WHICH WINE FOR EASTER DINNER?

If ham is on your menu for Easter dinner you may wish to serve a white wine with dinner. Chardonnay, Riesling or Gewurztraminer may be a good choice. These will smooth out the saltiness of the ham. 
If you are having a red meat such as prime rib you may like a Shiraz/Syrah or even a Bordeaux.  A Meritage would be a good choice. Well blended wine suitable for this menu. 
For those of you having turkey or chicken then you may like Pinot Noir, Syrah or Shiraz if red is your wine choice of preference. Some prefer Chardonnay with their turkey or chicken. 
Once again I believe it is truly in your preference of "which do you like"? Red or White? Just remember to enjoy your family, enjoy the time together. Relax, Sip, Reflect....and please do not drink and drive. Life is precious.
Salute'

WHITE WINE....a wine I forget to blog about

glass white wine pino noir grape,pinot grigio grape










I know I ramble on & on about red wine all the time. So I mustn't forget to keep updated on some whites. Let's talk about pinot gris versus pinot grigio. They actually are the same white grape but share the same name. In Italy & California it is known as pinot grigio and in Oregon & France it is pinot gris.Other regions in the world also use the names interchangeably. The pinot grigio grape is actually a mutation of the grape varietal pinot noir, which is in fact red. Pino Blanc is not the same and pinot grigio or pino gris....it is a further mutation of the same grape. So....we are drinking mutations? Does not sound so good! But it does taste soooooo good! I have learned that most pinot grigio wines are created in Italy. The Italian version is dry, not sweet and you might taste the mineral content in it. Californian versions will have a lemony taste, be a bit richer in taste but you will still have the mineral traces. French pinot gris are more fruity & flowery than the Italian versions. They will taste peachy or melony but still have the mineral aroma about them. Some experts believe the pinot noir grape will make the finest wine in the world. It grows best in cool climates and is a difficult grape to grow and make into wine. Since it is such a hard grape to grow possibly this is how the mutations came about. This is something I will need to further learn about and research.
I love looking at the pictures of the grape varieties. It takes me back to being a child and sitting on Poppa Donne's lap under his grape arbor and leaning my head on his huge chest, my long hair blowing in the breeze across my tiny face and gazing up at the huge deep purple grapes hanging from the vines above my head and feeling so safe as I listened to Poppa's talk of his days on the farm when he was a young boy in Italy. I had a happy childhood....it is a good memory I hold dear to my heart and glad to have had. Yes....life should always be so sweet!
Cheers!

A Wide Variety to Choose From....

Different grape varieties are plentiful! I have always loved fruits, but since beginning this study in wine I find myself actually admiring each grape singularly. I had never noticed the depths of color or shadings of the colors in all my 58 years on this earth. I just would plop the luscious fruits in my mouth and enjoy. But now I find myself analyzing the structure of the grapes and thinking. (Of course when I point this out to some of my friends, I know they are thinking I have gone off the deep end!) My friends just look at me and smile. That is of course not the case of the friends who share this common interest of mine to learn about the fruit from the vine to the glass. I have decided to do a bit each day on each different type of grape in the wine making. I have learned there are some 24,000 varieties of wine grapes which Ampelographers believe these represent about 5,000 truly different varieties. Most varieties I have learned have numerous names depending upon the area they are grown. Of the 5,000 varieties only 150 are planted commercially and of the 150 varieties there are only 9 varieties considered classics.
WHITE GRAPES:

• CHARDONNAY
• CHENIN BLANC
• RIESLING
• SAUVIGNON BLANC
• SEMILLION

RED GRAPES:

• CABERNAT SAUVIGNON
• MERLOT
• PINOT NOIR
• SYRAH

Tomorrow or later today I will begin the study starting with the whites....In the mean time I will go have a nice bowl of red grapes with my granola this morning.
Chow!

WINE STAINS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Have you ever had a party and once everyone left...you were left with wine stains on your carpet, counter tops and maybe your pretty white blouse or dress? It is bound to happen. I learned many years ago that if drinking red wine you should have a bottle of white wine or club soda close by, just in case. For the carpet and clothing if you have spilled or had someone spill red wine on it the white wine will work wonders removing the stain. Next choice would be club soda but I have found this does not work quite as well.
Then of course we have the counter tops and table tops which gather drippings. for laminated tops any all purpose cleaner which has a bit of clorox in it will do wonders immediately! Without any elbow grease!Let it set a few seconds and wipe and rinse. Mr Clean magic erasers are wonderful to have on hand for this!
Now with all the kitchen remodels being done with marble and granite counter tops, you need to get to these FAST! They are more porous and the stain will sink in deeper. Even if it is sealed. If the stone cleaner you have been using will not lift it out for you try this. Tap water can leave a residue so if you have any distilled water on hand wipe the stain with this and take some WHITE paper towels which have been folded into a padding and soak these with hydrogen peroxide. Cover in plastic wrap and tape down on the counter. Then say a prayer....chuckle....or maybe no chuckle....Seriously, after 1 day remove the plastic and let the towels sit on the stain and dry naturally. This may take another day. Remove, rinse and dry....you will be surprised at your results! I have cleaned houses for many years for a living, or should I say mansions, and this is what they had me doing and at the time I thought it was senseless...but it did work.....Sometimes there is nothing as good as the all natural way, not only in eating but also in cleaning!
Hope this helps you....I hope no one really has to use this information....try to keep all those luscious drops of wine inside the glass so you enjoy your party thoroughly!

Poppa Donne' homemade wine....

Growing up part Italian, my father was full blooded Italian, I have wonderfully fond memories of my great grandfather "Poppa Donne" and the times I spent with him. He spoke English but chose to speak Italian more. All that was missing at his home was the fact that it was in Pennsylvania on a farm and not in Italy on a vineyard estate. Each and every Sunday Poppa would have the entire family for dinner. Dinner would consist of homemade spaghetti (handmade noodles) homemade sauce from the tomatoes and herbs of his garden, and homemade wine. Poppa would give each great grandchild a shot glass full of his homemade brew. Our parents would argue...No...but Poppa won each time. "Good for their blood" he would tell them! The old timers knew what they were talking about. It was a wonderful celebration each and every Sunday I will never forget. Running and playing on the farm with the fresh air. Climbing the plum trees and picking fruit while Poppa watched with a careful eye as he sat under his grape arbor where he would gaze upon the fruit he would change to wine when harvest season came. I spent many afternoons and evenings sitting with Poppa listening to his stories in broken English of how he made the wines. I would look at the grape clusters and vines and leaves and think "my what a gorgeous site" Never did I think I would someday be doing a study on wine and yearn to be sitting at my Poppa's feet again, not as a young girl of 9 or 10, but as a woman in her late 50's. If only I could have one more sitting with Poppa it would not be just a one way conversation...but now I could chime in with my bits of knowledge I am learning. So my first experience with wine was at about age 7 or 8 and Poppa's was the first to give me happy memories. Now a plan of homes is on the site of Poppa's farmland.....a cousin of mine lives in one of the homes, and we still remember times on the farm & those Sunday meals with Poppa and our family. I had a very fortunate childhood. I not only had both sets of grandparents from mom and dad I also had a great grandfather who was remarkable.
My father's father was Roman, his mother was a Brazilian Italian. I have learned that in ancient Rome wine was linked to authority. If you had a vineyard you had power. Here in America I think Tuscany is the area most people want to visit for wine. Wine is on every table for every meal with the exclusion of breakfast (maybe?) sometimes the meal itself is a slice of bread and the wine. I have been know to do this after a long day at the office and not even bother with a meal...I guess it is my heritage coming through.
The whites grapes of Tuscany are: Chardonnay (the regions most expensive white) Malvasia (now the grape most known for vin santo the desert wine), Sauvignon Blanc (very limited amounts are grown),Trebbiano (used for dry whites), Vernaccia (Tuscany's most traditional refreshing white wine). The reds grapes of Tuscany are Cabernet Sauvignon (often times blended with sangiovese to make Chianti), Canaiolo (declining in use) Merlot (also used to make Chianti), and Sangiovese (the major Tuscan grape).
There is so much to cover with Italian wines. I will get deeper into the study in the next day or so. Some times I need to reread a section to be sure I have the proper understanding. It is written in English but the depth of what they are relaying to the reader is a lot to behold. So till tomorrow....Chow!

Cooking with wine.....

It used to be 37 years ago when I was first married that I would want to cook with wine. So off to the supermarket I would go looking for cooking wine. I was naive enough to think that you wouldn't dare add the real thing to your dish. Then one day about 14 years ago while cooking some pasta and shrimp for my dinner and drinking a glass of Cabernet I thought "I'll just add a splash of this".....To think I had never ever thought to try "real" wine in cooking prior! That moment was the beginning of a new journey for me when in the kitchen. I wanted to add a splash to everything. One of my best findings was on the day I was drinking White Zin. I had some left a few days after opening the bottle....It was not pleasing to drink anymore but so not to waste it I added it to some extra virgin olive oil, a bit of balsamic vinegar, put some herbs for added flavor and viola! Zinfindel dressing which has become one of my favorites to use on greens and pasta. So don't dump out that bit of wine or the wine that is just not pleasing to you....save it on your counter and use it in your cooking. My son has taught me to use leftover red wine to dye unfinished wooden picture frames. Now I do this quite often. (That's a tip for crafters) Today I leave you with the thought to be creative in your cooking. Just do not over do it. You really don't need as much as you think...more is not better all the time. One of my best findings is wine added to burgers! I think a bit of wine pulls out the natural flavors a bit more....and if you have a favorite recipe that you add wine to and would like to share it, please do so in the comment box.

Ricotta Pasta & Spinach
1 box pasta
1 C ricotta cheese
1/3 C romano cheese
2 T butter
1 package FRESH spinach...cleaned and stems removed
white or red wine to taste (I like to use between 1/4-1/2 C)

Cook pasta, drain (save 1/2 C cooking water for sauce) rinse
Toss with butter
Combine reserved water with ricotta in mixing bowl
Add your wine
Stir till blended
Mix in the Romano
Toss in fresh spinach...it will wilt

Serve with alone or with a side of chicken or shrimp. Or even chop up and place in your pasta. Make a nice field greens salad
Pour your self a glass of wine & enjoy!