Sauvignon Blanc. Photo: stevesteve8383, Flickr.
This beautiful bottle of 2005 Sauvignon Blanc, captured by Flickr user stevesteve8383, would certainly do the trick ... though we might have to do a little taste test just to make sure.
A Bottle of White - Feast Your Eyes
This beautiful bottle of 2005 Sauvignon Blanc, captured by Flickr user stevesteve8383, would certainly do the trick ... though we might have to do a little taste test just to make sure.
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Thanksgiving Recipes - Prosecco Cocktail Ideas
Prosecco is a celebratory and affordable sparkling white wine sure to jump-start the Thanksgiving festivities. In this sweet sparkling recipe from "Mix Shake Stir," prosecco tops peach liqueur for an elegant sip.
Get the recipe to this cocktail along with many others after the jump.
Get the recipe to this cocktail along with many others after the jump.
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You Want Wine With That? Southern Blogger Seeks Perfect Popeye's Pairing
Photo: boo_licious, flickr
"There are a lot of online wine tastings, but no one ever does pairings," Wallace explains. "As much as I love wine, it's useless without food."
Wallace has recruited five respected wine experts to submit their picks for the best vino to sip with Popeye's celebrated chicken, Cajun-battered fries and red beans and rice. He and 50 friends will sample the selections at a party next Wednesday; While the festivities will be live-streamed from Wallace's house, he's also urging wine-and-chicken lovers to play along at home and report their findings via Twitter.
At stake is the title of Dirty Bird King (or Queen) -- and a lifetime of potentially enhanced Popeye's enjoyment.
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Beaujolais - Wine of the Week
Photo: Francois Mori/AP.
Beaujolais' lighter body, few tannins, high acidity and intense fruit notes make this a great stand-alone wine or one to pair with a hard cheese (such as Raclette) or a soft fromage (feta is a great choice). And with most bottles priced under $15, this is a great excuse to host a wine-tasting party where you and your friends sip through a flight.
Beaujolais Nouveau Day (the third Thursday of November) is when the first bottles are released. Meant to be consumed while young, this wine's grapes are harvested between late August and early September, fermented for only a few days, then whisked into bottles in time for the release. Back in the 19th century, bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau would sail down the Saone River to Lyon not long after harvest. But it was only 24 years ago that the Institut National de l'Origine created the uniform release date.
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La Tache Romanee
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| La Tache Romanee Photo: Claude-Olivier Marti, Flickr |
This highly expressive red wine from the Burgundy region of France is beloved for its rich and concentrated taste -- and yet it doesn't swing into the heavy-wines category – as well as a nice interplay of spices and mineralities. Aubert de Villaine has owned the winery since the '50s but the estate was founded by Priory of St. Vincent monks in 1232. Grand Cru grapes from Vosne- Romanée and Flagey-Echezeaux communes of the Cotes de Nuits used for La Tâche are farmed biodynamically and organically, and at a low yield. Most bottles are going for between $1,500 and $4,500, depending on the vintage.
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Château Pétrus
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| Château Pétrus Photo: Garrulus, Flickr.com |
Château Pétrus, a red Bordeaux wine made almost entirely from Merlot grapes in the Pomerol appellation of France, is one of the world's priciest collectible wines.
In early October, assorted vintages of Château Pétrus went up for auction in Hong Kong through Sotheby's. To give you a sense of how coveted this wine is, the final bid came in at $93,077 USD for one six-liter bottle of the 1982 vintage. Another batch of Château Pétrus will be auctioned off this Wednesday in London. The earliest vintage is 1970 and the latest 2004.
But don't despair. Not all Château Pétrus will cost you $94,000. The 2008 vintage at some retailers is as low as $68. (Hint: this might be a good wine to cellar for more than you normally might, and perhaps pay for your kid's college tuition?)
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7-Eleven Wines Coming to a Convenience Store Near You
Photo: loop_oh/flickr
7-Eleven plans to sell a $3.99 Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay under the proprietary "Yosemite Road" label at its stores in the United States and Japan.
"The consumer is really pinched as far as discretionary income," Kevin Elliott, senior vice president of merchandising and logistics of Dallas-based 7-Eleven, Inc., told the Associated Press. "We're seeing a lot of success in products that really resonate on a value basis."
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The Sardinian Diet: Wine, Bread and Cheese
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| Photo: pinkcanoe, Flickr |
The island of Sardinia lies 120 miles west of the Italian mainland. It is the second largest island in the western Mediterranean with Sicily only being larger.
According to Dan Buettner, the author of "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest," various features of the Sardinian diet can result in an average of six years added to the average life expectancy.
The Sardinian diet emphasizes bread, cheese and red wine. Sardinian Cannonau, a very darkly-colored red wine, has the highest level of antioxidants of any known red wine in the world.
"This is so dark that the Italians call it vino nero, which means 'black wine,'" Buettner told "Good Morning America".
No surprise here, Sardinians also eat lots of fruits and vegetables and meat is a once-a-week celebration. Contrary to other Meditteranean diets, not a lot of fish is eaten.
Instead, cheese is used as protein source -- specifically, grass-fed cheeses.
Buettner also reveals one common denominator of healthiest people alive are the consumption of nuts. Buettner recommends the 2-by-4-by-2 rule -- people who eat 2 ounces of nuts four times a week live an average of two years longer.
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Twitter Sells Wine to Benefit Charity
Pinot Noir grapes. Photo: mollyali, Flickr.
Beginning Thursday, Twitter is selling its own "Fledgling" wine, with the proceeds benefiting the nonprofit literacy group Room to Read, according to Jenna Sampson, a spokeswoman for Twitter.
San Francisco wine company Crushpad is helping Twitter make the vino. The company, which enables wine enthusiasts to make, sell and design their own wine, is providing everything from the grapes and equipment to expertise and advice for the social networking site.
"We gradually started meeting people [from Twitter]," and the idea of a outreach collaboration simply "kept growing and growing and growing," said Noah Dorrance, marketing director for Crushpad.
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What to Drink With ... Wine of the Week
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| World's biggest burger. Photo: Bill Mealbach. |
There are so many culinary wonders (and occasionally questionable indulgences) in the Slashfood archives, just waiting to be washed down with equally delicious wines. Here are six pairings from our September archive that will make you thirsty...or make you sick. You decide.
With fall officially in full swing, it's time to break out sweaters, hot cider and even our oven mitts after a summer avoiding the stove. Jennifer Iserloh's Ropa Vieja, a Cuban dish of shredded beef in a tomato sauce, would pair nicely with a light, fruity Italian Dolcetto or a sweet and spicy California Zinfandel.
For Southerners who haven't been blessed with a dose of crisp fall weather yet, Gena Knox's Shrimp and Mango Summer Rolls are a lovely way to wind down a warm day, preferably with an off-dry Riesling.
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Vegan Wine Guide
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| Vegetarian vineyards? Photo: Tambako the Jaguar. |
A couple of weeks ago, I gushed about the Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé Cuvée de la Pompadour, a sparkling rosé made with organic grapes and animal-free products. Other well-known examples of vegan wineries include Frey Vineyards and Girasole Vineyards.
What makes a wine vegan? After all, wine is made from grapes, not beef. Where animal products do come into play is during the fining process. After fermentation, most wine is filtered and fined, which is basically removing all the sediment and leftover dead yeast cells and such from the fermentation process. Most winemakers use animal products like egg white or isinglass, but vegan wines are made with non-animal products such as clay.
Want to find out if your favorite brand is vegan? It's not always easy. Winemakers aren't required to disclose ingredients like the information on Oreo cookie labels, so you have to do some nosing around. One great source is the Barnivore Vegan Wine & Beer Guide, a community project listing of vegan and non-vegan wines. Cheers!
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Drink for the Cure
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| Photo: Riedel. |
Crescendo ($70, pictured) is a set of four glasses, each in a different delicate shade of pink. Since they're stemless, the glasses are great for non-alcoholic drinks as well as white wines, and they're dishwasher-safe.
Pink Vinum Rosé ($59) is a set of two pink-stemmed glasses specifically designed for rosé wine. They're also dishwasher-safe, and the color of the wine isn't distorted, since the pink tint is limited to the stem.
Riedel is donating 15 percent of their pink sales to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life -- now that's something we can all raise our glasses to. Order online or find them at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
For Slashfood readers who don't want to drink pink, the Pink Ribbon Shop is offering "Around My Mother's Table: Stories and Recipes Celebrating Lives Lost to Breast Cancer" ($16.95), the Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon Cookie Cutter, and more.
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Red and White Rioja - Wine of the Week
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| Photo: Campo Viejo. |
Spanish wine sales are up even during the recession, which comes as no surprise, since Spain offers outstanding value for the price.
One of the premier wine regions in the country, Rioja is at the top of its game, delivering excellent-quality wine for a fraction of prices elsewhere -- especially since so much of the wine is held back and aged, which costs money, rather than getting rushed to market.
More Rioja after the jump.
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Five Splurgeworthy Sparkling Wines - Wine of the Week
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| Photo: Schramsberg. |
As a penny-pinching German, I don't drink expensive Champagne or domestic sparkling wine like it's water, but a couple of times a year (New Year's, wedding anniversary), I overcome my thrifty tendencies and blow big bucks on a great bottle. When I'm spending serious money on wine, I want to know my $30 or $60 or $100 is going to be worth it and not a major disappointment.
Normally our Wine Steals column focuses on $15-and-under everyday wines that are amazing for the price, but in honor of special occasions, here are five sparkling wines that I personally love and am willing to shell out for because, as Charles Dickens said, "Champagne is one of the elegant extras in life."
After the jump, five splurgeworthy sparklers plus a poll: How much are you willing to spend on special-occasion wine?
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Fall Sauvignon Blanc - Wine of the Week
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| Photo: Constellation Brands |
Autumn officially arrives next week. Labor Day has come and gone, and we've traded our barbecue tongs for pots of soup and our shorts for sweaters on chilly nights. But before you put away all your summer wines, consider this: Many of them, including Sauvignon Blanc, won't taste oh-so-fresh by the time you're in the mood for them again. Some of the best Sauv Blancs from the Loire Valley and Bordeaux can age for several years, but most inexpensive bottles are meant to be drunk ASAP.
What happens when you brave an old bottle? I tried a 2005 recently and the first word that came to mind was dank. It was like tossing a salad, forgetting about it for a week and then trying to eat around the decaying pieces. Blech. So here's my PSA for this week: drink all your unquestionably delicious Sauvignon Blancs now, before they become questionable -- the 2007s from the northern hemisphere and the 2008s from the southern hemisphere. Soon, the 2009s from New Zealand, Chile and South Africa will be on shelves, and in the spring, the 2009s from California, France and Italy will arrive.
After the jump, Sauvignon Blancs I loved, and a question for you: Which Sauv Blanc region steals your heart?
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