HENRI CHAMPLIAU Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Authentique NV
Candles lit. Table set. Oysters shucked. Fancy dress. Crémant cools.
Wait, what cools?
Crémant.
Yes, Crémant: your secret to affordable French sparkling wine for Valentine’s Day or any day!
Crémant (pronounced “cray-mont”) means creamy in French Continue reading
Phillipe Lancelot’s Biodynamic Vineyard in Champagne
True or False: Conventionally grown wine grapes use more pesticides than most other crops.
True. Not too surprising either that pesticides put the health of farm workers, wildlife and neighboring communities at risk. Pesticides are such a huge problem in Champagne that the region has some of the most polluted water in the world according to Champagne expert Caroline Henry. And people are starting to say NO: In 2014, when teachers and students at a rural school in Bordeaux exposed to these toxic chemicals had to be hospitalized, winemakers faced strong public pressure and protests, which forced the wine industry in France to evolve more rapidly to expand organic farming methods.
True or False: Organic and biodynamic wines score higher than conventionally grown wines.
Yesterday was Super Bowl LV. Traditionally a food fest full of alcoholic beverage consumption, this year’s game was unlike any other. And it wasn’t just because of the streaker who made it on to the field.
Unlike other Super Bowls, Sue and I didn’t come up with a pigskin pairings party post. I didn’t even take any photos of our food, wine, and beer. Because of COVID, it just wasn’t that kind of event this year.
In fact, this Super Bowl is so different that even Bruce Springsteen made an appearance– with his 1980 Jeep.
But first, it can’t have escaped your attention that Super Bowl LV (or 55 if you’re not fluent in Roman numerals) looks a lot like LIVE. Continue reading
Montepulciano x 3! Paired with Osso Bucco
Looking for a WOW meal to impress your Valentine, Galentine, Pandemic Pod, or too familiar family during this extended stay at home period? Something serious, something new, something special, something that fits a budget– and with leftovers makes a few more meals? How about this instant pot Osso Bucco Stew paired with Montepulciano?
First off, what’s different between these three organic Montepulciano:
If you guessed: Continue reading
“A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh…” Proverbs 14:30.
“I’m gonna own that place one day.” Bill Shinkle, founder of Tranquil Heart.
What better wine for Valentine’s Day in these turbulent times than one called Tranquil Heart?
With brown hills above Santa Paula and local snow capped mountains in the background, winemaker Bruce Freeman cradles three of his wines to be featured in the Feb. 11 Verotalk.
Following high winds with two brief yet intense rainstorms which left inches of hail on the ground and snow dusting the local mountains including several inches in Malibu canyon, I dropped by Clos des Amis yesterday afternoon to taste how the 2020 vintage is progressing, and help a bit with clean up.
These 3 Clos des Amis wines will be featured in a Facebook live talk on Feb. 11; details on how to order them below. (Unfiltered, unedited photo!)
In a difficult year with COVID, fires, and sudden record-breaking high temperatures, the 2020 harvest overall was a bright spot for Clos Des Amis winemaker Bruce Freeman who predicted the vintage would be exceptional: “We had beautiful weather, beautiful fruit, and I’m excited about the potential for these wines.” Soon after harvested, he told me that the wines were “already showing elegance and power.” Continue reading
Creating Groth’s newly released Estate White was NOT a quick or easy task.
In fact it was many years in the making from idea to fruition. The idea? Groth, famous for their estate Cabernet Sauvignon, wanted to offer a classic white Bordeaux style blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon from their Oakville Estate in the heart of Napa Valley. Continue reading
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 