Adventures in Food and Wine
You are invited to join the Wine Pairing Weekend #WinePW group for our March 2020 theme:
“Tasting California: Cookbook Tour paired with California Wines.”
It is sort of like a virtual cookbook/supper club. You select a California cookbook recipe, cook up a storm, taste, and pair California wines with the recipe, take photos, blog about your adventures, and then join us on Twitter Saturday, March 14th, 2020, at 11:00 AM ET to chat about Tasting California.…
According to “Wine Food,” by Dana Frank and Andrea Slonecker, raclette is the new cheese party replacing the 80s fondue (I like them both). If you are not familiar with raclette, it is a type of cheese from Switzerland that is melted on a special grill or heck even a frying pan will work. Raclette becomes a party with friends, the extra side dishes, and of course, wine. My wine choice with raclette is always a crisp, dry, white wine like a Savoie. Savoie is a wine region in the eastern French Alps bordering Switzerland and Italy. Raclette and Savoie white wines are a traditional regional pairing.
This month the Wine Pairing Weekend group of bloggers is savoring the wines of Savoie with food pairings. Join our Twitter chat on Saturday, February 8th, at 11:00 AM ET (follow using hashtag #WinePW). Make sure to check out more great reading from the Wine Pairing Weekend group on Savoie wines and food pairings at the bottom of this post.…
Agricultural cooperatives have long existed in Italy. However, it was in the 1950s, after the Second World War and the migration of farmers to the city for industrialized jobs, that cooperatives grew in numbers and strength. The modest vineyard holdings of the average Italian winegrower are just 1.8ha/4.45 acres, further contributing to the growth of cooperatives. Today cooperatives account for about 60% of the wine produced in Italy. The big question is, what is the quality of the wine made by cooperatives? Let’s pop some corks on cooperative Prosecco from Val d’Oca and find out!
This month the Italian Food, Wine, and Travel group are exploring and tasting Italian wines made from cooperatives. Join our Twitter chat on February 1st at 11:00 AM ET (follow using hashtag #ItalianFWT). Make sure to check out more great reading from the Italian Food, Wine, and Travel Group on Italian cooperative wines at the bottom of this post.…
So you love wine. No, I mean you really love wine, but how do you grow your wine knowledge? Don’t get stuck in a rut. It’s easy to always drink your favorite wine from a familiar region. It’s safe; I get it! But oh my goodness, you have no idea what you are missing out on if you don’t try new wines from new regions… and that list (new wines and regions) is continuing to grow. I am all about wine adventures and exploring new wines and food pairings. One of my favorite wine regions is France. If you are intimidated by French wines and those labels, this post is for you! Discover French Wine: Where to Start!
This month the French Winophiles are eager to share our love of French wine. Join us as we write and convene on Twitter this Saturday, January 18th, at 11:00 AM ET sharing our Newcomer’s Guide to French Wine.…
Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays are behind us, time to indulge in a good read. “The Winemaker’s Wife,” by Kristin Harmel, combines my love of Champagne with historical fiction. The story takes place in the French wine-growing region of Reims just, as World War II is about to break out. Michel, the owner of Maison Chauveau (fictional Champagne house), has just married Inès, who is struggling to adapt to her new life as a wife living and working at Maison Chauveau. Meanwhile, Michel’s head winemaker’s wife is Jewish, and as the Nazis move in and occupy Reims, the reality of survival becomes real. The Germans are looting millions of bottles of Champagne from cellars and Jewish townspeople are being rounded up and transported east. The book is a suspenseful page-turner with the events and decisions made by the story’s characters during those war years, unfolding into the present day and intertwined into the story.
Not that I need a reason to open a bottle of Champagne, but what better way to immerse myself in the historic Champagne wine-growing region as I read “The Winemaker’s Wife,” then to popped open a bottle of bubbly!…
Vouvray is a wine you may not have had for a while, maybe never. It was a wine that I tasted years ago and considered it sweet. That impression stayed with me until now. Little did I know, Vouvray is produced in a range of styles from sparkling to still wines that are dry to…
If you are a fan of Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava, then Pétillant-Naturel should be on your bubbly radar. What is pétillant-naturel? It is french, pétillant means slightly sparkling and naturel for minimal winemaking intervention, often shortened to “pét-nat.” Pét-Nat is not a style of wine, but a method of winemaking. The term pét-nat originated with…
This month the French Winophiles are shining the light on Rasteau wines from the Southern Rhône in France. Rasteau produces dry red, white, rosé, and sweet wines. 96% of the wines produced are red wines, and 4% are Vin Doux Naturels (sweet) red, white, and rosé. I received four samples of dry red wines from…
Don’t. Mess. With. Texas. The wine industry in Texas is growing. According to the “San Antonio” magazine, Texas now ranks 4th, behind California, Oregon, and Washington, in the number of wineries per state. As of July 2019, there are 500 registered wineries with the Department of Treasury, which is up from 2009 when there were…