Category Archives: Cracklin’ Rosé

Bellinis, Momosas and Fun Sparkly Things✨🥂💝

This is the weekend of flowers, sparkly things and Momosas (see what I did there?). But sometimes we like to change things up a little. I recently featured Mimosa on my Instagram so…

What if we made a Bellini this year? But first:

What is the difference between Bellini and Mimosa?

Mimosa – originally created in 1921 at Buck’s Club in London. Bartender Pat McGarry mixed two parts orange juice and one part Champagne (and maybe a splash of grenadine).

Jump ahead to 1925; a French version was born at the Hotel Ritz (bartender Frank Meyer) using equal parts orange juice and Champagne. It was named for a pretty yellow flower common in French gardens. 🌼

Over the years, many variations have arisen featuring many sparklers such as Prosecco or Spanish Cava, as well as the addition of Cointreau or Triple Sec for a little kick.

Bellini – an Italian cocktail named for the 15th-century artist Giovanni Bellini. Originally created by Giuseppe Cipriani at Harry’s Bar in Venice, it is sparkling wine with a simple peach purée. Traditionally, Prosecco is in the mix but any sparkler will do the trick.

The beauty of these two is that there are no hard and fast rules; there are so many variations that can please every palate.

This year, I wanted to go with the trad Bellini with a wee twist: sparkling Rosé Prosecco!

The pink bubbles are so pretty in the glass and create a cool glow mixed with the peach puree. And I can tell you that it took a while to find any fresh peaches!

Easy Peasy Rose Peach Bellini:

• 6oz Sparkling Rosé (Prosecco if you’re a purist)

• 1 oz peach puree (blend of fresh, peeled peach, splash of fresh lemon juice & honey)

• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

• Add peach purée to a flute glass (but any pretty glass will do), squeeze a little lemon juice to taste, then top it off with sparkling rose. Garnish with edible flowers.

• Enjoy!

Pair with brunch or sip all on its own.

Here’s to all the hard-working Moms out there, and to the memories of moms who are no longer with us. We toast you, and hold space in our hearts for you all.💜

Cheers!

©️Copyright. 2024 The Wine Student

Cool for the Summer: Avaline Rosé 🩷😎

I think we can call it official – summertime is here!😎🥂

And when that mercury starts to climb, we want less heat and more chill in our glass. A clear choice to beat the heat this season is Avaline (ah-vah-leene) Rosé.

Cameron Diaz and business partner Katharine Power bonded over both a glass of wine, and a shared philosophy: to make great quality wines that are purely organic. They partner only with growers who share their commitment; using only natural methods to create wines from 100% certified organic fruit, with zero synthetic pesticides. No artificial colors, refined sugars or additives are present, and transparency in all winemaking, and labeling, is key. Current regulations do not require nutritional/ingredient information on wine labels. Other than the percentage of alcohol and short varietal list, most of us don’t always know what’s in our glass. This is something Diaz and Power wanted to highlight.

With respect to sustainable winemaking, their sourced vineyards are generally lo-irrigation, or they are dry-farmed, relying only on rain water to provide moisture. With water shortages becoming globally prevalent for growers, decreasing fresh water consumption has become a necessity.

Benefits of lo-irrigation and dry-farming are many: it’s an environmentally responsible choice, and produces more intense flavor in the fruit. Like all things, balance is important. Dry- farming is best with well-established vines that have deep root systems. However, it can take years before this happens. Vines that have regular irrigation tend to have more shallow root systems – they don’t have to work as hard to find their water source. To coax the younger vines into strong fruit producers, sometimes low irrigation, only when needed, is essential.

Avaline Rosé, a Vin de France wine, is cultivated in Provence by Famille Negrel wines. Their vineyards are lo-irrigation, adding moisture only when necessary, especially if the crop is in danger. Chickpeas are grown on site to provide vital nitrogen to the vines. Their vineyards are certified organic by ECOCERT.

Sometimes rosés can taste watered down, as though the crop had too much rain at harvest. Others taste as more heavy-handed, trying too hard to be flavorful. This wine, with its blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Cabernet Sauv, Syrah and Caladoc is flavorful, fresh and well-balanced.

Tasting notes:

Flavors of honeydew melon, orange zest, cardamom/ginger spice, and tart white peach lingered gently on the finish. Ethereal and delicious, and possessing a light-bodied, yet lingering mouthfeel.😙

A 5FL OZ pour was 107 calories, 2.6G carbs and zero fat (says so right on the label).

Ok, my pour was a little larger than that. 😉

See you on the patio!⛱️

Cheers!

©️Copyright. 2023. The Wine Student.

Boozy Book Review: Bunny by Mona Awad🐰

Bunny is not a book about Easter. Not even close. And it’s not really a story about wine (but there is a wine cocktail reference so, in that sense, it fits nicely into my boozy book review standards). Bunny is a tale of dark academia and the power of loneliness and imagination.

Brief synopsis: Samantha Mackey is an MFA grad student at a prestigious New England college. She has absolutely nothing in common with her privileged writing seminar group who all hug, and express their undying love to each other as they squeal ‘BUNNY!!!’ whenever they meet.

One day, Samantha gets a random invitation to the bunnies’ conclave called ‘Smut Salon’. Well, who wouldn’t be just a little bit curious? On the surface, everything in bunny life is pink mini-cupcakes, fluffy party dresses and mind-altering cocktails. What lies beneath is much more sinister. Or… is it?

The book shines a flashlight on the often fine line between what is and isn’t real. It explores how easily one can fall down a rabbit hole of imagination, while asking the question, “I wonder what those perfect lives must be like?” We accompany Samantha as she enters into this glitter frosted world of privilege, only to find a sordid, inky-dark underbelly. Mona Awad does a deft job of subtly erasing the line between reality and fantasy, and often I found myself asking, “Did that really just happen?”

The cocktail in the book is a French 75 – it’s typically made with gin but I’m not a fan so switched it to vodka. Since a secondary theme includes mini-cupcakes (and one of the characters is nick-named Cupcake), why not add some pink sparkles to the mix?

What was my pick? Cupcake Rosé!

French 75 (w/ vodka)

•1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

•1/2 oz simple syrup

•1 oz vodka (if you don’t like gin)

•4 oz pink Champagne or sparkling wine

•splash grenadine (optional)

•garnish: lemon ribbon twist, sugar rim

Hoppy reading! 🐰 (ok, bad pun, everybody drink!)

©️Copyright. The Wine Student. 2023.

Better Than Chocolate: 2023 Valentine Wine Picks!💝

Eduardo Galeano once wrote, “We are all mortal until the first kiss and the second glass of wine.”

It’s true – that first kiss can make us feel like we’ve had that second glass of wine; dizzy, fizzy, and warm all over. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some chocolate but it doesn’t usually make me feel like that. And chocolate doesn’t always fit in my wine glass.🍫

This year, I wanted to explore a couple of intriguing alternatives to the chocolate covered heart.

Check out the video below for more info about these wines!👇

Apothic Rosé-

The label says that it’s the “rosé with a dark secret”. I would like to know what that secret is. Though maybe that’s what the second glass is for.

From E&J Gallo, and cultivated in Central Valley, California, this wine is a beautiful, deep rose-gold color. The classic color of many rosés is a light-medium salmon pink. This is a Grenache, Temperanillo, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese & Carignane blend that created a rich color in the glass. It had a subtle cherry vibe on the nose, and flavors of lush strawberry, ripe raspberry, and a sensual whisper of dark chocolate on the finish. Interlaced all together, it tasted like… more!

Also cool: the label art of swirling roses was designed by tattoo artist Sasha Masiuk.

💰Price point: $11.99

Longevity 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

From the growing region of Livermore Valley, California, Longevity is one of the largest Black-owned wineries in the United States.

Deep, ruby red in color, this Cab was immediately drinkable. I tasted without decanting, and it was flavorful right out of the bottle. Often, a little merlot is blended with cabs to soften the harsh tannins. This was a cab with no harsh edges. Softer tannins made for a smooth and satiny experience, like slipping on a lux pair of silk pajamas. Classic flavors of red plum, black cherry, blackberry swirled together, with a little black licorice lingering on the finish. Together it created a deep, well-structured profile.

Their description of the wine was ‘muscular’, which is very true of most cabs. But no heavy lifting was required to enjoy this wine. This was full-bodied but not overpowering; so nice to slowly sip and savor.

The twist-off cork is genius! Like its sister the screw cap, it made opening the wine a breeze, especially if you’ve forgotten your wine key (corkscrew). It made storing even easier. No leaks!

The label is what first attracted me; a beautiful heart. Take a closer look and you’ll see the intertwining of grapes, hearts and vines. The heart was designed by Longevity’s owner, and winemaker Philip Long’s late wife-and business partner, Debra, who saw the design as an expression of their both their love of wine, and each other.

💰Price Point: $15.99

So whether you’re enjoying à deux or just celebrating you, surrender this Valentine’s to a little decadence. It’s better than chocolate!♥️🍫

Cheers!🍷💋

©️Copyright. The Wine Student. 2023

Snug as a Lady Bug🐞

“The Ladybug wears no disguises. She is just what she advertises. A speckled spectacle of spring, A fashion statement on the wing…. A miniature orange kite. A tiny dot-to-dot delight.”- J. Patrick Lewis

During the busy days of summer, it’s easy to forget the little things; a warm evening breeze, toes in the sand, glass of wine in your hand. If the past two years have taught us nothing else, it’s the simple pleasures that we need to pay attention to. Little things sometimes have the biggest impact.

Lady bugs are little, but they are mighty.

Farmers and gardeners love the lady bug. According to ThoughtCo.com, the lady bug (beetle) are beneficial predators who munch on many pests of the garden such as scale insects, whiteflies, mites and especially, aphids. Over the course of a day, a lady bug can scarf down 50 aphids, over a lifetime (about a year), they can consume over 5,000. They really are the ladies who lunch.

Too much of a good thing, though, can become a challenge for growers; an overpopulation can mean that many bugs can snuggle up in the fruit. And this can subsequently taint the wine if they’re not sorted out at pressing.

Searching for a nice light wine to pair with my evening chicken stir fry, I discovered this little but mighty gem: 2020 Malivoire Lady Bug. Located in Beamsville, ON, Malivoire is a Certified Sustainable winery. Made from a blend of 56% Cabernet Franc, 36% Gamay, 8% Pinot Noir, and cultivated especially for this wine, the grapes are harvested when sugars are at 19.5 Brix. The crushed grapes then soak in free-run juice ( juice that runs freely out of the tank by gravity) between two and twelve hours before press. After cold-fermentation and stabilization, the wine is transferred to stainless steel tanks to rest before bottling.

This lady bug had a surprising complexity, revealing different layers of flavor with each sip. Many single varietal roses are good but one-dimensional.

Check out the video below for more summer fun!🏖

Some tasting notes for ya!

• bright berry on the nose – flavors of red raspberry, strawberry,

• cherry, pomegranate – nice burst of tart flavor that sparkled down into a tangy tart that lingered on the finish.

• bouncy mouthfeel makes it great to sip on its own yet it paired beautifully with a gently spiced chicken stir fry with jasmine rice.

Recommended pairings:

Lighter meats such as:

• Butter Chicken

• Pork Roast

• Baked Ham

• Charcuterie

• Mussels

• White Bean Salad

•Available at LCBO – $17.99

Whether you’re sipping on a beach or dining al fresco with friends, please enjoy responsibly!

Cheers!🍷

©️Copyright. 2022 The Wine Student

Get Your Côtes!

Hello! It’s been a long time! This summer has been flying by, and I hope you’ve all been keeping safe and well!

The other day, I found a lovely surprise in my fridge – a bottle of Henry de Floret Côtes du Rhône Rosé! It always feels like summer in my glass. The shimmery, salmon-pink color + the flavors of strawberry, golden plum, dried apricot and black currant bring to mind visions of warm sunsets of pink and golden light through a gentle haze.

Côtes du Rhônes wines of all types must adhere to the regulations of Apellation d’Origine Contrôllée (AOC) which ensures a uniformity of flavor and style within this growing region.

Rosé from this region boasts the classic GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) blend with primary grape being Grenache. It can also include Carignan, Cinsault as well as white varietals Voignier and Rousanne. This gives a wonderful depth of flavor and aromas. Feel free to pair with some delicate cheeses, savory nuts and mild paté or experiment with whatever you have on hand!

This wine was the perfect pairing with a delicate breeze + some jazzy summer beats. 🎶

Wondering how this bottle found its way into my fridge? Sweet HubbyDoug. 💗

We may have to keep our distance, and not go out as much as we might like right now. But it may be the simpler pleasures, and sweet surprises we’re meant to enjoy.

Take good care of yourselves, enjoy the sunshine, and some good wine, whenever you can! 🌞

Cheers!🍷

Rose All Day… Or Is It??

I wanted to get this shot before the next summer storm cell rolled in. And when I opened this wine, I thought it was another lovely rosè to enjoy. But it isn’t. It’s a Pinot Noir Blanc. What’s the difference?

Some rosès are a blend of red and white wines. Some are made from fermented juice of red grapes with a small amount of skin contact. This Pinot Noir Blanc is produced from lightly pressed Pinot Noir juice from the whole cluster, with just a scant time in the French barrels before, and after fermentation.

Refreshing and flavorful, this Belle Glos Pinot Noir Blanc was wonderful treat to enjoy with my Swedish meatballs and incoming storm.

Cheers!

©️ Copyright. TheWineStudent, 2019.

Everything’s Coming Up Rosé!

 

With spring finally here, our thoughts turn to all things fun and rosy. Especially when it comes to wine. Some of us want a bit lighter fare but not necessarily white (not that there’s anything wrong with it). And like wearing white after Memorial Day, it’s now safe to say ok to rosé.

Rosé is a little enigmatic. It had an infamously bad rep for only being cloyingly sweet or watered down red in your glass. Not anymore. Many are made from red grapes but with much shorter amount of skin contact (the amount of time the wine is allowed to rest before the skins are removed). Skin contact gives a red wine its tannin, depth of flavor and color. Typically, most rosé is on the skins for between two and twenty hours, picking up color and a little tannin. Red wine typically rests on skins for a few days to two weeks or longer.

Four Main Methods of Making Rosé:

•Saignee ~ the byproduct of making red wine, some of the wine is drained off after a quick time in contact with the skins.

•Short Maceration ~ the most straightforward way to make rosé. Grapes are crushed and skins soak in cool temperature juice 2-20 hours. juice is then drained off and skins gently pressed prior to fermentation.

•Direct Press ~ S-L-O-W press of whole red grapes which give the broken skins time to give some of their color to juice before fermentation.

•Blending ~ While not generally done, even though it seems like a no-brainer, there are a few rules if this is how you want to make rosé:

*usually done with champagne; adding a bit of red wine to white, for a blush

*raw red and white grapes are mixed together in the same tank prior to fermentation

*adding lees (yeast sediment) from a white wine to fermenting pink juice. The lees sometimes take away some pigment and flavor so it’s not a method that’s widely used.

Also known as the ‘cold soak’, the maceration time for rosé isn’t always necessary but does give the best chance to extract the most color and character from the skins. fermentation vats are chilled to 50˚F (10˚C) ~ this works best for a pale wine. For a rosé with a richer blush, 55 to 65˚F (13 to 18˚C) is preferred.

According to Katherine Cole, most rosé is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, especially those that have a brighter, crisper vibe. Others are given time in larger, neutral barrels. Barrels that are smaller and new/toasted impart too much smokey, or woody flavors to the wine. Rosé is favored for its delicate, lightly silky nature– no one wants a campfire in their glass. Barrel-aged rosé is full-bodied and best with hardier foods.

Pretty in Pink

 

The color of rosé can tell you a lot about where it comes from. Just looking at the hue can tell you something about the varietal, region, and winemaker decisions. For instance, a Tempranillo rosé from Spain can be a light salmon pink, a Sangiovese has a bright, sparkly copper red, the deepest ruby color belongs to Cab Sauv, and Tavel rosé from the Côtes du Rhône. Rosé from Provence is a delicate pink.

Varietals in rosé are many, and it is also produced in exotic locations such as: Sardinia, Greece, Canary Islands, and Israel.

As for flavor, winemakers are spending more time and expertise in coaxing out aromas and tastes that are excellent expressions of the varietals, and regions from which they originate. For instance, a Pinot Noir rosé can have subtle aromas of crabapple, watermelon, strawberry, raspberry and wet stone. Zinfandel (the most popular varietal for rosé) is off-dry, and moderately sweet with flavors of green melon, lemon, cotton candy, and strawberry. Its sweet nature makes it a great entrée to those new to rosé.

I enjoyed Gassier Rosé recently that was a dry style with moderate acid and good fruitiness, with hints of green melon, ripe strawberry, essence of rose petals, and a little spice on the finish that gradually increased as it warmed up.

In general, most range from fruity and floral to savory and rich, which makes them so interesting to pair with a variety of foods.

Hands down, my favorite rosé pairing is with grilled strawberries over angel food cake (with a little sweetened creme fraîche!). Magnifique!

Here’s my handy serve & save chart for you!

Rosé Type

Serve

Save

Sparkling

40-45˚F (5-7˚C)

ice bath (the wine, not you)

Silicone stopper x 2 days

Barrel-aged

55-60˚F (13-18˚C)

leave bottle out 30 mins prior to serving

Recork, refrigerate -drink

w/5 days

Deep Pink

45-55˚F (7-13˚C)

leave chilling, but taste as it warms

Recork, refrigerate – drink

w/ 3 days

Light & Lively

35-40˚F (3-5˚C)

ice bath

You must drink it all that night

Battle of the Celebrity Rosé!

 

Since so many celebs are getting into the wine game, I wanted to try some star-studded offerings to see what they were like.

Let’s get ready to rumble…!!

The challengers:

•Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Sophia’ ~ a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Pinot Noir. Swellegant bottle, too!

•Miraval ~ the couple formerly known as Brangelina... (Mmmkay, so they don’t own the winery that produces it anymore but whatever, they’re in) ~

• He gives Rosé a good name? Jon Bon Jovi’s Diving into Hampton Water~ produced in France in the Languedoc region, it combines 60% Grenache with 15% Cinsault, Mourvédre and 10% Syrah.

 

• Just to shake things up we threw in a couple of non-celeb rosé: Chalk Hill, and Ménage á Trois.

Let’s see what the a blind tasting revealed ...click the video below to see how the wines measured up!

 

 

 

 

Full disclosure, while I purchased the wine, I didn’t see the wines when they were placed in the burlap bags, and I didn’t pour them, so I was in the dark as to which was which. And I was really amazed at the big reveal. I admit, I had some preconceptions as to what I figured I would pick. I thought that, for sure, my number one choice would be Coppola’s Sophia; I loved the gorgeous bottle and the beautiful color. And I thought its color would be an indicator of what I would taste. To my surprise, it offered little in terms of flavour and aroma. It tasted as though the grapes were picked in a very rainy harvest; it was very watery despite the beautiful color.

Our big pick had a pretty, amber-pink color with a nice white peach vibe and pleasing mouthfeel. It paired well with a creamy brie and fresh strawberry. With just a little sweetness (surprising because I’m not usually a sweet wine fan). It was a nice sipper and played well with others. If you checked out the video, you’ll know what it is! 😉

Sparkling or still, deep pink or rosy amber, celeb/non-celeb, rosé is one of the big wine trends that’s cool for the summer. It’s refreshing and right for a season of relaxing, reconnecting, and enjoying the summer sun.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day!

Cheers! 🍷

©️TheWineStudent, 2018

Wines for a Brave New Year!

 

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As an icy wind howls and grips most of the Mid-West (and parts of Canada) this weekend, we need to be brave. Part of being brave is keeping an eye on the horizon, and the sunnier skies that will emerge once the storm has done its worst.

When a new year begins, we all have a tendency to want to move beyond the old habits and embrace something new. And that means occasionally moving from the safe, tried-and-true wines we know, towards those we maybe have overlooked.

According to Forbes.com, the biggest trends for 2018 include:

  • Increase in wines from “lesser known but traditional wine regions” including Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Georgia.
  • Red blends, especially from Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur.
  • Big bottles ie magnums in both wine shops and restaurants.
  • Increases in premium wine sales ~ no more three buck Chuck at the table.
  • Wine with a conscience : organic, sustainably farmed, natural, and biodynamic wines will be on the rise.
  • In keeping with purposeful wines, experts predict a surge in wine purchases to support the California winemakers rebuilding from the devastating fires in ’17, especially from Napa and Sonoma regions.
  • Revisiting Chilean wines especially Pinot Noir from Casablanca and cool mountain Syrah.
  • Expect to see more rule breaking: drinking whites, sparklers and rosé in the winter, and bold, full-bodied reds in the summer.
  • Wine in cans ~ more and more producers are selling canned wine with the advent of Can Van Mobile, a canning line that can be assembled within a small or large winery within an hour. And let’s be honest, canned wines are easier to take in your backpack on your picnic than glass bottles.

Vivino’s take on the upcoming 2018 trends is just a little bit different:

  • Sweet, or dessert wine ~ in their 2018 Wine Style Awards, Sauternes took the number one spot, which is surprising since many will eschew sweeter wines for dry.
  •  Zero-sugar movement ~ in stark contrast to sweet wines upswing, wines such as Brut Nature (zero sugar) are also gaining in popularity. More and more health conscious wine drinkers want to cut out the sugar in their choices. Look for Brut Nature, Zero Dosage, or Sauvage on the label, which indicates that sugar is fermented to a level of ‘zero’.
  • Prosecco, Cava and Cremant ~ consumers want to continue the New Year’s party by enjoying sparkling wines all year! Prosecco leads the way, but also opens up the field for Cava (Spanish) and Cremant (sparkling French wine from outside the Champagne region).
  • Uruguayan wine ~ especially Tannat, a concentrated, full-bodied wine that comes in many forms: robust red, spicy rosé, and even sparkling red.
  • Small Production Wines ~ smaller, not as well known wineries in regions like Oregon (Vivino saw increases of 10 percent), and Washington, especially Gramercy Cellars are gaining in popularity by keeping their production small and quality high. Sometimes these wines are difficult to find, because many in the know buy them up quickly and quietly, but they are worth looking for.

And in North East Ohio, one wine tops the forecast:

  • Rosé ~ Shaun Hardon, Certified Specialist of Wine for Heidelberg Distributing Company in Independence, Ohio said via email that he sees rosé’s star continuing to rise. “I started seeing a growing popularity for rosé about six years ago but last year was eye opening! Based on what I’ve seen and heard, it looks like the popularity will continue to grow this season. And it is no longer just the bone dry Provence style anymore. I’ve noticed restaurants looking for something a little different from countries other than France.”

It looks like 2018 is going to be very bright indeed. With so many wines, regions and styles to explore, it’s a good thing there are 353 days left!

If you have to venture out this weekend, please be safe!

Cheers! 🍷

©TheWineStudent, 2018

Mac n Cheese Monday!

Ok, so it’s more about the wine than the mac and cheese but Rosé doesn’t start with M! 

My girl is home from college and as a budding gourmet, she wanted to experiment with a simple but yummy mac and cheese recipe. So which wine would be interesting? 

A few days ago, HubbyDoug came across a 2016 Alexander Valley Vineyards dry Rosé of Sangiovese. We’ve enjoyed many of AVV’s offerings in the past but a Sangiovese Rosé was what peaked his interest. Who was I to say, “Bah!”? 

Rosé is made from black grapes and its production is similar to red wines, but fermentation is at lower  temperatures, and is taken off grapeskin contact after only 12 to 36 hours so that the wine doesn’t become too deeply colored or tannic. Most red wines maintain skin contact for more than two weeks (for richly flavored wines). 

This wine was amazing with the combination of Jarlsberg and Monterey Jack cheese; it cut through the creamy butter vibe with a refreshing acidity and wonderful light fruity quality. To try to assauge our guilt, we added a nice combination of sweet green peas and broccoli to the mix. 😉

I’ve often enjoyed a crisp, bubbly Prosecco with dishes that are this creamy and rich, but this Rosé was a surprising and wonderful alternative. And for summer, Rosé is a fun change of pace. Think pink!

Cheers!