Category Archives: White

15/08/2012
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Blush, Food Pairings, Red, Sparkling, Tastings, White

Summer Wines


The sunshine is finally out in Vancouver and with it comes some great opportunities to drink. Wine is welcome at summertime BBQ’s, brunches, and on the patio for happy hour so it got me to thinking about which wines pair well with this hot, hot heat.

White Wine

Let’s start with a light, crisp wine. I recommend a nice Pinot Gris for a refreshing afternoon sip. Let’s not forget that white wine is served chilled, so it offers the benefits of cooling you down and also satisfying your taste buds. A great wine to have over lunch with poultry or fish, this can also be enjoyed with fresh fruit and veggies.

Next on my list to try: Gray Monk Pinot Gris

Sparkling Wine

If there’s one thing I love, it’s brunch. I’ll admit I’m a foodie when it comes to every meal, but there’s something about brunch that makes my heart sing. My favourite thing to have with eggs benny or an omelette? A mimosa. And in the summer? Score. Although mixed together, the champagne is a great compliment to the orange juice and creates a sparkly, heavenly drink. The type of champagne you use matters too! I would love to say I’ve tried a mimosa with Dom Perignon, but alas, I haven’t. I guess I’ll just have to stick with the under $20 varietals. Not so crazy on mixing your champagne with juice? Try enjoying a glass with a few strawberries thrown in. It tastes great and looks pretty too!

Next on my list to try: Baby Canadian Champagne

Rosé

Rosé is the type of wine that I drink most infrequently, which is a shame because it really is delicious and delightful. This would be a great hostessing gift to bring to a summer get together and can be easily paired with dishes ranging from appies to entrées. It’s not too light or too heavy and puts a smile on everyone’s faces because it’s pink! Ok, well, it at least puts a smile on my face because it’s pink.

Next on my list to try: Sawmill Creek White Zinfandel 

Red

I used to think that I would shy away from red wines in the summer. I would hear words like “full-bodied” and “heavy” and they would make me think about the exact opposite of summer, so…winter. Truth is, there are a lot of great reds out there that can definitely hold their own at this time of year. Just think about all the barbecued steaks and hamburgers that are so often-enjoyed right now and how good a nice glass of red would pair with them .

Next on my list to try: Fetish the Watcher Shiraz

Hope you get to try some of these and please suggest some others for me to try! Happy summer!

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24/04/2012
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Food Pairings, Tastings, White

Birthday Dinner

Every year on my birthday, I have to get together with my family. And no, it’s not an obligation, I do it because I want to! This year, I chose Marcello’s as the destination for my birthday extravaganza! It’s a quaint little Italian restaurant on Commercial Drive and makes some of the best pasta I’ve ever had — and no, it’s not better than yours mom ;)

On this occasion, I asked the server to mix me up a little something special in the kitchen. I got an order of linguine with an extra spicy tomato cream sauce topped with prawns. It was to die for! I’m a big believer in going big on your birthday and that’s exactly what I did. I ate that pasta with gusto and washed it down with a delicious, smooth Pinot Grigio.

Name: Zonin “Primo amore” Pinot Grigio

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Producer: Zonin

Country/Region: The Veneto

Where Sampled: Marcello’s

Date: Apr. 12/2012

Price: $7/5 oz. glass

Comments: 

  • Crisp taste
  • Hints of apple, apricot, lemon
  • Citrus flavours coming off of the apples in a subtle manner
  • Smooth taste, with a bit of tanginess
  • Legs were not very long, low alcohol content
The wine paired very nicely with my dish and with everyone else’s in my party. Everyone ordered pasta and agreed that the wine complimented each and every dish – from a seafood cream sauce, to a Bolognese. Cheers! 
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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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21/02/2012
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Food Pairings, Sparkling, Tastings, White

A Shelter from the Storm

As you may know, I went to Tofino for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It was so beautiful that I don’t even know how to describe it. I’m blessed to live in a city as stunning as Vancouver where I get to see the ocean all the time, but when I travelled to Tofino it was like I was seeing an entirely different ocean for the first time. It was absolutely breathtaking to be there during storm season and on the weekend before Valentine’s Day…can you say romantic? I had such a wonderful time and I can’t wait to travel back again soon. But, enough about the lovely ocean and on to the important stuff…the wine I had while I was there!

The boyfriend and I celebrated Valentine’s Day on Saturday night with a lovely meal out. He planned it all as a surprise so I was very excited and a little skeptical. OK, maybe skeptical is the wrong word…let’s use anxious. Just anxious to see where we were going, what time we would get there, what to wear, etc. I just like to be organized. Geez.

It all worked out perfectly, though. We went to this restaurant called Shelter and it was absolutely beautiful! It had a rustic, west coast feel (go figure!), with a huge, romantic fireplace in the middle of the dining room. And luckily, we got to sit near the fire because I decided to wear a sleeveless shirt. Hey, a girl has to look good when she’s celebrating Valentine’s Day. And don’t worry, I made sure it was pink. Continue reading →

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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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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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