Tag: food

Prosecco Pals

1 Comment

ProseccoWithCake2

This is the second part of our Olympic (I can’t let go just yet) meal, which of course mans dessert and sparkling wine!  Here is the link for last week.

Some folks love Prosecco.  I mean, I know people who prefer Prosecco to any other alcohol. And then there’s others I know who don’t love alcohol, but don’t  love wine, but will choose Prosecco, which has been used in place of champagne.  I may have been that guy once.

ProseccoFront

But I’ve evolved, or I think I have.  I like anything and everything.  I’ll try anything and everything, within reason.  Maybe there is no reason. However, the bottle I purchased from Tavernello didn’t come as advertised, well sort of.

ProseccoBack

My friend and I agreed that it was ok, but nothing special.   The back of the label reads: ‘intense and complex; and ‘fine, fruity, and fragrant’.  I applaud the alliteration (ha), but our friends at Chesapeake Wine Company (where I found this bottle) correctly stated that it was light, refreshing, and with citrus hints.  If the winemakers weren’t as ambitious with their synopsis, I may like it a bit more.  But this wine isn’t for everyone, and at least on this night, it wasn’t for us.

ProseccoWithCake

Thankfully the cheesecake was more than enough to compensate for our glass.  It’s possible that the pairing clashed, and that the flavors of the wine got lost in the mix.

Prosecco1

I think some people are going to love this.  And at $11, it’s going to work for many.  It’s a reasonable price for an adequate label.  Personally, I think this belongs under $10, but that will all depend on where you purchase. And first impressions and encounters can’t always be viewed as the gospel.  I would definitely give them another go.  They have plenty to offer .

Prosecco2

As you can see they are available across the globe and work in concert with many other wineries.

In perusing their website, I love that they are environmentally conscious and show social responsibility.  That’s going above and beyond here.   That will draw me back to try another one of their wines much sooner than later.

Their website is truly accessible and as you can see, their comments box can seen across the bottom of their site, regardless of where else you click.

On a personal level, this same cfriend of mine throws a lot of amazing dinner parties. Some time back I brought a Prosecco that paired perfectly with a particular meal.  As the weather beings to turn (ew), this will be revisited and maybe even recreated.

Have a good one,

Ideen

 

Olympic Dinner Party

9 Comments

VinhoVerdeMeal

Well it might not be quite that big, but since we’re in the Olympic season, posts with these grandiose titles will exist for now.  I got a few more to go.

I’ve stated this before, if it wasn’t for this blog, there are certain wines that I have never attempted or given a chance.  I’m not one to discriminate but certain grapes haven’t always brought me satisfaction.  And when trying multiple bottles that confirmation (or confirmation bias) would ring true.

This was either a new one for me, or just one that never stood out in the past. That’s going to change for now.

A small and spontaneous dinner (hence why the Olympics post is a bit of hyperbole) with a friend definitely lent itself to some vino.  I brought one bottle (which I’ll get to next week) and she already had one picked out for tonight’s meal.  I went in without knowing what was on the menu, which I prefer sometimes.  It’s fun to be in the dark, it makes it all the more exciting.

VinhoVerdeFront

To my delight, I present you the Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde 2014 from Portugal.  This was a joy to sip.  And sipping was an understatement, I nearly caught myself chugging this thing. Chugging and wine could not be more of an oxymoron.

VinhoVerdeReverse

That color, that fizz, that crispness, and everything else was so easy to drink.   This was happening even before dinner was served. I needn’t get carried away, but I did.   The conversation was going great that I forgot what I was doing.  That tends to happen.  And at the point the quality of the wine isn’t that important.  But if the energy and company is awesome, and the wine is on par with that, it’s a double-bonus. And at $11.00, my dear friend got a steal.

VinhoVerdeGlass

Upon second viewing of my photos, I can see a greenish tint of my glass.  If I’m mistaken, please let me know, but that could be part of the youthfulness of the wine itself.  Vinho Verde is its own varietal and not the grape itself.  More information can be found here.

Arinto is the grape.  That’s a new one for me.  But that’s where we get the lemony fresh taste in this wine.  This is fantastic.  Personally, we thought we got some pear and other citrus fruits, so the lemon is identifiable.  Most importantly, this is a great wine.

VinhoVerdeMeal

My friend made an amazing dish of Tilapia and organic vegetables.  The pairing of wine and food here is second-to-none.   I’m craving and appreciating our feast that just took place hours ago.

For our friends in Baltimore, this bottle is available at Chesapeake Wine Company.  And to fellow pals elsewhere, I found the North American distributor, Evaton USA.   Their contact info can be found here.   And finally, for the rest of the world, hopefully this link can lead you in the right direction.  And here’s one more.

This is a wine that’s meant to be shared with everyone.  Seriously, I may have become a convert.  It’s one with a lot of charm and endearment.

I wish you all a great week and last few days of these Olympics!

Oh and part two of this decadent feast is next week!

Best,

Ideen

 

Opening Ceremonies Party!

2 Comments

PerlitaMeal4

I love spending time with family.  I don’t do it enough.  I have spoken of my semi-regular gatherings with them, in particular on Thanksgiving, that post can be found here.  We don’t get together enough with the ones we love. A lot of verbiage may sound rehashed and regurgitated but when focusing on the positives, I don’t see it as an issue.

Admittedly, we become so wrapped up in life, we want to keep in touch more, but things happen.  Life happens.  I’ve usually been solid at keeping in touch with close family and dear friends.  Even the ones I’m not too close with I’d give a call or send a message. But I’ve been occupied so much too.  This blog is a part of that but I love it.  It keeps me focused. But I miss the ones I love, so any opportunity to meet up with them, I’m there.

This brings us to last Friday.  It was a mini reunion of sorts.  My cousin wanted to bring a bunch of us together to see some family that was visiting from overseas.  As an added bonus, this was the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.

We snacked, we dined, ate some more, drank a little, and were glued to the tv. Well some of us were.  At times, I was engaged in necessary and long overdue conversations with people I care about.

To mark this occasion, I needed to bring a wine that would somehow symbolize the Olympic spirit as well as the joy of family.  That sounds like a lot of added pressure.  It’s almost as if I’m an Olympic athlete or competitor myself. All hyperbole aside, it wasn’t a challenge at all.

Brazilian wines are not the easiest to find in Maryland.  At least that’s been my experience.  It would have been the perfect bottle to find and write about.  I didn’t give myself enough time to track one down but neighboring Argentina always comes through. Their wines have proven to be simple, easy-to-drink, and often affordable.  Take out Argentina and you can put just about any country or region in there.  That’s the true spirit of the Olympics, our world, and our universe.  It shows how even though we’re unique, we’re also all the same. Ah well, enough of my dramatics.

PerlitaUpClose

The winery is not unfamiliar to me but their take on this grape sure is.  The 2013 Perlita Chardonnay from Diamandes Winery is a winner.  Yes I said winner.  I’ll give it any medal you like.  Upon uncorking I could sense it.  You just know sometimes.   And as a close friend pointed out in the past, the label looks like a flag.  The colors may even seem familiar to you. What else needs to be said? But I’ll say some more.

PerlitaBack

That golden color is just what I was looking for.   Actually I wasn’t looking for it, more so you can say it gravitated towards me. Of course it would be gold. You can’t plan this stuff if you tried.

PerlitaBottle

The crispness and apple taste immediately stood out.  This was refreshing, tasty, and throw in other adjectives as you’d like.  The tasting notes tell you everything you need to know.   Lots of summer fruits dominate this vintage.

PerlitaWithGlass

I’m not even a Chardonnay fan, but I’d gladly have another glass right now.  Speaking of which, I was lucky to have one.  The bottle was finished in minutes.

For more on this wine you can go to Diamandes’ website right here.   More on their Chardonnay here.  And I gave a hint earlier as to having a wine of theirs before, I will get to that soon.  I will have many good things to say about their Malbec-Syrah as well. Actually I’m suggesting you get both if you can.

DM Vineyards is the domestic distributor here in the states and if you’re looking on where to find their wines, click here.  It’s a label I’ve seen at many wine shoppes in Maryland, so hopefully you won’t have a problem finding it.   And I hope that expands across the nation and across the globe.  It’ll be worth the search.

The price range is $10-$13. That’s worth it’s weight in… I’m here all night ladies and gentlemen, watching the Olympics.

When you have a big family and many that love wine that’s to be expected.  It was gone but not before I got my photos in.  You’ll see a plate of some amazing food my family cooked. I’m of Iranian descent, yet born here. I fully embraced the mix of foods from my family’s homeland and a little bit mixed in from everywhere else. Sound familiar?  Sound dare I say, Olympic like? I may be reaching but this gathering, this meal, and this wine was perfect.   And the gathering by itself was perfect enough.

PerlitaMeal6

I hope we get to do it again soon.

PerlitaTea

Like what you see above?  I’ll get to that sometime.

Take good care and enjoy the Olympics.

 

Ideen

 

 

 

 

Exuberant Enjoyment

Leave a comment

LesDauphins2

I’ll begin this with a bit of amateurish commentary.  I used to think Côtes du Rhône was the actual name of a grape.  I don’t know how long I paraded around like a buffoon saying this to people.  It just sounded so perfectly.  I was calling it my favorite wine for a time. That part remains true but I corrected myself and found the light.  At least I think so.

Grenache is the actual grape, and it’s grown all over the world.  Well I can now confidently say that Grenache is one of my favorites.  It’s extremely popular but one I don’t hear discussed often among peers.  It’s one I don’t have as often as I liked.  That’s on me. There’s so much wine to choose from that some do tend to get lost in the shuffle.

LesDauphins1

This leads me to one of the most beautiful and approachable labels I’ve ever come across, Les Dauphins.   Their 2015 Reserve Rose is a winner and a bargain.  Seriously, I’ve seen this and all their wines as low as $8 in many retailers.  This almost constitutes stealing.  The story that this continues to tell is you can get fantastic bottles for under $10.

I’ve had several of their reds (wine list can be found here) and found them to be palatable, approachable, and as I referenced before, affordable..  That’s what many of us want from a wine.  We want it simple, endearing, and a great conversation piece.  If part of the conversation is how great a wine is then they’ve done their job.   It’s icing on the cake so to speak.

LesDauphins4

Now I’ve brought a red to a dinner or party or two and it’s gone over well.  But on a recent visit to see some my friends, to my pleasant surprise, they had a bottle of their Rose opened.   Actually, I literally made last call.  As you can tell by the photos, the bottle was nearly done.  I’m glad I caught the tail end of this party (actually more wine was had but I just had to be a bit dramatic), or this post doesn’t happen for a while.

LesDauphinsReverse2

I couldn’t tell you what fruits, etc. were in it and at the time I didn’t care.  The color, the nose, and taste were simple and joyous enough that it doesn’t matter.  It was as easy to sip as any Rose I’ve ever had.  I’m not even a big Rose fan but I would have this again.  And I will be. The great company and being outdoors surely helped.   Thanks for saving a little for me!

Here’s a beautiful history of the winemakers, info on where you can find their wine, and their contact info.   Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve seen their bottles in many different stores across any different states.  So it should be easy to find.

I’m seriously so in love with their label.  In the next few months it only seems right to chat about them again.  I look forward to seeing you then.

Best,

Ideen

 

 

Easter Party – The Blanca

8 Comments

PalmaRealEasterBunny

I’m following up on last weeks post, where I paired the Easter gathering appetizers with a splendid red.

This week it’s the conclusion of the party with the main course, and of course a white wine (or in this case a blanca) that would hopefully go over well.

PalmaReal

If you guessed I brought a Spanish white, then you would win the door prize, if I only  had a prize to give.  However, per a few of the guests in attendance the Palma Real Rueda from my pals at Total Wine, was a hit and a de facto winner.  I only say that because the party included lots of beer, liquors, and other various adult beverages.   My bottles seemed to be a sentimental hit with a select few.  That just means more for us.

PalmaReal2

With such a substantial and abundant meal pictured above, the vino has got to be light. You don’t need to be a sommelier to know that.  It’s simple common sense and respect for pairing a wonderful meal with a glass to balance it all out. If not, everything could be diluted.

PalmaReal3

At this point so much food and alcohol has been consumed by everyone, that talk of wine may not mean much.  But it still does to me.  I’m always learning.  The synopsis is so simple.  It’s crisp and refreshing.   If I hadn’t read that before, I would still believe that. It’s exactly as such.   For me it’s refreshing on a few other levels.

I’ve noted in the past that I’ve preferred reds over whites..  I like my dry, full-bodied reds more than anything else that it doesn’t lend itself to sweeter white wine.  That’s a bias of mine that’s changing over time , with this blog and with my experiences. And those experiences with family and friends are just as important, if not more, than the wine itself.

PalmaReal4

This party was about a family I’m proud to be a part of.  And a couple of our Baltimore family complimented on how refreshing and pleasantly surprising this wine was.  That’s all the analysis you need.  It reads that it’s a medium-bodied wine and it tasted perfectly, maybe even lighter than that.  And look at that price.  $9.99 is a bargain.

But in a sense that’s all micro.   The macro is the joy we felt sipping our wine, noshing on some great eats, and most importantly spending quality time with great people.

Moments like this are to be cherished.   Thankfully, this Easter party is not a one-off.  I’m grateful to spend time with these folks over many holidays or, even better, for no specific occasion at all. That’s a good life.

It’s the little things that are the big things.

Take good care,

Ideen