Tasting wine when it is 100 degrees outside is not easy!
Not everyone can do it!
But what if everything is already planned? The true wine lover cannot back down!

It's the second time we're wine swinging in such hot weather. And the challenging part is that we have to stay outside due to state regulations related to the virus.

Here we found ourselves asking for ice and water. Our red wine warmed up fast outside. Ann's when red wine is too warm, it can come across as flat and flabby. We had to cool them down and we improvised by creating an ice bucket in a plastic cup.

Also drinking lots of cold water and sipping the wine kept us cool and happy about our wine trip!

A couple of really hot days!
And we are watching our sauvignon blanc growing.
Fingers crossed, we are going to have some grapes to eat this season.

How are you saying goodbye to summer this weekend?
We got together with our friends for a backyard movie night. We watched Charlie Chaplin and shared some wine from our collection.

Our friends shared the 2014 Rouge de Moraine of Chelan Ridge winery they brought from their last visit to Lake Chelan of Washington.
Rouge the Moraine is a Bordeaux inspired blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc and 18% Merlot. It's produced by Chelan Ridge, a boutique winery from Lake Chelan wine region of Washington.

In a glass, it's a classic bouquet of black currant, green bell pepper, blackberry, and a hint of dark chocolate and smoke. Overall, it's a good example of a Bordeaux blend from Lake Chelan AVA.
Interestingly, despite 14.8% alcohol, it didn't feel like heavy wine thanks to balanced acidity.

Comparing Macon Wines

In this episode we are wine swinging with two Chardonnays from the Mâconnais region located in southern Bourgogne: 2018 Macon-Lugny Les Charmes and 2017 Domaine Le Virolys Macon Villages

2016 Beyond Ordinary

South African industry is on the verge of collapse due to an alcohol sales ban since the start of the coronavirus epidemic, and export is the only way wineries might survive. We got 2016 Beyond Ordinary Red to support African winemakers the best way we can - by drinking their wine.

2016 Beyond Ordinary is a classic Bordeaux blend of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petite Verdot and 5% Malbec. It's produced by Spier - a well respected South African producer with a long history of winemaking.

It's a full-bodied wine with sensible acidity and well-balanced tannin. True to the blend, we smelled black currant, cassis, plum, baking spice, and cedar.

We tasted ripe black currant, cherry, black plum, and dark chocolate in the lengthy aftertaste.

2016 Beyond Ordinary has all the hallmark features of a good Bordeaux bottle, and it landed on our "Best Value Wines" under $20 list. We liked it more than most 2016 Bordeaux we tasted this year. Interestingly, some of those Bordeauxs were substantially more expensive.

In support of South African winemakers, we strive to buy a bottle of their wine per week since we learned about the ban. African winemakers produce a wide range of world-class wines that can satisfy most tastes, including Cap Classique (Traditional) Sparkling for bubble lovers, and legendary Vin de Constance for dessert wines aficionados. Many bottles present tremendous value as well when compared to Old World and American wines.

As we were writing this post, the ban on alcohol was lifted. We think it's an even better reason to pick South African wine.  That's a perfect way to celebrate this great news.

2020 Rosé from South Africa

Did you know that wine sales are banned in South African due to COVID-19?

In the US, wineries that sell directly to consumers through their tasting rooms or to restaurants face an existential threat. On the other hand, the mass-production wineries are doing great because they sell wines through retail stores and wine stores selling out like it's Christmas time. We wonder why? (wink, wink)

They got it way worse in South Africa. People cannot buy or sell wine at all due to a ban on alcohol sales. Good thing that SA producers can still export the wine. It also means we can get some good deals on wine from South Africa.

In support of their winemakers, we picked a "fresh from the press"  2020 Spier Rosé. How come it's 2020 if our grapes are still green in Europe and the US?

Keep in mind that on the other side of the equator, seasons are in reverse. Their harvest starts at the end of winter and goes through the spring.

2020 Spier Rosé is a rather uncommon blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir.

In the glass, it's almost like an orange wine with its pale copper color. Aromas are a combination of apple, cherry, and peach. On the palate, it's a dry Rosé with strawberry and peach dominating the flavor profile. It's a bit creamy too.

We are very impressed with the quality of this wine, and it reminded us of Oregon Pinot Noir Rose from Willamette Valley. It's what we expect from a good quality Rosé: aromatic and flavorful. Frankly, at $13, we might prefer 2020 Spier Rosé over some more expensive wines of Willamette Valley of Oregon most days. It can kick the butt of similarly priced Provence Rosés as well!

Two fantastic recipes we tried this weekend! And they are very simple!

Grilled veggies for the picnic can be cooked right before the picnic, or even prepared ahead of time.

And the secret is in the marinade!

Gilled veggies marinade dressing is poured over veggies right after you grilled them. Not before! Then let it stand for a while. The vegetables taste perfect the next day, too!

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp Agave Syrup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 tsp lemon pepper spice mix

Portobello mushrooms marinade is actually good to marinate mushrooms before grilling, but they are also perfect to eat the next day!

4 large portobello mushrooms
1/5 cup quality balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp tamari sauce or soy sauce
2 tbsp garlic, chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Our friends and we enjoyed these vegetables with wine (see the previous post) and other appetizers. And we are going to make it again!

Did you know that there is an awesome sauce that used instead of ketchup in one of the Southern European countries?
Why do we talk about the sauce on a wine blog?
Because the sauce comes from a wine country famous for queri - one of the oldest winemaking techniques in the world. Some even say it's a birthplace of winemaking.

The name of the sauce is Tkemali, and it is based on sour plums.
That's right - plums.

In Georgia, people eat Tkemali with meat, veggies, and everything else. One of us had a chance to taste the authentic Tkemali in Georgia, and that is why we decided to make it home.
Besides, it's a plum season. So why not?!
We used two types of plums for the sauce. Although it's not the exact varieties, but they are close enough for the experiment.
With some " molecular" kitchen chemistry (just kidding) the sauce came out really good. We had to experiment to get the flavor profile right.
We were pretty happy with the results. The fist taste run was with pan-fried rockfish and French fries. Because we used Italian herbs to spice up the fish, we paired the dinner with Pinot Grigio (swipe to see the label).
For some reason, the fish was gone from our plates before we realized we didn't take any pictures of it.
Luckily, we made enough Tkemali to taste it with different dishes and wines. One of the ideas was to pair it with cheese, and it worked (swipe to see the photo).

Like most sauces, Tkemali isn't that photogenic,  but what it lacks in visual appeal, Tkemali makes up with its flavor. Trust us, you want to try it!