Daybreak to Wine Love

Day break instills vivid impressions and bright inspirations. Daybright light--piercing color tones--probes dark corners of fading dreams, warms the household and grants promising hopes for the day ahead. A quick peak through the blinds: yellow daffodils smile at morning break, robins hop to broken chirps of song, deep breaths bring crisp, cool air, washing reminders of yesterday away. Pristine thoughts increase as I gaze on the earth stretching, giving one last yawn. If only I could forever capture the morning dawn.

Little did I know the tale about to be told: a recording of vintage interspersed with a love of old. 2002 Brunello di Montalcino, reportedly a sad year to behold, gives way to a startling account of poor quality inflated to stardom as context unfolds. The love of which I speak is none other than a relationship gone sour, yet continuously teetering as a love story never so bold.

Affairs of the heart are truly one of a kind, each to their own, exceptions all count, perceptions dilute, beginnings forgotten, ends eager and wanton. To speak plainly, my heart aches for a man I once had. A pain double-sided with desire on one side battling rational conscience on the other. Forgive and forget? Or move on with acceptance, constantly recalling hurtful deceipts, selfish acts, and lusty betrayals? Remembering my actions wanes deeply on my soul, giving in to temptation's threshold.

After a day spent lingering on romantic fantasies of how to rescind paths taken, the convoluted reality revealed itself during a simple tasting of organic Brunello. The night was late, the wine still young. Best friends convened having loads of fun. The mood was set, my spirits soared, freedom crashed my tranquil shore. Wine flowed, gossip flung, giggling girls poked fun, flirtatious rants with cute servers dared to be flung. Now with this in mind, I must reveal the hopeful vino poured by an owner wishful for my attentions still. In the moment, the 2002 San Polino Brunello di Montalcino exploded sweet swills. Nothing could make me more happy than the sexy aromas tip-toeing around the sensors within my nose. In the heat of the moment, excitement too palpable to quench the languid lackings of this wine and all its mid-drift packings. 

2002 San Polino Brunello di Montalcino promises fresh fruits, torrents of plum, and a hint of sun-dried tomato, vine-ripened with soft, powdery tannins from an organic run. Production persists amongst the hills southeast of Montalcino, where the climate approaches warmer pockets delivering luscious, mouth-puckering wine bits. But, lo and behold, the mid-palate went slush, leaving no room for fuss, tragically ending in simple disgust.

The aromatics still soared, so everything else I chose to ignore, because nothing in this moment could give rise to scorn. I missed the man I once knew, the man I once had, everything else left unsaid, nothing to brag. Now I know a lesson to be told. A wine can pose as something breathtaking and carouse, depending upon the company and context the drinking aroused. This resolves a riddle confounding my soul. Merriment is a choice, perception is reality. What could be more morose?

Now you'll know, truth be told, when you return from Italy with memories of gold and no wine in the shops here in the States compare, nothing is remiss, you just had something you'll forever miss: a moment of bliss enveloped in vino...

Better Your Batter with Wine & Beer

Better Your Batter With Wine

Batter, in bakery terms, comes in liquid form, pours easily, and generally results in sugary goodness. The words beer and wine do not usually appear in the same sentence as batter—a tragedy requiring immediate remedy.

Infinite pairings exist between food and wine. The trick is how to discover the moments of gustatory bliss when the perfect wine meets its synergistic match. Culinary experts and sommeliers provide elaborate guidelines to demystify the bonds a specific flavor shares with its wine mate. Most people know culinary aficionados, whether they be chefs, food critics, mom or pop, or your spouse. On the flip side, the term sommelier proves a bit more elusive. Who or what is a sommelier? What role do they play in food and wine pairings? In this case, a sommelier betters your batter; a sweetened cupcake batter, that is.

Sommeliers work in and around restaurant settings as wine connoisseurs. Besides managing the beverage program, a sommelier’s job description entails suggesting appropriate wines with your dish selections. Sommeliers spout many rules with which you are familiar. Meats pair with reds, white wines pair with chicken, pork or fish; while sparkling wines generally pair well with anything. Robust wines with rich food. Acidic wines with greasy fare. Exotic, off-dry wines with spicy cuisine. Lastly, the unquestionable rule for food and wine pairings states desserts match best with sweet wines.

With the cupcake craze in mind, why not question the traditional rules? Can dry, higher alcohol wines, red and white, and hoppy beers to boot, couple with cupcakes? In fact, batters in general have no accepted rules in the wine pairing arena. So, how do batter-made goods pair with wine or beer? Imaginative pairings require taste testers, whom I intend enlisting Sunday, March 27^th. A toast to basketball mania, March Madness Cupcake Face-Off judges between batter, wine, and beer. Anticipate tasting dry wines with sweet bliss, rather than sampling ultra sweet wines.

In the professional field of wine connoisseurs, eggs, flour and butter translate into definitive pairing terms on a flavor sensation wheel. Close your eyes. Bite into a cupcake. Consider the aromas and flavors you perceive. Instantaneously, your teeth encounter sweet, sugary, buttery frosting matched on the underlining with cake stodginess, mouthwatering succulence, sweet tendency, and aromatic persistence.  Now, describe the cupcake effect on your tongue in layman’s terms: sugary rapture, buttery, fluffy, cake batter baked warm and fresh. Smells good going in and while chewing; upon swallow, you crave another bite.

After such a description, what pairs with this unique form of sweetness, since the flour and eggs add savory and stodgy sensations against the sweet? First, the actual cupcake flavors must be considered. Kristy Hofkens of Capital Cakepops--a hobby company she runs in Washington, D.C. when she breaks from government contract consulting—intends to supply Red, White & Bleu Wine Shop in Falls Church with five fun flavors: coconut with cream cheese frosting, Guinness chocolate with peanut butter frosting, vanilla with strawberry butter cream, banana cream with honey flavored frosting, and the last remains to be unveiled. The recipes are no bore, so the wines and beers will be equally fantastic. I anticipate sampling a high quality California white blend, an Oregon Pinot Noir, an Argentinian Torrontes, an Alsatian Gewurztraminer, and a California Petite Syrah.  All five wines face off against a different beer in each cupcake pairing, such as Heffeweizen, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, Belgian Blonde, Abita seasonal, and Southern Tier’s Choklat Stout. Tasters vote on the winner of the pairs. Which team will win, Team Vino or Team Brew? Don’t have a clue, but I know it will be irresistible fun. Cupcakes? Wine? Beer? What could be more palate pleasing?

Beaujolais and BBQ

BBQ and Beaujolais? Never would considered, but Friday night lonesome fatigue was waiting for me on the couch. The finale of a long week with Audrey refusing to eat the delicious baby food I made her--reminiscent of Life As We Know It. So, I did the worst thing. I popped a California Pizza Kitchen Chicken and BBQ pizza in the oven. Of course, whatta ya know, but my 9 month old demanded hand-outs: BBQ smears, lip-smackin' cheesy goodness, and all. Note to self, my father was right. Kids love spaghetti and pizza. For me, my Friday dish delish was turning into a bombshell of salty preservatives, American factory-manufactured cheese, and that weird spongy chicken, not to mention pizza dough a far cry from wood-fired, yeasty freshness. What to do? I spied a bottle of Beaujolais on the counter....

I have to admit, I went on a Beaujolais kick back in January to experience the hype this region has received in the past couple years. I bought only Cru Beaujolais, and only from Morgon, Chiroubles, Fleurie and Brouilly. Was my palette off? Or did I just not get it? Every bottle failed to WoW me. Soft, undefined flavors flailed in my mouth, acid overran the fruit, and overall the flavor profiles and ashy aromatics failed to deliver my tastes to the moment of euphoria. But Garyvee, Jancis Robinson, and countless sommeliers proclaim Beaujolais as the hottest new wine wagon. Some argue younger generations will take to Beaujolais like the world smoldered Bordeaux. I'm thinking, Whhhaaaat? Am I missing something in my glass? Bordeaux WoWs me. I sway with tantric mumblings, intoxicated by Bordeaux aromas alone, the palate fascinates no less.

Ok, sidebar regress, putting Beaujolais back to the test. I opened a 2009 Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes Cote de Brouilly bought at Wine Warehouse, Charlottesville, VA, took a big sniffy sniff, and enjoyed all the rest! Finally! I get Beaujolais and I'm ready to taste more. Aromatic yumminess bursted forth from the glass. Red raspberry finesse pumped up with watermelon bubblegum and pomegranate plush. Subtle ashiness in the back, but not a turn off, because it tickles your nostrils slightly with dusty appeal. Medium bodied, soft, supple tannins, bright red fruits on the front, middle and end. My kind of acid, meaning medium plus, well-balanced, salivating sweetness. Oh, and then I plunged the daring stunt, sinking my teeth into that monstrosity of America's classic TV dinner, frozen pizza warmed. Hmmm, I pondered, I smiled, I ate on. My Beaujolais transformed my meal. The BBQ sweetness melded to the wine's red fruits and high-wire acid while presenting a background smokiness that subdued the minerality of the wine, and passed on the ultimate effect: thirsty for more.

Cool beans, I want more, Beaujolais 2009 that is...

Zany Pairing: Sea Bass and Bandol

Bandol
Mourvedre thrives as the mainstay grape of Provence's oldest vine-growing region, and grows in pebbly limestone, with pockets of sandy marls and sandstone. The terraced vineyards mostly face south, creating an amphitheater lined by man-made walls of river stone called restanques. 

Mourvedre produces densely pigmented wines with high levels of tannin and acidity. Being a late-harvesting grape and Spanish native, Mourvedre demands lots of sunshine and warmth to produce mature fruit. The grape's aromatic profile reveals herbs, ripe plum and strawberry fruit with a hint of meaty undertones in its youth, but turns to scents of leather and truffle after aging.

Bandol supplies Mourvedre with the perfect climatic arena due to its long, hot growing season and low fertility of the soils. My choice of red Bandol with Saturday night's dinner represents only 25% of the appellation's production, while roses comprise 70% of total production.

My brother, Bob--a chef at Willow Restaurant, Arlington, Va--purchased fresh sea bass from Washington D.C.'s fishermen wharf and prepared accompaniments of carrot vinaigrette, broccolini, and creamy lentils with mirepoix, shallots and thyme. Sea bass pairs well with Bandol because of its mild flavor, firm texture and high fat content. Lentils add a rich, nutty flavor to the dish which pairs well with the acidity presented by the Mourvedre. The combinations worked beautifully, the sensations striking, euphoria levels high.

2007 Chateau de Pibarnon Bandol rests amongst the La Cadiere hills west of Toulon with 25 year old vineyards positioned in a naturally southward facing amphitheatre. The winemaker blends approximately 10% Grenache and 90% Mourvedre, resulting in an aromatic wine with substantial tannins. On the palette, though, the tannins swell with softness--no abrasive, chewy or overly dry sensations. Herbaceous nose, pretty red fruits, bright acidity. As for terroir, limestone soils contribute to the acidity of the wine and produce lean, polished tannins. Pairs perfectly with the aromatic lentils and carrot vinaigrette, ultimately providing the fish entree with more substance, texture, and richness.

Cotes de Provence Sainte-Victoire

Situated on the back side of Mont Sainte-Victoire, a majestic limestone ridge, rests old vines of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache in the vineyards of Domaine Richeaume. Protected by Cezanne's beloved mountain, the vines experience more of a continental climate than Mediterranean and rarely bear the force of the Mistral winds. Saint-Victoire remains one of three cru classes of Cotes de Provence AOC.

Similar to Les Baux de Provence AOC, Sainte-Victoire consists of limestone and clay soils, which produce classic garrigue characteristics in the aromatics and flavor profiles of the wines. Soils are rich in bauxite.

As for terroir reminiscent in the palette, the flavor of the wine I selected from this region was completely opposite in style of the Mas de Gourgonnier red I tasted prior to enjoying this wine.

Fifteen miles east of Aix lies Domaine Richeaume, nestled up against the jagged limestone flank of Mont Sainte-Victoire. An historian and classical cellist, Henning Hoesch, founded the domaine in 1972 and farmed along regimented organic principals. He proved to be a pioneer after being one of the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon and advocate organic farming, both now staples in Provence. Henning's son, Sylvain, followed in his father's footsteps when he took over the domaine after working alongside Paul Draper at Ridge Winery in 1996 and again in 2000. The domaine encompasses 200 acres of land, devoted to the vine, olive orchards, grains and pasture area for sheep. The Cuvée Tradition flaunts roughly equal parts Cabernet and Grenache, and sometimes a touch of Syrah. This traditional blend combines the masculine austerity of Cabernet with the feminine opulence of Grenache, producing a dark and rich red with lovely aromatics and full sumptuous flavors.

2007 Domaine Richeaume Cuvee Tradition
Opened. Poured. Inhaled deeply. Shocked--initial reaction. Huge oaky overtones. Smelt more reminiscent of Bordeaux, extremely tight, and honestly disappointed, because I went in with premonitions of floral bouquet, garrigue expectations. But, oh, so devastatingly wonderful this wine became. Paired with pork tenderloin I braised in the oven at low temp in a bath of Sam Adams Octoberfest beer (the only meager source of marinade I had at my Mom's house in remote location in Massanutten Resort, Harrisonburg, Virginia--my private escape). Placed pork over sauteed bed of spinach, garlic and onion. After tasting the pork and sipping the wine, the flavors exploded in my mouth. Rich opulence, smooth decadence, over-delivery in the velvet category. Leather, smoke, subtle game fused with red fruits, lavender and herbaceous undertones. Definite power indicative of clay soils displayed. Cabernet heavy for sure. Right on with proprietor's decription of Cabernet masculinity melded with rounded, sumptuous Grenache interminglings. I couldn't stop, be it the intoxicating aroma, the delicious flavor, or the addictive texture sensations, I entered a wine trance. My weekend was justified, my escape from humanity complete. My bondage with Richeaume sealed. The soul of Provence will never forsake me. I'm sold. Terroir or not, this taste forever unforgettable.

March Madness Cupcake Face-Off

Better your batter with zany pairings. The ultimate battle between beer and wine, AND CUPCAKES! Thought the cupcake mania surpassed the fanatic zone? Well, it just went deeper. In tribute to tournament season and basketball mania, I am hosting a Cupcake Beer & Wine Pairing in partnership with Kristy Hofkens of Capital Cakepops - Washington, D.C. and Red, White & Bleu Wine Shop, Sunday, March 27th. Kristy will be crafting five cupcake flavors to challenge my pairing skills. Duo groups of beer and wine will pair up with each cupcake flavor. Team Vino competes against Team Brew. Each cupcake fanatic votes on which team pairs best with the cupcake flavor. Who will win: Team Brew or Team Vino? You choose!

On the Wagon or Off?

Just had the opportunity to taste my new fav cheese for everyday consumption. Granted it was midday and I was caring for three beautiful children, the warm weather mid-February provided the perfect hiatus and excuse to bust open a low alcohol white wine spritzer. My roommate bought it on a springfever craving and had already consumed a couple of glasses the previous evening. I never considered pairing it with food, always drank Vinho Verde as a palate perker, something to bubble me up. Well, this midday snack was just what the doctor ordered, or at least the mommy fairies who witness the tedious challenges of caring for two infants and a toddler. I'm sure many moms mumble to them from time to time or shout in anxst. Regardless, I sliced some Cowgirl Creamery Wagon Wheel cheese, their latest addition to the line-up, stacked it on some Parmesan-Reggiano flatbread and went to town. The bracing greenness of Vinho Verde utterly melted away in waves of Cowgirl Creaminess. I oohhhed and awwwed my way through a quarter pound in 10 minutes flat. Frightening decadence, but what a pair! A peek into spring sure did the body good.