July 4th Wine Recommendations…from a Brit.
July 2, 2011July 4th (from what I understand) is a U.S. holiday commemorating the day England, willingly and completely of our own accord, decided to give back America to, well, itself. At least that’s what they taught me in history class in England…and I see no reason why it would be a biased opinion.
History lesson out of the way, lets move on to the wine. What follows are some of my personal wine recommendations for this 4th of July holiday. They are all (of course) products of the United States; anything else would be just wrong!
~ Whites ~
Conundrum
Tasting Notes
The wine is smooth and rich, with tastes of apricot, citrus, pear, and lychee among many other notes. The Muscat certainly adds complexity, Viognier adds a floral component, with Sauvignon helping to keep it crisp.
Average Retail
$22.99
Availability
Most wine stores.
Click here for my interview with Conundrum winemaker Jon Bolta.
Groth Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting Notes
The Groth showed rich and ripe peach, melon and honeysuckle on the nose, with just a hint of yeast. Crisp, but not in a full-on New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc kind-of-way. Melon continues with a hint of lime and yellow grapefruit. The acidity is present, and balances nicely with the creamy texture. Medium in body, finishes long and elegant.
Average Retail
$22.99
Availability
Limited to larger wine stores, and selectively at smaller retailers.
Click here for my review of Groth Sauvignon Blanc.
The Subtle use of a Highlighter…
July 1, 2011
As I’m sure you’ve already noticed, there’s certain sections within my posts that I like to draw your attention to by the genius use of a highlighter!
It’s an idea that I dreamt up, patented, and if I see any other website ripping off the idea, I’ll be suing their asses off! No, just kidding. I actually stole the idea from Mens Health Magazine, back when I used to read it. Mens Health always had (I’m sure they still do) these articles on subjects such as: “How to Avoid Getting Cancer This Week!”, with the words-of-advice of “Don’t smoke!” or “Stay away from Uranium!” usually getting the highlighter treatment.
The reason for me telling you this, is that I do indeed recognize that most of us lead extremely busy lives, and that reading every single-thing you find whilst surfing on the Internets is impossible. The highlighted passages in my articles are for that reason entirely. Maybe you’re on the Internet at work, and you don’t want your boss catching you “goofing off.” The highlighted passages will provide the cliff-notes on the article, so that you can go about your day, that ever so slightly more well-informed on wine. But saying that, if your boss has a problem with you being on this website during time you’re on the clock, you probably need a new job!
That’s all.
Big Bottles!
July 1, 2011
Just a little Friday fun…
South African Wine Dinner – July 24th at bbs
June 30, 2011
Sunday July 24th 2011
Shrimp Carpaccio, Shaved Heirloom Melon, Nicoise Olive, and Kaffir Lime
Wine – Indaba Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape ‘10
~
Seared Foie Gras Fresh Florida Strawberries, Rye Toast, Balsamic
Wine – Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc, Western Cape ‘08
~
Coffee Cured Ostrich Steak with Green Peppercorn Demi, Housemade Gnocchi
Wine – Kanonkop Kadette, Pinotage blend, Stellenbosch, ‘09
~
Slow and Low Braised Lamb Shoulder, Gorgonzola Tortelloni and Candy-Striped Beets
Wine – Rustenberg – John X Merriman, Cabernet blend, ‘07
~
Goat Cheese Panna Cotta Asian Pear, Pistacchio, Caramelized Bacon Phyllo Crisp
Wine – Klein Constantia – Vin de Constance, Muscato, ‘05
Please call for reservations 904.306.0100
1019 Hendricks Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32207-8307
(904) 306-0100
Orin Swift The Prisoner 2009 Review
June 30, 2011
Grapes
51% Zinfandel, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah, 7% Petite Sirah, 3% Charbono, 1% Grenache, 1% Malbec, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
Facts
The label for The Prisoner was work of Spanish artist Francisco Goya. For the 2009 vintage, the debut tasting apparently took place at a prison location in San Francisco’s Presidio military base near the Golden Gate Bridge.
Posted in Reviews | Tagged Cabernet, California, Charbono, Grenache, Malbec, Napa, Orin Swift, Petite Sirah, syrah, The Prisoner, Zinfandel | 4 Comments //Recipe for Stuffed Squid in Vernaccia Sauce by Adam Bartoy
June 30, 2011
If you remember my article last week entitled A Sardinian Feast with Friends; well I actually had a couple of emails from people wishing to know how to make the Stuffed Squid in Vernanccia Sauce. Since it wasn’t my recipe, I had to get with my friend Adam to but it into text form…
Stuffed Squid in Vernaccia Sauce by Adam Bartoy
This is the 1st time I have written a recipe, so I may have left out some things. This dish is all about doing your own thing, so if you have anything that works better for you, just feel free to add it. All of the measurements are guestimations of what I have done in the past. My mother in-law gave me a rough interpretation, and this is what I came up with. My biggest piece of advice is to buy cleaned squid and try and find large ones to stuff; it will make your life much easier! Also, the amount of stuffing may differ depending on how big your squid are to be stuffed. Adjust recipe with more meat if necessary.
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