The day after Thanksgiving can only mean two things; turkey sandwiches and the start of the holiday shopping season. Making a turkey sandwich is easy. Trying to figure out what to give the wine lover in your life takes a bit more thought.
For my money, books are the way to go. They’re perfect for the novice as well as the old pro and they can be used over and over again without having to replace a single cork. Best of all, they can be shipped to anyone, anywhere, without fear of breakage.
Every Thanksgiving, my wife and I experience the same crisis: What wine do we serve with Thanksgiving dinner? Yes, in our house, it’s a big deal!
In order to keep the peace in the family this year, we decided to employ the advice of three “neutral” wine experts in Washington, DC, to play referee and keep our Thanksgiving Day wine choices stress free.
Check out the wine recommendations on this week’s WTOP Radio Wine of the Week.
Every Thanksgiving, my wife and I experience the same crisis: What wine do we serve with Thanksgiving dinner? Yes, in our house, it’s a big deal!
In order to keep the peace in the family this year, we decided to employ the advice of four “neutral” wine experts in Washington, DC, to play referee and keep our Thanksgiving day wine choices stress free.
And have a wonderfully, stress-free Thanksgiving holiday!
When I was starting my own wine education, I cut my teeth on red Bordeaux wines because that was what my wine group could afford. But the idea of spending north of a $100 today for a Grand Cru wine is a bit outlandish, if not impractical. The good news is that with advances in winemaking techniques and choices from more countries, there are some very good wines that offer a lot of “palate education” for the money.
In honor of 11-11-11, I cover 11 wines you can cut your teeth on for under $11.
Click here to listen to this week’s recommendations on WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week
Another rocking evening with great wines, good food and a wonderful cause.
About four times a year, a bunch of wine misfits get together to just have fun and raise a little money for a charitable cause. Of course, we each bring a bottle of wine (this meeting’s theme was “classic French”) that we hope will show up “the other guy.”
We met at Le Chat Noir, in the Northwest end of DC. The restaurant wisely sat us upstairs – away from paying customers… the room was charming, with a small bar and private dining area. The dinner was very good, with top course nods going to the Seafood Crepe and the Salmon. The Duck Confit was very good, but just a tad salty. Unfortunately, the lamb cheeks did not shine as expected – they were not cooked long enough, so they had a gelatanous texture and the sauce was too cloying. But the wines made up for all sins, and overall, I would return to this charming little French bistro.
Best of all, we raised over $1,000 for Hopecam (www.hopecam.org), a wonderful organization that connects homebound children undergoing treatment for cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses with their friends at school using laptops, high speed internet connections and web cameras.
Here is the lineup for the evening, along with the amazing wines we had the pleasure to enjoy in each other’s company:
Amuse Bouche
Trio of Plum, Fig and Date
1996 Jean Laurent Blanc de Blancs Champagne (Magnum)
La Criee
Crab meat, Bay Scallop, Mushroom & Chablis Sauce
1988 Comte Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre
Saumon au Veloute d’amandes
Pan Seared Salmon, Red Blend Quinoa, Roasted Pear & Almond Veloute
1985 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin
2006 Chezeaux Chambertin (Magnum)
Cuisse de Canard Confit
Duck Leg Confit, Pumpkin Sage Puree, Baby Bock Choy, Turnip & Cranberry-Pinot Noir Sauce
1995 Chateauneuf du Pape Beaucastel
1995 Domaine Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape
Joue d’Agneau
Braised Lamb Cheeks, Roasted Potatoes, Chestnuts, Okra, Sundried Tomato, Turnip, Cahors-Cacao Rosemary Sauce
2001 Guigal Cote-Rotie La Mouline
2004 Chave Hermitage
Fromager
St. Andre Cheese with Fig Chutney & Garnishes
1996 Mouton Rothschild
1994 Latour
For the past couple of weeks, I have been writing about how consumers who want to learn more about wine can do so by reading wine books, attending tastings and starting their own wine groups. But when it comes right down to it, the best thing to do is to simply taste more wine. The trick, however, is finding wines that will expand your horizons without shrinking your bank account.
With a little bit of research and a lot of tasting, I have compiled a list of several wines that any wine novice or accomplished enthusiast can cut their wine teeth on for around $12 a bottle.
Check out my recommendations in this week’s Vine Guy column in the DC Examiner Newspaper
So, you want to learn more about wine but don’t know where to start. Or maybe you’re just looking for a reasonably priced wine that will expand your palate’s horizon. Either way, you’re not alone.
Capital Wine School
The best way for anyone to learn more about wine – whether you’re just starting off or want to take your interest in wine to the next level – is to sample as many different wines as possible.
Starting a wine tasting group with a small group of friends will not only provide exposure to a wide variety of wines while sharing the financial burden, it will also lead to friendships that will last a life time. Personally, I have learned more about wine from the two wine tasting groups I belong to than anything else I do.
Do you want to learn more about wine but don’t know where to start? Or are you just looking for a reasonably priced wine that will expand your palate’s horizon? You are not alone.
