Easter Pairings...

Spring is finally here and an Easter brunch or dinner is right on our heels. What to pair with all those delicious foods we are planning on serving.

Remember...when in doubt...serve sparkling!!

Lets start with brunch...I personally like a white wine best with my breakfast foods but think a light red with low tannins will pair well when serving mainly meats & eggs. Usually we enjoy a sparkling wine with a little orange juice (just to be on the healthy side) and that to me is my favorite Easter treat.

Ham, one of the hardest meats to pair because of the smokey and sweet, honey glazed flavors. A sparkling Rose' is a good match as well as a fruity Pinot Noir or maybe a lightly sweet Riesling. The key is to not over power the meat with a heavy, more tannic red wine. Also served during spring is lamb, loaded with rich flavors, I believe lamb pairs exceptionally well with Malbec or Cabernet...yum!

Enjoy!!

Wet Feet??

Who likes wet feet?
Not me and most definitely not the vines.
When we had all that snow...I believe 75 inches here at Corkys Farm this winter...although it was quite a bit, the snow acts as an insulator to the dormant vines. Moisture is gradually seeping into the ground as the snow melts, which is good. And the melting can take several weeks so not all at once!
However, with all this rain, that is not good. We had roughly 4 inches fall in two days and that just creates run offs & puddles, which is too much moisture at one time. Now we will be having some nice sunny days, so that is great and will help the drying out.
Wet winters & dry summers is what we vines love!
Cheers!

Flavors...

Where do all those flavors come from in wine?

When I swirl, sniff, sip and savor a wine and I get peach, apricot, raspberry or even spice flavors...how do they get into the wine?? Have you ever wondered??

Well...I know that I don't add peaches or apricots or even spice while making the wine...so where does it come from??

There are so many variables that play a role in capturing the fruit characteristics. First it is from the vineyard as we reach veraison the herbaceous character becomes red fruit and then black fruit as it ripens. For example Methoxypyrazine (bell pepper aromas) will diminish with proper vineyard management.

Second is when we decide which yeast strain to use. Each strain has different characteristics which allow us to release the captured compounds from the grapes as it ferments.

And last would be our storage vessel. Oak and stainless steel both play a role in the wine flavors, like how coconut, clove, vanilla and even spice all come from the oak not the grape.

Now...what are you drinking tonight and what flavors do you taste??

Cheers!