Category: Weekly Whet (Page 8 of 16)

You know that Spanish Garlic Soup that we posted this week?  You know how I suggested a another kind of wine to go with it?  You know how I sometimes change my mind?  WELL, I DID IT AGAIN!!  Vina Robles Winery was kind enough to send me a truck load of their beautiful beverages and whilst stumbling about and reading up on their vintages and blends, I stumbled right into this gem ~ Vina Robles Signature 2007 Estate Cuvee’. 

From the Wine Makers:

“Our Signature is a distinctive blend of two lesser known grapes – Petit Verdot and Petit Sirah – which flourish in our Paso Robles climate.  Petit Verdot comes from the Bordeaux area, Petit Sirah – also called Durif – originates from Southern France.  Both varieties are known for their intense color and delivering a generous amount of ageworth tannins. “

So fire up the soup pot, turn on the love lights….(geez, where is this coming from? ~ must be those French varietals) and enjoy yourselves.  Please visit www.vinarobles.com for more information on their wonderful wines.  Um, I still have half a truck to go through, so I’ll check back with you next week.

In commemoration of my husband’s return from a 6 week journey around the world and his final stop in our beloved Singapore, behold the their national drink.  (I didn’t wiki that fact to make sure, but let’s just pretend ~ it makes it more fun).  Make sure you use a those fun kind of glasses, bamboo umbrellas and a big straw….a little kaoroke in the background never hurts, either.  (Oh, this is a picture of the Sands Hotel in Marina Bay in Singapore…)

• 1/2 oz. Grenadine Syrup

• 1 oz. Gin (Bombay Sapphire rules here)

• sweet and sour mix

• Club Soda

• 1/2 oz. Cherry Brandy

Pour Grenadine into the bottom of a collins glass, and fill with ice.  Add sweet and sour mix and club soda (mix to your taste) to almost full.  Top with Brandy and serve, unstirred, garnished with a cherry.  Hmmmm…..

“Vodka Red Bull”, you ask? “Geez, Heidi, isn’t that a little banal for into the Soup?”  Actually, it’s not, because we’re paying homage to Rex Pickett’s latest novel “Vertical” wherein Jack considers Redbull his favorite transition beverage and Miles is a bit disgusted.  Oddly enough, Jack doesn’t add the vodka….but we do! 

Take some time this winter and curl up by the fire with this amazing sequel to the novel Sideways.  Once you make it past the rumpous room of a road trip, the character transformations will, perhaps, transform you, as well.  Emily and I both adored this story.  Keep reading kids, I want Rex to write another one:)

2 Parts RedBull

1 Part Vodka

Pour ingredients over ice, stir and grab a good book!

This is one of the lady’s favorite drinks!  Although I generally opt for a quality Vodka, I asked the boys around my table, (Beau MacMillan, Mark Tarbell, Lee Hillson, Charlie Kassels and James Porter) to name their poison and they all chimed in with something akin to, “My favorite Vodka is Gin!”  Where else could you go from there except the exceptional ~ Bombay Sapphire!

Since we’re dropping names, we snagged this classic from their website.  Thanks, Bombay…you made my day.  Oh, I guess Martini’s make me rhyme!!

2 oz. Bombay Sapphire Gin

Dash Dry Vermouth

3 large Olives

1 Cup Ice

Fill you shaker with ice and immediately add the Gin and Vermouth.  Swirl gently and with rhythm.  Strain into Martini Glass and plop in those Olives.   What better way to start the day…um, I mean weekend:)  Enjoy!!

Our Weekly Whet pays homage to one of the winners from the Sunset Western Wine Awards – Project Paso Grenache Blend.  You may remember our wine interview ‘personifications’ where we featured this diverse bottle of red.  In fact, he was so popular, we named him Trevor and spoke about him constantly during the Savor Event.  We think he would go splendidly with some of Neal Maloney’s Pacific Golds.

In case you want to revisit our chat with Trevor and/or get to know him a bit better…read on!!

ITS:

Let me start by highlighting your blend: 37% Grenache, 16% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah,11% Mourvedre, 9% Barbera, 8% Lagrein, 3% Tempranillo, 2% Sangiovese.  Wow, you’ve got a lot going on in there.  Maybe they should have named you something like “Celebrate Diversity.”

TREVOR:

Well, they certainly could have.  I do loads of gushing with my multi-layered aromas.  I’m just screaming berries and flowers!

ITS:

Is it difficult to have all those varietals vying for someone’s palate?

TREVOR:

That can happen with some multi-blends, but we were taught at a young age to just get along and complement each other. Have you seen the Partridge Family? I can guarantee that our reality would be very different if we had some bell bottoms and a colorful tour bus.

ITS:

Sounds like you’ve got some serious harmony going on!

TREVOR:

What’s really groovy is the way our fruitiness compliments the white pepper and spice along with the deepness of the caramel and walnut we get from our French/American oak aging process.  The fresh acidity that Barbera and Lagrein bring to the team removes any wrinkles, and our low tannins help us play well with just about anything. 

ITS:

Really, anything?

TREVOR:

Well, almost. I’m fond of an intimate Bolognese for two, but if you want to crack me open for a Garden Party or a Project Runway Finale – I go great with a Hawaiian pizza or a Tim Gunn.

ITS:

Thank you for your time and keep up the good…um….blending.

TREVOR:

Toodles!!  See you at the show.

We’re jumping on the Oompa Band Wagon and celebrating all things German this weekend.  Naturally, we’re going with an authentic German Beer from the world’s oldest monastery brewery in Bavaria.  Come join us at Oktoberfest at Tempe Town Lake.  We’ll be broadcasting live from 2-4 p.m. this Saturday.  Prost!!

This rich full-bodied pilsner is beautifully clean with a fairly complex aromatic profile of fruit with lemon and some straw like aroma. As in a wheat beer, it has suggestions of clove and spice. Lightly sweet upfront with a very nice bitterness right in the finish, this is an exceptionally drinkable beer with some real structure. Alcohol: 5.6%