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Dear Kelly,
Happy 2008! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful holiday
season filled with family, friends, and (of course...)
great food and wine.
This month's edition of Kelly's Grape Times offers
some wines to try that are sure to keep the "winter
blahs" at bay. I'll also share information about an
incredible wine gadget Santa brought me for
Christmas that has already made a huge difference in
my wine enjoyment! As always, there are links to my
latest
articles, in case you missed them. And finally, you can
learn more about the Virginia Wine Showcase and
how to sign up for the wine seminar I'll be teaching
there in a few weeks.
If you live in a climate that experiences all four
seasons, the winter
months after the holidays bring lots of time spent
indoors. But instead of letting cabin fever set in, relish
these cozy hours. Build a fire, cook a nice meal,
and open up that bottle of wine you've been saving
because it had been "too heavy" for warmer weather.
That bottle of Barolo is just perfect now!
I wish you all the best for the coming year. To my loyal
readers--it's great to see you back. And to my new
subscribers--thanks for signing up, and I hope you
enjoy my wine tips, suggestions, and articles!
Cheers--
Kelly
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Winter Wines
Bottles to warm you up
During this time of year, my tastes lean towards
heavier, heartier wines--both reds and whites. Here
are some bottles to try:
* Viognier: Wine drinkers may ignore this
white wine if
they can't pronounce it, which is a shame (it's "vee ohn
YAY", by the way). Viognier is a gorgeous, aromatic
wine, full of orange blossoms and apricot on the
nose, with an intense flavor and a creamy mouthfeel.
The most famous bottles come from France's
Northern
Rhone, but they can also be quite expensive. For less
expensive alternatives,
look for bottles from California, Australia and Virginia.
Pair Viognier with fragrant Thai
curries, as you would Gewurztraminer. Bottles to
try:
Kunde Estates Viognier Sonoma Valley; Horton
Viognier Orange County (Virginia); Smoking Loon
Viognier (California)
* Banyuls: Enjoy sitting by the fire with a nice
glass of Tawny Port on a winter evening? Give
Banyuls a try. Made in southwest France's Languedoc
region, Banyuls' woody and nutty flavors are similar to
a Tawny Port, but it's a bit lighter and less sweet. Chill
it for 20 or 30 minutes, and try it with some high quality
dark chocolate.
Bottles to try: Clos de Paulilles; Traginer; M
Chapoutier.
* Mourvedre: This grape, called Monastrell in
Spain,
produces deep colored, tannic, spicy wines. They can
have "gamey" aromas in their youth, but have aging
potential because of their high tannins and alcohol
content. They can definitely benefit from slight chilling
and aeration (see my article below!). Try Mourvedre
with hearty, meaty dishes like beef stew or rack of
lamb. Bottles to try: Clines Cellars Ancient Vines
Mourvedre (California); Casa Castillo Monastrell
(Jumilla, Spain); Wrongo Dongo Monastrell.
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In the Media
Latest articles
I have been busy updating my wine blog,as
well as writing wine-related articles. Here are links to
my latest work:
"Flutes of Fancy," Wine Enthusiast,
December, 2007
"The Art of the Aperitif," Wine Enthusiast,
December, 2007
"Escape to Great Wine and Food on California's
Central Coast," Wine Enthusiast, November, 2007
Read more of Kelly's articles
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Just Add Air
A wine gadget like no other...
Santa was good to me this year, and brought me the
Vinturi Essential
Wine Aerator
that I mentioned on my blog a few months ago. I
couldn't wait to try it out and see if it lives up to the
hype...and I wasn't disappointed.
The first bottle we aerated was an
Angeline
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir from California. This
wine is already soft and fruity, so
perhaps it wasn't the best example to use, but we
were anxious to try the new gadget. I had
my husband aerate one glass of wine using the
Vinturi, and the other was just poured into the glass
straight from the bottle. He waited until the bubbles
dissipated, and then handed me the glasses. One
glass smelled "tight" to me, and when I tasted it, it just
wasn't as soft or easy-drinking as the other one. I
correctly surmised that the one I preferred had been
aerated. We were impressed.
Last week, we tried it with a bottle of Clos du Bois
reserve Merlot, with the same results. It's amazing to
me that I could tell, without even tasting it, which wine
had been aerated. The proof was right there.
I am looking forward to trying it with a young Bordeaux
that really could benefit from ageing. That will be a true
test, in my opinion--to see if the Vinturi can simulate in
just a few seconds the years of ageing often needed
for a wine like Bordeaux.
A tip if you plan on purchasing the Vinturi--be sure to
rinse it out with warm water right after using it. Once
the wine turns to sticky residue, I can't even
imagine how difficult it would be to get it clean.
You can purchase the Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator
from Wine Enthusiast and wine.com.
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If you are planning a special event, whether it is a
wedding shower, birthday party, get-together with
friends, or a business promotional event, consider
Kelly Magyarics Wine Consulting to make your event
complete. Our interactive, educational wine tastings
and classes
are a memorable option for your next gathering. Kelly
holds an Advanced Certificate in Wine and Spirits from
the WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust), and she
has been offering wine tastings for private and
corporate events in the DC area for over six years. Just
see what our clients are saying about us.
Check
out www.trywine.net
for more information, email us
at trywine@gmail.com, or call us at
703.203.9463.
Feel free to pass this along to
other wine lovers you know!
And don't forget about Kelly's other services. She is
available for freelance writing, wine list creation and
management, and wine and food pairing consultation.
Cheers, and happy sipping!
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