Time for a new recipe for pairing with our fantastic Chardonnays.
Enjoy!
Posts Tagged chardonnay
Wine of the Day – Parellada
Jan 28
Wine of the Day for January 28, 2010
Parellada
Origin
Grown in the Catalonia region of Spain, this white grape is one of three traditional varieties used to make Cava. This grape has limited growth potential and grows better in poor soil.
Style
Parellada produces very small, tight-bunched grapes of good structure and aroma, however, because it is not a wine that will age well, it is more frequently used in blends, as mentioned above to produce Cava, but also blended with heartier grapes Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to produce wines that will withstand a bit of cellaring.
Characteristics
As a still wine, you will notice an abundance of acidity and floral aromas. It is considered a main grape in the following DOs: Conca de Barberá, Costers del Segre, Penedés, and Tarragona. You can read the Cava blog for a bit more information on how it changes that sparkler.
Pairings
Pair the still wines with lighter fare such as salmon and light salads.
This wine is also known in Catalonia as Montonec meaning “grape of the mountain”.
Cheers to full glasses all around!
Wine of the Day – Chardonnay
Jan 12
Wine of the Day for January 12, 2010
Chardonnay
The weather promises to warm up here this week, so I’ll wrap up today with a chilled white wine again and tomorrow perhaps I’ll move on to a luscious red. The great thing about this blog is I don’t know from day-to-day which wines I’m going to focus on, so it’s a new experience for me each day, and I hope an enjoyable one for you too.
Chardonnay is grown all over the world, although it originated in Burgundy (and is the varietal found in the wine White Burgundy). It is also an important grape in Champagne (as I mentioned in an earlier post).
Chardonnay grapes are very hardy; a primary reason for its popularity and versatility. Chardonnay wines are always dry, so if you lean toward drier wines, this grape is a good choice. When aged in oak, it will give the wine complexity, depth, full body with a buttery finish, but should also involve a balance of oak. If you are drinking a wine and the oak and toast is all that you notice, it has likely been left in the barrel too long.
Select a wine aged in oak if you are a fan of buttery aromas and flavors. However, if you prefer your Chardonnays light crisp and unoaked (or if you are not a Chardonnnay fan right now, but want to grow into enjoying it) you will lean toward Chardonnnays that were partially aged in oak. Winemakers today are blending Chardonnay with other sweeter varietals such as Riesling or Muscat to add lighter fruit dimension and to satisfy the masses. The Chardonnays that we’ve had in our tastings that are blended with Riesling or Muscat are much more popular than the fully oaked Chardonnays. My feeling is if we are expanding one’s palette and helping them grow in appreciation of wines, fantastic!
Common aromas and flavors with Chardonnay are apple, butter, pineapple, vanilla, tropical fruit. (Mmmm, just writing those sounds delicious … I might have to open up a bottle of Chardonnnay later.) Pair this wine with fruits, grilled freshwater fish, buttery mashed potatoes, and I’ve had it with a fantastic recipe that I’ve added to my Recipes section for your culinary pleasure.
Cheers to full glasses all around!
Coconut Shrimp Recipe
Jan 12
Pair this fantastic recipe with your lighter and fruity Chardonnays. Delicious!
Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Fishex.com
Wine of the Day – Sémillon
Jan 11
Wine of the Day for January 11, 2010
Sémillon
Pronounce Sémillon
I wanted to start Monday off with this beautiful golden grape and perhaps its golden beauty will warm up our winter chills (and bring sunshine to our disappointment in the Green Bay Packer loss last night).
Originating in Bordeaux, this classic varietal and beautiful grape is susceptible to noble rot and is famous for the production of the sweet wine Sauterne. Sémillon wines can be blended with Sauvignon Blanc (which may be referred to as Meritage) producing a refreshing crisp wine with citrus and hints of honey or you may find this style blended with Chardonnay (referred to as SemChard) as to produce a dry wine rich with oak, butter and honey.
You will find this varietal grown in Bordeaux, California, Australia (where it is produced into luscious dry wines). The sweeter version of this wine can age well and develop into a full-bodied, highly aromatic, silky wine.
Other aromas and flavors in addition to the honey that you may find with this wine are fig, apple and citrus. Pair the drier style with goat cheese or lighter meals such as sweet and sour, or even chilled prawns and oysters.
Have a terrific week and I hope to see you tomorrow!
