The Wine Headache – a cure???

Ahhh, I remember the days of the wine headache, you know, the morning after pounding your head gets if you over indulged just a little too much? I don’t seem to get them anymore, it could be that I am now immune, I do drink wine most nights, and when I am not drinking wine, I have a beer or a rum & coke.


Honestly, I have another theory…water. Yes, lots and lots of water. In the past few years, I have made a lot of effort to increase my water intake. I know, I know, you hear it all the time, and sometimes, you SHOULD believe all you hear, especially when it comes to water.

And another thing, whenever I feel like I may have imbibed a little too much, I make sure to drink a large glass of water before I go to bed. You probably think you will be up all night, going back and forth to the bathroom, but it will be worth the effort when you don’t wake up with a pounding headache.

Here’s another idea…keep it to one glass, then switch to water. You will gradually build a tolerance for the second glass, just keep that glass of water in mind, or on the nightstand.

Now, go enjoy a nice glass of wine, followed by a nice glass of water.

Cheers!

Yalumba - Y Series Viognier 2008

It has been a few weeks since I drank or wrote about wine (I feel guilty if I drink without writing, what can I say, it’s my Jewish heritage!). The label says Viognier is grape variety, and I must say, the taste is rate indeed. Absolutely smashing, from the first sip, which was light on the tongue, and finished crisply. After just a few minutes sitting in the glass, a honey background develops, which complements the fruit nicely. The fruit, sort of citrusy, and yes, ending in a honey, slightly syrupy finish.


This is one of the sweetest wines I have tried in while, but please, don’t think Reisling. This is not that sweet at all. Light, crisp, with a slight sweetness, that is worthy of the salmon, wild rice and green beans that accompanied it. I was surprised at how well it joined the meal, as if it belonged there.

For those of you who say you don’t drink white because of the sweet wines you have experienced in the past, you MUST buy a bottle and at least try this. You may not want to drink it again, but I think this is an essential experience if you want to develop your wine “skills” (couldn’t think of anything better, sorry!).

And at a mere $9.99, it’s easy to say yes to this experience.

Cheers!

Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon – Chile - 2007

Friday night turned out to be a quiet night, and spaghetti sounded good to me. Just Megan and I in the kitchen, talking about school and making dinner. Red wine is a great conversation wine, it definitely loosens the tongue, and makes things more interesting all around.
It’s not the first time around for this wine, I have purchased it before, and it makes a great spaghetti sauce. This is not a particularly full bodied wine (a little thin in the mouth), but it does get better the longer the bottle is open, or the wine sits in the glass. It accompanies the meal nicely, and generally makes life more pleasant. It’s light and easy to drink. Although I cannot remember how much I paid (I threw out the receipt), I do know it is under $10.

On Saturday evening, we finished the bottle, with the left over spaghetti. The wine definitely improved, it seemed fuller, with a longer finish that may even be a little spicy. That fact that I wrote this while also watching “The Sixth Sense” doesn’t seem to improve my ability to focus on the wine! So, while I wish I could tell you about the fruit I tasted, which is hard for me at the best of times (it all tastes like wine!), all I can think is that the wine is keeping me warm while the movie keeps chilling me to the bone!

This is definitely not a gateway wine. If you are white wine drinker, moving into reds, I would recommend something a little fuller, smoother and frutier, like a Shiraz or a Pinot Noir. Once you’ve conquered those, and decided you are now a red wine drinker, this is a good one to try. Make some spaghetti, slosh some wine in the sauce, then drink the rest with dinner.



Cheers!

Wine Selection: Villa Maria – Sauvignon Blanc – 2007 – Marlborough, NZ

I realized at 5PM that I was to be all alone tonight, as Tony is having game night with the boys, and Megan is being a teenager at someone else’s house. At first I was bummed, feeling a little dejected saying to myself “I am gonna be all by myself tonight”, then it became, “Wait, I have the house all to myself tonight?”. So, I went to Harmon’s, bought some macadamia crusted tilapia, squash, red potatoes, salami and cheese. Then I headed to the liquor store for wine (the most important part of the meal), and on my way, I called my trusty sidekick, Nicole. She made her way over, having stopped to pick up her own piece of tilapia, and we settled in for a girl’s night.

With the wine chilling, we started with some Red Stripe beer, and visited about each others week, and aggravations of the work place, blah, blah, blah. After running Megan to her friend’s house, I got to preparing red potatoes, the summer squash and zucchini, and the oil for pan frying the fish (olive oil and butter). Here’s a tip – start the oven at 300 degrees, once the fish is browned on both sides, transfer to a dish and put in the oven until the veg and starch is complete.

When we were ready to eat, I poured the wine and we settled in for a fabulous meal. And, when I say fabulous, I mean Nicole prefers halibut or salmon, but she ate the tilapia just fine. I like tilapia because it is mild, firm and works with anything.

Back to the wine – the label explains it as passionfruit, lime & gooseberry with a crisp, lengthy finish. Nicole got white wine at the front (duh!), sort of buttery and smooth, with a smoky finish. And I have to say I agree, although I sort of get the gooseberry and lime, but the passionfrut is out of my range.

This is the wine that Tony and I drank with our Valentine’s Dinner (The Oak Room at Grand America), with our salad and appetizer, before the steak and halibut turned up.

I say try it, although it is more than I usually spend ($14.10 with tax), and it is not a gateway white. Once you have tried the Silver Birch, this is a great white to move forward with.

Cheers!

Wine Link: Delish Wine Guide Link

I found this as I was researching future wine experiences to share (look out for "10 Reds under $10")

Never heard of this guy (I drink wine, rarely read about it!), but he must know what he is doing after 34 years, right? Also, check out some of the links to pairing wines with different foods, but do it cautiously. Take the tips for what they are, tips, and then go your own way (thank you, Fleetwood Mac), and drink the wine with whatever you please. Or drink it alone, the choice is yours. Cheers!

http://www.delish.com/recipes/wine-guide/

Wine Selection: Silver Birch World Wines – Sauvignon Blanc – Marlborough, NZ

Lets cut straight to the chase with this one…if you are “green”, or “granola”, or you drive a Subaru (you know who you are!), you should run right to the liquor store and buy a few bottles of this truly fabulous white (it’s about $10). Why? Well, I will tell you why (since I am rarely shy in sharing my opinion). The label starts with “No trees were chopped down to make this wine.” It goes on to say that it never touched an oak barrel, or an oak chip. Get it? Yep, this wine is most definitely being marketed to those who care about their footprint (the carbon one, that is), and the marketing is blatant. The label on the front of the bottle has some beautiful tree trunks (sort of looks like aspens in winter), and, talking about the label, it isn’t made of paper.

Ok, all kidding aside (and I do love a laugh at the expense of the lefties and greenies), this is a great wine, and it is worth trying. Oh, and by the by, this is not just my opinion. I have recommended this to a few people, and they have expressed their enjoyment, and the fact that this wine has turned them back on to whites. Yes, this is another gateway white, but I swear, it won’t lead to Chardonnay*

I poached salmon with this, and we ate it with a box of rice pilaf (by that company that makes the San Francisco Treat), and some broccoli. Not the biggest fan of broccoli, but Tony loves it, so I make the sacrifice! The wine performed well, and is quite in line with the promises made on the label (again, no paper here) – it even promises to not be mistaken for Chardonnay. Not sure how Chardonnay got such a bad rap, but I may have to explore that over the summer.

Gooseberry – yep, it’s in there, cool and sunny – I get it. What they don’t mention is the crisp green apple, juicy and bursting in the mouth. You start to get that with the salmon, but when you follow it up with a sharp, dry cheese, it comes out in full force. If I had some green grapes, they would be on the cheese board right now.

Although the bottle is the normal 750ML size, it doesn’t seem to last very long. I start to wonder if there is a hole in the bottom of the bottle, then I wonder if Tony is gulping instead of sipping. No, no, it’s just that the wine goes down so easily, and is so refreshing, crisp and clean, which makes it so hard not to gulp it down, like ice cold water on a long, hot day.

There is a reason why the bottle is empty in this picture – I was busy cooking dinner, and by the time I thought about blogging, the wine was gone! It’s time you tried it – go get a bottle, plan a nice dinner, and try it out, you will find out why we can’t leave any in the bottle. Cheers!


*Disclaimer: this in no way represents that this blogger will not try Chardonnay, and then blog about it. Whether you drink the Chardonnay is your decision, and the blogger shall, in no way, be held liable for your like or dislike of any Chardonnay referenced herein.

Wine Selection: Pillar Box Red - Padthaway, Australia

This comforting red is a blend of 65% Shiraz, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon & 10% Merlot. We love it! I first bought this simply because I like the name and the bottle (label is printed on, no paper, and I’m not even green!), and it makes me so glad to be a girl (we often buy things for looks alone – shoes, bags, clothes we never wear because we will never be built like a supermodel!).

Oh, and get this, not only does the bottle look good (and it has a twist off cap), but it tastes great too, and it only costs around $9. Tonight’s bottle is the third one we have had, which says a lot for wine around our house – it’s rare for us to buy the same wine over and over, cause we like to keep our wine options open.

I decided on this wine when I was rooting around the fridge, looking for something to turn into dinner. I found some leftover bruschetta (it’s easy to make, I will post a recipe, one of these days!) from Saturday nights get together, and figured it would be great tossed with some spaghetti. Then I noticed some leftover half and half (from the last time I made clam chowdah, yes, it really is spelled that way, and yes, I will post that recipe sometime as well). Then the idea struck “Wouldn’t this be great as a cream sauce?” Then I thought “Wouldn’t it be even better with a dash of wine?” And let me tell you, it was great (there are no leftovers!), and the wine is a great compliment.

Right, on to the wine – since the majority of the blend is Shiraz; you will find an easy drinking, smooth finishing sip, gulp or chug. That is not how things start out though – when first opened, pour it into a glass and take a sip, just a small one. It will be sharp and almost mustard like (Tony says it went straight to his nose, sort of like wasabi). I know this does not sound too terribly inviting, but you have to take that first sip, so that you can fully appreciate how much the wine develops as it sits in the glass. You may not want to take another sip, but do it, in about 10 minutes, just one sip. Then eat some of whatever you are eating (red sauce over spaghetti, steak, whatever), and gradually drink some more. This wine develops (I know, that was a wine’y word, but it works here) beautifully, and fully, resulting in a smooth, dry finish, and yes, there may even be a blackberry here or there.

I recommend buying a few bottles, and drinking it with a variety of different meals, even with something white (clam chowdah, chicken, pork, etc). The rules are there to give you guidance, but once you become familiar with how the wine tastes, start flexing those rules – in fact, you should probably just break the rules.

Oh, so, in my last post, I mentioned Riesling being a gateway white. Well, the same can be said for Shiraz, or even a Pinot Noir. Both are sort of fruity (quit laughing), with a little dryness. You want a little dryness, too much of the sweetness results in a lingering in your mouth that feels sort of, well, yucky. Yes, that is a technical term.

I am going to leave the rest of this wine for tomorrow night – in my experience, the wine just gets better. And that reminds me; go purchase one of those air sucker things – with the rubber stopper and the pump that pulls out the air. It is crucial for preserving an opened bottle of wine over a few days. I can usually finish most bottles in a few days, but I have left a bottle for three days (one time only, it may never happen again!) and it was still drinkable when I went back to it.

One other thing – I would love to make this blog as interactive as possible. Please, please leave me your comments when (or if), you have tried these wines. I would love to read your thoughts on some of these. And, if you have any wines you want to recommend, and have me “test”, let me know.

I will update you tomorrow on the leftovers of this immensely drinkable wine, until then…Cheers!