Neat Thoughts About Food, Wine, Travel & More
I don’t typically go in this direction for white wine, but on a hot summer day, this 2021 Il Pino Pinot Grigio at a $15 price point did the trick.
Classic Pinot Grigio – light, clean, crisp with refreshing citrus notes.
👃Light, faint lemony aromas
👄 Citrusy/grassy palate
👅 Dry, crisp with nice acidity
Nice Summer porch sipper.
Cheers, Veronique
Summer’s here and so are warm days and humidity. What summer also means is fun-filled gatherings, including 4th of July get-togethers.
Here is a list of five wines to pour during your 4th of July celebrations that are affordable and certain to please your guests:
Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé Cremant D’Alsace ($22): This lovely bubbly is coral/pink in color with the tiniest of bubbles. Light strawberry aromas with juicy, slightly sweet strawberry flavors that’s balanced by bright acidity. Serve this bubbly as your guests arrive to create a festive atmosphere.
2014 Two Lands Pinot Grigio ($14): Light and crisp with Meyer lemon flavors that finish on a zesty note. Nice summer sipper and great as an aperitif and with crudités.
2013 Esporao Vinha da Defesa Rosé ($15): This festive, bright pink wine is super food-friendly. Intense red berry and cherry aromas with bright fruity flavors. Perfect for a seafood boil and the cornucopia of flavors at a BBQ.
2013 Egger Ramer Schiava Gentile ($15): Fragrant with red berry aromas with ripe strawberry and cherry flavors. Great acidity making this wine very versatile with summer foods. Pair with charcuterie platter or even hot dogs.
Montes 2012 Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon ($15): Deep ruby in the glass, this wine offers blackberry aromas with notes of mocha and leather. It’s full-bodied and big on dark fruit and ripe raspberries with a nice touch of oak. This is your steaks/ribs/burgers wine.
Enjoy these summer wines and let me know if you try any of them!
Cheers,
Veronique
I’ve explained the idea of virtual wine tastings in previous posts but for those who are new to the concept, here’s how they go:
The wines I tasted last night were by Jacob’s Creek’s new range of wines, Two Lands, made as a collaboration between the Jacob’s Creek’s Chief Winemaker, Bernard Hickin, and Napa winemaker, Ehren Jordan. These new and affordable Australian wines are now available in retail outlets across the United States.
Here are my tasting notes for the four Jacob’s Creek wines featured – 2014 Two Lands Chardonnay, 2014 Two Lands Pinot Grigio, 2013 Two Lands Shiraz and 2013 Two Lands Cabernet Sauvignon.
2014 Two Lands Chardonnay
Bright yellow with a hint of green in the glass. This is a light-bodied Chardonnay with tropical fruit aromas. In the mouth, the flavors were of cantaloupe and peach, not over-the-top fragrant. What I loved most about this Australian Chardonnay was the bright citrusy acidity that gave the wine an almost tangy finish. As the wine warmed up a bit, it developed bigger tropical fruit flavors with a touch of oakiness.
Pairings: Seafood, chicken and pork, if prepared in a light manner
Grape Type(s): Chardonnay
Price: $14
2014 Two Lands Pinot Grigio
Very pale yellow in the glass. There are light lemony and aromas and Meyer lemon flavors that finish on a zesty citrus note. Nice summer sipper.
Pairings: Serve as an aperitif, with fish or with a light salad
Grape Type(s): Pinot Grigio
Price: $14
2013 Two Lands Cabernet Sauvignon
Bright red in the glass with an intense berry nose. This medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon offers stone fruit and ripe berry aromas with a little apple pie spice on the medium finish.
Pairings: Grilled meats, cheese course
Grape Type(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $14
2013 Two Lands Shiraz
Deepest of purple in the glass with a smoky, dark fruit nose. Big ripe fruit and blackberry flavors with a crack of black pepper on the long finish. It’s a baby still and needs some cellaring. Softened up a bit with decanting.
Pairings: Grilled steak, simmered beef or lamb, barbeque ribs
Grape Type(s): Shiraz
Price: $14
Besides the solid wine in the bottles, another thing I loved about the Two Lands is the artwork on the bottles. Here’s a short video showing the wine label illustration – very cool!
Very solid wines for that unbeatable price point – stock up for your summer parties!
These four wines were sent to me as samples and are being added to my repertoire. Cheers,
Veronique
Palest yellow in the glass, this easy-drinking wine is both affordable and food friendly. Both the aromas and flavors are light with floral and tropical notes that would make it ideal for a sipper before a meal or for pairing with light dishes. The finish is dry and clean.
Pairings: Aperitif, light fish and seafood dishes.
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): Pinot Grigio
Region: Veneto, Italy
Price: $10
Last night, I participated in a #WineChat event on Twitter. The featured wines were from the southern hemisphere, specifically New Zealand, Australia and Argentina. The three white wines were described as “Summer Sippers”.
I’ve explained the idea of virtual wine tastings in previous posts but for those of you who are new to virtual wine tastings, this is what the story is:
Here are my tasting notes from the three featured wines – Brancott Estate Flight Song Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Graffigna Pinot Grigio from Argentina and Jacob’s Creek Reserve Riesling from Australia:
2012 Graffigna Centenario Pinot Grigio
Light in color with a hint of green. This is a light, easy drinking, sipping wine with a floral nose and a bright, fresh citrus palate. As the wine warmed up a bit, it developed tropical fruit flavors that I enjoyed.
Pairings: Delicate fish, seafood, served as an aperitif
Grape Type(s): Pinot Grigio
Region: Tulum Valley, Argentina
Price: $11
2013 Brancott Estate Flight Song Sauvignon Blanc
For fans of cool label marketing, this is a winner. The bottle is just so pretty. This is the ultimate light wine, nearly clear in color in the bottle. There are light lemony and grassy aromas and ripe Meyer lemon flavors that finish on a zippy, zesty citrus note. At 88 calories per pour at 9% alcohol – bridal shower-ready wine.
Pairings: Serve as an aperitif or with a light salad
Grape Type(s): Sauvignon blanc
Region: Marlborough, New Zealand
Price: $15
2012 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Adelaide Hills Chardonnay
Pale greenish in the glass with a citrusy, light caramel nose. Big fruit, little jammy plum, nice minerality with a little oak. This isn’t your buttery oak bomb. I tend to like this lightly oaked style. Could be interesting with some cellaring.
Pairings: Spicy dishes (Thai, Indian, Mexican), pork
Grape Type(s): Chardonnay
Region: Adelaide Hills, Australia
Price: $15
These three bottles were sent to me as samples and are being added to my repertoire.
Cheers,
Veronique
I recently attended a wine pairing dinner at Millie’s Old World Meatballs & Pizza and had an opportunity to sample Famiglia Pasqua wines provided by recently opened Cambridge Wines of Morristown.
Here are my tasting notes:
Cheers,
Veronique
I prepared a light vegetarian risotto and it was such a great match to this bright and fruity wine.
In the glass, this Italian white wine is vibrant yellow. A quick sniff offers fragrant fruity and wet stone aromas. The fruitiness continues on the palate with rich flavors of peach followed by a slightly honey-laced finish.
Pairings: Chicken, pork, light risotto
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): Friulano, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio
Region: Fiuli, Italy
Price: $24
This wine was provided to me for sampling and I am adding to my repertoire as it is truly enjoyable.
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