This is our new favorite house wine for just about any dish! You know, I always only thought of Beaujolais Nouveau, which is produced once a year in France around October or November and is generally associated with Thanksgiving here in the U.S. But low and behold, I was missing out. Beaujolais is a highly drinkable wine made from the Gamay grape and is most flexible for lending itself to any food that you may want to eat, like chicken, turkey, fish, veggies, etc.

In fact, when we were in California last year for the Wine Bloggers Conference in Santa Rosa, California (which I must admit was AWESOME) Alice Feiring ended her speech by saying “DRINK GAMAY.” I HAVE TO ADMIT, I AGREE WITH ALICE!!!

I don’t remember what I paid for this bottle, but I believe it is under the $15 mark, so I would say it is a helluva bargain. If you can find it, buy it.

SALUD Y BON APPETIT!
K

On Friday evening after a long week, I can’t think of anything better than topping off your week with a bottle of bubbly. We just happened to have a Monopole Blue Top Champagne Brut by Heidsieck & Company that retails for a mere $29.99. I know it is a non-vintage, but the taste is delightfully yeasty and full. A sip leaves a slight film on your tongue and lips with a hint of chocolate – not enough to notice much, unless you really love champagne and pay attention to this kind of stuff. I guess I am just being a bit of a spoiled brat, but I have earned that status over my lifetime, so I am enjoying this lovely champagne and I believe you will too. If you have the opportunity, try the Blue Top some day. I hope it happens because it is a great EXPERIENCE to spend a Friday evening enjoying a nice bottle of bubbly visiting with your family and friends.

SALUD Y BON APPETIT!
K

To sum it up in one word – “SUMPTIOUS!” That is what Clos Marion 2005 “Fixin” Grand Vin de Bourgogne tastes like to me. WOW – what a wine! It shouts strawberry fields forever with a hint of cherries and tobacco to remind us ex-smokers out there of what we miss sometimes. The retail on this puppy is $45, but we got it for around $30 because of the market these days—Burgundies seem to be a steal. I like Burgundies for many reasons, but mainly because the alcohol content is usually lower than some other “red wines” such as this one at 13%.

All I know is I’m “Fixin” to enjoy some more of this delicious wine and a good ole fashioned ribeye served with a spectacular Bernaise sauce. Our Atkins meal this evening, which could be on the cover of Atkins’ Weekly, also hosts a beautiful side of ratatouille as well as a lovely rocket salad with walnuts, avocadoes and cherry tomatoes topped with a shallot vinaigrette dressing. If you really want the meal to rock, in addition to this fabulous bottle of wine, you must try and perfect the Bernaise sauce:

Perfect Bernaise Sauce

4 eggs yolks at room temperature
7 tablespoons cold butter
5 tablespoons melted butter
2 ½ tablespoons finely chopped shallot
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon Mexican Marigold Mint or Tarragon
¼ c. white wine vinegar
¼ c. vermouth – if no vermouth – add ¼ c. white wine and 1 t. vinegar

Put the last five ingredients in a small pan over medium heat. Reduce the mixture to about 3 tablespoons and set aside.

Beat the egg yolks for about one minute and place is another small pan. Add two tablespoons of the cold butter to the beaten eggs and place the pan over medium heat. Whisk the egg yolk and butter mixture until it begins to thicken. When the mixture is a little less thick than mayonnaise, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the 5 tablespoons of melted butter. Return the pan to the heat and continue whisking as you gradually add the remaining cold butter, one tablespoon at a time. When the butter is incorporated, remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately.

SALUD Y BON APPETIT!
K

Since we have pretty much determined that we are not going to be able to go to the Wine Bloggers Conference in Portugal this year, I decided we should at least taste some of the wines from that region. So, I picked out a couple at the Austin Wine Merchant this past weekend and we decided to try one tonight with our delightful pistachio tapenade crusted rack of lamb.

The CRASTO (2007 Douro D.O.C. Region) was a large and in-charge meritage, which consisted of 35% Tinta Roriz, 25% Tinta Barroca, 25% Touriga Franca and 15% Touriga Nacional. This blend of Portuguese varietals had a hint of tobacco (which I admit I love) and a little bit of leather with a tinge of mint or rather Mexican Marigold Mint. (Unfortunately, this is the only herb left growing in our garden right now. Obviously, it is incredibly hardy since the rest of our herbs have bit the dust in the dreadful drought we are having here in Central Texas. If you have never had this herb, you should look for it at your favorite nursery because it is a delightfully pungent herb that takes on the character of a cross between tarragon and anise, is easy to grow, and goes well on just about any vegetable or in a herb butter sauce for chicken or fish.)

Sometimes, I get carried away, so back with the wine review. I guess, in summation, this wine is much like our summer here in Austin, Texas – hardy, yet sophisticated, with a lot of potential for maturing over time (or maybe I am describing this wine and the City of Austin). I think it is one of the first wines from Portugal I have ever had out the thousands of bottles we have had in our life, and I think it is a good one – so I would say we should all support the new and up-and-coming “old world” wine industry of Portugal and all try some of their wines. The retail price for this one is a little on the high side for a week night at $17.50, but, I would highly recommend it with any beefy steak, lamb, or for those of you are vegetarians – portabello mushrooms or eggplant or both.

Bon Appettit y Salud!
K

Well, it’s July in Texas, and we’re nearing our 30th day over 100 degrees. In weather like this, red wine seems like an enemy, and all I want to drink is white or rose. As such, we’ve been trying a fair amount of cheap whites as a nighttime beverage.

One of my favorites so far has been Nobilissima Pinot Grigio, which runs for about $9. This wine is simple, as many Pinot Grigios are, but it still works for me. There are pleasant aromas of grilled pineapple, white peach nectar, and faint caramel. However, the mouth is the star of this wine. At 12% alcohol, it’s quite round in a medium-body-sort-of-way, with muscular acid, making it great as an aperitif or food accompaniment. I will be buying it again.

I must admit — I like my birthday! I know some people dread their birthdays and are all hum glum because they are a year older and are showing it, perhaps, in a physical fashion, so they tend be depressed about them. I, on the other hand, look forward to my birthday and, therefore, celebrate it for a number of days or sometimes weeks. Everyone seems to enjoy themselves because it makes that long month of July not seem so endless. So, let the party begin!

On Friday night, Chef Neil really outdid himself in the cooking department. I’m going to describe the event in stages because you had to take breaks between the scrumptious plates of delightful seafood. [click to continue…]

The WineEnablers are very busy lately.  More content coming soon.  Promise.

We wanted to try several wines for Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW), so we started with Champagne from Georges Lacombe. The Grande Cuvee is a tart, food-needy Champers. It’s bright, floral, with coarse bubbles. There are other bubbles that you can get for this price ($25) that might score higher, but this is a good value for an actual Champagne.

Kathy paired the bubbles with Roller Coaster Blues sung by Diana Dors from the CD Sex Kittens in Hi-Fi. Michael said the wine and song reminded him of a mid-level lounge act that could break into Burlesque at any minute. Both the Champagne and the song were sexy in that five-and-dime kind of way. Neil paired the Georges Lacombe with Sweet Dreams by Armik, from the CD Café Romantico. The bubbles and tartness paired well with the melancholy romance of Armik’s Sweet Dreams. Champagne should not only be used to celebrate the sweet life—sometimes you drink it just to celebrate life. [click to continue…]

Brunch wine: 10-1 pm. Spritz with Grapefruit out the “wazoo.” Quite lovely, really. Again, a morning wine—would go wonderfully w/frittata. Smells like yeast and sunshine. Celery. It’s a “got up Sunday morning and spent too much money on shoes wine.” The shoes are open-toed w/heels.

July is the summer month — full of sun, fun, festivals, and gatherings. This year, two of my favorite things are showcased in July of 2009 — good wine at The Second Annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference and the sounds of jazz at the Montreal Jazz Festival.

The WineEnabler Crew attended the First Annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference, and we had a blast. The people were great. The wine, at times, was exceptional. The conference offered lots of good information. And the hotel accommodations were reasonably priced and just retro enough to be fun.

Last year’s conference was in October, and the weather cooperated with warm days and cool nights. This year, the organizers have moved the conference to July, which would be OK, but the July date for the conference is very close to the scheduled dates for the Montreal Jazz Festival, so we had to make a choice. [click to continue…]