Ginger And Pear Punch
Not a fan of alcohol? Then you can ditch the wine and beer and go for something milder.
Youd be surprised to know that ginger and pear flavored punch taste so good with meat, especially steak. Half an hour before the meal, take a few minutes to mix the ingredients, and make yourself some cool ginger and pear punch.
Do You Need Any Extra Ingredients?
Some of the ingredients youll need for this drink are:
- Three cups of seltzer
- A cup of ginger syrup
- Fresh ginger
- Eight cups of pear juice
- Half-a-cup of lemon juice
- Two teaspoons of grounded ginger
- A bowl of ice
Martha Stoumen Post Flirtation Blend California $26
Martha studied winemaking in Tuscany and received a masters at UC Davis. And she very much believes in a winemaking culture of patience, James says. She farms half of her own vineyards in Mendocino and works closely with multigenerational farmers for the other half. Instead of using pesticides she practices biodiversity and allows predatory insects the ability to outcompete pests. In the cellar, she uses a minimalist approach and her wines taste a bit sauvage, but mostly pure. Her post flirtation blend is half Zinfandel and half Carignan. The wine is so juicy and delicious I serve it slightly-chilledlike white wine. Martha describes this wine as joyous, and I couldnt agree more. Drink with anything, often.
Via Garces Silva Amayna Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Character-wise, Chilean Sauvignon Blanc falls midway between the in-your-face nature of New Zealand Savvy B and the elegantly restrained wines of Sancerre. Viña Garces creates an excellent example of this with notes of gooseberries, white peaches, and basil. Its acidity is less intense than other wines made from the variety, providing a slightly heavier texture, which we love.
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The Different Types Of Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon:
Cabernet Sauvignons are rich, robust red wines from the Napa Valley. These wines are full-bodied and are made up of dark fruit flavours mixed with spices and earthy aromas. Its one of the worlds most widely recognised red wine grape varieties and is most commonly aged in French oak.
Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is the most popular wine varietal in North America and is characterised by its medium to full body and its buttery mouthfeel. It combines crisp flavours like apple and pear with citrus aromas and hints of vanilla.
Malbec:
Malbec is known for its plump, dark fruit flavours and inky dark colour. Its grapes grow mostly in Argentina although it was originally produced in France. Malbecs have moderate tannins and are typically made up of ripe flavours like plum, black cherry and blackberry.
Merlot:
Merlots have milder flavours and lower tannin levels than other varieties of red wine. Although still a type of dry red wine, theyre sweeter than Cabernet Sauvignons and are made of dark blue-coloured wine grapes. Merlots are a fruit-forward wine with plenty of flavours, with spicy and sweet notes that come from ageing in oak barrels.
Pinot Grigio:
Pinot Noir:
Riesling:
Sauvignon Blanc:
Most Sauvignon Blancs are left as dry white wines, with a few brands preferring to leave a small amount of residual sugar for a richer consistency. Its a crisp and light wine with flavours of citrus like green apple, lime and vanilla.
Syrah:
Zinfandel:
The Top Five Best Wine Brands
Masseto
Based in sunny Tuscany, in the Bolgheri region of Italy, Masseto is a cult winery with an iconic vineyard thats known for producing top quality vintages. The brand has received multiple 100-point scores from critics and is notorious for being difficult to get hold of. Production totals around just 30,000 bottles a year and the average bottle costs around $790. The vineyard, which was first founded by Lodovico Antinori in 1981, converted entirely to organic farming in 2012 and keeps climate change at the forefront of its production methods. The brand was a hit from its first release in 1986 and is one of the most well-known and best-performing wineries.
Screaming Eagle
Screaming Eagle Winery and Vineyards is a Californian wine estate and another cult winery. The brand produces the most expensive wines in North America and its Sauvignon Blanc occupies the top spot, with an average sales price of $5,974. In order to buy its wine directly from the brand, buyers must sign up for a waiting list. The average time to wait on this list before being able to buy a bottle is around 12 years. Due to a surge in high-profile counterfeit wine cases, each bottle of Screaming Eagle comes with a bubble-coded security seal. It keeps its doors firmly shut to the public.
Bodega Catena Zapata
Chateau Latour
Heitz Cellar
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Di Majo Norante Sangiovese
Di Majo Norante Sangiovese is a 100% Sangiovese grown in the Ramitello and Martarosa vineyards in Italy. Hand-harvested in October, it is aged in stainless steel and in large oak barrels for six months to get a greater taste, smoothness, and softness.
This is a wine that preserves the natural savory and tangy taste of the fruit, Sangiovese, so drinking it is like consuming the fruit on its own. Also, the color looks very red, with aromas of violets and red berries.
Long Meadow Ranch Farmstead Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
This is as âCalifornia Cabâ as it gets. Itâs balanced, with just the right level of acidity and focused fruit. Aromas of vanilla and oak are present but not overpowering. Note that you may have to buy this wine online, as itâs not yet widely available in stores. It is more than worth the wait.
Rating: 94
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Sophie Kzirian Manager Atviolette Wine Imports
Violette Wine Imports has been around since 1984, when Richard Kzirian first opened his shop focusing on small producers making natural, organic, and biodynamic wines. In 2018, Kzirians daughter, Sophie Kzirian, joined the importing and distribution company, bringing in exciting wines from around the globe to their brick-and-mortar shop in Cambridge.
With the change in weather, Kzirian said she tends to gravitate toward light- and medium-bodied reds bottles like Domaine Les Grandes Vignes Cabernet Breton 2019, an ideal Thanksgiving wine .
It has cranberry sauce vibes, bursting with juicy red berries, spicy black pepper, pie baking spices, and green bell pepper, Kzirian said. It pairs beautifully with all the foods Im craving right now: squash, sweet potatoes, stewed meats with herbs, and lentil soup.
Another holiday favorite? Beaujolais, of course. For something bright and juicy, Kzirian recommends the Le Ptit Poquelin 2020 from Maison B. Perraud, which can be found at Lucille Wine Shop & Tasting Room in Salem.
In addition to being fantastic with turkey, poultry, and vegetable dishes, I love to break it out with a massive cheese & charcuterie spread to kick the day off, Kzirian said.
For something with bubbles, Kzirian is a fan of Leon Gold Pink Gold PetNat, a collaboration between the importer Super Glou and winemaker Leon Gold. The wine is made with 100 percent Trollinger grapes and has a pinkish glow due to the week it spends in contact with the skins.
The 11 Best White Wines To Drink In 2021
Theres never a bad time for a glass of good white wine, particularly if its one of the best bottles available.
Due to miseducation, the masses thought for a while that wines like Spains Ancient White Wine, Verdejo, and Chardonnay were the drinks of summers scorching afternoons in the park there to refresh and do little more. But a good number of white wines highlight just as much complexity if not more than most red wines. And I say that knowing full well the kind of prestige and following enjoyed by iconic reds like Barbaresco, Bordeaux, and the Italian Wine Chianti.
What that all means is that you should be enjoying white wine all year-round, whether its a bracing Albariño White Wine, a silky Pinot Blanc, or an herbaceous and full-bodied Kerner. The best and most popular wines of the world include stunning sparkling, riveting reds, dazzling pinks, and a wide world of whites.
While were talking white wine, lets put a few things to bed for good. Yes, its actually great in the winter, especially when you play off seasonal eats like various kinds of seafood, roasted root vegetables, and more. No, it doesnt have to be chilled to death. In fact, over-cooling a white often strips it of its character . And when you do things in the cellar like slow fermentation and aging on the lees and in the barrel, the resulting white wine can have a mesmerizing amount of depth and intrigue.
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Tenuta Di Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva
Why It Works: “‘What grows together, goes together.’ The wines of a region play really well with the foods of a region. The first thing you notice, it bites down on your tongue. Its got real tannic structure. It goes really beautifully with the fat.”
While pizza isnt from Tuscany, per se, “theyre more akin to each other than Houston where I grew up,” said Isle. This is his favorite pairing of the bunch.
“I dont know if thats a romantic thing, or metaphorical thing, or if because I think the tannins and fat work well together,” he said.
La Pelle 2016 Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
La Pelle 2016 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley Photo: Suzanne Becker Bronk
This new branda very personal project for winemaker Maayan Koschitzky, viticulturist Miguel Luna and vineyard manager Pete Richmondis their chance to create bottles with a sense of place at a time when the tools of the trade are taking on more and more technological bells and whistles. La Pelle means the shovel in French and, for the partners, symbolizes their process from the first dirt turned in the vineyard to the last tank shoveled out in the cellar. The particular place showing in their inaugural Sauvignon Blanc , the 2016, is the St. Helena appellation, and the wine is a spectacular depiction of a trend taking hold in Northern California, turning Sauvignon Blanc into serious and complex wines. They barrel-fermented this one and aged it for 20 months in French oak. The result is complex textures and a beautiful richness, but at the same time, bright energy carries lime zest and tart nectarine flavors layered with white blossoms and a resiny herbal quality.
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Our Pick Of The Best Wine This Winter And What To Eat With It
Hearty tagines and warming casseroles deserve to be matched with the right bottles
At this darkest time of year, the food on my table changes. I reach more often for dishes that feel warm and comforting, such as tagine, chicken casserole and cassoulet . So many of you emailed to say how much youd enjoyed our summer food and wine-matching feature that Ive put together a version for autumn and winter.
Because as my food changes, so does the wine, though not necessarily in the way you might think. I do drink more reds with winter food, but not just the rich, heavy wines. I also enjoy pouring lighter reds, sometimes chilled, as a contrast to, say, a steaming hot casserole. The food and wine matches on these pages are all drawn from my new book, Fried Eggs and Rioja: What to Drink with Absolutely Everything , which in turn is based on material from my previous book, The Wine Dine Dictionary . The specific bottle recommendations arent from the book, theyre here just for you. I hope you enjoy them.
Finca Sophenia Altosur Malbec
Formerly labeled as Tupungato, the Finca Sophenia Altosur Malbec is a bottle of wine made in Gualtallary, Argentina. This red wine with violet hues has intense cherries, berries, and plum aroma with spicy and floral hints.
The wine is very graceful and pure with sweet and round tannins. All of these make the Finca Sophenia Altosur Malbec very bold and structured. Best when paired with beef and venison, it has 14% alcohol content and a critic score of 93/100.
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It Can Disrupt Your Sleeping Patterns
So it’s not always rainbows and sunshine, right? Alcohol canmess with our natural circadian rhythm, aka our body’s natural clock, even in small doses. A study done on sleep and alcohol by the National Institute of Health revealed that when we drink even a moderate amount of alcohol, our bodies go through a “rebound effect.” This effect essentially is your body’s way of adjusting to the alcohol present while it’s still trying to sleep normally during the first half of your slumber. The alcohol takes about 4-5 hours to leave your system, which means that the sleep disruption you do experience during the second half of the night is the alcohol making its way out of your body.
Jefferson Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2017
Virginia wines have been a favorite among the VinePair team this year, and this bottle is no exception. This versatile Cabernet Franc is delicious both chilled and at room temperature. It has a soft, earthy fruit core and brambly blackberry aromas, along with hints of cooked meat and cracked black pepper.
Rating: 91
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Bodegas Nekeas Sindoa Tempranillo
The Tempranillo grape is lauded as the basis of some of the best tasting wines of Spain and Portugal. Originating in the Navarra region of northern Spain, the grape has now been thoroughly adopted by Californian, Argentinian, and Australian growers.
Thankfully, this has resulted in an abundance of affordable reds derived from the Tempranillo grape at local wine stores. This particular brand has a good reputation among wine critics, and at only $8 per bottle, it is a certified bargain.
What sets this wine apart is the hint of spiciness, which gives it a certain lightness of flavor that suits a barbecue or summer picnic perfectly.
Whats The Difference Between Polish Sausage And Italian Sausage
Polish Sausage differs from other sausages in that it is smokier and has different seasonings. For example, the pork-based Polish Sausage features flavours of garlic, pimentos, cloves and marjoram. Bratwurst, on the other hand, can contain pork or veal and features seasonings of caraway seed, nutmeg, and ginger. Finally, Italian Sausage is made from pork and contains chillies, black pepper, garlic and fennel. Polish Sausage is also vac-packed in a horseshoe shape that is easily recognizable on shelves and is located in the grocery store where youd buy cold cuts and preserved meats. Italian Sausage and Bratwurst are often bought fresh and found in the Pork section of the Grocery Store or the frozen section.
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Chne Bleu Abelard 2012
From the Rhône Valley, this Grenache and Syrah blend starts savory, with a whiff of black pepper. Itâs a bit tannic, but the wine is drinking well now. Aromas of cooking herbs like rosemary and oregano, as well as brambly berries, give this wine an autumnal feel, making it an ideal pairing for a holiday meal.
Rating: 94
Best Sweet: Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port
Courtesy of Wine
Region: Portugal, Douro | ABV: 19.5% | Tasting Notes: Cherry, Chocolate, Raisin, Red plum.
If youre going to go with something sweet, the best place to go to is Portugals Douro Valley, home of its world-famous national treasure, Port wine. Not only is Grahams Six Grapes Reserve super tasty, but its also an excellent example of the heights Port wine can reach. Tip for beginners: In part due to the sugar content, a little Port goes a long way, and it retains its flavor for a couple of months after popping the cork. Just store it in a cool place. Its a great wine to savor over time.
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Tommasi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico Docg 2015
The nose on this wine is alive with aromas of savory baking spices, caramelized plums, and cracked black pepper. Its full-bodied and vibrant on the palate, with added notes of dark cherry and espresso. Neither its profile nor its price tag make this an everyday wine, but this is Amarone at its harmonious best, and a bottle fit for special occasions.
One Red And One White
Look for at least one red wine and one white to serve at your celebration. Some of the most popular wines, such as oaky, buttery Chardonnay and fruity, full-bodied Merlot, aren’t always the best companions for wedding fare: They can overwhelm the hors d’oeuvres at a cocktail hour, and they don’t always fit well with lighter dishes. They also tend to have a higher alcohol content.
Two wines that go very well with many different types of foods and that can be served year-round are Sauvignon Blanc for a white and, among reds, Pinot Noir. Both of these are lighter in body and less fruity than Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. They’re also excellent when served as aperitifs.
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It’s Time To Dress Up Your Wine
The Spruce / S& C Design Studios
Wine is far too interesting and diverse to be relegated to spritzers. Whether you have a bottle of red, white, or sparkling wine on hand, you can use it to mix up some fascinating wine cocktails. From fruity sangrias for a party to imaginative recipes with new flavor pairings, these drink recipes offer an exciting taste of wine’s potential, no matter the season or occasion.
Inama Bradisismo Rosso Veneto Igt 2016
This is the kind of wine that doesnât come along often. Itâs a unique, balanced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and . This deep, soulful red wine will welcome you with the subtle smell of white pepper and herbs, washed over by the sweet savoriness of aged balsamic and the tartness of currant jam. Try it with some grilled lamb, and thank us later.
Rating: 94
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