Monday, August 26, 2013

Wine Review: Mommy's Time Out Rose`Wine Delicious Pink

Mommy's Time Out Delicious Pink is a wine that is great for moms who want a wine with a low alcohol content. The Delicious Pink has a 9.5 % alcohol content. So, you will be relaxed, and not buzzed. Mommy's need a time out , because we are moms,  and our jobs are never done. 

 I also love the name chosen from this wine line from Italy. Moms do need a time out; I know I do! Wine is a great way to relax with friends and just interact with grown ups. We love our children, but we need to have a little "time out" to have some fun.

This wine is a light pink color. The nose is filled with a delicate aroma of ripe strawberries. This wine is very fruit forward, and a wine that would be a great wine for the new wine drinker. The palate has those same berry flavors, primarily strawberries. It is easy to sip, with or without food. There is enough residual sugar to please the ladies who like a little sweetness. It is a wine to keep on hand so you will have something to please all your guests. I just don't feel that I am a good hostess if their is not a wine that everyone can enjoy.

So many women ask me these questions about wine, "Is it dry or have that "taste" meaning tannins when they call me, looking for a wine in a wine shop or grocery store. I ask them what they are looking for? This wine is a wine for the ladies who like a fruity wine that looks pretty, taste fruity, and won't have them buzzed!

I would pair this wine with chicken and pork skewers with a sweet glaze.
Also fresh goat cheese on a French baguette would pair well with this wine, especially Purple Haze goat cheese. Anything with a bit of bacon or prosciutto would work well with this wine. Here is a recipe to try with this wine. Try it and tell me what you think! Note: This wine was a sample provided for review. SRP $9.99 http://www.mommystimeout.net/#!mommys-time-out/c24i2

Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps

Serves: 12-15 appetizer servings

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
1 (1 pound) package of sliced bacon
1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Dredge chicken into mixture, then wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden tooth pick. Coat a rack and broiler with nonstick kitchen spray. Place chicken on rack in broiler pan. Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Note: You can also use a baking pan lined with release foil paper if you don't own a rack. With this method you may need to let the chicken wraps drain on paper towels before putting them on your serving platter.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Wine Review: Silkbush 2012 Viognier, South Africa

 
 
Let me first say as an Oenophile, wine writer, wine blogger, I was  surprised by this wine. I must admit, I've never been a fan of Viognier. But this wine has made a me a believer that a great Viognier can be made. I am so used to the over honeyed Viognier's with a bit too much residual sugar for my palate. This South African wine is what I call "a genie in a bottle." In most cases when I review a wine, I have some idea about how the wine will actually taste. This one was a surprise. It was kind of like the television commercial for pork being said to be "the other white meat." I say this because this wine is a style of Viognier that is truly special. It is like the "other white wine." The wine really reminded me of a Sauvignon Blanc, which was a sheer delight for me. I love Sauvignon Blanc's flavor profile and how well it pairs with food.
 
This wine is a light straw color, with aromas of melon, a bit of honey, and notes of stone fruit like peaches on the nose. The same aromas from the nose were the same fruit and honey flavors found on the palate.The mouth feel was round , which is in keeping with the style of Viognier. The finish had some faint herbal notes and lemon zest. There is just the right amount of acidity to pair well with food.
 
I love the fact that it has a screw cap. I poured a bit of the wine to sample it alone. Then I put it back in the fridge. I decided based on the flavor profile of this wine that I could pair it with a small bite, having specific flavors in mind. So, I created a bread cup by taking a slice of white bread, and using a biscuit cutter cut out a circle, about 5 inches. I then rolled the circle out pretty thin, but not so thin that it would crack. I brushed California olive oil on both sides and put the three rounds in a 12 count mini muffin pan. You have to ease the bread in the mini muffin pan gently.
 
I had pre-heated the oven to 350 degrees and baked them until they were a golden brown, or until they looked like they would be brown enough to be a little crispy. After the bread cups were cool. I added about a teaspoon or so of fresh goat cheese, a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes, about 1/2 teaspoon of Smucker's  brand Apricot preserves on top and finished the three small bites with crumbled bacon. I actually tried one with fig preserves and two with Apricot preserves. The Apricot was the best pairing. I think the stone fruit flavors found in the wine, and the acidity worked so well with the fresh goat cheese. And well bacon makes everything taste good!  I did not write this in a recipe format because it is so easy to make. You can also use the ingredients and create a crostini if you don't want to make the bread cups. You can also purchase Athens brand fillo cups, and just bake them off and add the ingredients listed above in the same order.
 
This wine would also pair well with seafood like crab cakes, shrimp, fish and apricot glazed chicken or pork skewers. I would also pair it with fresh goat cheese or a semi-firm goat cheese called Garrotxa http://www.artisanalcheese.com/Garrotxa/productinfo/10239/.
 
Note: This wine was a sample provided by Silkbush Mountain Vineyards http://cape-ardor.com. SRP $16.99
You can also visit http://silkbush.com