Tag: food and wine pairing

2013 Chateau St. Jean North Coast Chardonnay

Chateau St. Jean — yet another cellar staple in my house. But I have to say it’s Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay that made me fall in love with this Sonoma County wine producer. It has everything I look for in a casual daily drinker with the added benefit that it can certainly double as a date night delight when paired with the right meal. It’s fun, versatile, easy drinking. So, Cheers to Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay!

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Simple Life 2015 Chardonnay

How cute is the couple sitting on a park bench looking out onto a blank canvas? It makes me think about how I’d fill that space…Yes, this is another instance of wine-label impulse buy. But my instinct must be getting better because even my label-driven wine purchases are proving quite choice. And today I bring you Simple Life Chardonnay: a truly simple Chardonnay that in its utter calmness has created a kind of contemplative drinking experience.

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2014 Leverage Trajectory GSM Red Blend

A big bold red blend crafted with elegance and finesse. That’s the 2014 Leverage Trajectory GSM Red Blend. Yes, it packs a lot of flavor, and those flavors are so well-balanced, even the timid sipper will find enjoyment in this blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mouvédre.

Trajectory is the flagship wine of Leverage Wines — a boutique, artisan winery from the heart of Paso Robles. No you won’t find this wine, or any Leverage wine, in stores or restaurants, but I tell you as a regular consumer of those readily available Safeway, BevMo, Coscto, TJ, WF wines…this is a boutique winery worth seeking out. And this Trajectory GSM red blend is a peak example of what these boys can do.

2014 Leverage Trajectory Red Blend

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2015 Barrymore Pinot Grigio – by Carmel Road

I bought this wine on a whim. I was at the store perusing the wine aisles (that’s usually where you’ll find me in the supermarket) and I saw the label “Barrymore.” Ironically, I had just heard from my coworker that same week that Drew had her own wine label. Curious? Yes I was. Curious enough to buy a bottle, in fact.

Now for those who’ve read my previous posts, I did, in fact, also purchase her Pinot Noir. However, although I tasted Pinot Noir first, the Pinot Grigio was actually my first purchase. But I kept it in my cellar. Why? Well, my reasons are two-fold. 1) Pinot Grigios can be disappointing: I’ve had those that are so fruit-forward (borderline sweet) that I question whether or not it’s actually a Riesling or Gewurztraminer (won’t name names here). Then I’ve had those that have had so little flavor that I feel like I may as well be drinking water and save myself the alcohol points for something with some umph (again no names). 2) Because I had occasion to enjoy Drew’s Pinot first I actually had some high expectations for this wine so I wanted to make sure I was in the mood for a PG and had the perfect food pairing.

Well that time did come, and here are the results…

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2014 Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast Pinot Noir

As promised in my Edna Valley Vineyard Pinot Grigio post, here’s yet another cellar staple from my personal stash: Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast Pinot Noir. It’s like this: you don’t want to have to think about whether a wine will taste “good,” whether it’ll go with a meal you’ll actually eat, or whether you’ll have leftover wine to worry about. This is that wine that you don’t have to worry about — I guarantee you’ll like it, you’ll drink it, and you won’t have any leftovers…

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