Tuesday Open Thread ~ And Then There Were Grapes
“What wine goes with Captain Crunch?” ~ George Carlin
Good Morning!
Welcome to Tuesday’s Open Thread. As many of you may remember, last month I included a wine tasting in the OT rotation. So instead of offering you cooking recipes today, I will be presenting a selection of wines. But before we get to the tasting, I’d like to talk about wine pairings. It’s a subject that seems to have a lot of rules and sometimes feels as though you need the knowledge of a wine connoisseur. But guess what? You don't. Just some basics about taste components and the willingness to experiment a little.
For the Love of Wine and Food
One of the first discoveries I made while experimenting with different wines was that the rules are not necessarily hard and fast, and that there are situations where those rules can be bent. For example, if you have a very nice smoked salmon that you’d like to pair with a Shiraz, by all means, go ahead and mix a fish dish with a red wine. In fact, in this instance, the smokiness in the salmon will pair nicely with the smokiness in the Shiraz. This is what wine aficionados call a Congruent Pairing, where you match or contrast basic tastes in both the wine and food. To better understand how these basic tastes work together, it might help if we identified what they are:
Wines typically fall into three different categories: Bitterness, Acidity, & Sweetness. Red wines have more bitterness; white, rose and sparkling wines have more acidity, and sweet wines, have, well, more sweetness.
Food falls into a wider range of categories, but simplified to its prevailing tastes, you can figure out what will compliment, or contrast the wine. For example, a traditional quiche dish has two primary components: fat and salt. Barbecue ribs, on the other hand, include fat, salt, sweet and spice, and maybe even a little acid. The other feature worth considering is the intensity. Is the food light or rich? Is the dressing on the salad high in acidity, or fat? Focusing on the basic tastes of the dish will help you decide which wine will better accent the food, and vice versa.
Once you’ve figured out the basic taste components, you can start considering your pairing options. Using the quiche as an example, here are a few possible pairings:
A white wine with high acidity will complement the fat in the quiche recipe. So, for example, a traditional quiche with a creamy sauce matched with zesty white wine such as Pinot Grigio, Assyrtiko or Sauvignon Blanc would create a Complementary Pairing.
A white wine with creaminess will add to the creaminess in the dish. So, for example, a traditional quiche recipe with a creamy sauce matched with a creamy white wine such as Viognier or Chardonnay would create a Congruent Pairing.
Keeping in mind that for every rule, you will usually find an exception to that rule, with the most important rule of all being to trust your own palate and enjoy!
And Then There was Wine
For today’s tasting, Christine in our wine department decided to compliment the season of picnics and outdoor barbecues with a selection of light, crisp and fruity Rosé’s, which I am happy to say are all quite lovely.
A Trader Joe’s exclusive from the Veneto region of Italy, this wine profile is balanced with good acid. A pleasant, harmonious and fruity wine with floral notes and hints of pear and apricot. To be served cool, as an aperitif or with starters, delicate first course dishes, fish, white meat. Best served at 50-54 degrees Fahrenheit.
Blend Composition: 100% Pinot Grigio
Market Price: $8.99 +
TJ's Price: $5.99
My personal impression: Light. Crisp. Taste of pear and red fruit. Easy drinking. Good value for the price.
This spicy and fruity rosé comes from the region of Trevenezie in Italy on the southern shore of the Garda Lake. The name FREEDA is dedicated to the Scandinavian cousin of the countess Cecilia Beretta from Verona, who gives the name to the boutique winery owned by Pasqua family. Upfront in the nose of sour cherry, raspberry and green peppercorn with a fantastic palate of minerality and freshness. Great with seafood pasta and rices, raw and lightly cooked shellfish and grilled fish.
Blend Composition: 60% Corvina, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Carmenere
Market Price: $11.99 +
TJ's Price: $8.99
My personal impression: Fruity peach with a hint of berry. Dry, crisp, and smooth. This wine does better with air, flavor intensifies with time.
A Cotes du Ventoux Rosé from the Rhone wine region of France, this lively and balanced wine offers a crisp freshness with delicate red fruits, flowers and citrus aromas. Serve well chilled. Pairs well with grilled meats, poultry and charcuterie.
Blend Composition: Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault grapes
Market Price: $9.99 +
TJ's Price: $4.99
My personal impression: Not as full of berries as most rosé’s, La Ferme Julien is more citrus-centric with a light salty finish. Tart on the palate, crisp and refreshing. Maybe not a sipping wine, but would pair very well with cheese or food. I think a roasted brie cheese and French bread would do nicely!
Fresh red berry fruit characteristics with floral nose. Ripe and fleshy feel on the palate. Dry with zero sugar it has a refreshing tangy acidity. It can be drunk either as an aperitif or with food. Pairs well with olives, prosciutto, seafood and grilled meat.
Blend Composition: 77% Grenache, 13% Rolle, 4% Cinsault, 3% Syrah, 3% Tibouren
Market Price: $25 +
TJ's Price: $18.99
My personal impression: Smooth round finish. No astringent aftertaste or bite. Extremely easy drinking. Perfect summer wine. Loved it!
Some Summer Music
Comments
Tip Jar
Summertime here in Southern California and the weather has been so mild. Perfect weather for a picnic under a shady tree with some bread, cheese, and wine. Anyone like to join me?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
::Raises hand::
More than 20 years later, I'm over that particular hangup, and have been enjoying the roses I've tried. (I don't know how to apply the accent on that last "e"!). I have family members who love Froze (frozen rose), which sounds quite refreshing during these heating-up summer days.
As for picnicking: aaaaahhh. One of my favorite memories is of my mom and me, stopping at a giant producers' market on the way to see Versailles, and purchasing (with my butchered French) some cheese, cherries, bread, and a bottle of wine which we leisurely enjoyed for our lunch on a nearby park bench. At that point, I could've taken or left Versailles, though we did complete the tour. But neither of us ever brings up the tour. We always bring up the picnic. THAT's living.
Good to see everyone!
Hello Eagles
I have to admit, this tasting really swayed me into re-thinking rosé wines. I will in fact be including the Whispering Angel on my next picnic. Speaking of picnics, the one you described put a smile right on my face. Cherries, eh? I never ate cherries in France. How are they? Best part of your story was how the memory of a simple picnic prevailed over the opulence of Versailles.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
They were decadent.
I'd never really gone out of my way for fresh cherries before then, but that experience completely changed my perspective. Now I look for them every summer here -- probably as a way to relive that wonderful afternoon.
Those are the best kind of memories
I'll wager the little boy was probably pretty optimistic about his teams chances?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Huelga !! Boycott Grapes !!!!!
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Boycott+Grapes&iax=images&ia=images
Oops . . . sorry . . . got stuck in that time warp again . . . seems to happen more and more often these days . . . maybe it’s seeing all those folks from over half a century ago at high school and college reunions . . .
Good Morning Lotlizard
That would be a tough decision. I'm all for supporting labor, but giving up wine, hmmmm...
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
The government loses the documentary proof of a historic event?
Like the way they lost track of JFK’s brain?
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=JFK+brain+lost
Is this story about the moon landing tapes accidentally being sold to an intern believable?
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/02/us/nasa-intern-moon-landing-footage-s...
Even if it is, what does that say about how the government operates? Is this an institutional culture or class of people that can be trusted?
And conversely, how reliable, then, are “authorities” in other cases where they claim to have watertight proof of their account of historical events?
Well, I think we all know how our government operates
But even with my cynicism, I'm surprised to hear about either events. How did you run across these stories?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
One of the tech industry blogs. But it was in mainstream news
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=nasa+tapes+sotheby+moon
Weird
Sounds like a plot in a movie. A really bad movie.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
NASA had been saying they’d taped over the originals by mistake
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nasa-tapes-idUSTRE56F5MK20090716
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11_missing_tapes
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=nasa+taped+over+moon+landing
Weird is right. “Oopsie, looks like the janitor accidentally shredded the originals of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.”
These days, if a person is not a “conspiracy theorist,” at least on some level, they’re not paying enough attention.
That was par for the course in those days
Videotape was EXPEN$$$IVE, and reusing it - no matter what was on it originally - made economic sense. Lots of stuff has been lost to posterity that way - the BBC is still kicking itself for recycling the early Dr Who tapes. (But then, they didn't know it was going to become a cult classic....)
Probably everyone thought that moon landings etc. were going to become commonplace and a colony would follow, and nobody would care about the first fumbling steps. Wrong-o! Doubly wrong because the USA scuttled its space program because it "cost too much" for "too little return".
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Good morning
Jacques Pépin suggests drinking the wine you like and not to worry about pairing, but then recommends a wine for the meal he prepared. Most of my life I've been primarily a beer drinker, but have have been drinking more wine in the last few years...mainly a glass or two with dinner.
In college we used to make wine (sometimes distilling it to brandy). Elderberry was one of my favorites. They grew abundantly on the roadsides and creeks around Auburn. Made an almost Burgundy tasting wine. We used a pickle bucket and drilled a hole in the lid for a hose. We ran the hose into a bottle full of water to create a "thumper". When it quit thumping we would add a clay to precipitate the suspended solids and then siphon the wine into bottles. It was fun. I ought to get back to making more wine.
Thank for the info on wine and the OT!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good Morning Lookout
I love Jacques Pepin but that example feels a bit confusing
Wine making? How clever. I've never heard of it done that way!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Jacques Pepin likes butter
- lots of it. Julia does not so I go for Jacques.
But wine, well, two doctors (just yearly checkups) out of the blue told me inside of two weeks that new studies show alcohol is bad for you. So I stopped my one glass a day and feel better actually. Moved on to one glass a week. Really enjoy it. heh. Thanks for the great OTs and especially the food tips. Have a good one.
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Hello Magiamma
I have Julia's cookbook, and from what I can tell, she liked butter too!
Glad you could stop by. Have a great day.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
there are videos of her
and Jacques where he is putting butter in behind her back. Had a friend in the city who used to work on the sets. Too funny.
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Bourdain
Hence, whenever I make risotto at home, I throw in a hunk of butter right at the end, and just before the grana padano. (I may or may not tell the people who will be eating said risotto!).
That's the secret to my meals too!
BUTTER!!! Lol!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
The secret to life is butter . . . .
[video:https://youtu.be/jqyhGCHT-v0]
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
HA! Love it!
I would like to quote my dear Mother on that....
"You don't need to tell your dinner guests everything"
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Oh gosh, that's funny
I just loved those two together. I remember watching them on their show whenever I visited my boyfriend's grandmother. I remember her always saying "That looks like a lot of work". But I don't remember the part where Jacques sneaks in the butter. I'm sorry I missed that. I would've enjoyed it
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Tulsi says we should stop being world's policeman
NPR paints this as a bad thing
Of course they would
How the world has changed since 2016. I used to listen to NPR on a daily basis for years. Tulsi is right. So surreal to hear war mongering being painted by "our" side as reasonable.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
The idea of pairing wine with air
Has a certain appeal. Found that in the comment on Freeda. Flavor improves with time, just like us!
Thanks Anja
truth is considered foreign influence, world peace is a threat to national security
Hi QMS
What a delightful observation. Yes, we do become more "flavorful" with time, don't we?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Good afternoon Anja. I wrote a lengthy comment this am, and
seem not to have saved it. Ah well. To answer G. Carlin's question, any right bank Red Bordeaux will do fine, like maybe a St. Emilion. They also go great with hot dogs.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Hi EL
Sorry to hear about your lost comment. I hate when that happens to me.
As far as your wine recommendation goes...Let it be said that is was here on C99 when a St. Emilion was first was paired with Captain Crunch. You may have started a new trend.
Have a super day!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I have to leave for work now...
Will check in later. Have a great day everyone, and thanks for stopping by!
Cheers
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Enjoyed this OT so much as always . . .
Thank you! Storing up the info for such a time when I cook something spectacular. Finish it off with the right wine.
Have a good one!
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Cooking movies . . .
Maybe an OT sometime on cooking movies?
I love Last Holiday, Chef, and Julie Julia for the cooking sections. Such passion! And there is a B movie . . . ya di ya di . . . It was about a son taking over his father's Indian (not quite sure about which ethnicity) restaurant that had fallen into disrepair. Another older chef showed up and showed him the ropes. Sort of being an inner soul thing. I am going to see if I can find it.
It is called "Today's Special." I really liked this one too. It is on Netflix.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Great idea!
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Like Water for Chocolate
Ratatouille (Why not?!)
And more to the point of today's essay:
Sideways
She channeled Julia herself!
"You'll be alone in the kitchen."
(IIRC, that quote related to whether or not you dropped something on the floor).
[ETA: This was in response to Anja's post above about her mother, but I deleted the number thingies so it showed up in the wrong place].
Thanks for that comparison :)
Ah, Julia. She was so down to earth in the kitchen, wasn't she? Good advice for us all. Striving for perfection kills inspiration for sure.
On a similar note, another pearl of wisdom my Mother dispensed for entertaining was the convenience of closets. As in throwing everything in there before the guests arrived. Bathrooms would be spotless. Beds were made. But everything else was "tidied up" by throwing stuff in the closets. Her theory was this: what people are going to remember is if they had a good time, not if your shelves were dusted.
Love ya, Mom!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier