Toast to a New Year!

We rung in a new year and brought out the bubbles...Champagne or Sparkling Wine, but why do we only drink these on New Years or special occasions? I don't, but do you??

Sparkling Wine is something that can be paired with just about everything and comes in a variety of styles to please almost every palate. Some styles are called Ultra Brut (bone dry) to Extra Brut to Brut to Extra Dry to Dry/Secco, to Demi-Sec (sweet) to luscious which is often called Sweet/Doux. With so many options, why not cleanse the palate prior to a meal with a dry sparkling like a Cava, enjoy one with some sweetness during a brunch like an Asti or have a sweet one alone for dessert.

Make tonight a special occasion and enjoy some bubbles!

Happy New Year!

Time for Red Wine...

As the weather turns a bit chilly and we are bundling up for blustery days ahead...most people turn to drinking red wine. Red wine usually consists of more tannins. (Tannins are what seems to dry out our mouth, removes the saliva giving us the pucker effect.) A wine that has tannins pairs best with rich meats & sauces and of course, my personal favorite, chocolate. In the colder weather we tend to put meals in crock pots, sit by the fireplace with sweets while entertaining so a red wine is poured & enjoyed more often.

Some of the Corcoran reds I will be pairing this winter would be the Cabernet Franc with a beef stew or pot roast, Chambourcin with chicken pot pie and Malbec with chocolate.

Cheers!

Warm Spiced Wine...Anyone??

As the weather gets a bit chilly we often wonder what to drink...well, I have a wonderful recipe that will warm your insides :)

Warm Spiced Wine Ingredients:

2 cups water

2-3 cinnamon sticks

8-10 whole allspice

8-10 whole cloves

1/2 cup sugar

zest of 1/2 an orange, plus orange slices for garnish

1 bottle of Corcoran Cabernet Franc

Directions:

Combine water, spices, sugar & orange zest in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir & cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Simmer over low heat for one hour. Strain out spices & return to pan while adding one bottle of Corcoran red wine.

Enjoy!