Rebel Rose

Thank you everyone for picking up the mantle! I've been distracted with family medical emergencies and PNW fires. I could definitely use a chilled rose' right about now!

Great write up, thank you! Made my mouth water. I tend to trust reviews from the Enthusiast more than the Spectator, which may seem odd to geeks, but I think the Enthusiast favors more food-friendly wines with moderate sugars and alohols, and is more in touch with food-and-wine pairings. A trace of sweetness is not a bad thing, especially if you are pairing the wine with garlic or spices. Now I'm really fascinated to know more about Left Foot and their source vineyards.

Thanks, good catch! I've corrected my OP. I don't think there are many vines in production, so definitely not available nationally.

Welcome to our first Seasonal Varietal Tasting! I'm so excited to get started. Since we're just booting up and it's late summer already, I thought instead of picking a particular varietal, we could all just share our favorite summer wines and get to know each other a little. This thread will run until September 1, when we'll move on to another varietal or category. See proposed schedule. That will give everyone time to order wines, buy a particular favorite, taste wine with friends, whatever fits your schedule. I have just ordered two bottles of a wine I want to introduce you to, and I am so excited about it I just have to tell you a little about it, even though the bottles won't arrive until later this week. I have only ever had one glass of this wine, at a sashimi-bowl party, and it blew my socks off. We drank a lot of good wine that night, but I kept coming back to the Siegerrebe and peering mournfully into the empty bottle. The grape is called Siegerrebe, a cross between Gewurztraminer and Madeleine Angevine. I thought it was extraordinarily complex and delicate, and I can't wait to try it again (and enjoy a whole bottle by myself). So, tasting notes to come! Meanwhile, feel free to share your favorites and/or ask questions.

I agree that late August is indeed perilously close to Autumn, but I wanted to squeeze in a few lighter varietals while the weather is still warm, before sliding into a steady progression of reds. And of course for our friends Down Under, the seasons are topsy-turvy. Since we have enthusiasm for the idea, I'll go ahead and post a thread for the first tasting!

Right, I'm thinking just the usual old-fashioned time-frame discussion threads, like we used to do! Geez, it sounds so old-hat now, LOL! And maybe invite relevant winemakers to the thread, whether or not we're actively trying their wines. Maybe a heads up so people who can get the wines can taste them, but if not, we'll still have a rocking varietal tasting. With food pairing suggestions, of course! What do you think of this rough schedule? Aug 19 Random summer whites Sept 1 Dog summer rose's Sept 15 Grenache and fruity reds Oct 1 Pinot noir Oct 15 Zinfandel Nov 1 Sangiovese Nov 15 Spicy, food-friendly reds Dec 1 Royal reds - Bordeaux Dec 15 Bordeaux #2 Jan 1-ist Wine party notes Jan 15 Screw wine, let's do mid-winter blues cocktails Feb 1 Warm your buns wine Feb 15 Romantic food and wine pairings

When I lived in Sonora Cohousing (Tucson, AZ), I held these monthly wine tastings, based on specific varietals and themed around the seasons. We started with crisp whites and rose's in the heat of summer, moved on to earthy, elegant reds like pinot in early fall, by Thanksgiving we were on to spicy reds like sangiovese and zinfandel, and enjoying the "royal reds", the Bordeaux, by deep winter. It was fun and instructive. So ... what do you think? I'm a party girl ... always down for a wine tasting, and I think we could have a rocking virtual-varietal. Who wants in? What's the sched? Weeknight or weekend tastings?

Aha! Thanks for reviving this thread, Jessica and Nancy. Wine tasting is, and should be, a very social endeavor. (Pandemics suck.) And yet, eGullet is the perfect solution to a sucky problem! You've just given me an idea! I think we should have bi-weekly varietal tastings. New thread to come ...

Not sure if this is the right place, but a friend from the wine industry is visiting TX with his granddaughter and would like some guidance. I'm pretty sure y'all can help.

This will work fine, thank you!

Awesome. Is 'Nyleve Baar' your real name? Can you provide or PM the name of your soup kitchen so I can give you both proper credit in the cookbook?

Thanks for the links! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Yeah, these places really have to be able to provide at least one meaty choice. People who are starving are often cold, ill or frail as well and really need the meat. Some work out-of-doors and desperately need the fat and protein. But if a gleaning organization is bringing in crates of fresh produce, there's no reason a hunger mission can't ALSO serve up hotel pans of cooked vegetables and bean salads filled with fresh crunchy veggies as extra sides. So I'm gladly accepting all-vegetable recipes.

Excellent suggestions! I've been working on a version that incorporates a lot of spinach--but I hadn't thought of many of these substitutions! This is a dish that is made a lot in soup kitchens. I'm also working on a version that uses a blend of taters and mashed pumpkin. So keep the variations coming, everyone. Thanks!

Love this idea of an all vegetable, flexible curry. Especially since we have LOTS of apples around here.