#BlogChile Sauvignon Blancs

What a great time.

Last night a group of bloggers got together, virtually, with Chilean Winemakers and Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer for a night of Wine Tasting and a Q & A session.  12 wines were featured and Fred was actually in Chile sitting with the winemakers to discuss the wines.  Most of us were at home.  A select few were actually in Chile.  I was envious of those in Chile until I found out they were put together in a separate room from the Wine Makers and Fred.  So close.  I enjoyed being at home in my lounge clothes on the couch.

There were 4 varietals so I'll break up the posts to feature each.

First up...

Sauvignon Blanc.

I'm, for the most part, a Red drinker.  I occasionally enjoy a crisp white on hot Summer days.  The weather here was in the 80's yesterday so the timing on these whites was Perfect.

First up


Vina Casablanca Nimbus Single Vineyard 2012
Casablanca Valley
SRP $12.99

Wine Maker's Notes

Harvest
Hand Picked Grapes. The selection of fruit is done in the vineyard to avoid oxidation.

Vinification 
 ~ Cold maceration for 4 hours at 50*
~ Fermented in stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts between 50-56* for 3                weeks
~ Battonage process for one month to achieve smooth texture

Tasting Notes

Nose: Nose is laden with minerality and dried lemons, characteristic of it's cool maritime climate

Palate: Firm acidity with notes of thyme and lime, and a lingering finish of tart apple.

My Thoughts...  This wine was crisp and sweet with a creamy citrus and peach palate.  It is a great outdoor wine and left me craving crab legs.



San Pedro 1865 Single Vineyard 2011
Leyda Valley
SRP $19

 Wine Maker's Notes

HarvestHand Picked the last week of March

Vinification
~ Destemmed, cooled and macerated in the press for 4-6 hours at 46*
~ Alcoholic fermentation took place with selected yeasts and controlled temperatures between 51* and 53* under completely reductive conditions

Tasting Notes

Nose: Intense and delicate nose that stands out for it's freshness and complexity, mainly marked by citrus fruits such as grapefruit and lime, tropical fruits and mineral notes.

Palate: Fresh and fruity on the palate with extraordinary volume, minerality, well-marked acidity and lingering finish.

My Thoughts...  Crisp with lots of grape and grapefruit, hints of bell pepper and grass.

**Others thought this had an early hint of asparagus.  I'm thinking I may need to work on allowing my palate to reach further.


Casa Silva Cool Coast 2011
Colchagua Valley 
SRP $25

Wine Maker's Notes

HarvestHand-picked between March 15- March 21
Vinification~ Grapes were cooled down below 41* upon arrival at the winery
~ Bunches were hand sorted before being pressed to select onl the best grapes
~ Whole bunches were crushed and the juice was immediately separated without maceration
~ Alcoholic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks for 24 days at 55*
~ Aged in 100% stainless steel tanks
Tasting Notes
Nose: Intense aromas of fresh Pineapple with citric notes
Palate: Firm with refreshing acidity and minerality with a very elegant and long finish.

My Thoughts... Zippy acidity with effervescence, hints of apple and lots of lime.  Long Finish

**Best quote on this one from @vinegeek "Pineapple-y Lightsaber"  Classic!

I really enjoyed all of these.  The Nimbus was my favorite

Stay tuned for Part 2...

The Pinot Noir Collection

#BlogChile Tonight!

A bunch of bloggers, Fred Dexheimer, Chilean Wine makers and 12 wines make up tonight's event.  If you are interested in learning more about wines from this region, follow us on Twitter.  We'll be blogging live using #blogchile. 

12 wines in 2 hours.  3 whites and 9 reds.

It'll be fast and furious...

and it's ALWAYS a good time!

Camembert, Pork, Salad, and Wine. GNI

We had another Girls Night In. A monthly "catch up" with neighbor moms. We cook, we drink, we eat and chat. It's a relaxing evening with no children and no driving. Here's what we had...


The wine. Okay. That's just a pic of the wine I brought. The others were drinking 3 buck Chuck. A Pinot Grigio and a White Zin. I chose this Cabernet and loved the peppery, dark berry
and chocolate flavors. It complimented the food nicely and was also great as an after dinner beverage to relax and sip on. Medium bodied with a very smooth finish.


The appetizer. Camembert cheese topped with an apricot glaze and butter toffee almonds. The picture doesn't do it justice. The apricot glaze was on top when I left the house but had melted in by the time I travelled to my neighbors house. It was delicious, regardless, and we had Wheat Thins to dip in it.


The meal. Pork medallions in a onion/mushroom gravy served over brown rice, accompanied with a salad comprised of romaine, craisins, red onion, butter toffee almonds and bleu cheese crumbles tossed in a light balsamic vinaigrette.

My mouth is watering as I type this.

How do you spend your evenings with friends?



We do a monthly GNI and very much enjoy trying new recipes. I was sent the Camembert cheese from Ile de France to try and review. I was not compensated in any other way.

Toast the Red Carpet with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter

This post brought to you by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

This sounds like something fun to be a part of.

On February 26th, from 3:00 - 4:30 (PST) You can join Hollywood Stars in a round table discussion about food and fashion with Toast to the Red Carpet – LIVE, presented by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! on Facebook.  I've seen some recipes with I Can't believe It's Not Butter and I'm drooling.

 

This Best Ever Breakfast Sandwich looks amazing and super easy to make.

 

There are so many great recipes on the ICBINB site and on their Facebook page.  I can't wait to see what they come up with for their Red Carpet Presentation.  The recipes are promised to be picture themed and will make your Red Carpet Party extra special and delicious.

Win a Tub *

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter is offering a coupon for a FREE tub to one lucky commenter.  Just leave a comment on this post before 11:59 pm on  February 26th about ICBINB, your favorite recipes using it, or what you're excited to see during the live Toast the Red Carpet Presentation and you could WIN!

I'm planning on tuning in to see what awesome recipes are revealed and take a peak at all the fashions the stars will be wearing.  Won't you join me?

 

 

*Per FTC Guidelines

Giveaway coupons provided by I Can't believe It's Not Butter.

Valentines with VnC "The Kiss"

Oh My!

I was sent this tasty treat from Briana @ EFG.  Thanks Lady.  It was packaged in that pretty box with pink bow.  Inside were decorative packing ribbon and iridescent hearts.  It screamed Valentines.

It was also AMAZING.

This Pomegranate Cosmo is perfectly made.  I have a habit of over pouring the liquor when mixing drinks.  This comes fully made so there's no room for error.  You just chill, pour and ENJOY!.  I invited my neighbor over to sample this Cosmo with me and we both determined it to be one of the best drinks we've had.  It's 14%  alcohol by volume so just slightly stronger than my normal glass of wine.  It's fruity, but not too much so, and was a nice change to our normal wine sipping.

VnC cocktails are the brainchild or entrepreneur Shane McKillen who was tired of spending all his time mixing drinks at parties.  He created VnC in 2007.  All the ready-to-serve cocktails contain 100% natural fruit juice and NO preservatives.  They are made with 13.9% New Zealand Vodka or Premium Tequila and are all 150 calories or less per serving.

Whether celebrating Valentines Day, a special occasion, or just to get together with friends.  Let VnC do the work,   You can spend your time enjoying the company.   There's something for everyone and your guests will enjoy your company as much as they love the drinks you're serving.