Wine – In Good Taste

Wine Wednesday: Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon & Sauvignon Blanc for Post-Golf

Maris Callahan — Wed, 24 May 2017 04:56:09 +0000

Memorial Day weekend – the unofficial kickoff to summer – is right around the corner. For most of us, that means it’s time to head outdoors to enjoy our favorite outdoor activities. In our household, Im more of a drinking wine by the pool or on the rooftop deck kind of outdoors lover, but Brad likes outdoor activities that are…you know, activities — hitting golf balls, going to baseball games, camping. Luckily, Gran Reserva is the perfect wine for sipping outdoors — especially after your golf outing. Why do I say that when there are hundreds of wine you could sip after your golf game? Bonus! Enjoy a $25 credit on a round of golf at major golf courses nationwide courtesy of Concha y Toro Gran Reserva. Find a specially marked bottle necker where you buy wine. And you can also enter the Tee Time sweepstakes to win – one year of free golf. I love to incorporate great food and drinks into just about every occasion. In my opinion, a homemade gluten-free chocolate naked cake will take a birthday party up a notch, while a festive wine and cheese spread will make a post-golf sip and snack feel like a special event. Last […]

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Wine Wednesday: Butter Chardonnay for Mother’s Day

Maris Callahan — Wed, 10 May 2017 05:00:03 +0000

There are a few things that I inherited from my mom: her witty sense of humor, her complete and utter inability to keep a surprise to herself (“I’m sending you a birthday present….do you want me to tell you what it is?) and also, her love for snacks. Especially when you can eat those snacks for dinner. I’m not sure if a love for the snack-dinner is something that every mother dreams of passing on to her daughter, but my mother passed that on to me. Both of us can make a full meal out of noshes — cheese, crackers, chips, dip, guacamole. One time, I spoke to my mom on the phone and asked her what she had eaten for dinner. Her response? A box of instant mashed sweet potatoes and a cucumber.” Well, maybe that was taking snack dinner a little too far. My favorite snack dinner is a demi baguette, a chunk of triple creme brie, some fig preserves and maybe a few thin and wispy slices of prosciutto. And of course, a great bottle of wine. JaM Cellars makes three easy-to-love, everyday California wines Butter Chardonnay, JaM Cabernet and Toast Sparkling. Second-generation Napa Valley vintners John and Michele are […]

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#WineWednesday: Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc

Maris Callahan — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:41:40 +0000

I’m not big on red wine, but between receiving media samples, gifts and buying wine for past parties, I have somehow amassed a large collection of it. When I have parties, my apartment tends to heat up pretty quickly so unless the weather is very literally sub-zero, which is certainly not out of the question here, no one who comes over wants to drink red either. So, I spend a lot of time shopping and looking for white wines to serve when I have parties or gatherings, need to contribute to a BYOB dinner or want to offer friends a glass of something when someone stops by. When I was offered a sample of 2010 Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc, I assumed it would be one I would want to share with you. First, it has a story. The wine was inspired by The 9 Great Walks of New Zealand, one-of a kind walking and hiking trails know for their natural beauty and peaceful calmness. The 9 Great Walks have been said to “rejuvenate the soul,” which I won’t tell you this wine can do….but I also won’t tell you that it can’t. Sauvignon Blancs, whether grassy, crisp or on […]

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What You Need to Know About Organic Wine

Maris Callahan — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:00:28 +0000

We are used to seeing organic eggs, organic fruit and organic milk at the supermarket. Lately, organic wine has begun to appear on the shelves at wine shops. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or a social drinker, you might have wondered what exactly makes organic wine different than traditional wine. “Organic wine is the emphasis on growing grapes with natural remedies and enhancements, rather than manufactured fertilizers and pesticides,” said Erica Witte, owner of The Poison Cup, a wine and art boutique in Chicago. Some of the remedies that wine growers use as alternatives to pesticides include companion crops, which entice friendly animal and insect species that mitigate the population of other vine-damaging species; cover crops, that utilize crab grass, clover and poppies to help control waste water runoff, water usage, and soil nutrient levels; and composting, which helps to replenish soil nutrients with recycled plant and animal waste from the vineyard, such as grape skins that have already been pressed and crushed. “Anyone who is concerned about the planet’s lack of potable water should consider trading traditional wines for organic,” Witte said. “It’s also perfect for anyone skeptical of FDA-approved pesticides or fertilizers.” Organic wine also prohibits the use […]

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#WineWednesday: Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Maris Callahan — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:00:40 +0000

90 percent of the time, when someone asks you if you want white wine, they mean Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. I don’t know if that’s true, but 90 seemed like a good percent. Sauvignon Blancs are crisp, dry, easy to drink, and one of my own personal favorite things to drink on a patio during the months between May and September. And this is a Sauvignon Blanc worth saying yes to. The Sauvignon Blanc grape is commonly grown in France, Italy, California and more recently in New Zealand and Chile. South African wines in general are fairly new to the market (since the early to mid 90’s South Africa wasn’t allowed to export and wines were not the best quality). Because Sauvignon Blanc is grown in so many different places it takes on a lot of different flavors. Most often what you are going to see flavor-wise is an array of grapefruit flavors, followed by gooseberry and honeydew and in parts of France, Sauvignon Blanc takes on a lot of tomato vine and basil aromas. Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from Walker Bay South Africa is an incredible wine that is brisk and perfumey with aromas of lemon and fresh […]

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