What comes to mind when you think about Riesling? Sweet? Or too sweet?
Guess again!
What about Alsace?
If you’re a typical American, I’d bet you probably don’t know that…
Alsace is a region in the Northeastern corner of France, right next to Germany and above Switzerland with 38,300 acres of vines, with over 13% organic or biodynamic, making the region one of the greenest in France. In 2011, Alsace produced 12.5 million cases of wine.
Alsace has 13 different and very distinct types of soil from volcanic to limestone to clay, the most diverse terroir in France.
Alsace is in the rain shadow of the Vosges Mountains making it the second driest region in France with around 20 inches of rain per year. Alsace also experiences a lot of sunshine with 1,800 hours annually. Warm days and cool nights allow for slow ripening, which produces complex, aromatic and balanced wines.
Alsace produces mostly white wines: still, sparkling, and sweet, but also Pinot Noir.
Crémant d’Alsace makes up 24% of the production and is produced in the tradition method from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir (all Crémant d’Alsace Rosés are 100% Pinot Noir) or Chardonnay (only for Crémant production).Yum! Read about the Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace we opened for Mother’s Day!
So what should you pair with that Riesling from Alsace now that you know that it’s not necessarily sweet? Continue reading →
I’m preparing for a Twitter tasting of four Rieslings from Alsace on Thursday from 4-5pm (more on that in tomorrow’s post!) so Annie AnyDay and I were discussing today what we should fix to pair with them.
They’re $25 unframed or $100 framed; I think they should turn them into boxed note cards or postcards! In fact, I’m going to suggest to them to do postcards of California for the Wine Bloggers Conference in 2014 in Santa Barbara for the gift bags.
This map is part of a series of fun posts using infographics, tables, charts, and maps. Here’s an infographic about the evolution of PR. Coming up: a pie chart about how to pair wine and cheese, and an inforgraphic about reisling. And then I hope to have my series of posts about Tinhorn Creek in BC ready to post!
As I’m moving into my 10th year of marriage, my son is heading into 5th grade, I’m in my 15 year of teaching writing at the community college level, I’m 12 years into a 30 year mortgage, and I’m almost done with my second year of my PhD (about to earn a second Masters, this one in Depth Psychology), I sometimes see opportunities and say, hmmn, I wonder, I wish. What if.
Will Lambrusco, that delightful bubbly red wine from Italy, be the next Prosecco, that delightful white bubbly wine from Italy that took the US by storm nearly 10 years ago?
We’ll see!
In the meantime, the perfect time to check out Lambrusco is today Friday June 21, 2013–the first day of summer and Lambrusco Day!
I was sent a sample of the IL Mionetto Lambrusco so Annie and I opened it up yesterday in anticipation of Lambrusco Day. Annie said,
If you were waiting until the last minute to purchase a ticket to the The 6th Annual Ventura County Wine Trail Celebration today, June 20 at 5:30-8:30pm, you waited too long because tickets are sold out!
Why?
1. This year, the festival will be held at a brand new venue– The Collection Riverpark’s outdoor event center located by the brand new REI and Whole Foods across from the old Esplanade near the intersection of the 101 and Highway 1 in Oxnard.
2. 17 of Ventura County’s local boutique wineries pouring tastes of their new releases.
3. Wines made from every major wine grape growing region in California from Napa Valley to Malibu.
4. Over 30 different varietals and blends to sample.
5. Opportunity to meet and talk with area wine makers.
6. The very best in local cuisine with restaurants prepared their signature dishes onsite.
7. Great musical entertainment by The Shoemakers Brothers.
Event tickets WERE available for $40 at www.VenturaCountyWineTrail.com, and WERE going to be for $50 at the door. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to the Ventura County FOOD SHARE, a food bank that houses and distributes millions of pounds of food each year to the hungry of Ventura County.
So next year, get your tickets in advance!
The 6th Annual Ventura County Wine Trail Celebration
Returns to Celebrate the Bounty of the County!
The Ventura County Wine Trail brings the 6th annual Wine Trail Celebration to Ventura County, June 20th, 2013. This year, the festival will be held at The Collection Riverpark’s outdoor event center – West Ventura County’s newest shopping, dining and entertainment destination.
This year, the festival will feature more than 17 of Ventura County’s local boutique wineries; each sharing their latest releases. For wine lovers, this event is truly unique – as local wine makers bring in grapes from every major growing region across California (from Napa Valley to Malibu). This allows Ventura County Wine Trail tasters to experience the very best of California wine county – all without the road trip. This event will boast more than 30 different varietals and blends, and provide an opportunity to meet the wine makers behind them.
In addition to the lineup of wines, guests will taste the very best in local cuisine – fresh from the area’s hottest restaurants. Chefs prepare their signature dishes onsite for attendees to enjoy over the three hour festival. In previous years, attendees have been treated to inspired culinary creations – such as Black & Blue Filet, Poached Salmon with dill cream sauce and Lamb Burgers.
This year’s special musical guests are local favorites, The Shoemakers Brothers. Musicians and fans alike declare this band to be one of the best live acts they have ever heard or seen. The Brothers astound audiences by switching instruments, as they perform; they are all classically trained on string instruments, they all sing lead vocals and harmonies, and they all play guitar, piano, drums and bass.
Between the delicious wines, mouthwatering fare and unforgettable music – the 6th annual Ventura County Wine Trail Celebration is festival not to miss!The festival begins at 5:30pm – 8:30pm, June 20th, 2013. Event tickets are available for $40 and for sale online at www.VenturaCountyWineTrail.com, and for $50 at the door. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to the Ventura County FOOD SHARE, a food bank that houses and distributes millions of pounds of food each year to the hungry of Ventura County.
in!
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 