Picture it: Kingsville, 2010... a Sunday evening with eleven people snuggled around our dining room table as I host my first wine tasting dinner at the house.
A glass of Prosecco greeted everyone upon arrival and gave us time to put the final touches on dinner. Caesar salad with homemade dressing started the meal, followed by pork tenderloin with risotto and asparagus, finished off with mini sponge cakes topped with mixed fresh berries and a dollop of vanilla yogurt.
I poured four wines with the meal, each from a different winery in the Erie Shores region: a crisp riesling, an oaky chardonnay, a light rose (sorry, no accents on this laptop) and a medium-bodied pinot noir. The consensus was that the rose was the best match with dinner. With dessert, I served a late harvest cabernet, which was ideal with the fruit and yogurt.
What's next? Who knows? My calendar is practically empty and I'm open to all offers and requests - and challenges!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Vinturi, part II
Last night saw us sitting down on the back deck to a wonderfully grilled, lightly seasoned steak with boiled potatoes topped with home-seasoned sour cream, butter and chives alongside grilled asparagus. The beverage of choice was, yes, it's true, a 2009 Fuzion, the near riot-causing (in Ottawa's LCBO flagship store, at least) Argentinian blend of Shiraz and Malbec.
While I would have normally let this one age for a few years, I wanted to see what effect the Vinturi would have on it. Well, my friends, I was once again pleasantly surprised. Pre-Vinturi: a relatively full body, lightly fruity and tannins so intense I almost gagged. Post-Vinturi: still the same relatively full body, but more fruit on the nose and palate and nicely mellowed tannins. The real kicker came when I tried some non-Vinturi afterward... OUCH!
Those of us who are die-hard cellarers will, of course, continue to stock up on wines and see how they age naturally with time. That is, to my mind, one of the great joys of wine. For those of us who can't wait to enjoy that bottle of wine, thank Bacchus/Dionysus for the Vinturi!
While I would have normally let this one age for a few years, I wanted to see what effect the Vinturi would have on it. Well, my friends, I was once again pleasantly surprised. Pre-Vinturi: a relatively full body, lightly fruity and tannins so intense I almost gagged. Post-Vinturi: still the same relatively full body, but more fruit on the nose and palate and nicely mellowed tannins. The real kicker came when I tried some non-Vinturi afterward... OUCH!
Those of us who are die-hard cellarers will, of course, continue to stock up on wines and see how they age naturally with time. That is, to my mind, one of the great joys of wine. For those of us who can't wait to enjoy that bottle of wine, thank Bacchus/Dionysus for the Vinturi!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
To decant or not to decant? Vinturi solves the problem!
People often ask me about the benfits of aeration and how to preserve any wine in the decanter that is not consumed. Aside from the obvious answer -- to drink all of the wine -- I have never known what to say. Who, me, at a loss for words? Yes, indeed, it does happen!
That all changed when Paul gave me a Vinturi wine aerator (http://www.vinturi.com/). From its sleek teardrop shape to its ease of use, the Vinturi is indeed a wonder to use, and a conversation piece to boot!
We tried it with my brother-in-law and his wife on a 2005 Shiraz from Pelee Island Winery (with pizza - one ham and pineapple and the other a combo with mushrooms, green peppers and pepperoni) and were pleasantly surprised at the effect. The fruits were more prominent and the tannins were slightly mellowed. Essentially, giving an already excellent wine just that extra touch that only comes from decanting, but without the fuss -- not to mention the challenge of cleaning the decanter afterward!
No longer does anyone have to wonder how to get the benefits of decanting a bottle of wine in a single glass.
If you try it, let me know what you think!
That all changed when Paul gave me a Vinturi wine aerator (http://www.vinturi.com/). From its sleek teardrop shape to its ease of use, the Vinturi is indeed a wonder to use, and a conversation piece to boot!
We tried it with my brother-in-law and his wife on a 2005 Shiraz from Pelee Island Winery (with pizza - one ham and pineapple and the other a combo with mushrooms, green peppers and pepperoni) and were pleasantly surprised at the effect. The fruits were more prominent and the tannins were slightly mellowed. Essentially, giving an already excellent wine just that extra touch that only comes from decanting, but without the fuss -- not to mention the challenge of cleaning the decanter afterward!
No longer does anyone have to wonder how to get the benefits of decanting a bottle of wine in a single glass.
If you try it, let me know what you think!
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