Category Archives: wine

Wine Time: Lighter-Bodied Reds

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2009 Domaine Sorin Cotes de Provence Rose (France)

Another week in wine class brings me into the universe of lighter-bodied reds.  I didn’t know what to think about these going in but I do like the rose wines, especially with bubbles!   This rose was much better than the one I purchased a few weeks ago.  It had a nice tangerine smell to it and had a nice salty/mineral taste to it that would be great with shellfish or even lamb pinchos.

2007 De la Chantelesuerie Bourgueil (France), Loire

This was the star of the evening for me.  It’s almost black in color with heavy amounts of sediment and a thick body. It tastes like pimenton dulce…..pretty amazing….exactly like it.  I have so many dishes this could go with  and it’s a great stand alone wine!!!!

2007 Domaine Diochon Moulin-a-Vent (France), Beaujolais

This was another great wine.  Nice and dry with a dried cherry smell and would go great with steak……great great great with steak.

2007 le Mas de Flauzieres Gigondas (France), southern Rhone

I wasn’t too much of a fan of this wine by itself but I think this one will work well with a nice meaty stew.  It has that nice warm finish and is quite balanced and seems to want to work well with stronger herbs.  Maybe a really good pot roast……. I’ll have to review this one again during the fall.

Well, that’s a wrap for wine week.  I have great news coming soon……

Eric

Merlot Gone Mad (Tulalip Casino)

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This past weekend Mindy and I were invited to attend the Mad Merlot event at the Tulalip Casino.  It’s been a little while since I have visited the Tulalip…..the last time I was there the hotel was not built yet.  It’s a whole new experience now! The restaurants sprinkled throughout the casino and then finally the hotel, which looks like a luxurious resort…..in my little Washington and not Las Vegas!  I love going to Las Vegas so if I close my eyes on the drive up to the Tulalip then just walk in then I truly feel like I’m there…

“Eric, stop kissing up and talk about some wine!!!”

So I walked in and saw over 50 Washington wineries, food, and a stage for cooking demonstrations.  “Eric, you’re not really good at painting pictures with your words…..don’t you have a video”.   YES!

Lots of room to stumble around with red lips and teeth. It’s wine time!

My first visit was over to the Sparkman Cellars table.  Like I have said many times, I’m a novice in the wine world so when I find something I like I tend to stick with it. Everything I tasted from Sparkman Cellars I have loved so I started there first.  Mindy agreed it was pretty amazing.

Next up we visited the Otis Kenyon booth.

Yeah, this one goes on the “awesome wine time” list.  Tons of flavor and a great stand alone wine.  I’m trying to find great stand alone wines so I will force myself to drink wine instead of always turning to Mr. Captain or beer….plus, I feel kind of snobby when I drink wine and I’m not sure if that’s a bad thing.

I’m starving.

Indian grilled American lamb loin with apple, peach and apricot chutney and curry lavash

Heritage salmon over fire-roasted corn fritters

Spaghetti cake with Isernio’s (you’ll be seeing them later this month!) provolone and herb chicken sausage and roasted tomato-fennel sauce

Red beet and goat cheese with citrus and balsamic vinaigrette with micro greens.

Back to wine!  We tried more wine and walked around for a bit longer.  Here are a few other great Washington merlots that you should try out.

Great wine, great food, great location, and a great time hanging out with Mindy!  Thanks again for inviting us!

Tulalip Resort and Casino (click)

Washington Wine Industry Foundation (click)

Eric

The Tulalip Resort and Casino is on

See how I did that??!?!?!? :)

Wine Time: Fuller-Bodied Whites

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Week 4 of my wine class took me to discovering the world of fuller-bodied white wines.  So far I have experienced three different types of white wines and I can distinguish a difference between the three types…..wine, you’re so……interesting.

These fuller-bodied whites have thick bodies and lots of finish.  The first one I tried is a 2007 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett from Germany.  Long name? Not really when you can break it down.  Wehlener Sonnenuhr is the name of the winery. Kabinett describes the sugar content of the wine.  So Kabinett is on the bottom then Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiwswein, and finally Trockenbeerenauslese.

The quality levels for German wines are Tafelwein, Landwein, Qualitatswein Bestimmter Anbaugbiete (QbA), and QmP being the highest.  Most of the German wines you will see here in the US will be of QbA and QmP quality.

The characteristic of the two German wines we have tried are that they have a diesel smell….kind of weird but I think it will accompany some strong foods well.   Sauerkraut or lots of crazy awesome sausage to start.

This wine was nice. It had a sweet taste but with a slightly acidic finish. Nicely balanced and was kind of like eating a meyer lemon. I would pair a chanterelle mushroom stew with this.

2008 L’Ecole No. 41. Semmillon Fries Vineyard (Washington). What’s up with the fancy name???? You’re from Washington!! Le Blog Culinaria du Eric Rivera (or something like that).

This was my favorite wine of the night.  Nice, heavy, smoky, and slightly oily finish.  This would go great with any type of stew but maybe try a seafood jambalaya and you’re starting the party off in the right direction!

Oh, it has an alcohol content of 14.4% so it leaves you with a nice warm feeling…..drink the whole bottle, you’ll have no problem making up your own fake French names.

Speaking of French things. Here’s a French wine and once again I was not impressed.  This is the second highest quality French wine behind a Grand Cru.  The wine itself was fine but when you consider the price of $40 per bottle this definitely goes into my “whine time” category.

It has a mineral taste to it which is quite nice from a nice cheese pairing or even a little foie gras.   Personally, I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy this wine especially for $40.

Oh Private Reserve….sounds fancy!  It really doesn’t mean anything other than the winery trying to tell you that they believe it’s their “best” wine.  I’ve seen Beringer wines before and have always been curious to try them.  If this is their private reserve of wines then I suggest they spend a little more time drinking and less time thinking about marketing names.

It has a nice smoke and oak flavor to it but it didn’t really do anything for me.   “Eric, you’re not really making any friends in the wine world.”   Well, it’s my opinion.

Want to know why I have always been so frustrated with the world of wine?  The price difference between a “good” wine and just another bottle of wine.  Isn’t the French one supposed to be the best?  Well at $40 per bottle it should be but it’s not.  The least expensive one is $20 and is from Washington.  Fine, just call me a fan of my home state but try all four together and you’ll agree with me and if you don’t then just go to a wine blog that will support your thoughts.  This is a cooking blog.   GO WASHINGTON!!!!!

Eric :)

Wine Time: Lighter-Bodied Whites

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Week 3 in my wine class at school.

I’m starting to like wine.  Yup, there I said it. I think the thing that has me liking it so much is how different every bottle from different parts of the world can be.

What has made me appreciate it more is Chef Redman’s approach to this class.  We take our time tasting each wine.  Over a three hour class we taste around 5 wines and each one is experienced with the same process.

Look:   Color, body, bubbles?, sediment?

Smell:  What does it smell like? Flowers? Diesel? Smokey? Oak? Lemon?

Taste:  Acidic? Warm?  What flavors are on the front end then on the finish….do they change?

Then we go into what food pairings work best with this wine.  I love how it ends with the food pairings.  I really start to imagine flavor combinations that I wouldn’t have normally thought of.   Does the wine work as a good companion or as a good contrast?   Could I create a dish that wouldn’t work unless the wine and food were paired together…..”This food tastes likes it’s missing something…”  Try the wine now. “Oh wow, there it is.”  Stuff like that.

First up (pictured above) was a 2008 Delhommeau Muscadet Harmonie from France.  It’s a very light wine that smells very fruity…kind of like honey dew.  When tasted a lemon tastes is predominant. Oysters and ceviche would be great with this.

This 2008 Dom Franck Millet Sancerre (France) looks very shiny and has a bit of sediment floating around.  It has a nice mineral smell, almost gravel like.  It has a somewhat peppery taste and it’s dry with a medium high acidity.  It tastes like the pickled mango I had a Fresh Bistro the other night. I would pair this with mango, papaya, and guava….maybe in a chutney like the one we have at work or a peppered pastel de guayaba.

2008 Maso Poli Trentino Pinot Grigio (Italy). Has a honey color to it and it has a nice oak smell to it. It’s pretty thick and has an intense flavor when compared to the previous two wines. The alcohol content of this one is noticeably higher than the previous two.  It would go great with something creamy like a pasta or even a savory panna cotta or savory flan.

2008 Argiolas Costamolino (Italy).  Bright yellow with a small amount of bubbles.  Has a nice almond smell and has a small hint of thyme taste to it. I think this would go great with a dish that has green olives, cerignola. Good stand alone wine.

2008 Bethel Heights Pinot Blanc (Oregon).  Very clear and pale color to it.  Smells rubbery but has a nice floral taste….almost lavender-like. Has a nice finish and would go great with breaded food like crab cakes, veal parmesan, or a macadamia nut crusted pork tenderloin.  Great stand alone wine there is a lot going on with it.

Whine time:  No whining this week.  Good stuff!

Wine Time: White Wine

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I’m taking a wine class right now at school so please don’t think this is part of a conversion to a wine blog, that’s not going to happen.  One quarter of wine information on the blog o’ blog then back to the 24 hour/day food coma.

I have 15 pages of notes that I took from the first two weeks. I’m a super wine novice and I don’t really understand the whole appeal yet but I’m starting to find some wines that I like so I think that’s a good thing.

White wines, pretty good.  I’m a big fan of white wine that sparkles and bubbles but I can’t always have what I want.  Why is white wine white? Before fermentation starts the skins are removed…..learned that at the Waterfront Grill’s Sparkling Wine Event (click).

A little more information about wine…..  It grows best in soil that is pretty ugly.  Mineral rich soil that really wouldn’t be good to grow anything else in is great. Dammit wine, you’re so confusing. You taste pretty good sometimes but you’re the ugly duckling of the fruit world.  Pretty trees, orchards, awwwwww……not with wine!  Deserted looking land with a bunch of rocks and looks like the zombie apocalypse came through?  PLANT THOSE GRAPES!!!

There are a few places in the world where wine is amazing.  Yeah the French stuff is cool and expensive but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other places that grow some pretty good stuff for a quarter of the price.  Spain, New Zealand, California, South Africa, and of course the best place in the world…..Washington State (local things are always better…..Eric is local too……always better).

As the class goes on I’ll be expanding these little fun facts and information.  One tip…..at your next wine tasting be the first person to say what the wine tastes like….the power of persuasion is amazing.  You’ll see everyone else go, “oh yeah, it does, wow”.  hahaha

For our first week we tasted some white wines.  For me this whole wine thing is personal. I already know that my taste buds aren’t like everyone else’s.  Mindy and I disagree/fight constantly about tons of things, all the time….just kidding.  Actually, she has one of the strongest wine palates I’ve ever seen…along with my sister.  They can both pick off flavors and smells from wine that I can’t so when I have them around it makes my job easier when choosing a wine to go along with food.

Back on track………A.D.D. is great

I love the Sauvignon Blanc in the picture above.  It has a grassy/flowery smell and a nice balanced taste, not a long finish so you actually want to keep drinking more…..this is a good thing! When I tasted it I immediately thought it would go great with anything salty.  Whole Fried Red Snapper with sel de mer over the top? Yes.  Light brined scallops with a Roasted Red Pepper Buerre Blanc? Yes.  Fried Calimari with a squid ink sauce? Yes!!!!!!!  Salt is king for me with this one. Bacon with your wine? Try this.

How low can you go?  Zolo it’s awesome (MARKETING GENIUS!)

The Torrontes is a varietal of grape only found in Argentina.  This wine comes from the Mendoza wine region which is the largest in the world.   Super aromatic and would be great with spicy food.  Thai food, Phad Se-ew, 10 star (yes, 10 star), perfect.

Serve cold……

Spain, I’m trying to finish school as quickly as I can so I can go.  I might go for a week, stay for a month, or just pack up everything and move permanently.  I’ve never been there but I love the food and have a line of family members from there from my mom’s side.  Say Spain, Eric is in.

This wine has almost lemon/herby taste to it so bring in the seafood! Grilled shrimp? Yes.  Bacalao? Yes!

A Washington Wine!!

I was excited about this one but I don’t really like sweet wines.  Eric, remember that wines can accompany a meal too….oh right!!!  Well then, this would be great with a fatty fish like Black Cod or Salmon.  Problem solved!

Whine time!  No, No, No, No, No…….. Never again in a million years…..I wouldn’t even use this as a deglazing wine.

Eric

A New Quarter Begins!

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(A little vinegar tasting)

A lot of my problems with school have been addressed.  Yeah, it’s not perfect but it’s a huge step in the right direction.  I’m not going to go into this so much  but we have a few new sheriffs in town and over two days I can already see the difference, I’m happy.

I have a new cooking class, it’s called Garde Manger. This fancy French word basically translates to the person that is responsible for keeping the pantry together in a restaurant…..salads, force meats, charcuterie, blah blah blah, jargon.   You know how I was working on salads,  cold sauces, and sandwiches over the past few months?  All in anticipation over this class.  I don’t want to be surprised by something, I want to have an idea what it is, do it once, then do it the next time and seek perfection (that will never happen). You’re going to see a lot of cool stuff on this site soon but I won’t be able to post recipes, we have to hand write them and I’m not going to type them just to dump them on  the blog.  You’ll see variations on this blog……that’s a good thing.

(Galantine with White Wine Vinegar Tarragon Mayonnaise)

(Ballotine with White Wine Vinegar Tarragon Mayonnaise)

I have two other classes. One is a wine class where we will go through the basics of wine while tasting and learning about food pairings. I am excited about this class because I want to finally experience what other people are always talking about when it comes to wine.  I don’t get it, food is my focus, wine is just there….hopefully, I can balance out the two.   If I can’t figure it out in class then I’ll just ask my sister (sommelier in-training),  Yashar (Seastar’s Sommelier), Cheri Walters (took me to school! click), Catherine Reynolds (One of the top 5 up and coming sommelier’s in the U.S.)……………..yeah, I’m in good hands.   Chef Redman knows his stuff, I already have 13 pages of notes for one class meeting!!!!

Speaking of Chef Redman, he teaches the other class I’m taking…..Product Purchasing and Product Identification. Learn what the products look like then learn how to buy them.  This is the business side of the cooking world.  Oddly enough this is the side I’m most comfortable with. Business………..not my favorite thing but I’m good at it.

This is going to be a great quarter. You’ll see a bunch of pictures and fun times. Stick around………PLEASE!?!?!?!??!

Eric

Cheri Walters Schools Me on Wine

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I attended a wine tasting for the International Society of Africans in Wine the other day arranged by master coordinator Keren Brown. She read my little wine rant and decided to show me the light…..the red, white, and sometimes sparkling light (oh man, I’m on fire!).

Cheri Walters, a sommelier, was there to explain a few things about wine and then Keren pointed out that the only reason I use wine is to deglaze food or cook with……awkward!!!! :) Cheri decided to break it down for me without being snobby and without looking at me like I’m a fool with no class.  Hey, sometimes I drink beer in a glass!

I filmed a three part video of her explaining the basics of wine and why people move the glass around before they drink it.  I always thought it looked really pretentious but there is a reason behind it!

Watch all three…..IN HD (if you have a fast internet connection and computer)!!!!!

And you get to find out my favorite drink here……haha


So there you have it…..the basics. Another thing I want to find out is why it’s ok to spit out wine when you’re “tasting” it.  Even if it’s bad it still has a desired effect….those crazy legs! I’ll save that for another time.

I suggest you check out the event that is being thrown on April 25th which supports these African wines. The benefit and the wines help Africans go to school to learn about wine and it also helps them run their own vineyard.  South Africa is a great place to grow wine because it has the Antarctic air that helps keep a nice balance between hot and cold which gives you and I a great bottle o’ wine.

African wines you can buy?

Seven Sisters-Chenin Blanc
M’Hudi Sauvignon Blanc
Seven Sisters Pinotage/Shiraz- my favorite of the evening.

More information?

http://cheriwalters.com/

http://www.isawfoundation.org/

Eric, novice wine snob, Rivera