Gin gets its due...and here's a new one to try

You can't turn the pages of a food or wine related magazine, or browse a culinary website, these days, without reading something about the "comeback of gin". I'm proud to say that I have been a faithful gin drinker for years (Tanqueray, with fresh tonic and lots of lime juice, to be exact. Or Seagram's if I'm on a budget--less expensive and still makes a decent G&T). No matter the brand, gin is aromatic, refreshing and delicious (no offense to lovers of that "other" clear beverage...)

Artisinal gins seem to be where it's at these days (for more on the subject, check out the current issue of Bon Appetit, which offers a primer on the latest small batch offerings.) But Tanqueray, one of the major players in the game, has released a new bottle to add to their "default" style and their No. 10. Called Tanqueray Rangpur, it's infused with "rare Rangpur limes, ginger and bay leaves." Just released nationwide in February of this year, it retails for around $22 for a 750 mL bottle.

Not wanting to commit to a full bottle without trying it first, I opted for 2 of the single serving "airplane" bottles. We chilled them in the fridge, and then tried drinking it straight. The botanicals were apparent, but not overly so (it certainly wasn't as "limey" as Seagram's Lime Gin, etc.) Rather than drinking it naked, we actually preferred it in our beloved G&T, where it was very smooth. But if you are a martini lover, this would make a mean one.

I'll probably end up buying a (full-sized) bottle next time I'm gin shopping. We seem to go through more of it in the summer, when G&T's taste especially good, so that will most likely be soon.

Learn how they got their drink on through the ages

Just read a review of this book in the Washington Post. It's all about the history of imbibing, written in an easy, breezy style, with some recipes and humor thrown in.

Would make a great addition to a home bar, or a fun Father's Day gift. I gotta get my hands on a copy, and enjoy it with a large gin and tonic on the deck...

Chill out this Memorial Day

To celebrate the unofficial start of summer, here are some cool beverage ideas for wine lovers.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!!!

Very cool food and wine pairing tool

Author and wine educator Natalie McLean has a really cool new food and wine pairing tool on her website. With over 360,000 potential pairings, you can find a wine to go with everything, from Peking Duck to pizza, and from cheesecake to creme brulee.

Although there really are few (if any) hard and fast rules these days when it comes to matching food and wine, it's always helpful to have some suggestions and guidelines--and maybe try something that you hadn't considered (like one of my favorite pairings--potato chips and sparkling wine...)

You can try the tool here.

Cheers, and bon appetit!

La La Limoncello

Anyone who knows me or reads this blog knows that while I like all kinds of wine (among other beverages...), I'm always drawn to those that make my mouth tingle. Call them acidic, crisp, tart, zingy, zesty, whatever, I love the refreshing feeling that these drinks have, and the way they pair so well with food, making you want to return again and again for another bite. My mouth is watering as I type this...

Enter limoncello. This favored Italian liqueur, made from lemons, sugar and vodka or grain alcohol, now has a place in my freezer--I splurged on a bottle this past weekend. Kept chilled, a shot of it is a lovely ending ("digestivo") to a big meal, or a great little patio sipper with good friends and good conversation on hot summer nights. Both tart and sweet, and not TOO high in alcohol to be enjoyed in the summer months (my bottle is 26% abv), limoncello is just. simply. delicious.

There were several brands from which to choose at my local ABC store, and I opted for Pallini. Pallini also makes similar liqueurs made of peach and raspberry--I haven't tried those, and I think they might be a bit too sweet for me. The fact that limoncello is made from lemons from Italy's Amalfi Coast also draws me to it. I remember watching so many episodes of "Molto Mario" where chef Mario Batali waxed poetic about the beautiful Amalfi Coast.

Look for Pallini, Caravella and, later on this summer, actor Danny Devito's Limoncello, on store shelves. The ones I saw on the shelf this past weekend all cost about $22, and I'm not sure how much Danny's will retail for.

Or you can try your hand at making your own. Though patience is needed--authentic limoncello needs to steep for about 80 days. Maybe buy a bottle to drink now, and then enjoy your homemade concoction when it's ready at the end of summer...

What the heck are they drinking???

It's a small pet peeve, to be sure, but it bothers me just the same: what tries to pass as red wine when characters are drinking on television?

Last night, on Desperate Housewives, Gaby and Susan got together one evening to share a bottle of "red wine" and a box of chocolates. The bottle was Bordeaux-shaped, so one would expect a Cabernet or something equally opaque. But what they showed in the glasses looked more like Kool Aid or cranberry juice--and it just didn't look authentic enough.

This isn't the first time I've noticed this on a TV show, and I don't know why, but it bugs me.. If producers want to keep things non-alcoholic, (maybe union laws require it?) then it makes sense to use some kind of fruit juice. But come on, you gotta at least make it LOOK like wine--add some food coloring or something. I'm sure a mixture of grape juice and cranberry juice would even look better.

I just had to vent about that. :-)

Portugal just *starts* with "Port"

Mention "Portugal" and "drink" in the same sentence, and thoughts often turn to Port. While I'm a big (though admittedly, recent) fan of tawnies, rubies, LBV and vintage port, I've been recently discovering their "other" wines. Portugal is a virtual treasure trove of inexpensive, decent (mostly red, except for the extremely refreshing and crisp Vinho Verde) table wines. Many are from the Douro, Alentejo or Dao regions, made with many of the same grapes as Port--Touriga National, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, etc. But these wines are not fortified like Port, but made completely dry.

The other evening, we opened a $6.99 bottle of 2004 Vila Regia from the Douro region. This is a red blend of Bastardo, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Barocca and Tinta Roriz. It had great red fruit, as well as approachable tannins and a hint of coconut and vanilla from oak treatment. It was a lot better than many other $7 bottles of reds I have tried, and was just very enjoyable to drink. This particular bottle was pretty versatile, and I could see it pairing with chicken, steak, pizza, pasta, you name it.

I'm going to start seeking out other budget-friendly bottles from Portugal--most are $10 or under, and worth exploring.

The great cork debate rolls on...

George M. Taber, the author of the book "Judgement of Paris," which chronicles the legendary 1976 tasting that pitted French wines against those from California, with CA taking the prize after the blind tastings, is penning a new book. "To Cork or Not to Cork: The Billion-Dollar Battle for the Bottle." Wine Business.com's article says this work will analyze and describe the great debate of real corks vs. synthetic ones vs. glass closures vs. screw caps, and is scheduled for release in October.

A large part of the case against the cork, of course, centers around "cork taint," the presence of TCA (trichloroanisole (2,4,6-TCA)), a chemical compound that can make a bottle of wine smell and taste like wet dog, wet newspaper or a moldy basement--not exactly attractive qualities in a wine. It's estimated that between 3-7% of the world's wines are tainted, mostly due to affected corks.

One of the most interesting facts mentioned in this article is that people can detect TCA in as little as 2 ppt (parts per trillion). This article gives a good analogy--it's akin to 1 second in 320 years. A speck, to be sure, and the fact that noses and palates can pick up this small amount is simply amazing, and a true testament that the debate against using corks is a strong one.

Of course, there are also lots of reasons to use corks--tradition, a tight seal, the "romance" factor. I'm looking forward to reading this book when it's released to see all sides of the issue.

Another winner from Mumm Napa Valley

I did a wine tasting a few weeks ago, where the hosts served flutes of Mumm Napa Valley Brut Prestige as guests were arriving. I've always been a big fun of this domestic sparkling wine house, and one of my favorites is their Cuvee M--reviewed on this blog awhile back.

The Brut Prestige is another gorgeous offering. Guests were raving about it at the event, commenting that it was one of the best sparklers they had ever tasted--domestic or not--and that they couldn't believe it was under $20 a bottle (it's about $18 in wine stores in No. VA).

It's medium-bodied, with hints of melon and vanilla, rather than crisp fruits, but there is still great acidity and structure. My husband and I drank a bottle of it last evening with my Mother's Day dinner--sushi--and it paired perfectly. My husband is not a big fan of the "yeasty," "bready" notes that are often found in Champagne and other traditional method sparkling wines (I am, but I also enjoy other styles as well...), so he was happy that the Brut Prestige didn't have these flavors.

It was a great ending to a great day.

Mother's Day gift ideas for the wine lover

Stumped about what to get your mom for Mother's Day? Well, if she's a wine lover, here are some wine books geared towards women:

"The Wine Club: A Month-by-Month Guide to Learning About Wine with Friends," by Maureen Christian Petrosky: This handy guide gives instructions, wine information and recipes for hosting a monthly wine club. It's a fun, easy read and the author is very approachable.

"Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing, and Sharing Wine" by Leslie Sbrocco: This is a great introduction to wine for any woman. Leslie is very knowledgeable and witty.

"Great Tastes Made Simple," by Andrea Immer; Not geared just towards women, per se, but this book by a Master Sommelier appeals to anyone who likes to pair food and wine.

Raise a toast to your mom on Sunday! Cheers!

A Royal Menu

Here is the menu served at the White House State Dinner last evening in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I am glad to see that a rose sparkling wine from Napa Valley's Schramsberg Vineyards was featured. They are one of my all time favorite producers of sparkling wine, and their wines have been featured at state dinners since the Nixon administration.


* Spring pea soup with fernleaf lavender
* Chive Pizzelle with American cavier

* Newton Chardonnay "unfiltered" 2004

* Dover Sole Almondine
* Roasted artichokes, pequillo peppers and olives
* Saddle of spring lamb
* Chanterelle sauce
* Fricasse of baby vegetables

* Peter Michael "les pavots" 2003

* Arugula, savannah mustard and mint romaine
* Champagne dressing and trio of farmhouse cheeses

* "Rose Blossoms" Schramsberg Brut Rose 2004

KFC with some "C"

Friday night, we got take out from Kentucky Fried Chicken (there is nothing like some good friend chicken every once in awhile...)

In my opinion, there is one "perfect" style of wine to drink with this meal. A bottle that cuts the fat and refreshes your palate: Champagne or sparkling wine.

It certainly elevated our meal, that's for sure! We had a bottle of Segura Viudas Aria Brut Cava from Spain--and at $8 a bottle it didn't break the budget for the meal. With some of the complexity and body of a true Champagne, as well as a decent amount of bubbles, it was a delicious choice for our (somewhat greasy) dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy and biscuits. Grab a bucket of chicken, a sparkler like this one, and a blanket, and I can't imagine a more perfect picnic this spring.

Try 9 wines for $20--not bad

I finally made an outing to Whole Foods Enoteca in Fair Lakes the other night with my wine club. This wine tasting bar was reviewed in the Post a few months ago, and I also reviewed it on my blog. The concept is simple--buy a debit card in any amount, and purchase 1, 3 or 5 oz. pours of over 80 wines, from crisp whites, to dessert wines, to reserve reds, and everything in between.

It was a really fun evening--and pretty busy for a Wednesday evening. My friends and I tried about 9 wines each (1 oz. pours start at $1 and go all the way up to $24 for Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes, but there are a good amount in the $1-$4 range.) There are blank tasting sheets on the table to take wine notes, though we brought our own. Copies of "The Wine Bible" by Karen McNeil allow tasters to look up certain wines or wine regions. A basket of free cracker sticks sits on each table, or you can purchase a cheese platter for $9, which on Wednesday evening featured Spanish cheeses, baguette slices, and nuts tossed witih lavender honey. (It was a decent platter, but a bit light on the cheese, in my opinion. And while I love lavender honey, the only way to eat those nuts soaked in it was to spread it on the baguette slices...it didn't exactly go well together.)

Another group sitting behind us opted to order dinner from one of the several in-store restaurants, and bring it up to the wine loft to enjoy with a glass of wine.

The Enoteca is a great way to taste expensive wines for little money--I tried several that run $80 or so per bottle. All bottles are for sale in the store's wine department, and wines change frequently.

New Zealand Wine Expo: the "official" recap

A few weeks ago I posted a recap of the New Zealand Winegrowers Expo in Washington, D.C. Here is a link to the article I wrote for Wine Enthusiast that gives some highlights.

A Visit to Macon for an Easy Drinking White

I'm always on the lookout for food friendly white wines. And for me, this usually means those that are unoaked (NZ Sauvignon Blancs, French Sancerres, Australian Unoaked Chardonnays). However, I'm willing to drink oaked whites as long as that flavor is well-integrated and pretty subtle--I personally prefer the crisp citrus or apple flavors to overshadow any toastiness, coconut or vanilla notes.

One place in the world to find such wines is the Macon region of Burgundy. There, lots of easy drinking whites are made with the Chardonnay grape--some oaked, some not, but most if not all of the ones that I have tried that fall into the former camp are well-balanced.

The other evening, we enjoyed a bottle of Domaine Lenoir Macon Villages from Georges Duboeuf. It exhibited some good crisp apple and a hint of minerals, both of which were balanced by soft vanilla flavors (but the wine was not too "soft" or "flabby" by any means). The wine paired well with the grilled scallops and steamed mussels we had for dinner, and we also enjoyed another glass all by itself when we were finished.