Wine Lovin Women

Pairing Food & Wine I love to entertain, it gives me the opportunity to experiment with new wines and recipes to pair with them.   I started out reading about wine and food pairings and thought of making a complete and clear chart   with some of the suggested pairings we all hear about; “white wine with fish, red wine with meat”…etc. My personal motto has always been “eat and drink what you like together.” However, as I dug more into researching this, HOLY COW there is a lot of science involved!   So I have laid out what I found, while trying to keep it simple. Food and wine pairing comes down to three components; flavor, taste and texture. Taste is one of the more important components in any food pairing, which breaks down to; acid, sweet, salt, bitter, oily and tannins. Also, you don’t pair wine to a protein, you pair to preparation. You need to really think of all the ingredients and the cooking method for your recipe.  Confused yet…here is a little m...

What Are Sulfites And Why Are They In My Wine? Growing up in Oregon I would see the words “Contains Sulfites” on wine bottles and wonder, what in the world is a sulfite and why has it been added? The technical explanation:   Sulfites are compounds that contain the sulfite ion SO2.   The sulfite ion is the conjugate base of bisulfate.   Although the acid itself is elusive, its salts are widely used.   The term “sulfites” is an inclusive term for sulfur dioxide (SO2).   SO2 is a preservative that is used in winemaking and most food industries because of the antioxidant and antibacterial properties. After doing a little research I discovered that sulfites (preservatives) are added either before the crush or after to prevent spoilage and oxidation (browning).   Sulfites protect the wine from not only oxidation, but also bacteria.   In other words it keeps your wine from going bad and turning brown. My research sources also tell me that sulfi...

Spring Release in Walla Walla Spring Release is when the wineries celebrate the season and showcase their new releases.   There are over a hundred wineries in Walla Walla, if you have never been there I highly recommend going even if you don’t care for wine.   This wine growing region has a historic downtown which is so charming with restaurants, boutique shops, cafés, and tasting rooms.   Outside of downtown, you will find beautifully kept historic homes in the residential neighborhoods.  We didn’t save the best for last, we started out with the best and the rest that day was held in comparison.   Saturday morning we set out for Dumas Station which is located out in Dayton, a 20 minute or so drive from Walla Walla, you drive thru some beautiful fields and pastures.   I first heard about Dumas Station from LD, her first time to Walla Walla she came back raving about   “Cow Catcher Red” a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merl...

Flight School A couple years ago LD and her friend Angela were getting together and going to Flight School.    LD kept telling me how awesome this was and that I really needed to join them.   Finally, I asked “what the heck is Flight School?”   Wine tasting….didn’t understand what that had to do with flying so I said, “okay count me in I will give it a try”. A wine “Flight” is a sampling of 3 or more wines as a tasting; usually a small sample of wine….there is no airport or flying involved.    We met up at MorMor Bistro in Poulsbo; they do their Flight School on Friday nights.   What a treat, they give you four pours of wines plus an appetizer sampling for $20.00, what a great value for the food, wine and education.   Yes, education…. Dorian, the Sommelier tells you about the wine, where it is from, the region and more. I have ordered wine Flights at other restaurants, they pour you your wine, give you a sheet of paper that lists the wines ...

Simple White Wine Sangria I have put together a simple Sangria recipe for Cinco de Mayo.  Many recipes out there have a lot of ingredients, I made this one simple and refreshing, enjoy…D 1 bottle dry white wine ( Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio) 2 shots of brandy 1 orange sliced 1 lime sliced 1 peach sliced 1 lemon sliced 2 shots of triple sec 1 shot of simple syrup (optional) Club soda Pour the wine in a pitcher add sliced fruits (be sure to wash your fruit before slicing) brandy, triple sec, stir and chill 2 -4 hours.  Before serving, add 1 liter of club soda, taste test to see if you need the simple syrup (you might need if your fruit isn’t that sweet).   That’s it, you are ready to celebrate!

Opening  SAGGI November of 2011 was my first time to Walla Walla Washington and I was going for Fall Release.  I fell in love with Walla Walla; the architecture of the buildings in town, the vineyards in their fall colors and the wine.   Oh how I fell in love with the wines from Walla Walla.  I just opened a bottle of SAGGI 2008 from Long Shadows Winery  that I purchased on this trip.  SAGGI is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Syrah.   What a beautiful blend, so silky smooth and delicate in flavor.   I was saving it for a dinner I thought would do it justice, a meal my kids requested, “Moms Lasagna”.  I served with a crusty French bread with seasoned olive oil for dipping….. I wish I had a red check table cloth and drippy candles on the table to complete the mood. If you go to Walla Walla put Long Shadows on your list of places to visit. I recommend trying some of their other wines, Sequel and Feather are couple...

Olympic Wine and Cheese Tasting 2012 Fairwinds Winery – Port Townsend, Washington Out in the country, this beautiful old barn has been converted for wine production and a tasting room. I started with their Gewurztraminer.   This is not your standard sweet Gewurztraminer.   It was slightly dryer with a hint of sweet.   Yes, I could sip and enjoy this wine and would definitely recommend it. The Merlot/Cab blend was ok but for my pallet it was a bit sharp.   Or so I thought, until I tasted it with the Limburger double cream “Trailblazer” cheese from Back Country in Tacoma, Washington.   Wow, what a great combination.   Shame on me for not giving the wine a chance, especially with food. Their Cabernet Sauvignon was yummy in flavor with a really nice finish.   I definitely would go back for more.   Merlot 2002 – when you taste wine, you will taste the soil the grapes have been grow...