Monthly Archives: October 2021

Spanish Songs in Andalucía with Soup and Sherry: Oh My Corazón #WorldWineTravel

Tio Pepe Fino Sherry

I suspect that sherry is the most misunderstood and under-appreciated relationship to have in the wine world. I admit that it is not as easily accessible as some adult beverages. If most people know sherry at all it is for cooking or salads. But like the best relationships, its rich complexity rewards those willing to spend the time. 

This month the World Wine Travel group of wine writers moves to southern Spain, Andalucia, which brought to mind the first line of one of my favorite Clash songs “Spanish songs in Andalucía.” The lyrics, like sherry, testify to layers of history, and how they interact with each other over time, connecting past and present, and with those who come in contact with it. 

The rule of thumb for pairing sherry is: Continue reading →

Biodynamic Champagne Vincent Charlot “Fruit of My Passion” + Prawns, Polenta #ChampagneDay

Champagne Vincent Charlot

“The Fruit of My Passion.” As the world opens up now that many of us are vaccinated, we can once again gather together. What better way to celebrate the “After Time” but with a glass of Champagne in a toast with loved ones?  #ChampagneDay (held annually on the fourth Friday of October with the 12th annual global Champagne Day Friday, October 22) celebrates all things Champagne– the fruit of passion?  Check out the Champagne Day website for virtual events or nearby ones.

Vincent Charlot, Caroline Henry, and Sue Hill inspect the vineyard

For Sue and I, Champagne Day is a chance to remember and reflect on our amazing experience there in October of 2019 where we visited several biodynamic wineries, met winemakers, explored the city of Reims, and took drives through the vineyards under sunny skies and rainstorms too, thanks to author Caroline Henry. A highlight of our trip to France was our walk, talk, and tasting with Vincent Charlot (which I wrote about here). And I found a bottle of his 2013 wine in LA for us to feature today! Continue reading →

A Julia Child Inspired Menu including Braised Short Ribs and Petit Verdot from Bordeaux #Winophiles

Julia Child inspired menu with Bordeaux wines

  • “This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook—try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun.” from My Life in France.
  • “One of the secrets of cooking is to learn to correct something if you can, and bear with it if you cannot.” from My Life in France.
  • “Well, all I know is this—nothing you ever learn is really wasted, and will sometime be used.”  
  • “The more you know, the more you can create. There’s no end to imagination in the kitchen.”
  • “To be a good cook you have to have a love of the good, a love of hard work, and a love of creating.” 
  • We should enjoy food and have fun. It is one of the simplest and nicest pleasures in life.”

Who said all these wonderful words?

Here’s a hint:

Why Julia Child of course! And today we have a Julia Child inspired menu of classic French dishes (with recipes!) paired with three wines from Bordeaux, France.  

Continue reading →

October Means #MerlotMe Paired With Instant Pot Bacon Mushroom Merlot Chicken #WinePW

#MerlotMe

October means #MerlotMe time — and here on Wine Predator we are having a Merlot-palooza! No Sideways looks at Merlot around here! So far we have harvested a case of Merlot wine samples to taste and pair, and along with my fellow wine pairing weekend group of wine writers (see below), we hope to inspire you to harvest a bottle or two of merlot for your own table!  

So go ahead and #MERLOTME!

MerlotMe with These Pairings

Continue reading →

Sparkling Wine Secrets: Seek DO Cava and Pair with Spanish Pork Chops and Potatoes

When people think bubbles, they generally think of a wine made from an international grape like chardonnay which is the primary grape used in Champagne, France and in other regions of the world like California to make sparkling wines. They’re not thinking of grapes like Macabeo or Xarello which are indigenous to Spain. While you may not know their names, if you’ve ever enjoyed a glass of Spanish Cava, you’ve likely tried them because Continue reading →

#Blogtober #MerlotMe #ChampagneDay #SlowWine #Sobertober

For bloggers, October is #Blogtober where the challenge is to write and publish a post every day no matter how great or how small. So far so good! On Friday, October 1, I published about Brunello di Montalcino, and yesterday October 2 I wrote 1800 words about the results of the World Wine tasting Championship. October is also #MerlotMe, Continue reading →