Archive for the ‘Love Vines’ Category

Luscious + Libations

Got cake? The traditional cake cutting and toast is meant to signify that this party (or reception) is ready to get started. DJ pump the music, groomsmen get on the dance floor and refill your glass before you kick of those heels to do the electric slide.

However, before you do the funky chicken consider learning a little more about cake and wine pairing. This will allow you to be more confident with your purchasing decisions and look like a wine rock star.

Note: The goal of cake and wine pairing (As with any wine and food pairing) is striking a balance between the best of both flavors. We want the natural characteristics of both to counterbalance and complement each other. A perfectly paired wine will render the cake more pleasurable, and vice versa.

Wine and Cake Pairing Tips

Chocolate and champagne or sparkling wines are a no-no together. For a rich chocolate cake, consider a red wine or a port. Cabernet sauvignon pairs perfectly with chocolate and makes for an equally uplifting toast. One of my favorite cabs at the moment is Vineyard 29.

Brut sparkling wine or champagne does not pair well with sweet cakes. The toastyness of the brut turns tart-tasting when sipped with sweet foods. It’s better to have a touch of sweetness in your bubbles to balance the sweetened flavor of the cake.

Purchasing bubbles for the celebrated cake toast doesn’t have to be expensive. Go direct to a local winery that produces sparkling wine or champagne and ask for a discount on case purchases. Consider American sparkling wines (California and Oregon produce some reputable sparkling wine) or Italy’s sparkling wine known as Prosecco for an affordable yet luscious alternative.

The best bubble recommendations to pair with a wedding cake, or any decadent dessert, are a Demi-Sec, Blanc de Blanc, Blanc de Noir or a Rose. My personal favorite that has you thinking of berries and cream is Mumm Cuvee Red. 96 percent of this sparkling wine is a pinot noir grape and boasts a deep red color and fruit forward flavors of black berry and cherry. This sparkling, and all of the above varietals go seamlessly with fruit filled, vanilla or citrus infused wedding cakes.

About Autumn

For more on Autumn Millhouse and her book Romantic Napa Valley, An Insider’s Guide for Couples, click here.

Autumn Millhouse is an award-winning travel writer who specializes in wine, food and romantic getaways. She is also an international trekker who has wined and dined across the globe from Barcelona to Beijing . A self-proclaimed “hopeless-romantic” and author of Romantic Napa Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples, Autumn also has a bi-monthly column called “Love Vines” published in Napa Valley Life Magazine. She resides in Napa Valley where she cultivates her wine and food relationships with top chefs, winemakers and a slew of other foodies. Besides, sniffing, swirling and sipping wine daily, Autumn is currently working on her next travel book Romantic Sonoma Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples.

The art and the science by Autumn.

Want to learn more about wine? Have you ever tasted a wine and liked it but didn’t know what else to say to describe the character beyond saying ‘it tastes yummy’? Or not sure what questions to ask to help you understand more about the wine?

Below are some simple wine terms twisted in an amusingly romantic manner and intended to increase your wine knowledge and make you sound like a pro the next time you discuss and taste vino.

Start with these basic wine terms and you will be a pro in no time! Cheers…

Acidity – When in perfect balance, acidity is what gives wine its fresh, crisp character; but like all sensuous equilibriums, this is a delicate one to achieve. Acid levels that are too high will render wine sharp and bitter while too small an amount can leave a wine seeming “flat.”

Appellation – Sometimes, it is about where you are; this is the term used to describe the region where a particular grape was grown and ripened to perfection. Napa Valley itself has almost 15 sub-appellations.

Aroma – As in love, so in wine: when we talk about new love, we speak differently than we do about mature, time-tested love. In the same way, the terms used to describe a wine’s scent depend upon its ripeness. “Aroma” refers to younger wines, while the more sophisticated “bouquet” is reserved for mature wines.

Body – Beauty comes in every shape and size imaginable. Since we are highly sensi­tive and sensuous beings, the tiniest difference in weight imparted by a wine to our mouths will be noticeable, and called light, medium, or full-bodied.

Decanting – This is the important process in which a decanter is used to separate undesired sediment from the wine, ensuring its prized “brightness.”

Finish - Our senses linger in pleasurable states long after the event itself has passed; thus after wine is swallowed, its “finish” on your tongue will tell you a great deal about its quality.

Fruit - These ones are not forbidden, thankfully. In fact, they are the main component of wine, and not restricted to grapes; a myriad of other fruits are employed to help describe the wine’s character, such as pear, plum, cherry, blackberry, and many more.

Legs - There’s nothing like a great pair. After wine has been swirled in its glass, tell-tale tracks of liquid cling to the sides, betraying levels of alcohol and glycerol. Even though they’re also called “tears,” there’s no need to mourn – unless of course your glass is empty.

New World Wine – A whole new world of wine has come into being, hailing from places off the beaten path in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and United States. It pays to be adventurous…

Nose - Whoever said wine doesn’t have personality? Indeed, its aromatic “nose” will either beckon you to a taste, or repel you forever with its sharp odor.

Old World Wine – There is always great richness to be enjoyed from the fruits of tradition: the products of historical wine growing regions in Europe and North Africa have a reputation for a reason.

Varietal – This tells you the main grape used to make the particular blend of wine. It has to be a certain percentage, such as 75% Cabernet Sauvignon for it to be called a Cabernet. Just like most men, winemakers like variety too and often blend two to three varietals to make one delicious tasting wine.

About Autumn

For more on Autumn Millhouse and her book Romantic Napa Valley, An Insider’s Guide for Couples, click here.

Autumn Millhouse is an award-winning travel writer who specializes in wine, food and romantic getaways. She is also an international trekker who has wined and dined across the globe from Barcelona to Beijing . A self-proclaimed “hopeless-romantic” and author of Romantic Napa Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples, Autumn also has a bi-monthly column called “Love Vines” published in Napa Valley Life Magazine. She resides in Napa Valley where she cultivates her wine and food relationships with top chefs, winemakers and a slew of other foodies. Besides, sniffing, swirling and sipping wine daily, Autumn is currently working on her next travel book Romantic Sonoma Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples.