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It was a beautiful day in NYC yesterday. The temps hovered around 80 degrees and everyone was enjoying a day of summer in the middle of October!  I attended the Saint-Chinian walk-around wine tasting held at the Maison de la Région Occitanie. The event featured The Languedoc: Saint-Chinion wines represented by thirteen wine producers. I tasted some amazing wines which I will elaborate on over the weekend. I will also talk about the appellation, the vines and some of the producers. When I arrived home last evening, I reached for the Château Gassier Ormilles Côtes de Provence Rosé 2015 that was chilling in my refrigerator. With the warm weather and the taste of Saint-Chinian still on my palate, it was a perfect time to pop the cork! Although Provence is several hours away heading east, I was still in France! I reviewed this wine back in June. You can read the review at: http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2016/07/day-484.html  Have a great Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina
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It is not uncommon for UPS and Fed-Ex to deliver wines to my door from wineries, PR agencies and importers. I love exploring regions, discovering new wines and learning about the winemakers without having to pack a suitcase. Of course, nothing compares to actually walking through a vineyard with glass in hand!  Most recently, I received a box of wines containing samples of Michel Chapoutier’s 2015 Domaine de Bila-Haut “Les Vignes” Rouge and “Les Vignes” Blanc. Domaine Bila-Haut is located in the region of Côtes de Roussillon, Languedoc. It is in Southwest France, and very close to Spain.   Michel Chapoutier Michel Chapoutier is head of Maison M. Chapoutier. He is world-renowned and is one of Rhône’s most famous wine producers of Hermitage, Chateaneuf du Pape and Côte Rôtie to name just a few. He purchased the 190-acre Domaine Bila-Haut in 1999 . It was a neglected property but showed promise with the land being a mix of schist, gneiss and clay. With Chapoutier’s knowledge, expertise and passion along with the climate of the Mediterranean, he turned the land into a perfect growing environment for Syrah, Grenache and Carignan. Bila-Haut wines reflect all of this. Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Rouge is elegant. This is a beautiful blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan. The color is so dark it borders on violet. Intense aromas of dark cherry, blackberry, spice and herbs are present. The palate offers lots of dark fruit, plum and pepper. The “jammy” flavors blend well with the spice. The wine is medium-bodied with soft tannins and an extra treat of pepper and chocolate on a long finish. Alcohol: 14.5%  Les Vignes de Bila-Haut is a lovely blend of 50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Marsanne, 20% Macabeo and 10% Vermentino. It is interesting to note that only 4% of the grapes in this region are allocated to white wine. And, Michel Chapoutier has done a stunning job of capturing the essence of these varietals. Soft yellow in color, this crisp wine is very aromatic with citrus, vanilla, floral, lemon and hints of stone fruit that segue onto the palate. It has a creamy mouth-feel with a lingering bit of zest and the sea on the long finish. Alcohol: 13.5%  The wines are available nationally and on select wines lists as well. They retail for about $15.
Both wines will pair well with a variety of foods. With the holidays approaching, these are wonderful wines to serve with appetizers, entrees and even dessert! They are a great value for the price and easy wines to drink! Enjoy! Cheers! Penina  The temperature in Puerto Vallarta yesterday was a sunny 77 degrees. I enjoyed a few hours basking in the culture, albeit I was 2766 miles away! Through the wonderful hospitality of Puerto Vallarta Tourism, I tasted the local cuisine, learned about the culture and all the fun activities that are available in this magical resort.
There are vacation packages to accommodate everyone including family packages, honeymoon packages…and wait for it…divorce packages! There truly is something for everyone! Most of the resorts are all-inclusive and offer great deals. My afternoon started with two traditional non-alcoholic Mexican beverages, Horchata and Agua de Jamaica. Horchata is made with rice, ground almonds, milk, cinnamon and sugar. It is delicious and not too sweet. Agua de Jamaica is made with dried hibiscus flowers and water. It is prepared much in the same way as brewing tea. It was tart, but refreshing.  Chef Mario Portillo entertained us with stories as he demonstrated and prepared lunch. Mario began his foray into cooking at the age of five when he helped his father prepare omelets. He has been a chef for the past ten years and will be opening his own restaurant in Puerto Vallarta on October 19th. We were served family style salad and Sea Bass with pineapple-smoked puree on top of bean salad with tomatoes, red onion, peppers and cilantro. It was delicious!   The local fish of Puerto Vallarta is Mahi Mahi, Red Snapper, Marlin, Oysters, Octopus, Mussels and Shrimp. Using quality ingredients from the sea and land, there is ample opportunity to sample local fare while vacationing. Pescado embarazado (pregnant fish) is a typical representation. It is grilled fish on a stick that has been marinated in lime over coals and served with huichol salsa. Another favorite dish is Birria, using goat or lamb which is cooked in a very spicy sauce. Tamales, chiles en nogada, shrimp stew, Pico de Gallo and plantain empanadas are also local favorites.
Of course, what would visiting Mexico be without tasting Tequila or touring a distillery! Tequila is made from the Blue Agave plant that is native to Mexico. Tequila is only produced in the state of Jalisco and a few limited municipalities. There are over 1377 registered brands of Tequila to choose from. In addition to Tequila, Damiana, Mezcal, Xtabentún, and Raicilla are also native Mexican drinks. Damiana is an herbal-based liqueur made from the Damiana herb. Mezcal is a distilled beverage made from any agave plant that grows in Mexico. Xtabentún is made from anise seed and fermented honey that is produced by honeybees from the nectar of xtabentún flowers. Rum is then added to the mixture. Raicilla is a distilled spirit. Although it is similar to Tequila and Mezcal, Raicilla is considered a “moonshine” product. I’m looking forward to hopping on a plane to Puerto Vallarta and hopefully spending more than just a few hours enjoying beautiful weather, great cuisine and a little adventure! Salud! Penina  It was a beautiful day for touring the wine regions of Spain at Spain’s Great Match Wine Food Design event. There were more than 300 wines to taste from seven wine regions and culinary treats to savor from New York’s top Spanish restaurants. There were thirty-five featured denominations of origin represented in addition to several wine seminars being offered. It was a whirlwind event and I learned a lot.  Spain is no stranger to wine making with a history dating back at least three thousand years. The Phoenicians planted grapes around 1100 BC in what is known today as the Sherry region. Wine commerce ended with the arrival of the Islamic Moors in 711 AD and did not commence again until the Moors were defeated in 1492. Jumping ahead to the present, according to the International Organization of Vine and Wine, as of 2015, Spain ranks 3rd in wine production, with Italy and France taking the lead. An interesting fact: Spain has more land devoted to vineyards than any other European country. Over 400 varieties of grape are planted throughout Spain. Here is a very small list of principle indigenous grapes. Tempranillo is Spain’s most famous and noble red grape. Garnacha, Mencía, Monastrell and Cariñena are just a few of Spain’s other noted red grapes. Albariño, Verdejo, Godello, Palomino, Malvasía Moscatel and Xarel.Lo are among some of Spain’s well-known white grapes. In future posts, I’ll be talking about Cava Sparkling Wine, Spain’s answer to Champagne and Sherry, a fortified wine that originated in Spain. In the meantime, I have put together a mini slide show to give you a "taste" of the event, because sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words! And yes, the wines were delicious and memorable! Just click on the photo to pause, forward or reverse. Have a great weekend!
Cheers! Penina  It’s a perfect day for a trip into the Big Apple. I’m attending Spain’s Great Match: Wine Food Design. In addition to a walk around tasting, I will be attending a few seminars as well.  I’m sure I will have lots to share with you upon my return from “Spain”. Have a great Wine Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  A chill is in the air and the leaves are slowly changing, creating bursts of color here and there. I finally gave in yesterday and turned the heat on in my home for a short while just to get rid of the rawness. It was also time to make a big vat of my popular vegetable soup. I loaded up the pot with carrots, turnips, parsnips, celery, squash, shallots and onion and let it simmer for about 90 minutes adding dill and parsley for the last 20 minutes.  I then pureed it all and poured it back into the pot. Peas, corn and beans were mixed into the puree, creating a very healthy and hearty soup!  In anticipation of a Spanish wine tasting I will be attending next week, I opened a 2010 Lan Crianza Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain to serve with the soup. The wine is 100% Tempranillo grapes and aged for one year in oak barrels that are American and French oak incorporated into one barrel. This full-bodied wine had intense aromas of cherry, spice and hints of floral. The palate offered cherry, red berries, silky tannins and hints of oak and vanilla on the finish. It was a good pick for the soup! Everyone enjoyed it! Alcohol: 13.5% Price: About $14 http://www.bodegaslan.com   Now it’s time to make more pumpkin muffins! Someone has been eating them up! Have a great weekend!
Cheers! Penina  Having missed an opportunity to attend a wine event in the city last night because of a hectic schedule, my plan was to embrace the evening with a nice meal and a movie. However, a friend decided that his company would be far more entertaining than a movie. He was correct. So, I went into “chef” mode. I threw together a great meal that was served with the rest of the Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon that I reviewed yesterday. The wine paired beautifully with both courses. We started with a quick & simple version of Pasta Fagioli soup. Made with vegetable broth, I added more carrots and celery than beans, creating a lighter soup. A small amount of shaved Parmesan cheese topped it off.  The main course was fresh shrimp sautéed in shallots, garlic and red peppers. Al dente vegetable linguini was added to the pan at the last moment for a quick stir. As a side dish I served sautéed broccoli rabe with olive oil and garlic. Voila! Dinner!  The wine, dinner and company all complemented each other!
Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina I seem to keep finding my way back to exploring Chilean wines and rightly so. The wines have become more focused with many producers concentrating on bio dynamic, organic and sustainable agriculture in addition to producing unique and delicious wines. Chilean wines have earned significant recognition among wine critics and connoisseurs. I recently received two bottles of wine from Concha y Toro’s flagship brand, Casillero del Diablo Devil’s collection.   With Halloween just a few weeks away, the story behind the collection is perfect for telling while serving up a glass! Don Melchor Concha y Tora founded the vineyard in 1883. Legend has it that more than 130 years ago a ship set sail from Bordeaux carrying a cargo of precious vines. The ship landed in Chile where the grapes were turned into a mysterious wine. The wines were locked up, but continually disappeared from the cellar. So in order to stop the theft of the wines, he spread a rumor that the devil lived in the cellar. Everyone became terrified and some people claimed to have seen the devil. No one was ever able to solve the mystery and Don Melchor Concha y Toro continued to enjoy his wines. To this day, it is known as the “devils cellar”. Casillero del Diablo means “devils locker” in Spanish. The cellar is located in Pirque, close to Santiago. Casillero del Diablo Reserva 2016 Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Casablanca Valley region. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc is a light bodied wine filled with aromas of fresh citrus and pear. The palate offers grapefruit, green apple and has a zesty mouth-feel. This a refreshing wine that is well balanced and would complement light fare such as seafood, light pasta dishes, cheese and fruit. Alcohol: 13% Price: Approximately $11  Casillero del Diablo Reserva 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Central Valley region. It is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Syrah, 2% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Petit Syrah. The color is dark ruby bordering on purple. Aromas of dark berries, plum, cherry and spice set the stage. Cherry and plum dominate the palate with a touch of berry and hints of oak and vanilla on the finish. This is a juicy wine that is nicely balanced with smooth tannins and will pair well with hearty stews and soup, pasta, game and meats. Alcohol: 13.5% Price: Approximately $11  The Casillero del Diablo wines are “best-value” wines that don’t disappoint the palate. Pick up a few bottles and enjoy these wines before they “mysteriously” disappear from the shelves!
Cheers! Penina What a beautiful weekend filled with family, friends and celebrations! In between all the get togethers, I did some fall cleaning and made my first batch of pumpkin muffins. An appreciative audience gobbled up the muffins very quickly. I’ll definitely be making lots more!   The “much anticipated” Clinton/ Trump debate is airing this evening. A few friends said that they will need something much stronger than wine to sit through it. So, I’m lining up an arsenal of analgesics to carry us through the evening. What will you be drinking?  Have a great start to the week!
Cheers! Penina Even though it’s only 11:00 am and already 75 degrees outside, I’m being lured into the excitement of autumn. I just bought my first pumpkin of the season. And, I’m baking up a batch of pumpkin muffins this weekend.  While at the Wines of Burgundy tasting a few days ago, I met Luis Pannunzio, Director of Las Piedras Pura VID of Mendoza, Argentina. This family run business began with his father, Giovanni Vincenzo Pannunzio who emigrated to Argentina from Italy in 1952. His sons José and Luis now continue the tradition of winemaking that their father began. The vineyard is located in Barrancas, Maipu where attention and respect is paid to honoring the environment.  I tasted two 100% Malbecs. The first was his entry-level wine, a 2014 GV Pannunzio Malbec. Aromas of dark fruit segued nicely onto the palate. The tannins were soft with a nice finish of berries. This is not available in the US yet, but keep your eye out for it! SRP About $9 The 2014 GV Pannunzio Malbec Grand Reserva was very aromatic with lots of red fruit and a touch of floral. The palate offered dark berries, spice and licorice. Medium tannins and well balanced, this is an easy wine to serve with a variety of food. SRP About $20 http://www.laspiedraspuravid.com More reviews to follow soon!
Happy Friday! Cheers! Penina |
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