A gift for the wine lover who has everything

Looking for a Christmas gift for a wine lover in your life? How about the Wine Enthusiast's Wine Bouquet Kit. It comes with 36 vials of the most popular wine aromas, as well as aroma cards and instructions.

If you or someone you know has been baffled by some of the descriptions on the back of a wine label (Violets? Gooseberries? Currants?), then this kit can help.

By the way, I saw kits like this one at Williams Sonoma over the weekend, but they are sold in separate kits for red and white wines, include 12 aromas per kit, and go for $130 a pop. The Wine Enthusiast's kit is a much better deal.

Electric Reindeer

World Market is starting to advertise Electric Reindeer wine for the holidays--festive bottles that rely more on marketing than on taste (in my opinion...) Made by Adler Fels, Electric Reindeer comes with a festive holiday label that just begs you to take a bottle as a host gift.

The varietal wine comes in Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and White Zinfandel. I have only tried the Merlot (a few years ago). Is it stellar? Absolutely not. But you could do worse than a bottle that features a funky reindeer on the label, especially for the price. It can be a fun little novelty for your next gathering.

Thanksgiving recap

Hope you enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving holiday, filled with good friends and family, as well as good cheer. Thought I would post a little rundown of what wines I served, along with mini-reviews:

* Pre-dinner cocktails: I served a Pomegranate sparkling wine cocktail with Zardetto Prosecco. Fill a champagne flute 1/3 of the way with pomegranate juice, and then top with Prosecco. It was very refreshing, especially since Prosecco has a "clean" taste without the yeasty finish that Cava or Champagne can have.

* Main course: I offered a Domaine Sauvion Vouvray (nice apple and pear fruit, maybe even a little peach, along with a bit of fizz), as well as an Angeline Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (good cranberry and raspberry fruit, especially for the price)

* Cranberry sauce: I made it spiced, with Cline Zinfandel, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice and orange peel. A real crowd pleaser, although I must admit that the wine tasted better in the sauce than it did on its own.)

* Dessert: Along with pumpkin and apple pie, I served a Hogue Gewurztraminer. It was very tasty, with a bit of spice and residual sugar on the palate, but I wished it has been a bit sweeter. Next time I'll select a late harvest version.

In the next few weeks, I'll be offering some options for the holidays. Feel free to email me with questions, or with your own suggestions.

Dessert Wine Pairings for the Holidays

Check out my latest article on Wine Enthusiast's website about pairing sweet wines with fall desserts.

I'll be serving Hogue Gewurztraminer on Thursday with some pumpkin pie. It's sold in a full-sized bottle, yet is sweet enough to stand up to dessert.

Happy baking!

Russian River Valley Pinot

I'm still going back and forth on what wines to serve for Thanksgiving, specifically the red for the main course. I typically serve Zinfandel--usually Ravenswood or Rosenblum--but this year I think I may go for Pinot Noir.

If I do, then one of my top choices will be Angeline Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. It's very fruit-forward, easy-drinking with supple tannins, and just an all-around great CA Pinot. It pairs nicely with not only the bird, but with side dishes like cranberry sauce--there is a lot of cranberry and raspberry on the palate.

It happens to be on sale this week at Total Wine for $12.99, so if you are making dinner for a crowd, it's also an economical choice. Just be sure to save a few bottles on the shelf for me...

Le Nouveau Beaujolais est arrive!

Yes, yesterday heralded the arrival of Nouveau Beaujolais, a wine that just weeks ago was hanging on the vine...

Beaujolais Nouveau (and all Beaujolais) is made in southern Burgundy from Gamay grapes, by a process called carbonic maceration. Whole bunches of grapes are put into the fermentation tank, and the weight of the grapes on top crushes the grapes on the bottom. A by-product of fermentation is carbon dioxide, which causes the grapes on top to ferment inside the skins.

The process takes about four days, and results in wine that is fruity and fresh, if non-cerebral. Carbonic maceration also causes aromas and flavors of bananas, bubble gum and cinnamon--pretty interesting stuff.

Unlike it's classier cousin Cru Beaujolais, Nouveau Beaujolais is not age-worthy. It's meant to be consumed within six months or so, and its release at the middle of November makes it a good choice for Thanksgiving dinner--it pairs well with turkey, cranberry sauce and other Turkey Day foods.

Look for popular producers Georges Duboeuf and Louis Jadot. Give this year's vintage a try and see what you think.

Old World vs. New World

Yesterday I reviewed a White Bordeaux, and touched a bit upon the differences between OW and NW Sauvignon Blancs. Here are some reasons for the differences in style between wines from the Old World (i.e. Europe) and the New World (i.e. everywhere else!)

Keep in mind, though, that there are exceptions, of course, to the following:

Why the Differences between Old World and New World?

Different growing conditions:

• OW—typically temperate, cool to mild, leads to lighter body and intensity
• NW—warmer, sunnier spots (in general), leads to fuller-bodied, bolder wines

Differences in tastes and traditions:

• OW—wine shares the stage with food—compliments, not overshadows it; food has deep, rich flavor, tradition is respected. "Wine is in the background, cuisine is the star."
• NW—wine is bold, like the food (think of American BBQ, hot wings, Australian food (shrimp on the Barbie, Asian Fusion cooking), South American bold, spicy food)

Old World Sauvignon Blanc to try

Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis know that I am a huge fan of Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand. I just love how the true varietal qualities shine through the stainless steel fermentation--the aroma and flavors of gooseberries, lime, grapefruit and grass, as well as that bracing acidity.

But I am also a fan of Old World Sauvignon Blancs. Though I prefer a Sancerre to a White Bordeaux any day, I had the latter at a wine tasting this past weekend-- a 2004 Chateau de Rochemorin from the Graves region of Bordeaux. And even though it's common there to blend SB with Semillon, this example was 100% Sauvignon Blanc. It had a touch of oak, but it wasn't overdone. And the citrus notes peaked through, as well as a bit of a steely finish. A nice food wine or sipper on its own, at a nice price (around $12-$15.)

O2: The World's First Sparkling Vodka

Been feeling a bit under the weather...I hope to be feeling up to posting regularly soon. In the meantime, here is some info about O2, which is being billed as "the world's first sparkling vodka."

A long-waited vodka dream ironically came from England. As some magazines would call it “the champagne of vodkas” the O2 vodka is the world’s first sparkling vodka. Produced by the International English Distillers and created by Philip Maitland the 80-proof premium vodka’s production process is patented already. It took 18 months to develop the process that puts oxygen bubbles into the smooth tasting vodka to leave a lightly effervescent texture that gently tingles on the tongue. This unique British vodka is produced predominantly from wheat and a small amount of malted barley. Distilled and filtered three times in 100-year-old copper pot stills, for exceptional purity and smoothness.

For more information, check out their website.

How much wine will I need?

Confused about how much wine to purchase for your next get-together? Evite has a handy drink calculator on its website. Just plug in the duration of your party, how many guests will be attending (it's even broken down into "light," "medium" and "heavy" drinkers), and what drinks you will be serving (beer, wine and/or liquor.)

For my wine tasting events, I can get about 15 pours out of a bottle of wine (keep in mind that this is for a wine tasting, not a party.) So if you are getting together with your wine club, or with a group of friends, trying some new bottles, you'll need about 1 bottle per 15 people. If you are tasting a lot of wines (6-8), I definitely don't recommend more than this. However, if you are only trying, say, 3 or 4 wines, an extra bottle or two may be helpful if guests would like a glass after the tasting portion of the evening is finished.

And remember that there is a tasting sheet available on my website, so guests can note their overall impressions of the wines. Feel free to download and print it out as you need to.

Holiday wine and food pairings

In the upcoming weeks, I'll be offering suggestions for wine and food pairing tips for the holidays. Here are some ideas to get you thinking as you plan your menus for holiday get-togethers:

Pomegranate Sparkler: Pomegranate is being called “the new cranberry.” For a festive and refreshing cocktail, fill a Champagne flute two-thirds with Prosecco or Cava, and then top with pomegranate juice.

Thanksgiving: Try a California red Zinfandel or French red Côtes du Rhône with your turkey. For white wine lovers, offer a Vouvray from France’s Loire Valley: a crisp, food-friendly white made with the Chenin Blanc grape.

Hanukkah: Serve a mildly oaked Chardonnay, or a California or French Syrah, with lamb chops or rack of lamb. Check your wine store for kosher wines, which are becoming more readily available.

Christmas: The crisp peach and apple flavors of a German Riesling work wonderfully with baked ham. To bring out the spiciness of any cloves you added before cooking, try a spicy Gewurztraminer from the U.S. or Alsace.

Mulled wine: To enjoy this winter warmer, take a bottle of inexpensive red table wine, and add cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, sugar, and orange slices. Let the wine simmer (do NOT let it boil), and then serve it in mugs garnished with cinnamon sticks.

More high-end bubbly

Pernod has announced that it will release a bottle of bubbly that will make Dom Perignon, Kristal and other "high-end" Champagnes look, well, cheap.

Their offering will cost around 1000 Euros a bottle (about $1300), and not much more info is known about it at this time.

Looks like Jay-Z might have to reconsider his endorsement of "Ace of Spades" (which I reported a few weeks ago)...

Vendor review for Metro Cooking Show

As promised, here are some of the vendor highlights from this past weekend's Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show:

* CurrySimple: With curry sauces that taste like they came out of your favorite Thai restaurant, this company rocks. I usually stick with the Yellow Curry, which is mild enough that my daughter can enjoy it too, but they have lots of different styles ranging from sweet Massaman to super hot green. A bag of their sauce is $8, but yields several meals. They also sell coconut soup mix and Thai Tea mix.

* Crepes a Go Go: This Gaithersburg restaurant and caterer offers crepes with countless toppings, ranging from sugar and butter, to Nutella and strawberries, to savory crepes with chicken, etc. They were giving away free samples at the show, and the line was long (but worth it.) I'll have to make it up to the restaurant sometime. Their crepes reminded me of the wonderful concoctions the street vendors sell in Paris.

* Stirrings: Their drink mixes and rimmers are always a hit (they started to run out of everything at the show on Saturday afternoon...wonder what they did on Sunday.) Since "pomegranate is the new cranberry" according to Bon Appetit and other foodie sources, try their Pomegranate mix in a vodka martini. Or mix it with some sparkling wine and a touch of lime juice for a pre-Thanksgiving meal cocktail.

* Lotus Chips: A totally addictive snack food, Lotus Chips come in several varities. My favorite was the tomato and basil, which would go perfectly with a glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc.

* Monastery Bakery: This monastery and abbey makes truffles, fruitcake, and creamed honey. The honey comes in natural, cinnamon, raspberry, lemon and other flavors. Whipped until it's smooth, light and creamy, it has a long shelf life and goes well in your favorite tea, or on your favorite scone or baked good. I opted for the lemon--I figured that if I use that in my tea this winter, it's killing 2 birds with one stone. And it would also go well on a lemon blueberry scone.

Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show

Headed to the show on Saturday afternoon at the DC Convention Center. This was its first year, and the show featured a wine and beer tasting, gourmet food samples, cooking tools, etc. Seemed to be very popular, and I'm sure it will be even bigger next year.

Stay tuned--this week I'll be posting reviews of some of the vendors who were represented at the show.

By the way--if you are registered for www.thelistareyouonit.com, check the site's "Grapes and More" column later on today. I'm the guest wine columnist this time around. If you aren't registered on the site (registration is free), I highly recommend it to stay in the loop about food- and wine-related happenings in the DC area.

Component in red wine keeps mice healthy

Harvard Medical School and the National Institute on Aging recently did a study and found out that large doses of resveratrol, found in the skins of red wine grapes, peanuts and some berries, kept old mice healthy, even obese ones.

Although more studies are being planned, including one on monkeys, this could have far-reaching effects. Since the 60 Minutes story years ago on the "French Paradox" (how the French eat fattening foods, yet have lower instances of heart disease and high cholesterol, probably due to the amount of red wine and olive oil they consume), it has been widely believed that wine in moderation is good for your health.

Scientists warn that taking large doses of resveratrol is not recommended, and that more research is needed before we really understand how best to use this extract to our advantage, health-wise.

But this study is great news to wine lovers. If you needed another reason to open up that bottle of Cabernet this weekend, this is it.

Bottoms up!

Wine for Halloween leftovers

My 2 year old daughter got a fair amount of candy when we went out Trick or Treating the other night (more than I will let her eat, that's for sure.) And we also had a decent amount of candy left that we doled out to Trick or Treaters (we live on a street that ends in a cul de sac, and I think a lot of kids don't see the payoff of walking down here...)

After we got home, we showed her how to sort her candy, just like Mommy and Daddy used to do when we were kids. It got me thinking about what wines to pair with some of the treats (not that you would necessarily want to). I know I'm not a candy nut, but when it's in the house, I'll eat it. Anyway, here are some matches that I came up with. Keep in mind when pairing wine with candy (or any dessert), that the wine needs to be at least as sweet as the treat with which you are enjoying it, if not more so. Otherwise, the wine will come off tasting like vinegar.

* Sweet Tarts and Smarties: Since these are so tart, go with a dessert wine that has a good amount of refreshing acidity, like a late harvest Riesling.

* Snickers, Milky Way, Baby Ruth, and other candy bars with caramel and nuts: the nutty and caramel notes in a nice Tawny Port will go well.

* Hershey's Special Dark and other dark chocolate candy bars: A Ruby Port will match (and balance out) the bitterness in these candies.)

* Bottle Caps and Pez: Since these candies almost feel "fizzy" in your mouth, how about a Demi-Sec Champagne or sparkling wine?

* Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfinger, etc: Peanut butter is tricky to match with wine, but again, a late harvest Riesling seems to pair, and cleanses and refreshes the palate after the peanut butter dries it out.

* Swedish Fish (and other gummy candies): The cherry flavors in a White Zinfandel go with these gummy creations.

* Fireballs: A late harvest Gewurztraminer will match the spiciness and tame the fire in this treat (I've never liked these, but I know a lot of people do...)

Have any other candy and wine matches to share? Post a comment on my blog, or email me at trywine@gmail.com.

Cheers! And don't forget to brush your teeth!

My article in Imbibe Magazine

Check out the November/December issue of Imbibe Magazine for my article about inexpensive sparkling wines for the holidays. "Pop More, Pay Less: Bubbly Without Breaking the Bank" appears in "The Real Deal" section of the magazine.

Imbibe's website is www.imbibemagazine.com. You can get a glimpse into the latest issue, but my article is not available for reading on the web. You can get a copy of Imbibe at Barnes and Noble, Borders, Whole Foods and other stores.