Tag: tasting

How to Taste Wine

Hi Smileys and Wine Enthusiasts!

In this post, I will be sharing with you how to taste wine. The three S’s in tasting wine are: Sight, Smell and Sip.

Sight

First, examine the color of the wine. The color of the wine will tell you a little bit about the body and the flavors of the wine. The lighter the color, the lighter the body and flavor notes and vice versa. Looking at the color of the wine is also very important when comparing wines with each other. When comparing a Sauvignon Blanc with a Chardonnay, you will see that the Chardonnay will have a deep golden yellow color; whereas, the Blanc will be a soft pale yellow. When tasting the two, you will notice that the Chardonnay will have richer flavor notes and a heavier body than the Blanc. While the Blanc will taste crisp, light and refreshing on the palate.

Smell

The next step in tasting wine is to smell. You will want to start off by gently swirling your glass of wine. This will oxygenate the wine and release the aromas in your glass. Next, put your nose in the glass, take a deep breath and breathe in the wine. By the third sniff, you should smell the different flavors that you will possibly taste on your palate.

Sip

Now it’s time for the best part. Sip the wine and get a good taste. Gently swirl the wine around your mouth, letting the wine coat your cheeks. Breath in your nose as you take a sip and begin identifying the flavors that you are tasting. After tasting your wine, think about other wines that you have had and start making comparisons. Make mental notes about what you may or may not have enjoyed about the wine.

Bonus

What I love most about wine tasting is that I feel like I am on an adventure every time I try a new one. It is very important in your wine tasting journey that you explore the world around you. Try new foods, explore new places, and be adventurous. You wouldn’t believe how smelling the flowers at your local grocer or florist shop will help you pick up on the different floral notes in a wine. Try new fruits and smell them. All of this helps in identifying flavor notes in your wine.

Well Smileys, I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did. Leave a comment below telling me your favorite wine and your most unique tasting note.

Salu’d, XOXO, Smiling Danny

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It’s Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday!

Hello Smiley’s and Wine Enthusiasts!

Today is a day of double delights because I will be featuring two wines in today’s blog post in honor of Cinco de Mayo and because it’s Taco Tuesday!

The first wine that I will be sharing with you is a White Wine Sangria by Eppa. This Sangria was a surprising treat that reminded me of Talenti’s Mango sorbet. The bouquet  had notes of peach, white grape, mango popsicle and candy dancing throughout my senses. The wine is very sweet and quite refreshing. If you are a sweet wine lover, you would enjoy this wine. This wine is also versatile as you can add other ingredients to make this even more of a special treat.

Recipe: Berry Sangria

  • You Will Need:
    • 1 Bottle of Eppa White Sangria
    • 1 Cup of Berries
    • 1 Cup of Seltzer
    • Mint Leaves (optional)
  • Directions:
    • Add Sangria and berries to a pitcher. Stir. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Then add seltzer and stir once more. Serve over ice and garnish with mint leaves.

The second wine that I will be sharing with you is a Red Wine Sangria by La Diosa Cellars. Notes of citrus and fruit punch danced across my palate and left me wanting more. I loved the delicate notes of sweetness, followed by the subtle crescendos of citrus. This reminded me of my favorite candy: Sweetarts. La Diosa Cellars, meaning: The Goddess, celebrates the talent of artists and their artistry and is a true gem and local favorite in the city of Lubbock, Tx.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and that your day is full of love, laughter and joy. Let me know your tasting notes on these wines in the comments below or on Instagram.

Until next time, Salu’d!

XOXO, Smiling Danny

Wine Pairing Wednesday: Pinot Gris and Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos

Food and Wine Pairing

  • Wine: 99 West Pinot Gris, 2018, Williamette Valley, Oregon
  • Pairing: Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos on top a Broccoli Slaw and a Fruit Salad.
  • Tasting Notes: I have noticed that when tasting Pinot Gris’/Pinot Grigio’s, most of the time the notes I pick up are crisp, clean, refreshing and citrus. I don’t always pick- up additional notes; despite Vinter, location and year.  Through research, I found that this is common for this grape varietal. Here I pick up hints of pear and peach and because the wine is so clean, I get some mineral notes. The clarity reminds me of a shiny 24 karat gold and the wine is very clear. My cheeks are nice and moist; showcasing the beautiful acidity in the wine. The wine is perfect for a nice Spring or Summer day and paired well with this grilled fish dinner. The lemon and lime seasonings in the fish paired nicely with the citrus notes in the wine. Also, the green apples in my fruit salad paired nicely with the wine as well. Pinot Gris’ are known to be fruit forward wines.

Pinot Gris and Oregon

Pinot Gris is the second most planted grape varietal in Oregon. The grape varietal does very well in this area due to the climate and the location. Furthermore, Oregon has similar geographical characteristics as the Burgundy and Alsatian regions of France; where the grape originated. Oregon is a cooled climate, moderate temperatured area with long hours of sunshine. These consistent weather conditions allow the grape varietal to ripen slowly; which is ideal for the grape.

Pinot Gris: The Grape Varietal

Pinot Gris’ are usually picked early. This is why the wine tends to be light and fruity. The wine is best consumed within five to six years of bottling. The grape varietal thrives in cooler climates because this allows the grape to fully ripen. Oregon Pinot Gris’ are usually Medium bodied, have a balanced acidity and pair wonderfully with food. The skin of the grape ranges from blue-gray to pinkish-brown and if you hold the wine up to the light, you can see hues of pink flowing your glass.

I hope that you enjoyed learning a little bit more about the Pinot Gris grape varietal and that you enjoyed this tasting. Leave a comment below of the different notes that you tasted in the wine.

Until next time,

Salu’d, XOXO, Smiling Danny

 

Brats and Brews Tasting

Most of last month and so far this month, most of us have been home. It has been wonderful to see how creative people have become in order to make the most of this time. Before we were encouraged to stay home, I held a Brats and Brews pairing and thought that I would share my notes here with you today. Thanks to my friend, I saw that she had created her own Brats and Brews pairing for her Hubby a while back so I thought this would be the perfect time to create my own.

Here is what we had on our Menu:

Turkey Brat paired with the Local Buzz Honey Rye Golden Ale from Four Corners Brewery located in Dallas, TX.

Beer Brined Brat paired with the Red Bud Berliner Weisse from Independence Brewing Company located in Austin, TX.

Green Chile Brat paired with the Ugly Pug Black Lager from Rahr & Sons Brewing Company located in Fort Worth, TX.

These pairings were accompanied with Warm Buttered Pretzel Bread, Course Salt and a Trio of Mustards. The mustard trio included French’s original yellow mustard, spicy brown mustard and course ground mustard. There was also a nice bowl of sauerkraut for garnish.

The first beer served was:

Screenshot_20200321-164247_Chrome This brew is a golden ale comprised of Texas wildflower honey, pale malt, Munich and rye malt. The consensus was that the ale was crisp and refreshing with notes of bread and spice. This paired nicely with the pretzel bread and spicy brown mustard that accompanied the beer and brat.

Next Up:

Screenshot_20200321-164046_Chrome This brew is a German wheat beer with malts of white wheat, pilsen, oats and flaked barley. This beer left everyone with strong sour notes on their palate. The Brewer’s notes say that this beer pairs nicely with salty/oily/ starchy foods, sauerkraut and weisse wurst; so, this was a perfect beer to include in our lineup.

Last:

20200321_164605 This beer is a smooth, light-bodied, black lager with notes of caramel, chocolate and roasted malt. The sweet notes of the lager went well with the saltiness of the menu; but, we wouldn’t necessarily say to pair this beer with the brats that we had.

Of all the beers served, Local Buzz was the Star of the evening and voted best beer!

I hope you enjoyed this little switch up. Let me know in the comments if this is something that you are going to try.

XOXO (with mask and gloves), Smiling Danny

Salu’d

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A Few of My Favorite Things…

Hi Smileys,

As you can see, I have not posted much this month. Each day goes by with its daily list of to-do’s and before you know it, you have missed out on important and special moments. Seeing how it has been strongly recommended to stay home during this time of panic and chaos; I have been determined to enjoy every little moment while I can. I hope this month you are first trusting in God; placing all of your cares and worries in His hands. I hope you are enjoying memories with your family, they won’t be here forever and neither will we. I hope you are making the most of each day; reading, enjoying your hobbies, listening to music, finishing those projects that never seem to get done. And lastly, I hope you are enjoying a nice bottle of wine.

Below is the dinner that we had last night. Simple and delicious. No special notes other than we enjoyed a few of our favorite things…

Dinner: Honey Mustard Turkey Legs with Cornbread Dressing and Blanched Green Beans.

Pairing: Angry Orchard-Green Apple

Tasting Notes: This pairing gave fall vibes with memories of Thanksgiving. The Cider did not take away from the meal; instead, it was like having an apple tart for dessert.

XOXO, Smiling Danny

Salu’d