Whine & Wine: Whites

Happy holidays, mes chéries! With Hanukkah kicking off and Christmas and Kwanzaa right around the corner, traffic is abysmal and so is my road rage. My days back home have been filled with zooming between the gym, errands, Starbucks, Costco… Don’t even get me started on the mall. Being back in Jersey reminds me of how people really love embracing the whole “You drive like you’re from Jersey!” thing. Between that and impending holiday parties I am apparently now “hosting” with my mom, I think I’m going to keel over before the new year hits.

Luckily for me, there is nothing that can take the edge off a day in my life as a #localmom like a glass of wine. Whether it’s at dinner, with dessert, or at the next holiday shindig my mother dearest throws at our house, I will be preoccupied as a self-named wine connoisseur by the bar. Translation: I will be “testing” out every bottle someone brings until the endless questions about my plans for post-graduation and why I don’t have a boyfriend don’t seem so painful anymore.

Without further ado, I bring you the second Whine & Wine in the series!

Whites:

Moscato: Oh Moscato. She’s the basic bitch of all the wines but a young girl’s classic! Sweet, fruity, and great when alone or paired with dessert

• Barefoot (if you hate yourself and don’t want wine to taste like wine)
• Yellowtail (if you just plain hate yourself)
• Middle Sister
• Robert Mondavi Moscato
• Voss (cool glass bottle with a gold cap)
• La Sirena Moscato Azul
• Risata Moscato D’Asti (Italy)
• Bartenura Moscato

Sauvignon Blanc: a very “green” wine with hints of limes and green fruits, often shows hints of different flavors such as apples, pears, melon, or mango, some have stronger and smokier accents, often has an herbal character that makes it a great pairing for seafood dishes, chicken, and salads

• AOC Touraine Sauvignon Blanc Chateau Gaillard

• Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc (2011)
• Geyser Peak
• Charles Shaw Blend (Trader Joe’s)
• Beckman Vineyards
• Jean-Paul Picard Sancerre
• Robert Mondavi
• Cloudy Bay
• Voss Vineyards

Pinot Grigio: a crisp and dry wine, rich and complex with a wide range of different notes of different fruits, lighter bodies, fresh fruit and stone aromas, slightly spicy, goes well with almost anything

• Beringer
• Chateau St. Michelle
• Vini
• Willamette Valley Vineyards
• Swanson Vineyards
• Alois Lageder “Porer”
• Middle Sister
• Voga
• Charles Shaw Blend (Trader Joe’s)

Chardonnay: velvetier, richer, citrus flavors, softer and creamier if aged in oak but lighter and more acidic if not, notes of apricot, pineapple, lemon, apples, mango, vanilla, butter, great with fish and poultry dishes

• Au Contraire
• Crossbarn
• Dunning Vineyards
• Ponzi, Aurora Vineyards
• Savage Grace, Celilo Vineyards

Riesling: much lighter than chardonnay, fresh, heavy in the fruit aromas such as pear, apple, nectarine, and peach, can be bone-dry or sweet, pairs well with fish (in Asian cuisines), pork, poultry, spicy Indian dishes, and naturally sweet vegetables

• Cloudy Bay
• Chateau Ste. Michelle
• Standing Stone Vineyards
• Washington Hills
• Cono Sur
• Kendall-Jackson

Next, we’ll be diving into the 5 C’s of wine tasting followed with exploring the pinks and my favorite… *champagne.* Until then, grab the bottle when no one is looking, don’t make eye contact with the nosy aunt, and find a hiding spot. Cheers to the holiday season, mes chéries!

 

-E.