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We finally left the house this Saturday for a reason other to go to work. This winter has definitely put a wrench in many social plans, so it was a refreshing, wonderful change to get out for errands, a tasting at Night Shift Brewing, and dinner at the gorgeous home of my favorite wine PR maven and her family, including the cutest baby boy ever.

We tend to stock up on our favorite wines and bring wine along whenever we visit friends, and this time, without even knowing what was for dinner, the wine we brought turned out to be a perfect pairing.

porchetta and Mourvedre

I can honestly say that the Two Shepherds 2012 Mourvèdre we brought is one of the best wines I have tasted all year, and it was amazing with the porchetta with homemade sausage that we feasted on. The wine was a beautiful light, raspberry/violet color, and it reminded me of a Pinot Noir, making it excellent for the pork. The nose was simply gorgeous, again, raspberry and cranberry, aromas that had me going back to the glass again and again to breathe it in. The wine’s slight peppery notes brought out the fennel in the sausage in the loveliest way. This wine is so elegant and refined but juicy and bright at the same time. I am seriously in love with it. Two Shepherds wines are not available in many stores yet, but you can buy the wine online here. The winemaker also happens to be one of the nicest people I know and has kindly introduced us to so much of his Sonoma County, wineries and restaurants we might not have found ourselves. I believe tasting is by appointment only at this point, but well worth it if you can make it happen.

Our hosts are cooking through the Jerusalem cookbook, and I wish I had taken more photos of dinner. They made the Butternut Squash and Tahini Spread with homemade bread. . . to die for. While there I thumbed through the Jerusalem vegetable cookbook as well, and I decided I definitely need to have it. I have been craving creative veggie dishes, and it is just perfect. I can bet that most of them will go well with this Mourvèdre.

Have you discovered any delicious food and wine pairings lately?

Tags: mourvedre, rhone, Two Shepherds wine, wine, wine and food pairing, wine of the week, wine tasting, Wine Wednesday

Sparkling pine wine is always in season, in my opinion. I don’t care if it’s 90 degrees and sunny (Please God, make it 90 and sunny someday soon.), pouring rain on a dark Spring day (I’ll take rain at this point!), or snowing and blustery on a freezing cold Valentine’s Day.

I had the great joy of visiting my family this weekend for Valentine’s Day. My mom put together a feast of lobsters and filets and brownies, and I picked out a pretty pink wine for the occasion.

Anna Codorniu Brut Rose

Anna de Codorníu Brut Rosé is a beautiful and festive cava that is also a great value at around $15.  The pink bottle was just the icing on the cake when it came to this Valentine’s Day wine.

Notes of bright summer strawberry, citrus, and minerals all wrap up in a very bubbly bubbly with nice acidity, making this cava, like many others, a perfect food wine. The acidity made it go really well with buttery lobster but also with red meat, and worked well right through to chocolate brownies. It’s a fun, versatile wine that could very easily become our house sparkling wine.

I definitely recommend an affordable bottle of bubbly in the snow as a mid-winter pick-me-up!

Did you eat or drink anything special on Valentine’s Day?

Tags: Anna Codorniu, cava, rose wine, Spanish wine, sparkling rose, sparkling wine, wine, wine of the week

Next to Sicily, Mendoza and Buenos Aires Argentina are at the tippy top of my travel must-visit list. I love wine from Argentina, and Mendoza looks like heaven from photos I have seen.

Bodega Norton Chardonnay

This week’s Wine of the Week comes from Bodega Norton in Mendoza, and it is a cheerful, bright, and delightfully tart value Chardonnay, perfect for stocking up on and drinking with friends.  This Chardonnay is 100% fermented in stainless steel tanks, meaning it is not at all oaky, and there is no trace of the buttery notes that come with malolactic fermentation. It’s super crisp, light, acidic, and summery with notes of lemon and green apple. It is yummy. It would pair great with seafood or spicy food; we had Afghani food the other night, and I think this would be a perfect match.

Through wines from afar and dreaming of warm travel to places like Argentina, I am trying to stay out of a weather-related funk, but it is hard. Are you as over the snow as I am, if you are stuck in an area that’s been hard hit?

Tags: Argentina, chardonnay, Mendoza, value wine, white wine, wine, wine of the week, wine tasting, Wine Wednesday

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