Raise Your Glass!

Do some wine glasses enhance the wine better than others? Should you invest in expensive wine glasses? Are all 'good' wine glasses expensive? These are some of the questions I often receive from my wine students. In my opinion, yes, the glass makes a difference.

Why is this so? The shape of the glass can have a big effect on taste. Experts claim that the depth of the bowl and the curve of the rim change the amount of air exposure and directs the flow of wine onto the tongue to enhance or mute flavors.

Wine Glasses 101:

• 1. The size and shape of the bowl - The larger the bowl the better the wine's aromas can circulate. Glassware intended for red wine tends to be bigger, since red wines need more time and air to open up.

• 2. The stem length - The stem of the glass allows us to hold the glass without having our hand on the actual bowl and 'interfere' with the wine's temperature. No more, no less.

• 3. Stemless - Stemless wine glasses have become very popular. This is a good thing, as they are practical, especially for everyday and casual wine-drinking occasions. I am a total convert.

• 4. Fine lead crystal or regular glass - The finer the crystal the thinner the glass. This does make a huge difference. Fine, lead crystal really does enhance the wine drinking experience. However, these are expensive glasses.

• 5. Plain, colored or etched - In general plain, unadorned glasses are better for serious tasting, as they allow you to examine all the visual aspects of the wine such as the color -- its intensity as well as viscosity. However, most wine drinking situations are not 'serious tastings' so feel free to have some fun, add some color.

• 6. Champagne/sparkling wine flutes - The 'flute' shaped glass has long been considered the best for Champagne and sparkling wines as it allows the wine to manifest its bubbles with greatest intensity and duration.

Try it for yourself. Pour the same wine into two different glasses and taste the difference.

Authentic Suburban Gourmet: Red Velvet Cake Balls + Cookbook Giveaway

Authentic Suburban Gourmet: Red Velvet Cake Balls + Cookbook Giveaway

Let it Breathe

Does wine really breathe? The term breathing usually refers to the process of aerating the wine or simply maximizing the wine's exposure to the surrounding air. Wine needs to come in contact with at least a little air to release its bouquet. Technically, the air causes the esters - fragrant liquids - in wine to evaporate or volatilize. In addition the wine will typically warm up causing the wine's aromas to open up and the overall flavor characteristics to improve. That's why you swirl a wine in your glass before you smell it.  

Which Wines Need to Breathe 

In general, most red wines but only a few white wines and dessert wines can benefit from aeration. Many young, concentrated red wines, like an expensive Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux that can age for several years, undergo a sort of micro aging process by getting lots of air into them. The same goes for a young and concentrated or especially astringent white wine, such as a white Burgundy. The reason is that forced exposure to air begins to oxidize a wine, causing subtle chemical changes that affect both the flavors and the texture. 

How to Let Your Wine Breathe 

Just popping the cork isn’t going to get you there. Pulling the cork out of the bottle and letting the bottle sit there has little perceptible effect on aerating the wine. Under these circumstances only a small amount of the wine in the bottle has contact with air. The little space in the neck of  the bottle is way too small to allow your wine to breathe very much. The best and most entertaining way to accomplish real aeration is to pour the wine into another vessel. If you really want to aerate your wine, do one or both of the following: 

Decant - A decanter can be defined as any large liquid container with a wide opening at the top and able to hold the whole bottle of wine. This can be an orange juice pitcher, glass jar or clean flower vase you have on hand. The idea is to splash the wine as much as possible while pouring  to maximize the wine’s contact with air. The increased surface area is the key to allowing more air to make contact with the wine. 

Wine Glasses - The wine will do a lot more breathing in your glass than it ever would have while still cooped up in the bottle. Pour your wine into large wine glasses and let it aerate about 10 minutes before you plan to drink it. This is certainly the low-maintenance method and typically works quite well. 

In general, the Aeration Rule of Thumb: the more tannins a wine has the more time it will need to aerate. Lighter-bodied red wines, Pinot Noir for example, that have lower tannin levels, will need little if any time to breathe. 

A Taste for Wine Country

A Taste for Wine Country

Summertime is a perfect time to visit a wine country. I can think of at least three compelling reasons to spend time in a wine region. First, if you’re already a fan of a particular region’s wines, it can be an exciting experience to meet its winemakers who are passionate and eager to talk about their art. Second, there is no better way to explore the world then by visiting great wine properties; many older wine estates are built on the most spectacular sites. Third, where there is a first-rate wine, delicious food is rarely far behind.

Living in Northern California affords us the opportunity to visit wine country as often as we care to. Here are a few tips to make your visit a success:

• Book the wineries in advance. You can try simply showing up at the winery but keep in mind that the finest places are often the least accessible.

• Observe the basic rules of etiquette. If you have an appointment, call if you’re running more than 15 minutes late and don’t be a no show. Word gets around.

• Dress comfortably. Wine touring requires a lot of footwork. If you’re sampling in a wine cellar, the floor will probably be cold and damp so come prepared.

• Show interest. Listen to what the pourer is saying and ask questions but don’t pretend you are an expert. You’re there to learn and have fun.

• Offer a few words of praise. Start slowly; odds are your host will begin with the lesser wines and work up to the more serious in the portfolio. Offering too much of a fuss too early on will seem insincere.

• Remember to spit. You won’t be expected to drink everything you are given to taste, but if you drain each glass, your day will be over before lunch.

• Do comparative tastings. Tasting rooms offer a terrific opportunity to taste wines against each other. If there are two chardonnays being offered for tasting, taste them side- by side.  You’ll enjoy tasting the differences.

• Buy a bottle. You don’t have to but it’s a polite gesture, and if you’ve had a nice chat with the winemaker ask him to sign the bottle. Some wineries charge to taste and often deduct that fee from the cost of a bottle.

A visit to wine country can often be as entertaining as it is educational so get out there and enjoy!

All American Grilling Wines

As a proud flag waver for America’s own grape, Zinfandel, Zin epitomizes California. Known as the quintessential California grape variety.  Much of the appeal of this American treasure comes from the grapes complexity. At the same time, Zinfandel tends to be very approachable and a shoe in for casual summer gatherings. 

Style And Stylish - 

This uniquely American fine-wine grape has a history of moving in and out of fashion. Classic red Zinfandel has fruit aromas of dark cherries, plums, raspberries and blackberries and can range dramatically in style. These stylistic variations influence how the wine will likely pair with food. The styles you may encounter include:

• Medium-Full Body; expressive fruit with some barrel age; often spicy
• Full Body; ripe, higher alcohol, often more tannic and oaky
• Late Harvest; dessert style, sweet, port-like, high alcohol

All About The Food - 

Unlike many other reds, Zinfandel is very compatible with food and especially loves the grill. Food pairings that work well include: 

• Heartier dishes that have been grilled, braised or smoked. 
• Many salty dishes as Zin is better then most reds due to its forward, sweet berry fruit.
• Fruit based sauces particularly those with berry fruits.
• Sharp cheeses like Manchego and washed rind cheeses like Taleggio.  

A Few Zin’s To Try - 

I recently participated in a 2009 Sonoma County Zinfandel tasting (yes, it was fun) and here are my top picks:

• Seghesio Family Vineyards Home Ranch
• JC Cellars St. Peters Church 
• Carlisle “Carlisle Vineyard” 
• Ridge Vineyard Pagani Ranch 
• Ravenswood Sonoma County

Red, White and Green Wine?

Can there be Green wine? The Green wine category showcases the wines and wineries that use sustainable, organic and/or biodynamic practices - both in the vineyard and/or winemaking process. As we look back on Earth Day 2012, I hope you'll be interested in discovering a few eco-friendly wine styles to toast the planet!  

Biodynamic

This particularly intense school of agriculture has both organic and spiritual aspects. Biodynamic agriculture views the farm as a single organism, with the plants, animals, crops, soil, air and celestial influences, such as the moon and stars, all interconnected. By balancing these elements, the farmer, in theory, makes his property self-sustaining, thus eliminating the need for artificial nutrients or pesticides.

Natural 

A small, strict, mostly French movement, "natural" winemaking uses organic grapes that are farmed and picked by hand, and are fermented with native (not manufactured) yeasts. No sulfites or other additives go into natural wine.

Organic

The use of the term organic is defined by the USDA: For a wine to be labeled organic, the vineyards from which the grapes are picked must be farmed without synthetic fertilizers, conventional pesticides or genetically engineered plant material. In addition, sulfites cannot be added to the wine as a preservative. 

Unfortunately, wines made without sulfites can re-ferment or oxidize in the bottle. That’s why many winemakers who use organic grapes also add sulfites. If their wines contain less than 100 parts per million, they are still permitted to label their wines "made with organic grapes."

Sustainable

Although there are no government standards for sustainable agriculture, practitioners generally promote both ecological and social responsibility by avoiding pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, and by enriching soil with cover crops and composts.

What does it all mean?? Wine drinkers who really care about how a wine is made need to get to know its producer. After all, it’s the integrity of the winemaker that matters more than any certification process. And when you find a winemaker with both talent and integrity, you’ll probably find the best wines, natural or otherwise. 

What’s in Your Easter Basket

Easter is almost here and families everywhere will be gathering around the dinner table to feast with friends and loved ones. This may not sound like the best time to think about serious food and wine pairings, but if your family is anything like mine the end of Lent is one of the happiest of days. Chocolate, red meat, coffee or even (gasp!) wine, whatever you may have given up for the last 40 days, it’s time to reintroduce yourself. The Easter meal should be a happy occasion, and what better way to enjoy good company than with a little vino at the table? If your family celebrates Passover, wow the crowd with a tasty kosher wine.

The Easter Ham

Ham is often prepared with glazes or toppings that are sweet and can balance the inherent saltiness of the actual meat. Well-paired wines can accomplish the same objective. If I had to choose but one wine to accompany an Easter ham, I know what I’d choose in a heartbeat. Unfussy rosés are bursting with red fruit flavors and pair with a variety of holiday foods especially Easter ham. Rosé’s flavor profile has enough sweet fruit to balance the salt in the ham and enough acidity to support the combination without compromising the flavor in either the ham or the wine.

Rosé 101

Rosé wines are made from red wine grapes fermented just a short time with their skins. Colors range from light salmon to bright pink to medium-deep rose. The length of time the juice is in contact with the crushed skins determines not only the final color of the wine, but to a certain extent the amount of tannin extracted from the skins and seeds as well.

A Rosé By Any Other Name

Rosé spans the style spectrum. Because rosé refers to the color of the wine, as opposed to a specific grape variety, the wine can be made from a variety of red grapes and their blends, including Mourvédre, Sangiovese, Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. With the variety of grapes used to make rosé, the character of the wine ranges from light and fruity to medium bodied with hints of tannin. Try rosé wines from California or Italy, but especially from Spain or from Provence, France.

I’m happy to bring in spring with a glass of rosé, and as rosé becoming more popular people will discover the joys of drinking pink.

A Natural Pair

Wine and cheese are friends from way back. Both are the product of fermentation and both can express terroir, or the taste of the place they come from. In the case of cheese, the taste of terroir emerges from the different milk-giving animals; which can range from cows, goats, sheep and even water buffalos – my favorite cheese of all times.

Wine & Cheese Pairing Tips:
The first rule of thumb is that white wines usually pair better with cheese than red wines do – sorry red wine lovers. White wine’s acidity cuts through cheese’s butterfat beautifully. The creamy and nutty flavors in cheese can also bring a white wine to life by contrast. Along those lines, some consider Sauvignon Blanc the overall cheese-friendliest wine. Among red wines, the easiest to pair with cheese are the light and fruity varieties. Terroir-inspired combinations, wine and cheese coming from the same region, are almost always winners.

Pairings that Please:
• White or bloomy rind cheeses such as Camembert and Brie are the trickiest to match; safe bets include soft, fruity reds such as Merlot, Pinot Noir or Beaujolais-Villages.
• Hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Parmesan and Manchego go with the widest range of wines; safe bets are medium to full bodied reds without too much tannin such as a softer style Bordeaux or good quality Cotes du Rhone-Villages. A buttery, medium bodied Chardonnay is a surprising star as well.
• Blue cheeses can be troublesome partners for any wine apart from the classic partnerships of Roquefort and Sauternes or port and Stilton. The salty with sweet principle prevails here.
• Strong, pungent cheese offers no safe bets. Sweet or fortified wines are likely to pair well or try an aromatic white such as the classic combination of Munster and Gewurztraminer.
• For Goat milk cheeses, Sauvignon Blanc is a good match especially with young soft cheeses; the more acid in the cheese the more acid the wine should have.
• Sheep milk cheese can handle a robust red made from Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache or Tempranillo grapes. Or try countering the cheese’s saltiness with a little sweetness in the wine.

Strategies for Harmony:
When planning a cheese platter, try adding walnut bread and a selection of dried fruits to create a more wine-friendly match. When serving a selection of cheeses, try to choose three or four which all pair well with a particular style of wine. Highly-oaked and super-tannic wines can be difficult to pair with cheese so be careful!

Pairing up cheese with wine can work like a charm. Just say cheese please and discover a delicious new dimension to your wine-drinking pleasure.

Warm Up

When winter weather swirls in, nothing could be cozier than a toasty mug of mulled wine. Mulled wine, the vine’s version of a classic hot toddy, is a traditional treat in many Old World countries and has been warming people for centuries. These are wines that have been sweetened, spiced and slightly heated - offering a delightful alternative to traditional coffees, ciders and toddy’s on a cold winter's night. Mulled wine is one of my favorite winter drinks because it is hot, sweet and possesses a very special power – it makes you beautifully warm inside.

Pick Your Potion
While red wine and apple cider are the most traditional of the spiced winter warmers, you can also use white wine, hard cider or ale. The primary spice combinations for mulled wine almost always include cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Nutmeg, star anise, allspice berries, cardamom pods, slices of fresh ginger, orange slices and lemon zest are also good additions. The trick to infusing the wine without making it cloudy and gritty is to use whole spices rather than ground versions.

Mix it Up
The mixture should be brought to a very gentle simmer over low heat and should not be boiled – that would cause the spices to turn bitter and make the alcohol evaporate. And, gee, that is the last thing in the world we want, right? To really allow the flavors of the spices to infuse into the wine, allow the mixture to simmer on the stovetop for at least half an hour.

Mulled Wine Recipe
1 bottle of dry red wine (Merlot can stand up to heat and the zing of spices)
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cinnamon sticks (plus additional sticks for garnish)
3 whole cloves
1 star anise
1 Tablespoon honey

Pour wine into top of a double boiler and warm over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and stir until honey dissolves. Reduce hear, cover, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally. Ladle into mugs and serve, garnished with an orange slice or cinnamon stick.

Come in from the cold to the warm aroma of mulled wine. It’s simple, fragrant and beyond delicious. If you’ve never tried it before, you definitely need to. It’ll make you happy on a cold night!

A New Year's Toast

If your New Year's resolutions include: eating better, exercising more and getting healthy. The next time you raise a glass of wine to toast a friend's health, you may be doing more than expressing goodwill. For some of the same reasons "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" a glass of wine a day may set you on your way to wellness.

I'll Drink to That
Now is a great time to enjoy the pleasures of wine, especially since science is discovering the potentially powerful health benefits of drinking the fruit of the vine. A great number of studies have been done to determine the therapeutic and disease-fighting powers of wine, both red and white. When it comes to protecting the heart, red—not white—wine has always been the hero. We've all heard that red wine is good for us, but how good it is depends on who you are and how much and how often you drink it.

A Votre Sante (To Your Health)
When it comes to health, all alcoholic beverages are not created equal. While all may have the power to relax us, only red wine contains a lot of polyphenols, heart-friendly antioxidants that help inhibit plaque buildup in the arteries. Studies suggest that the polyphenols, or tannins, which derived from grape skins and seeds giving red wine its color also act as protectors against cell damage caused by nasty molecules called free radicals, produced by sun, pollution and cigarette smoke; all believed to be culprits in the aging process. Wine, however, is not the only source of polyphenols: they are also abundant in a wide variety of foods, including tea, chocolate and many fruits and vegetables.

The Art of Living Well
Wine has played an integral role in everyday life, religious ceremonies, celebratory events and the enjoyment of meals by societies throughout history and continues to do so. While some of the recent studies concerning wine and health are more conclusive than others, many of them offers a good reason to make wine part of your daily life.