I recently went to a tasting of Tuscan whites and was blown away by this zippy and finessed contender- the ’11 Sono Montenidoli Tradizionale Vernaccia di San Gimingano. I am not exaggerating in the least when I tell you that this is one of the best darn Vernaccias I have ever had the pleasure of sipping. What’s more, the Montenidoli Tradizionale is just a great go-to all around white.
This little beauty will drink spectacularly with all types of lean meats and fish and even that hard to pair asparagus. It’s got a nice dose of bitterness on the finish that elevates this wine to another level (making it a nice match to that grilled asparagus). Its generous acidity and minerality make it cry out for food. “Food!” But make no mistake, this is not a needy wine, it sips well solo too boasting some lovely citrus and even a bit of mint.
Three Cheers for Sono Montenidoli’s Tradizionale Vernaccia.
Happy Weekend dear readers. Two things: it’s Oscar weekend and February is OUTTA HERE! Hoo-to-the-Ray! Will you all watch the Oscars? I am religious about watching- it’s one of my favorite nights of the year. I used to throw an Oscar party every year, but I could never really hear anything and didn’t ended up really watching, so now we just watch it sans party. I make a little toast to realized dreams each year as I danced on the Oscars in 2000 realizing a dream I’d had since I was a wee lass. Good times. I love these vintage photos of chic ladies and the fabulous Warren Beatty from the 60s. What style. Natalie, Audrey, Grace, Liz… does it get better? Maybe. I can’t wait to see what Lupita wears.
What I’m Drinking:
Bubbly. Of course. Please, even if I am watching the Oscars in my tiny condo in Virginia, you better believe I’ll be bubbling it up Hollywood style. My wallet can’t handle a bottle of Champers this weekend so it’ll be a Burgundy Cremant Rosé Brut please: Bailly-Lapierre. At $18, how can I go wrong? (Well, I can but I’ll let you know how it all shakes out.) Tasting Note to follow. Good times indeed.
Here it is folks: a good value, single varietal Spanish red. Tempranillo is famous for being the home grape of the Rioja and Ribero del Duero regions but you won’t find much in the way of a really good deal from its pricey real estate. Sure, you can find some value wines but nothing worth its weight in the under $10 category. You have to reach out to the developing wine regions of Spain for a single varietal 100% Tempranillo that will really please your palate.
This one comes from the Castilla y Leon region. It’s good. Not great. A bit rough around the edges for me to really get excited about, I did like it and thought it made an excellent partner to our spicy buffalo wings. That’s right, buffalo wings. We cannot get enough these days- it’s like Hooters up in here, minus the shiny suntan-colored-tights-wearing waitresses. Then again that’s kind of the whole point of Hooters. Anyway I digress, Tempranillo is a very food-friendly grape and I think matches well with foods that have a bit of a kick to them. If you’re not in a spicy mood, it’s a great grape with a burger too.
If you can’t find this label in your neck of the woods and are looking for something similar, ask your wine merchant for a well made Tempranillo from an up and coming Spanish region- maybe La Mancha or Toro. They’ll point you in the right direction.
Ok, here’s what I got:
Flavorful and well-balanced but not fussy- in fact a bit too rustic to jump from good to great- it’s a good value and perfect for a bbq or burger night.
Happy Weekend dear readers! I like to think this lounge chair is waiting for me, it’s a nice thought anyway. What are you all up to this fine February weekend? The temperatures are finally warming up over here so we’re going to try to spend some quality time with outdoors. I’ll be soaking up every last bit of city livin’ that I can while we still live smack dab in the middle of Old Town Alexandria. I love walking to the Saturday Farmers Market, strolling King Street and its fabulous local shops and restaurants (Oh Hank’s, how I’ll miss you and your dollar oysters!)- I’m so sad to leave this darling town. Granted, we are only moving 15 minutes away but I know how these things go- it’s never quite as easy as you think to get back. I have vowed to make the tiny trek to the Old Town Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning- weather permitting. It has become such a happy place of mine and I’d love the bebes to continue to enjoy the fresh flowers, colorful produce and live music every weekend. I think it’s one of the country’s best small markets. Sigh… I am clearly preparing to say Sayonara to my beloved town and hit the mean streets of the ‘burbs.
But let’s change the subject and get to the vino… What I’m Drinking:
Let’s talk Tempranillo. A beautiful and versatile Spanish grape, this is the grape of the famed Rioja region. It’s also used all throughout Spain in single varietal bottles as well as blends. The traditional Rioja winemaking method uses American oak. If not well-balanced, I can’t get away from the intensity of the dill that comes through on the nose and I’m not the biggest fan. I’m trying a budget-friendly bottle(because that’s the way we roll around here as Miss V.’s reno slowly steamrolls out of control- Ahhhhh!), Val de los Frailes Tempranillo from Spain’s up and coming Castilla y Leon wine region (hence the lower price tag than a Rioja or Ribera del Duero). I’ll let you know what I think of this one. Tasting note to follow.
A Few Things:
1. This house! Those windows, those trees, all of it. (La Dolce Vita)
Charlie and Meryl, how we love thee, but boy do I love their moms even more!
I’m not quite sure what to think about this. Now with the Op-Eds? Franco, you’re pushing it.
It’s almost spring, time to break out the leopard flats. I found these at Target for $14. Stick an orthotics insert in there and you’re good to go. (I sound like I’m 80, but let’s be honest- a $14 shoe is not going to be big on arch support).
I don’t know about you, but I am rather dubious of inexpensive New World Chardonnays- oaked, un-oaked, whatever the method may be, if it’s not French and it’s under $10, I’m dubious. Call me narrow minded, call me unoriginal, I can’t help it. I am snobby about my Chard as a result of spending months in the Balthazar cellar with some really stellar French bottles. I was quickly schooled on the nuanced notes of white burgundy, the subtle and delicate balance of oak to fruit and the beautiful wet-stone and minerally terroir flavors that accompany a great white burgundy. It’s a tough act to follow.
All of this is not to say that New World Chards can’t be absolutely fantastic and show their own terroir quite nicely, I just find that in this low price range, it’s a tall order.
Hark. I came across this Washington State wine yesterday quite by accident. After taking the bebes to the Children’s Museum, I realized we were out of wine (and that just won’t do on a Tuesday night), so I ducked into a local “gourmet” deli with a pretty shotty wine selection. The pickins were slim and I was on a budget (home renovation priorities)- the odds were not in my favor. On a whim, I grabbed a ’12 Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay and decided to give it a go. I’ve seen its graphic logo before staring down at me from grocery store shelves, but never tasted it. The bebes were about to break it down so I grabbed the Columbia Valley Chard and we were outta there.
Here’s What I Got:
The Verdict: Pleasantly surprising. Make no mistake, this is not mind-blowing bottle, but it’s zesty and zippy, medium-full bodied and really well-balanced. A good match with an Chinese or Thai take-out as it’s loaded with citrus, some lychee and a bit of spice. It’s rather tropical for a Chard but not overbearingly so, and boasts some nice acidity to boot. For $10 bucks, it’s a good call.
It’s no secret to my readers that I enjoy a good glass of bubbly probably more than I should, but then who’s keeping track. There’s no time like the present for a proper glass of Champers, especially when it’s ridiculously freezing outside and no end to this endless winter in sight- thanks Punxsutawney Phil- when in doubt, blame the groundhog.
I love bubbles year round. There’s always a reason to pop open a bottle especially on a random Tuesday night just after the bebes hit the bed. A great close to a day and a good start to an evening. After the 3 B’s (bath, bottle and book), a 4th B is in order. I don’t mean to sound like a lush, it’s not like I’m toasting with Champers every night (though I’d like to) but it is awfully festive and fun to toast for no reason in particular, as long as all that toasting can remain reasonably within one’s meager budget.
This week, I’m sharing my tasting notes from a (relatively) inexpensive- this is Champagne afterall- bottle of Moutard’s NV Grand Cuvée Brut. Moutard is a great go-to bottle for the price. To be honest, while I’m not blown away by it and it’s not transportive the way an exciting bottle of grower champagne or that fortunate sip of something like a Krug can be, it’s really a very yummy and well-crafted bottle- and it’s $24. A great dinner party wine, this one won’t break the bank and would be a great match with your fish or lean meat course. Its rich and juicy Pinot showing will please everyone’s palates- a solidly good bottle.
Can you stand this fabulous image of Jacqueline Bisset from Casino Royale circa 1967? That eyebrow says it all. Oh Jackie, I love your wily ways and your crazy award acceptance speeches. What a hot dame.
Happy Weekend dear readers! What are you all up to? My mom is in town- hooray- so we’ll be hanging with the bebes. They are cracking us up these days. My little lady has some seriously fancy footwork and the little dude can really jump- they love their after-dinner dance off- we do too, it’s quickly become my favorite time of the day.
What I’m Drinking This Weekend:
It’s the Olympics, reason enough to celebrate. Bust out the Champers. It’ll be Moutard this weekend, which I haven’t had it in a while, I’ll let you know what I think.
A Few Things:
Did anyone watch the Olympic Opening Ceremonies? This image pretty much sums it up.
Olympic Cocktails! Get your Sochi on- Sochi Sugared Champagne- ok, sure.
If you’re not that psyched about Sochi and don’t know what in the what is going on over there, here’s a pretty good breakdown.
Shaken not Stirred? Well, actually according to The Kitchn, Bond will go in for a glass of champagne over a martini any day. Interesting- a man after my own heart.
A DIY feather pendant? Love this. I’m not nearly crafty enough to pull this off but it’s pretty great.
Happy Weekend dear readers. I don’t want to come off crass, but I have been known to use colorful language from time to time so when I saw this quote floating around on Pinterest, well- I kind of had to bite. The author of this illustrious quote is sadly unknown- pretty funny.
Well, at the risk of crying wolf, I regretfully did not get Miss Virginie’s (our new house) photos up here along with inspiration images and reno updates, as promised. We just brought down the demo hammer this week. Woohoo! Still, no time to post due to the freezing tundra that is currently Northern Virginia (I’m officially over winter) and the unbelievable amount of time it takes to get the kiddos in and out of the house (they look just like the kids all bundled up in A Christmas Story) and this insane preschool application process that I am currently enduring. Oh, and I started teaching at George Mason this week- I’m officially an academic. Pretty fun. I’m an Adjunct Professor and teaching the dance majors advanced ballet. I’m thrilled to be there, the program is run like a conservatory and the talent, faculty and studio spaces are outstanding- good times.
What are you all up to this weekend? We will start packing up our tiny apartment and start the epic move into Miss Virginie. We don’t anticipate actually moving in for another few weeks because of the reno, but we’ll get a headstart so that we can try to make this place look half way attractive to potential buyers (it’s current state is pretty much a toy explosion).
What I’m Drinking:
An old standby, this Morellino di Scansano. I crave an Italian red when it’s cold out and when I don’t want to splurge on my favorite region (Brunello!), I go in for this little beauty. It’s $15, rustic but not too rustic, tastes and smells of dirt, cherries and wild herbs, and is a trusty and excellent partner to pizza, pasta and my fancy homemade grilled cheese (mozzarella, pesto, tomatoes, and olive bread pressed with a grill iron- yum and eat your heart out panini!) .
A Few Things of Note:
A Somm who actually tries to sell his wine as cheap as he can? This is a guy after my own heart. I know I don’t live there anymore, but I can’t help following my NYC Eater feed and reading about the city’s latest and greatest eateries. Pearl & Ash has been on the list since it opened last year. Admission: I have their wine list bookmarked and sometimes… I just click to read and reread, dreaming up what I’ll order when I finally pony up to the bar. Patrick Cappiello has done a killer job with the wine list. Here it is, read it and weep.
How a working class couple amassed a priceless art collection- this is so cool.
How delicious does this little citrus honey yogurt tart look! I want to make this for a Sunday brunch party.
This brass hood kills me. I’d love to have it in my kitchen, they are really tough to find affordably, let me know if you come across one.
Ralph & Russo channels Grace Kelly- I wish I had somewhere to wear this.
These are some seriously inspired Ikea hacks. After pricing out dining chairs (sigh), I think I might just go Ikea and arm myself with a Sharpie to replicate the coveted Les Touche pattern on the seat covers like this clever gal did here. Inspired!
“It’s cold out, but hold out, and do like I do…”- thank you Carol Bayer Sager, I couldn’t have said it better (she never disappoints). For me, a super cold day calls for a great glass of bubbly- honestly any day calls for a great glass of bubbly, but I digress…
Let’s get down to brass tacks. There’s good bubbly and there’s great bubbly. But the truly great bubbly usually takes a big bite out of one’s bankroll. Enter the affordable grower champagne- “AHHHHH”, I can hear the angels sing. For those of you who regularly read this blog, you know how much I love me a good grower champagne. It’s true that a good grower bottle of bubbly is one of the best things on the planet- it’s definitely in my top ten of best things period, and that’s saying a whole lot. I recently popped open this bad boy and much to my delight (financially and tastebud-ally), I was much more than pleasantly surprised. This one, my dears, is a serious keeper.
I pinched this beauty for no more than a mere $37 at my local Whole Foods and for those of you who know the price of real estate in Champagne, that is a shade less than a miracle in the Champers market. I was doubly delighted when upon researching this little gem, I realized that my pal Mary Margaret McCamic (great alliterative name, right?) imports this finessed and effervescent juice- well she doesn’t per se, but she works for the esteemed importer that does, North Berkeley Imports, and you are hard-pressed to go wrong when you find their label on the back of your newly-bought bottle.
In a word, this Jean Veselle Blanc de Noirs NV Oeil de Perdrix is well… heaven. Really. It’s color alone is swoon-worthy. It’s a salmon-y pink bubbly little glass of heaven, and it’s a blanc de noirs. Basically a white champagne masquerading as a rosé champagne- cheeky. Too much? Maybe. But for $37 and with this kind of finesse, color and floral perfection, I can’t help myself.
Here’s what I got:
This one’s worth hunting down. If you can’t fork it over like a King, you can still drink like one. Go Grower!
I found it here for a bit more than I paid. Be on the lookout, my friends.
Portrait of Francoise With A Bow In Her Hair, Picasso 1946.
I love the drawings of Francoise, Picasso’s second to last wife, and this one with the little bow is my favorite. His interpretation of her is so lovely. It’s interesting to compare his artistic representation of Francoise to the other women in his life, especially Dora Maar- whoa.
Well hello dear readers. Please excuse the radio silence as of late. We closed on our house, my hubby’s still in Istanbul, I’m trying as hard as I can to wrangle 2 spots for the kiddos in a great preschool (which translates to tons of time spent at open houses) and my mom and I were busy playing with the bebes and enjoying long lunches out- it was a momentous week. I promised some photos and inspiration boards for Miss Virginie (our new abode) but clearly did not muster up the time to do so. Next week… there’s always next week.
I hope you all are off to some swell adventures this weekend. We have no big plans and I don’t even know what I’m drinking, though I may try this. I’m in the mood for something big, bold, a bit funky and cheap- our reno budget is loomly large over my brain.
Eat like it’s summer using winter seasonal veggies- a great salad to cure the winter blues.
Girl Scout wine pairings anyone? ‘Tis the season for the Thin Mint and… Syrah? A little scary maybe, but fun for an over-indulgent girls night in. My sister-in-law Lauren sent me this- fun.
Now this is the kind of hostel I’m talking about. I did my time in the blech hostels of Europe during my student roaming days and vowed I would never do so again, but the new wave in luxe hostels might change my mind. If anyone’s headed to Venice and low on cash (an oxymoron of sorts, right) check this joint out.
While we’re talking about furniture, my heart skips a beat when I find something like this on craigslist. I would need to have it reupholstered and maybe even repainted a high gloss black or white, but it’s pretty fabulous.
Former showgirl, forever travel junkie, sometime sommelier, and mom to twin bebes. This little blog is a mixed bag of tasting notes, travels, tales of motherhood, and current musings. Thank you for stopping by. Cin Cin! (photo by Amy Dickerson for Anthology Magazine)
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