Filed December 7, 2007 at 1:20 pm under Champagne/Sparkling Wine by Jess
I adore Champagne and/or sparkling wines any time of the year. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t seem like enjoying it every day instead of a major occasion has caught on here in the States as it has elsewhere throughout the world. No matter, at least this time of year, more people seem to be open to enjoying it. So, I try to serve it whenever I can! Here are a couple of my favorite cocktails involving this bubbly treat. I like to serve the Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail at my cookie exchange and the Champagne Punch for New Year’s. Cheers!
Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail (from the Food Network)
1 teaspoon fresh pomegranate arils, optional
4 ounces Champagne
1/2 teaspoon store bought pomegranate juice
1 teaspoon cassis
Place fresh pomegranate arils, if using, into a Champagne flute. Pour Champagne into flute, add pomegranate juice and cassis.
Or I just add a little Pomegranate juice on top of a glass of champagne and call it good, and it is!
Champagne Punch (also from the Food Network)
1 cup triple sec
1 cup brandy
1/2 cup Chambord
2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 quart chilled ginger ale
2 chilled 750-ml. bottles dry ChampagneIn a bowl combine the triple sec, the brandy, the Chambord, and the pineapple juice and chill the mixture, covered, for at least 4 hours or overnight. In a large punch bowl combine the triple sec mixture, the ginger ale, and the Champagne and add ice cubes.
Filed November 8, 2007 at 4:03 pm under Travel by Jess
First of all, I must get it out of the way that I’ve been lame in my blogging. I’ve let distractions get in the way. I’m excited to rehash some of my favorite wine related experiences from my recent trip to France and Italy. Once I do that, I’ll get back to exploring my wine education on a more consistent basis!
Moving on…My visit to Italy was my first and I’m smitten. The part of Tuscany we chose to visit was Montepulciano, one of the many medieval hill towns in the area. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!! What made it even better was the B & B we stayed at and the wine bar connected to it, both owned by the same couple. The accommodations at La Locanda di San Francesco were luxurious and perfect!! And our time spent in their wine bar was tasty and frequent.
The first night we enjoyed a Tuscan flight of reds along with a scrumptious primi piatti of gnocchi ragu and an antipasti plate of assorted salami, proscuitto and pecorino. Seriously, if I could beam myself back to that meal I would! My consumption concentration was on the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from the owners’ family’s vineyard, Tenuta Valdipiatta and of course the treasued Brunello from the nearby hill town of Montalcino. Needless to say, we incorporated some quality time at the wine bar each day. I found that crunchy potato chips are quite tasty with the smooth, velvety texture and flavors of the Brunello.
Being seriously devoted to my love of wine, Montepulciano was like mecca. I couldn’t turn my head without spying an enoteca or wine shop offering free tastings. The best, however, was how magical it was taking in the breathtaking scenery of the vast panoramic view of the Tuscan countryside from the terrace of a wine bar while tasting the ethereal fruits of that very countryside. Truly tantalizing to many of one’s senses…
Filed October 17, 2007 at 1:57 pm under Travel by Jess
I returned a little over a month ago from an amazing trip to France and Italy. This was my first time to Italy and I truly cannot get back there soon enough. The focaccia bread alone will call me back. While there are a plethora of sights to see, a good share of which I left for next time, I truly enjoyed just being there and enjoying the culture, watching the people go by and, of course, the food and WINE!
A fun little spot we discovered with the help of Rick Steves’ travel book was I Fratellini (Via dei Cimatori, 38r) in Florence not far from the Piazza del Duomo. I Fratellini is literally a hole in the wall on a quaint, skinny little road. The back wall is lined with several shelves full of wine, offering a decent amount of choices by the glass. Then all else that exists is a counter for ordering and the case from which the meat and cheese comes. They offer 27 sandwiches. I had the delectable crusty white roll with hot salami and goat cheese and a glass of Brunello. You then just stand around or window shop while eating your sandwich, and the best part is the wooden shelves adhered to the outside of the building where you can rest your glass. There are numbers on the shelves, so when it’s busy everyone can keep track of their glass. Many times since my return I’ve wished to transport myself back to that very spot for that very tasty treat.
Of course, I didn’t take a picture of this little treasure, but I found a review of a traveler who loved it as well and included a picture.
Filed June 12, 2007 at 6:12 pm under Red Wine by Jess
Sunday night, with sweet surrender, I said goodbye to my all time favorite show, The Sopranos. In most cases, I would be ashamed to be so addicted to a television show, but this is The Sopranos - a show offering brilliant writing and acting making it hard to turn away once you’ve been introduced to the family.
Due to the fact that there was so much eating and drinking occurring on the show, I established a Sunday night tradition of having an Italian meal involving red sauce accompanied by red wine of course. If I didn’t do this I would just end up craving those things anyway, so I made an experience out it. For the last night of mobster bliss, I made spaghetti and meatballs which was washed down with a lovely wine from Ledson in Sonoma County. I had the La Montagna non-vintage blend of 2002 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon and 2003 Alexander Valley Sangiovese. This was a perfect choice for the classic spaghetti and meatballs. It was definitely a bold flavor that filled my mouth and with the suggestion of fruit but that didn’t come forth specifically as the overall flavor. A truly enjoyable wine. Something had to cushion the blow for my sad farewell to my beloved Sopranos.
For a post farewell wrap up see here .
Filed May 2, 2007 at 10:52 am under Quote of the Day by Jess
I don’t know which time of year makes me look forward to my daily happy hour more. Fall and winter offer the comfort of hunkering down with a fire, candles and a glass of red wine to warm you. On the flip side, spring and summer reintroduce me to my love of white wine and roses bringing me that crisp, refreshing feeling I’m looking for during warmer weather. So, needless to say, as the weather gets warmer these days, I’m enjoying those seasonal whites and roses. Regardless of the season, however, the following quote is a telltale example of why I enjoy my wine on a daily basis:
“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.”
-Benjamin Franklin
Filed March 31, 2007 at 5:41 pm under Books & Magazines by Jess
“…California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting that Revoluntized Wine”
I just realized that I am drinking out of my complimentary glass provided by Grgich Hills, commemorating this very event and figured that I should write about this book!
Shame on me for the hiatus I took on wine writing. Although, fear not, there has been no shortage of actual wine drinking. While on my “hiatus” (a.ka. skiing my butt off in Colorado), where all I had the energy to do after skiing was drinking wine and reading, I thoroughly enjoyed this book by George M. Taber. Taber being the only journalist actually present at this event. I was so surprised to discover this factoid. All the buzz and impact it had afterward is the exact opposite of how it was perceived to be at its conception.
Okay, so I really, really enjoyed the book. I read a lot of wine books and for the most part enjoy all of them although, with most, I have found that I can only read a few chapters at a time as my brain becomes saturated with information and I must let it sink in before I can add more. Furthermore, for the most part I really don’t enjoy reading about history. I respect it, I just find myself easily bored. Fortunately, this book provided the history of wine…now that doesn’t bore me! I was so intrigued by reading the various stories of Warren Winiarski (Stag’s Leap), Mike Grgich (Chateau Montelena and finally Grgich Hills) and others and how they got their start. I was even mesmerized with all the information that was spewed about soil, vines, grapes and so forth. It actually became a page turner to me and I was hooked. It was a fantastic way to learn about early Napa, the effects Prohibition had on its evolution, the process of winemaking and how it all culminated in putting the New World wines on the map.
I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something to pick up every so often and read a chapter or two or if you’re in it for the long haul, a rainy afternoon with, say, a bottle of good wine in a cozy oversized chair!!
Cheers!! or Sante!!
Next »