Just in time for Valentines, a delightful new pink bubbly!  This weekend Monique was serving up samples of Jacob’s Creek sparkling rose wine, a delightful little bubbly from Australia.  A non vintage Pinot Noir-Chardonnay blend with a balanced palate and a sweet finish.  For 2 for $20 this is the perfect, inexpensive bottle to pick up for your sweetheart tonight!  So Happy Valentines and happy sipping!

So I’ve been sick pretty much 3 out of the 4 past weeks.  I am SO over this unshakable illness that keeps manifesting itself in different ways so that one type of medicine never quite manages to alleviate the symptoms.  Ugh.  Good thing today’s post is about my absolute favorite wine tour on our trip because otherwise I may not have been motivated to sit down and write through watery eyes, a stuffy nose and a horse-like cough.  Bodega Kaiken was just brilliant.  I had not heard of the wine prior to the winery tour, but now that I have tried it and LOVED it I have noticed it on a few wine lists at local restaurants!  Our guide was Tiffany, a French Canadian who has been living and working in Argentina for the past 7 years.  I loved how she would float between English, Spanish and her native French throughout the tour, perfect blend of languages for a wine expert  :)

Upon our arrival at the Bodega, we were shown into the amazing wine tasting pagoda overlooking the vineyards and the Andes mountains.

We started our tour in the vineyards where Tiffany explained the difference between the French and Italian growing systems.  The French plant in long rows running north to south so that as the sun rises and sets the grapes are given equal exposure ensuring more consistent growth and development.  An example of the French system is pictured below, the plants covered in hail shields to ward off the occasionally wacky Andes weather.

The Italian system is called the “Pergola” system, the vines are planted in square plots and grown up and then across to one another, creating a canopy or “pergola” above.  This system is considered flawed by some as the shade created by the pergola prevents all grapes from even sun exposure and it also increases the probability of diseased vines attacking their neighbors.  Doesn’t this image look like Italy?  I loved the view of the mountains, really spectacular.

We next moved on to the wine cellar to see where the wine was stored.

And of course the tasting  :)  We tried the Kaiken Rose (superb!  Sweet nose but smooth dry finish), the Malbec Reserve (delicious) and the Cabernet Sauvignon Ultra.  Again, to our surprise, the Cab was our favorite and not the Malbec!  Cherry and blackberry, soft tannins, this Cab was truly spectacular.  So good we have actually managed to save it, I can’t say the same for the majority of the case we ended up bringing home from our trip…

Kaiken now exports approximately 90% of its wines so it should be popping up all over North America soon if it’s not around already.  I highly recommend you try it, and then go visit the vineyard and take this delightful tour!

Ok, seriously, full day Friday’s are a load of bologna.  I know it’s September, but couldn’t they just extend summer hours one more week until after the holiday?  I am DYING already, and to make things worse my future husband has the day off and is thoroughly enjoying his time doing laundry, recycling bottles, dust-busting cat fur and going to the bank.  Ok, at least we’re both a bit miserable with what the day has handed us.  But tonight we get to hang out with our LOVELY friends and drink wine and play board games and wait out this ever-less-intimidating “Earl” fellow…  I’m thinking a nice chilled rosé, I’m in the mood for something pretty and pink.  Mmm, and heirloom tomatoes if I can find them!  What are you up to this lovely last weekend of the summer?  Hope it’s something fun and relaxing!

Ah, and because I just can’t bring myself to wrap up the series just yet, I’m holding off until next week to finish the tale of “Six Ways to Sideways,” hopefully by then this photo issue I’ve been having will be resolved and I’ll be able to post in the full image glory that the project deserves!  Until then…  Prost!

(photo credit: winetastingguy.com)

It’s February, hurrah!  This means we are THAT much closer to sunny skies and milder temperatures.  It is always this time of year that I start dreaming about sipping wine by the beach and relaxing the day away in the sun.  One of my favorite beach experiences was in Nice, France.  Bars everywhere, right on the sand, serving superb seafood,  cheese plates, and crisp rosé wine.  Although I can’t recreate that exact moment, I can recreate that feeling with the right music, food, and of course the right libations.  So last night I decided on beer-battered tilapia with mango salsa and a bottle of Tapeña rosé.  Let me tell you, it was just right.  Contrary to their American counterparts (ie White Zinfindel), imported rosé wines are generally dry with a crisp, fruit forward flavor.  The hint of strawberry on the palate paired perfectly with the mild sweetness of the mango in the dish without being overpowering.  Tapeña offers a variety of wines (their tempranillo is also quite good!), and I chose this rosé over a French rosé because Tapeña is made from Spanish garnacha (aka grenache) with just a splash of shiraz – many French rosé wines are made primarily of Shiraz which does not tend to be quite as fruity.  Still excellent wine, but I thought the fruit would pair well with this particular dish, and I was very pleased with the result!  Tapeña wines can usually be found for around $10-$12 per bottle (but I only paid $8.07 because I redeemed a carton of Coors Light cans left over from the last Pats game and used the tickets towards my purchase – we needed a lot of “venting” after that mess…).  Make sure to serve any rosé chilled for maximum enjoyment, I also suggest Suite Bergamasque as background music for true relaxation.  Cheers!

(photo credit: tapenawine.com)

I wish I could say that I am just now awakening from a Champagne-induced coma as a result of some swinging New Year’s rager, but unfortunately the snow up here in Beantown made going beyond the Chinese take-out place at the end of the street rather impossible.  However, it did give us a good reason to stay in and try out some new wines, as I have resolved to really, ACTUALLY get better about my posts even though I made a similar resolution some time between Thanksgiving and Christmas that did not go very well… So I’d like to start off the New Year by raving about one of my old favorites – Moet Nectar Imperial Rose.  Rose champagne is quite tricky to make – or make well I should say.  And I have never found one quite as good.  Now, I must admit, this IS a bottle that runs over my $10-$15 self-imposed spending limit, but it’s a new decade, right?  Slightly sweet without being sugary, this champagne is a great alternative to higher-end vintage champagne if you want something different from your average White Star but don’t want to spend a ton of money  (Read:  White Star normally runs you around $40, Nectar Imperial Rose closer to $60, and Dom P at least $150).  What gives this champagne its rosy hue?  Well, as you know, the Champagne region only allows wine production from approved grapes, so rose champagne is made from the same basic recipe.  The difference is that unlike most champagne, rose champagne is allowed to sit with the red grape skins for a period of time during its creation.  A bit of the red color from the grape skin remains and gives the wine a pink color.  Other champagne is pressed and then removed from contact with the grape skins, leaving it “white.”  Looking for a good bottle for Valentine’s Day and a little story to make you sound wicked smart at the same time?  This pink-colored favorite will do the trick!  What, just because New Years is over we give up the good stuff for a year?  I don’t think so…

(photo credit:  hopsandgrapesonline.com)