Bonterra Shows the Way with Affordable Organic/Biodynamic Wine
Is Affordable Organic Wine an Oxymoron? I associate organic agriculture / viticulture as being better for workers and better for the health of the property, but it comes at higher cost due to more labor to produce a given amount of food/grapes/wine. Many younger consumers I know are interested in a sustainable approach in the … Continue reading
Lirac: Wine from the Wrong Side of the Tracks #Winophiles
The Urban Dictionary tells us the “wrong side of the tracks” is the poor, seedy, low-rent part of a town or city. In the Southern Rhone, the Cru Villages with the most fame are all on the Left Bank (east side) of the Rhone river. The Right Bank (west side) seems to be the … Continue reading
Perfect Fall Pairing with Dow’s LBV Porto 2012
Welcome Fall with a Campfire and Porto As summer comes to a close, sunset is earlier, evenings are cooler, and a campfire is most welcome. It’s still nice enough to spend time outdoors in the evening, perhaps with a sweater by the fire. Perfect pairing? A glass of Port. There are two main styles of … Continue reading
Merlot and Meatless Monday #MerlotMe #WinePW
Merlot and Meatless Monday We’re not sticklers for Meatless Monday at our house. It’s often “leftovers from Sunday on Monday”. Still, we enjoy a regular meatless meal. Merlot is a good red wine choice for meatless meals as it offers moderate tannins and is pretty relaxed for pairing. Disclosure: Our Wine Pairing Weekend blogging group … Continue reading
Takeout Dinners Deserve Good Wine #MerlotMe #WinePW
Some nights there’s no time to cook. For us, Wednesday evenings are Triathlon swim lessons, so we come home tired and hungry. We stopped at the grocery store deli for some chicken thighs, mashed potatoes and “superfood” salad. I say takeout deserves a nice wine, don’t you think? Decoy Merlot, a Duckhorn portfolio wine fills … Continue reading
Humble Hamburger with L’Ecole 41 Merlot #MerlotMe #WinePW
Merlot = Great Hamburger Wine Over-the-top hamburgers seem to be all the rage. Multiple patties, smothered in cheese, bacon and who know what else make for great food porn, but do you want to actually eat one? Not me. Give me a pasture raised local beef patty dressed with a few veggies and I’m a … Continue reading
Materra “Right Bank” Merlot with Shrimp Risotto #MerlotMe #WinePW
Friday Night Risotto Friday night is risotto night at our house. I make chicken stock whenever we roast a chicken, and we keep Vialone Nano, Carnaroli, or Arborio rice in the pantry at all times. With shrimp in the freezer, I just pick up some mushrooms and a vegetable on the way home. Risotto takes … Continue reading
Duckhorn 3 Palms Merlot with Seoul-ful Chicken for a Romantic Dinner in Sweatshirts #MerlotMe #WinePW
Stretching Merlot Wine Pairing in October With our annual month-long focus on Merlot we love to test the limits of red wine pairing. At the cabin for the weekend, Julie had planned a Korean-inspired dinner (think kimchi) so I decided to test out Merlot in that context. Knowing the dinner would feature spicy flavors, I … Continue reading
Serrano Peppers and Krug Merlot? #MerlotMe #WinePW
Keep a Light Hand With the Serrano Peppers As long as you don’t go crazy, Merlot can pair nicely with dishes with a bit of heat and spice. In our month-long celebration of Merlot, we try standard pairings and we try to stretch the boundaries a bit. Flank steak is a normal pairing with the … Continue reading
Paleo-Friendly Dinner with Troon Meritage
Where the Heck is the Applegate Valley? There is so much to explore in Oregon wine. I love Willamette Valley, it’s the home to a variety of world class wines. I’m a fan of under-the-radar regions as well such as the Columbia Gorge AVA. There’s more! Southwest Oregon is another less known area. It has … Continue reading
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