Wine tree at Webster house is right outside on the front porch.
Here is a bottle of Freixenet that I gave Julie for Christmas one year. She has given me bottles of wine for special occasions too. Saundra gave my mother Champagne for her 95th birthday.What is the best serving temperature for different wines?
Brut, Extra Dry or Pink Champagne-Sparkling Burgundy and Very Cold Duck-chilled 2 to 3 hours. Rose'-chilled 1 to 2 hours.
White Table Wines-chilled 1 to 2 hours.
Red Table Wines-at cool room temperature, around 60 to 70 degrees.
Cocktail and Dessert Wines-Sherry, Port, Vermouth, Muscatel, Madeira, can be served chilled or at room temperature.
What wine should be served with what food?
Most people prefer White Table Wines with sea food, and white meated birds and Red Table Wines with robust food like red meat and Italian dishes. There are no rigid rules and half the fun with wine is in exploring and experimenting.
What type of glass should be used with what wine?
Any good glass can be used with fine wine, but a stemmed glass is preferable and wine glasses should be at least 6 to 8 ounces, as big as a water goblet. The wine glass should be clear (for color enjoyment); hold a generous amount (to avoid frequent refills); and have a stem (so your hand doesn't warm the wine). The larger size makes it possible to fill it only partially so you can enjoy the fragrance and bouquet. I have noticed some new wine glasses have no stem. I have seen them in a number of glass departments. They are popular with the younger crowd, I was told by one sales clerk.
The innate differences between grapes-and the same grape in different locales and climates-have produced an extraordinary profusion of wine types, each one quite distinct from the others.
"Wine is light, held together by water." Galileo
If you have any wine that you particularly enjoy, now is the time to tell us about it. We all enjoy tips on saving money and buying good wines at a good price. I know Julie likes Freixenet wine. Saundra likes a red wine named Fat Bastard. I think that's the name. They will have to tell us why they like these wines. Kitty has already told us of several wines she has enjoyed and I'm sure she could tell us of many more. Kay likes Zinfandel but I don't know if she prefers a certain vineyard. I like Beringer's wines and used to only drink Beringer's Zinfandel as I couldn't find another Zinfandel I liked. Kitty passed along this information that Gomer's of the Northland has wine tastings every so often. So that would be a good resource for learning about different wines.
The world of wine is enjoying a wonderful proliferation of wine varieties, small wineries, delicious imports, and many of these are very nicely priced for every day enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteWe have become fond of a number of Malbecs from Argentina, for instance. And among white wines we have been drinking several Sauvignon Blancs as well as the Conundrum proprietary blend. Viognier, Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Vouvray--all are great sources of well made wines. Certainly there are a number of elegant Chardonnays, but the world of white wines is too varied and good to limit one's choices to that varietal.
A great way to become acquainted with different wines is to choose from the by-the-glass section of the wine list. Most merchants offer periodic tastings, too. The Cellar Rat and Gomer's are two purveyors in Kansas City which have regular, excellent tastings.
It is such fun to discover a new delicious wine. And it is also satisfying to be able to rely on an old favorite to deliver that well-loved quality that makes a dinner so enjoyable.
The bottle tree, we saw them all over MS, I believe they are to capture the evil spirits that creep about during the night.
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