I miss wine tastings! 30 to 40 times a year people would hire me to come to their home, gather their friends, and I would facilitate a wine-tasting. One of the main reasons I love wine tastings, is that it gives people a chance to try different wines that they normally would not buy at their local wine store.
Wine is not cheap, at least here in the eastern part of Canada. We pay a lot for wines. As I welcome our new visitors and readers from the US, Germany and Australia, we pay at least double, & sometimes triple, what you guys pay for the same bottle of wine! We really love our wine. Let’s take a look at the 5 ‘S’s’ usually associated with a wine tasting.
See
Take a look at your wine, ensure it is not cloudy. A cloudy wine can be caused by a second fermentation in the bottle, normally caused by huge shift of temperature. It’s harmless, but the wine won’t be necessarily pleasant
Swirl
That wine may have been in that bottle for a couple of years, swirling releases many different aromas and flavours. It has become second nature to me, I automatically swirl a glass of wine every time.
Smell
Smelling the wine, after swirling is very important. So many of the different flavours & aromas are picked up when you smell the wine, and it will definitely make tasting the wine more pleasant.
Sip
Everyone’s favourite part, sipping the wine. Training to be a Sommelier, when we would taste wines at every class, the sipping will confirm many of the aromas you picked up when smelling the wine.
Savor
Does the flavour linger? One of the things I don’t enjoy about some wines, is that soon as you swallow it, the flavour is gone. I like when that flavour lingers in your mouth, that’s enjoyment to me.
Before I tell you about the white & red wine of the week this week, can I show you my first attempt at making tacos. I know, first? I’ve made quesadillas, and I make fajitas and stir-frys a lot, but this was my first true attempt at making a taco and they were delicious
It started with me purchasing, and replanting a cilantro plant. I’m so excited, cilantro is one of my favourite herbs, and this plant looks like it’s going to make it!
Then it’s my delicious homemade salsa. I’ve been making my own homemade salsa since the beginning of the pandemic.
At a particular restaurant here in town, they serve lime and cilantro sour cream, and I’ve always loved it. When I bought the taco kit at Costco with a group of friends, they provided a line and cilantro Crema. Again, delicious. The knock-off recipe is here.
I sautéed chicken breast with onions, peppers, and a homemade taco seasoning. Then, I added cheese and some coleslaw on top, my homemade salsa, and the lime and cilantro Crema. I will definitely be making this meal again, served it with some coleslaw on the side and some rice. Easy peasy and out of this world delicious.
Let me show you a great white and red wine.
Kung Fu Girl Riesling is dry, but just touches on the off dry, which makes it so perfectly delicious with tacos or any Asian cuisine. There’s great acidity and just a little tinge of sweetness on the tip of your tongue. Serve it chilled and it’s a great partner for many of your favorite meals, priced under $20 here.
I didn’t know what to think when I saw this label at the NSLC. A winery in France took the thinnest skin grape, Pinot Noir, and paired it with the thickest skinned grape, Syrah, also known as Shiraz. It is a very uncommon blend, but was it ever delicious! I have a couple of friends who say they don’t like Pinot noir, becauses it’s wimpy. I’m going to challenge them to try this wine. This wine is not wimpy, it’s a medium to full-bodied wine with lots of flavor, very food friendly and priced under $17. I would love to hear what you think on this unique blend.
Stay safe everyone. Till next week, Cheers
Wine-It’s Just My Opinion 