Wine Outlook

Vinegar, as defined by the handy Food Lover’s Companion: from the French for “sour wine,” the result of fermented liquid–such as wine or beer–in contact with bacteria …creating acetic acid. Doesn’t sound so appealing, but it makes wonderful salad dressings and marinades. And in keeping with yesterday’s post, apparently works well as a hair rinse.

From my online searches, there seem to be as many opinions about how to make vinegar as there are reasons to drink wine. How I made mine: Start with a lidded container, such as a glass jar. Fill 1/3-1/2 with wine, and then put in a couple shakes of red wine vinegar. Mine are all red wines separated by grape, including one Port. [Yes, that's what happens when one works in a tasting room; that picture doesn't even show half of them.] I haven’t tried yet and have read that it takes longer, but you could do this with whites as well, just use white wine vinegar to get started. (more…)

I had a reader/friend ask me what she should do with leftover white wine: something she used for cooking (that previously-mentioned divine wine cake) and wouldn’t normally drink.

My first thought was that she has a brief window to continue cooking with it. Perhaps with butter and shallots to make a sauce for seafood, such as scallops or mussels. Or any one of these recipes, though I think I’d personally try the Southwestern Chicken Chardonnay.

You can also make vinegar from wine remnants, for which I’ll go into more details in my next post.

However, I did a little searching and found this Uncorked gem. Teri Hatcher makes use of leftover wine to bathe in, claiming it softens her skin. Heck, we put salt in our bath and herbs and milk. So why not a little vino?

I’ll try it out and let you know.

leftover wine, bathing in wine

Have you already picked out your bottle to open Saturday night? Make it a nice one, an old one, a cold one, a longtime friend, a brand-new fling…just be sure to open something special. You’ll be in good company.

Read more about Open That Bottle Night.

Open That Bottle Night

If you have loved ones far away and would like to share wine with them, shipping is not the only answer. Good thing, because it’s illegal to ship to many states, plus there’s the extra cost and worry that the wines could freeze in the winter or cook in the summer.

I bring this up as my sweet mom called me last week, trying to be sneaky, asking what wine I would buy for someone within a given price range. Turns out, she wanted to get me a bottle for Valentine’s. Well, I finally took advantage of her generous offer, via the Bevmo website. I found the wine online, she paid, and I picked it up the next day. This could also have been done by phone, for those areas without internet-savy stores.

As for my bottle, my mom had mentioned sparkling, and I’m never one to turn down bubbles. I tried to think of something I wouldn’t normally buy myself, so I got the Moet & Chandon White Star. It’s one of those wines everyone knows, and I know I had some ages ago, but can’t really remember what I thought. Although after going to see Legally Blonde last night, in its final week before heading to Broadway (and finding it unexpectedly funny and smart), I’m thinking I should have gone for some pink bubbles. Elle certainly would….

But I’m happy with my selection. Thanks again, Mom!

Bevmo, White Star, sparkling wine, wine gifts, Legally Blonde

(Update: contest for 2008 Open That Bottle Night)

We’ve all done it. Held on to bottles too long, waiting for the right time to drink, and then sadly found they’d passed their prime….

That’s why Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher started Open That Bottle Night: to give you a reason to open a special bottle. Thereby, instead of letting birthdays and anniversaries pass without corks being removed, the occasion becomes the opening of the bottle. It can include a special someone and an intricate meal, but the focus, the star, is the wine. And the memories you’ll make.

This year the date is February 24 (always the last Saturday of February), which is when I was planning on attending the San Francisco Chronicle tasting at Fort Mason. I’ll have to keep my wits about me that day.

With less than a month until the big night, go ahead and be thinking about the wine you might want to choose. Maybe it was bought on vacation, given to you as a wedding present, or willed to you by a favorite aunt. Whatever the case, it’s time to open and enjoy.

And to my TV friend, this will give you an excuse to stop sitting on your bottles!

funny side note: If you’re in need of a fancy corkscrew, this site will give you a free foil cutter by mentioning Open That Bottle Night.

Open That Bottle Night, Dorothy Gaiter, John Brecher

….Farley Walker

Talking to my friend, the sommelier, we lamented how we couldn’t sit down for a bottle or two of wine, what with over half the country between us. We also talked about my blog, surprise. (It’s like my baby. Some people show pictures of their kids, I tell people about Wine Outlook.) In the process, she gave me an idea for a post.

Pronunciation. When it comes to the intimidation factor in wine, that plays a large role. For her and me anyway: she studied the Classics, and I took Spanish ages ago, but with the French influence fairly prominent…. I attempted to learn some basics via cd on my trip out to CA, which didn’t work so much.

Neither of us grew up around wine. We’re both relatively self-taught. To make matters worse, I tend to mix pronunciations up in my head (thanks, Mom and Nana). For instance, the one girl I knew who went by Mee-gan, had me second-guessing every time I called someone Meh-gan. Same with Ahn-drea and An-drea. So when I first started reading about Oregon wines, I thought it was Will-a-MET. Luckily, there’s the saying, “It’s Will-am-mit, dammit.” (But sometimes I still have to say that in my head to make sure I’ve got it right).

It’s hard enough choosing a bottle for a group of expectant friends, but to throw foreign languages and crazy wine names into the mix….Well, I can’t really blame a person for ordering what they know.

Help. Some of my wine books have pronunciation keys, but most are pretty limited. Does anyone have a suggestion for a more comprehensive guide? It could be online, in print, homemade flash cards…

wine names, pronunciation guide, avoiding embarrassment

…..Farley Walker

I’ve been amiss in tasting room tips, so it’s time for another.

You really don’t have to rinse your glass between tastes, unless you’re going from red to white, and then it’s mostly about the color. Reasoning behind this relates to the strength of the wine, rather than purity. It’s better to have a few drops of wine in the glass than water, because the second waters down the wine. Many wines these days are blends anyway. Even if the label says Cabernet Sauvignon, legally it only has to contain 75%(85% in Oregon) of that variety, and probably has a little Merlot, etc. to soften it.

People also ask about “this stuff in my glass” and sometimes request a new one. Nothing to be scared of, readers. It could be sediment, which comes from the skins and other bits of goodness that add flavor when the wine isn’t filtered or maybe tartrates, from tartaric acid, helpful in preservation.

If you still want to rinse, only put a small amount of water in your glass, and shake as much out of it as you can.

I promise I won’t gasp loudly and almost yelp in disbelief, as two men in a tasting room did to me, making this girl from Mississippi feel about two inches tall. I won’t be catty and name the winery. I’ll just say I was about to drink the Insignia…

tasting room, rinsing wine glass, sediment, tartrates

…..Farley Walker

It’s time for parties galore, and if you’re having trouble setting just the right mood, here’s where to go for help. As I mentioned a couple days ago, it was Wine Blogging Wednesday, where the blogging community picks a theme to examine and experiment. With wine, of course.

I already gave you my notes on the 2003 Mumm Pinot Meunier, but here’s a handy collection of many more reviews:
Culinary Fool.

Unfortunately, as so often happens with a name used mostly by men, the Culinary Fool referred to me as a ‘he.’ I won’t hold it against her, cause it was much work to put this whole thing together and quickly, at that. In fact, it simply gives me an excuse to drink….

sparkling wine, Wine Blogging Wednesday

Now, I’m sure Martha Stewart would tell you to have plenty of handmade presents wrapped and ready for that unexpected gifter, and Rachael Ray or my hero Paula Deen would advise to have a pantry full of holiday treats. But I’m here to remind you about what’s truly necessary this season. Wine. Lots of it.

With the multitudes of stresses lurking around the corner, don’t get caught off-guard. Here are just 12 reasons out of many that you may find yourself in need: (more…)

For those of you cooking the big meal, here’s to you. Personally, I always like to have a glass of wine while I’m cooking, but today that wasn’t the case because I am cooking ahead of time.

I just went out this morning and couldn’t find a tart pan (ok, I only looked 2 places, but still), and therefore am now trying to make a spinach tart that is more like a pie. It smells good, but we’ll have to wait until Thursday to see how it tastes. Although, it’s always iffy when you make something for the first time, even with the proper equipment.

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving– or any holiday– is being at home with the family, where the wine flows freely and cookware is known to break and/or explode. All by itself, right, Mom?

I usually bring several different bottles of wine. Cheaper stuff for the family members who aren’t as picky and then nicer bottles for those of us with sharper palates. The key is to have plenty because you don’t want to run out for more while the food gets cold or after you’re already stuffed. While I love spending time with my relatives, I know not everyone is so lucky. Sometimes the alcohol is all that gets you through the day, and if that’s your misfortune: be prepared.

This Thursday I will be sharing the meal at my friends’ parents’ house, which happens to be in Tahoe (YAY). So though I will miss being home, I plan on bringing plenty of wine and my savory pie (with fingers crossed) and enjoying the scenery.

Thanksgiving dinner, wine

With airline restrictions concerning carry-on liquids still in place, holiday travel may be a little more difficult this year. Not that it’s ever easy.

For instance, I reside in the middle of wine country, work at a winery, and write a wine blog. Therefore, I cannot, will not, go home empty-handed. This causes several problems.

The first dilemma. I have been building up quite a collection, for me. I realize some would scoff at what I consider my best pieces. (Well, not the ’96 Ridge Monte Bello, hopefully, even if it is a split.) Yet how do I decide what to take? Some wines I want to bring may not be at their peak drinking point, which leads to another issue that I don’t want to hurt my head thinking about now. Besides, there is only so much room.
(more…)

If you, like I did, dream of a job in the wine business, here are a few places to go to begin your search.

Wine Jobs

Outside the Lines

Sommelier Jobs

Napa Valley Register

Wine Job

OregonWines

Wine Pro

Happy hunting!

wine jobs, employment opportunities

When you finish reading this, go out to your car and put a corkscrew in your glove compartment or console. You never know when you might need it. On a picnic, road trip, at your grandparents’ house because they only drink wine with screwtops or worse, out of a box.

Before I got a job in the wine business, I flew out to California in the hopes of finding one. Southern charm works better face to face and all that. The first winery I went to, outside the door was sitting a cat.

I knew it was a good sign. (Rightly so.)

Here’s why wineries need a cat:
1) keeps the mouse population down
2) gives people something to do and/or talk about between tastes
3) entertains bored kids
4) provides opportunity for merchandise (photo cards, t-shirts)
5) well, I’m sure Jill over at We Heart Cats could give you more reasons.

Essentially, it’s the need for a mascot, a way people can relate. But then again, ducks work, too….

winery cat, mascot

Find yourself an aroma wheel when at a loss for how to describe what you’re sniffing or even tasting. Included are fruity, floral, woody, and even faulty smells.

You can purchase them in many tasting rooms or here. Although it’s not in handy circular form, find a listing at this site.

aroma wheel