Category Archives: Wine in Pajamas!

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 RosĂŠ-

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

Dry Spell

The last of the holiday treats are gone, and you feel like you need to take a little break. You’ve decided to embrace Dry January. Good for you! In your quest, maybe you’ve noticed a few alcohol-removed, dealcoholized or non-alcohol wines on the shelves of your local store.

Although the tipsy factor might not be there, alcohol-removed red wines, like their boozy cousins, contain resveratrol, a powerful anti-oxidant contained in the skins of red wine grapes.

Here are some other health benefits of drinking dealcoholized red wine:

• Decreased risk of cardiovascular disease

• Decreased risk of cancer, inflammation, diabetes

• Decreased blood pressure

• Less calories than regular wine

• Decreased passing out while binge-watching your favorite show and missing the best part

What’s the difference between dealcoholized and the non-alcohol version? Dealcoholized wine has gone through the traditional processes of winemaking: fermentation – which ensures skin contact, and turns grape juice into wine. The alcohol is then removed before bottling. Non-alcohol vino goes straight from juice to the bottle with no fermentation.

Still, it can be a little confusing when you’re searching for these wines. So check the label.

On the front, look for the term ‘alcohol-removed wine’. The back will have a nutrition facts label, and the terms ‘contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume’ and ‘dealcoholized wine’. Some non-alcohol offerings simply state “wine alternative” which means it is juice that hasn’t been fermented.

So how do you take alcohol out of wine?

Here are three methods:

Spinning Cone Technology:

Freshly fermented wine, made in the traditional way, is poured into the top of a spinning cone column. Rotating cones transform the wine by centrifugal force, and turn it into a thin filmy liquid. Nitrogen gas is then fed into the bottom part of the column to extract flavors and aromas of the wine, and to prevent the wine from oxidation. The remaining liquid is passed through the column again to remove the alcohol. Flavor and aroma essences are then recombined with the dealcoholized wine, and blended with unfermented varietal grape juice to replace any lost volume. This creates a wine with less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. The entire process is done repeatedly and at low temperatures.

Vacuum Distillation:

Similar to spinning cone, traditional winemaking occurs before the alcohol is removed by extracting off the alcohol at a low temperature in a vacuum, keeping the wine’s flavors and aromas intact. Once the alcohol is removed, the essences and flavors are mixed back in.

Reverse Osmosis:

We’ve heard about this for water purification; in winemaking the process is the same. Wine passes through a very fine filter that water and ethanol pass through. The ingredients of wine, such as tannins, and other elements responsible for color, flavor and aroma are left behind.

According to liquor.com, here are some of the more popular alcohol-removed wines:

Best Red:

Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon – $32.45

Fre Merlot – $9.99

Best White:

Giesen Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 0% Alcohol – $16.99

Luminara Alcohol-Removed Chardonnay – $16.99

Best RosĂŠ:

St. Regis Nonalcoholic Shiraz RosĂŠ – $17.99

Best Brunch Bubbly:

Freixenet Sparkling Alcohol-Removed Wine – $9.99

I tried the Fre Merlot. The consistency is thinner than its traditional counterpart. It tastes sweet, like a natural varietal grape juice. It had a nice, bright mouthfeel, and a beautiful claret color. And the looks you get when you pour a glass at 10:00 am are pretty comical. 😆

If you want to enjoy a dry new year, but still want enjoy the health benefits of red wine, take a closer look at some of these wine options. And let me know what you think in the comments!

Cheers!🍷

©️Copyright. The Wine Student, 2023.

Chill Me Now🍾

We’ve all been there. It’s almost zero hour, almost go time. But wait! You suddenly remember that your primo bottle of bubbly is… still sitting on the counter. At room temperature. Damn. What to do?

If you’ve got 30 minutes, you’ve got it covered!

Your first instinct might be to put your bubbly in the freezer. If you do, make sure to watch your time! The reason? Pressure in the bottle can build up quickly. Any more than 30 minutes in the deep freeze, and you might have some premature poppage, and no one wants that. So maybe try this as a last resort.

And you don’t want to open it warm because you’ll shoot your eye out (or someone else’s). Part of the reason sparkling wine is chilled is to decrease some of the internal pressure; making opening the bottle easier, and less dangerous to everyone around you. Also: who wants to drink warm sparkling wine?

But the clock is ticking, and you don’t have time! Actually, you do. I got you.

The best, quickest, and safest method is an ice water bath.

Click the video below to find out more!👇

Ice Water Bath:

• Fill an ice bucket, pail, deep tray or sink half way with cold water

• Place bottle(s) in the container

• Fill the rest of the way with ice and add some salt.

• Leave 30 minutes (or a little longer if you can). Be sure to turn the bottle occasionally to ensure an all-over chill.

Adding salt to the ice water lowers the freezing point of the water, making the mixture much colder. The ice will melt more slowly because the water’s freezing and melting points have been lowered by the addition of salt. This also helps keep the cold temperature consistent.

When I worked the wine show last fall, we quickly cooled our sparkling wines using ice water baths. It only took about 30 minutes or so to efficiently chill the bottles so they could be opened safely, and were cold enough to drink.

So chill! You’ve got your sparkle covered.✨

Have a safe and Happy New Year!🍾🥳♥️

Cheers!🥂

©️Copyright. The Wine Student, 2022.

Sweets to the Sweet!🎄🍭

It’s holiday time! 🎅 Time for some fun, and time for tasting!🍷🎄

Click the video below for a little wine round up!

👇😄

Typically, the rule is sweet wines with sweet treats, but we might take a few little twists and turns in candy land! 🍭🍬

Candy Cane Ice Cream –

Peppermint has always seemed like a tough pairing with wine. And I guess because brushing your teeth before a wine tasting always makes for a wonky flavor. Maybe it’s a toothpaste thing (heavier concentration of mint, surfactants in toothpaste that maybe coat the tongue) rather than a mint thing?🤷🏼‍♀️

But since peppermint is an aromatic herb, why not try it with an aromatic white wine or rosĂŠ?

•GewĂźrztraminer – intense floral aromas, grapefruit and lychee. Higher sweetness pairs with sweetness and mint. And just saying GewĂźrztraminer makes you sound kind of drunk. Don’t believe me? Try it!

•Sauternes – dessert wine from Bordeaux with Botrytis cinerea (which makes it delightfully sweet). Flavors of honey, quince and apricot make it sweet and oh so smooth. 🍯

•Sparkling RosĂŠ – nothing better than bubbles to cut into some of the creaminess of the ice cream. The gentle acidity of the delicate fruity notes play hide and seek with the minty sweetness of the ice cream. 🍨🍾

Gingerbread Sticky Toffee Pudding

Combining gingerbread with dates, cloves, allspice and toffee is basically a carnival on your palate!🎪

•Chenin Blanc – sweet golden nectar of pear, yellow apple, chamomile and honey, little more acidic to help carve through the richness of the toffee and cake consistency.

•Riesling – aromatic variety ranging from bone-dry to quite sweet. If you like dry, look for “Trocken” on the label. Anything sweeter: look for “Pradikat” – Kabinett (sweet) , Spatlese (sweeter), Auslese (sweeter still), all the way to Eiswein (sweetie sweet). Flavors range from dried apricot, citrus, green apple, green papaya, jasmine, depending on the growing region. High acidity again cuts into the rich cake.

•Port – Beautiful notes of black plum, chocolate, dries cherry and cinnamon complement this ooey gooey dessert as you nestle deeper into a spicy bliss with each sip.

Fruit Cake

I always feel a little bad for the nutty fruit cake. It’s so maligned. True, some can be as dense as a brick (and maybe even taste like one). But the combination of the buttery rum cake, rich nuts and dried fruit can be a lovely melt-in-your-mouth experience. Aromatic whites are a terrific pairing but so are some light-medium bodied reds.🍷

•TorrontĂŠs – From Argentina, this white wine can smell sweet but is dry and matches well with the spices, and melded aromatic flavors in fruit cake. Flavors of rose petal, geranium and peach round out this interesting wine.

•Cabernet Franc – Flavors of strawberry, raspberry and a hint of chili pepper make this a nice complement to the fruit cake’s nutty vibe.

•Merlot – Merlot is a softer red, and often blended with Cab Sauv soften its harsher nature. Yummy flavors of black cherry, plum and chocolate add to the fun, making that fruit cake the best you’ve ever had.

And if you find yourself overwhelmed, Ice Wine goes with everything!

So there ya go! Sometimes the best pairings are unexpected. Feel free to try your favorite holiday treats with different new, and fun wines.🍷🎄

♥️Thank you so much for stopping by, and supporting my blog. It’s fun to write, and I hope it’s fun to read.♥️

Wishing you all a happy and healthy holiday season, and we’ll see you in the new year for more wine adventures!🥂

Be safe, everyone!🤗

Cheers!🍷

©️Copyright. The Wine Student, 2022.

Wine Wednesday: Unshackled!

The weather had been so grey and damp lately, I’m feeling it in my bones. Because the chill is going so deep, I wanted to find a wine that could warm me to my toes.

The 2021 Unshackled Cabernet Sauvignon was a luscious choice. With its deep pomegranate color, dark chocolate essence on the nose, and creamy mouthfeel, this wine helped me to break free from the cold. At least for a little while.

Soft tannins joined with flavors of black currant and blueberry, much like a dark fruit compote. Warming hints of clove lead my palate to a cozy, buttery smooth finish. Toasty!

Price point: $26

Happy wine Wednesday!☺️

Cheers!🍷

©️Copyright. The Wine Student, 2022.

Mother’s Day Mimosa!💖🌸🥂

We love mimosa for Mother’s Day brunch! But what if we shake it up a little?

Instead of the traditional mix of fruit juice + sparkling wine, why not try this:

Click the video for more!👇

The Wine Student Mother’s Day Mimosa!

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Mathilde Cassis Liqueur

• 2 1/2 oz Kinky Pink Liqueur – I used Mango, Passion Fruit + Blood Orange (chilled)

• Prosecco or Sparkling Wine (or no-alcohol sparkler)

• Fresh raspberries

• Lemon twist for garnish

Directions:

Pour tbsp Mathilde Cassis liqueur into a champagne flute (or pretty glass – Mom always deserves a pretty glass). Add Kinky Pink liqueur. Fill rest of glass with your choice of ice cold Prosecco, sparkling wine or favorite no-alcohol option.

Garnish with raspberries and twist of lemon. 🍋

Enjoy!

To all the hard working moms out there, take a some time just for you, and have a very happy Mother’s Day!💖

Cheers!🥂

©️Copyright. 2022, The Wine Student

Wine Reads! 📖🥂

If you live where there is a regular accumulation of snow, then this winter has been a long one. And if you’ve been a little reluctant to go out right now, and just finished bingeing SuperPumped, The Dropout, or S2 of Bridgerton, here’s a way to unplug, and decompress. And apart from just drinking wine, which is always nice, reading about it can be just as interesting (without the buzz).

Below are two books that helped me get through many a long winter’s journey into night.

Packed with lots of info, and so well-written, they’re like taking a comprehensive, self-directed wine course without the hefty fee and stress-inducing exam at the end.

Check out the video below for a little taste of what you’ll find!

Wine Folly: Magnum Edition by Madeline Puckette & Justin Hammack

Image via The Wine Student

From the #1 ranked wine education site winefolly.com, Wine Folly: Magnum Edition is a culmination of many viewpoints: from wine writers and educators, to wine professionals and scientists.

Madeline Puckette is a wine sommelier, writer and visual designer. Justin Hammack is an entrepreneur, digital strategist and web developer.

This book takes you on a journey through the basics and beyond; how wine is made, facts about drinking wine (and how to avoid that pesky headache), a funny section on wine etiquette, and how to smell wine (to actually detect faults, not just to look fancy). It lays everything out with super cool graphics, and easy to digest descriptions that make learning easy if you’re new to wine, and a great review if you’re an old pro.

Wine Simple by Aldo Sohm w/ Christine Muhlke

Image via The Wine Student

Sohm was named 2008 Best Sommelier in the World by the Worldwide Sommelier Association and namesake of the Aldo Sohm Wine Bar in New York City. Christine Muhlke is former food editor of the New York Times Magazine, and contributing editor at Bon AppĂŞtit magazine.

Wine Simple also has great depth of information, fun graphics, and cool side bars. An added feature: the main points of each section are highlighted for you, saving you time (and highlighter).

Check out the ‘Wine With Bad Raps” section for a good rundown on pre-conceived wine reputations that might make you go “hmmmm…”. It may have you completely reconsidering your next wine purchase.

There’s also an honest view about boxed, bagged and canned wines (spoiler: they’re not all that bad).

Both books examine wine regions, flavor profiles, practical magic of storing and serving, and much more.

Each have excellent chapters about food and wine pairing, which can be daunting at the best of times. And each have fun graphics, charts and practical info about cooking with wine. Wine Folly has a little pairing exercise that involves potato chips, cheese, honey and a pickle. I am SO going to try this in an upcoming post!

Both books are excellent and make learning accessible, enjoyable, and will have you understanding, pairing and enjoying wine like a pro in no time!

If you read either (or both) let me know what you think in the comments! 👇

Have a safe and happy Easter weekend!🐰💜

Cheers!🍷

©️Copyright. The Wine Student, 2022.

Valentine’s Wines for 2022!❤️‍🔥

With this February being what it is, we probably want to be cozying up under a soft, warm blanket, with a fire or candle glowing and enjoying a glass or two of something nice.

The pickings this year were a little slim in terms of wines marketed specifically to Valentine’s Day. This could be due to the current and pervasive supply chain issues. Whatever the reason, I managed to find a couple that looked fun and holiday ready.

Check out the video I made for a little more info on these fun wines!❣️

Quinta De La Rosa 2017 douRosa Red Blend –

Made in the Douro region of Portugal, this is a luscious red blend from Portugal comprised of 35% Touriga Nacional, 35% Touriga Franca, and 30% Tinta Roriz grapes. Hand-picked and quietly left to mature for two years in stainless steel tanks, it is deep in color with an intense dark berry, blueberry vibe with both leathery and hint ‘o’ mint qualities. Younger wines have more of a violet vibe on the nose and they tend to have a dry and grippy mouthfeel due to bolder tannins.

The Douro region has a drier climate, with very warm summers. Because of an unusually dry, warm summer in 2017, harvest was a little early; mid – August, when the fruit was at its peak.

Tasting Notes:

• Deep ruby color – rich and clear – so beautiful in the glass

• Hints of violet (a soft, powdery raspberry vibe on the top) and caramel on the nose

• Dark, rich raspberry and blackberry w/a lush mouthfeel

• Medium tannin and mid-hi alcohol

• Paired beautifully with vegetarian pizza and fresh ripe blackberries

• Decant for at least an hour to open flavors

$19.99

Santero Villa Jolanda I Love You Extra Dry Spumante – This is one of the cutest damn bottles I’ve seen so far. Santero comes up with seasonal cool graphics; Halloween (which always sells out so I can never get my hands on one :/ ), Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.

That’s part of the reason to check it out, and as an affordable sparkler, this is a fun offering. Especially if you’ve spent some of your cash on flowers, chocolate, and dinner, it adds up. Your sparkling wine should never leave you with a negative balance. Some might disagree on that statement. And while it is true, the sky can be the limit on what you can pay for a beautiful sparkling wine, feel free to adjust your Valentine’s budget accordingly.

Tasting Notes:

• Light yellow straw color – lots of pretty bubbles

• Nice acidity, not too sweet

• Flavors of honeydew melon, pear, cream

• Lighter body, refreshing mouthfeel,

• No decanting needed (don’t want to lose those bubbles)

• Serve ice cold

• Pairs: Anything

• $15.99

I hope you all have a happy and safe Valentine’s Day!💝

Please enjoy responsibly, and if you can’t be the with wine you love, love the wine you’re with!🥰

Cheers!🍷🥂

©️Copyright, The Wine Student, 2022

Sparkler Series – Part 2 – Kiss My Glass!

Last time, we did a deep dive into sparkling wines, looked at a few different ones and how they’re made. Today, we’ll take a little look at how to show off those tiny bubbles. 🥂
Which glass is best? Best is a tricky term. It can simply depend on what you have on hand, and what you like.
But if you want to showcase your sparkling wine, especially if you’ve made an investment in that sparkling wine, it’s good to know some of the differences.
Let’s look at four types:

Coupe Glass

Coupe – This glass is the most classic version of all to showcase your sparkling wines. It’s the glass that typically has a wide bowl and opening. The much-circulated myth that King Louis XVI had the glass fashioned after Marie Antoinette’s breast, is just that, a myth. The glass was actually designed in 1660’s England by a Benedictine monk. While it can be a pretty and very classic way to serve your sparkling wine (and the best way to make a Champagne fountain), its design is not optimal. Because of the wide bowl and opening, both the effervescence and delicate aromas of the wine dissipate and fade very quickly. You want to enjoy the bubbles for a while. The coupe glass doesn’t allow for that.
Sorry to burst your bubble.

The Flute

Flute – We’ve all seen and held a Champagne flute at least once in our lives. Long and cylindrical, the flute has a much smaller opening and a higher fill line. This can highlight the bubbles as they escape to the surface. Some even have little etches carved at the bottom creating a beautiful necklace effect as the bubbles travel up the sides of the glass. Gorgeous! This design does keep the bubbles intact for prolonged toasting and your 20th try for your perfect Instagram. That’s a plus.
But it’s also a minus because the surface area (and high fill in the glass) doesn’t allow for the wine to aerate, or let the delicate aromas of the sparkler to develop or unfold to its full potential. And if you’ve made an investment purchase, you want to fully taste what you’ve paid so much to enjoy.
Also, have you ever tried to get your nose into a Champagne flute? That’s trouble just waiting to happen.

Tulip (Redux) – This glass is ideal for any sparkling wine. It has a round shape that narrows gently at the top. This enables both bubble formation and aromas to fully open allowing for the perfect expression of the wine. And you can get your nose into the glass!

Why do I keep wanting you to stick your nose into the glass? To better appreciate all the aromas and flavors of the wine as you sip!

Tulip /Tapering Glass

Tapering Wine Glass – Similar to the red Burgundy glass, this has a larger bowl than the tulip and a somewhat tapered top. This design allows your sparkler to breathe, and open up; bundling all of the flavors and aromas to your nose and palate, and maximizing the full potential of the wine. And the bubbles still look pretty enough for your selfie.

Whatever style of glass you have, try to make sure it has a stem. I know, stemless is a cool looking trend but sparkling wines are meant to be enjoyed cold. Cold temps keep the fresh, vibrant character of the wine and the bubbles bubbling. The heat from your hand as you hold the stemless glass can warm the wine too quickly, removing the chill and tarnishing some of the sparkle.

Of course, if your wine won’t be in the glass that long, all bets are off – a jelly jar is just fine!😁

Next time – Part 3 – Unique Pairings – What to serve with your sparkler when oysters and fish just aren’t your thing.

*Be sure to join me on 900CHML’s Bill Kelly Show, (w/guest host Shiona Thompson) on Thursday, December 30th at 11:00am!🎙🎉

Cheers!🥂

©️Copyright. The Wine Student, 2021

Chip Shot

I spent this summer in writer’s purgatory. The anticipation of a summer without masks and worrying about COVID quickly gave way to watching tote boards of daily variant numbers rapidly climbing again. To write about wine at that time seemed a bit frivolous given what was happening in the world. I’m a worrier by nature and was concerned for people everywhere.

I began to realize that researching, writing, and photography, for me, had always been a safe space, and very therapeutic. So, slowly, I’ve been looking here and there to get myself back into the swing of things.

Shall I begin with Wine Chips? Why not begin with Wine Chips?

Just so you know, these are not made with wine, which runs all over the place. They are “made with real cheese” and “flavor optimized for wine”. Wine Chips come in four flavors: Smoked Gouda, Blue Cheese, Manchego and Asiago.

Randomly, I chose Smoked Gouda. On the label they recommend pairing with a hearty Cab Sauv. What did I first pair it with? A light Pinot. OOF. BIG mistake. The Pinot, while a nice wine on its own, was way too light against the robust flavor of the chip.

But isn’t the beauty of research that sometimes it needs more than one sample?

My next choice was a $10 Apothic Dark. Go cheap and brooding or go home.

My rationale? The test of a good wine pairing product is whether it can stand up and be counted. A premium wine can usually make any food taste good. This isn’t always so with a cheaper brand. Which doesn’t mean that lesser – priced wines are bad – many times they can rival the big ticket players – & much ballyhoo of wine is actually in the marketing (I’ll save that for another post).

So how did it all stack up?

First, let me describe the chip itself: thick, both in cut and flavor; smoky and cheesy. They do a good job attempting to re-create the weight and mouthfeel of cheese. To give you a reference, it’s comparable in texture to a thicker Sour Cream ‘N’ Onion chip. Creamy with a distinctive flavor, but less salty. I kept thinking how nice these would be as part of a charcuterie featuring a mild prosciutto, soppressata or sliced bratwurst, spiced cashews, figs, and grapes.

This Apothic blend boasts dark fruit notes of black + blueberry with hints of coffee and dark chocolate. It seemed to meld better with the weighty cheesiness of the chip. And the more I paired it, the better it got. And that was a factor of two things: the wine gradually opening up, and the fact that the wine was robust enough to play with this chip.

And in the spirit of full disclosure, there is no spon con here. My review is completely my own; I have not been gifted any product, neither chips nor wine.

As we enjoy this fall as best we can, please take care of yourselves, and each other. ❤️

Next up: my annual Halloween Wine Roundup! 🎃👻🧟‍♂️

Cheers!🍷

©️copyright TheWineStudent, 2021