Chenin Blanc

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WINE trends come and go — most countries, regions and grapes have enjoyed their 15 minutes in the spotlight at some point or another over the last couple decades. On the other hand, some grapes, regions and wines have fallen way out of fashion. For every Pi­not Noir that enjoyed increased sales follow­ing the release of the 2004 movie Sideways, there was a Merlot languishing on a dusty shelf somewhere.

And then there's Chardonnay, a polarizing grape if there ever was one -- while it has more than its share of fans, those who don't like it typically despise it. I get the impression that Chardonnay is also the basis for a lot of resentment toward white wine in general -- many red wine drinkers I've spoken to have been turned off of whites by a big Australian or American Chardonnay (historically the most common culprits of over-oaking the wine).

I can't get behind the Anything But Chardonnay (ABC) movement -- I'm a big fan of Chard in almost all of its incarnations, even when the oak is big and bold (and I'm in the right mood). But a full-bodied, buttery Chardonnay is one of the worst white wines for beating the heat in the summer.

Oaky, not so dokey when weather is chokey - Winnipeg Free Press

He's been instrumental in redefining the menu at Hotel Metro-35?s swanky new bistro ?S4. Having worked for decades in the US, Executive Chef Devinder Singh Mahal has brought with him a range of soups, salads, sandwiches and sizzlers (collectively known as S4). Over the weekend, Mahal held a wine tasting session to announce the arrival of a wine list at S4. ?There has been much talk about wines finally making their presence felt in India. But when it comes to the city, I feel diners are yet to truly experience wines in totality,? says Mahal, who announced the arrival of Four Seasons wines at the bistro.

Ads by Google ?Like Indian ragas, wines are recommended for certain times of the day. Also like the ragas, they inspire your mood,? he told guests. Cheers to that.

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Swirl and sip - Indian Express

Groupthink set in as soon as the food started to hit the grill. Let?s, pack it up, move to southern France, drink country wines, and grill over an open fire all year.

Fifty or 60 beautiful prawns, flecked with sea salt, glistened on stainless steel skewers. White-hot chunks of burning applewood sizzled and let off little puffs of smoke as bits of olive oil and lemon juice dripped off the shrimp.

Six of us gathered around the grill, watching intently. Our food was quickly flipped, removed from the heat, pulled from the skewers and heaped up on a big white platter. We circled like a pack of bare-handed killers. No forks ? we were armed only with fingers, lemons and big glasses of cold wine. We destroyed that platter, the first of six seafood courses (one prepared by each heathen), just in time to brush the red mullet with fresh rosemary and flecks of oregano. More white wine, lots of greasy chins.

There is great joy in simplicity ? simple food, cooked perfectly and washed down by gorgeous wine. It used to be a tricky thing, to find the right wines for food like this.

Simplicity: Six seafood course right off grill with gorgeous wine - BurlingtonFreePress.com

08.05.10 “It is always quietest before the storm.” The harvest of Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish grapes has been completed with a quiet interlude before the next harvest of grapes (vitis vinifera – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier, etc), beginning around the end of August and lasting for around four weeks. This lull allows winemakers to make sure their facilities are fully functional like de-stemmer/crushers, presses, pumps, screw conveyors, refrigeration systems which keep the fermenting grapes cool, fermentation tanks, and such.

Since these facilities are washed down regularly, the water can enter motors and short-circuit them, parts can rust/lock in place, and such. Winemaking is 10 percent romance and 90 percent hard work, especially during harvest and CRUSH. Most Texas wineries will see a 12-14 hour day during CRUSH while some largest wineries will work three shifts to be online 24/7 during CRUSH.

Aug. 7 & 8 – Windy Winery near the Brenham Airport will be hosting a Grape Stomp in celebration of the Harvest. Saturday evening from 5 to 7 p.m., Mike Gallo will be playing his Texas Blues on their patio.

Aug. 7 & 8 – Harvest remaining grapes in Messina Hof’s Vineyards in Bryan, starting at 8 a.m. each day. Enjoy the vineyards, stomp grapes, dine in the Vineyard Restaurant, sample wines, and tour the winery.

Next few weeks bring transition between harvests - Montgomery County Courier

Mourvedre — a grape of monstrous inky reds in France and Spain — is, I learn after a few sips, capable of a bone-dry, chewy blush when given scant time to rest on skins, extracting pigment. Despite its shy blush, this tannin and alcohol counters-punches dry cherry, cedar, bacon, and leathery notes. Serious stuff for blush at 13 percent alcohol.

At a pig picking, this would wallow well, but on a scorching day like this, I yearn for my Rose d' Anjou days. Those days of tippling pink from the French Loire, I confess, well precede the tidal wave popularity of white Zinfandel, if that's any indication how long I've fermented.

This was at a time when the libation of choice was called Purple Jesus. PJ was mixed in plastic-bag lined garbage cans, various parts fruit juice and grain alcohol stirred with a canoe paddle, if that conjures the licentious '70s.

A light hand with Everclear could keep a party revved — and on budget. But this was the '70s, so many a mistaken mixologist believed if a little was good, then a lot was great. Everclear was 95 percent alcohol, this when 90-proof (45 percent alcohol) vodka was the bomb.

Uncorked: An adult pour from the days of college parties - Greensboro News & Record