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July 2005 Monthly Newsletter ~ Flavorings ~
Chenin Blanc – Buy Wine Online
This Month's Wine
Food Recipe
Wine Quote
Newsletter Archives
Dear Wine Lover,
Buying wine on the Web is as convenient as typing in www.atasteofcalifornia.com!
Our website is a great place to go when you have a few spare
minutes to explore our world of wine. You can select wine
for yourself, send a wine gift to friends, enroll in another
of our great clubs, ask questions or use one of our many delicious
recipes. That’s a lot of nice features!
The wines that are showcased on the web are always the current
selections for each of our clubs – California, Connoisseur’s,
World Classics and International – along with the recipe for
that month. If you have some wines for a dinner party and
want some fabulous food pairings, open the Recipe
Archives and select from our wide assortment of great
menus. In time for the summer’s grilling season, are 4 Wine
Marinades – 2 each featuring white and red wines.
Please enjoy our wines and the other useful features of our
web site.
Fine Wine Travel Adventures
2005 Sonoma County Showcase of Wine & Food – July
14-16; Three days of activities including educational seminars,
lunches, dinners, wine auction and The Taste of Sonoma County.
Web info: http://www.sonomawine.com.
Early to mid-summer is the perfect time to visit your local
wineries. Whether you live in one of the well-known wine states
(California, Oregon, New York, etc.) or close to some of the
newer vineyards (Texas, Colorado, Illinois, etc.), it is always
informative as well as fun to visit with local winemakers
and grape growers. Many are conveniently situated close to
tourist attractions as well, so you can take the family along
for an enjoyable vacation. Imagine making wine in the foothills
of the Rockies, on the shores of Lake Michigan or Long Island
Sound or along the river valleys of Ohio, Pennsylvania &
Virginia. Breath-taking scenic beauty.
24-Hour Customer Service!
Be sure to take advantage of our 24-hour, 7 day-a-week customer
service. We are always here when you need an answer to a wine
question or want to place an order for your favorite wine.
Of course, our website is up all the time.
As always, any questions you may have, please feel free to
call our helpful customer service staff at 800-615-7304. You
may also email us at info@atasteofcalifornia.com.
John Davis
President & Founder
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This Month's
Featured Wines....
Chenin Blanc (shen-in blahn)
by Sharon Rosenbaum, Senior Wine Buyer
Chenin Blanc today is all about flavor and refreshment
with delicious foods, especially summer cookouts.
It isn’t every white wine that pairs with such a wide
range of foods, but Chenin Blanc is popular because
of its diversity. Whether its fresh fish, poultry or
pork, veal or vegetables; spicy, marinated, tart or
creamy; simply grilled or wood-smoked — Chenin Blanc
will surely add to the enjoyment of your summertime
picnics.
Today it is not uncommon to buy wines for immediate
enjoyment. Fresh young Chenin Blanc wines have mouth-watering
fresh fruit and delicate floral aromas that lead to
a fruit salad of flavors – apple, melon, apricot, guava
and pineapple – perfect for pairing with summer’s grilled
foods. These flavors are all backed by the natural crispness
that makes Chenin Blanc so perfectly balanced. A native
of France, Chenin Blanc has the ability in California
to produce clean, balanced wines in warm climates.
A number of coastal wineries produce Chenin Blanc as
part of their varietal line and, like their French counterparts,
offer wines in the dry to off-dry styles. Of the few
who offer dry wines, some use oak barrel aging to both
deepen and enrich their wines. Chenin Blanc is particularly
friendly with a variety of cheeses, from soft cheeses
like Boursin to firm Gouda and Monterey Jack, even the
popular flavored cheeses.
Wolfback Ridge 2004 Chenin Blanc, California
Total Acid: .67g/l
Alcohol: 11.9%
Residual Sugar: 0.10 g/l
Cellaring: Drink now
Panel's Notes: Delicate fruit aromas with floral accents hint at intense, fresh melon and pear flavors. A firm backbone of acidity adds a crisp note to this medium-bodied, fruity wine.
Winery Background: The Central Coast provides a Mediterranean-like climate ideal for growing cool weather-loving Chenin Blanc.
Food: Delicious with lightly smoked ham, grilled whole fresh fish or Asian-spiced baked chicken. Cheeses like ripe Camembert are good.
Newbury Vineyards 2004 Chenin Blanc, California
Total Acid: .65 g/l
Alcohol: 13.0%
Residual Sugar: 0.25 g/l
Cellaring: Drink now
Panel's Notes: Newbury Vineyards Chenin Blanc is fresh with vibrant, ripe fruit aromas and ripe peach and honeydew flavors that are carried through a medium-long, off-dry style finish.
Winery Background: Newbury’s grapes were harvested at night and crushed immediately to preserve and enhance the wine’s naturally crisp, fresh fruit character.
Food: Perfect picnic wine to partner with grilled fresh fish, pork and chicken dishes. Try with a fine, ripe Brie cheese.
Other recommended wines this month:
International Wine Club
- Azure Bay 2002 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, New Zealand
- Vini d’Autore 2004 Trebbiano, Italy
World Classics Wine Club
- Pierre Chainier 2004 Vouvray, Touraine
- Tarrica Wine Cellars 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Connoisseur’s Wine Club
- Horizon 2004 Pinot Noir, New Zealand
- Flora Springs 2003 “Soliloquy”
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Food Recipe to accompany
Chenin Blanc
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 Apricot-Mustard
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cucumber-Red Pepper Salad
Ingredients
1 whole pork tenderloin, about 1 lb
3 Tbsp apricot preserves
1/4 cup mustard
Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper. Stir together the preserves and mustard in a small bowl. Place pork over a medium-hot fire and grill for about 15 minutes, turning to cook evenly. Internal temperature should be 160° F. Brush with the apricot-mustard mixture the
last few minutes of grilling. Let rest covered with foil for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
Cucumber-Red Pepper Salad
1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro |
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Preparation
In medium shallow serving bowl, toss cucumber slices
with onion slices and diced red bell pepper. In a small
bowl, combine remaining dressing ingredients and mix
well. Drizzle salad with the dressing. Let stand at
room temperature, up to 2 hours, until ready to serve.
Serve the sliced pork tenderloin with sweet corn salsa
and cucumber salad along side.
• Makes 4 servings •
Recipes and photo courtesy of National Pork Board.
For more information about The Other White Meat, visit
http://www.TheOtherWhiteMeat.com.
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Quote:
“Italian wine, liquid sunshine.”
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