the wine keys
keys to the world of wine
+ spirits, beer, coffee, tea, & food
wine keys (tips)
keys to unlock the world of wine​
+ spirits, beer, food
wine
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Enjoy earthy aromas in wines? Pop a syrah from Rhone Valley, a sangiovese from Tuscany, or a tempranillo from Toro.
Try Ice Wine! It is made in cold weather from grapes that have frozen on the vine and are pressed just after harvest while still frozen.
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Spanish Cava works really well in Mimosas. Cheers!
Warm up some Glühwein, a German spiced mulled wine, for a special cold-weather treat.
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Confused by fortified wines? Port’s rich flavors add depth to red meat dishes. Sherry’s nutty flavors work well in soups. Marsala’s medium flavors make great versatile marinades and sauces. All 3 are good to sip.
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Try a Rhone Red Hermitage (Syrah) or White Hermitage (Marsanne and Roussane) for a special touch.
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A reader's question: Please suggest a couple of great $15 Washington bottles. Sure, I'm a huge Washington State wine fan! Charles Smith TheVelvet Devil and Treveri Cellars Blanc de Blancs (meaning white wine from white grapes).
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Not feeling cake for your birthday? Enjoy a Sauternes instead. I put this to the test for my birthday and it made for a decadent evening!
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March is ‘Taste Washington Wine Month’. If you would like to experience a bit of the fabulous world of Washington Wine, try one of my favorites, TenetWines The Pundit Syrah or Chateau Ste Michelle Dry Riesling.
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Rosés are generally made for same-year consumption, so rather than holding on to that beautiful bottle, drink now! Can’t go wrong with a chilled bottle of Hampton Water.
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At-home movie night? Pair a Coppola movie and a Coppola wine Refrigerate a red wine 20 minutes before serving to take the wine from room temperature to drinking temperature.
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Fun idea for at-home night. Sophia canned bubbles!
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Label decoding -- For a sweeter wine, look for sec, demi-sec, doux on the label. For less sweetness/residual sugar, look for dry or brut. Keep in mind that brut is less sweet than dry.
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I promote trying new wines on a regular basis, but it’s also a great idea to keep a few bottles of people-pleasing and cost-efficient wines on hand as your ‘house wines’ for consistent results. Vouvray and Nero d’Avola are perfect choices.
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Did you know that there are approximately 10,000 varieties of grapes? Let that inspire you to branch out and try new ones frequently. Perhaps try a French Aligoté or a German Dornfelder?
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Back when wine bottles were hand blown, the indention in the bottom (punt) was pushed in to ensure the bottom didn’t have a bump outward and could stand securely.
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Pair beautiful summer days with beautiful Gewurztraminer from Alsace, France (Gewürztraminer in German, with the umlaut). This pink-skinned grape makes a golden-colored wine with intense aromas led by lychee. Although Alsace climate allows for its greatest expression, Germany and the US Pacific Northwest are also well suited for this grape.
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The majority of wine is made from European grape species. Try a fruity delicious bottle of the Norton grape, the state grape of Missouri and native to the US.
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Feeling celebratory? 2009 growing season was a little warmer in Champagne, France, which made for an excellent Pinot Noir harvest. Pair a Pinot Noir Champagne with roasted almonds for a special treat.
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Champagne, France 2020 harvest was both the earliest on record and of high quality. Although it will be a few years before we can sip these beauties, take time to learn more about the Champagne production process and time line by following what promises to be a very good year for wines from this region.
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Barolo too pricy for a weeknight meal? Try the same grape bottled under a different name. Nebbiolo, Ghemme, Gattinara, Barbaresco and Barolo are all made from the nebbiolo grape and have different price points, and they all pair very well with bruschetta. Buon appetito!
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Franciacorta is a traditional-method (2nd fermentation in bottle) sparkling Italian must-taste wine. Beautiful bubbles.
A syrah from Languedoc is always a good idea.
spirits
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Japanese whisky (no ‘e’) is smoky and often contains peat-dried malted barley like Scotch.
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Warm up with whiskey! Bourbon is a whiskey that must contain min 51% corn, distilled max 160 proof, stored max 125 proof in charred new oak barrels, bottled min 80 proof, must not contain additives, must be made in USA.
Visit Whidbey Distellery. When I visited them on the island, they were gracious to give an unrushed tour and explanation of their process and the products are outstanding.
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Finger lime beads are delicious stirred into margaritas or sprinkled onto guacamole.
Topo Chico hard seltzers are fun and light for afternoon sippers.
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beer​
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Beer drinker that would like to try wines? Start with a Sparkling Cava or a Beaujolais.
Make beer cheese with these combos: pilsner/mild cheese (Oaxaca, Gruyère), lager/rich cheese (fontina, gorgonzola), stout/pungent cheese (Limburger, kaseri), hoppy/bleu. Add Raclette or cream cheese to boost silky texture.
cooking​
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Should you cook with wine, which is acidic, in cast iron cookware? Yes, if wine is included with non-acidic ingredients or if using wine to briefly deglaze a pan.
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Here’s a fitting lineup to pair with meals that include a variety of dishes: Beaujolais Nouveau (French red), Pinot Noir (French red), Pecorino (Italian white), Cava (Spanish sparkling white).
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Elevate home meals by cooking with wine. Merlot is a good option for adding flavors to brown sauces and stews. Unoaked Chardonnay to add acidity to cream sauces and soups. The wine used in the recipe will also pair well with the dish.
pairing​
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Garlic-focused dishes need an acidic wine, such as Vernaccia (Italy).
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Wondering what to sip while simmering a garam masala curry? A Gewürztraminer’s floral notes or a Chenin Blanc’s stone fruit notes are both perfect. Pinot Gris and off-dry Riesling are also good choices.
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Starting a chowder? For creamy chowder, chill a bottle of Côte de Beaune, an oaked Chardonnay from France. For spicy chowder, choose Fino Sherry, a fortified dry white wine from Spain.
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Going veggie? Pop the cork on a bottle of unoaked Chablis or Gamay (light-bodied red) and serve both at 45F/7C (or about 20 minutes out of the cooler before serving) to further your fresh theme.
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Which wines pair with tacos? Great options: spicy tacos-Syrah, veggie tacos -Grüner Veltliner, fish tacos - Albariño, fried avocado tacos - Sparkling, beef tacos - Grenache, chicken tacos -Pinot Noir.
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Pairings for fresh fruits: Pinot Noir with dark berries, Pinot Grigio with citrus, Chardonnay with stone fruits. Rather open one bottle for many fruits? Champagne will do the trick!
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A chilled and fruity Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand is perfect for summer outdoor eating and pairs particularly well with salads and fruits.
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A few pairing ideas for cheese lovers: Brie & sparkling, goat cheese & sauvignon blanc, cheddar & cabernet sauvignon, Asiago and riesling, Parmigiano-Reggiano and syrah.
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Pair a bold syrah (or Champagne!) with dark chocolate for a decadent treat.
glassware​
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Chill glassware before filling with white wine? A chilled glass could frost when removed and add unwelcome moisture to the wine, so I don't advise chilling.
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The best glass to show off sparkling wine is smooth, except for one crafted imperfection etched into the bottom of the flute. Bubbles cling to the imperfection and float up from there making one thin beautiful stream of bubbles. Cheers!
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Proper glassware really does make a positive difference. If you’d rather not buy a variety of specific glasses, try an oversized tulip glass which works beautifully for enhancing your enjoyment of both red and white wines.
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Clean and polish glasses thoroughly before filling. Mineral deposits, detergent residue and dust particles on the glass surfaces catch and release the CO2 from sparkling wine making it flat more quickly.
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The best way to clean wine glasses? Hand wash, thoroughly rinse, dry, then polish with a microfiber cloth to remove any traces of detergent to make them sparkle!
serving / storage
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Use a two prong wine opener to remove a damaged cork. Slip the prongs on either side between the cork and glass, then turn and pull gently.
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Leftover wine? Spray a little argon gas in the bottle to form a barrier against the oxygen in the air and drink the rest in the next 3 days.
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Aerating and decanting are not the the same. Bottle top aerators expose wine to more air than normal pouring does. Decanters both expand the wine’s surface area for more air exposure and allow sediment to separate and settle.
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Store wine bottles on sides to keep the cork from drying and shrinking and letting in excess air that will negatively affect the wine.
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Toss a handful of salt into your bucket of ice water to chill wine quickly.
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Tutorial on a few wine bottle size options. 750ml is a regular size bottle of wine and yields five 5-ounce glasses, a demi or a half is 375 ml and yields 2.5 glasses of 5-ounce pours, a split or piccolo is 187.5 mL and one nice-sized 6-ounce glass of wine.
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Don’t judge a wine by its closure. Natural corks, synthetic corks and screw tops all have solid advantages. It’s not an indication of the wine’s quality, but about what’s best for each bottling.
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When purchasing a wine cooler, look for separate compartments to long-term store whites @ 55F/13C and reds at 65F/18C, the warmest of each range by grape color. Before pouring, boost wines that require a few degrees cooler serving temperature with a short stint in refrigerator.
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Partial bottle of wine? Repour Wine Saver and Coravin are two tools I use to solve this issue.