Monthly Archives: April 2021

So, I’m a little late getting out my wine blog this week, because I had a DIY home project. My friend Maggie was kind enough to come down and help me with this particular project. When I asked her to help, never in a million years did I dream it would take us 6 1/2 hours or feel like it put our bodies through a boxing match. So here’s a wall in my living room I painted a dark brown almost 9 years ago. (That’s Leo, watching a cat movie)

My sister gave me the wallpaper for Christmas to do it in a different style. When I asked my friend Maggie to help, who knew putting up wallpaper was going to take such a toll on our poor bodies. This is hard work folks. LOL

But it’s now done in a wallpaper that looks like distressed barn board and I absolutely love how it turned out. And although the blog is called ‘Helpful Hints,’ that has more to do with wine than home improvement.

So, this is the type of helpful hint I’m good at. You’ve all seen the meme ‘Being an adult is wondering what to make for supper for the rest of your life”? The below hint helps with that problem.

I’m kidding. I’m going to give you a few helpful hints around a wine bottle, to make your life a little easier.

1. When to Decant a wine and why?

Decanting wine is all about exposing the wine to oxygen, or you may have heard it as ‘letting the wine breathe’. Aerating the wine, especially many reds, can release more of the wine’s aromas, and soften the tannins. Most red wines are stuck in a bottle for a few years, not moving. Decanting shakes it up. When I was studying to become a Sommelier, they would first have us smell and taste a wine without decanting or swirling. Then they would get us to swirl. It’s amazing how the wine comes alive, especially the aromas.

2. How can I keep my opened wine a little longer?

During our Tuesday night girls night, one of the ladies bought a bottle of wine that she opened on Saturday night. When she took a sip, she said ‘it didn’t age very well’. It was a white wine, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Many people feel because the wine has a screw cap, and it closes easily, it’s keeping the wine. Helpful hint. If you choose to put the cork half way in, or screw the cap back on, your wine is going to be exposed to the elements, and it’s not going to last very long. Invest in a good wine stopper that seals. Plus a red wine will last longer than a white, and always refrigerate it.

3. I drink white, but I would like to start drinking red. What should I start with?

I get this a lot at wine tastings. The biggest shock people face when going from white to red is the temperature of the wine. So, it’s OK to chill your red wine. Start with some lighter reds and work your way up. Try a Pinot Noir, chill it, and see what you think. Another wine to try is Beaujolais, it’s light and fruity and should be served chilled as well. I don’t know if I would go from a light white to a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Shiraz.

On that note, let’s take a look at a couple of new wines. First, a gorgeous white wine.

From Banfi Vineyards in the heart of Tuscany Italy, comes this fantastic blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. You get the body of the Chardonnay and the light acidity of the Sauvignon Blanc. I really loved this wine. The Tuscans really know how to make great wine and with Italians the wine is all about the food. That’s why I think some of the most food-friendly wine in the world comes from Italy. This one is up there on the list. At $16.99 it’s a great deal.

And for my red, I’m going to stay in Italy.

I believe this was my first time trying this wine, and I loved it. We got together and had lasagna and Caesar salad, and the Italian wines hit it out of the ballpark. Ernest Hemingway called Valpolicella “a light dry wine as friendly as the home of your favorite brother”. I think this is more of a medium bodied wine, but so tasty and so smooth. Under $20 a bottle, try it. Even if you are trying red for the first time.

It’s been one of those weeks. Till next week, Cheers

I thought this cute little GIF perfectly describes how I am spending my relaxing Easter weekend. And yes, my Easter Bunny does bring wine, and I hope he does for you too.

I want to share something that happened to me this past week, it happens on a semi-regular basis. So this happened a few days back.

This picture may not show it well, but I opened a bottle of red wine, and the cork was all wet and red. I knew instantly the wine was compromised. One sip confirmed this with a strong vinegar taste. So I put the cork back in the bottle and returned the remaining wine back to the NSLC. They are excellent, and will return your wine if you bring it back. (not empty of course) Most people don’t know this but anywhere from 2% to 8% of wines are corked, with the lower number being synthetic closures. Which is why synthetic closures and screw caps are becoming more and more popular.

Cork, from trees mostly grown in Portugal, started becoming the favorite stopper, replacing glass stoppers, back in the 1600’s. Too many of the glass stoppers would break. But cork is a) becoming much more expensive and b) it reacts to temperature spikes, high temperatures and movement. A compromised wine can smell vinegary, like the one I had did, but mostly they smell like a wet dog. It’s that moldy, damp wet dog smell in reds, and in white wines it will smell like cooked fruit or also like pronounced vinegar.

Another way to tell if your wine has been affected is if the cork is protruding from the bottle top. However, just because it isn’t, doesn’t mean the wine inside hasn’t been compromised. Or, as in my case, the entire cork was soaking wet with wine, not just the very bottom of the cork. The best ways to tell is smell and taste.

Did you know most people didn’t realize you could bring back tainted wine? You can, and they will graciously exchange it for you. Too many people have tainted wine and thought “I don’t like this wine”, or they pour a bad wine down the sink. That’s what I used to do. But wine is expensive, and your liquor store knows a certain percentage of wine will be off.

I’ve had to use up some remaining 2020 vacation days in March, as our year end is March 31st, so I’ve been doing some cooking. No surprise there. Yes, that’s a feed of ribs you see in that picture.

I did some kabobs. My sister Jackie, absolutely loves chicken kabobs, hands down her favorite BBQ food. So I’ve been trying new recipes, with new marinades. This tasty marinade, in front of the glass of wine, consisted of olive oil, lime juice, honey, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce and a touch of ginger. I’m very careful when cooking with ginger, I use it in a bottle. I find it can over-power the food, unless you are careful, or unless you love ginger. Again, I marinated my chicken in this combo for a couple of hours, and set aside some of the marinade to use while cooking.

These two pictures are very important for my cooking and grilling. A meat thermometer and a nice steady temperature. When I’m grilling, I try not to keep the lid open for long. Let the grill do the work. However, I open the grill at times to bring temperatures back down.

And my friend Sharon gave me this wonderful meat thermometer for Christmas, and it was one of my favorite gifts. You need a meat thermometer because the days of guessing if the meat is done is so 1980’s. Our moms did this. ‘Oh, it looks like it’s done, so I’ll leave it in the oven for another 20 minutes just to be sure’. I don’t know about you, but I grew up on overcooked meat. My mother was scared to death of meat that was done any way less than well done. We’ve all heard the horror stories.

But my biggest cooking accomplishment over the past few weeks has been scalloped potatoes. This is a favorite with my sister and all my nephews. My sister, who doesn’t generally cook as a rule, told me to ignore if the recipe says 60 minutes, you need 90 – 100 minutes to properly cook scalloped potatoes.

You can buy a mandolin anywhere for less than $20. I love mine, and find it so handy.

It makes perfect potatoes for scalloped potatoes. Would you believe I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, but the easy recipe I used is right here! Just so you know, I cooked them covered for 1 hour 25 minutes, and then uncovered and cooked for another 15 minutes. They were tender, cheesy and delicious. I also added some freshly grated parmesan in all the layers and a mozza/cheddar blend on top.

But enough about food, let’s talk some wine.

To our weekly games night, Joan bought this beautiful Pinot Grigio. Ruffino is a staple in Italy, making quality wine there for 140 years. Vibrant and fresh on the palate, this wine is under $15 and just a gorgeous white wine.

For the red this week, this wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon from Lodi California. Lodi, with its beautiful Mediterranean climate, is more known for Zinfandel, but the soil and climate of California, produces some spectacular Cabernet Sauvignon wines. This easy to drink Cab with its hints of vanilla, spice and chocolate, is a perfect pairing for whatever else the Easter Bunny brings this weekend. Priced under $20 normally, it’s on sale here in Nova Scotia right now at $17. My apologies for snapping this photo, above my cat food dishes. LOL.

Have a safe wonderful Easter weekend. Till next weekend, Cheers

Darlene