Welcome!

To my Wine Cousins:

Welcome to the Curly Wine blog, where I will share some of my favorite wine and food tasting menus and some other great tips along the way.

For my first post, thanks to a team effort from friends, I will be sharing tonights Patio Pounder Tasting Menu.  Some great wines and pairings were shared tonight and I hope you enjoy my side notes and tasting highlights. 
Brut Sprakling Wine, Argyle, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2003, $25 - This Oregon sparkling wine is mostly Pinot Noir with a little Chardonnay, a veritable Blanc de Noirs if you will.  :-)  A great crisp Brut that's not too dry.  Paired with a triple creme brie called Saint Andre.  A great way to compliment the bubbly is with a full fat creamy cheese.  Not a triple CREAM cheese, but a triple creme CHEESE.  Big difference.

Sauvignon Blanc, Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2010, $27 - Comparing a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to a Californian Sauvignon Blanc was my objective of the next two courses.  A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is much fruiter and sweeter and the epitome of NZ Sav Blanc is Cloudy Bay.  A little on the expensive side for my family but a great example of the sweetness that NZ brings to this light white wine!  Paired with a delicious avocado and mascarpone mousse with crab and grapefruit.  Nothing better than some seafood with a great light white like Cloudy Bay.

Sauvignon Blanc, Simi, Sonoma County, California, 2009, $11 - Crisp, cheap, smooth and absolutely delicious.  This will leave you in a situation on the patio.  Trust me.  It will go down faster than you can say patio pounder.  Paired with some fresh Feta cheese.  Muah!  (as my brother Mark says) "Fantastic!"

Rose, Domaine Houchart, Cote de Provence, France, A.O.C., 2010, $11 - In anticipation of my trip to the French Rivieria next weekend, I decided to feature the highlight of Provence - Rose!  The only thing that pairs well with spicy food is riesling and rose.  This was paired with some cream cheese stuffed jalepenos and wrapped in bacon along with some prosciutto and provolone stuffed peppers.  A little on the very spicy side, be sure to cook your jalepenos and remove the seeds to cut down on the hottness.  A delicious pair.  Have a napkin handy for the people who sweat.

Pinot Noir, A to Z, Oregon, 2009, $20 - What pairs better with the grilled food of summer than pinot noir?  A to Z is featured in many bars and restaurants and typically served by the glass.  A traditional BBQ or house marinade is perfect for some turkey tips.  A great pairing for all your upcoming summer BBQs when you don't have any beer handy.  Leave the bottle in the fridge for 30 min, especially if it's on a hot day.

Vidal Icewine, Jackson-Triggs, Reserve, Niagara Peninsula, Canada, 2007, $20 - Icewine.  Need I say more.  Perfect for those non-chocolate desserts especially when you have some fresh rhubarb growing in the backyard.  While there may be only a few recipes to make with rhubarb this was a great wine to pair with strawberry rhubarb crisp from FoodandWine.com.  The perfect finish to a great evening.  FYI - if you're revisiting wines from earlier, the only one that will pair "ok" with this dessert is the sparkling.  Don't bother trying it with the others.

Sante!  To a fabulous summer!!!!
Amy