Wine Review

WINE - The Naked Grape - Pinot Noir - N.V.

SIMPLE * FRESH * JUICY

aromas of: cherry, raspberry, flowers

tastes of: cherry, plum, blueberry, pomegranate  

* lighter body, fruit forward, short finish!

price tag: $7

verdict: 3 / 5

paired:

We visited my parents’ new apartment. We helped break it in AND celebrated my brother’s birthday with childhood games and delicious Chinese food. The wine paired really well with the Chinese food.

makes me think of: a game of scrabble

Local Tastings

Yesterday was the first day of SPRING! A very exciting word for those of us who have been drowning in snow and freezing temperatures this past winter. Yes, I have been waiting very patiently for this day...and, of course, it was also painfully cold.

Oh well. 

There was still a cause for celebration and a spring themed wine tasting seemed like the perfect treat.

My husband and I ventured over to Worthington to check out a little modern wine shop called House Wine. They have a small bar and do tastings every Thursday that are themed. This week the theme was ‘Spring Wines’. We tried 5 different wines for $15 a person.

WINE #1 - DOMAINE LABBE ABYMES VIN DE SAVOIE

FRANCE - Savoi

grapes: 100% Jacquere

SPARKLING * CRISP * FRESH

aromas of: lemon, lime, spice

tastes of: lemon, citrus, mineral

* light body, crisp acidity, short bright finish!

price tag: $14

WINE #2 - FIRE ROAD

grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

NEW ZEALAND - Marlborough

GREEN * ZESTY * COMPLEX

aromas of: citrus, pineapple, grapefruit

tastes of: tropical fruit, grapefruit, grass

*well balanced, high acidity, lingering finish!

price tag: $17

WINE #3 - CHARLES AND CHARLES ROSE

USA - Washington (Columbia Valley)

grapes: 80% Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Grenache

LIVELY * FRUITY * REFRESHING

aromas of: citrus, strawberry, mineral

tastes of: citrus, berries, melon

* well balanced, clean acidity, slight effervescence!

price tag: $11

WINE #4 - TENUTA DELLE TERRE NERE ETNA ROSSO
ITALY - Sicily
grapes: Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio
SMOKEY * CHEWY * RIPE
aromas of: dark berries, herbs, tar
tastes of: strawberry, licorice, herbs, smoke
* medium body, heavy tannin, very complex!
price tag: $18

WINE #5 - SEAN MINOR
USA - California (Napa Valley)
grapes: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
SMOOTH * LONG * VIBRANT
aromas of: blackberry, black cherry, spice
tastes of: blackberry, plum, mocha, spice
* full body, touch of oak, long smooth finish!
price tag: $15

Definitely an enjoyable time. House Wine provided cheese for the tasting. There were also options for carryout and delivery to the shop. We had white pizza brought over that paired great with the wines we tried. Check out House Wine's website for upcoming tastings and events!

 

There are many other tasting events in the Columbus area. You ought to try them out as well...being that they are fun AND educational.

Here are a couple COLUMBUS WINE TASTINGS I have been to.

BEL LAGO

• Ten tastes for ten dollars! A glorious deal and beautiful location on Hoover Reservoir. Stay for dinner after. They showcase a great variety of whites and reds.

day: Thursday (every other)  

time: 5:30pm-8pm

cost: $10 a person

go: http://www.bellagorestaurant.com/about.htm

WINE ON HIGH

• 20 for 20! In other words, a bottle for yourself! Great location, and lots of fun. It’s a good idea walk somewhere and have dinner after.

day: Thursday (every third Thursday of the month)
time: 6pm-9pm

cost: $20 a person (no splitting...we tried that)

go: http://www.wineonhigh.com/

Wine Review

WINE - Cupcake Vineyards - Sauvignon Blanc - 2012

BRIGHT * LIVELY * TROPICAL

aromas of: citrus, pineapple, cream

tastes of: lemon, lime, pineapple, grapefruit, grass

* light body, crisp acidity, long refreshing finish!

price tag: $10

verdict: 4 / 5

paired:

Oh Monday evening. This was to celebrate Mondays AND deep cleaning the entire house. Plus the incredible 55 degrees and sun made me crave a sunny white wine! This is everything I love in a Sauvignon Blanc.

makes me think of: a trip to the Caribbean

Wine + Pizza

Well, after a long two weeks of distancing myself from alcohol and greasy food (we'll call it Birthday Week Detox), you can only imagine my food and wine cravings. I was surprised at how well I kept a healthy schedule for that long (pat on the back). I also had pizza night planned for Saturday. I made my easy go-to french bread pizza from The Pioneer Woman. 

Now, I know that pizza and cold beer are such a great companion, but pizza and wine can pair wonderfully if you know a bit about how to do it. Here's what you should know when your pizza and wine night rolls around!

CONSIDER:

• A wine with higher acid and lower tannin

WHY? A good amount of acid in wine complements the acid in pizza sauce (if your pizza base is a red sauce). A wine with lower tannin won't over power the pizza and will allow you to taste the flavors in it

• A wine with that has little to no oak

WHY? Full bodied wines that taste of oak JUST DON'T TASTE GOOD with pizza

• What is ON the pizza

WHY? If your pizza has lots of herbs and spices, pair it with a wine that has herbal notes. If your pizza has earthy flavors (think mushrooms) pair it with a wine with earthy notes

This wine has a lighter body, lower tannin, and earthy flavors. It would pair wonderfully with a mushroom and/or veggie pizza.

Italian varieties such as:

This wine has flavors of cherry, plum, tomato, herbs, and spice (everything that compliments any type of pizza). It also brings out the flavor of salty meats. 

This is a zesty wine (high in acid and low in tannin). It has herbal notes which pairs well with basil/herb pizzas.

Like Pinot Noir, this is a lighter bodied wine with lower tannin and berry flavors. It pairs well with simple pizzas. 

Since I had a bottle of Blina Barbera D'Asti at home, that was the wine of the night. 

The pizza was a traditional tomato basil. 

conclusion: I thought the combination was great...but the second glass was better. This wine (like many Chianti's that I have tried) needed a bit of time to open up and soften. First sips were a tad sour, but my second glass brought out a lot of the basil flavor I was hoping for! Next pizza pairing will be a Chianti. 

Check out this page for more excellent pizza and wine pairings! 

Happy Weekend! 

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bdlandis/2598187190/">Brian Landis</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/justininsd/5876244838/">Justin in SD</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>