Tag Archives: pinot noir

Three lovely libations for Valentine’s Day

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ferrari-perle-millesimato-magnum-1185804-s238Valentine’s Day is great for the restaurant business.

Beg. borrow or steal a reservation, wait at the bar and finally descend on your table and hope your romantic evening out won’t be sidetracked by an overpressed wait staff and kitchen.

Why not spend a romantic evening at home?

Find a great card and a thoughtful gift for your sweetheart. Set a lovely table and light the candles. Put on wonderful music. And let the magic begin.

Here are three lovely libations to spark romance:
Build a wood fire and put a bottle of bubbly on ice. Ferrari Perle 2008 is celebratory, with that yeasty pop race car drivers and accomplished hosts expect from this superb producer of sparkling wines from Trento in northern Italy.  It’s creamy, with crisp apple and subtle notes of almond. (SRP: $38)

pinotnoir-B3-2_largeOn to dinner! Loveblock Pinot Noir is a gorgeous red with purple hues from a small vineyard in New Zealand appropriately named Someone’s Darling and brought to us by Terlato Wines. It’s complex, so open the bottle early and let it breathe. Expect perfumed violet, intense dark fruit, and an herbaceous oaky waft layered with savory mushroom and sweet strawberry notes. I suggest pouring this pleasing potable with duck. (SRP: $37)

Select_BottleIt’s a romantic evening. Back to the fireplace. Put another log on the fire, dear, and Indulge in Laphroaig Select Scotch Whisky, with the exquisite peaty notes of Scotland and “the beautiful hollow by the broad bay,” the literal translation of the label. (SRP: $44.99)

Hopefully, you already have set out nice glasses and comfy pillows.

Expect a long, dry finish with spice. Add a heartfelt hug from your sweetheart.

 

Wasting away again in Dallabridaville

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Midway through February, Veganuary is so over. But it is not a distant memory.

People ask me: What did I learn from a month without refined sugar, alcohol and meat of any kind? Do I feel different? And what did I eat and drink when it was all over?

The last question is the easiest. I went to Eighth and Union Kitchen in Wilmington with a few friends, intent on ordering wine and some sort of non-plant-based protein.

Unknown-2Before the main course, we ordered appetizers to share, among them a plate of spicy cauliflower. Along with a few florets of cauliflower, I picked up a small, dense cube with my chopsticks, hoping for a nibble of cheese.

But instead of a dairy product stolen from an exploited cow, I tucked into tofu, the much-loathed bean curd that was my culinary nemesis throughout Veganuary. Yes, TOFU. (TO, pronounced “TOW,” and FU as in “F-U, lady! Take that, you carnivore!”)

My first foray into flesh and booze was a nicely grilled salmon served with a glass of pinot noir. Make that two glasses.

The sole physical difference I perceived after a month-long cleanse was that I lost four pounds. Weight loss was not one of my goals, but I’m OK with it. Since then I’ve lost two more pounds, likely because I gave up sweets for Lent. (Although it could be argued that I should have gotten 31 days’ credit for Veganuary.)

I also saved money. Tofu costs about $1.50 a pound, about one-third the price of fish and one-quarter the cost of beef. My wine and spirits tab was zero. And since I am firmly off the wagon, I’ve enjoyed several rounds on friends who had waited an entire month to buy me a drink.

So what did I get out of giving up things I enjoy for a month? I truly believe that challenges are good for us. That setting a goal and sticking to it is an exercise in character building. It’s also helped me to recalibrate. I’m more thoughtful about what I eat and drink. I’m consuming far less sugar, meat only sparingly and a little less wine.

Veganuary reminds me of the great wit Dorothy Parker’s observation on writing: “I hate writing. I love having written.”

I hate Veganuary. I love having Veganuary-ed.

Like a red, red…wine

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Red wine and romance: a time-honored pairing.

13498So, on Valentine’s Day, let us consider the aptly named Loveblock Pinot Noir 2012, which hails from a small vineyard in New Zealand, aptly named Someone’s Darling. It’s imported by Terlato Wines, who forwarded me a bottle to taste.

I often think of Pinot Noir in a classic pairing, pinot and pork. But it’s also a successful match with salmon, especially served on a velvety bed of mashed potatoes.

With Loveblock, expect lots of fruit: berries and cherries, tempered with herbal tones of sage and white pepper. It’s exceptionally food friendly, with a sleek, silken texture–and more ardor than found in many pinots. The tannic finish shows this wine is a serious suitor.

Expect to pay about $30 for Loveblock Pinot Noir. If you haven’t already, consider making pinots a staple in your own personal wine bar.

 

 

Turkey and Pinot Noir, a perfect pair

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6a00d8341c5e0053ef017c32620f2c970b-800wiLet’s contemplate the Thanksgiving feast.

Turkey. Stuffing. Cranberry sauce. And wine, of course.

This year, we are serving pinot noir with the bird, a lovely red that compliments the roasted flavors of turkey. We recently sampled a pinot we are confident everyone will enjoy from Artesa Vineyards & Winery in Carneros, a spectacular setting in the Napa Valley.

Artesa’s 2012 Pinot Noir is fruity and complex, with good acidity and bright notes of cherry and strawberry that make it a good match with turkey, ham and roasted veggies. It’s vibrant and food friendly, with a pleasant long finish. MSRP: $24.99, but you can find it for a few dollars less at many stores.

Unlike most other reds, a pinot noir benefits from a bit of chilling. We pop our pinot in the fridge for about 15 minutes before serving. On winter holidays, when space in the fridge is at a premium, we set the bottles outside. We figure the pilgrims would have done it that way.

A Landmark pinot noir

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We have missed our friend Matt and we want him to know how special he is to us.

So, we invite him to our house for dinner. No fatted calf mooing in the pantry. So, I’ll make filet mignon. With bacon, baby.

And for a special friend, I decant a special wine, the 2010 Grand Detour pinot noir from Landmark Vineyards in Sonoma, an elegant shift from the beefy Zinfandel or hefty Cab you might expect with filet. This thoughtfully crafted pinot plays perfectly with the salad as well as the beef, carrying us happily home to a dessert of lush, ripe strawberries and blueberries.

Expect a well-balanced blend of berries and plums. The wine is soft and round, with pleasing, earthy and slightly spicy notes. The finish is silky and lingering. Hmm. This also would be luscious with lamb.

Grand Detour gets a big thumbs up from my husband and Matt, too. Expect to pay about $35 for a bottle for this approachable, food-friendly special-occasion red. (Don’t forget, a special occasion can happen at any time!)

Written off red meat? Grand Detour would swim nicely with wild salmon or an assertive mushroom dish.

If you fancy a white, Landmark’s 2010 Overlook Chardonnay is a classy choice, with notes of fresh bread, citrus, vanilla and peach. Expect creamy tones, not too much oak and a huggable price point of about $20.