Category Archives: Personal

26/07/2012
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Food Pairings, Fun Facts, Labels, Personal, Quotes, Red, Tastings, Wineries Quote

I went to Victoria with my family a couple of months ago to visit some good friends. Was there wine involved? Definitely.

Although I wasn’t able to go, my dad visited Muse Winery. Their motto is, “Love what you do. Laugh often. Work hard. Make great wine. Have fun doing it.” Sounds like a pretty good one to me. And the best part? The owner of the vineyard named it after his wife…his muse. Now that’s love.

Needless to say, a few bottles were purchased and shared at the dinner table later that evening. The highlight for me was Muse’s Cabernet Sauvignon.

Name: Muse (Gallant, Valiant Grape)

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 2011

Producer: Muse

Country/Region: North Saanich, BC

Where Sampled: At the dinner table with family and friends

Date: May 27, 2012

Price: I don’t know

Notes:

  • Peppery, but not spicy
  • Full-bodied
  • A hint of buttery sweetness
  • Paired deliciously with steak and vegetables and didn’t overpower any of the flavours

As a little anecdote, this wine also made for great table conversation. Each label comes with a unique story and description about the “muse” who inspired the wine. Here reads the one for their Cabernet Sauvignon:

“Our heroine is courageous and bold with lustrous skin the colour of crème brulée, eyes of purple plum and dark-red tresses of soft silk. Round and full-bodied, to nuzzle her neck is to smell vanilla, black currant and peppery spice. Her noble heritage is French and you will never get Bordeaux her tales of a glorious past. Well-balanced, she stands tall as an oak. At her table you will dine well on blackened grilled salmon, maple syrup glazed pork tenderloin and chocolate & raspberry soufflé.”

If you’re ever on Vancouver Island, be sure to grab a bottle. Mmm…happy drinking!

Something to Muse Over

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17/06/2012
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Personal

A Poll

Just a quick question cause I’m curious and want to try a poll!

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13/06/2012
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Food Pairings, Personal, Red, Tastings

Più Vino Per Piacere

I went to a little place called Cioppino’s in Yaletown last weekend. Ever heard of it? If not, go. NOW. Although, I don’t know how you haven’t heard of it because it’s continually voted Vancouver’s Best Upscale Italian by Vancouver Magazine and is a mecca for foodies on the hunt for the perfect Italian our little city has to offer.

And it does not disappoint! Me and the boyfriend went with his sister and her husband for dinner and I was blown away. Not only was the food amazing, the service was impeccable (I felt like everyone knew who we were), and the wine list came in its own binder! That wasn’t a typo…binder. The website boasts that their wine list is currently 62 pages long, so that will give you an idea as to how detailed they are, yet also inform you how frustrating it is to pick a wine while dining! Good thing it wasn’t my job – I think I would have gone cross-eyed on the first page.

So, we settled on a beautiful red wine, and here’s where my wine blogger mind goes to mush…I didn’t write down any info or take a photo :( I know…I should be ashamed, but I was enjoying myself too much and eating all of the delicious food without paying attention. I was thinking I would look it up online later, but they don’t post the wine list because it’s too long! Go figure. The only info I was able to take away was that it was a Valpolicella wine. And it was heaven.

Between the four of us, we had two bottles. It was great by itself and transitioned nicely between all of our dishes (appetizers, entrées, and dessert)! I remember it being a medium-bodied red with hints of cherry and a bit of spice. The colour was stunning, as well.

It was a night to remember and one I would like to replicate soon, if it wasn’t for the price tag. Be warned that this is a high end restaurant…one that is reserved for special occasions and celebrations and not one that can be frequented every weekend unless you’ve got the moola. Every dish was memorable and to prove it to you I’ll just say this: I still dream about Cioppino’s every night. 

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19/03/2012
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Food Pairings, Personal, Recipe, Tastings, White

Curry and Wine

A couple of weeks ago, Tomi and I were invited to go for dinner at my friend Holly’s house. Her and her boyfriend, Ali, were gonna have us over for homemade Indian food. Mmm! Every time we get together is because of a love of food. Like, a serious love of food. Holly and I work together and we’ve definitely spent a good solid couple of hours talking  just about restaurants. So, it was a nice change when we were invited over to their place for some home cooking! They did not disappoint. Holly made us Vij’s Family Chicken Curry and paired it with a really good Sauvignon Blanc. The curry was incredible, as was the wine. 

Name: Oyster Bay Marlborough

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Vintage: 2010

Producer: Oyster Bay

Country/Region: Marlborough, New Zealand

Where Sampled: Holly and Ali’s Apartment

Date: March 3, 2012

Price: $19.99/bottle

Notes:

  • Crisp wine with a clean, refreshing taste
  • Sweet and fruity
  • Hints of pineapple, citrus, grapes (lol. duh! But I really did taste grapes)
  • Not very complex, a very pleasing wine
  • Pairs very well with the strong flavours of Indian food
This wine was a really good choice for the Indian food. It didn’t over power the complexity of the dish, it only heightened the flavours. I was really impressed with this wine and will definitely be picking up a bottle to enjoy again soon.
And back to the curry! This was honestly the best curry that I’ve ever had – even better than a restaurant. I still haven’t tried Vij’s restaurant, but if his food is this good when I cook it (I made the dish last week), I can only imagine how good his dishes will be when prepared by him. I will definitely be going soon. 
Ali also found a great link for pairing wine with Indian food. There’s a lot to take into consideration when you’re dealing with such fragrant spices and this article definitely brings this to light. I would’ve assumed that a light, white wine would always be best, but, of course, I was proved wrong. Reds work really well too and I will definitely be pairing this dish with a red next time. 
P.S. Let me tell you…I have been sick lately. First, I got the stomach flu and then I thought I was fine, but, of course, I got a horrible cold. All in all it’s been about two weeks of hell, but I am finally feeling better and I’m happy to be back and blogging :)


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06/02/2012
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Food Pairings, Personal, Tastings, White Image

Hockey Night!

My dad took me to the Canucks vs. Blackhawks game last Tuesday and we had a blast. Not only was the game great (I love it when I’m in the stands and we win!), but we had a great dinner beforehand.

Check out our seats!

Lately, whenever we go to a game, we make a reservation at Wiser’s Centre Ice Grill and sit in the arena for a couple of hours before the puck drops. It’s a great, casual atmosphere and it gave us a nice chance to sample some wines.

You should know that my dad is a wine fanatic and I am learning soo much from him. He’s very patient with me when I ask him all these stupid questions that anyone else would laugh at. Woohoo dad!

Anyway, we ordered a couple of appies to share instead of a big meal because we like a little sample of everything instead of one big meal to ourselves. We got cajun halibut tacos, mussels in a mango curry broth and a wild green salad. Everything was soo good and because the dishes consisted primarily of seafood, my dad suggested a white wine.

Here comes the wine passport info! Btw, I think that I must look like a dork in restaurants lately because people see me whip out a notepad and write while I’m drinking wine. I’m not crazy, I swear ;) Here’s the info about the Prospect “Larch Tree Hill” Riesling I sampled. 

Name: “Larch Tree Hill”

Variety: Riesling

Producer: Prospect Winery

Country/Region: The Okanagan

Where Sampled: Wiser’s Centre Ice Grill

Date: Jan. 31/2012

Price: I forgot to write this down :(

Comments: 

  • This was a nice, sweet wine
  • Went very well with the seafood appies we had
  • Very aromatic
  • Hints of fruit, although I don’t know which ones
  • Crisp on the tongue

This was my very first BC VQA wine sampled for the blog, meaning it was produced 100% in BC. It was delicious and I could’ve had another glass for sure! The best things must come out of BC…like me.

A big shout out to my dad for taking me and for helping me pick a great wine!

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06/02/2012
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Personal, Quotes, Tastings Image

From Italy, with Love

A very dear friend of mine from Italy posted this on my Facebook page to share:

I think this is a great start to learning all the secrets that a bottle of vino has to offer.

Cheers, Anna!

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01/02/2012
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Food Pairings, Personal, Red, Tastings, White

Salt Makes Everything Taste Better

Saturday night was a fun night. It was my boyfriend’s sister’s birthday and we definitely celebrated in style by heading over to Salt Tasting Room in Gastown. And did I mention it was girl’s only? Guaranteed fun. I am now officially hooked on this place and want to go back ASAP.

As you know, I am a wine novice, so I was little uneasy about heading over to a place that the website described as, “a tasting room specializing in artisanal cheese, small-batch cured meats, and a dynamic array of wines, beers and sherries.” Don’t get me wrong, it sounded amazing, but I was still a little bit unsure. Also, it’s located in Blood Alley. Who calls a street Blood Alley? And to answer your question, yes, it is just as sketchy as that picture you’re painting in your head. Just getting to the door was an accomplishment in itself. But, alas, I made it inside unharmed and ready to celebrate.

Now, because we were in a group of about 12 people, we had to pre-order a set menu. I asked for the “mild-mannered” which included two cheeses and one meat as well as accompanying condiments and a wine pairing for each item. I think that this plate alone has turned me from someone who begrudgingly drinks wine when it’s offered to her to a more adventurous and trying female. I seriously ate everything on my plate, including olives – which I would normally say yuck to. Continue reading →

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23/01/2012
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Food Pairings, Personal, Tastings, White Image

Some Wine, Please

O.M.G.

On Thursday night I strolled on over to a little burger joint I’ve been wanting to try. I went with two girls from work and we brought our BF’s (but only because we’re nice and we didn’t want them to feel super lonely without their girls around ;) ) and it was incredible.

If you haven’t been, I highly recommend Romer’s Burger Bar in Kits. They’ve got an extensive burger menu and they’ll make yours anyway you like it which works really well for me because I can be a little bit of a picky eater sometimes. Only sometimes, though. *cough*

And you know the other cool part? They serve wine!! YAY!

Ta-da: Here’s my first wine tasting!

So, the six of us were sitting in a booth and chit-chatting away drooling over the menus at the same time. We placed our orders and I was all like, “Wait! I need to order some wine to go with my burger!!” I was very distressed over the fact that I had forgotten.

I then called the waitress over and asked for a wine list with my nose was raised in the air a little bit. There was a very sophisticated air around my question and I think everyone at the table noticed it. I know I would’ve if I was an observer.

So, she brought over the wine list and I started looking through the selections. Now, I ordered a turkey burger with lettuce wrapped around it instead of a bun (how very health conscious of me, right?) and I had an epiphany, “turkey should be paired with white wine!” I can’t believe I actually know something about wine, let alone a so-called rule. I’m sure that it doesn’t always apply, but I stuck with my gut and ordered a white wine. And not just any white wine, but the cheapest one on the menu.

It turned out to be a Mezzomondo Pinot Grigio Chardonnay blend and I don’t understand what any of those words mean. Ok, well maybe I kind of do a little. Pinot Grigio is one type of grape and chardonnay is another (God, I hope that’s right). This wine had them mixed together!

Now, for some info from my handy wine passport:

Name: Mezzomondo

Variety: Pinot Grigio/Chardonnay

Mezzomondo Pinot Grigio Chardonnay

Vintage: 2010

Producer: ??? I’m having a hard time figuring out this one

Country/Region: Italy, Sicily

Where Sampled: Romer’s Burger Bar

Date: Jan. 19/2012

Price: $5.00/5 oz.

And here are my tasting notes:

  • Tastes good with the turkey burger
  • Very light and fruity; sweet
  • Smooth
  • No “yucky” taste or aftertaste
  • I was able to finish the whole glass without squirming or complaining

So, yes, I’m obviously not a wine connoisseur yet, but it’s a start. At least, I have my first wine tasting done! YAY!

Cheers to many more to come.

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18/01/2012
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Personal, Products

Wine Passport

In order to get my tastings under way, I’ve made a small purchase to guide me in what I’m “supposed” to be looking for when sipping wine. Actually, my boyfriend bought it for me — LOVE HIM!

It’s a little black book that holds the secret to wine tastings! Well, maybe not the secrets, but it should be very helpful. Anyway…It’s a wine passport!

This thing should have me speaking like an expert in no time, right?

Not only does it have handy categories for sorting the wine I try, it tells me what things I should be looking for. I mean, let’s face it – I really have no idea what I should be looking for.

The inside cover reads, “This handy journal will help you keep up with any wines you may have sampled along life’s byways. There are so many wines out there to enjoy, it can be hard to impossible to remember those you’ve tried and those you haven’t. Then there is the vintage, maker, price and other points which you can hardly keep just in your head. Take this journal along wherever you go and jot down the pertinent information that’ll help you recall particular wines. You’ll turn to this personal record over and over as your appreciation for wine grows.”

Ok, a few things…

First, what is a vintage? I’m assuming it has to do with how old the wine is? Let’s look it up…

I just Googled it and found a blog where someone says: “We know that the vintage indicates the year. Duh.” Duh? How is that a duh? I thought vintage had to do with being old-fashioned and incredibly lovely in an “I’m-so-old-I’m-awesome-again” way. You know, like Reese Witherspoon’s 2006 Oscar dress when she won for “Walk the Line.” It was vintage Dior. So, obviously it’s not really the same kind of vintage.

Also, how do people actually remember all of this stuff about the wines that they’ve tasted? I’m going to be carrying this around in my purse and taking it out on multiple occasions because, otherwise, I would have no frame of reference at all! I usually try a small glass of wine with meals and, even though I’m told the name, year and/or country it’s from, I forget just like that. This passport is not leaving my side.

So, when I start my tastings, this is the info that I will be writing down and reporting back (as listed in my wine passport):

  • Name
  • Variety
  • Vintage
  • Producer
  • Country/Region
  • Where Sampled
  • Date
  • Price
  • Red/white/sparkling/blush
  • Rating

This seems like a lot of gibberish to me, but I’m sure I’ll be speaking the lingo in no time. I’ll be all, “Ooh, this wine is so vintage-y and it has such a nice variety. I shall give it 3 stars out of a possible 5 stars. Mmm…it has a nice blush colour and is typical of its…region.”

Haha. That’s how wine connoisseurs talk, right?

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08/01/2012
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Fun Facts, Personal, Products, Random

Resolution

So, the holiday season has come and gone along with quite a few tasty treats and bottles of wine.

I mean, is there anything better than the indulgence that Christmas and New Year’s bring every year?

Now that it’s over, though, I’ve come to the realization that I need to start writing about the wines that I’ve tried, the food I’ve had paired with the wines, and the interesting little facts that I’ve learned.Like, did you know that red wine can only be made from red grapes but, white wine can be made from both red and white grapes? Crazy, huh?

I did get some pretty awesome wine accessories for Christmas! Like this Metrokane Deluxe Rabbit Corkscrew along with a Menu Wine Breather Decanter. I’ve used the decanter once already, and although I didn’t really notice a taste difference after it was aerated (I’ll try to learn more about that later), it did provide a moment of entertainment for the guests that were visiting, as well as a lovely centrepiece at the dinner table.

So, with that, I’ve decided that this shall be my resolution: to stop procrastinating and start writing this blog. Wine seems to be all around me – I just can’t help it – it’s drawn to me or something and I’ve got to start writing about it!

You’ll hear from me soon…fingers crossed :)

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