Good Morning!

About a year and a half ago I found on Amazon.com a wine game called World Wine Challenge and I ordered it. I was intrigued because the game said really get to understand the world of wine, test yourself and friends on all levels of wine education. The package came in the mail and it was a CD and I popped it in the laptop and you can select what level you want to answer questions from. You have 3 choices, Wine Drinker, Wine Student and Wine Master.

Me being me, I chose the Wine Master and this test/game is 200 questions. It takes me about an hour plus and I scored a 27%. This was just a brutal wake up call of how much I really did not know. I will gave myself a break and did not call myself a total dummy but these questions here hard and I had no idea about wines from Switzerland or the geography of South Africa, I had no clue about if I was standing in a vineyard in Burgundy and started walking south what vineyard would I walk directly into….Seriously, I felt like a dipshit.

So, the next morning I was ready to try again and I choose to take the test as a Wine Drinker and it was 25 questions and I hoped to do much better. The questions were more based off of info you might learn if you really are a causal wine drinker, I scored an 82%. I felt vindicated and thought it was not a perfect score and I am a perfect wine drinker I vowed to play this trivia game until I would be able to get at least an 80% on the Wine Master test.

I kept a pad of paper beside me and what I would not have a clue about a term or question, I wrote it down and did my homework after receiving my low score. I chugged through the Wine student section of the game/test and every week I would score a bit higher and the questions became more obscure and I would get a few more questions correct. The funniest thing about the game is that when you get the answer correct it makes the sound of a wine glass when you flick it with a finger, that really cool bing kinda sound then when you miss a question it makes the sound as if you just shattered the wine glass!

I have learned so much about Austrialia, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, US and Canada, their wine laws, history and geography it’s been a great lesson for someone as green as myself. I am not sure how often I will be ask were a Vouvray wine is originated or if a Methuselah bottle is bigger than Magnum or what year did Washington State pass a law that controls use of the word “reserve” on a wine labeled from their state.

The World Wine Challenge must have been developed around 2006 or 2007 because many of the questions are about total wine production from countries and states around that time. I have also found some contradicting information on the net when I have been researching, so thing may have changed since it was developed.

I would suggest anyone who wants to geek out on wine info, get the game….it has take me 1.5 years taking the test/game on a weekly basis and I can say I am so close to the 80% goal, today I scored a 77% on the Wine Master category. It still makes me mad to not have mastered this World Wine Challenge, but sometimes it makes me giggle to know that if the highest planted grape in California is Chardonnay and the most planted grape in South Africa is Cabernet Sauvignon…of course at some point these facts will change and I will be wrong again and I will have more to learn!

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi

Good Morning!

About 2 years ago a guy I really respect in the wine business said if I wanted to better understand the tastes of wine, I needed to understand the subtle flavors of all alcohol. He said, you need to go to a bar with a notepad and become friends with the bartender and sample everything, from vodkas, to Bailey’s to Bourbons, try everything and take tons of notes.

The thought of that was kinda scary for me, I am not really an alcohol fan..seriously! But I wanted to learn and I want to have a very educated palate. So, I had my pad and was dropped off at a very expansive bar with a very lovely bartender and told him what I wanted to do and I would be spitting a lot so he and I became friends and he got me a bucket and I said I hope he did not charge by the shot, but I was prepared to tip well, if he could call my ride when I got hammered. (I don’t care how much I spit, at some point, I was going to be drunk and my mouth would get fatigued.

We started out with the vodkas and I tried 11 of them, they went from watery and just plain alcoholy to very smooth and almost sweet vodkas, some had depth and really tasted beautiful and others, not so much. I think I was there for 2.5 hours, spent about $125.00 and had a great time and I promised him I would be back the next week to continue my education, but I never went back…to make a long story short, my mouth was wasted from the heat of all the booze. I plan on trying this again some day, just not anytime soon.

I like going to the breweries where they have flights of beer, I love how different each style and regional beer can capture so many nuisances of the brew. And of course you know I love to taste wines, I love blending, I love blind tastings, I love vertical tastings and I even love tasting at the grocery store from those ridiculous plastic shot glasses.

So when I was ask to go to a tea tasting I said yes, I’ll go. Ok, so some background on tea and myself. My mama drinks Lipton Black Tea every morning, I was raised in the Midwest so Iced Tea is really popular and since I spend so much time in Texas, I know all about the sweet tea, I remember making sun tea as a kid and if I go to Starbuck’s I like cold Green Tea. That is about all I really have tried.

I am not really a coffee fan. I love the way it smells, but the taste is just burnt and bitter to me, so I have never been a coffee of tea person in the morning. I have over the years figured out that me drinking a hot drink in the morning makes me feel all sweaty and clammy so I think that is why I do not join in the morning fun.

I arrived at the tea tasting in a “special room” in my local high end grocery store. I checked in and found my seat and I was seated beside a British woman who was into tea. She could have talked with me all day, because I loved her accent, but she knew all about white, green, black teas, steeping techniques, what water (distilled or spring) that worked best with each type of tea and she knew about drying techniques and she hangs out in tea lounges. I had seen a few tea lounges when I lived in downtown San Francisco, but I have never been in one.

As we tasted and tasted, I really did try to approach the tasting like a wine tasting, checking color, aromas, body and finish with each tea. I learned a ton and had a great time. What I found out is tasting teas left my mouth feeling very similar to tasting big dry red wines. The drying effect I feel from tannins and the puckery effect of the more “fruity” teas, reminded me of wine.

The big difference was what you will expect, I did not feel any of the “lift” from the tea, like I do when I taste wines. I would totally go tea tasting again…It made me think about pairings and how to better describe wines and I learned much from my seat mate about the traditions of tea for her and her life.

Have a great Wednesday!

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi

Good Morning,

I am hooked on a few TV shows, Revenge, ,Young and Restless and American Idol; these are my guilty pleasures and I have no shame in saying I spend my time watching these shows. I watch other things too, Chelsea Lately, The Voice and The Oprah Presents series, but I tape those and watch them on the weekend.

In the next couple of weeks I will become a college Men’s and Women’s Basketball junkie and after the Final Four, I will step away from ESPN and my brackets for a while and either be sad to see it go or excited to think about next year and how I feel will all depend on how far the Tennessee Lady Vols go in the tournament.

I open wine every time Idol comes on. I try the craziest wines I can find. I love to buy wines that I can not even understand the label. I love to find German and Greek wines just because I find them to be so different. I have found some great wines and tried some that honestly, if I never have again, I’d be happy.

The highlight of Idol for me is when the judges come out and I can see what Jennifer Lopez is wearing and how her hair is styled. The second highlight is watching a truly talented artist fulfill their destiny. The third highlight is what wine will I try. Fourth is listening to Steven Tyler say crazy things and hit on all the young girls.

Tonight, I am fired up to open a bottle of Truchard Chardonnay and see what designer J.Lo is sporting. The reason I am fired up is it’s been a while since I have enjoyed a Chardonnay that has spent time in the barrel. I was on an unoaked Chardonnay kick for almost 2 years. I still love the unoaked Chardonnay, but when we were touring Truchard and then sampled the Chardonnay, it really had such a lovely balance I bought several bottles to taste again. I have found for myself, I always find I need to pair barrel aged Chardonnay, to me it is a food friendly wine and sometimes, I do not want or need to eat so I like the lightness and crispness of unoaked Chardonnay.

That’s how I plan on spending my night and what I will be drinking, what wine will you be drinking?

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi

Good Morning!

Last week, I was on a Rhone Valley, France roll and today I have another area and their wines I want to mention, cuz, they good! (said in the best midwest accent ever).

When you find yourself in the “French” wine section of the wine shop or grocery, you will see on labels Cotes du Rhone and Cotes du Rhone Villages. These wines will introduce you to this area of France and I bet you might be surprised with the results. Cotes du Rhone is a mainly red wine production total volume 96% and 2% is white wine and 2% rose.

Main red grape is Grenache and at least 40% of the wine must be used (except for in Northern Rhone, where they use entirely Syrah).

Syrah and Mourvedre are the other principal grapes along with the Grenache, this blend must constitute at least 70% of the blend.

There are 10 red varieties used as secondary varities that makes up to 30% of the wine and they really like to blend Carignan or Cinsault.

These wines are affordable $12-17 a bottle and they are low tannin and fruity, these wines will not blast you in the mouth as much as the big California reds. If you are like me and like to grill meats (hamburgers especially)…..grab a bottle and make a pairing (go easy on the mustard, I personally think too much mustard beats up my taste buds, but that is just my opinion). Grilled chicken or burgers and Cotes du Rhone is a beautiful match, seriously, try it and tell me what you think.

Cotes du Rhone Villages are considered a higher class of wine compared to Cotes du Rhone, the cost is a few bucks more a bottle but these wines are made in a fewer vineyards. The Cotes du Rhone-Villages produces only about 13% compared to Cotes du Rhone.

Other wines of the Southern Rhone Valley that you must try are Gigondas (I love the wines of this area and I worked at a winery in the area, it is so richly steeped in tradition, amazing). Also make sure you try the Vacaqueyras the red wine from the area is ridiculously delicious!
Make sure if you see wines from Lirac and Tavel, I have had some very special rose’ from Tavel and they are known for their crazy blends to create these beautiful rose’. You can find these wines for $15-25.

I hope you will take a little of this info and go find a bottle or two of a Rhone wine you have never tried and you will buy it, try it and cook something with it and then let me know what you think! I love the pics and pairings you guys are sending me.

I almost like to cook as much as I like to make wine, so watching others creating, inspires me as well, THANK YOU!

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi

Good Morning!

Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the wine appellation that surrounds the village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in the Southern Rhone region in France. It is located between Avignon and Orange. The name Chateauneuf-du-Pape means “new castle of the pope” and it refers to the summer palace built for the Pope in the 1300’s.

Quick facts:

Southern Rhone’s most dominate grape is Grenache.

Minimum alcohol level of Chateauneuf-du-Pape is 12.5%

Chateauneuf-du-Pape allows up to 13 grape varieties both red and white.

Red wine makes up 97% of all wines from this appellation.

It’s a very warm area and the soil is stony.

The wines can age from 5-30 years.

The red grapes used are Grenache, Cinsault, Counoise, Mourvedre, Muscardine, Syrah, Terret Noir and Vaccarese.

Permitted white grapes are Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picardan, Roussanne and Piquepoul.

In modern practice most Chateauneuf-du-Pape reds come for 3-4 basic red varieties:
Grenache 50-70%
Syrah 10-30%
Mourvedre makes up the balance. But any of the above the reds listed can and are used.

Only a handful of producers make a Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc and it is 7% of the entire appellation’s wine production.

These are the six grape varieties that can be used in making the white wine blend.

Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Picpoul Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne.

The Chateaueuf-du-Pape Blanc is a dry, full-bodied white and is known for the mineral and fruity flavors.

Here is just some of the fun facts I learned while researching Southern Rhone.

Have a great weekend and I hope you have a few great wines while you are relaxing!

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi