Category Archives: Random Whites

On a Lighter Note: A White Chocolate and Wine Pairing for Valentine’s Day

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Happy Valentine’s Day, readers! I hope you’ve got some indulgent treats awaiting you today, perhaps a special bottle of wine or your favorite dessert? If not, I have a pairing I hope you will really like.

Valentine’s Day typically calls to mind images of dark chocolates nestled romantically together in a box and sleek, alluring bottles of red wine. But since I’ve already covered what to pair with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and what to pair with sparkling wine, I wanted to explore uncharted territory: I became curious about what to pair with white chocolate. I’m sure there are some people out there who prefer white over milk and dark chocolate. Sure, white chocolate isn’t *true* chocolate because it lacks cocoa solids and only contains cocoa butter, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a delicious treat. To me, there is a time and an occasion for every type of chocolate! 🙂

But is there a wine for every type of chocolate, especially white?

White chocolate is very rich, sweet, and creamy, and calls for something that can handle its weight and richness.

Last year, for fun, I paired some white chocolate with Pinot Noir and then with Sauvignon Blanc. In both instances the pairings were flops and tasted less than desirable. Of course there may be certain versions of those wines out there that randomly would work well with white chocolate, but if I don’t like something when I try it, I am certainly not going to recommend it to you. Bad wine and food pairings can be truly awful!

But there has to be something, right?

I am probably not the first one to invent this pairing, so I won’t take credit for it; in fact, I most likely encountered it while reading about wine (what else is there to read about?). It occurred to me that pairing white chocolate with orange Muscat, a white wine that can be made in a sweet dessert style, would create that amazing flavor combination of orange and vanilla, like an orange creamsicle. Anyone remember the Dixie® cups with the swirl of orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream? The ones that came with the little flat wooden spoons?

I love that flavor combination, so I sent my husband to pick up a bottle of orange Muscat and some white chocolate bars so we could conduct some scientific research (that is what I call drinking wine and pairing it with food in my house. Best science class you’ll ever have.). 😉

Here is what our research yielded:

Quady Electra Moscato 2022

Quady Electra MoscatoWhite Chocolate

  • ABV 4.5% (super low!)
  • $11.49/bottle (whoa, also super low, very helpful right now)
  • Pale gold color
  • Light bodied, nice refreshing acidity, sweet
  • Aromas/Flavors: “millions of peaches, peaches for me” | honey, grape, Muscat aromas
  • Serve chilled
  • Admittedly, this is quite sweet wine, and rather simple, but it works beautifully with the white chocolate.
  • It really is reminiscent of tangy orange sherbet and smooth, creamy vanilla ice cream.
  • Pairing it with white chocolate was delightful and seamless.
  • But word to the wise – only use plain white chocolate! We tried a hazelnut white chocolate bar with this wine and it was gross. Try the brands Private Selection or Lindt, for example.

I like this pairing because it’s a little different, a little more unique than chocolate truffles and red wine (or heaven forbid, sparkling wine – great to drink just separately from chocolate).

It’s rich yet light, sweet, floral, creamy, delicious. It’s like Valentine’s Day in its purely innocent form: cute, flirtatious, fun and easygoing. There are no clashing flavors, making it an entirely pleasant experience. Phew!

I can get serious and sullen sometimes, turning inward and becoming preoccupied with gloomy thoughts. Forget the outside world, which is serious and sullen enough on its own; my own inner world can brew more than its fair share of despair.

At those times I have to remind myself to reject negative thoughts and lighten up. I’ve even started re-watching the TV series The Office because it still makes me laugh out loud, every episode, after all these years. How it is a 25-year old show now is beyond me.

I think this white chocolate and orange Muscat pairing works that kind of magic.

Here’s to lightening up.

Cheers, and Happy Valentine’s Day! 🙂

A White Wine for Fall and Winter (Yes, You Read That Correctly)

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Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Greetings, readers! It’s good to be back on the blog. The last time we spoke I was lauding the juicy scrumptiousness of blackberry wine. Then summer happened, brimming with fun in the sun, kid activities, a sickness or two, and a surgery for me. Sadly, my wine blogging ambitions had to take a backseat. Life gets busy and in those down moments it was often my desire for a nap or Netflix that won out.

But it’s time to get back to business. There are just too darn many amazing wines to write about and to try. I love the French saying, “Life’s too short to drink bad wine” but honestly the motto that resonates most with me is “So many wines, so little time.” (Anyone know where I can get that as a T-shirt of baseball cap?) 😉

Harvested grapes at David Hill Vineyards

Harvested grapes waiting to be turned into wine.

ANYWAY…. It’s November. Fall is well underway, the harvest has happened, the elections are over, and Thanksgiving is staring us in the face, just over the river and through the woods (not to fear, my Thanksgiving wine recommendation will be coming up next!). Everyone take a Deep. Calming. Breath. I’m enjoying the fact that there are still some vividly colored leaves hanging on to the trees, illuminating otherwise often-gloomy grey skies.

November to me is when we settle in collectively for a season of coziness. I’m making lots of soups for dinner, snuggling in ultra-soft blankets, and filling my coffee with pumpkin spice creamer. Cozy and homey. My wineglass lately has been full of excellent Pinot Noirs, whose lightness and complexity beg for the kind of contemplative savoring unique to fall.

But we’ll save Pinot Noir for another day… what I most want to talk to you about today is an unusual Pinot Blanc. I tried this particular wine in Oregon a month ago. It truly embodies the spirit of fall in a white wine. This Pinot Blanc is from David Hill Winery in Forest Grove, Oregon. David Hill Vineyards and Winery is LIVE certified and uses low impact, organic farming methods to pamper these special grapes and bring out their maximum potential, and the efforts pay off handsomely in delicious wines.

David Hill Vineyards & Winery, Forest Grove, OR

The day we tasted at David Hill Winery. Heaven on earth.

As I may have mentioned before, Oregon white wines have seriously captured my fancy and have been commanding plenty of attention as of late. This winery is a wonderful place to discover some phenomenal old-growth varieties and taste a spectacular array of wines.

The oldest vines in the vineyard were planted from rootstock, brought back from Alsace, France, by UC Davis graduate Charles Coury in 1965. Wines made from Coury’s plantings are part of the winery’s Discovery Series label. Some of the other intriguing varieties include Riesling, Sylvaner, Chasselas, Melon de Bourgogne, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Noir. The Sylvaner may very well be getting its own blog post here in the future, and my husband and I are huge fans of their noble rot-affected Riesling. 😋

Wine grapes at David Hill Vineyards

White wine grapes just about ready for harvest at David Hill Vineyards. Soaking up that golden sunshine.

Come get to know this Pinot Blanc that is unlike any other Pinot Blanc I’ve had to date:
David Hill Vineyards & Winery Tualatin Hills Block 22 Pinot Blanc 2023

  • David Hill Vineyards & Winery Discovery Series 2023 Block 22 Pinot Blanc
  • 100% Estate-Grown Pinot Blanc
  • Get this: this wine is aged in 100% chestnut barrels. Chestnut barrel aged wines are something you don’t taste everyday. Chestnut wood barrels were used in many European wineries before a global blight wiped out a large portion of chestnut trees. So it’s a real treat to taste a wine fermented and aged in something besides oak, stainless steel, or concrete.
  • $32/bottle
  • ABV 11.28%
  • From the tasting notes: “Aromas of golden apple and brown pear with a hint of nectarine and river rock meet the freshness of dill and fennel to round out the nose of our 2023 Pinot Blanc.” These notes carry over to the palate “along with subtle Marcona almond” giving “a warming, comforting… textural component through the finish. This wine is reminiscent of… fall spices and late summer notes.”

Isn’t that just gorgeous? 🍂

You need this wine for light refreshment when you are outside enjoying a still-warm autumn afternoon, just as much as you need this wine when you are indoors, at night, curled up on the couch next to a fireplace, ready to relax and soak in all this wine’s autumnal glory. And it’s begging to play with fancy cheeses. 🙂 It’s got it all!

So don’t EVER put away your whites, just because it’s after Labor Day. 😉 This rich and complex Pinot Blanc is perfect for fall, winter, and beyond.

Cheers! 🙂 🥂

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A Delicious Discovery for World Verdejo Day

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Happy World Verdejo Day, readers! This may be the fastest blog post I have ever thrown together in a day (pant, pant – June is BUSY!) but the word must go out. The blog must go on! Plus, I also share an easy recipe that will pair exceptionally well with this wine. And, last but not least, drum roll… Happy 100th post to The Rambling Vine! ❤

I first had this wine at a Spanish wine class at Total Wine. As someone who prefers red wines, I tend to reluctantly try white wines with low expectations. But this cheerful and exuberant white made me check my biases and thrust me into full-blown enjoyment. When a white wine makes me say “whoa” after the first sip, I know I’m on to a good thing. It’s also a fantastic price ($16.99) for a truly fantastic wine.

So what is Verdejo? Verdejo is a white wine grape grown in Rueda, Spain. Rueda is a region that uses mainly Verdejo grapes to create amazing white wines bursting with tart acidity and plush, full fruit flavors. If you’re a New Zealand Sauv Blanc fan, wait until you give this a try!

Check out the Finca Vallejo Rueda Verdejo 2022:

Finca Vallejo Rueda Verdejo 2022

Love the label

  • $16.99/bottle
  • 13% ABV
  • Rich, pale gold color
  • Knockout aromas of lime, peach, grapefruit, fennel, melon, etc.
  • Light body with plush, creamy mouthfeel
  • Powerful, refreshing acidity curtailed by juicy citrus fruit flavors
  • Screams “I wanna party with some seafood!”

My “recipe” for fish tacos is simple in the extreme, but wonderful. We all need more easy-to-pull-together dinners. Four basic ingredients. Try it when you’re floundering for what to make for dinner (pun unintended, or not). 😉

The Rambling Vine’s Fish Tacos in a Cinch

  • Flour tortillas (or tortilla/wrap of your choice)
  • White fish fillets of your choice (cod, rockfish, halibut, etc.)
  • Bagged coleslaw mix
  • Brianna’s ® Home Style Creamy Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing

Warm your tortillas so they’re pliable. Cook your fish to doneness: throw several fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush fish with some olive oil, salt, and pepper (keep it simple – the dressing will add more flavor later). Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until cooked to a safe internal temperature of 145 degrees.

For each taco, lay a tortilla flat on a plate, lay on a fish fillet, scatter on a handful of coleslaw mix, and then drizzle on the Brianna’s ® Home Style Creamy Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing (don’t skip that). You’re done!

Brianna's Home Style Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Love this brand and this dressing!

Pour a chilled glass of this Verdejo to go with your dinner and pretend you’re in Rueda, Spain or other warm sunny location of your choice.

Happy Verdejo Day! Let me know if you try the recipe or the wine. 🙂

Blinded by the White

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Surprise Pick: Alamos Torrontés 2010

These glorious first-taste-of-real-summer days in Washington in April bring the masses out of hibernation, for fear this could be the only Vitamin D we get until mid-July. The folks I always cringe at are the ones that bare as much pasty white flesh as possible in worship of the sun god, then scar our eyes again with a shade of wince-inducing “scorched lobster.” Didn’t they ever heed the wisdom of Baz Luhrmann?

I invite you to be pleasantly surprised by another kind of white… an Argentinian white wine!

I’ll start by throwing you a curve ball of a rare and little talked-about white wine, Torrontés. Have any of you actually heard of this wine and tried it? I had NEVER heard of it, until it winked at me at my local grocery store (lots of wines wink at me, and I can’t buy all of them). Naturally, I was curious, so I picked up a bottle for kicks. Alamos makes an outstanding Malbec at a terrific value (around $10 or under a bottle), so I figured a white from this label wouldn’t be a total loss. But then again, isn’t Argentina synonymous with juicy red Malbecs? Like Seattle & salmon, or New York & hot dogs? Some things are lumped together for good reason, and shaking up these fixed associations can trigger outcries from the traditionalists.

Evita wants you to understand just how GOOD Argentinian Torrontes is!

Well, phooey on them! Argentina makes an excellent white wine… yes, Argentina, land of acclaimed Malbecs, tango, and Evita Perón!

This is my new favorite white wine! Here’s why: “Torrontés has a unique expression in Argentina and has often been called the country’s signature white varietal. Alamos Torrontés captures all of the explosive aromatic character of this Argentine grape, with lively notes of citrus and peach fruit interwoven with delicate layers of jasmine blossom and fresh herbs. The wine is light and fresh on the palate with excellent balance and finishing with bright, crisp acidity.” It has all the characteristics I like in other whites (fruity, rich, floral and herbal notes) rolled into this one varietal.

Turn to Torrontés for an unusual but delightful crowd-pleasing white wine that’s not Chardonnay (let Chardonnay have the night off for once). Let me know what you think! And if you’re in the Seattle area, wear your sunscreen!