Wining & Dining
Summer Time Wine Tasting PDF Print E-mail
Written by Capt. Starrs   
Monday, 05 July 2010 17:17

Summer Wine Drinking

Summer time is a great opportunity to catch up with friends, enjoy time with family… and just relax.  Fewer times in the year do we get as many opportunities to enjoy as much Leisure, as we do during summer days.

Here are some fun summer drinking suggestions for all you Wine Enthusiasts:

  • Spanish Cava, the Traditional Method Sparkling Wine original to the Pendes Region on the Mediterranean Coast, has a very Refreshing Acidity.

Its long Streams of Small Bubbles, Yeast Aromas and Crisp Finish, make this wine choice a perfect pool-side and patio drink.

You can mix Cava with Fresh Peach Juice, or add Fresh Raspberries, and turn your Cava into a Chic Flute-Served Cocktail.

  • The list for Dry Rosé Wines has really grown in recent years.  Countries from the New World are now experimenting with Rosé Wines made from Shiraz, Malbec or Pinot Noir that can hold their own while standing next to wonderful Old World Rosé Wines made from Grenache, Gamay or Sangiovese. The list of options is plentiful & fun!

All these wines are great summer options if you want to drink a Light Wine without the Heavy Tannins, yet with Complex Aromas and far-from-sweet.

  • Lighter Red Wines, such as Pinot Noir, or Fascinating French Appellation Beaujolais-Villages, are magnificent choices for Summer Nights.  You can pair them with Fresh Summer Recipes, or just sip and enjoy them by themselves.

Pinot Noir´s thin skin can harbor some fascinating Red Cherry, Raspberry and Earth Aromas.  This Burgundy native Grape is rarely blended for still wine, yet when it is combined with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, makes the traditional recipe for Champagne (not too shabby huh?).   Great Parings could include a Pineapple Glazed Ham or a Ginger & Red Berry Reduction on Crab Cakes. Pinot Noir from Oregon State, New Zealand, and cooler regions of California State and Australia, are your best choices for a top-notch sample.

When Gamay is grown on Clay over Granite French Soil, it can produce uniquely fresh, vividly fruity and light Beaujolais.  This Southern Burgundy appellation wine is an excellent summer drink choice as well! - And a fascinating choice if you wish to expand your wine knowledge.

 

Enjoy …

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Appropriate Glassware PDF Print E-mail
Written by Patricia G.B. Starrs   
Friday, 07 May 2010 22:54

Have a Glass tonight… Or two!

Appropriate Glassware

Glassware is a tricky subject to address because personal spending habits play an important role.

However, I have some good news: acceptable quality is not necessarily related to price!

Some important tips for picking out your Wine Glassware include:

  1. Appropriate Shape to Grape-Variety.

Certain Grape Varieties are more delicate and need a narrower glass to concentrate its aromas, while other ones need more surface area to breathe and show their powerful personalities.

  1. Over-All Tulip Shape.

A Tulip shaped Glass allows wine to have a wider area exposed to oxygen (in the wider part of the tulip); as oxygen becomes in contact with the wine, alcohol evaporates and carries out all of the wine aromas into the nose: through the concentrated narrow part of the tulip shaped glass!

  1. Thin Glass (or Crystal) that allows better oxygen exchange.
  2. Tall Thin Stems that allow you a comfortable grip without altering the temperature of your wine.

Starting a good wine Glassware Collection can start with:

  1. A set of Bordeaux Style glasses for most of your red wine enjoyment.
  2. A set of Riedel Style glasses for most of your white wine enjoyment, and certain reds (such as Rioja or Zinfandel). This shape of glass is considered the Joker-Style of wine glassware, it works for most wines!
  3. A set of Stem-Less wine glassware for Relaxed Wining (Italian Style!)

Later on you can add to your collection:

  1. A set of Burgundy Style glasses for your Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bottles.
  2. A set of Elegant Long flutes for bubbly French Champagne, Spanish Cava or Italian Spumante.
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    Wines for Dorado PDF Print E-mail
    Written by Patricia G.B. Starrs   
    Wednesday, 21 April 2010 23:35

    Dear Matt,

    Thank you for your interest in our blog!

    Dorado is a very flavorful white-flesh fish; therefore the white wine options can be taken to a higher level.  Dorado is also one of our most constant catch varieties throughout the year! They put up a great fight.

    My first suggestion based on personal taste would be a well-rounded, medium body, Oaked Chardonnay.

    Oaked Chardonnay can bring additional complexity to the experience, yet un-oaked can be extra refreshing.  The Oaked or Un-Oaked choice is up to you!

    Other Good-Value pairing suggestions could include a:

    1. Sémillon from Hunter Valley, Australia, or a
    2. Viognier from Oregon or Washington State.

    Chile & Argentina are wonderful New World Country-Candidates to pick a Great-Value Chardonnay from.  Australia & the United States are terrific New-World producers of these wines as well.

    Make sure to add fresh vegetables or fruits to your fish recipe in order to enhance your wine pairing experience.

    PGB.

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    Weekday Wining PDF Print E-mail
    Written by Patricia G.B. Starrs   
    Wednesday, 14 April 2010 17:26

    Enjoy a glass tonight … or two!

    Weekday Wining

    There are few things that lighten my spirit as quickly after a long stressful day of financial work, as a healthy poured, brilliant and aromatic, powerful young red from the new world … in good glass-ware of course!

    Weekday wine drinking has a really fun, stress-free, definitely-better-than-my-3pm-meeting, friendly vibe.  Lower expectations can allow you to fully enjoy weekday wining with affordable deals.

    In the last years, the New World wine producing countries have surprised us with really exciting bottles of all of our favorite grape varieties for great prices.  It is easy, world-wide, to go to your local wine shop and pick up an 85 point bottle from one of these countries for a under $20! –without mentioning easy to read grape-variety labeling.

    The options are endless, the prices are accessible, and you will get a great opportunity to build your personal varietal definitions based on first-hand experience.

    *** If you enjoy wine, I really recommend big-personality, great-value reds during your work week:  They will help you get rid of unnecessary stress and allow you to experiment with Decanting techniques.

    They are rich in antioxidants, & are easy to pair with home-made meals.

    Author’s Note

    Tonight we enjoyed a 2007 Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendoza, Argentina.

    Our bottle was a little less than $20, and scores about 90 points on Wine Spectator.

    We found it very balanced and smooth, yet extremely aromatic and full of personality.

    *** Sautéed Red Peppers are a great pairing ingredient ***

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    Wine Lover & Connoisseur PDF Print E-mail
    Written by Patricia G.B. Starrs   
    Friday, 01 January 2010 00:00

    Patricia G.B. Starrs will use this blog to discuss great wines available in the region for Anglers with Blue Bayou Guatemala.

    Will also provide Wine Packages for Blue Bayou Fishing Outings in order to perfectly Pair your day´s catch with a glass of great wine for dinner that night at the Fishing Lodge.

    Constant and personal Purchasing will allow for great Quality-to-Price Recommendations.

    Hold on to your corkscrews. Here we go!
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