wine tasting

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New England hibernates for long enough, and if you live here, this past Winter has felt particularly awful. When we woke up to blue skies and beaming sun on Saturday, we knew that a beach day was in order, even if it meant walking barefoot with a winter coat on.

We have been under a lot of stress lately that we can’t really control, so we decided to get away from the everyday and take a trip to Onset, which is a tiny village in Wareham, Massachusetts, a stone’s throw from Cape Cod.

About an hour from Boston, Onset is marked by stunning, calm beaches and sweet Victorian homes.

Onset, Massachusetts

The sun was strong enough to warm the sand, and it felt SO good to walk along the water’s edge barefoot. I went to the beach in Miami, but there is just something so different about a New England beach.

Onset, Massachusetts

You may already know that we are OBSESSED with the sea, so we spent a good amount of time wandering Onset’s beaches, building up quite the appetite. Unfortunately, Onset is very seasonal, and a lot of the places I scoped out were not open.

Onset, Massachusetts

Lucky for us, the pizza place we stumbled upon, Marc Anthony’s, was way more than a pizza place and was very cool, while offering ridiculously good, inexpensive food, great music, and friendly service in funky surroundings. I loved the long wooden tables and stained glass, and the soundtrack, which went back and forth between Grateful Dead and Beatles during our entire lunch.

Marc Anthony's Pizza

The seaside makes me crave seafood, and fried clam bellies, fries, and chowder were the perfect, cozy lunch to come inside to. Everything was delicious, and Marc Anthony’s had a steady line of takeout and sit down customers. Clearly, they are on to something.

fried clams

Onset, Massachusetts

After lunch we went for another walk on the beach and checked out some of Onset’s beautiful architecture before heading to nearby favorite day trip town, New Bedford.

Onset, Massachusetts

We never miss a chance to taste wine at Travessia Urban Winery, and while they were not quite ready yet, we loved learning about the new releases. I can’t wait to taste the latest wines produced by this wonderful winery, and I loved revisiting ones they had available. It’s crazy to see how wines change in the bottle. For example, the most recent vintage of Vidal Blanc was a little too sweet for my taste when it was released, and it has aged into a rich wine that is reminiscent of a Viognier, luscious stone fruit notes, delightfully weighty mouth feel.

Travessia Urban Winery

Our little jaunt outside of Boston reminded us what a difference a few miles – and a few degrees – makes. Massachusetts is one of the best places to live in the Spring, Summer, and Fall, and I am excited once again to be on the brink of the best times of year!

 

Did you enjoy the Spring weather this past weekend?

Tags: beaches, day trips, fried clams, Massachusetts, Massachusetts travel, Massachusetts wine, New England, Travel, wine tasting

Since we moved to the Lower Mills/Milton area, we have really enjoyed discovering all of the wonderful businesses and people that surround us, and we are constantly amazed at how much is going on down here. On Friday, we had the pleasure of being guests of Fruit Center Marketplace in Milton for one of their monthly wine dinners. We had visited Fruit Center Marketplace several times before for groceries, but we had no idea that there was a large upstairs area for events like the wine dinner.

The wines being poured for this particular wine dinner were perfect for Oscar weekend because they were all from Francis Ford Coppola’s winery. Years ago, we spent a magical morning at Coppola’s Rubicon Estate, but we didn’t know much about his Sonoma County winery. This wine dinner was a perfect way to learn and to taste some new wines.

The evening was led by Tim Paulus from Fruit Center Marketplace. Tim did an amazing job with the food and wine pairings, and throughout the evening shared with us how he made all of the courses.

Tim PaulusUpon arrival, guests were greeted with Sofia Blanc de Blancs 2012, the bubbly in the cute pink cans. I think this idea is genius; the little cans are perfect for parties or getting ready for a girls’ night out. However, I will fully disclose that this was the one wine I did not taste, because I have had it before and felt it had a little harshness to it.

While we waited for the pairings to begin, we got to know the other couples at our table, and we had an absolute blast talking with them. What better to break the ice than talking about wine and all of our travels to Napa and Sonoma?

When the food started coming, the room was filled with praise for chef’s creations and the wines chosen to pair.

We started with Pizza with Brussels Sprouts, Crispy Pancetta and Apple  served with Arugula Salad, paired with Rosso y Rosso Pinot Grigio and Pavilion Chardonnay. The pizza crust was a simple naan bread from the store. This simple dish was all about great ingredients, and the apple on the pizza and lemony salad both popped with the wines and their own bright acidity.

 

Brussels sprouts pizzaThe next course brought summer into the room on a biting cold evening.

Sofia Rosé

We were served Marinated Roast Vegetable Stacks with San Marzano Gravy and Fresh Mozzarella, paired with Sofia Rosé and Votre Sante Pinot Noir. I could eat these vegetable stacks every single day, and I plan on giving it a go once it’s a little warmer out. The gravy, which we wanted to lick from the plates, was a simple sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes, butter, and an onion, blended and then chilled. The Sofia Rosé was a beautiful wine pairing, dry with nice fruit and spice notes, the perfect boat wine. The Pinot was also a great pairing, less expected, but was certainly light enough to go with this course. Everything about it said California to me, and I buried my nose in the glass to take it all in. I miss California.

roasted vegetable stackMid-way through the meal, we were treated to Coppola Claret with an Herbed Cabernet Granita. The granita was refreshing and delicious, sweet and savory, and the perfect palate cleanser. Tim said he uses a melon baller to scoop granita into Champagne flutes in the summer, then tops it with bubbly. The Coppola Claret is a simply gorgeous wine, with dark fruit and cocoa notes, elegant, smooth, and perfect for cold weather sipping.

Cabernet GranitaOur main course was a Short Rib Style’ Braised Roast Beef with Garlic Mashed Potato Paired with Eleanor Red Blend and Director’s Cut Zinfandel. The tender beef melted in my mouth, and the potatoes were creamy and garlicky and heavenly. I am a Zinfandel lover, and this wine was out of this world full of jam and cocoa notes. The Eleanor was another wine that just shouted Napa and Sonoma from the glass. It’s hard to explain, but also amazing how a smell can bring you back to a place. The wine had all sorts of layers, lots of cherry and blackberry notes, as well as a hint of black tea. Delicious.

‘Short Rib Style’ Braised Roast Beef with Garlic Mashed Potato Our final course was Dark Chocolate Torte with Sea Salt Caramels served  with Stewed Berries and Lemon Whipped Cream Paired with Coppola Port, which is only available at the winery. The dessert, including the caramels was made in house, and it was so decadent! The lemon whipped cream really added something special to the rich chocolate. The Port was off the charts.

Dark Chocolate Torte with Sea Salt Caramels We haven’t enjoyed an evening out like this in a long time. Our table mates were so much fun, and by the time we left my face was hurting from smiling. These wine dinners are a fabulous deal; this one was $50 and included the food and wine and also a $10 gift card to Fruit Center Marketplace! They sell out quickly, and it’s easy to see why. They are really well-planned, and it’s easy to see a lot of love goes into the food and wine.

I look forward to attending these wine dinners on a regular basis, if I can get in! Many thanks to Fruit Center Marketplace for inviting us and creating such a fun evening.

Dinner was complimentary, but I was not required to review it, and all opinions are my own.

 

 

 

Tags: cooking, Coppola wine, Dining out, dinner, events, food and wine, food and wine pairing, Milton, Sonoma County, wine, wine dinner, wine tasting, winery

Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel

I think this is the perfect chili or pulled pork wine, and since this endless winter has called for such cozy dishes for longer than I remember from past winters, Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel is here to stay.

I love Zinfandels that are bursting with dark berry flavor, a little sweet strawberry jam, and a big bold finish. This Gnarly Head Zin from Lodi, California has all of that with some cocoa added in, making it ideal to go with the kinds of spices you find at a BBQ. And while I adore a good Zin in the winter, they can be just as at home when you are grilling up burgers and ribs when summer comes.

Are you a fan of Zinfandel? Do you have a favorite I should try?

Tags: California wine, Lodi, wine, wine tasting, Zin, Zinfandel

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