True Connoisseurs = Classy Wine
I like to think of myself as a wine connoisseur, though as my OUB & OAD (aunt & uncle, the legitimate connoisseurs) would tell you, I just like all booze! Though my palette may not be picky, my wallet definitely is (which bodes well for cheap wines sold in bulk). So even though I can’t afford nice “vintage” wine (not to mention wouldn’t be aware of the difference), I like to know a little bit about what I’m drinking and what I should be cursing the next morning. That’s where Alpana comes in…
The youngest Master Sommelier (quite the title, and she didn’t even go to a real college per se but a wine school!), Alpana Singh resides in Chicago, has worked at luxurious restaurant Everest and has written the successful book Alpana Pours: About being a woman, loving wine & having great relationships. Quite the title and I admit I was skeptical, until Alpana pulled me in with her wit, knowledge, and wine jokes even I could appreciate.
Summer Wine!
Though I’m not quite finished with the book (I thought I had lost it for awhile and found it on the shelf, right where it belongs… Who would’a thought?!), I did come across an Alpana article in the Tribune’s “RedEye” today I thought I would share, that’s so relevant on this (finally!) sunny day.
To RedEye and Alpana, hope you don’t mind me copying this article, and my deepest thanks go to you for choosing affordable wines to celebrate the season, so go ahead and pour yourself a glass of sunshine! For more Alpana, visit her blog at http://www.whatwouldalpanadrink.blogspot.com.
Wine faves change with the weather
By: Alpana Singh, April 15, 2009
Alpana Singh
People often ask me, “What’s your favorite wine?” While I do have certain preferences, I find that my answer varies according to my mood, which often is dictated by the weather.
During the cool winter months, I tend to comfort myself with rich, full-bodied wines such as cabernet sauvignon or malbec. Their velvety textures envelop me like a warm blanket, and they pair well with cool-weather classics such as pot roast and braised short ribs.
Now that we are beginning to see signs of spring and the weather is beginning to warm up, I’m starting to crave lighter dishes and more refreshing wines to go with them. Lighter-bodied wines that are low on oak and big on flavors of green apples, lemons and stone fruits complement the fresh peas, asparagus, morel mushrooms and leeks I enjoy during spring season. As I grow tired of the cold, I become bored with the big, heavy reds, and my favorites become sauvignon blanc, torrontes, chenin blanc and assyrtiko. The aromas of these lighter varietals lighten my mood as they evoke the essence of spring and warmer days–crisp weather, freshly cut flowers, sprouting lawns and farmer’s market produce. I’ll enjoy these wines until the weather truly begins to warm up, and by then I’ll have a new set of favorites.
While we may not have the ability to control the weather, we can certainly turn to these styles of wine to put a little sunshine in our glass.
2007 Alamos torrontes
Argentina, $12
Torrontes is an Argentine specialty. With its exotically perfumed notes of white flowers and peaches, it’s a wonderful match for asparagus or your first outdoor meal of the season.
2008 Graham Beck chenin blanc
South Africa, $15
The French use chenin blanc to make slightly sweet vouvray wine. South Africans, who refer to chenin as steen, prefer a drier version with flavors of yellow apples and honeysuckle. Pair with morel mushrooms and asparagus or a tangy wedge of goat cheese.
2008 Brander sauvignon blanc
Santa Ynez, Calif.; $15
Vibrant and juicy with flavors of grapefruit, lemon zest and freshly cut grass, this selection is more in line with a New Zealand style than a California one. Pair it with a spring pea risotto for the ultimate ode to spring.
2008 Sigalas assyrtiko
Santorini, Greece; $18
Fans of crisp Italian whites will enjoy the refreshing zing of assyrtiko, an ancient Greek varietal indigenous to the island of Santorini. Winemaker Paris Sigalas produces a style bursting with citrus fruit. Pair with shellfish, grilled fish and Greek-inspired dishes.
Full article here: http://redeye.chicagotribune.com/red-041509-alpana,0,5798755.column
2 comments
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April 15, 2009 at 6:12 pm
scholarslip
I hope you also thanked D and B for the use of the pics! Haha. I’ve been wanting to go to Santorini for like three years and now I guess you just unearthed another reason for me to talk mom into it
April 16, 2009 at 6:16 am
OUB
OUB & OAD have had many years to refine our palettes and it is a curse because you can longer drink the crap you once thought was good. Recognizing and appreciating better wines is one thing but completing the formal training and demonstrating the required skills to become a Master Sommelier or Master of Wine is in a different galaxy entirely. Although two completely different programs, the Master Sommelier and Master of Wine are extraordinary accomplishments and they are rare. Ms. Singh is a member of a very small and very elite group of experts (only about 170 worldwide, and most are men) and I would encourage you to try to meet her because she would be fascinating to talk to.
OUB & OAD have been extremely privileged to have had dinner, wine, and conversations with two Masters of Wine, Clive Coates and Remington Norman. It was a wonderful experience and one that I am sure you would enjoy as well.
The bottle in the picture is a 1991 Veuve Clicquot Champagne and you can just barely see the bowl of fresh strawberries that accompanied the bubbly and the birthday celebration. Nice of you and your sister to join us.