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Bouvet Brut Rosé

Attributes:

Producer:

Bouvet

Region:

France

Varietal:

Sparkling Rose

Bottle Size:

750 ML

NV: WineSpectator Rating: 82

Body:

light

Flavors:

cinnamon, strawberry

NV: Tastings Rating: 86

Acidity:

clean, lively

Body:

medium-bodied

Texture:

creamy, delicate

Food Matches:

Cheese: Blue Cheese, Dry Jack Cheese, Mozzarella, Sharp Cheddar
Fish or Shellfish: Grilled Salmon, Shellfish (scallops, clams, crab, lobster, shrimp, etc...), Tuna Nicoise Salad
Herbs & Spices: Anise, Fennel Seed, Tarragon, Ginger
Pasta & Grains: (Grilled) Tofu, Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Sauces, Pasta with Pesto, Pasta with Truffles
Poultry & Eggs: Duck Confit, Game Birds, Roast Chicken with Herbs, Roast Turkey
Red Meat: Barbeque Pulled-Pork or Ribs, Curried Beef, Curried Lamb, Curried Pork, Ham, Hamburgers, Pork w/Fruit Sauce
Sauces: Oil-based Sauce
Vegetables: Avocado, Bruschetta, Caesar Salad, Leafy Greens, Lentil Salad, Nicoise Salad, Roasted Sweet Peppers, Root Vegetables, Salad, Vegetable Gratin or Stew

France:

France is the standard bearer for all the world’s wines, with regard to the types of grapes that are used to make wine and with the system of defining and regulating winemaking. Its Appellation d’Origine Controlee, or AOC system, is the legislative model for most other European countries. Most French wines are named after places. The system is hierarchical; generally the smaller and more specific the region for which a wine is named, the higher its rank. There are four possible ranks of French wine, and each is always stated on the label: Appellation Contrôlée (or AOC), Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (or VDQS); Vin de pays, or country wine; and Vin de table. France has five major wine regions, although there are several others that make interesting wines. The three major regions for red wine are Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhone; for white wines, the regions are Burgundy, the Loire and Alsace. Each region specialized in certain grape varieties for its wines, based on climate, soil, and local tradition. Two other significant French wine regions are Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, both in the south of France. Cahors, in the southwest of the country, produces increasingly good wines.


Sparkling Rose:

Sparking roses from the US

Domaine de la Vougeraie Les Marconnets Premier Cru

Attributes:

Producer:

Domaine de la Vougeraie

Region:

Savigny-Lès-Beaune, France

Varietal:

Pinot Noir

Bottle Size:

750 ML

2003: WineAdvocate Rating: 88

Body:

medium-bodied

2003: Tanzer Rating: 86

Flavors:

black cherry, cherries, new oak, waxy

Fruit:

juicy, sweet

2002: Tanzer Rating: 86-88

Acidity:

fat

Flavors:

cherry, leather, licorice, raspberry, red fruits, smoke

Fruit:

juicy, sweet

2000: Tanzer Rating: 88

Acidity:

fresh, lively

Flavors:

cherry, cola, mocha, sassafras, smoke, spice

Fruit:

juicy

Food Matches:

Desserts: Cheesecake, Custards, Créme Brulee, Ginger-flavored
Fish or Shellfish: Pan-fried Trout, Smoked Salmon
Herbs & Spices: Cayenne, Chili Powder, Curry
Poultry & Eggs: Foie Gras, Game Birds, Roast Turkey
Red Meat: Ham, Pork w/Sauerkraut
Sauces: White Wine Sauce
Spicy Food: Chili Seafood, Curry Dishes, Mexican & South American, Pad Thai, Szechuan
Vegetables: Onion Tart

Pinot Noir:

(pee noh nwahr)—A tricky grape to grow, Pinot Noir makes some of the best wines in the world. The prototype wine is red Burgundy from France but Oregon, California, New Zealand, and parts of Australia also produce good Pinot Noir. The wine is lighter in color than Cabernet or Merlot with relatively high alcohol, medium-to-high acidity, and medium-to-low tannin. Its flavors and aromas can be very fruity or earthy and woodsy, depending on how it is grown. It is rarely blended with other grapes.

Matthieu De Brully Chassagne-Montrachet

Attributes:

Producer:

Matthieu De Brully

Region:

Chassagne-Montrachet, France

Varietal:

Chardonnay

Bottle Size:

750 ML

Food Matches:

Cheese: Brie, Gouda
Fish or Shellfish: Catfish, Dover Sole, Red Snapper, Tilapia, Walleye, Escargot, Mussels with Cream Sauce, Salmon / Trout, Bluefish and Mackerel, Sea Bass, Shellfish (scallops, clams, crab, lobster, shrimp, etc...)
Herbs & Spices: Anise, Fennel Seed, Tarragon, Basil, Curry, Ginger, Nutmeg, Mace, Allspice, Saffron, Thyme
Poultry & Eggs: Chicken or Turkey, Roast Game Hen
Sauces: White Wine Sauce

Chardonnay:

(shar dohn nay)—This noble grape’s reputation was established in France, particularly in the Burgundy region, and the highly prized Chardonnay wines from Chablis, Mâcon, Mersault, and Pouilly-Fuissé are imitated by winemakers around the world. Generally an oaked wine (whether from expensive oak barrels or a quick soak in oak chips), its fruity aromas and flavors range from apple in the cooler regions to tropical fruits such a pineapple in the warmer regions. It can also display subtle earthy aromas, such as mushroom or minerals. It has a medium to high acidity and is generally full-bodied. Classical Chardonnay wines are dry. Chardonnay is also an important grape in the Champagne district where it's picked before fully ripe and while it still has high acid and understated fruit flavors—the perfect combination for champagne. California has adopted this grape with a fervor and there are some 200 wineries producing Chardonnay wines in other parts of the United States. Chardonnay has also seen a tremendous planting surge in Australia, and new vineyards are being planted in Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Spain, and South Africa.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Rated

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp plus 1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1-1/2 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature
1-3/4 cups pumpkin puree, at room temperature
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
6 eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat an oven to 325°F (165°C). Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Cover the outside (bottom and sides) of a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side out. Butter the inside of the pan and set aside.

In a bowl stir together the cracker crumbs, the 3 tablespoons sugar and the ginger. Stir and toss while gradually adding the melted butter. Continue to stir and toss until well mixed. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the inside of the pan to reach 1-3/4 - 2 inches (about 5 cm) up the sides. Chill for 30 minutes.

Place the cream cheese in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat until light and fluffy, 2 - 3 minutes. Slowly add the 1 cup (8 oz - 250 g) sugar while continuously beating; occasionally scrape down the bowl sides. Add the pumpkin, orange zest, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl sides. Using a rubber spatula stir slowly to dispel some of the bubbles.

Pour the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake until the top is lightly puffed all over, 60 - 70 minutes. The center may be slightly underset; it will firm up during cooling. Cool on a wire rack, then remove the foil and pan sides and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, you may want to carefully slip the chilled cake onto a large, flat serving plate if you have one.

Yield

Serves 6 - 8 with leftovers