Category Archives: Pinot Envy

Turkey Time Wine! 🍷🦃

Now I know you’re not going to have just a turkey on your table. But I wanted to keep it simple and spotlight the star of the show (though maybe it’s a featured player, as we all know the real star is you).✨

According to Food and Wine magazine, turkey’s rich flavor profile; light and dark meat, and its juicy texture matches well with a wide variety of wines and traditional side dishes.

Keep in mind that what’s good for the turkey is probably going to be good for the side dishes.

•Dry Riesling– OK… wait a minute, this isn’t the sugar bomb you think it is. Many have the view that riesling always equals cloyingly sweet. But this dry offering is the riesling you never knew you wanted. High acidity and plentiful minerality make this a most agreeable turkey companion.

•Chardonnay – Sometimes chosen because of its name recognition, Chardonnay can be a wonderful pairing with turkey. Crisp acidity, and fuller-bodied vibe make it a pleasure to sip. Old World offerings, particularly from France, are more citrus-forward with a stalwart mineral heart. New World Chards from the US, Australia and South America have a juicier, stone fruit vibe.
Hint: Add a little to the turkey as you baste.

•Gamay – The Beaujolais grape, but skip past the Nouveau and head straight for a more mature offering to enjoy. Pleasant high acid, lo tannin, and a satisfying grippy mouthfeel make this wine one of the best pairings with turkey.

•Pinot Noir – A classic, Pinot Noir’s playful flavors of cherry make this a great pairing for both turkey and your favorite sides. Pinots from France have a grounded, earthy, mushroom-y, tart cherry gravitas where New World Pinots brings forth a brighter complex cherry vibe. 🍒

•Viognier – An excellent, but not as well known match, Viognier’s whispers of honey and rich ripe stone fruit essences are wonderful with the tender turkey. Look for amazing offerings from Northern Rhone, South Africa and Australia.

•Zinfandel – Jammy, juicy and fruit forward, this wine is a boss pairing with both light and dark turkey meat, and many traditional Tgiving sides.
A big hit on turkey day, you might want to splurge and buy a couple of bottles. 😉

•Champagne – Bubbles and high acidity make this wine a merry treat to cut through the richness of the turkey and all side dishes.
And it makes your holiday table scape even more festive and fun! 🥂

When all is said and done, these are simply suggestions to dial back some of the guesswork when picking your wine. In the end, it’s really about sharing time with family and friends. And whatever wine(s) you choose to adorn your Thanksgiving table this year, I hope you have happy and healthy holiday!🧡

Cheers!🍷🦃

©️ Copyright. The Wine Student. 2023

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.

Wine Wednesday: Maysara Jamsheed Pinot Noir 🍷😊

One of the best things about summer is getting together with friends for an amazing dinner and trying a new Pinot Noir! Featured for the evening: 2014 Maysara Jamsheed.

Cultivated in the Momtazi Vineyard located in the foothills of Oregon’s Coastal Range, these grapes have been given much TLC that is necessary produce top quality pinot. The temperatures in this particular region separates them from impact from the valley. Here, there are warmer days, cooler nights and lower precipitation during their harvest. Because pinot is a delicate grape to cultivate, this gentler microclimate is best especially in the days leading up to harvest.

Tea Time

Maysara’s philosophy is that “90% of winemaking takes place in the vineyard.” They believe in truly biodynamic cultivation – a ‘nature to nature’ credo. They shun the chemical approach  by the use of compost tea, made through the propagation of an assortment of medicinal flowers and herbs that are brewed into a steeped tea. Steeping extracts the most beneficial elements which are then worked back into the vineyard soil. This boosts optimum health for the soil, vines, and then the grapes.

What a Pair

Our wine was paired with an incredible dinner of fragrant lamb tangine, grilled root vegetables, and roasted cauliflower with yogurt mint sauce. The delicate balance of sweet and spice played beautifully with the spritely cherry, luscious blackberry, and light cracked pepper vibe of the wine. Since this was a ’14 vintage, it had just the right amount of aging to truly release its tender nuances. This pairing was outstanding.

I would like to eat this picture.

My thanks again to our friends, Judy and Greg, for a wonderful evening of fun, incredible food, and an amazing wine that is one of my new favorites of the summer.

Cheers! 🍷

Top Three Valentine’s Themed Wines!

It’s the weekend before the official love day, and whether you’re just celebrating you or love divine with your partner, thoughts ultimately turn to… wine!

Much like at Halloween, I noticed many labels this year sporting a serious Valentine’s vibe.

Here are three that caught my eye.

 

 

2014 Queen of Hearts Pinot Noir

Young and fruity, this Pinot has flavors of:

• Red fruit such as: strawberry, cherry and raspberry

• Cola- yes! Like the soft drink, this wine has that bright, effervescent mouthfeel (sans bubbles) that you find in cola. It made this almost refreshing in a way.

• Silky tannins

It pairs well with:

• Pullled pork, seared salmon/tuna

• Roasted chicken or duck

• Cherry flan

LO-VE Wines Garnacha

Originating in Spain, but imported and bottled in Napa, this is a 95% Grenach, 5%Tempranillo. What makes this wine unique:

  • Essences of lavender
  • Strawberry, raspberry
  • Liquorice with a hint of leather

It pairs nicely with:

  • Rich, lusty stews featuring pork or lamb
  • British pub classics such as shepherds pie, bangers and mash
  • Favorite winter go-to’s like mac and cheese

2016 Finca Pasion MiAmor Malbec Ihaven’t profiled this on my Malbec Monday posts so this was nice to find! As with most Malbecs, this features darker fruit characters with some spice and:

• Essences of plum, and a little strawberry

• Blackberry

• Clove and pepper for a little caliente

It’s dinner companions include:

• Beef or venison

• Chili con carne, fajitas, beef burritos

• Pasta bolognese or with meatballs

There are many great choices out there to help set the mood but remember this: If you can’t be with the wine you love, love the wine you’re with!

Have a fun and safe Valentine’s Day! ❤️🍷❤️

©TheWine Student, 2018

Holly Jolly

The holidays are the perfect time to spend with the ones you love, and that might even include some people. Ho ho ho!

I know, that was naughty but it stands to reason that especially during this time of year, we all like to add some new and special wines to our collections.

This year, we enjoyed a 2013 Goldeneye Pinot Noir. A gorgeous medium body Pinot, it had lush, full flavors of cherry, blackberry and pomegranate, while remaining grounded with an underscore of earthy mineral and leather. It had an enjoyable long finish, which for me is something I crave in a Pinot but don’t always find. It paired beautifully with our Christmas eve supper of steamed crab and traditional Tourtiere.

From their production notes:

“An extremely dry winter was followed by just enough spring rain to carry us through to a successful harvest. With very few frost days, the fruit set was excellent throughout our estate vineyards. To ensure a perfectly sized, well-balanced crop we were very active in fruit dropping. The remaining clusters were compact, with the abundant small berries that are perfect for high-quality wine. We started harvest 10 days earlier than normal, during a period of ideal temperate weather that allowed us to pick at a leisurely pace, while ensuring optimal ripeness. The resulting wines are marked by a complexity only achieved in cooler years with coursing acidity, beautiful high-toned fruit and nuanced minerality.”

Notes like this are always interesting to read; almost like peaking behind the curtain of what the harvest process involves, and why timing is everything, especially in harvesting a top quality Pinot.

I hope you are enjoying the holidays, and taking time to savor those moments with loved ones, both in and out of the bottle!

Next post: wine to ring in a brave new year. 🥂😁✨

Cheers! 🍷🎁🍷🎄