Tuesday, May 25, 2010

A Wedding With Wine Would Be Fine

A Wedding & Wine sounds like a fabulous idea! After serving Mint Julep’s or Side Cars at cocktail hour before heading into the reception, many guests would enjoy a nice glass of vino… especially with their dinner. But, what wine should you serve? what pairs well with your food? and what wine is within your budget??? Don’t panic. I have many suggestions for all of the above.

Below you will see many wines at very reasonable prices and a few with higher price tags. All are good crowd pleasers.

BARGAIN GREATS!! (wines for less than $12)
WHITE…

$8.00, 2008 Concannon Sauvignon Blanc, $8.00, from Central Coast, CA—very refreshing with tastes of fresh-cut grass, jalapeno, lemon-lime with a peppery finish. A great with chicken and fish.

$8.00, 2008 Delatour Chardonnay Cuvee Premier, France—this is a gold medal winner! This south of France hottie has got a lot of fruit.

$12.99, 2008 DeLoach Chardonnay Heritage, CA--- with flavors of pear and apricot, you will enjoy its smooth, hint of vanilla notes and flavorful palate.

RED…
$9.99, 2008 Carmenet Pinot Noir Reserve, CA—nice fruit flavor with hints of spice and vanilla.

$10.99, 2006 Monte Antico Sagiovese-Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon Toscana, Italy—a big, bright blend with flavors of plum and dried cherry. This received 90 points by Wine Spectator.

$10.99, 2007 L de Lyeth Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma)—medium bodied blend with tastes of herb, tobacco, and cassis aromas. You may even taste a touch of coffee as well as soft fruit. A nice wine for a spectacular price!

STEPPING IT UP AT BIT!! ($40 or less)
WHITE…

$20, 2005 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay Researve—a delicate fruit-forward wine with tastes of fig and green apple followed by a smooth, buttery finish.

$30, 2006 Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Sec, Loire Valley, France—your palate will dance with notes of pear and spice with this beautifully balanced wine.

RED…
$15, 2007 Terra d’Oro Amador County Zinfandel, ripe and luscious, but best without food which is unusual.

$18, 2007 Cameron Hughes Lot 110 Carneros Pinot Noir, you may have to search for this one, but well worth it. This is a delicious fruit-forward Pinot. A lot of Cameron Hughes’s wine gets high marks at a decent price.

$35, 2006 Ehret "bella's Blend" Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon—this is mellow and soft with a long finish. Tastes of berry.

A TOAST??? WHAT ABOUT PROSECCO OR CHAMPAGNE?$10.99- 15.99, Italy, Any good prosecco will do as a nice toasting wine or as an opener.

$25.99, Piper-Heidsieck Extra Dry NV, France

WINE &FOOD PAIRINGS CHEATSHEETSauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris~ Light white fish with a citrusy sauce or a salty appetizer

Chardonnay~ Lobster or something rich with butter or a grilled lamb

Pinot Noir~ Roast duckling, or flavorful game

Zinfandel~ spicy foods with a touch of sweet like BBQ or spicy Latin-American dishes

Cabernet Sauvignon~ Red meat

Sources: Food & Wine (April 2010) and Drinks (Spring 2010) Magazines.

Also www.snooth.com.


Featuring this month, our ceramic-topped bottle stopper, which works as a place card and party favor in one! Lay it on its side to work as a place card (use a Sharpie to write the name of your guest—removes with Windex). Then the guest can take it home and use it to stop their wines, oils, vinegars, or label foods. It is a fun and interesting way to solve two issues.

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