A roundup of some of my favorite things from the week.
I really have no idea how it’s already Friday! Between a quick trip to NYC on Tuesday and my husband traveling the rest of the week the days have flown by. That being said, I did manage to capture a few favorite moments.
WINE
1998 Gloria Ferrer, Carneros Cuvée, Vintage Sparkling Wine
Carneros, California
12% abv | current vintage, 2001, $60 (I purchased this bottle a few years ago, price unknown)
Last week was a big week for my husband and I, and we decided to reward ourselves (naturally) with some delicious celebratory bubbles. This bottle has been sitting in our cellar since we ended our wine club membership with Gloria Ferrer before moving to Connecticut. It is one of the top wines produced at this winery located in the Carneros region of Sonoma, CA.
In general, most non-vintage (NV) sparkling wines are not meant to age. The job of the producer is to cellar it until it’s ready to be released with the goal of making a “house style blend” – something that tastes familiar year after year. Therefore it is usually recommended to drink those wines within a couple years of release date (or sooner), because they are not intended to improve with age. Vintage wines are generally the exception. Vintage wines are not blended with other years (and if they are it is a very small amount), nor are they intended to taste similar to wines past. They are intended to reflect the qualities of that very specific year.
Many producers will only produce a vintage specific sparkling wine in the best of years and conditions. This is the philosophy that drives the production of Gloria Ferrer’s Carneros Cuvée. Considered their Tête de Cuvée, this wine is meant to represent the best fruit from their estate vineyards and reflect the winemaker’s art of blending. Only produced in select vintages this wine is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Each bottle comes with a leather tag identifying important dates for the wine. In this case, the grapes were harvested in 1998, triaged (i.e. when the wine is capped with a mix of yeast and sugar ready to undergo secondary fermentation and aging on the lees) on 02/19/99, and disgorged (where the yeasts are finally removed and the wine received its dosage, and is finally corked) on 02/01/08. This wine was then released over 11 years after harvest! I’ve had it resting in my cellar for at least 4 years.
This extended aging gives this wine complex and deeply intriguing yeasty baked bread, brioche, and hazelnut aromas. In addition to these aromas, that are consistent with quality Champagne, the wine is richly enhanced by beautifully aromatic black cherry notes. The mouth is further intensified with fine yet still lively bubbles and a long finish. Jancis Robinson would be disappointed at me for using this word, but this is a very sexy wine.
TRAVEL, FOOD and some more WINE
On Tuesday I attended a seminar and tasting of several wines from the Codorníu Raventós portfolio in New York, including some of their top sparkling wines. It was a ridiculously gorgeous day to be in NYC and even better to begin the day with a flight of beautiful bubbles. I look forward to writing up the highlights from this enlightening event.
Traveling to NYC for a day trip, however, can be taxing. It requires a three-hour commute (each way!) for me. So by the time I returned home I was tired and in no mood to think of anything for dinner. Lucky for me my husband planned everything out in advance (unbeknownst to me) and had prepared a wholesome home cooked meal, al fresco. It was 75 degrees after all – we had to eat outside. He followed a recipe we came up with together, incorporating leftover Kettle Chip crumbs, BBQ sauce, and pork tenderloin (one of his favorite things to smoke). The combination of the crunchy chips, rich sauce, and smoke infusion is unique and quite delicious! Try this people! You’ll thank me, and you’ll think twice before throwing away leftover Kettle Chip crumbs again.
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin
- ½ cup Cheddar Beer Kettle Chips – ground in processer or crushed finely
- ½ cup dry rub (mix of brown sugar, touch of oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder)
- 2 tbsp mustard
- 1 cup BBQ sauce for basting
Instructions
- About four hours pre-cooking, rinse pork loin in cold water and pat dry completely
- Combine the dry rub and ground Kettle chips
- Coat pork loin with mustard
- Apply generous portions of the dry rub blend, reserve a small amount to mix with the BBQ sauce
- Refrigerate
- Pre heat smoker to 250 degrees (I used hickory and oak wood)
- Bring pork tenderloin to room temp (about 20 minutes or so) and put onto smoker
- Combine the reserved dry rub/chip mixture with your basting (BBQ) sauce
- Smoke for approximately 2 hours, and every 30 minutes apply a coating of the basting sauce (likely you will do this three times total)
- Once internal temp is 160 degrees remove from heat and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes for moisture to redistribute
- Cut and serve immediately
- You should get a nice mahogany color from the basting sauce and a nice slight crunch from the chips infused with the dry rub
- Serve with your favorite BBQ side dish
*notes, you must once again forgive me for my photos. I still haven’t replaced my broken camera. Please be patient and stand by with these poor iPhone photos until I get my new camera. Hopefully soon! Mother’s Day perhaps???
Wine Pairing
On my way home from NYC I stopped by the store to pick up a bottle of this:
2012 Charles & Charles Rosé
Columbia Valley, Washington
12.9% abv | $12 (purchased), but you can find it as low as $10 throughout the country!
I needed something already cold and my wine store only had a few options. The other wines were too light for this meal. I was actually afraid this rosé would be a bit too big for my taste, but we were having smoked pork tenderloin after all. It ended up being a fantastic pairing.
The blend is mostly Syrah (81%), with the remaining coming from Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Grenache. Bright red cherry and strawberry fruit (but not sour or sugary sweet), fresh and slightly minerally, yet bold, and perfect for pork. If you’re barbequing this summer, this is definitely a rosé to consider. Refreshing enough for hot weather, but bold enough to stand up to smoked or grilled meats! *Great Value*
Find out more here
LIFESTYLE
Up until yesterday (when the thunder rolled and the rain and humidity came in) we experienced near perfect weather here in Connecticut. Mid 70 degree weather graced us for almost a week straight and I was finally able to dust off my favorite pair of shoes for the first time since last fall.
Some women fantasize about designer stilettos — I dream of these.
When it comes to shoes I’m easy to please. A pair of $25 Teva flip flops is all I need to get me through the summer months. I buy a new pair every year, usually black (boring I know!). I’ve decided to add a little color to my wardrobe this summer and acquire a pair in my favorite shade (red). I told you, I’m easy to please, which is why my motto is “give me some sunshine and a glass of bubbles and I’m a happy girl”. Add on some flip-flops and I’m ecstatic. They may not be the sexiest shoes around, but they are the most comfortable!
What about you?
Any favorites on your list for the week? I’d love to hear from you!
Why I write these Friday Favorite Posts
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Previous Friday Favorite Posts
- Friday Favorites — First Edition
- Friday Favorites — Homecoming Edition
- Friday Favorites — Guilty Pleasures
- Friday Favorites — Bubbles, Brisket, and Ice Cream
- Friday Favorites — Gratitude
- Friday Favorites — Mom Time
- Friday Favorites — Sweet Moscato, Ribs, Nemo, and Toddler Mishaps
