Tag Archives: Rose

We’re popping the bubbly for Christmas brunch!

A memorable Christmas brunch can only be served with bubbly! It’s celebratory, it’s designed to make you grin and we’ll be honest, what other wine can you sip with breakfast that is acceptable?

That’s why for Ann Vogel’s Italian Baked Egg Casserole recipe bubbly is our answer for the perfect wine pairing.

The vegetables included in this recipe have us yearning for a wine with some body to it, which is why we recommend a Rosé or a sparkling Shiraz from Australia.

Roederer Estate Brut Rosé NV ($26) is located in Mendocino and owned by Champagne producer Louis Roederer of Cristal fame. This winery is located in northern California’s cool Anderson Valley.

Its tiny bubbles, biscuit aromas and strawberry-flavored Rosé is a real charmer.

If you’d prefer the sparkling Shiraz from Australia, we recommend Shingleback’s “Black Bubbles” Sparkling Shiraz from McLaren Vale. It’s a blend of several vintages, like most non-vintage bubblies.

This is a darkly colored, deep purple Shiraz. Blackberry and blueberry flavors are lush and sweet and are balanced by the acidity.

For the Spiced Praline French Toast Breakfast Casserole recipe, all that sweetness demands some acidity.

We’ve come to the conclusion the best wine for this dish is a Mimosa. A nice dry Cava from Spain for around $8 and a freshly squeezed juicy orange or tangelo will set this one off nicely.

Or you could bring this celebration to another level by trying this recipe for Morning Glory Mimosa, made with pineapple-flavored vodka. The combination of citrus, bubbles and exotic pineapple have enough acidity and sweetness to cozy up to those praline French toasts.

  • 1 bottle of sparkling wine
  • 1 carton of orange juice
  • Pineapple vodka

Preparation:

Pour 2 ounces of chilled sparkling wine into a Champagne flute and allow bubbles to settle. Pour 2 ounces of orange juice into flute, stir gently. Top with half a shot of pineapple vodka, stir gently.

Merry Christmas!

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What we’re drinking: Commanderie de la Bargemone

Since it’s summer, or at least we’ve seen some days trying to resemble summer, we’ve shifted our drinking preferences to Rose.

For this week’s what we’re drinking post we opted to review a Rose from Brynn’s beloved Aix-en-Provence.

It’s because the wine is from the Coteaux d’Aix en Provence that Brynn bought the bottle while on a recent trip to Whidbey Island’s Langely. Heck it could have been sugar water and she probably would have paid an arm and a leg for it, purely because it was from Aix.

Luckily the Commanderie de la Bargemone, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence 2010 Rose is far from sugar water. Instead it has a nice acidity that shines through on the finish and balances the hints of sweetness that are noticed on the mid palate.

The color is a beautiful pale pink, looking more like a pink rose kissed the clear juice, leaving the faintest remnants of its pale pink color.

This is a versatile wine that can match any food pairing, but would also be perfect to sip on a hot afternoon or on the porch during sunset.

We snacked on fresh green beans from Mary’s garden and a block of cheddar cheese from Fred Meyer while trying this wine. Both went well with the Rose, showing its versatility.

Here’s Mary’s thoughts on the wine:

“I was surprised at the initial sweetness of it. The color is what the French would term, ‘eye of the partridge.’ It has this most wonderful fragrance of flowers. It’s amazing to me that you get such weight and body in this wine. When you look at it you think it’s kind of that insipid color, but it has so much flavor and aroma and body. It’s a nice acidity too.

“It’s a perfect French wine.”

Here’s what the winemaker says about the wine:

“Offering classic aromas of wild strawberries and red currants, with a light floral character and a crisp, bone-dry palate, this is a rose of reference, to be enjoyed year-round on its own or with a wide range of lighter fare and Provence-inspired cuisine.”

Amen.

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