In my first column, I explained that I will offer two sections in each monthly column to talk a general wine information section called "wine" and entitled "Food and Wine Pairings." Here goes:
Wine talk
I just returned from a 10-day West Coast trip with my family, and visited several key wine regions. In Oregon, we visited the Willamette Valley (for Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris known) and in Northern California, we visitedAnderson Valley in Mendocino and Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Since there during the annual harvest of grapes, known as "Crush" (when the grapes), picked, sorted and pressed for quality grape juice, I was interested in the quality of the crop this year.
Almost every winery reports that the vintage will be 2006 on average, not only in quality but also quantity. Both the Willamette Valley and Anderson Valley reported ideal growing conditions withwarm days and cool nights. However, Napa and Sonoma counties experienced record heat in July, the crop producers' abilities questioned. The leaf canopy protects the grapes. If you prune too much of the canopy, you run the risk of exposure of the grapes in the high temperatures, and they can actually get a sunburn. A dense forest canopy in a humid climate will promote mold and mildew on the grapes.
For an optimal harvest, which is guaranteed quality wineries practice, quality care throughout theGrowing season. These include pruning of the canopy, some reduced to encourage grape (concentrated flavors in the other clusters), irrigation when needed and harvesting the grapes, when the desired blood glucose levels. Based on this report, we can all expect many fine white wines in about nine months, and delicious wines in about eighteen months, from the West Coast.
Food and wine pairings
So that you easily find, myRecommended wines, I am going to act in a network of local shops as a resource for the column. I will discuss my ideas for food and wine pairings with these neighborhood wine shop owners, and wine will find they achieve shares the goal. The wines will be included and will be generally available around the $ 10.00 price range and the $ 25.00 and up range. I hope this offers something for everyone.
It is November, and for many of us, that means Thanksgiving.This meal is not only an American tradition, it is a time when the whole family gathered around the table and closes again. This constitutes a burden on the meal planner and preparer as wine suggestions can be estimated.
The center of the Thanksgiving dinner is, of course, Turkey. Turkey as a meat tends to be neutral in flavor, can the door for interesting wines to be opened. However, the balance can offer complex flavors of the meal with side dishes of tasty dressing,tart cranberry relish and spicy pumpkin pie. In this sense, I recommend:
Picks
White Wines
A more complex type of wine with good acidity and balance is my choice. A wine with good fruit and acidity to help balance this meal wide range of flavors. Some suggestions are:
Château Lamothe de Haux (a Bordeaux blend of 3 varieties), France, 11 U.S. dollars.
Chateau St. Michelle Indian Wells Riesling - Columbia Valley, Washington, $ 15.
Sokol Blosser's"Evolution # 9" (a mixture of 9 varieties) - Anderson Valley, California, $ 17.
Gewrztraminer Thomas Fogarty, Monterey, California, $ 18
Caymus "conundrum" (a blend of 5 kinds) - Napa Valley, California, $ 27
Red Wines
Pinot Noir, my favorite variety, is my choice. This wine tends to medium body, flavor with "red" fruit notes such as raspberries and cherries, and has a good acidity to cope with the various courses of this complex meal. SomeProposals are:
Mark West Pinot Noir - Sonoma Valley, California, 13 U.S. dollars.
Regis de Valliere Bourgogne (the area in France known for Pinot Noir), 14 U.S. dollars.
Sanford Pinot Noir Santa Barbara - Central Coast, California, $ 25
Van Duzer Estate Pinot Noir - Willamette Valley, Ore., $ 28.
Cristom - Willamette Valley, Ore., $ 30.
(Prices are suggested retail and may vary.)
Enjoy your time with your family this Christmas and enjoy your meal!
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