Vindulge

Pomegranate Mimosas

The Holiday Season is officially here (wohoo), and along with that comes the decorations, music, lights, shopping, and my favorite part, the holiday parties!  Parties filled with good friends, good food, good wine, and holiday cocktails.  Now we all know sparkling wine is one of my favorite beverages, but this time of year I like to jazz up my bubbles with champagne cocktails, and Pomegranate Mimosas have become one of my favorites to share this time of year (thanks to a good friend who introduced me to the idea years ago at, yes, a holiday brunch).  First of all, pomegranates are in season right now, and second when I think of the typical orange juice mimosa I am reminded of brunch, so this is the perfect alternative for not only a holiday brunch, but also a cocktail party.  It is festive.  It is beautiful.  It is delicious.  It is bubbly.   What more could you want?

Let's first take a look at... The Pomegranate

Your first option is to use a fresh pomegranate and seed it.  But be warned, they can be very messy and are prone to shoot fast bursts of deep colored red juice on your clothes or in your eyes, so cover up with an apron and work slowly. 

However, if you live near a Trader Joe's you can trade in the fresh pomegranate for a pre-seeded container.  They cost about a dollar more than a whole pomegranate and all the work is done for you.  Voilà.  Now let's mix.

Pomegranate Mimosas

Ingredients

• 1 oz chilled pomegranate juice (recommend POM)
• 1/2 oz Cointreau (or other orange-flavored liqueur.  optional.)
• 1 glass well-chilled Sparkling Wine (recommend brut or demi-sec)
• 1 teaspoon pomegranate seeds (for garnish)

Directions

Pour pomegranate juice and Cointreau into a champagne flute. Eyeball how much you want. If you like it sweet add the full 1 oz. of juice.  If you like it less sweet, add less juice.  Top glass with sparkling wine.  Add pomegranate seeds for garnish. (If you don't have Cointreau then orange juice may substitute, although I will often omit the Cointreau all together if there are no alternatives available).

One of my favorite things about this drink is that it is simple and different.  It’s not your typical mimosa; it is very festive and as easy to make as mixing orange juice and sparkling wine together. 

When selecting the sparkling wine I recommend using something dry (or brut) so that you are in control of how sweet the end product is.  You don’t have to choose an expensive wine either.  One of my favorites to use for this the Cristalino Brut Cava, simply because you can find it almost anywhere and it retails for around $7.99 (often lower)!  It is one of my favorite bubbles for mixing in mimosas or other Champagne cocktails.

*Tip:  If you have guests at your party that do not drink wine, just substitute sparkling water, soda water, or lime flavored soda and just add extra pomegranate juice.  You could even try sparkling cider instead of wine.

Most importantly, try them for yourself this holiday season.  You may even impress your friends.

Cheers

Thanksgiving Wine Pairing & Buying Guide

Right around this time of the year many people start to stress about what wines to pair with Thanksgiving dinner.  If you’re one of those people, you’re not alone.  It can be daunting when thinking about all of the many dishes that go into this celebratory meal. 

When it comes to your standard traditional Thanksgiving dinner you have a lot going on (spice, richness, fruit, salty, sweet) and you’re typically not eating each dish in courses, but instead loading it all up on one plate, so it is not necessary to stress about finding a wine for each dish. 

What about the turkey?  Many people spend too much time concerning his/herself with the question “what wine should you pair with the bird?”  My answer to that is don’t worry about the turkey, it’s not the star of the meal and contains somewhat neutral flavors compared to the other sides surrounding the turkey.  Think of the flavors that dominate the meal (cranberries, gravy, sweet potatoes, stuffing) and what may balance out those flavors?

I was asked to speak at an event over the weekend on pairing wines with holiday food and it got me to sit down and really think about ways to keep things simple, straightforward, and stress free.  The event was also one focusing on women and was located near the heart of the Willamette Valley wine country so one of my goals was to keep the discussion to both local and value driven options for the upcoming holidays.  Plus, since the audience was comprised of all women, I wanted to highlight some women winemaker options as well.  Gotta spread the girl power, right?!

So for Thanksgiving I offer a few standard recommendations to have at your dinner.  They are by no means your only options, but intended as solid and carefree recommendations that should pair nicely with your dinner without taking away from the multitude of flavors of the day.

Thanksgiving Wine Guide

Wines that would compliment the wide range of flavors of Thanksgiving dinner.

Sparkling Wine:  I always begin any dinner or event (whether Thanksgiving, a holiday party, or brunch) with sparkling wine.  It is festive and goes with everything, especially appetizers and salty foods, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money on it.  Some of my favorite go-to bubbles are between $10 - $20.

Riesling:  Can be dry or sweet, spicy, fruity, and fragrant.  Think comfort flavors (honey, apple pie, baking spices/nutmeg/cinnamon) and look for a dry to semi-sweet Riesling.  If you are buying a German Riesling look for a Kabinett or Spätlese (because these are drier options).  It is a great wine for folks who are new to wine and would be good to have one to offer.  It will pair well with the sweetness of the potatoes, richness of gravy, and has enough minerality to stand up to stuffing, turkey, etc.

Gewürztraminer:  Another white wine that may present itself dry or sweet, depending on the style.  Look for dry to semi-sweet.  These wines are aromatic, floral, and spicy with a zestiness that allows it to pair nicely with side dishes that may have a bit more kick to them.  May also be a good dessert option (mmmm pumpkin pie).

Pinot Noir: A traditional favorite for Thanksgiving and if you’re in Oregon, like me, then there is no shortage of Pinot Noir around here.  This is a great option because it typically has bright fruit (think cherries, cranberries, raspberries) and earth (think mushrooms) so it is perfect for the fruity, earthy, and spicy foods of Thanksgiving.  This wine will compliment, without overpowering, almost all of the flavors of the day.

Zinfandel:  A red wine that is bigger and bolder than Pinot Noir, but still maintains a balancing effect on many traditional dishes.  Zinfandels can be rich, but not very tannic, with great fruit and spice characteristics and still compliment richer flavors of the day (like sweet potatoes and gravy). This would be a great option for your guests who may be looking for a heartier wine with deeper flavors.

Dessert Wines:  Look for Ports, Cream Sherries, Rieslings, and even Sparkling Wine.

LOCAL SHOPPING GUIDE

I put this list together for the event I did last weekend, focusing primarily on both local wines and female winemakers.  This was an all women’s event and wanted to promote some of the women winemakers in Oregon while also putting an emphasis on value driven wines.  They are also widely available locally.

Sparkling Wines

Value:  Cristalino Brut Cava, $7.99 (great for mimosas and champagne cocktails)
Value:  Gruet Blanc de Noirs, $12.99 (from New Mexico)
Local/Splurge:  2007 Argyle Brut Rosé, $45

White Wines

Local:  2008 Phelps Creek Oak Ridge Gewürztraminer Columbia Gorge, $17
* Local:  2008 Penner-Ash Willamette Valley Riesling, $18

Dry Rosé Wines

Value:  Southern French Rosés ($8-$15), like 2008 Château Guiot Rosé, $11
Local:  2008 Anne Amie Cuvée A Midnight Saignée Rosé, $15

Red Wines

Value:  2008 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel, $24 (producer of some of my favorite Zins)
* Local/Value:  2007 Stoller JV Estate Pinot Noir, $25
* Local/Splurge:  2006 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir Laurène, $65

* Denotes local wines made by women winemakers

IMPORTANT TIPS

• Have at least three wine options:  sparkling, a white, and a red.  Don’t worry about having too much.  Look for my upcoming post on what to do with leftover wines during the holidays.
• Magnums are great for larger crowds (6-10 people).
• Sparkling wine goes with everything (it’s true).
• Don’t stress about finding the perfect wine for every dish. There’s no such thing… except for sparkling ☺
• You don’t need to spend a lot of money on Thanksgiving wine.  The flavors of the food are the star on this day, and most of the meal will outshine the wine.
• Most importantly, have a fantastic time enjoying good food, good wine, and of course the company of family and friends.

Cheers

Wrapping up summer value wines '09

Rumor has it that summer is winding down to an end here in Portland. As much as I am in denial about this I’ve realized all good things must (eventually) come to an end.  This is sad for me since I am summers biggest fan and believe there are few people in the world who love this season as much as I do.  Being from Phoenix, AZ (where it is practically summer year round) it must be in my blood.

My summer ’09 was filled with lots of travel, outdoor activities, testing recipes on our new smoker, and exploring new wines, which more often than not meant a lot of crisp refreshing white wines.  It has been pointed out to me by a few friends that I am somewhat of a “seasonal” oenophile (not that I only drink wine during specific seasons… au contraire… more so, I often drink ones that reflects the weather or occasion).  When there is a beautiful hot summer day, or when I have returned from a hike or workout, I want to drink something cold and refreshing.  Alternatively, when it is cold and snowy I want to drink something that will warm my body and soul, like a full bodied red next to the fireplace while reading a good book.  I prefer to think of these as “occasion” wines because I believe there is a wine for all occasions, seasons, and moods. 

I also don’t rate the wines I drink on a number scale because I don’t think it’s fair nor necessary for purpose of this particular blog.  A wine I loved yesterday because it hit the spot at that right moment may not satisfy me another day.  On the flip side an amazing full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon just may not have been appropriate for a blazing 100 degree afternoon, but may be perfect with dinner indoors, or sipping by the fire.  That being said, I’d rather “rate” a wine, so to speak, on how well if reflects the moods, occasions, or meals that it is being consumed with.  This summer, for example, was filled with gorgeous warm (and quite often hot) days and I spent much of that time outside in my backyard or going on long bike rides and hikes, therefore I drank a lot of crisp white wine this summer as well as a lot of bubbles. But of course, if you have read more than one post here you probably already know I need absolutely no reason to open bubbles.  They are good for every single occasion and mood.  Even on a cold and gloomy day I will still open up a bottle and daydream of summers to come.  But let's not get off the subject talking about bubbles.

Earlier this summer I set out on a mission to find new summer wines to drink throughout the season.  I wrote about some of them on this blog, and many I just drank carefree, not focusing on writing notes or information about them, but continued to re-purchase them throughout the summer months. 

So as we move from summer into the “f” word (like I said, I’m in denial), I will leave you with some of my favorites.  These all fit into my “summer value wine” criteria of being less than $20 and everyday wines that I actually re-purchased again and again.  Of course, I drank and discovered many other fantastic wines this summer, but these are specifically those with the intention of being everyday wines at inexpensive prices perfect for the season.

Top Summer Discovery:  Txakolina

Txakolina:  specifically from producer Ameztoi, 2008, both their regular Txakolina and the Rosé.
Don’t let the name intimidate you. This is a super refreshing slightly effervescent wine from Spain that will hit the spot on a warm summer day.  Click here to read the full review of the Rosé.  I could not get enough of this wine.  When I wasn’t drinking it at home, I was ordering it at one of my favorite wine bars, Vino Paradiso, who had it on their menu for a couple months this summer.  At $20, this wine was at the high end of my “value” scale but well worth it!

Vinho Verde: Specifically Broadbent Vinho Verde. Another effervescent wine that proved time and time again to be a thirst quencher all summer.  The nice thing about most Vinho Verdes that I drank was their low alcohol content (averaging 9%).  That way you can drink a glass or two in the afternoon and not be loopy before dinner!  Retail:  $9.99

Müller Thurgau:  Specifically Anne Amie 2008 Cuvée A Müller Thurgau.  Crisp and dry with citrus aromas of lemon, lemon peel, apple, with some floral notes.  This is a dry and refreshing wine, a wonderful summer sipper, and would also be great with seafood dishes like mussels or clams.  Retail: $14

Gruner Veltliner:  Check out the 2007 Berger Niederoesterreich Gruner Veltliner, from Austria.  It comes in a 1 liter bottle (rather than a standard 750 ml) so it's great for summer gatherings since it serves many.  Cirtusy, crisp, and clean with lots of green apple.  A great bargain too at approx $13 for the 1 liter bottle!

Argentinean Malbec, especially: 
2007 Tomero Malbec, from Mendoza, Argentina:  I purchased this wine over and over from cork • a bottle shop.  It’s such a great value at approx $12 with rich fruit and soft tannins.  Great bbq wine! 
2008 Gouguenheim Malbec Valle Escondido, also from Mendoza, Argentina:  This was actually one of the few red wines (in the summer quest category) that I felt motivated to write about on the blog.  Fruit forward, rich fruit, and only $11.  I’ve seen this wine at quite a few locations locally, including cork • a bottle shop and whole foods.

Favorite "go to" value bubbles of the season:

Rotari Brut  Sparkling Wine from Italy:  $11.99

Domaine Rosier Brut Blanquette de Limoux (NV):  Crisp yet slightly creamy on the palate.  $11.99

In addition to the above wines, I experimented with many wines specifically because of their region, including:

Portuguese white wines (great values)
Argentinean and Chilean red wines (great values)
California Zinfandel (great with many of the smoked and grilled meats we experimented with this summer).  But pay attention to the alcohol level!  Many Zins (especially from CA) can exceed 16% alcohol, which can often kill most food you pair with it, so look for those in the 13-14% range for a better food and wine pairing experience! Believe me, your palate will thank me.

Now, since fffff (spit it out) FALL is in the air you know I’ll be on a similar mission to find some good fall value wines to pair with the bounty of fall foods and holidays coming up.  I’m ready for the challenge!

Since it is still summer out there for many of you, please go out and seek some of the above summer wines and let me know what you think.  For more reviews of some of the summer wines I wrote about click here. 

Cheers to my favorite season of all… Summer! 

The perfect bubbles for a Girls' Night!

Yesterday was one of those perfect summer afternoons with temperatures in the low 80’s, sunny, slightly breezy… basically the perfect day to be outside.  For me, when the weather is this nice I love nothing more than to just relax in my backyard, in the sun, while enjoying the company of good friends, over a nice glass of wine.  A girlfriend of mine also shares my passion for good weather, good food, and good wine so we decided to celebrate the day together and have a “girls' day” which consisted of us catching up in my backyard, in the sun, drinking yes, bubbles! She brought the food and I provided the bubbles and the setting.  It is fitting that the only bottle I actually had chilled in my fridge is quite appropriately what I believe to be the perfect girls' night wine!

The Occasion:  “Girls' Day/Night” Wine

Lucien Albrecht Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé

Crémant d'Alsace is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for sparkling wines within France, but outside of the Champagne region, made by la méthode traditionnelle (someday I will write about the beautiful, time consuming, expensive, and labor intensive process involved in the traditional method of making sparkling wine in Champagne... which is one of the many reasons why I have such an obsession with said beverage.  There are many rules, regulations, and practices for this method, but for now just know that this wine abides by the “traditional” form of making sparkling wine, whereby secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle). 

The first thing to note is the beautiful salmon pink color of this sparkler.  Visually, it is indeed a very pretty wine from the get go.  This wine has a fragrant nose of fresh strawberries, cranberries, and cherries followed by a rich and creamy mouthfeel with a crisp, dry, and lingering finish. For under $20 this wine is solid with good balance, structure and elegance with long lasting bubbles. 

Winery:  Lucien Albrecht
Region:  Alsace region of France
Style of wine:  Brut Rosé, Dry Sparkling Wine
Grapes:  100% Pinot Noir
Retail:  $19.00
Alcohol:  12%
Where to find:  Widely available

Occasions for drinking this wine:  Girls' night! Okay, you really don’t need to be having a “girls' night” to drink this wine.  It is indeed great for all occasions where a great bottle of value priced bubbles are involved ☺

Since I purchased this bottle for less than $20 I think it also qualifies for one of my great summer value wines! 

Bubbles or no bubbles, there is something truly special about getting to spend an afternoon with a good friend, catching up, laughing, eating, and drinking together.  And to top off our ladies night, once the sun went down we moved indoors and watched “The Sweetest Thing” (yes, I will admit it… I am a big fan of Christina Applegate, thank you very much!).  Good friend + good bubbles + a chick flick… was a good night indeed. 

A Most Bubbly Tour & Tasting!

So, one of my annoying habits is that I am highly critical of most guided tours, especially wine tours.  It must be the combination of having a Master’s Degree in Speech Communication (Public Speaking) and a background in wine education.  I find it has become harder and harder to find a tour that I am not overly critical of (I know, it’s a bad habit and I fully admit it).  But refreshingly I was able to go on a very nice tour last week along with tasting some fantastic sparkling wines at Schramsberg!

We showed up about 5 minutes late (doah) due to the crazy construction going on outside at the bottom of their long driveway in Calistoga, but that didn’t stop them from quietly walking us in to join the tour that had already begun.  Todd, our awesome tour guide graciously welcomed the three of us to the group and filled us in on what we missed… and then we were on our way to the caves.  I love caves.  They remind me of the wineries I visited throughout France last year.  I especially love looking at super dusty wine bottles resting away until that day they get cleaned off, labeled, and prepared for some lucky consumer (like me) to drink!  After the walking tour of the caves we were escorted into a private room for a sit down tasting of 5 of their sparkling wines. 

 

Throughout the tour and tasting Todd was very informative, witty, and entertaining at the same time.  He made me forget that I was actually on a guided tour and instead I just felt like we were old friends just sharing a couple drinks together.  

And now for the highlights…

Blanc de Blanc
Made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. This wine was light, crisp with green apple, lemon and a lovely toasty, nutty and light caramel finish.  Fruity, citrusy, nutty!  You can’t go wrong for this $36 beauty!

2001 J. Schram
Whooowahhh!
According to Todd, this wine was 75% Chardonnay with 6 years aging on the yeasts.  This wine first smelt of honey and toast, and then evolved into baked apple pie. Very intriguing with a mesmerizing creaminess and super fine bubbles, apple, and toasted components.  $100

2006 Blanc de Noirs
90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay
This wine had a very golden hue rather than a slightly pink hue that you can sometimes get from a Blanc de Noir.  It had an abundance of melon, apple, spice and lemon that somewhat left a burning sensation on my mouth… yet creamy at the same time!  Not my favorite of the lineup, but would love to retry it again sometime.  $38

2001 Reserve
Oh, yes please!
70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, aged 6 years before bottling!
Small production at 200 cases
This wine reminded me of my favorite style of Chardonnay… only the funny part is that it is a Pinot Noir based wine, not Chard… but it just had this overwhelming amount of creaminess, caramel, butterscotch, butter, rich fruit and rich hazelnut!  Along with that it maintained some lovely peach and citrus notes to balance the richness from the butter and cream.  It was a beautiful wine, and someday when I am wealthy enough to just sport cases and cases of this I will gladly do so!  $100

Querencia Brut Rosé
82% Chardonnay, 18% Pinot Noir
Peach aromas with additional cherry, strawberry, red raspberry.  This pretty pink wine was very light and somewhat tart.  Not my favorite of the bunch, but I would still drink it any night of the week if someone offered it to me.  $41

A good tour and good bubbles. I'll toast to that!

Cheers

My Quest for the Perfect Summer Wines ‘09

For the next couple weeks I decided to set out on a mission to find some great summer wines to enjoy throughout the season. Since I drink my fair share of nice crisp white wines during this warm, dry, season, I’m looking to find the best values this summer… so for my everyday whites I’m trying to keep them budget friendly (i.e. $7-$20-ish range).  Don’t worry, this won’t be “all” that I will be drinking the next couple weeks, but hey when you drink as much wine as I do, I believe you should find yourself a good handful of great everyday go-to values otherwise you’ll be broke before you can say "summer solstice". 

So yesterday I visited a couple of local shops and bought a mixed case of white wines to experiment with.  And I’ll keep shopping at various local shops until I find the winner(s)… then buy in bulk!!!   But first I need to know what I will like before going all crazy and shouting to the wine steward “Ill take the lot”!

Wine #1 in my quest for the perfect summer wines

Domaine Rosier Brut - Blanquette de Limoux (NV)

Yes, bubbles!  Fitting for my first in the search for the best summer wines, since I (heart) bubbles so much. 

I first had this wine a few months back at Wine Unwind, in downtown Portland, and even used it for a Sparkling Wine Education class that I taught recently.  It is a lovely & crisp $12 wine find!  I even saw it again today while buying salt at Meadow  (yes, I do buy fancy cooking and finishing salts… Using quality salts make a HUGE difference in your cooking BTW).  This particular bottle I bought at the Hollywood Fred Meyer.  I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, this particular Freddies has a great wine selection (and 10% off 6-packs... score)! 

I opened up this wine last night while prepping for another night of smoking meats.  While I did not specifically pair this wine with any food in particular, I did nibble on some goat cheese and crackers while sitting in my backyard admiring our smoker doing its thing.

I think this wine is a fabulous everyday value bubbly. The wine had a floral bouquet with a nice creamy mouth feel.  The flavors finish long and dry on your palate and make you want to go back for seconds, and thirds, then back again. Awesome value, delicious wine for the price, and great for any occasion. Drink with appetizers, brunch, or alone as an aperitif! 

I will definitely be purchasing a few more bottles of this wine for the coming summer months.  Sunshine and good weather are reason enough to open up a bottle of bubbles… especially when those bubbles cost less than $12! It wasn’t very sunny yesterday, but I can only imagine how great this wine will taste when it is 80 degrees and sunny in my backyard.  Crisp Deliciousness!

Winery: Located in the Limoux region in southwest France
Grapes: Mauzac and Chardonnay
Retail:  $11.99
As seen locally at Hollywood Fred Meyer, Meadow Salts, Wine Unwind, to name a few.

In defense of Cook’s

Okay, so it was brought to my attention that I may have been a bit harsh in my references to Cook’s in my last post.  Now, it is never my intention to offend anybody (or especially any wine for that matter) but sometimes I can get a little worked up about specific topics, especially ones I feel passionate about… like bubbles.
Again, I am not out to offend. What I am out to do, however, is challenge you to think outside the box (so to speak) and perhaps introduce you to new beverages.  I can’t tell you how many people I have met who claim to not like sparkling wine.  “Why” I ask them?  And they say it gives them headaches, or it’s too sweet, yada yada yada…. When I ask them “well which sparkling wines have you had” and their answer is Cook’s, then yes it’s my job to give them alternatives that they may enjoy.

Case in point:  Mary’s Chardonnay Case Study
Let me get sidetracked for a minute… I promise I will return.
Back when I worked at Cathedral Ridge Winery I would get customers in the tasting room, oh probably everyday, who claimed to “not like” Chardonnay.  When they tasted through the wines I would typically ask:  “Are you interested in trying the Chardonnay?” And everyday I would have at least 1 customer (I am not exaggerating) who told me “no, I don’t like Chardonnay”.
I love these people! 
The conversation would almost ALWAYS continue as follows:
Me:  May I ask why?
Customer:  Because they are too oaky (or buttery).
Me:  Would you like to try this one. I promise it is not too oaky, and if you don’t like it you can dump it and I will give you a taste of anything else on our list for free! Besides it is my favorite white wine we make here (probably my favorite wine overall that was made there) and I would love your opinion on it.
Customer: (tastes the wine… pause… eyes light up)… Mmmm, you’re right, it’s not too oaky! I actually like this one! Hey (referring to their spouse/friend/whomever they came with) look, I actually found a Chardonnay I like!!!
And they usually bought it.
99 times out of 100 it went like that.

My favorite way to get them was on a tour.  Anytime I took a group on a tour I always brought the Chardonnay, and at that specific part of the tour we would be outside in the vineyard (and I don’t bring a dump bucket on my tours) I would tell them if you don’t like it you can pour it on the grass… but they hardly ever did.  Not to toot my own horn but I have converted many Chardonnay haters into lovers over this particular bottle of wine.  And I sold a lot of Chardonnay there. Plus I have cool stories about Chardonnay to tell customers that basically revolve around the fact that Chardonnay's are all soooo different, and there really is a style that almost everyone can like if they are open to the idea. It’s about finding the style that’s right for them.  Cathedral Ridge just had a style that appealed to a lot of people (both oak lovers and haters).  If you don't believe me, I dare you to try it.

Back to my point:  Cook’s
My response to the people who say they don’t like sparkling wine is the same as Chardonnay… “You just haven’t found the right one for you”.  If you didn’t like Cook’s, tell me why and I will find an alternative.
If you love Cooks more power to you!!! Stick with it and your pocket book will love you for it.  It is super inexpensive!  Hey, My sister is still fondly in love with Boones Farm Strawberry Hill.  That is her favorite “wine”… and you know what, more power to you sister!  You go and drink that Boones Farm.  If you love it, I support your choice!

It’s like beer (okay, one more sidetrack)... 
I live in Portland (aka the microbrew capital of the country), and my husband is obsessed with Pabst.  He gets a lot of crap from his microbrew drinking buddies about his beer of choice, but I personally think it’s awesome (not the beer, but the fact that he drinks Pabst)!!! He can get a 24 pack for around $10…  That means more money to spend on wine ☺

So, if you hear me going off on a specific product it’s because I truly believe that there really is a wine for everybody!  That is unless, of course, you just don’t drink alcohol at all… and in that case, hey good for you! I can, however, recommend some lovely sparkling waters that you may enjoy!

At the end of the day, drink what you like (and what you can afford)!!! And if you don’t like something let me know and I will help you find an alternative.  I am a good listener!  Cheers

How to celebrate safely under $10 anywhere in the country

Warning:  Mary is revealing her inner snob in this post… reader beware.

I’ve been training for months to run my first ½ marathon, and this past Sunday was the big day!  I flew to Madison Wisconsin to meet a friend whom I have not seen in over 3 years.  This was our idea of a reunion… running 13.1 miles together. 
Crazy? Yes.
Hard work?  Yes! 
Fun? Yes!
Worth it?  Hell yes!
Am I going to do another someday?  Hell yes!

I’m not gonna lie to you, we didn’t finish with what some in the running world would call “good time”… but we stuck together every step of the way, and Kristin even stopped and waited for me when I took a 7 mile marker potty break.  I just couldn’t hold it for 6 more miles (must have been race day nerves), plus we were conveniently located by Martha’s house (whom I will discuss later) so I didn’t even need to use a gross port-a-johnny.

Of course after running 13.1 miles you must hydrate afterward. Our first method of hydration was beer - Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat to be exact (I was in the mid-west).  And we were, after all, at the Worlds Largest Brat Festival (they conveniently hold the Madison Marathon in conjunction with the Worlds Largest Brat Festival each year).   After our beer and (Boca) brat, we ventured home for the real celebration. 

(That's me on the right enjoying my Leinie's, and yes I was wearing a green terrycloth headband, thank you very much)

I understand that we do live in tough economic times, and that not everyone wants to spend their hard earned cash-ola on Gods true nectar - real Champagne...  even though I did just run 13.1 miles (eh-hem, I think I've earned it!).  But when in doubt, and when in Madison Wisconsin with few options, and with less than $10 to spend on bubbles, I say go for Cristalino or Segura Viudas Brut Reserva. Now for under $10 you do have some options for bubbles.  Not too many mid-west grocery stores, however, carry everything that I could mention to you.  But they do carry lots of bad options (eh-hem Cooks & Andre, to name 2).  

So during our little post-race bbq Martha (she who kindly let me use her bathroom during the race) showed up with a congratulations present for Kristin and myself… our very own ½ bottles of Cook’s.  Thank you? Now, she meant well in bringing us bottles of bubbles, and I did sincerely appreciate the gift, but let me share with you why this stuff gives bubbly a bad name.  Why?  Because I care about your bubble choices!

The truth - Cook’s is the reason people blame their headaches on the “Champagne” they drank the night before. First of all, Cook’s is not Champagne okay so stop calling it that!  Second, I am here to tell you that it is not “Champagne” that gives you headaches; it’s poorly made carbonated sugary grape juice that gives you the headache.  For a few more bucks you can buy something that actually tastes good and won’t give you a sugar-induced headache!

If you want my opinion, and you don’t want to spend more than $10 on a bottle of bubbles, and you’re in the mid-west at a grocery store with few bubbly options, go for these 2 that are widely available and I have seen at most grocery stores all over the country:

 Cristalino Brut Cava    or    Segura Viudas Brut Reserva

Both retail at approx $8 (and are usually on sale for closer to $7), and are solid everyday  “go to” value bubbles!  They won’t let you down, are great for any style Mimosa, and equally pleasing while drunk on their own. 
Otherwise, stick to beer!

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At the end of the day, however, I did run 13.1 miles and was damn proud of myself… so out of sheer appreciation for the gesture, I happily drank my ½ bottle of Cook’s and was okay with suffering the inevitable consequences.  But when I got back to Portland, you’re damn right I celebrated properly with a bottle of one of my favorite domestic sparklers, my trusty go to Gloria Ferrer Brut Rose (also a fantastic value if you ask me).  Yum!

Awesome value bubbles perfect for a hot day... or any day for that matter!

So let's not beat around the bush, I love me some bubbles. It’s pretty much my favorite go to wine.  You need not a “reason” (wedding, new years eve, promotion, etc.) to open a bottle of bubbles.  Everyday you can open a bottle of wine is a reason to make that bottle a bubbly one, if you so chose!  You can almost bet that if the weather is good and I am bbq’ing in my backyard that there will be some bubbles involved.

This past weekend was the perfect example.  I’m in Portland, in the middle of April, and we had a 3-day spurt of high 70’s and peek of some 80 degree weather on Monday.  Yes please!  That alone is a reason to celebrate!  Pop goes the cork.

Now I am not gonna lie to you… I do drink a lot of bubbles (did I already mention that?)… and because of that the vast majority of  bottles are not Champagne. As much as I would love the taste and texture of an amazing Champagne in my mouth every night of the week, sadly, my pocketbook would not be able to keep up.  So, instead I challenge myself to go out and find alternative bubbles at a lower price point, but equally delightful…. Well almost “equally”… they are pretty darn good.
This past Sunday was an exploration into a super awesome $10 bottle of Cava……
Now, for $10??? Come on!  That’s only a few more $$ than a crappy Two Buck Chuck (or rather $3 in Portland).    It was a great hot weather bubbly with nice structure and good fruit.

Mont Marçal Reserva Brut
The primary grapes used for this wine were:  Xarel-lo (40%), Macabeo (30%), Parellada, (20%) and Chardonnay (10%)
Dry, crisp, and for $10 had some nice elegance.  The bubbles were fine with a bit of yeastyness, apple, and a touch of honey in the mouth.  All in all, it was super fresh as well refreshing on a hot April day!

I purchased this particular bottle the Hollywood Fred Meyer, in Portland, Ore. (great wine selection for a Freddies!!!)