Vive la France! Even before our Declaration of Independence, the Kingdom of France secretly shipped supplies to the Continental Army, and two years after July 4, 1776, that alliance was solidified with a treaty in 1778. On July 14, 1789, the French followed suit in declaring their independence from the monarchy, and here in the US, we often think of Bastille Day on July 14th as “France’s Independence Day.” But in France, Bastille Day is known as La Fête Nationale. Just like our July 4 Independence Day, celebrations include speeches, military parades, and fireworks to mark the anniversary of the fall of the medieval fortress, Bastille, in Paris, on July 14, 1789. And wine of course! Lots and lots of wine!
Of course you could celebrate with French sparkling wine from Champagne wine — or scroll down and check out Sosie Wines, which twins French sensibilities and style to grown French grapes in California terroir.
For a summer time celebration, it’s grill time! Sue paired four meats — fish, beef, pork, and chicken–with different sauces, and Marshall grilled them. Continue reading for all of the details!
Orange wines for summer times? No, I don’t mean some sort of orange juice infused wine or wine cocktail (although you can find some darn good juicy cocktails here!) Far from it. Orange wines are white wines made with the kind of skin contact typical of red wines– there is no orange juice involved at all. Usually white wines are made with brief contact with the skin; the juice is immediately pressed off. That extended skin contact tints the wine so that it has a deeper hue, almost an orange or even amber color. Often, orange wines are made in amphora which are large clay or concrete vessels.
With summer in full swing, and backyard gatherings back post-pandemic, it’s time for summer craft cocktails! We have six craft cocktails createdby Sue Hill for you featuring Ventura Spirits: Wilder Gin, Opuntia Cactus Pear Brandy, Strawberry Brandy, and from Sideyard Shrubs: Peach, Prickly Pear, and Fingerling Lime. Plus three bonus cocktails: one with Sideyard Shrub with Corvezzo Organic Prosecco, and two Continue reading →
Queens of Langhe: Mother Daughter Duo Anna and Valentina Abbona of Marchesi di Barolo on a ZOOM with me
Introducing the “Queens of Langhe: Mother Daughter Duo Anna and Valentina Abbona of Marchesi di Barolo!” We first met on an early morning Zoom on Women’s Day in March, and I used my Coravin on the three wines to preserve them for the day when Sue and I could pair them appropriately — which we did a few weeks later with osso bucco. Then I met them in person in LA at a big Barolo and Barberesco tasting! From Italy’s Piedmont, and the CANTINE MARCHESI DI BAROLO, please welcome Mother Daughter Dynamic Duo Anna and Valentina Abbona!
When I visited the cork forests in the Alentejo about 10 years ago, it was October. We drove a few hours East from Lisbon, and I was amazed at how beautiful the landscape was, with the rolling hills of grass, vineyards of grapes, olive orchards, lavender growing everywhere, the beautiful oak trees, animals running around, flocks of birds in the trees. I was also surprised to see the bark taken off some of trees and not others, and I was shocked by how red and raw the trees looked! I was relieved to learn that the trees are just fine – that it is like removing the wool from sheep, the cork grows back!Continue reading →
Three Crémant d’Alsace Paired with Crab Crêpes and strawberry salad
Crémant and Crêpes? Oui! Three Crémant d’Alsace Paired with Crab Crêpes and Crêpes Suzette for a summery feast? Oui, oui, oui! Unfamiliar with Crémant? It’s simply sparkling wine made in France from other regions than Champagne Continue reading →
Last week, we looked at wines in the can for picnics. Now we have another alternative to heavy, breakable bottles for wine: bag in the box, a topic we have not explored for quite awhile! With their portability, not only are wines in a box great for gatherings and outdoor occasions, they are much more sustainable: they stay tasty and fresh for weeks. AND they are much better for the planet. How could this be true? Wine in a bag in a box does not allow the wine to go “bad”– and wine in a bag does not weigh as much as glass making it less taxing on the earth in terms of shipping. Root: 1’s GEA is sustainable in other ways too: it’s Chile’s first certified sustainable winery. We recently sampled Root: 1’s GEA, taking it on a camping trip to the east side of the Sierra near Yosemite National Park (pictured).
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 