Category Archives: Wine & Food

Here we are, the Saturday before Christmas Eve. It will also be my last blog of 2023. Heading to Newfoundland on Wednesday for Christmas for 10 days. When I return, I will do my annual blog on my favorite new finds of 2022. I would like to take a moment to wish each and every one of you, the readers of this blog, a very special holiday season and the best Christmas & the New year has to offer. Although 2022 has had its challenges, there have been many blessings as well.

Let’s talk some wine and food

My friend Joan came down last Saturday night and bought this wine.

Wow. The Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay was fabulous. A Chardonnay that is not overly oaky, it was clean and fresh and just fantastic on the palate. Great body and a nice lasting finish. I loved this and will be buying it for my Mom when I head home for Christmas.

So I tried a new pork tenderloin recipe this past week….

I sauteed some onions and celery in buttery until they were softened. Then I added that to bread crumbs, added bacon and feta cheese, and stuffed my pork tenderloin.

I then seared it on my BBQ on each side, and then I put it on my pellet grill. Using a combination of apple, maple and hickory chips, I let that my cook low and slow.

It came out perfect. As you can see I tend to buy a smaller pork tenderloin, because I live alone and its just me. Well, I’ll be doing this again. I like my pork tenderloin done medium, with some pink.

I served it with a chow, that I bought from a local company here in Halifax.

I don’t know much about Gator pickles, only that I discovered them at a craft fair, and everyone at the Radio Station where I work love these pickles. I bought the Gator pickles (not pictured) and this Yellow Squash Chow Chow. Wow! A bit of sweet, a bit of heat, I loved this with the pork tenderloin.

I bet you’re curious as to which wine I had with this?

Many wines go wonderful with pork tenderloin. On the white side you could have a Chardonnay, like the one I talked about above. Or a crisp Pinot Grigio. In my opinion, there are more reds that pair well, but that’s just me. I didn’t have a Pinot Noir on hand, because I probably would have gone that route. Perfect pairing. But this was good too.

The Morgan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the easiest drinking $20 Cabs I have ever tasted. From the Silverado Trail in California, this Cabernet was not overly tannic, which I liked. Soft tannins and rich fruit, I really enjoyed this Cabernet and will definitely buy it again.

Before I go, if you live locally here in the Halifax / Dartmouth area, you should give Delectable Desserts a try.

Dennis & Melissa Mbeba are wonderful real life husband and wife who opened Delectable Desserts just before the pandemic hit. She does the baking, he does the business. They make amazing desserts, cheesecakes, scones and this wonderful holiday cake they gave me as a gift. Check them out at www.delectabledesserts.ca

Have a wonderful Christmas season. Enjoy to the fullest.

Till next year, Cheers

Darlene

Most weeks this wine blog focuses on great tasting wines that tend to be under the $25 mark. I started this wine blog many years ago to let people know you can find good wines at prices that won’t break the bank. We’ve also had some treat wines along the way. I’ve been very blessed lately, between gifts from dear friends, and a little treat for myself, this wine blog is about some fantastic wines that are great for special occasions, gift giving, or just to treat yourself after a busy week.

Let’s talk some jingle juice…

Last Saturday night I wanted to try something new. So I picked up this wine. Frenchie Collage wine is a blend, and quite the blend it is. 35% Petite Verdot, 29& Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Petite Sirah and finished with Malbec and Tempranillo. The dog featured on the label is the French bulldog owned by the owner of the winery. This wine was made in California with grape varietals from all over. It’s been aged mostly in stainless steel with a little bit aged in American oak. So not much in the way of oak notes so very fruit forward. Here was my only issue with the wine. It wasn’t filtered, so after the first glass I was left with a mouthful of grit and must, and I had to rinse my glass. Then I shared the wine with two friends, but had to pour it through a paper towel to filter it. I don’t mind paying $30 for a good wine, and the wine was very good, but I don’t want to have to filter it through a paper towel.

December is here. The month for Christmas parties and get togethers. It’s the season for family and friends. And it’s the season for gift giving. My friend Cassandra gave me a pretty Starbucks cup and my favorite Christmas blend coffee this week. Perfect with coffee & Baileys!! Another kind of jingle juice.

My friend Anthony pictured here with me about 9 years ago, enjoying a great Pinot Noir called Sea Smoke.

We’ve both gotten a little greyer since than, and maybe even a little wiser. Hmmm maybe LOL. Well, we still work together and he’s been a rock of support for me and this week he gave me a very special gift, and it’s my wine of the week.

This past year I had the honor of going to Bordeaux France with a wonderful group of people. This wine is one of the best Bordeaux wines I have ever had. Now this is a treat wine, selling here for $47 a bottle so definitely a treat. I had it last night after the end of a challenging week, while enjoying my happy place, at my grill.

My nephew Riley is coming up tonight so I did some ribs for him on the pellet grill. Considering these take about 5 hours, I got a head start. It was a nice evening and Anthony gave me that wonderful wine to enjoy. Some great tunes and it was a great Friday night.

D’Angelus has been making wines in Bordeaux for 120 years, and I’ve read it was the wine responsible for turning martini drinking James Bond into a lover of Bordeaux wines. Merlot with some Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, this delicious wine is delicious to drink now and it also could age it if you wanted.

That’s it for this week. Stay safe my friends. Till next week, Cheers

Darlene

Many of us are not big fans of time changes. Although I find Spring Ahead a little harder personally, many people don’t like the Fall one because it gets darker earlier in the evening. Hey, it’s probably acceptable to start at 4 p.m

I have to apologize to my white wine loving friends and readers. I don’t have a white wine to share with you this week. My apologies and I will definitely have one next week. I do have a couple of new reds to share with you.

The first one I’m calling this one my wine of the week.

This is the best $17 wine I’ve tasted in a long time. And to my Newfoundland friends and wine-lovers, it’s the same price. I shared a bottle with some friends Thursday night, and had it again last night with my smoked baby back ribs and wings. Delicious. Nice rich feeling on the palate, deep fruit flavors and hints of black pepper. I can’t talk about this wine enough, I loved it.

Back in September of 2020, I wrote about the Cabernet Sauvignon. One of my lockdown wines. I have to say the Cabernet was good, I liked the Merlot better.

Some personal news to share, about my kitty Gabriel.

Gabriel is a kitty I started fostering 4 and a half years ago. He was badly abused and it took him months to trust me and feel at home here. Well, he has turned into a baby. He now trusts people, because everyone that comes here gives him love and attention. Well he had surgery on Thursday to remove a cyst. Look at how much they shaved. I feel I should get him a sweater. But he’s doing good, and he’s getting his stitches removed on the 16th.

One more wine to share before I call it a day.

RH Phillips is the same is the same company that makes this wine, which I’ve written about before. The Toasted Head Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon. This was an easy to drink Cabernet, well priced at $17, and went well with food.

The oak on the RH Phillips Cabernet was not as prominent as on this one, but this label tells you it’s going to be oaky. When they toast the oak, it accentuates those flavors.

Well, that’s it for me for this week. Enjoy the extra hour this weekend.

Till next week, Cheers

We are in my favorite time of the year. I heard someone call them the ‘Ber’ months, September, October, November & December. I love these months. Gorgeous colors, cool breezes, comfortable sleeping, comfort food and of course wine!

And for all my white wine loving friends, it’s still cool to drink white any time of the year. Last weekend was an extra long weekend for me, so I got to try and share a few new wines.

This was one I tried, when I did ribs for the first time on my new smoker / pellet grill. the Carnivor Zinfandel. I had tried the Carnivor Cabernet Sauvignon in the past but never the Zinfandel. I loved it, and it was the perfect wine for ribs.

Lodi California has earned a reputation of great full-bodied Zinfandel wines. A Mediterranean climate with its warm days and cool nights, has given this region the nickname of ‘The Zinfandel Capital of the World’. Let’s not forget old vines and great winemakers, check out this Zinfandel wine.

The Carnivor Zinfandel is a product of this great history of wine-making.

I’ve been reading that the 2019 vintage was one of the best in years. Achieving perfect harmony and balance, this wine is normally priced just under $21, which is a good price for a Lodi Zinfandel. But right now, here it is on sale, so you may want to stock up. It was my favorite new wine I’ve tried recently, and it’s definitely my wine of the week.

One quick note that has nothing to do with wine or food (What?)

I finished this book this past week, and it was sooooo good! I can’t wait to see the movie. So, if you’re looking for a good read this Fall, try this one.

Now back to some wine. We are heading to Spain.

My friend Angie bought this wine last Saturday night for our weekly game night. It was a nice wine at a nice price point. It was a medium bodied wine, light and easy to drink. Priced under $17, this is also a very food friendly wine with notes of dried spices.

So, a little news before I go. My mom is coming to visit for 2 weeks.

My sister in Corner Brook, who is her primary care-giver, is going to Hawaii for almost 4 weeks. So my Mom is coming September 30th for 2 weeks. Now, my Mom is a Chardonnay drinker, and she likes some Moscato. So, I’ll be trying some new whites in those weeks. And then I’m flying with her back to Corner Brook, to take care of Maggie till Jackie gets home.

Well, that’s it for me for this week. Till next week, Cheers. And thank you for reading.

Darlene

Ahhh, everyone loves a long weekend. I made this one extra special by taking Friday off, making it a 4-day weekend. Rest, relaxation, food and of course wine. Plus, a new grill has been added to my collection.

My amazing sister, who had a birthday yesterday, gave me this as a birthday present for turning 60. It’s the MasterChef Turismo pellet grill and smoker.

Along with the barbeque she gave me for Christmas 2 1/2 years ago, I think she likes it when I cook. Last night I fired it up for the first time.

Did sweet Thai chili chicken drumsticks, a turkey breast and glazed turkey wings. I loved cooking on this grill. The smoke flavor was amazing.

Turned out pretty yummy, if I do say so myself.

Lots of people were asking about the wine in the glass. It was pretty yummy too.

With subtle smoky notes, this wine paired perfect with my meal done on my new smoker. This wine is known as Pasqua Romeo & Juliet Passimento Rosso, and it’s a blend of dried or “appassimento” grapes of 40% Merlot, 30% Corvina and 30% Croatina. Appassimento means dried, and the process is quite unique. The Merlot and Corvina grapes, selected and hand harvested with great care, are then left to dry for 1 month into wooden trays in the Fruttaio, a special room used for drying grapes. Here, thanks to the dry and well ventilated environment where the humidity level is carefully controlled, the grapes loses around 30% of their water content and gain high flavor concentration. It is normally priced under $20, but here in Nova Scotia it’s on sale right now for about $17. Stock up. Several wine critics have given this wine 91 Points.

That’s it for me this week. Wanted to share this, a picture taken 13 years ago. My nephews Brady & Riley, ages 11 and 7

Last weekend my two nephews came to visit.

Last weekend my nephews came to visit. They are now 24 & 20

Brady works at the Iron Ore Company of Canada in Labrador City and Riley returns to Nova Scotia on Monday to start his 3rd Year at St. FX University in Antigonish. Yes, there are days I feel old. LOL

Till next week, Cheers

Darlene