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Perhaps it is because I’ve been surrounded by a “pink” theme for the past few days, but I’ve been craving rosé wine lately. In my last post I shared my thoughts about a lovely sparkling rosé from the Vinho Verde region of Portugal.  So now let’s travel to another continent and explore a delicious rosé from Lazy Creek Vineyards located in Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, California. It is the second oldest vineyard in the valley dating back to the early 1900s when an Italian family established the 95-acre property for farming. In 1969, Hans and Theresa Kobler, natives of Switzerland, purchased the property and converted the old barn into a winery and planted Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay vines that they brought by suitcase from Europe! After a “fruitful” run of 26 years and 19-planted vineyards, it was sold again in 1998 to Josh and Mary Beth Chandler. Ten years later in 2008, Don and Rhonda Carano purchased the 95-acre ranch which now had about 40 acres of grapes including Riesling. Don and Rhonda are no strangers to growing grapes, having first purchased a small ranch in 1979 in the Alexander Valley where they grew a few acres of Gewürztraminer. Their passion and commitment to sustainability transcends to the wines that they produce. Lazy Creek Winery was recently awarded a sustainable certification by the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance.  Don and Rhonda Carano Photo courtesy of Lazy Creek Vineyards  Lazy Creek Vineyards Lazy Creek Vineyards 2015 Rosé of Pinot Noir is a noteworthy wine made from 100% Pinot Noir. The color is light coral with delicate floral aromas mixed with strawberry, grapefruit and melon. The palate offers strawberry, honeydew and watermelon with hints of nectarine. This medium bodied wine has richness to it but is light at the same time. A dry and crisp finish gives way to flavors that persist for a satisfying conclusion. Serve chilled with just about any food. Thumbs up on this rosé! http://lazycreekvineyards.com Alcohol: 14.2% SRP: $22 Have a happy Friday and a magical weekend!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Valentine’s Day is almost here and quite a few romantics are getting a head start by celebrating this weekend. Flowers, candy and hearts of all different sizes and designs are on display everywhere, as well as specially designed bottles of sparkling wine to mark the occasion. I especially love the mini bottles with little heart embellishments.  With pink and red being the main theme for Valentine’s Day, rosé sparkling wine is a perfect choice to serve. Sparkling rosés are festive and range in color from light salmon to dark cherry and evoke the sentiment of the holiday. Rosés may be thought of as more of a spring and summer wine, but I enjoy them all year long and they pair beautifully with just about every type of food!  Rosés are produced all over the world and can differ greatly in amount of dryness, fruit, flavor and price. Most of my rosé reviews have been about wines from France, Italy, Washington, CA and Spain. So, in keeping with my habitual curiosity of tasting wines, I recently tried a very inexpensive bottle of Casal Garcia Vinho Verde Rosé produced by the Aveleda Winery in Portugal.  Vinho Verde is the largest DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada) of Portugal and is located in the northwestern corner. The region grows a variety of grapes in fertile, granite and sandy soils with rainy, humid and cool temperatures created by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. This particular rosé is a blend of Vinhão, Azal Tinto and Borraçal grapes. The color is vibrant cherry with strawberry and raspberry aromas that segue onto the palate. It is mildly effervescent with a dry yet creamy mouthfeel. The fresh fruit is nicely balanced with acidity and a hint of citrus zest leads to a crisp finish. Alcohol: 9.5% Price: $8.50  Considering the price of this rosé, it is a great value for quality sparkling wine and proves that one doesn’t always have to spend a fortune to show how much you care. Your heart and love will pair well with any wine! Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with loved ones, friends, family or just want to celebrate “you”, go ahead and indulge in some chocolates such as champagne truffles and pop a bottle of “pink”!  Have a sweet and bubbly Valentine’s Day!
Cheers! Penina 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 It’s hard to believe that we are already into the month of August. Clothing stores are displaying fall fashions and back to school supplies are occupying the shelves.  However, I am not ready to give up summer yet. I plan to swim, continue to grill food and enjoy summer quaffs for as long as I can! And fortunately, my friends are in agreement.  While visiting with a friend the other evening, we took advantage of the nice weather and sat outside and sipped a lovely rosé from Languedoc-Roussillon, France. The 2015 Château Tourril, Havana Minervois AOP rosé was a beautiful blend of 70% Cinsault and 30% Grenache. The color was pale salmon with subtle citrus aromas and fresh fruit. The palate offered strawberry, cherry and mild citrus notes. The finish was long with herbs and a hint of bitterness lingering. A very nice wine, indeed! Alcohol: 12.5% Price: about $13.00 Château Tourril is a family owned vineyard located between the Canal du Midi and the fortified city of Carcassonne. The small 13-hectare estate produces wine from its Syrah, Cinsault and 100 year old Carignan, Grenache and Roussanne vines. The entire production process is conducted at the Château, using sustainable agricultural techniques. http://www.chateautourril.fr Happy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  It is the start of July 4th weekend. Wasn’t I just recently talking about Memorial Day? The summer is going by so quickly. Except for some big thunderstorms today, the rest of the weekend looks pretty good. So chill the wine, pack a picnic and find some awesome fireworks to watch.  A lovely Rosé to pack in your picnic cooler is Château Gassier Ormilles Côtes de Provence Rosé 2015. I had it the other evening as an aperitif. Made with Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, this dry rosé is refreshing as an aperitif or with light fare. The color was between salmon and peach with aromas of strawberry, peach and a hint of citrus. The palate offered a creamy texture of strawberry, light berries and a hint of vanilla. A touch of lemon zest lingered on a medium-finish. Alcohol 13% My post is short and sweet today. I have much to do to get ready for this weekend.
Happy Friday! Cheers! Penina It was a lovely weekend of celebrating birthdays and friendship. In between feasting on food and drinking an assortment of wine, we managed to sneak in a day to visit the Degas exhibit and Impressionist collection at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. These are two of my favorite paintings by Degas and Picasso.  One of the many wines that were opened this past weekend was a lovely 2015 Domaine du Pere Caboche – Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rosé. It is a blend of 30% Carignan and 70% Grenache, typical Côtes du Rhône varietals. It had a soft pink color with delicate aromas of raspberry, strawberry and a hint of melon. It had lots of ripe fruit on the palate with a subtle layer of spice. This medium-bodied wine was very refreshing, medium-dry, and had a silky finish. It was a perfect start to kick off the evening and paired well with the shrimp and mozzarella platters. http://www.jpboisson.com More reviews tomorrow.
Happy Tuesday! Cheers! Penina  The week flew by very quickly. Because I spent so much time outdoors, I didn’t attend to everything that I should have. It will definitely impact the week coming up. In addition to work, I have wine events, a dinner party and best of all, a puppy to socialize from the Puppies Behind Bars organization. Prior to sunset last evening, my friend arrived for dinner. We decided to open a bottle of 2012 Chateau Mourgues Du Gres ‘Les Galets Rosés’ that I had chilling in the refrigerator. Made mostly with Syrah and a small amount of Grenache, this rosé was full-bodied, dry and fruity. The color was deep salmon with fragrant aromas of strawberry, peach and raspberry. Wonderfully layered flavors of strawberry, cherry, melon and vanilla gave way to a long finish of sweet apple lingering on the palate. Francois Collard, a former journalist, owns Chateau Mourgues Du Gres. It is in the appellation of Costieres de Nimes, located on the border of Languedoc and Provence. Check out the website for more information. http://www.mourguesdugres.com  The rosé paired well with the baked Dijon-crusted salmon, corn on the cob drizzled with truffle oil and roasted asparagus.   With just a little of the rosé left and no prepared dessert, I grabbed a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chunks for a little treat. The combination of the rosé and the chocolate in our mouths was quite amazing and very delicious. It was like eating strawberries dipped in chocolate. Yummy! I’m hoping to get in a power walk before the day ends.
Have a great Sunday! Cheers! Penina This past Friday, I had the opportunity to visit the Culinary Institute of America, nestled on a majestic setting overlooking the Hudson River in Hyde Park, New York. The CIA also has campuses in California, Texas and Singapore.  Frances Roth and Katharine Angell founded the CIA in 1946. It is a private, not-for-profit culinary college and is one of the foremost culinary schools in the world. The CIA offers an array of Associate and Bachelor’s degrees in professional culinary arts and baking to majors in management, culinary science and applied food studies, just to name a few options. The college also offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and food/wine fanciers. It is a bustling 170-acre campus with over 2,900 students hailing from every state and 30 foreign countries as well! As I drove into this impressive community, students in their chef jackets were scurrying from one building to another creating an air of excitement and enthusiasm. In addition to dorms, library and administrative buildings, the CIA has five diverse restaurants on campus that serve as hands-on teaching kitchens and classrooms for the students.  The American Bounty Restaurant focuses on the seasons and local products, offering traditional regional dishes. The Bocuse Restaurant is named after the famous French chef, Paul Bocuse. It serves classic French cuisine using “ultra-modern cooking techniques”. Pangea offers an eclectic, global menu of “plant-forward” dishes with the idea of protecting food resources. Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici is authentic Tuscan style dining. And last, but certainly not least, the very popular Apple Pie Bakery Café shows off the talents of the CIA’s students and faculty baking & pastry artistry. It also offers simple café cuisine.  With so many interesting food options, I finally decided on Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici. The restaurant is located in the Colavita Center for Italian Food & Wine. It is an impressive Tuscan-style building that is also equipped with teaching kitchens and classrooms dedicated to the study of Italian food, wine and culture. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with Venetian glass chandeliers and imported tapestry-upholstered chairs. From the moment we were seated to the time that we left, the students were gracious, attentive and very professional!  Students at CIA Our main server explained to us that the students do a rotation of time spent in “back of house” (the kitchen) and then “front of house” to get the full experience of working in a restaurant. She said that after being in the kitchen and creating the food it was also very exciting to watch the reactions of the diners consuming it. And as for our dining experience… We enjoyed a myriad of dishes that delighted our palate. The presentation was pleasing to the eye as well! We started our dining experience with Torta di Cipolle, an onion tart with balsamic vinegar and Ribollita alla Toscana, a Tuscan bean, bread and vegetable soup. The fish entrees were limited, so we both opted for the Salmone alla Griglia, grilled salmon prepared with green lentils, fennel and garlic croutons. It was a nice fusion of flavors.  I opted for a glass of Banfi Centine Rosé Toscana 2014 to have with my meal. It was dry and refreshing with lovely berry notes that led to a crisp and long finish. It complemented all the dishes, including dessert. We hardly had any room left in our tummies for dessert, but we ordered Tiramisu and a warm chocolate lava cake with vanilla gelato.  The CIA is impressive with much to offer and the students’ passion for the culinary arts is contagious! I just might look into taking one of their weekend Food Enthusiast Courses! Check out their website! http://enthusiasts.ciachef.edu Have a great Saturday!
Cheers! Penina  It’s such a beautiful day. I’ve been trying to spend as much time as possible outdoors. After a long power walk, I’m finally sitting down (outside) to write this short post.  I was expecting a friend over for dinner last night. The Rosé was chilling and the salmon and veggies were ready for the grill. At the last minute, he asked me to come over to his home instead. So, I grabbed everything and off I went. When I arrived, I handed him the food to grill and I opened the wine.  We drank 2013 Belguardo Rosé Toscana, Mazzei. The Belguardo estate is located in the Maremma region of Tuscany that the Mazzei family purchased in the 1990s. The wine is an unusual blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Syrah. The color was pale red with floral aromas and the palate offered red fruit flavors which were soft and succulent. It was medium bodied with a lasting impression of berries and flowers. The average price is $18.00. The dinner was delicious with the wine complementing every bite. http://www.mazzei.it/eng Happy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  On Saturday morning I woke up to snowflakes and cold temperatures. Did winter finally arrive? No, just a tease. It seems that we will be having mild “spring like” conditions for the next week or so. It is definitely not going to be a white Xmas around here.  I spent most of the weekend catching up with friends for brunch, lunch or dinner. At one of the dinners, I tasted a 2014 Chateau Saint-Maur L’Excellence Rosé Cotes de Provence. The blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Rolle grapes made for a very expressive Rosé. Pale salmon in color, the fruity and floral aromas were enticing. The palate offered soft red berry fruit, peach and spice with a surprising bite of pepper and lemon zest on the finish. I would love to add this wine to my Rosé collection! An interesting note: Roger Zannier is also owner of Quinta do Pessegueiro in the Douro. Check out their website for some interesting info. http://www.chateausaintmaur.com  The Winter Solstice will occur on December 21st, marking the shortest day of the year. And I will be counting the days for when the sun begins setting after 8 pm instead of 4:30 pm!  I am heading out for a few days and won’t have my computer with me. However, I will be back by Christmas to check in and share some wine and food stories with you. Until then, eat, drink and be very merry!
Cheers! Penina |
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