If You Pour It, They Will Come

18/02/2022

Bringing you all the entertainment this Friday…but the main attraction is this lovely Three Sticks Pinot Noir from the Gap Crown Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast. A producer that is always dominating the pinot noir game, this 2019 vintage lived up to the earlier years.

This vineyard continually produces exquisite pinot noir with influence from the constant wind and fog from the Petaluma Gap. These elements create the perfect formula to deliver thick-skin grapes with smaller berries. The result is luscious pinot noir that is big and concentrated.

I am a happy girl. I am vibing with the aromas of violet, red fruit, and cola and dancing with cherry and plum flavors that are accompanied by hints of ginger and peppercorn. The polished tannins and smooth finish leave me wanting more. Okay, so I’ll have more.

But what I really want is to visit the Vallejo-Casteñada Adobe, the home of Three Sticks, and cheers a glass in this historic Sonoma Landmark (…and maybe eat some cheese). Tell me below if you have been, tried, or currently searching for a bottle below?

Happy Friday!

21/12/2021

Today we’re not talking about the wine. Nope, we’re talking about wine’s best friend…Steak. Oh, and not any steak, this here is - yup, high quality locally sourced American Wagyu beef.

Lucky for me, I cooked this beautifully. It is always about a 50/50 shot when I get in the kitchen. 🤦🏼‍♀️ But… maybe luck wasn’t on my side. Maybe it was the generous and forgiving marbling that created the undeniable juicy, buttery and most tender steak I ever had.

The cattle farm is in Hudson Valley in New York. Using genetics from the Japanese Red, Black, and Brown cattle and crossing them with the highest quality domestic breeds (Angus, Herford) they are able to capture impeccable marbling, and a higher ratio of heart healthy fats in their Waygu.

Did you know? (Because I didn’t!💥) it is generally thought that fat is responsible for the palatability of beef, however, it is the monounsaturated fat that is responsible for the flavor. Monounsaturated fats are the healthy fats and have a lot of heath benefits❤️ (you can google this!) With that said, the marbling at New York Valley Wagyu contains a much higher percentage of monounsaturated fat than any other beef raised in the United States! ⭐️

Check them out, but save some for me!

Okay, fine… I’ll talk about the wine. It’s fantastic and worthy of a meal like wagyu.

2016 LPF:
Black cherry, cacao, cedar and lilac with polished tannins and a long finish.

I want to hear if your a Wagyu fan below! Cheers!

15/12/2021

Santa, please bring wine & cheese…

… and maybe this Acacia Wood and Marble Charcuterie/Grazing Boards.

🤩Two triangular paddle boards can be used separately or paired together and the white marble inserts can be placed the fridge to keep cheese chilled when serving.

14/12/2021

You say, “Holiday Season.” I say, “Champagne Season.” There is nothing more suitable during the celebration of the Holidays than Champagne. Accompanying life’s most cherished times with friends and family, Champagne is the perfect choice for the holidays whether it is simply enjoyed with family over dinner, brought to a party, or given as a gift. One Champagne, in particular, I have been enjoying this season is Brut Souverain.

Maison Henriot is one of the last remaining family-owned and operated Champagne houses. This iconic house was founded in 1808 by Apolline Henriot, a young widow, with the lust to “put a light on the lands through a Champagne.” The house is now on its 8th generation of the Henriot family and still continues to cherish Apolline’s founding principles by focusing on the preservation of vineyards and the terroir. In addition, her deep passion for the diversity in the vines, slopes, soils and viticulture, still allows them to craft a Champagne profile of aromatic complexity.

This lovely Henriot Brut Souverain I hold is a beautiful blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 10% Meunier from 26 crus, where 50-60% is of wine from the base year and the remainder is a reserve. The art of blending Champagne is a fundamental part of Maison Henriot, as according to Apolline “One year is not enough to tell the personality of her lands, at the risk of favoring the character of the climate of the year.”

This Champagne and all of its elegance is full of green apple and white flower notes. The palate opens with a lively citrus zip comforted by fine bubbles, lightly toasted bread, and roasted almonds and proves to be round and exquisitely balanced. To close, a long finish with creamy mouthfeel mixed with apricot and biscuit.

A universally loved and appreciated Champagne that will please many - including me! Let me know below if you have tried this Champagne and your thoughts!

04/12/2021

Oh I’m feeling festive. Maybe it’s the tree🌲 … maybe it’s the champagne 🥂 ❤️

The Chevaliers Grand Cru cuvee Lancelot Royer sure fills the room with a little more sparkle. ✨This lively baby is elegant and fresh and made of 100 % Chardonnay grapes. Brioche and almonds fill the nose before the palate starts dancing with a crisp and creamy texture and fine bubbles. Apricot, lemon and vanilla meet and mingle before exiting with a long mineral finish.

Interesting facts:
❤️Champagne Lancelot-Royer has built its cellar on a hill in order to take advantage of Cramant's chalky soil. This cellar is so impressive because it uses gravity to transport must to the vats, there is no mechanical assistance needed! (wine vocab time! Must: it’s the “young wine” or the unfermented juice of grapes that is extracted by crushing or pressing!)
❤️ The Lancelot-Royer House is also one of the last Champagne houses to practice “disgorging on the fly.” Disgorging removes the sediment that has precipitated out of the wine and settled in the neck. When the term “on the fly” is added. It means done by hand. Yup, the cheapest was but a way full of tradition. A disgorging “key” (like a fancy bottle opener) quickly pops off the cap while the bottle is raised upright. The carbon dioxide pressure in the bottle pushes the sediment out, and the clean wine is left in!

❤️All of their vineyards in Cramant are rated 100% Grand Cru and are all planted to Chardonnay! Lancelot-Royer is one of the smaller Champagne houses, however, this gives winemaker, Michel Chauvet’ the ability to see every winemaking step himself, performing each task by hand. ❤️❤️ I love this!

Ahh, bubbles. They should be enjoyed every weekend, especially ones created in love and tradition like this! Don’t you think! ?🌲🥂

Cheers!

27/10/2021

It is too early to think about Holiday gifts…said no one ever!

What do I want this year? Duh! The same thing that every one wants - wine! Wine make a fun and exciting gift that never disappoints, especially, when it comes from a winery like .

“Trattore” means tractor an Italian and I believe this is the perfect name for a winery that is so passionate about their land. Located in Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, Trattore Farms includes 40 acres of vineyards and olive trees among the rolling hillside.

The wines themself are a beautiful expression of the terroir. Similar to the Côtes du Rhône region of France, the steep terrain, cool ocean breeze, warm summer days and diverse stone-strewn soils produces luscious varieties . I had the opportunity to try their Grenache, Viognier, Roussanne and Zinfandel from this adorable gift set. This is just one option they have among other fun options. (The also have custom sets!)

The wines have been reformatted in an oxygen-free chamber, thus they did not loss any of their flavor profile. I loved tasting through these wines without having to open a large bottle. These are such a fun idea for hostess gifts, corporate and employee gifts, virtual parties or the best gift for any wine lover (cough, cough…me!)

I mentioned earlier that Trattore Farms also sits among olive trees…so of course they also offer Olive Oil Sets too. Give me bread, oil oil and good wine I am one happy girl!

Use code IG10FALL to save 10% on all Olive Oil, Oil Gift Sets, Vinegar, Wine Samplers, and Wines through 11/30/2021.

Cheers! Who has started their holiday shopping yet? Let me know below!

21/10/2021

Yup, she was good...

Beautifully good.

The LE MESNIL Non-Vintage Blanc De Blanc promised to be good from aperitif to dessert and let me tell you...she didn't disappoint!

This Grand Cru is comprised of 100% Chardonnay grapes and deliver a delicate bouquet of ripe apple, lemon peel and toasted almonds. The palate follows with apricot and brioche all wrapped up with a smooth and elegant long finish.

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For those who are new to the wine world let's briefly chat about some Champagne styles:

Champagne generally is a blend of grapes (pinot noir, meuiner & chardonnay) unless the bottle states otherwise. Styles you may see:

Blanc De Blanc: “White of Whites”
⭐️100% Chardonnay
⭐️has more lemon and apple-like fruit flavors

Blanc De Noir: “White of Blacks”
⭐️Made entirely from the black grapes: Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier
⭐️has more strawberry and white raspberry flavors

Rosé Champagne
⭐️Usually made by blending Champagne with a teensy bit of red wine or allowing grape musts to be in contact with the skins for just a few hours
⭐️Offers more fruit intensity & pretty color 💕

Traditional (normally a blend of the three grapes, the percentages vary by Champagne house! If it’s not stated on the label - this is what you have!)
⭐️ Each grape works together to promote harmony
-pinot noir: balance and structure
-chardonnay: freshness, acidity, age-ability
-meuiner: fruitiness, bridges the gap between the two other grapes and brings balance

Cheers!

10/01/2021

Happy Sunday Funday :) Last night, I enjoyed this Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2017, a red blend from the Rhone Valley in France. An elegant but affordable blend with 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault. Deep purple in color, full-bodied, polished tannins, with lovely hints of black fruit, white pepper, and leather. Remarkable accolades: RP: 95, JD:95+, WS: 93 ...boom! 🌟
Le Vieux Donjon is a fairly new winery, compared to many other European wineries, opened in 1966 by Marcel Michel. Later, the estate was taken over by his daughter Claire, who learn winemaking at a Napa Vinyard, Harlan Estate. Working alongside her brother, this sibling duo makes some killer wines!
Le Vieux Donjon consists of 18 hectares in Southern Rhone: 17 hectares of vines are dedicated to producing red Chateauneuf du Pape grapes and 1 hectare of vines is used for white wine grapes. Most of those vines are nearly 100 years old and 33% of their vines are actually older! I love that this estate will not produce a special high-end wine. It would be easy for them to do, as they have old vines, however, they believe doing so would harm the main blend.
I would love to hear what you sipped this weekend! Let me know below!

30/12/2020

Picking out a bubbly for New Year’s is a big task! 🌟Understanding how it’s made may help in your decision.
The fizz happens when CO2 dissolved in wine is released from a pressurized bottle. There are many different ways that CO2 gets into the bottle, resulting in different characteristics and effervescence:
Traditional Method: The base wine is bottled. Then sugar and yeast are added. The yeast will eventually ferment the sugar creating CO2. The wine is aged on dead yeast (brioche notes baby!) The bottles are turned frequently and at different angles until sediment rests in the neck - a process called “riddling.” Before the final corkage, additional sugar is added! Examples: Wines of the Champagne region! Col Fondo, Cava, Franciacorta.
Charmat Method: Here secondary fermentation is done in a pressurized tank, not a bottle. Yeast and sugar are added directly to the tank. To stop fermentation, they will chill and bottle avoiding the dead yeast (lees - technical term) resulting in a lively sweet and fruity wine. Do you know that bubbly that makes you want to dance? Yup, this is it. Examples: Prosecco & Moscato d’Asti
Ancestral Method: The oldest method! Here wine will be bottled before the 1st fermentation is finished, making this a challenging method where there is less control over the outcome. These wines don’t get riddled so they will have more rustic elements and be hazy in appearance. Also, the bubbles will be softer. This method is gaining popularity in the natural winemaking world but has been used in the Limoux for decades!
Forced Method: Think soda... adding carbonation after the wine is finished. This is used in mass-produced wines because it the most inexpensive method! The bubbles will be noticeably larger compared to other methods!
There you have it. Boom! Pop & serve! More! 😍What will you be drinking at midnight?

13/12/2020

Sometimes I like to treat myself with a special bottle... especially this time of year I seem to splurge a little more! Normally, when I’m going big ... I go Gaja.
This Gaja Sori San Lorenzo 2006 from Langhe did the trick last night! A powerful well balanced wine with lots of depth and layers of dark fruits, leather, to***co and oak.
Most of you have probably heard of Gaja but here are some fun little interesting facts:
The winery was started back in the 17th century with only five acres! Now they have 250 acres, divided into 32 plots and producing 30,000 cases of wine per year.
Gaja is most known for three iconic crus: Costa Russi, Sorì Tildìn, and Sorì San Lorenzo (which I got to enjoy last night).
Angelo Gaja came in in 1961 and is credited for the modern success making Gaja one of the most recognizable wineries in the world. Now it is run by his daughter Gaia.
In 1989, Gaja almost underwent a joint venture with Mondavi but quickly decided it was not a good match and said, “like a mosquito having s*x with an elephant: very dangerous and not so much fun.”
Gaja is know for reds! But, 8 percent of its production is white!
Gaja holds itself to extremely high standards and will sell off vintages in bulk that do not meet theses quality standards.
Gaja has been experimenting in the vineyards in order to stay ahead of climate changes. The family noticed in 1997 that ripeness of the fruit was coming more and more easy and sometimes even to the point of jamminess. The quest to protect acidity and drinkability started. They began to incorporate practices like biodiversity, the use of fungi and plant extracts versus chemicals and new approaches to plant selection.
Who has experienced the greatest of Gaja? I want to hear about what you have had... or saving in your wine collection below!

08/12/2020

Come hang with us this Thursday for our 12 Tastes of Christmas!! 6 courses ... 6 drink pairings 🔥

This Thursday! Only a few seats left! Email [email protected] to secure your reservation today! 🖤🍷☃️

03/12/2020

I’m doing a giveaway! Head over to my Instagram account to enter.

https://www.instagram.com/ifyoupourit/?hl=en
....
🔥MY WINE & SPIRITS HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY STARTS NOW! 🔥
I love to give gifts! This year I am feeling pretty jolly and want to say thank you for the love and support through my adventures! At the same time, I want to show appreciation to all the companies who develop amazing wines, spirits, and products to help amplify our entertainment! Let’s make it fun and do a little contest!! PS. This may be just one of my fun giveaways this month…
WHAT YOU WILL WIN = $450 worth of gifts, including:
Riedel Winewings Tasting Glass Set
Vinglacé Wine Chiller Gift Set
Smith & Devereux 2016 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Mixology & Craft 23-Piece Bar Kit
1 Copy of The 15 Minute Guide to Red Wine & 1 copy of The 15 Minute Guide to White Wine by Jim Laughren, CWE
RULES:
Like & share this post!
2. Follow each one of my friends:





3. Tag 3 wine & spirit lovers!
The winner will be announced Sunday, December 6th, 2020!
Entries must be made by 12 PM CST 12/6/2020. No purchase is necessary. This contest is not affiliated, endorsed or sponsored by Instagram. To enter you must be 21 years or older and have a mailing street address in the United States. Winner will be contacted through direct messages within 24 hours after the announcement of the winner is made through the instagram story feature. Winner must reply back with their email and mailing address within 48 hours. If the winner does not do so, they will forfeit the prizes and a new winner will be selected.