Spruce up your cocktails

Stirrings had a table at the Food and Wine Festival, where they offered samples of their delectable cocktails and sugar/salt rimmers. The company features flavors such as wild blueberry martinis with a blueberry crumble rimmer, and simple pomegranate martini with a pomegranate rimmer. And they make a mean and SPICY bloody mary, with lots of horseradish, just the way I like it.

Just add your favorite liquor to whip up a batch of trendy cocktails for your next gathering.

A great alternative to Bailey's

At the show, I sampled Voyant Chai Liqueur. This delicious cream liqueur capitalizes on the current popularity of Chai Tea and Chai Tea Lattes--it's creamy, spicy, a bit exotic, and wonderful.

The Voyant reps also mixed it with Starbucks coffee liqueur (6 parts Voyant to 1 part coffee liqueur), for what they call a Chaitini.

Although I think it's more of a fall/winter drink, I could also see myself blending it with milk and ice and enjoying it like an adult milkshake. Mmmmm....

Washington DC International Wine and Food Festival Recaps

This week, I'm going to be recapping some of the highlights of the DC Wine and Food Festival, which was held Saturday and Sunday at the Omni Hotel in DC. It was a phenomenal event, filled with wine tasting, delicious foods to sample, cooking demonstrations, wine seminars, and wine and lifestyle products.

Today's recap focuses on some of the food there:

* Curry Simple: www.currysimple.com. This company makes delicious curry sauces, packaged in foil bags, ranging from red, to green, to yellow, to masaman. One bag makes 8 or 9 servings--just add meat and/or vegetables, and spoon it on top of rice. They were giving out free samples at the show, and it was so fantastic that I just had to buy some.

* maxMERIDIA: www.maxmeridia.com sells Spanish spices such as Flor de Sal (sea salt) and pimenton (paprika), as well as olive oils and sherry vinegars. The Vintage Sherry Vinegar has moxie--you definitely need to like sour things to enjoy it, but I thought it was delicious. And the olive oils tasted pure, with a deep olive flavor. Simply delicious.

* American Lamb: www.americanlamb.com. Apparently, there is a movement to get more Americans to eat lamb from our own country. While this organization didn't have any samples, they did offer recipes and wine pairing tips for serving lamb.

* Ile de France Cheese: www.iledefrance.com. This company has long offered brie and goat cheese. At the show, they had samples of endive spears stuffed with herbed goat cheese, and sliced apples with Ile de France brie and lavender honey-nut topping. Mmmm...cheese.

* The Perfect Pita: www.theperfectpita.com. With 2 locations in Alexandria, and 1 in DC, the Perfect Pita is THE place to pick up fresh pitas and hummus, or to enjoy your favorite pita sandwich. They had wonderful samples of regular hummus, jalapeno, roasted red pepper, and black bean and cilantro, with the freshest pitas to go along with it.

* DeLoache Chocolate: www.delochoc.com. For "artfully crafted chocolate", including the ever-popular painted chocolate squares filled with ganaches, look no further than DeLoache Chocolate. They were offering samples of their milk and dark chocolate at the show, and both were delicious.

Next, we'll take a look at some of the wine-alternatives to beverages at the show....

Wine.com gives it another go

Wine.com, online retailer of wine and accessories, has secured more capital and is trying to turn a profit for the 7th time, as reported on

http://www.siliconbeat.com/entries/2006/06/21/winecom_raises_12_million_more_to_try_seventh_time_lucky.html

Considering many wine drinkers prefer a "try before you buy" wine experience, like they can get in wineries and retail shops, will they be sucessful this time?

I personally do not like ordering wine online. You have to pay a ridiculous amount for shipping. You have to worry about breakage. You need to be home to sign for and accept the shipment. And, most importantly, you can't taste the wine before you decide to purchase it.

There are lots of wine shops that offer free tastings to customers--sometimes weekly, sometimes even more often. In Northern VA, we have The Curious Grape, the Wine Seller, the Wine Cabinet, and Wine Styles, just to name a few.

Will wine.com's business model work this time? Or will business go down the drain?

The other Italian white wines...

Pinot Grigio is a summertime favorite. Although it's pretty neutral, it does have some citrus notes, along with good acidity, making it a quaffable wine for patio sipping.

If you like Pinot Grigio, there are two other Italian white wines to try. Orvieto, from the Umbria region of Italy, is made with the Trebbiano grape. It also offers some citrus and apple flavors, along with crisp acidity. And Soave, made with the Garganega grape, is the second best selling wine in Italy. It's from the Veneto region of the country, and would be a great choice for enjoying on your deck, your patio or your boat.

Try them with a platter of your favorite cheeses, fruits and crackers. They are noncerebral wines, but on a hot summer day, that can be just what you are looking for.

Top Ten Most Popular Wine Brands Sold in Restaurants

Wine & Spirits magazine just released the results from their 2006 restaurant poll. The top ten most popular brands sold in restaurants are:

1. Cakebread Cellars
2. Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards
3. Kendall-Jackson Vineyards
4. Silver Oak Wine Cellars
5. Jordan Vineyard & Winery
6. Duckhorn Vineyards
7. Stag's Leap
8. Caymus
9. Santa Margherita
10. Rombauer Vineyards

Whenever I go to Napa, I always make it a point to go to 2 wineries--Grgich Hills and Cakebread Cellars. Both make consistently stellar wines, and have fantastic tastings.

Last night we enjoyed a bottle of 2000 Napa Valley Chardonnay from Grgich Hills. I'm typically not a big fan of CA Chardonnays, which are often too oaky (I prefer Chablis or unoaked Chardonnay). But when I tasted this one at the winery, I had to bring it home. The oak is well integrated into the wine, and there are flavors of pineapple and mango that burst out of the glass.

We enjoyed it with cedar planked salmon with mustard sauce, and also for dessert, with grilled pineapple slices, rum raisin ice cream and butter/rum/brown sugar sauce.

We have a bottle of Cakebread Reserve Chardonnay setting on our wine rack, too. Wonder how long until we break open that bottle...

Jay-Z's bubbly boycott

It was reported yesterday that Jay-Z will stop selling Cristal champagne at locations of his 40/40 club, and he will stop drinking it himself, after the managing director of Roederer made references to the "unwelcome attention" that the hip-hop world has paid to the champagne.

Frederic Rouzoud of Louis Roederer, the champagne house that makes Cristal, said he views hip-hop's fascination with Cristal champagne with "curiosity and serenity." He was also credited with using the term "unwelcome attention" when referring to rap and hip-hop artists' mention of Cristal in songs, but it was actually the writer of the article who said this. For many years now, Cristal has been mentioned in rap songs, seen as a symbol of the wealth and decadence in rappers lifestyles.

Jay-Z will start selling Krug and Dom Perignon in his clubs, and P. Diddy has joined him in the boycott.

I can't help but wonder--does Roederer even care? How much will this rap boycott will really affect sales? After all, it's mostly the rap and hip-hop artists themselves who are buying and drinking this stuff--it goes for hundreds of dollars a bottle, and most fans of any music style can't even touch that price.

Summer spritzer recipe

Looking for something refreshing to drink this summer? Fill an on-the-rocks or white wine glass with ice. Mix equal portions of Pinot Grigio and sparkling lemonade (you can find this at Trader Joe's, Wegman's and other grocery stores). Sip by the pool or on the deck. Ahhhhhhhh.....it's like a quick dip in the pool, in a glass.

This pairing works because the Pinot Grigio is unoaked, citrusy and crisp, so it pairs well with the acidity and citrus notes in the sparkling lemonade. For a variation, add a bit of pomegranate or passionfruit juice to the blend.

Do's and Don't's for wine storage

• Do store wine on its side. The cork will remain wet, limiting oxidation.
  
• Don't store wine on top of your refrigerator or near your oven. It's just too warm.
  
• Do store your wine beween 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. A shelf on a cool basement is ideal, as would be a wine refrigerator.
  
• Do store your wine away from excess sunlight.
  
• Don't store your wine where there are a lot of vibrations. This will disturb the wine and age it before its time.
  
• Don't store wines with screw caps for any extended period of time. These should be drunk within six months to a year.
  
• Remember, the vast majority of the wine produced in the world is meant to be consumed within a year or two. So don't cellar everything--drink it and enjoy it!!!

Something big and bold for your Father's Day meal

Planning to make a "manly" meal on the grill for your father on Sunday? Looking for a wine to stand up to big, red meat? Try Malbec. This grape, famous for its use in red Bordeaux (blended there with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot), is big and bold, with brambly fruit, grippy tannins and spice. It's fast become Argentina's signature red varietal.

The 2004 Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Malbec is one to try, and there are lots of other great producers, too. Coat some rib eye in garlic and black peppercorn, grill some corn on the cob with chili powder and lime butter, and make some stuffed baked potatos. Then pour glasses of Malbec alongside it all, and propose a toast to your father.

A Cava worthy of the name Champagne

Cava is Spain's answer to Champagne. Made in the traditional methode champenoise style, where the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle, Cava has some of the yeasty, bready complexity that Champagne does, at a fraction of the cost. Made from local Spanish grapes like Parellada (which gives some apple flavor), Xarel-lo and Maccabeo, along with Chardonnay, it's a wine worth seeking out that won't break the bank.

Segura Viudas NV Cava is absolutely delightful. With small bubbles, a hint of apple, medium acidity, and yeasty notes, it's a $9 bottle that tastes like it costs a lot more. Sparkling wines are great to pair with food because of the bubbles and refreshing acidity, and this Cava would match with anything from sushi, to potato chips, to smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for brunch.

Make sure all sparkling wines are well-chilled before you attempt to open them, and remember: turn the bottle, not the cork.

My faith in rose has been restored!

The last few dry roses I have tried have been very disappointing, with dull fruit (if the fruit was there at all,) too much alcohol, and without the refreshing complexity that I enjoy in a good rose.
Last night my faith in rose was restored. I tried a 2005 Pink Knot from McLaren Vale, Australia. It was everything a good rose should be, with ruby pink color, strawberries and a bit of spice on the nose, berries and red currant on the palate to match, good acidity, body and complexity. In short, a perfect wine for sipping this summer. The label didn't indicate what grapes were used, but my bet would be grenache, along with some shiraz.

Another appealing thing about this wine is the closure. Not quite a cork, and not a screw cap either. It had a plastic piece around the neck of the bottle to pull off, and then a mushroom cap-type stopper, which could be replaced after opening the bottle. A pretty neat design.

Take it on a picnic (you won't need a corkscrew), or enjoy it on the deck with some cheese, crackers, olives, nuts and cured meats.

Paris tasting goes Hollywood

Decanter magazine reports that the book "Judgement of Paris," which tells the story of the legendary 1976 Paris tasting in which two California wineries came out triumphant in a blind tasting (Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon won out over First Growth Bordeaux, and Chateau Montelena Chardonnay beat French white Burgundies), will be made into a movie.

To any oenophile, this will be a fascinating look at the "tasting heard round the world." It put California's wines on the map, and made France and the rest of the world finally realize that the U.S. CAN make stellar, premium wines. I can't help but wonder if it's a bit esoteric for the general movie goer, though...

Hugh Grant and Jude Law are in talks to star in the movie. There is no information about when filming will begin or when the movie will be released.

Oh, how I wish they served wine in U.S. movie theaters...how are we supposed to sit through an entire movie about tasting wine without enjoying it ourselves??

My love affair with Chateau St. Michelle

I have always loved the elegant wines of Chateau St. Michelle, in Washington State. The winery makes fantastic wines at reasonable prices. Their Riesling is off-dry, with finesse and good acidity. A newer style of Riesling is Eroica--a fuller-bodied style with hints of minerals and peach (this wine is a joint effort between Chateau St. Michelle and Dr. Loosen). And their Gewurztraminer has just the right balance of fruit, spice, acid and sugar.

My absolute favorite Merlot is CSM's Columbia Valley Merlot. Restrained and elegant, made more in a Bordeaux style than a "New World" one, it has flavors of cherry and cedar, balanced by oak/tannin. At $15 a bottle it's an absolute steal.

CSM sources grapes from all over Washington State, but you can visit their tasting room and chateau (yes, one does exist, and it's lovely) 30 minutes north of Seattle in Woodinville. It's conveniently located across the street from both Columbia Crest winery, and Red Hook brewery and restaurant. A perfect day trip is to have lunch at Red Hook's pub, tour the brewery, then tour and taste at the wineries, before heading to one of the trendy, yet quaint restaurants in Woodinville for dinner.

If you go to CSM, be sure to pay a little extra and do the reserve tasting--it's definitely worth it.

The gamy appeal of Pinotage

Pinotage has traditionally been South Africa's signature grape, making red wines that often have gamy, leather, smoked meat aromas and flavors (perfect to pair with the wild game found in the country.) Some find it an acquired taste--I like funky, interesting wines, so I've always been a fan. The grape is actually a cross between Pinot Noir and the Rhone Vallye variety Cinsaut (the South Africans leave off the "l" in Cinsault), created to withstand the warm climate of the region.

Depending on the wine shop, you may only see a few brands of Pinotage on the shelf. Spier is a popular producer, as are Nederburg and KWV International.

Try Pinotage with a well-seasoned steak on the grill (beef or venison), grilled lamb chops, or buffalo burgers. It's wild, savage, and memorable--kind of like South Africa itself.

Ready to make the leap from wine drinker to wine maker?

If you've ever thought about making your own wine (and what wine drinker hasn't?), here is a great article from Winemaking magazine that explains the process of making wine from a kit. That's the easiest place to start--there are some great kits available, and you won't have to worry about crushing and pressing the grapes. (You will still need to buy a bunch of accessories and tools. Grapestompers is a great place to buy your supplies, kits and equipment.

Once you've gotten a taste of the process, so to speak, then you might want to venture into making wine from fresh grapes.

Either way, the final product will be so much more satisfying than buying a bottle from the local wine store.

Perfume in a glass

I've always loved highly aromatic white wines like Viognier, Gewurztraminer and Muscat (dry, off-dry or dessert styles). Their seductive aromas of flowers, blossoms, stone fruits, orange peel and honey just jump out of the glass and make me return for another sip again and again.

Argentina, most famous for its red Malbec wines, which are big, bold, tannic, (and perfect for a steak on the grill,) also succeeds with a more seductive grape--Torrontes. Torrontes is highly perfumed, with floral notes on the aroma and palate, along with apricot and honey. Typically dry or off-dry, it's a refreshing accompaniment to spicy Asian cuisine, and it also can be enjoyed all by itself on the patio on a warm summer evening.

The other night, I tried a 2005 Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes Valle de Cafayate. It was exotic, aromatic, and just plain delicious. When shopping for Torrontes, look for the most recent vintage you can find--this is not a wine that is meant to age on a wine rack. It should be enjoyed while the fruit and floral nuances are still fresh.

An experiment in body

Body can be described as the "weight" of the wine. The fuller the body, the more the wine coats your mouth, and often the longer the taste lingers. A light-bodied wine can be compared to skim milk--thin, watery, and once you swallow it you can't really taste it anymore. A medium-bodied wine is like whole milk, and a full-bodied wine is like heavy cream--thick, rich, viscous; it coats your tongue, and you can taste it long after you swallow it. Alcohol is the major ingredient in the make up of a wine's body.

Last week, I tried Ariel Vineyards de-alcoholized wine for the first time in a few years (mainly because I happened to walk by it on the shelf at Trader Joe's, and I wanted to see what I thought of it since the last time I tried it several years ago.) This winery, a division of J. Lohr, is considered one of the finest producers of de-alcoholized wines--they have actually won awards for this stuff. I picked up the Rouge, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Sirah. The purchase price was $3.99.

This wine is quite a shock to your taste buds on the first sip. The fruit flavor is there, but it's missing...something. You feel a void on the middle of your tongue, and there is none of that "hot" feeling at the back of your throat. What it's missing, of course, is alcohol--and body. Without body and weight, wine feels empty and flat, even if the fruit and other components are there.

I guess, for what it is, it's not a bad beverage. But for me, it certainly didn't quench my thirst for a nice glass of wine. If anything, it made it stronger.

Have a Sticky for Dessert

Muscats from Rutherglen, Australia are unctuous, syrupy, and complex dessert wines (the Aussies refer to dessert wines as "stickies."). Because they are made from the Muscat grape, they have that easy to recognize "grapy" and floral aroma and flavor. But due to the way they are made (they are stored in hot conditions similar to the way Madeira is produced, and they are heavily oxidized,) the wines pick up complex notes of caramel, toffee and nuts.

Last night, I tried an R.L. Buller Premium Fine Muscat from Rutherglen. It was fantastic--viscous and sweet, yet with a small touch of acidity. With strong caramel aromas, flavors of toffee and some dried fruits, and a delicious, lingering finish, it's a wine to return to, sip after sip.

So what desserts pair with these wines? In my opinion, Rutherglen muscats are dessert, and nothing else is needed. But, if you insist, then I would suggest creme brulee or caramel apple pie to pair with the caramel notes.

Tetra Paks and Wine

Last week, I tried a French Rabbit Pinor Noir "bottled" in a Tetra Pak. This packaging is similar to "wine in a box;" there is no bottle or cork to contend with or dispose of. The wine comes in a 1 liter pack (compared to a 750 mL bottle), which gives the consumer two extra glasses.

The French (and other Europeans) are embracing Tetra Paks as the perfect vessel for taking wine on a picnic. They fit well in a cooler, and you don't have to remember your corkscrew. Tetrapaks are not sealed as tightly as corked bottles, so the shelf life for these wines is about 6 months. (I would assume that most consumers buy wine in a Tetrapak on the way to the destination where they are going to drink it...)

So how was the wine? Well, I tried a Pinot Noir, and although the wine was not "varietally correct"--it didn't really taste like a Pinot Noir--it wasn't bad. It was more like a fun, fruity, non-cerebral Beaujolais Villages (that had undergone some carbonic maceration.) Not a bad option for a picnic.