wine selections

The Perfect Pair

Most of us are familiar with the Love and Marriage tune. It was performed by Frank Sinatra and written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen. It starts off like this….

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage,
This I tell ya, brother, you can’t have one without the other.

You may recall some years ago a well known soup company changed the lyrics somewhat and it went like this…..

Soup and sandwich, soup and sandwich,
Go together like a scratch and hand itch.
Let me tell you my brother, you can’t have one without the other.

Well I decided to add my lyric change to the mix. It starts off like this….

Food and beverage, food and beverage,
Go together like wine and fine dining,
This I tell you brother, its better when you have one with the other.

Well that is my way of saying what a perfect pair. Have you ever seen a better complement? A well selected wine can bring the best out of a meal and a delicious meal is best served with a great wine. Yet you can still enjoy one without the other. Wow! It works both ways. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Traditionally it has been said certain meats like beef, lamb, pork and poultry are best paired with a specific type of wine. That is a true statement, but it is not that simple; you also have to consider how the dish is prepared. Will the meat be lightly seasoned and grilled, spicy with a thick sauce as in the case of barbeque or sweetened like some Asian dishes? Let me share what is traditionally recommended for less conventional preparations:

Beef – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Red Bordeaux, Shiraz
Pork – Beaujolais, Sauvignon, basic Chardonnay,
Lamb – Red Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon
Poultry – Chardonnay, White Burgundy, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir

If you would like to add your preferences to the list, please share your comments!

By: Rosa L. McArthur

Field of Grapes – Vineyards

Well Cultivated Vineyard, a Thing of Beauty! Experienced Anything More Beautiful?

I often wonder how they make them look so picturesque. The rows that appear to be perfectly straight, the air is fresh and sweet and the scenery natural and beautiful. It doesn’t matter if it’s the beginning of the growing season, or the fruit is fully matured and ready for harvest, any season is a good day at the vineyard. Speaking of seasons let me tell you a little about what happens during each season at the vineyards, home of the grapes.

Winter – this is the time when the grape vines sleep and store nutrients. Around this time, January through March, the viticulturists practice their latest techniques for pruning and growth. In the spring, the sap will increase and the buds will inflate where successful cuts have been made.

Spring – Cool crisp mornings and warm days contribute to early growth on the vines. During late May and early June the vines produce clusters of flowers which produce fruit for the coming harvest. Soon after small grape clusters begin to appear along with magnificently shaped leafs which can also be picked later, stuffed, cooked and enjoyed with a well chosen bottle of wine.

Summer – It’s a busy time at the vineyards. The crew is thinning the leaves and clusters to make sure of optimal ripening of the grapes until the harvest time. As we learned in a previous blog the way the grapes ripen is essential to the wine taste.

Fall – What a colorful time at the vineyards! Such regal, majestic shades of purple, paired with vibrant greens, yellow and brown. What makes it look like that? It’s the change in the lighting and temperature, cool mornings, warm afternoons, evenings that cool quickly and the repositioning of the sun in the sky.

What happens during each season contributes to the end result, a vineyard of beautiful grapes that will produce a delicious and satisfying barrel of wine. No way could this process happen by chance!!

Rosa L. McArthur