EDMOND — During this time of the year, we are invited by friends and family to come to their homes to celebrate the season. It is at this time of the year where I see the most confused looks on faces at my local wine store.
The look is very obvious, recognizable and easy to interpret. Over the years I have been able to spot it from three aisles away. It is that dreaded look of, “What wine do I bring over?”
As diligent as the customer service persons in the wine store may be, the first question they ask the prospective client is, “What are you having for dinner” Or, “What is your favorite wine?”
Unfortunately, most people in this world are shy for various reasons and I am here to help you today and save you from buying that obligatory bottle of Chardonnay. Because everyone likes Chardonnay, do they not?
Actually the wine you cannot go wrong with is not a white. It is a wine of the red family that is well suited to almost any meal. It just takes a little knowledge about it to make an informed purchase.
That wine is Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is well-suited to pair with poultry, beef, fish, ham, lamb and pork. It will play well with creamy sauces and spicy seasonings, and may just be one of the world’s most versatile food wines. So as you can see, it is the perfect wine to pair with the multitude of gastronomical delights that grace the table during those wonderful feasts.
Pinot Noir may be the toughest grape to grow, but the effort is well worth the investment. It is a fickle grape that demands optimum growing conditions, requiring warm days consistently supported by cool evenings.
Pinot Noir is a lighter colored and flavored red wine. Due to the stringent growing requirements for Pinot Noir, it is produced in much smaller quantities than other popular red wines. Traditionally, you will also pay a little more for Pinot Noir, as the “supply and demand” theories kick in.
However, for an excellent value you may consider the Mark West Pinot Noir, the past vintages from 2005 forward. You will be hard pressed to find a better price for a truly delightful Pinot Noir. The wine will range in price from $10 to $12 per bottle depending on what region of the country you are in, and is readily available.
What makes Pinot Noir so pairable with a variety of foods is its composition of flavors, soft tannins and balanced palette. Its flavors are reminiscent of sweet red berries, plums, tomatoes, cherries and at times a notable earthy or wood-like flavor, depending on specific growing conditions.
As I stated earlier, Pinot Noir may just be one of the world’s most versatile food wines.
As an aperitif, I also would like to suggest a sparkling wine made from Pinot Noir. Along with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir is the other primary grape used in the production of sparkling wines. This is what makes up pink sparkling wines.
Popping a cork to begin the holiday season always is a wonderful way to start the celebrations.
Salud!
CONTACT The Cork Guy via thecorkguy@thecorkguy.com.
Features
The perfect wine for the holidays
- Features
-
-
Is this home improvement hell? Or the redecorating promised land?
Regarding this redecorating thing I’ve been telling you about ... don’t ask. After pretty much gutting FB (front bedroom) and GB (guest bathroom), I closed their doors hoping for out-of-sight-out-of-mind to set in, but it’s not working.
-
Behavior 'rehab' can be a tricky proposition
Q: My 5-year-old daughter is in “rehab” for some listening issues at school. When she comes home with a note from her teacher indicating one or more of these incidents at school, she is confined to her room for the rest of the day. What should I do if she is constantly calling me, wanting to ask me something, wanting me to get something for her, and so on? She isn’t coming out of the room, but she is constantly trying to engage me. It’s driving me nuts.
-
Special care needed for senior pets
Q: I have a black Labrador mix that is starting to get gray hair around her muzzle. Baby is only 6 years old and we have taken very good care of her. She has always had her shots, she was spayed as a puppy, is on monthly heartworm preventative and is a good weight for her body size at 66 pounds. Is she really already a senior citizen, and what should we watch for? We love her very much and want to keep her healthy and happy as long as possible.
-
High self-esteem, reward system can backfire
The media recently reported “new” research findings to the effect that rewards often backfire and self-esteem is not the wonderful, uplifting personal attribute once thought. As a result, schools are rethinking their teaching and classroom management philosophies.
-
When rooms talk, it’s time to remodel
I think I might need a keeper. Every room in this house is screaming at me (some more loudly than others), and the cacophony is driving me nuts. You know how it goes. You spruce up one room (in my case the kitchen), and every other room in the house clambers for its share of TLC too.
-
Seminar focuses on pet allergies
Paul DeMars, DVM, Community Practice at Oklahoma State University’s Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, will present a Pet Care Seminar at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the McElroy Hall Auditorium at the corner of Farm Road and McFarland on the Stillwater OSU campus.
-
Canadian Carnaval is cool carousing
Yes, I have the coolest job in the world — and I visit some really cool places. But the spot that takes the Popsicle is Québec with the Carnaval de Québec and the Hôtel de Glace.
-
Wobblers syndrome is chronic, progressive
Q: I have an 8-year-old dog that is three-quarters Doberman Pinscher. He always has been quite active and healthy until about a month ago when he began showing slight signs of weakness and stiffness in his hind legs, but didn’t exhibit pain. He’s worse now.
-
Today’s children are being mis-educated about their feelings
Margaret Thatcher, former prime minister of England, once said, “One of the great problems of our age is that we’re governed by people who care more about feelings than they do about thoughts and ideas.”
-
Purging of high heels brings despair
If you recall, last week I promised that you had heard the last of my New Year’s purging of closets and cabinets.
- More Features Headlines
-
Is this home improvement hell? Or the redecorating promised land?
