PinaPassion Cocktail

Posted by Raissa Nebie on January 19, 2010 | No Comments

Today’s post is going to be very short. I fell victim to the mischievous swine flu last week and my engine is not 100% restored. They say booze makes everything better, so here’s a recipe for a cocktail I wish I could be enjoying on a warm tropical beach.

PINAPASSION COCKTAIL
8 mint leaves
3 pineapple chunks
2 ounces white rum
2 ounces passion fruit juice
1 ounce Orangina
Crushed ice

In a glass, muddle the mint and pineapple with a pestle. Add the ice, rum, passion fruit juice and stir well. Top with the Orangina and serve.

Enjoy responsibly ;)

Filed under: Drinking

Thrifty Gourmet Wine Steal – Chapoutier Belleruche

Posted by Jamie Grafton on July 29, 2009 | 1 Comment

Mchapoutier

When I took my first gulp of Chapoutier Belleruche last Saturday night, I had an explosive coughing fit. Not due to any fault with the wine, which was as silkily delicious as ever; it was the revelation of the price which caused me to fear I was about to suffer a pulmonary embolism.

Family were visiting from Europe, and my brother-in-law, who works in the French wine trade, always arrives with a clinking bag containing a few vinous gems. The first bottle we pulled the cork from was the Belleruche. Read more

Filed under: Drinking, French, Wine

Wine According To The Goldilocks Principle

Posted by Jamie Grafton on July 9, 2009 | No Comments

At first glance, the narcoleptic, house-breaking porridge-thief known to generations of children as Goldilocks may not seem a likely role model for wine drinkers looking to maximize enjoyment of each bottle purchased (and in these lean times we all want bang for our buck), but her finicky perfectionism when blithely helping herself to the Three Bears’ breakfast is a trait all wine drinkers can learn from. Too often, wine is served at a temperature that is, as our heroine opined, “too hot” or “too cold” – a glass of vino poured when the mercury level in the thermometer is “just right” is less common than one might assume. Read more

Filed under: Drinking, Shopping, Wine

Decadent Summer Drinking Without the Headache

Posted by Jamie Grafton on June 19, 2009 | No Comments

moscatodasti-grande

There are a couple of rules of thumb for summer drinks: one, tone down the alcohol content unless you want a dry mouth, thudding headache, and the possibility of a psychotic episode if booze is fused with sunstroke; and two, a drink sipped under a hot sun has to be lip-smackingly refreshing.

There is a drink that lets you observe these rules and also chucks a twist of decadence into the mix: moscato. Often derided in my home country of Britain as a sweet drink for teenage girls, in the hands of a half-decent winemaker moscato is an unmistakably adult drink, miles away from the over-syrupy sweetness of alcopops. It’s likely that the first sparkling wines ever drunk by our ancestors several millenia ago would have tasted similar to moscato – the simple fermentation techniques of Fred Flintstone aren’t too far from the gentle handling the grapes receive today. Unlike some of the elaborate conjuring found in many of today’s modern wineries – oak chips, microoxygenation, etc – moscato grapes are picked, crushed, pressed, fermented, and then fermentation is stopped when only half the sugar in the juice has been converted into alcohol. The wine is then quickly filtered and bottled. Read more

Filed under: Drinking, Wine

Thinking Inside of The Box

Posted by Thrifty Gourmet on May 20, 2009 | No Comments

fromthetank1

These days it seems like everyone is trying to figure out ways to save money. When it comes to wine, sometimes it’s smart to think inside of the box. Wait, I know what you are thinking and I am not talking about Franzia White Zinfandel or the atrocious Merlot usually served at art openings. There is a number of wonderful box wines out there that are a great way to save money without sacrificing quality or taste. Here are a few of my personal favorites. They are all available at Astor Wines and Spirits.

From The Tank, 3 liters $34.99 – Jenny and Francois Selections is a wine importing company that specializes in natural wines from France. Working with the Cotes du Rhone cooperative Estezargues, they have come up with a white and a red that are really incredible. The white is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Viognier. It’s a big and rich white that has a permanent place in my fridge. The red is a classic, peppery Cotes du Rhone Blend of grenache, syrah and carignan.

Yellow+Blue, 1 liter $8.99 – Yellow and Blue imports Torrontes and Malbec from Argentina made from certified organic grapes. Matthew Cain, an importer based in Pennsylvania decided that bringing wine in a TetraPak or box was not only cheaper, but also better for the environment. The white wine made of 100% Torrontes is light and floral with a pleasant acidity, perfect for spring. The Malbec is medium bodied and slightly spicy with hints of plum and orange rind.

VRAC, 3 liters $26.99 – VRAC is a light and fruity Cotes du Rhone, perfect served with a slight chill in warmer weather. VRAC is a French term referring to something bought in bulk, appropriate for this larger format wine.

These wine are all a great deal and since they come in a box they have a much longer life span than bottled wines. The sizes they come in are also a draw as three liters correspond to four bottles at well under $10 a bottle.

Filed under: Drinking, Shopping, Wine
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