Tuesday Open Thread ~ And Then There Were Grapes
“If I ever go missing, I would like my photo put on wine bottles instead of milk cartons. This way my friends will know to look for me” ~ Anonymous
Good Morning!
Welcome to Tuesday’s Open Thread. As the title suggests, today’s offering is about wine. Which wine? Well, in keeping with the outdoor theme of summertime festivities, Pinot Grigio was the wine selected for this week's tasting. One of the most popular Italian wines apart from Chianti, this little grape still invites disdain from wine aficionados. Detractors of Pinot Grigio often complain that it's too "simple" a wine, while others attribute that characterization to the unfortunate practice of watering down the wine by harvesting the grapes too early. Simple, or not, I found the flavors in the Pinot Grigio's we tasted marvelously refreshing and think they would compliment any barbecue or outdoor picnic quite nicely.
The Little Grape That Could
At the outset, the pinot gris grape had an inauspicious beginning. Originally from Burgundy, France, the odd looking grape was thought to be a mutation of the red Pinot Noir grape. Its grayish blue hue, which is what gives this grape its name, confused early winemakers who weren’t sure if they should treat it as a red grape, or a white grape. Eventually they figured it out and found the secret to a good Pinot Gris, or Pinot Grigio as it’s known in Italy, is picking the fruit before the grapes lose a high proportion of acidity when they ripen fully. Traveling from France to Italy in the late 1300’s, the wine became Pinot Grigio. As time went on, the little grape that could, did, and traveled to other parts of Europe, and then finally found its way to North America where we apparently drink a lot of it.
Characteristics of the Pinot Grigio grape depend largely on the region where they are grown. In the mountains of Northern Italy, the grapes keep their high acidity, producing a lighter-bodied dry wine, while the Alsace and German varieties are sweeter, with strong hints of honey and apples. For the purpose of this tasting, the wines selected below are dryer and less sweet, but still have fruit forward flavor notes. I have some favorites that I’m looking forward to sharing with you, but before we get to the wine tasting, I wanted to suggest some food pairings that will go very well with any of Pinot Grigio selections from our tasting.
The Perfect Pairing
Now that we have a chilled glass of white wine on our dinner table, what should we pair it with? Shrimp is always a good place to start. The cook times are short and during the summer that is a major plus. Here are three go to recipes I have used that are easy and tasty!
Ingredients
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Step 1
In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the garlic, Creole seasoning and bell pepper.
Step 2
In a skillet, sauté the shrimp in the oil over moderately high heat, turning the shrimp once, until just white throughout. Add the lemon juice and parsley and serve.
Ingredients
3 Roma or plum style tomatoes diced
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno seeded as desired and finely diced
2 fresh limes
Salt to taste (plus additional to cook shrimp if needed)
1 12 ounce jar cocktail sauce
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp cooked or raw
2 ripe avocados chopped
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine diced tomatoes, diced onion, chopped cilantro, and finely diced jalapeno. Squeeze mixture with the juice of one lime, season with a little salt, and toss together with a spoon. Add the entire jar of cocktail sauce and stir till combined. Place bowl in the refrigerator.
- If using cooked shrimp, skip to next step. If using raw shrimp, rinse with cold water and drain well. Remove tails if necessary. Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove. Drop in about one tablespoon of salt. Add shrimp and cook for two minutes; no longer. Drain hot water from pot and cover the shrimp with cold water to cool them down and stop them from cooking further. Drain well and transfer the shrimp to a cutting board.
- Cut each shrimp into two or three pieces to desired size. Transfer chopped shrimp to the chilled bowl of tomato/cocktail sauce mixture and stir well to combine. If desired, bowl can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for several hours at this point until ready to assemble shrimp cocktails.
- When ready to serve, remove pits and chop avocados. Squeeze juice from remaining lime over the top of the chopped avocado. To serve in a large bowl, garnish top of the shrimp cocktail with the avocado and allow people to serve themselves. For individual servings in martini glasses, layer a heaping spoonful of the shrimp cocktail mixture in the bottom of each glass. Add a generous layer of avocado. Fill glasses to the top with more shrimp cocktail and garnish the top with some of the avocado.
Recipe fromvalerieskitchen.com
Ingredients
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 large red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound large raw, deveined shrimp with tails removed
1 mango, chopped
unsweetened shredded coconut for garnish
chopped green onions for garnish
lime for garnish
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Once melted, add red onion and saute for 5-7 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, Thai chili sauce, red pepper and shrimp to the skillet and toss to combine.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes until shrimp are pink and cooked.
- Add the mango, stir to incorporate and warm through.
- Plate the shrimp and garnish with coconut, green onions and a squeeze of lime. Serve with rice.
Recipe from runningtothekitchen.com
And Then There was Wine
While Christine from our wine department was away last week, our manager, John, decided to step in by selecting a flight of Pinot Grigio's that were all deliciously fruity and dry. Served with some of our Italian salami and a choice of gruyere and smoked gouda cheese, our palates were very pleased indeed! Gosh, do I love my job, or what?
TJ's Wine Profile: A Trader Joe’s exclusive from the Lodi region of Monterey, California, this selection is a medium-bodied, well-balanced wine. Enticing aromas of fresh citrus, fruit and flowers with flavors of juicy grapefruit and spices. Pairs well with a wide variety of foods including salads, seafood, shrimp, chicken, turkey and pasta in a light creme sauce.
Blend Composition: 87% Pinot Grigio, 10% Sauvignon Blanc, 3% Muscat Alexander
Market Price: $8.99
TJ's Price: $4.99
My personal impression: Has a delicate floral bouquet with citrus on the nose, and melon flavors followed by a tangy, refreshing finish.
TJ's Wine Profile:This Pinot Gris is Trader Joe’s first wine from the cool climate of Columbia Valley, WA. Pale straw in color with notes of mango, citrus blossom, and banana on the nose. On the palate, a medley of tropical notes continue throughout the long and lingering finish.
Blend Composition: 90% Pinot Gris, 5% Gewurztraminer, 5% Muscat Canelli
Market Price: $13.99+
TJ's Price: $8.99
My personal impression: Fruit on the palate includes pear and cantaloupe. A mineral tone on the finish. Medium acidity.
TJ's Wine Profile:Cultivated in the vineyards along the Adige valley surrounded by the Italian Alps using the traditional pergola style, the grapes are hand harvested at optimum ripeness to produce a perfectly balanced and crisp Pinot Grigio. Aromatic crisp green apple with mineral and honeysuckle notes.
Blend Composition:Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, & Pinot Blanc
Market Price:$10+
TJ's Price: $6.99
My personal impression: Crisp and dry. Acidity offsets the melon and green apple. Has a hint of mineral with a tangy finish.
TJ's Wine Profile:A Pinot Grigio crafted in the Alto Adige/Valdadige region of Northern Italy, which is known as premium wine country. Valleys are broad and the Adige’s floods keep the mineral rich, gravelly soil fertile. While the viticulture is more challenging, soil types and day-night temperature variations infuse the wines with fragrances and freshness. This crisp white wine has a straw yellow color. Its clean, intense aroma and dry taste (with appealing notes of Golden Delicious apples) make this wine one of great personality and versatility.
Blend Composition:100% Pinot Grigio
Market Price:$21.99
TJ's Price: $18.99
My personal impression: Aroma of apple, and then as it aired, I noticed grapefruit. Flavors on the palate of citrus, including lemon and grapefruit. It is bright. It's clean. It's crisp. It's fresh. It’s lovely.
TJ's Wine Profile:A Trader Joe’s exclusive from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, this wine is a pale yellow color with flecks of green. A floral aroma combined with pears and candied lemon. On the palate: The Contadino Pinot Grigio is soft and refreshing with a light to medium body. There are notes of apple, pear and grapefruit supported by an oily citrus profile. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with a nice streak of minerality and just a hint of acid.
Blend Composition:100% Pinot Grigio
Market Price:$7.99+
TJ's Price:$4.99
My personal impression: This is the best five dollar Pinot Grigio I’ve tasted in a long time. It's got lemon. It's got peach, yes peach. That's a great flavor to find in a Pinot Grigio. There's also a beautiful lime and green apple in this. Bought this one and had it with the Mexican shrimp cocktail (see recipe above).
Oh, It’s an 80's Kinda Summer….
Comments
Tip Jar
Sorry to "write and run" but I've been scheduled for an 8am - 4pm shift today and won't be able to stick around. I will check in on my lunch hour. Look forward to seeing you then!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Myths, silence, and propaganda keep nuclear weapons in existence
https://washingtonsblog.com/2019/08/the-myths-the-silence-and-the-propag...
Folks keep putting out verbal rage pheromones into the psychic waters — peer pressure to join them: “Hate Trump! Hate Trump! Why won’t you join in and hate Trump?”
Why would I want to get sucked back into the emotional, energy wasting fools’ game of hating American presidents? And if I did, why wouldn’t I start with Truman?
Hello Lotlizard
This is something I didn't know:
Words fail to describe the disgust and consternation I feel. At the very least, recording and remembering our governments inhumanity, past and present, has an intrinsic value that may feel useless in the face of our powerlessness, but I believe vital in reclaiming the rest of our souls.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Good morning, Anja ~~
Making me hungry this early! Nice recipes and wine review!
Have a happy Tuesday, everyone!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Hello RA
It's good to make people hungry. They eat better.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Thanks for the essay Anja
Appreciate the white wine lesson. I'm in the dark in that department.
The shrimp sound good too!
Cheers
edit to add an f to or
Hi QMS
Glad you enjoyed today's OT. I'm learning as I go along. But with wine, that's part of the fun
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Thank you Anja
I enjoyed reading this in the middle of the night and forwarded to my daughter who particularly like Pinot Grigio so I know she’ll enjoy it as well.
And the whole family loves TJ’s.
Hello Sirena
You just made my day
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Hi again Anja
Am a little late in reporting this but you sold a bottle of wine!!!
Yay!
We made the rnd trip to Gainesville, FL TJ’s because we are out in the sticks a bit, ( I think maybe somewhere close to where CSTMT might live) and I bought the last bottle you recommended the Contadino bottle w the circles on it. Was told it’s actually bubbles because it’s sparkling! And I like that! And by an older man from Seattle, second career, loves working for TJ’s, who we’ve talked to before and seems knowledgeable.
We are former West Coastie’s too.
Oh and it was $6.99 here maybe a bit more because of transportation.
I asked him about a $4.99 Pinot Grigio and he pointed out a different bottle and said it was their best selling wine of all of their wine, but his fav was this.
I don’t know why it won’t let me upload a pic but the name is
Villa Sonia
Have you tried it?
Can’t remember what it cost, but maybe a little more like $6-$7, so we went with his preference.
Going to wait for my daughter to come visit so we can do a side by side comparison and of course eat some Gulf shrimp!
Hey Sirena
Apologies for getting back to you so late! Didn't see you had posted a reply until just now. Huzzah! You picked my favorite Pinot Grigio in that price range (although the price differential in your neck of the woods surprised me).
Yes the bubbles, also referred to as "frizzante" in Italian. Forgot to mention that. It's a plus feature for me too!
Isn't it great to shop at a place where the people are so helpful? Next time you are shopping at your Trader Joe's , don't forget to tell them Store #171 says "hello"!
I have not tasted the wine you mentioned, but I'm so glad the Trader Joe's Crew Member you spoke with was able to help you. I look forward to hearing about your own little tasting with the two different wines.
The next two TJ wine tastings will be amazing. I got a sneak peak at some of the wines Christine selected for our upcoming tastings and I'm very excited!
I will be doing the Tuesday OT every week now that QMS has decided to give it up for the time being. So don't forget to check in on Tuesdays!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
TJ’s sometimes, in holiday season, sells uncured spiral-cut hams
in addition to the uncured chicken hot dogs that my friend in Philly and I like.
“Uncured” = among other things, no added nitrates or nitrites, which I’ve seen compared to smoking for long-term carcinogenic potential.
Uncured meat
You are just full of good information today. I had NO idea why uncured meats were healthier.
Btw, TJ's has a new bacon that is not only uncured, but has no added sugar as well.
Huzzah!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
A different take on Harris
link
That is From FUCKING CATO?
What planet are we on, anyway? Looks like we're in an evil alien universe.
In a Mirror, Darkly or a Mirror Universe where the good guys go evil and grow goatees?
* Click the image for some epic mirror universe characters from Star Trek...
----
It's startling to see historically RW institutions look like the civil libertarians they claim to be. And for civil libertarians to actually challenge the authoritarian connections to the people - for my whole life CATO has put forth challenges to the authoritarian connections to property.
I've seen a couple of these flips and they're rather jarring. Like reality shattering in many ways. Lots of that happening to me since 2016. I get the RW fear of Leviathan now. I'm afraid of revolutionaries, and yet this situation must change. Such a crazy place.
Maybe we are in an alternate universe.
“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu
Yeh, something is happening on the right
Between this, Tucker Carlson, and a few other RW sources, you can no longer reliably count on the RW to embrace fascists and dictators as long as they promise to embrace the property rights of the wealthy.
It's as if someone in charge put their finger to the wind and noticed it's direction had changed.
It's still just one branch of the ruling elite, so nothing of substance had changed.
Nothing of Substance, Yet All the Substance Has Changed...
As if we didn't have enough trouble orienting ourselves on the R/L spectrum, now they're flipping the political tenets that the political narrative rests upon.
Struggling putting the ideas together here, but it seems to me that this is upending the poles of the polity. We are no longer polar opposites, that idea of the circular political continuum seems to be happening.
I'm afraid this is being set up for the big political realignment flip - where all the Centrists cast out those who don't want to swear fealty to Big Corporate & the Oligarchs and accept a neocolonial future.
Once they load us all up on one side - against the children, against "stopping terrorism", against "removing Drumpf at all costs, against mandatory actions to combat AGW, against public safety via anti-vaxx, etc.
People who defend liberties and freedoms are going to all be standing in one spot - together, but lacking solidarity. Just begging to be rounded up or torn apart. Who are YOU to stand against US?
So while I agree that nothing of substance has really changed, it seems that the substance of all political debates will be changed as a result.
Happy to see the change in the Right, but am concerned about the whys and where they're trying to go with it.
“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu
That sounds about right
What might be going on is a natural adjustment by the political parties.
The Dems have been courting the upper-middle class for so long that the voting base doesn't look like it did in the 1970's.
Meanwhile, the Eisenhower Republicans are long since gone.
IOW, maybe the Dems will be the party on the economic right, and the GOP will be the party on the libertarian far-right.
No matter what neither party will challenge the existing system.
Piketty's Recent Piece Paints the Picture You Describe and I
see going down.
Brahmin Left vs the Mercant Right is another seminal historical piece by Piketty, IMO. Capital in the 21st Century being his first. He may have more creds, but man - these two are doozies, IMO.
It was so amazing to be able to math out his equation and completely get the relationship. Made me realize that I really am good at math - it's the arithmetic that gets me. Anyway, you're laying out a similar 2 dipole foundation for your split. I see it as one of a few likely outputs.
We should punnet square that out and get a real look at the wide variety of dystopia in our future, and the odds of each happening.
“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu
Hey gjohnsit
What a nice surprise to see you participating in the OT's.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Gravel endorses Bernie
not a surprise
Another great read!!
Enjoyable and educational as always!
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Hi Marilyn
Coming from an educator, that's a real nice compliment!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Oh, great — German public TV is showing Ken Burns’s “Vietnam”
Just saw a clip of JFK lying to the American press and people about how the U.S. was only supplying “advisors” to South Vietnam, not actually engaging in combat.
Good afternoon Anja. Late to the party here and with very little
experience wrt pinot grigio. We've always been into sauv. blanc (dry, mineral, acid, grass, maybe citrus or apple as opposed to fruity, tropical, and all that) and sancerre (as above), and haven't yet found any pinot grigio that really tickles our fancies, though we've tried very few, which may be the entire problem.
Have a good one.
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
I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by at least three of the ones featured in our tasting. I don't mind fruity as long as it isn't sweet. Enjoyed the finishes on the Contadino and the Santa Margharita. Who knew?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Hi, Anja! This OT looks yummy, as usual! :-D Gotta
swing back by late this evening and read it, 'cause we have an early evening appointment. Sure it will be an enjoyable and interesting read.
Mostly, wanted to say 'hi,' and let you know that I'm thinking of Pierre, and, will continue to send positive karma her way. Hope she is doing well. Please keep us updated, when you get a chance.
Take care.
Mollie
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Hey Mollie
I saw your PM but didn't get a chance to reply yet. Thank you so much for asking about Pierre. She is getting better but trying to find a good vet in a time of crisis has been a nightmarish ordeal.
And had I been smarter about her care, had I asked the right questions, she could've been better sooner. I'll never forgive myself for that one. But we move on, right?
I'll send you pictures and details when I catch up on my sleep. It's been a tough day.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Hey, no sweat, Anja. Glad you're connecting
with a more suitable vet. And, don't beat yourself up over past decisions. As you said, "move on!"
Look forward to an update when you get a chance--just concentrate on resting, and caring for Pierre. Hope she's better real soon.
Mollie
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Viva Piemonte!
The only wines I like, are very dry whites.
Plus I like to fly the flag.
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
Hello Bollox
Dry whites are good. How about a skull & cross bones for the flag waving?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier