it was recent.) Beaujolais and Gamay wines are pretty much the perfect turkey wine. Fruit-forward, light bodied, acidic and lightly earthy, they really just rock it. If you're bored of Pinot Noir, give a Beaujolais a whirl. 3. Sparkling Wine. If you get a good dry sparkler like a blanc de blancs, its fizz and light dryness will again be a great, versatile accompaniment to the myriad of dishes on your Thanksgiving table. Plus, it feels fancy! (Without the necessity of a high price tag. More for your buck = more gluttony! Yay America!) 4. Sauvignon Blanc. Now, this one can run either too fruity or too grassy, but a nice, tart version can be a delish option. 5. Viognier. This grape is a little chameleon. Depending on where it is grown and how the wine is made, it can show off tropical fruit, or even a mineral, oaky funk. Either one goes well with T-Day food. Mmm 6. Pinot Noir. Now, I guess this one is making my list only as a crowd pleaser. I think it is a boring, safe option for this kind of meal, but, it really can work. Depends on your personal tastes. I probably won't be taking one to MY meal, however, wherever that winds up being this year, but you do your thing. Anyone else have any T-Day faves? Share away! Very few of us are just natural wine lovers. Like beer, coffee, tea, wine can be something of an acquired taste. Some of us acquire the taste faster than others (and how!) but others require more of a gentle introduction. I remember when I first started drinking wine, I really only liked whites, and I preferred something sweeter. Nothing TOO sweet, but something with a hint of sugar was right up my alley. From what I see at work, this is true of a lot of newbie wine lovers- so which ones are likely to grab them? What might be the perfect "gateway wines" for those who don't yet know that they love it?
I'm going to throw out some suggestions, but I'd love to hear other ideas in the comments! Sweeter wines...There are certainly lots of sweet wines on the market (I'm looking at you, Moscato and White Zinfandel... I've even been asked for a sweet malbec! Apparently such thing exists!) but these are often overwhelmingly sweet, syrupy, and lacking in any sort of complexity or flavor. They are WAY too sweet to drink with food, and will leave you hurting the next day if you don't drink enough water. Not worth it. So, what ARE some good ones? 1. Riesling (sweet or medium-dry.) With its floral nose, a well-balanced Riesling can be the perfect starter wine. If the acidity is right, the sugar will not be cloying, but neither will it be too bitter or too tart. Canada, Germany, and Austria in particular have some great, well-balanced versions, but you can also find good ones in the US. 2. Brachetto. This guy is a little more rare, and is actually a red. It usually is a little fizzy and on the sweeter size (it is compared in style to a Moscato di Asti a lot, but I think it has more to bring to the table.) Whereas lots of sweet wines are pretty one-note, this guy has a little bit more complexity. Now, for me personally, it is usually way too sweet. I'd have it as a dessert wine, but not on its own or with a meal. That said, if someone is really anti-wine, they might still love this one (and you can always use it to hook them and ease them into other stuff. 3. Gewurztraminer. This one can be cloying. It has very floral aromas and can have pretty high sugar content. That said, one that is medium dry can be just lovely when you've got a sweet tooth. Ask for one that's not so sweet next time you're out shopping. Now, onto the less sweet wines... Some people who don't have a sweet tooth might be a little easier to introduce to wine, so which should you give them? Whites: 1. Pinot Grigio: Trying something mild like a Pinot Grigio might be the way to go. I sometimes criticize them because I think they taste like "white wine." They're a little boring for my taste, but perfect as a gateway wine because they're pretty inoffensive, good with food, and abundant. 2. Sauvignon Blanc (from anywhere other than New Zealand.) Sauv Blanc tends to be juicy and fruity, which can really appeal to a wide vareity of people and food pairings. I only advise shying away from New Zealand versions because they can be super grassy and vegetal, which isn't everyone's cup of tea. Rose: See, I love a dry rose and think they're perfect gateway wines for people looking to head toward red. They go with anything and are also great on their own. Try one from Italy or Portugal for a fleshy, fruit-forward version. For a milder rose, try one made from Pinot Noir. (However, many of the roses on the market are VERY sweet. Icky. Sugar added- jolly rancher in a bottle... Make sure you're picking a drier version.) Reds: Introducing someone to red wine can be a tricky process. If they are solidly on team white, then you at least know they're wine fans and can proceed accordingly. I'd recommend trying a fruitier wine like a Merlot, or even a lighter bodied wine like Frappato (though they're certainly harder to find) or even a Gamay. If they're more adventurous, you can start getting them into juicy and spicy Syrah/Shiraz, Cabernet and beyond. Some of you might think I've forgotten Pinot Noir- I haven't- I just think its earthy funk is a little bit more of an acquired taste than those I've listed here. If you have your heart set on Pinot, try one from California or Australia as the warm-climate versions tend to have less earth and more fruit going on. So, next time you're in mixed company (wine lovers and future wine lovers, that is) these would be my recommendations of wines to bring. They'll hopefully appeal to everyone- what are your recs? What did I miss? With Chicago receiving its first really cold weather (including snow) of the season last week, I got to thinking about the delicious product that can happen when grapes freeze while still on the vine- icewine! (or Ice Wine, or Eiswein, depending on where you are.)
Much like its late-harvest cousins, the circumstances have to be just right for icewine production. It is always risky to let the grapes hang after typical harvest time. While sugars do continue to concentrate in the berries the longer they hang there, other problems can arise like rots (which, unlike Sauternes or some other "noble rot" wines, we do not want with icewine,) or even destruction by insects or birds (they like sugar just as much as we do.) However, if it is a particularly dry year in a cooler dry climate (no rot risk,) and a hard early freeze is expected, this can mean gold for icewine producers. What happens is that water in the berries freezes, so when pressed, all that comes out are the sugars and flavor components, leaving behind most of the water. This makes for a VERY sugary concoction (though as you can imagine, not a very high juice yield- which is why many icewines are pricier.) Once fermented, this wine still retains a high sugar concentration, making it a great dessert-sipper. For producers, this is a laborious, risky practice. Sometimes they stumble into it by accident when hit with an unexpected freeze, but in cold-weather climates, it is a goal for many winemakers. It usually involves staying up all night, monitoring the temperature in the vineyard and then running out to harvest and press immediately, often outside in the cold so that the berries don't thaw. This means you have to have a LOT of people out in below-freezing temps in the wee hours of the morning, picking berries like mad, knowing you'll yield very little juice. CRAZY TIMES at the winery! Cold, cold, crazy times. So, next time you're in the store and you're looking for an icewine, don't balk at the price- they're labor-intensive and not a guaranteed success for their producers. But when they work, and you've got a sweet tooth, they really hit the spot! Cheers! |
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AuthorI'm a wine-loving actress in the Windy City who holds certificates in Enology and Viticulture from Washington State University. I also own a hilarious cat. Archives
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