Category: food

A Lovely Feast

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ChateauSteMichele

A dear friend of mine went to Jamaica recently.  And has been on their food kick, since coming back.   We’re fortunate enough to have many International restaurants near us in the area.   And that includes delicious foods from the land of ‘Out of Many, One People’.

And what a perfect opportunity to try some new foods and of course, a bottle, to pair with these dishes!

In doing my in-depth research, I found that the spicier foods (such as what we were about to eat), should be counterbalanced or complemented with some sweeter whites.    We don’t want a full-bodied red or lots of oak, to detract from the food we’re enjoying.  We want the our meal to be enjoyable, and we want the wine to enhance that.  With a lighter selection, more flavors can come out from our dish.  We also want a wine that’s low on tannins.   This is nowhere near as complicated as it sounds.

I am a huge fan of medium to full reds.  But having one of those would completely undermine our meal and our wine.  In some instances, it’s brought out  the cheapness of the food and the wine.   I found this site very useful in my quest.

With the knowledge presented to me, I wanted to get a Gewürztraminer.   It’s a wine I wish I had more of.   We’ve enjoyed this grape a few times over a Thanksgiving meal.  And I’m happy to the opportunity has been presented itself to enjoy once again!

I want to thank Friendship Wine & Liquor of Abingdon, MD, for helping me pick out a bottle.

ChateauChateauBackLabel

I chose the 2013 from Chateau Ste. Michelle.  And this is a winner!

It was very easy to drink and didn’t feel as if it were too sugary or acidity for my liking.  I didn’t detect any clove spice as the synopsis says.   But I could sense some fruit.  Which fruits there were, I don’t know!  But I was loving this choice.  And and under $10, I feel this was a steal and a half!

ChateauWithJamaican

We enjoyed our bottle with a wonderful Brown Stew Chicken, Goat Curry, Plantains, and a Meat Pie.  Everything about our meal, from the food to the wine, was wonderful.    This can pair with many spicy foods, not just Jamaican.  It’s all about personal preference.   Most important of all is to try what you like.   And that you are enjoying the wine and food together.

And I am grateful to have been introduced to another great winery, whose wines will be seeking out on a regular basis now. That’s one of the fun parts of this!  Now I have so many new ones I want to try.

The winery itself looks beautiful from pictures.   And it makes me want to visit them in Washington State.  I suppose I will!

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

Merlot Mondaze

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merlots

We did have this bottle on a Monday.  But it’s Wine Wednesdays and the tradition continues.

whenthewheelstouchdown

Today’s pick was based on the inspirational Wine & Food Matching Wheel.  This will become a staple on this blog from time to time.

A lovely grilled chicken plate was on tap for dinner, so I inquired as to where this exciting wheel had been.   It’s so user friendly, and very helpful in looking for some cool pairings.  One of the suggestions was a Merlot.    And voila!

informations

Unfortunately, the wine was not very good.    I have grown to love Merlot in the past year or so.  It was one of the few reds that I did not care for.  But that has changed.  My palate has expanded and I am much more open minded to trying just about anything.  This will not deter me from that.   The bottle was the Harthill Farms Merlot, an exclusive from Whole Foods.

In my visit to Northern Virginia, I always hope to find good wine deals in stores that can’t sell them in Maryland.   One of my sentimental stores is their Tysons Corner location in Falls Church, VA.  They have a vast selection, and more reviews will come.  And one hopes it can only get better from here.  This was a purchase for a mere $5.00, if I remember correctly.  So it wasn’t a total loss.

What immediately stands out is that there is no year or vintage to this wine.  Maybe it was made two weeks ago?  I’d like to know.    In addition, there is little known via the grocers website about this farm.   The reviews from various wine blogs are not positive, but I looked at them after I had my glass,  which I could barely finish.  Oh wait, I didn’t.

It just didn’t taste like anything to me.  It wasn’t a table wine you could have with pals or have a hearty meal, like the one pictured below.   It also doesn’t look like how a good wine should.  It seemed transparent and hollow.   Honestly, it tasted like bad fruit juice at times.

foodies

Luckily, the food was amazing.   Thankfully my taste buds survived and I enjoyed a sauteed grilled chicken, with broccoli, and corn bread.

Just because a wine is cheap doesn’t mean it’s bad.  But the opposite can also be true.  I’ve had many great wines for under $10. This wasn’t one of them.      I am confident that many future reviews will suggest just that.

Have a great week.

Best,

Ideen

Flippin’ Great

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Malbec

One of my favorites, the Malbec from FlipFlop Wines, can be found priced anywhere from $5 to $8, depending on whereyou go.   The problem is, you may have a difficult time tracking it down.

OneOfTheseThingsIs

As seen above, all their other selections are available, but where’s the Malbec!  It’s the best of the bunch.  What was once a standard label bottle that could be found in even the most basic wine shop, is now nowhere to be found.   I asked some respective store managers, and the prevailing response is that it was discontinued in Maryland.   I find that disheartening on so many levels.

As of this writing, I was still waiting on a response on this matter from the company themselves.   It’s no longer listed on their website.

So what’s so great about it?  Well other than the fact that it’s so cheap, it tastes good.  I bought this gem a few years ago at various wine shops, simply for the price and eye catching label alone.  Who doesn’t love to be reminded of Summer and warm weather?

My first time opening it, I sensed some berries and other fruit flavors.  But what really hit me was the oak and smokiness that came through.   The latter two are something I have mentioned many times before.  Oak and Smoke usually make a red wine divine.  It’s a nice medium bodied wine that goes down perfectly, and can be eaten with many wonderful meals.

FriendlyFacts

As pictured, the back of label gives some suggestions, along with some other fun facts. Speaking of which, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more user friendly label.   Additional bonus, the bottles are twist off. If you read their story, you see that the intent is genuine and they want their wines to be approachable and drank for fun, and not in a snooty context.  My blog shares that the same sentiment.

I’ve also liked their Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Merlot, but nothing can touch their Malbec.  I mean this.  I’ve had similar ones priced $10-$20 and up, that can barely hold a candle to this.  At an average price of $7, it’s worth at least three times that much. I’m that passionate about it.    And the fact that it’s becoming so scarce, is adding to my sentimentality.

Fortunately, I have a few left in my collection and I will continue to visit various wine shops, and under the radar beer and wine stores to see if there is a stray anywhere.

If you can find this bottle, get it.  Good wines at this cheap of a price are everywhere, but this one is on a level all it’s own.

TacoTuesday

In the meantime, I will savor my glass with some delicious ground turkey tacos.

All The Best,

Ideen

Smokin’

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cote

I got to try a new Cotes Du Rhone, per a recommendation from a friend.  And I am so happy I did.   It’s a full bodied red at it’s finest.  I thought it was a bottle that I had before.  But I doubt it.  This flavor would have resonated with me.  Is it the peppery taste that makes me love Cabernet Franc so much or are there some exciting things going on here?

Now I have always like a good Rhone, Grenache has always been a favorite for me.

The La Grande Ribe Cuvee Centenairee Cotes Du Rhone 2009 is one for the books.   As soon as I took a whiff upon opening, I knew I was in for something different and something special.   Boy was that an understatement.

There was a smokiness, along with something else very distinct about the aroma.  So I took a pour and this blew my taste buds away.  I thought I was tasting a piney, earthy, or maybe out of this world selection.   Well I looked up what I could and discovered that barbecue smoke and roasted herbs are added to make this a dynamite bottle.  Literally.

Mystery is abound, however, as I cannot find anything about the winery itself.  But to my pleasure and lack of surprise, you can look this wine up and get a dozen or so different synopsis and evaluation of what is included.   It’s all about interpretation and the power of persuasion.  But I definitely can taste the smoke and the herbs.   Or is it something else too good for words?

Now this recap tells me there’s the black pepper I alluded to, coffee, cinamon, figs, and licorice flavors.  Now which one is it?   There’s also red fruit and black fruit?   So much to keep up with.   This could take years or maybe sooner, but one day, I will figure this puzzle out.   Maybe they’re all right?  Or maybe it’s not meant to be solved?   Just maybe, the flavor can be whatever you interpret it as.    Ah this adds to the mystery…

Bottom line, this is an awesome get.  And this is how I enjoyed it.

amazing

Pretty inspiring I know.

All the best,

Ideen