Wednesday, April 30, 2008

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Wine: A Worthy Teammate for Football


(ARA) - Football and beer go together like baseball and hotdogs, but what about football and wine? Traditionally, wine has been benched on Sundays. But if you prefer to serve your guests something a step up from a can of suds, a nice glass of Cabernet Sauvignon on a chilly, fall afternoon can score a touchdown with your friends.

Kim Caffrey, football fanatic and senior wine educator at Beringer Vineyards, shares her winning strategy for scoring big with wine on football Sunday:

Evaluate your Players

First, look at the wines available to you and what each one has to offer. Some traditional favorites are Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is a versatile white wine that combines both citrus and ripe pear flavors with a soft, rounded body and hints of spice that make it a good match-up for a variety of foods. Merlot, a popular pick, has a good fruit pop with silky raspberry and black cherry flavors that make it a great all-purpose player. Cabernet Sauvignon is the linebacker on this team, with a big, bold taste that can stand up to the spicy, rich flavors of football snacks. But dont forget about the ringer, something no one will expect but that is sure to win applause, like the Shiraz-Cabernet from Stone Cellars by Beringer. This team-up of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon has the deep, black fruit flavors of Cabernet combined with a kick of spice and red currant from the Shiraz -- itll be a favorite for Sunday afternoons.

Select your lineup

Second, you need to look at the food you will be serving and select wines that will support the team well. The flavors of the food and the wine should interact together, not overpower each other. Dont worry if you have Buffalo wings and nachos on the menu, there are wines that will still pair nicely. Wines with good fruit flavors, soft tannins, and a medium-weight body are very versatile and can pair with a variety foods. The rich sauce and spiciness of the buffalo wings would play well with something like a Cabernet Sauvignon or the Shiraz-Cabernet mentioned above. I also suggest expanding the menu for a variety of different foods that complement wine. For example, there are lots of fun dips that are delicious and easy, such as a spinach and mushroom puff pastry footballs with a Merlot or a cheesy crab dip with a Chardonnay.

Make the necessary plays

Once you have your wines and foods selected, the last step is the seamless execution of the two for a crowd-pleasing victory. When determining how much wine to buy, figure that there are five glasses to a bottle. For football parties, I recommend easy magnum-sized bottles, which are double the regular size (ten glasses per bottle). Come on, its football -- a game where big always means better. And a magnum-size wine bottle is made to last through the game.

Kim Caffreys Favorite Football Party Recipes

Spinach & Mushroom Puff Pastry Footballs Pair with Stone Cellars Merlot

Makes 18 appetizers:

1/2 pound mushrooms, finely chopped

1 large shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

3 ounces fresh Chevre goat cheese

1 teaspoon fresh tarragon

3 tablespoon olive oil

5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, chopped and drained

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

One package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

One egg, slightly beaten

In large skillet over medium heat, saute onions and shallots in olive oil until slightly tender. Add mushrooms and garlic and saute until very tender (approximately 10 minutes), stirring regularly. Add spinach, crumbled goat cheese, tarragon, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Incorporate goat cheese and spinach well. Remove from heat.

On lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry sheet into a 12 inch by 12 inch square. Cut into nine 3 inch by 3 inch squares and glaze edges with egg. Place a heaping teaspoon of the mushroom/spinach mixture in center of each square. Fold each square in half diagonally forming a "football" triangle shape. Place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, seal edges with a fork and glaze tops with egg. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes in 400 degree oven. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve, or freeze and reheat at 350 F as needed.

Crab and Artichoke Dip Pair with Stone Cellars Chardonnay

1 onion, chopped

1 package of frozen artichoke hearts

2 tablespoons garlic

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cup half and half

1/2 cup of parmesan

2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 pound of crabmeat

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil an 11-inch gratin or other shallow baking dish.

Cook artichoke hearts according to package instructions, then drain well and finely chop. In a heavy skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add onion and garlic and saut until soft and golden. Stir in artichokes and transfer mixture to bowl.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour to create a roux, stirring until a light brown hue develops, approximately 3 minutes. Add half-and-half, constantly whisking until it thickens and slightly boils. Reduce heat and simmer, continuing to whisk for about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in artichoke mixture, parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and crabmeat. Place mixture in baking dish and bake in the middle of the oven for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Dip can be prepared (but not baked) one day ahead and chilled, covered.

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Pinot Grigio



Your Own Birthday. Treat yourself to a mixed case from your favorite region � one bottle to celebrate each month until the next year.
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Wine Varieties



Your Own Wedding Anniversary. Treat yourself and your loved one to the sinful pleasure of cold bubbly while soaking in a hot bubble bath.
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Wine Flavors



Wine is usually made from one or more varieties of the European species, Vitis vinifera. When one of these varieties, such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, or Merlot, for example, is used as the predominant grape (usually defined by law as a minimum of 75 or 85%) the result is a varietal, as opposed to a blended wine. Blended wines are in no way inferior to varietal wines; some of the world's most valued and expensive wines from the Bordeaux, Rioja or Tuscany regions are a blend of grape varieties of the same vintage.
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Wine Types



There are no rules! Try everything and see what you like. Forget the old "red with meat, white with fish"-it's completely irrelevant. Instead, if you live in a climate like the Northeast, you might make a seasonal choice: red in winter, white in summer. But a good wine will carry any dish.
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Fruit Baskets



Although I�ve had some great young wines (say, less than 15 years old), the greatest, most memorable and remarkable wines I�ve drunk have almost all been from the 1960s and 1970s. Well-stored old wines (with good fill levels) from good producers are often cheaper and more enjoyable then the winery�s recent releases.
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Virginia Wine Country Events

Featured Virginia Event: Oakencroft Spring Fiesta. Closest winery to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia. Our first event of the year. Featuring tours, tastings of our premier wines, picnic by the lake, enjoy the spring time in Jefferson Country and the panaromic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Live Music, light fare.

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We hope that this ending of our article on Wine Attributes proves to be a beginning to your interest in Wine Attributes! Now get down to learning more about Wine Attributes!

Wine Picnic Baskets


Slowing down frenetic work patterns, soaking in soft green canopies, bird songs or murmuring beaches while sipping your favorite wine . . . picnics are a perfect getaway from concrete-jungle survival wars. They mean time for love, leisure and luxury, and to revitalize drooping bodies and spirits.



From the earliest known utilitarian hampers that were packed with goodies and sodas, today?s baskets range from functional and aesthetic to plush and expensive. Wine picnic baskets are a newer addition, specially designed to include glass wine bottles, prevent spillage and maintain the temperature that suits the wine best.



Whether buying one for yourself or as a gift, compact wine picnic totes or larger baskets are a welcome addition to any family collection. They can be given at showers, housewarming parties, anniversaries, corporate occasions and holiday celebrations. They cater to a maximum of six picnickers.



Wine picnic baskets are modeled in a variety of shapes, colors, sizes and materials. They are assembled in easy-to-wash nylon, denim, polyester or canvas, as well as bamboo, rattan, willow, wood, leather or aluminum/steel-encased. They can include an antique finish, PVC/velvet-lining, thermal insulation, temperature control, a waterproof cooler section, extra sleeves/pockets/dividers, detachable pouches, re-useable trash bag, adjustable straps, Velcro fastenings, metal hinges/latches or customized brass accents.



Whether light, sturdy and durable or large, heavy and decadent, wine baskets come in backpack prototypes or useful trolley models, for ease of transportation and guaranteed safety to the products within. They come empty or with select items that include wine glasses, unbreakable crockery, corkscrews and simple linen accessories. Upgraded versions even come stocked up for a day at the golf course, wine and cheese outings, wine and fruit/chocolate escapade or wine and gourmet feast. Prices vary according to the model, add-ons and promised contents.



Wine picnic baskets trigger a torrent of positive feelings. Whatever the occasion, a wine picnic basket is always in vogue. It heralds relaxation and respite. Spelling an opportunity to break free from the mundane, it toasts merriment and conviviality. Bon appetit and let the spirits flow!





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Wine Jobs



Ask for the sommelier/wine steward and tell him what you�re having, what you�re willing to spend and what you like (and hint whether or not you�re �wine adventurous�). If the sommelier listens well, you�ll likely score. Sometimes it pays off big to discreetly slip the sommelier a tip. Think twice before spending more than $100 for an immature bottle of wine at a restaurant.
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Jordan Wine



A creative wine pairing should feel like a discovery. The thrill is in finding something new. Think about which flavors complement or contrast with one another.
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Fine Wine



The single most important ability to develop when embarking on the adventure of wine tasting is to teach yourself how to recognize quality. When I was a very young sommelier, I had no mentor, no professional direction other than my own common sense. I was thirsty for the counsel of anyone with some depth of experience in wine. While working in a formal dining room, I had the privilege one evening of serving Andr� Gagey, the director of the esteemed Burgundy house Louis Jadot. With enthusiasm and innocence, I asked him "Mr.Gagey, could you please tell me how you taste wine?" To my eternal gratitude, he gave the question some thought and then answered: "When I first approach a wine, I always ask myself �Is this good wine?� And then at the end, again, �Is this good wine?� " I will always remember his kindness in giving me the best advice I�ve ever received on how to taste wine.
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Wine Refrigerators



Most great white wines, especially younger ones, benefit from aeration in a carafe. It has been my experience that this is most effective with wines from cooler climates like French wines from Touraine-Anjou, Alsace and Burgundy but also German, Austrian and some Italian wines. It seems that these wines with naturally higher acidity, (The warmer the region the more alcoholic, fuller bodied, and as a result lower in acidity a wine is), get softer, showing more of their subtleties as they open up in a carafe. For most great producers I recommend a good half hour in a decanter before serving.
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Grape Varieties



White wines come in all denominations from light and sweet, to light, floral and bone dry, to rich, buttery, and powerful. The easy recommendation is to serve light wines with light foods, heavy wines with full-bodied foods.
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Mendocino Current Events

Featured Mendocino Event: Redwood Coast Whale and Jazz Festival. A jazzed up" Whale Festival with Dinner and Jazz, Brunch and Jazz, Chowder, Wine and Micro-brew Tastings, plus Free Jazz on Saturday. Saturday Night Headliner: The Larry Vuckovich World-Class Sextet performs a tribute to Count Basie and Benny Goodman. Whale watching and activities at Point Arena Lighthouse. The three-day festival takes place on Friday through Sunday in Gualala and Point Arena.


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