Think Pink: International Rosé Day + Delish Salmon Recipe

Posted on June 23, 2023 by The Rambling Vine

Summer greetings, and Happy International Rosé Day! Take time to stop and smell the roses and rosés. 😉

Earlier this month, I was very confused, but then some quick Googling cleared everything up (Googling usually has the opposite effect): in June, there is not only a National Rosé Day but also an International Rosé Day, which is today. I briefly panicked because I’d been planning to share this particular rosé with you for some time, and was afraid I had missed my window of opportunity. Oh, the agony!

As a Washingtonian, I suppose picking a Columbia Valley Rosé isn’t very international of me, but for those of you not in the USA it qualifies. I’ll admit, I’m starting to enjoy rosé more and more, but I even had to create a blog post category for rosé 11 years after starting The Rambling Vine! So while I haven’t covered it much in the past, this one is worth mentioning, because it’s delicious AND the first type of rosé I’ve had using this particular grape. I’m all for distinct and uncommon wines.

I’m also sharing a favorite recipe that is the ultimate easy, yummy, and gorgeous summer meal. It is charming with the wine.

For those not in the know, rosé is a style of wine, not a wine made from pink grapes. 😉 Sorry to break the news. Red wine grapes are harvested, crushed, and the grape skins are allowed to soak with the grape juice for varying periods of time before being separated in order to impart anywhere from the lightest hint of pink to deep fucschia colors. Rosés generally taste more like white wines but I’ve had some that really straddle the line between both red and white wine in terms of their body, tannin, acid, sweetness, and fruit profile. They truly run the gamut of styles.

Common grapes used to make rosé wines include Sangiovese, Barbera, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc (this is just a few examples).

This rosé, however, from the lovely Pine Lake Cellars of West Seattle, is made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Columbia Valley AVA, and is the only rosé I’ve ever had made from this grape. Cabernet Sauvignon is the “king” of the red wines, and the ultimate steak dinner pairing. It was so interesting to taste this grape as a rosé wine!

I had to let it outside, it was begging

You can purchase this wine at the Pine Lake Cellars tasting room in West Seattle or through their website, which I’ve linked below. If you’re in the area, check out their cute, stylish tasting room that has food for purchase and is kid and dog friendly. They also feature outdoor covered and heated seating areas. My sweet friend treated me to a tasting here a few months ago and we had a stellar time.

Fair warning: they are running low on this rosé, so if you’d like to try it, get on it. A different rosé of Syrah will be showing up soon. I sincerely hope Pine Lake Cellars revisits this particular Cab rosé in the future. In the mean time, I look forward to trying the Syrah rosé.

Pine Lake Cellars Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Columbia Valley

$25/bottle
ABV 13.8%
Serve slightly chilled
In the glass: color is pale copper pink, like traditional ballet tights (you dancers know what I’m talking about)
More medium-bodied, unctuous, mouth-filling, hint of sweetness, yet still with crisp, refreshing character
Nose: light cherry, honeydew, watermelon, rhubarb, tarragon (?)
Mouth: tangerine, plum, black currant cream, celery/fennel, gummy peach candy on finish
This is a lower acid rosé

And here is one of my favorite easy summer recipes that goes “swimmingly” with the wine. 🙂

Copper River, baby!

Salmon with Strawberry-Scallion Tapenade
Recipe courtesy of Jamie Vespa, RD of Dishing Out Health
With my adaptations | Yields 4 servings
*Get that Copper River Salmon right now if you can!

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup diced strawberries
⅓ cup pitted and chopped green olives (I recommend Castelvetrano olives)
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro or parsley (or a mix of both)
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. lower-sodium soy sauce or tamari
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 (6-oz.) skin-on salmon fillets or one salmon side to feed 4
¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine strawberries, olives, scallions, herbs, vinegar, soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. of the oil, and ¼ tsp. each salt and black pepper; toss to combine. Set aside.
Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Blot salmon fillets or side dry with a paper towel, place on baking sheet, and coat flesh evenly with remaining 2 T olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
Place salmon in oven once preheated. Cooking time will vary depending on cuts of fish, but for a side of salmon I find 16-18 minutes is just right. Smaller pieces will take way less time. I prefer cooking fish in the oven to save time and especially to avoid oil splatter on the stove. Salmon should be cooked to a safe internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Transfer salmon to a serving platter and spoon tapenade over top.
Perfect with fresh bread, arugula salad, and Pine Lake Cellars Rosé! 🙂

Let me know if you try this wine and/or make this recipe.

Cheers to pink food and drink (and even a kitchen sink)! 😉

Hats Off to the Grads: Convocation Red Blend + NW Wine Academy

Posted on June 20, 2023 by The Rambling Vine

I was driving around last Friday running errands and was amazed at how busy it was everywhere I went! It was the kickoff for Father’s Day weekend/Juneteenth/summer tourism season, the last day of school for many schools, and a booked up day for graduation ceremonies.

Here is the second part of my “dads and grads” series for June, with a focus today on graduates. I’ll introduce you to a truly unique red blend that is perfectly befitting a graduation, and uncover a lovely hidden gem near West Seattle for wine tasting. Ready?

Some weekends the urge to go wine tasting is so great, we pull the kids in the car and go off on a quest for our favorite beverage. I generally don’t like to take the kids to too many wine tastings; if unequipped they get bored and rightly so. But at the same time, when it’s just us, there’s no childcare, and Mom and Dad just want to get out for one measly half-hour tasting, I see nothing wrong with taking the kids and expecting them to practice the patience we are teaching them (of course every family is different and it won’t work for all ages and stages of kids).

Where better to practice than an institution of study… specifically wine studies! 🙂

Not too long ago on one of our weekend wine forays, we stopped by the tasting room of South Seattle College’s Northwest Wine Academy. Years ago at an old job, I sampled some of their wines at an event held at South Seattle College, and remember being so impressed I made a mental note to do a tasting there sometime. I’m just sorry it took me so long to get there!

Northwest Wine Academy offers classes in wine making, wine marketing & sales, and food & wine pairing, all taught by renowned and experienced wine industry professionals. Students can take a class or two just for fun/enrichment or earn a full-on degree or certificate. Learn more about their classes here.

And, most fun, the wine you get to enjoy is made by the students, and it’s REALLY GOOD!

While the tasting room doesn’t have a ball pit, arcade, or jungle gym for kids (that would be an amazing tasting room – I wonder if that exists somewhere?), it DOES have plenty of spacious tables to spread out at, and there is a large outdoor patio with tables that is especially great for wiggly children or those who wish to sip wine al fresco.

There are also snacks available for purchase. I think I recall seeing things like crackers, snack bars, salami, and cheese.

Another plus in my book is the ample free parking – no crazy packed wine country weekend parking nightmares here (ahem Woodinville).

At the tasting room, your tasting fee is only $8 and you get to pick 4 wines from a fairly extensive list of wines available. The pours are very generous, too (basically 4 full glasses of wine), so if you’re a lightweight make use of the dump bucket. Or just plan to be there a really long time. 🙂

The wines are very interesting and delicious, and all are made by students under the supervision of their professional winemaker teacher. For my 4 wines, I picked the Duet White (Muscat Ottonel and Riesling), a Rosé of Merlot and Pinot Gris, Merlot, and Convocation Red Blend. My husband tried the Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon so between the two of us we sampled all the reds. There’s my little lineup below….

Wine tasting at Northwest Wine Academy, South Seattle College

We went home with the Syrah and the Convocation Red Blend, which I thought would make the perfect bottle of red wine to gift your (21+ age graduate)! 🙂

Northwest Wine Academy Convocation Red Blend Washington State

$19/bottle
64% Merlot, 26% Blaufränkisch (which is also known as Lemberger), 10% Mundy Red field blend (a field blend is where two or more types of grapes are grown together in the same vineyard and then harvested and fermented together)
13.5% ABV
Really pretty deep ruby with a little crimson/garnet
Blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, nice background spice and some kind of herbal note (thyme/rosemary/sage?)
Lovely and sophisticated nose – perfect for the accomplished and erudite graduate in your life
Approachable yet refined
Plenty of tartness and mouthwatering acidity
Strong tannic finish that makes a lasting impression
Winemaker tasting notes: “Aromas of black currants and cloves with hints of tobacco. Medium body and acid with lingering black cherries on the palate.”

What I like about this blend is it’s a sort of triptych of an academic journey: the Merlot represents the old-fashioned/classic/traditional, the Blaufränkisch is like the unique individuality a student brings to their education, and the field blend represents the unknown future/element of mystery. Not sure if that was what the winemakers intended or not, but it seemed symbolic to me.

Before or after your wine tasting, wander over to the Campus Arboretum, which is home to numerous specialty gardens, including rose, tropical, conifer, perennials (among many others), and the Seattle Chinese Garden. All gardens are open every day from dawn until dusk, and are free admission. Gardens are managed by students of South Seattle College’s Landscape Horticulture Program.

Here is the complete listing of gardens and walking map.

South Seattle College Campus Arboretum Walking Map

Walk around in a beautiful and peaceful setting as your kids run around exploring and as you metabolize your wine. 😉

DO NOT MISS THIS PART OF YOUR VISIT!

Building in Seattle Chinese Garden at South Seattle College

Check out the Northwest Wine Academy Tasting Room for a special tasting experience for your grad or dad and for enjoyable Washington wines. Your purchases support the next generation of winemakers! And that is an important investment as anything.

Congratulations, graduates! Put your feet up and sip some NW Wine Academy wine, you’ve earned it! 🙂

Tasting Room at Northwest Wine Academy, South Seattle College

A World “Two-Er” for International Drink Chenin Blanc Day

Posted on June 16, 2023 by The Rambling Vine

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.

Happy International Drink Chenin Blanc Day! Yes, there is literally a holiday for every single variety of vitis vinifera known to man – and if there’s not one now, there soon will be (I think wine bloggers and grape growers are secretly in cahoots behind this plethora of random boozy holidays). But hey, observing these wine holidays is keeping me on track here at The Rambling Vine – it’s kind of like a liturgical calendar but of the vinous sort.

OK, so why the hype over this white wine? you ask.

If you don’t already have one, pour yourself a glass of Chenin Blanc (or other wine at hand) and allow me to fill you in….

Chenin Blanc is one of the most versatile white wine grapes in the world that can be made into numerous styles, and that can match a terrific variety of food.

This grape, in particular, can do everything and do everything beautifully (a quadruple threat) – sparkling wine, light/lean/dry white wine, rich/aromatic/off-dry white wine, or sweet dessert wine. It’s one of the ultimate people-pleaser grape varieties, offering something for every taste and occasion.

Today, let’s go on a world “two-er” of Chenin Blanc (you’re used to my agonizingly bad puns by now, hopefully… if not, my apologies). 🙂

I’ve got two lovely Chenin Blanc wines for you to try: a Vouvray hailing from Old World France (birthplace of Chenin Blanc) and a Steen hailing from New World South Africa. I drank these at two separate times, the South Africa one most recently, but to really memorize the similarities and differences between the two styles open up both bottles together and do a comparative tasting. Have a Chenin Blanc showdown!

Wine #1: Bougrier ‘V’ Vouvray Chenin Blanc

$16/bottle at Total Wine & More
Serve slightly chilled
ABV 11.5%
This is Chenin Blanc from Vouvray, which is in the Loire Valley in France
Medium body, lower acid, slight sweetness
Peach, pear, apple, quince, cream, hazelnut intertwined with elegant minerality
Recommended accompaniments include Fontina cheese and fruit

Wine #2: The Royal Old Vines Steen Chenin Blanc South Africa

$17/bottle at wine.com
Serve slightly chilled
ABV 12.5%
This is Chenin Blanc from the Riebeek Valley in Swartland, South Africa
Pale straw color
High acid, dry, medium-bodied
Guava, apple, pear, gooseberry, citrus, honey, floral
Recommended accompaniments include light summer fare, salads, antipasti, seafood

I feel like I enjoyed the Vouvray a touch better than the Steen, but both are very refreshing and delicious wines worth trying. The Steen was just more acidic and dry but that means it can work well as a companion to food.

Round up one (or both) of these bottles with some nuts, cheese, crackers, fruit, and charcuterie, and you’ve got the formula for the easiest summer dinner ever.

Chenin Blanc strikes me as a sort of odd love-child between Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay (which it is NOT actually, I’m just painting word pictures) – crisp acidity, light/medium body, and the gooseberry aromas of a Sauvignon Blanc but the apple/pear/tropical aromas and sometimes creamy texture of a Chardonnay.

If you haven’t tried one yet, consider this your invitation to explore.

For another great option, don’t forget my recent review of Mexican Chenin Blanc that I really liked. 🙂

Here’s to the many styles and locales of Chenin Blanc!

How about you? Are you imbibing some Vouvray, Steen, or other form of Chenin Blanc today? Do tell!

A Spirited Wine Recommendation for Father’s Day

Posted on June 12, 2023 by The Rambling Vine

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.

June tends to be a busy month of festivities, doesn’t it? I’m sure many of you are filling your calendars with recitals, graduations, and celebrations of the big impending holiday of Father’s Day.

This month, in the season of dads and grads, I’ll be looking at a couple distinct wines that fit these two special occasions.

Have any of you seen the Amazon docuseries, Shiny Happy People? I just finished watching all four episodes last week, and while it was stomach-turning and heart-wrenching, I had to laugh at a preposterous single male character who had the balls to tell wives and moms how they should act. Because, OBVIOUSLY he is an expert. 😉

Now, I am not a dad, so I cannot speak from first-hand experience about what wine-drinking dads like to get for Father’s Day, but you can trust that my wine recommendation is solid, and I will not presume to tell you how to be a dad.

Anyway, enough with the whack-jobs and back to contemplating dear ol’ dad, and what to treat him to on his special day….

I am blessed with both a wonderful dad and dad-in-law. Both love great wine, but of course they each enjoy certain kinds of beer and various spirits.

The cellarmaster at Cooper & Thief believes one should not have to choose between wine and spirits, and so cleverly combines the two in a bourbon barrel-aged red blend. Very wise. Very savvy.

If your dad enjoys bourbon or port, here is a red wine with those same qualities that makes an unusual and utterly delicious gift. Cooper & Thief Bourbon Barrel Aged Red is a red wine blend from California (who knows how to party) that takes a nice extended vacation for three whole months in bourbon whiskey barrels (yes, former homes of bourbon). Don’t you think your dad would like to lounge for three months in a bourbon barrel? Sounds kind of great, actually.

Anyway, what this does to the wine is it infuses the wine with warmth, smoothness, and complexity as it ages and develops into its fine self (do not tell your dad he’s aging like a fine wine, just don’t!). You taste the character of the bourbon barrel treatment in the wine, and it makes it really stand out. At 16% ABV, the alcohol level is encroaching on port territory. It’s got full fruit but still enough other structural traits (tannin and acid) to keep it from being a flabby, over ripe blackberry (you’ve tasted those in the summer, right?).

According to the winemaker’s notes, “Cooper & Thief Bourbon barrel-aged Red Blend offers a swirl of warm toasty vanilla notes, with dark fruit and a gentle hint of classic bourbon spice. Blackberry and jammy dark currants lead to a rich finish, with the elegance of a fine sipping bourbon.”

You sold yet? 🙂

Grab a bottle or two of this classy wine for your dad. He’ll appreciate you taking to heart his lessons on killing two birds with one stone, right? 😉

Happy Father’s Day, dads! Cheers to you and how you lead and love us well.

Troublemaker: A Raucous, Righteous Red to Add to Your Wine Arsenal

Posted on June 5, 2023 by The Rambling Vine

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.

Howdy, readers! I’ve been going full throttle the last few months here on the blog, and while I still plan on posting frequently, I am also taking it down a notch as we enter the summer season. Let’s face it – blog readership dips in the summer months and also I plan to be less attached to my computer when the sun is out, friends are available, and excursions await. So you’ll see me around, but I won’t be quite as in your face (but please keep reading and sharing, thank you!). 🙂

As we head into summer aka BBQ season (see my last post on Mosquito Fleet Winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon), I want to turn our attention to BBRs – big bold reds that drink deliciously on their own but also make yummy matches for your sizzling grill fare.

This wine is one of my all-time favorite red blends ever anywhere that you can get at the grocery store, the specialty wine store, or online. It never disappoints, and tastes more expensive than it retails for. Lean in and I’ll tell you….

The wine world is funny: people will tell you it’s all about what YOU like to drink, don’t pay attention to what anyone else says, just follow your bliss. Then, when you speak up about a wine you like (why? because it tastes good, duh!) some of them will immediately about-face and snidely demean your choice of wine. Hypocrite much?

Really? Come on. No wonder people swear off wine and adopt beer or spirits as their drink of choice. Probably not as much drama over in those camps, right? Meh, probably… humans.

In winemaking, the ones who challenge the “rules” and experiment can often forge new territories and create delicious wine. And that takes honesty and integrity, to not let what others think dictate your path.

Maybe that’s why I like this wine so much… it embodies that confident attitude.

This is Troublemaker Red Blend. It’s for you red wine lovers who love a big, fat, ridiculous, crazy, full blend that charts its own course.

I first drank this wine at a pizzeria in Hawaii, where I recorded it was “mind-blowingly good and different. Way amazing mouth feel and finish.” Like waaayyy, dude (the nearby surf must have been affecting my vocabulary).

OK, you ask, why the name Troublemaker? It refers to winemaker Austin Hope of Hope Family Wines in Paso Robles, CA. The story is that young Austin frequently got into trouble as a kid and so as punishment he was sent out to work in the family vineyard to learn his lesson. Surprisingly enough, the biggest lesson Austin learned was that he loved the land and the world of wine would that would become his career and calling. Funny how things backfire on parents. 🙂

Look at this rad lineup of grapes… gnarly! You have to drink it to believe it: Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Zinfandel. No wonder I’m utterly smitten; these are some of my favorite wine grapes!

Here are the details and my impressions of the wine:

Troublemaker Red Blend

Austin Hope Winery, Paso Robles, CA
$18/bottle on wine.com
Deep, dark purple (almost black!) in the glass
Rich, smoldering, intense, full-bodied at 14.5% ABV
Aromas I get: smoky bonfire, blackberry, cherry, sage, leather, cinnamon, bay leaf/menthol/eucalyptus, iodine, pepper, licorice
Throat warming with higher alcohol, but still a good amount of acidity present
Well-integrated velvety tannins but still with an ultra-smooth texture
Nice, persistent finish

Let this be your five-star, go-to red for BBQ season, or any time wine is called for. Stir up a little trouble yourself when you surprise your “brahs” with this unusual and shockingly tasty blend.

Whenever I look at a bottle of Troublemaker, this song naturally starts playing in my head:

Wanna know something funny? My husband and I have recorded with Weezer. A number of years ago in Seattle, I entered a radio contest to get to play with Weezer in a “Hootenanny” and my husband and I were selected… likely because not very many people play upright bass (he played bass, I played tambourine). There were 3 upright bass players at this particular session. It was fun and now it’s a silly story to tell. 🙂

Proof!

Wine in Sacred Places

Posted on May 29, 2023 by The Rambling Vine

In Which I Discover Phenomenal Cabernet from Mosquito Fleet Winery

Do you have those sacred places on earth where you feel at home, or somehow closer to heaven because of the beauty of the place? Is it a beach, a mountain, a cute small town? Hood Canal, WA is one such place that holds a special spot in my heart. My great-grandparents built a cabin out on a piece of property right on the water, and it’s still standing and in the family! It has been a huge part of my life, from childhood through parenthood. It’s been a refuge, especially during the pandemic when we were isolating and being careful. A place to fully relax and be.

My sacred place… Hood Canal

In recent years, every time my husband and I would drive out for some down time at the cabin, we would pass by a tasting room in Belfair with “Mosquito Fleet Winery” printed in elegant script across the building, tempting us with the prospect of delicious wine. A wine-tasting room to me is like an iPad to a kid – very very hard to resist! 🙂 Every time we passed it we said to ourselves, “We’ve got to stop in there sometime.” But with young children in tow, and often on a tight schedule, it just didn’t happen.

Well, we finally DID stop in – last summer, I believe. Our kids were with us but they are older and better able to handle the occasional wine tasting with Mom and Dad every once in a while. It’s not like it takes all day to sip 5 or 6 wine pours… it’s good to learn some patience and that the day is not just about what they want to do. The people working at the tasting room were very kind and even gave the kids some popcorn and juice for a snack.

I should pause a second and give you a quick bit of history on the winery’s name. And I must say, it’s nice to have a Washington state winery pay tribute to local history rather than donning an awkward mock French name like Château Belfair or Domaine du Canal. 🙂 Also, while there are literal fleets of mosquitos at Hood Canal (I wish they didn’t love me quite so much – must be the wine in my bloodstream?), the name has no connection to that ecological fact. 😉

For those of you unfamiliar with the name, Mosquito Fleet refers to the fleet of various steamboats that transported people and cargo throughout the many waterways of Washington state, from the inlets of Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands, from the 1840s until about the 1950s. Mosquito Fleet Winery honors the spirit of bringing people together through their wines. I love it!

Anyway, hubby and I each did a tasting and enjoyed the wines presented. We wound up going home with a gorgeous bottle of Mosquito Fleet Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2019. To me, this was a standout wine – the kind of excellent Washington Cabernet Sauvignon you can pull out and enjoy with an equally excellent steak dinner, or simply to savor uninhibited. Perfect for Memorial Day BBQ fare, I may add.

Here are the details of this particular wine:

Divine wine from Hood Canal: Mosquito Fleet Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

355 cases produced
$45/bottle
13.8% ABV
95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
From the winemaker: “A beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon with notes of blueberry, blackberry and anise. It has a beautifully full mouthfeel with nice, juicy acids and beautifully rounded out tannins that linger. It was aged predominantly in new French oak barrels which lend a nice aroma of oak and elegance.”
My impression: superb fruit, rich yet elegant, appealing texture, noteworthy balance – a wine of outstanding quality! ❤

Mosquito Fleet Winery prides itself on producing wines that are “hand-crafted with time-tested ‘Old World’ winemaking techniques of centuries past. This small lot, labor intensive approach helps produce memorable wines and memorable times for any occasion.”

As someone who just purchased a very disappointing bottle of cheap-sad-crap-red from the grocery store for our latest excursion to the Canal (I’ll blame the economy, whether I’m justified or not), I understand and appreciate the effort that goes into crafting fine Cabernet Sauvignon using the best fruit, the best winemaking techniques, and new French oak barrels. There is such a difference, and while I can’t afford to drink higher-priced wines every day (let’s be real, I don’t drink wine every day), if I want to experience real pleasure from a wine, I usually have to spend a bit more. But it’s well worth it. There truly is nothing like a truly fine wine. Truly. 🙂

Hood Canal is a beautiful place to relax and unwind, especially with a visit to Mosquito Fleet Winery thrown in. Go try it sometime. Maybe it will become one of your special places. ❤

Full disclosure: this was not Mosquito Fleet Cab, rather, ’twas a bland and mediocre substitute, but I was still determined to enjoy my time at the beach! 🙂

Let’s toast to those who made the greatest sacrifice on this Memorial Day 2023. ❤

Special thanks to Jacquie for your assistance in answering my questions!

A French Connection for International Chardonnay Day

Posted on May 25, 2023 by The Rambling Vine

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.

Today is a double whammy: May 25th is International Chardonnay Day, as well as National Wine Day for the USA. I must be insane or a glutton for punishment for posting twice today, but oh well. You have your wine reading cut out for you for a while! 🙂

For National Wine Day, I am saving a little bit of time by utilizing an expert on Virginia wine, Matt Fitzsimmons. I took this as an excuse to learn about wine in a different part of my country. Matt has his own blog over at Wine Trails and Wanderlust, and he is graciously letting me reblog his post on Virginia wines for this holiday. His excellent post covers all you need to know and then some about Virginia wine (don’t worry, it’s not too long, I made it sound like it might be lengthy). Do check it out! You will learn a lot and get bit by the wine travel bug (I know I did!).

So for International Chardonnay Day, then, I thought I would turn to La Belle France, birthplace of the esteemed Chardonnay grape. For Americans who are not experts or at least moderately familiar with them, European wines can often be mysterious and perplexing. But with a few recommendations to point you in the right direction, you can be well on your way to enjoying some truly lovely wines from Europe. I love my local and American wines, but branching out to other continents is great fun. Don’t let it scare you, and don’t be a vino xenophobe! 🙂

The French region of Burgundy is world-renowned for its Pinot Noir red wine and Chardonnay white wine. This particular Chardonnay I selected is from the Chablis appellation in Burgundy.

The perfect place to begin exploring fine French Chardonnay… Chablis

2019 Domaine Chenevieres Chablis

Appellation d’Origine Controlee
Currently $27/bottle at Total Wine
12.5% ABV
Medium body
Elegant, crisp and refreshing, good minerality (this is not a rich, buttery, oaky California or Australia Chardonnay with tropical fruit flavors)
Delicate balanced fruit profile – pear, apple, mandarin, apricot, floral – if white wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris make you pucker with their tart citrus flavors, you might be more receptive to gentler, rounder Chardonnay

Here’s how and where this wine was made:

“Domaine Chenevieres is located in ‘La Chapelle Vaupelteigne,’ a hamlet located in the northern side of the Chablis appellation in Burgundy. 100% Chardonnay vines grown on a plateau with kimmeridgian limestone soils. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless-steel vats to preserve the minerality and purity of the fruit.”

According to Wine Enthusiast, limestone soils are naturally alkaline with high pH levels. Limestone is essentially calcified sediment from shells, coral, and other seabed debris. Because of this unique chemical composition, limestone soil is reputed to increase minerality and acidity in the grapes that grow in it, although many scientists claim the evidence is lacking. I say the proof is in the pudding, and if you try this Chardonnay you can’t miss the definite mineral character of the wine and the unique influence the soil sure seems to have on the grapes. Yet the debate rages on….

I really liked this Chardonnay, and would gladly buy it again, either when I’m in the mood for such a wine or looking for a really nice white wine to go with seafood. The price wasn’t so out of the park that you felt like you’d been socked in the gut. This is a great white wine to keep in your back pocket (so to speak) for bringing to dinner parties or any event where there will be white wine/Chardonnay drinkers.

Total Wine also sells several other Chablis from Domaine Chenevieres, from different vineyards and classifications. I believe the higher prices reflect higher quality or more prestigious vineyards. I was perfectly satisfied with the $27 introductory bottle, but you do you.

Salut to Chardonnay, and Vive La France! ❤

Happy International Chardonnay Day! Do you have a favorite? Comment below!

An Introduction To Virginia Wine

Posted on May 25, 2023 by The Rambling Vine

OK, citizens… put your hand over your heart, and raise your wineglass with the other… it’s National Wine Day (cue America the Beautiful)! Time to pay tribute to our nation’s favorite grape juice (nope, sorry Welch’s) and celebrate one of our national treasures!

I love how vast and diverse the USA is, and how wine is being produced in so many more places than I realize. Wine culture is flourishing beyond the beloved West Coast.

For National Wine Day, I thought I would reach out to a fellow American wine blogger to learn about a foreign-to-me wine region: Virginia, which I know next to nothing about, except that I tried a Cabernet Franc from there once. Washington is amazing, but I spill the beans (or juice?) on WA wine a lot – it’s familiar territory.

So guess what I’m doing today? In true contemporary American fashion, I am outsourcing and bringing on a guest writer today for the first time ever to The Rambling Vine! 🙂

Allow me to introduce Matt Fitzsimmons, who blogs about his favorite grape juice at winetrailsandwanderlust.com. Matt, thanks for indulging me and for being so knowledgeable about Virginia wine. I learned a lot and am confident anyone who reads this post will, too.

Here’s a little bit about Matt and what got him into wine:

“As for myself, I’m a wine enthusiast who got into wine writing because I like talking about wine as much as I like drinking it. I got into Virginia wine because the industry lends itself to long-drives in the countryside, which is a pastime of mine. I’m doubly blessed since I’m a history buff and wine country is home to many Civil War battlefields, so I can indulge in both hobbies in the same day.”

I asked Matt if he could have any one bottle of wine in his cellar, what would it be, and he responded “… an RdV 2012 Lost Mountain, if only so I can compare it to older Bordeaux blends.”

It’s kind of funny how Virginia is being hailed as the new frontier of American wine, yet Virginia is one of the oldest places in America to have cultivated wine. It’s a vinous renaissance of sorts happening on the Eastern Seaboard.

I hope you enjoy reading and learning about this fascinating wine region! I know it has definitely inspired some travel hopes for me. Thanks again, Matt!

Wine Trails and Wanderlust

Virginia has the distinction of being both one of America’s oldest wine regions and an emerging one. The first wines produced in the Thirteen Colonies were grown in the late 1750s at plantations near the Chesapeake Bay. Decades later, Thomas Jefferson established himself as America’s foremost oenophile due to his love of French wine and doomed attempts to grow vines at his estate in Monticello.

Today, Virginia has over 300 wine brands and almost 4,400 acres of vines. While 82% of these vines are vinifera (mostly Bordeaux red grapes and Chardonnay), Virginia wine is increasingly looking outside Bordeaux varieties to guide the state’s future.

Virginia is also punching above its weight in terms of quality. In 2022 Wine Enthusiast announced it was dropping emerging areas around the country. Virginia made the cut (along with California, Washington, Oregon and New York) despite making less than 0.3% of the nation’s wine…

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Celebrate Oregon Wine Month with Baco Noir Dessert Wine

Posted on May 23, 2023 by The Rambling Vine

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.

How is this month slipping away from us SO quickly? And by the way, spring seemed like a flash in the pan this year, are we in spring or summer? My brain and body are having a hard time distinguishing what mode we are in. So before any more time sneaks away, it’s time to devote a post to good Oregonian juice in honor of Oregon Wine Month!

I ADORE Oregon wine, do you? Perhaps a large reason is that I have spent a lot of time down there exploring and trying lots of wines, so the gorgeous settings and scenery have helped seal my devotion. I would probably say similar things about other places if I visited them more often.

I love all varieties and styles of wine and Oregon has an incredible range to offer. There’s so much more than simply Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (although that’s one of my favorites) – I thought we’d journey farther south in the state and also venture into dessert wine territory, which we haven’t been to in a while. Baco Noir is a rare grape that here has been made into a dessert wine. Port fans, pay heed!

Melrose Vineyards is an estate winery located in Roseburg, Oregon. Roseburg is located in the southern part of the state, in the Umpqua Valley AVA. The climate is Mediterranean, with very warm and dry summers and cool and wet winters. Summer also has greater diurnal temperature variation than in winter.

So what is Baco Noir? According to Wikipedia, Baco Noir is “a hybrid red wine grape variety produced by Francois Baco from a cross of Vitis Vinifera var. Folle Blanche, a French wine grape, and an unknown variety of Vitis riparia indigenous to North America.” Baco Noir is cultivated throughout Oregon, including River’s Edge Winery in Elkton, whose Pinot Noir I introduced you to a while back.

We found this wine when we wandered into Face Rock Creamery in Bandon, OR last summer (try their Vampire Slayer Cheese Curds!). The Creamery is a mecca for gargantuan ice cream cones, especially in the warm summer months. Seeing we had kids in tow, the kind gal inside almost stopped us at the door and let us know that sadly they were out of ice cream that day. We told her that was OK; we were there for the cheese – and turns out the wine, too! Their retail store has a great selection of various Oregon wines and I couldn’t help picking up a couple unusual bottles while we were there, along with some cheeses. This was one of the bottles.

Solstice Solera VII Melrose Vineyards Baco Noir Dessert Wine Umpqua Valley

Solstice Solera VII Melrose Vineyards
Baco Noir Dessert Wine Umpqua Valley
Melrose Vineyards, Roseburg, OR
$19/bottle
ABV 19.8%
“It has layers of woven complexity of currant, fig, praline caramel, with deep tones of dark chocolate. The age of this VII Solera became accentuated with the most recent vintage to keep the fruit in focus and amazing. The winemaker’s favorite longstanding wine.”

My husband adores this wine. I also loved it, and I wish I had taken more technical, detailed notes, but alas, that did not happen. I recall it being heavy but elegant, rich, warming, lovely sweetness, and alluringly complex. Like a Port in some ways but also something completely different. Basically… YUM!

I think this sumptuous dessert wine could be very congenial with pecan pie, marionberry cheesecake, or a brownie, or else some tasty cheeses and fresh fruit. I have not personally tried any of those pairings (I may be BSing right now?) 😉 but I have a hunch those would all work.

Cheers to Oregon, its wine, and the “lush-y” month of May! What delightful wines from Oregon have you found? Share!

Explore Wines from Across the Country.

Vindicated: Befriending Pinot Grigio

Posted on May 17, 2023 by The Rambling Vine

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.

Good morning! I’ll bet you weren’t aware today is National Pinot Grigio Day… yup. For a country that once outlawed booze, we sure have a lot of alcohol-centric holidays now. Making up for all those lost years, I suppose.

Anyway, just to be clear: Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are the same grape. Pinot Grigio is the Italian name and Pinot Gris the French name. American-made wines tend to be labeled Pinot Gris. I may use them interchangeably in this post, but I mean the same thing.

As you may remember from days of yore, I’ve whined about how Pinot Grigio is probably my least favorite wine grape: for one, it’s white (sorry white wines, you’re just a different category altogether) and two, the acidity is usually quite high for my taste, the flavors simple, and the overall effect un-astounding and mildly unpleasant. I’ll drink it with seafood if it’s the only thing lying around, especially to cut a rich dish, but it’s with great reluctance.

“Pinot Gris, why is it so hard to love you?”
Photo by Andrew Fogg.

But it’s such a popular wine, and I love wine (even ones that aren’t my all-time favorites), so why haven’t I been able to come to terms with it? It’s like the TV show, Friends… it’s just not funny to me (Coupling, though, is a different story).

Today I’m taking this holiday as an opportunity to learn and grow (#selfimprovementgoals) in my appreciation AND my enjoyment of Pinot Gris – they can’t all be that bad. Perhaps you’re in the same boat of blasé indifference to Pinot Gris: if so, there is hope! Let me throw you a lifeline to not just mediocre, but exceptional Pinot Gris!

Here are two Pinot Gris I love and ❤ heartily ❤ recommend; one from Washington, the other from Oregon. Both are shining stars in their own right, and have awards to prove it.

The first is an estate-bottled Pinot Gris from Washington state, from one of my favorite wineries ever, Skagit Crest Vineyard & Winery. See my other reviews of their Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc — and now I’m completing the Pinot trilogy, ha! 🙂

Skagit Crest’s Pinot Gris is electrifying in its overall effect. If you’re a Pinot Gris doubter/hater/meh-er, you’ll be shocked at what Pinot Gris can be and do with this wine. I sampled it a few months ago at the La Conner tasting room and WOW! It has fantastic, luscious flavors and strikes that perfect balance of body/acid/alcohol/tannin/sweetness that Skagit Crest is famous for.

Here are the details of this wine:

$17/bottle (where to purchase)
12.5% ABV/light-medium body
Pale straw color
From the tasting notes: “Grassy herbal aromas with flavors of melons, peaches and apricots and hints of citrus fruit. Mellow lasting honeydew finish.”
Trophy case: Double Gold Medal – 2022 Platinum Judging
Gold Medal – 2022 Bellingham Wine Competition

(*Note to self: Buy some more Skagit Crest Pinot Gris next time in La Conner!)

To represent the great wine-producing state of Oregon, I selected the Portlandia Pinot Gris, and not just because I’m a sucker for the TV show, Portlandia. Portlandia Vintners was founded in 2008 to create delicious Oregon Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris (and now some others including Cabernet Sauvignon) at prices that don’t make you weep with agony (here, here!). It’s been a while, but I have also had the Portlandia Pinot Noir and it was very good wine at a very good price. I’ll blog about it some other time.

I tried the Portlandia Pinot Gris at a party to take a break from red and was gobsmacked at the deliciousness of this wine. In fact, I kept going back for repeated small pours to be sure this wine was as good as it came across, since I just couldn’t believe it (and sho’nuff, ’twas).

Word to the wise: if you love Oregon Pinot Noir, give Oregon Pinot Gris a shot, you will be very pleasantly surprised.

Drink this Pinot Gris, but don’t drive a penny-farthing at the same time, or you will be tipsy

Here are the details:

$17/bottle through wine.com
13.5% ABV, light-medium body
Pale straw color
96% Pinot Gris with a touch of Riesling (3%) and a smidge of Viognier (1%) – perhaps to enhance body, texture, or aromatics?
Grapes are from the Columbia and Willamette Valley AVAs
After a long cool fermentation, wine rested on its lees in 100% stainless steel
From the winemaker: “A dry, crisp Pinot Gris. Bright aromas of Meyer lemon and pear are followed by mouthwatering flavors of apricot and nectarine. Smooth and refreshing, the zippy acidity and rich minerality carry through to a lively, lingering finish.”
From Tasting Panel: “Alluring scents of honeysuckle and candied pineapple. The well-balanced profile is focused, fruity, and floral. Nectarine and lemon blossom hit their mark with fine acidity and a lean undertone of salinity.”
Trophy case: 92 points (Tasting Panel), 91 points (Wine Enthusiast)

Celebrate National Pinot Grigio Day today with a glass of one of these lovely wines! They are especially breezy, pleasant, and uplifting right now in the spring, and make great companions with seafood dishes and cheese boards. I think I can safely say I’m friends with Pinot Gris now (#personalgrowth). 🙂

Are there any shining examples of Pinot Gris you love? Please let me know below, I’d love to add more options to my PG repertoire!

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