This post is my One Year Anniversary. I started the blog on September 3rd of last year. Hence forth, at the beginning of September, I will review the previous year’s posts (in this case, #1-51). The idea is for you to get a synopsis of everything I’ve covered. For more details, you’ll have to go back to that specific one. So, without further ado, let’s start with Wine of the Month.
- #4: September – Campo Viejo’s Rioja Reserva/ Gran Reserva
- #7: October – Ruffino’s Prosecco
- #11: November – Beaulieu Vineyard’s Georges de LaTour, Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (2019)
- #16: December – Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut (N.V.)
- #20: January – Spanish Albarino Bodega Terras Gauda, Rias Baixas, O Rosal (2021)
- #25: February – Inniskillin Icewine (Cabernet Franc or Vidal)
- #29: March – Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (2019) & Beringer Knight’s Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (2019)
- #34: April – Argentinian Malbec, Llama, Belasco de Baquedano, Mendoza (2019)
- #39: May – Taylor Fladgate 20 year Tawny Port
- #43: June – Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough (2022)
- #47: July – Hampton Water Rose, Languedoc, France (2022)
- #51: August – Hermann J. Wiemer’s Riesling, Josef (2020)
Next, I will review the Food & Wine posts. Most were specific to a course (appetizer, main, or dessert), a few were general, and some (towards the end) were restaurant based. The specific ones go into some detail explaining why I chose certain wine to pair with certain foods. If you are interested, it’s worth a second look. Without further ado, here are the Food & Wine posts.
- #2: Spanakopita with Sauvignon Blanc (NY State Riesling as back-up)
- #3: Cheese Board with Prosecco (Sharp Cheddar, Herb & Garlic Goat Cheese, Aged Asiago, Honey, Strawberries & Blueberries)
- #6: Margherita Frozen Pizza & Dipping Sauce (Hidden Valley Ranch Secret Sauce) with Campo Viejo’s Gran Reserva or NO Dipping Sauce with a Brunello or Ruffino’s Gran Reserva Chianti Classico
- #9: Cheese Board with Prosecco or Cabernet Sauvignon (Sharp Cheddar & Honey with Prosecco, PepperJack & Jam with Cab. Sauv.)
- #12: Spaghetti & Sauce (mellow) with a Brunello, (spicy and/or meat) with Ruffino’s Gran Reserva Chianti Classico
- #14: Spicy Tuna Sushi with a Spanish Albarino (if no Saki)
- #17: American Goulash (mellow) with a French Burgundy, (spicy) with an American Pinot Noir
- #19: Baked Brie with a French Bordeaux (Chateau Gigault’s Cuvee Viva, 2015) or Burgundy (Maison Chanzy’s Mercurey Les Boussieres, 2019)
- #22: Becky’s Chili with a French Bordeaux (Chateau Gigault’s Cuvee Viva, 2015) or Burgundy (Maison Chanzy’s Mercurey Les Boussieres, 2019)
- #24: Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream with Inniskillin Icewine (Cabernet Franc), Vanilla Ice Cream with Inniskillin Icewine (Vidal) or Chocolate Ice Cream with a Port or Cabernet Sauvignon
- #27: Aged Asiago, Prosciutto, & Honey Comb with La Lecciaia’s Brunello di Montalcino (2015) or Pecorino Romano, Prosciutto, & Honey Comb with Ruffino’s Reserva Dulcale Oro Chianti Classico Gran Selezione (2017)
- #30: Chips (Tostito’s) & Salsa (Pace Chunky Medium) with Campo Viejo’s Rioja Reserva or Gran Reserva
- #32: Mini Quiche Collection with Chateau Vitallis Pouilly-Fuisse Les Vignes du Chateau (2021)
- #35: Chocolate with Nuts, etc. with a Pinot Noir (A to Z Wineworks, Oregon, 2021 or Maison Chazy Mercury Les Bussieres, 2019); Milk Chocolate with a Bordeaux Blend (Chateau Gigault Cuvee Viva, 2015); or Dark Chocolate with a NAPA Cabernet Sauvignon (Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon, 2018)
- #37: General info about food & wine pairings, with several examples and a sample 3 course meal plan. This one is DEFINITELY worth going back to and looking at again.
- #40: Spicy Black Bean Burger/ Pepper Jack Cheese with Campo Viejo Rioja Gran Reserva; Beef Burger with Chales Krug Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley; Beef Burger/ “spicy” add-ons with Llama Belasco de Baquedano, Old Vine Malbec
- #42: Caprese Salad with La Lacciaia’s Brunello di Montalcino (2015)
- #45: Pizza/ variety of popular toppings (8 different ones) with specific wines for each. For pizza lovers, this is another one worth checking out a second time.
- #48: Creme Brulee with Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Icewine
- #50: Faroe Island Salmon with Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuisse or Joseph Drouhin Chardonnay
All that’s left is my review of the category of wine Education. For this one, I focused mainly on the major wine producing countries of the world with a “smattering” of other topics. In almost every case, I leaned HEAVILY on my Sommelier course notes and the 2 reference books: World Atlas of Wine (WAoW) & the Oxford Companion to Wine (OCtW). These posts tended to be longer and MUCH more detailed. Without further ado, here is my summary of wine Education.
- #1: Introduces the format and explains the 3 categories of posts. Just as a reminder (from the READ MORE link on my home page), Billy is $35 and under, Steve is $35 to $60, and Reggie III is $60 up. But, I generally stop at $200, unless otherwise indicated.
- #5: US Wine Regions – NY State
- #8: US Wine Regions – Oregon & Washington State
- #10: US Wine Regions – California
- #13: Useful wine tools
- #15: General wine information (+ WS Top 10 Wines of 2023)
- #18: French Wine Regions – Champagne, Alsace, & Burgundy
- #21: French Wine Regions – Rhone Valley, Languedoc-Roussillon, Bordeaux, and Loire Valley
- #23: More general wine information (+ WS Top 10 Value Wines of 2023)
- #26: Italian Wine Regions – Fruili-Venzia-Guila, Veneto, Trentino-Alto-Adige, Lombardy, and Piedmont
- #28: Italian Wine Regions – Emilia-Romagna, Marches, Umbria, and Tuscany
- #31: Italian Wine Regions – Abruzzo, Apulia (Puglia), Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, and Sicily
- #33: Basic information on the Nine Noble Grapes (Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah (Shiraz), Grenache (Garnacha), Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot). This is one worth checking out a second time!
- #36: Spanish Wine Regions – Galatia, Castille Y Leon, La Rioja, and El Pais Vasco
- #38: Spanish Wine Regions – Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, Castilla-La Mancha, Murcia, Andalusia, the Canary Islands
- #40: More general wine information
- #44: Chilean & Argentinian Wine Regions – Chile (Maipo Valley, Colchagua Valley, Curico Valley, and Maule Valley) & Argentina (Mendoza, Salta, La Rioja, and San Juan)
- #46: Australian & New Zealand Wine Regions – Australia (Barossa, McLaren Vale, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, and Margaret River) & New Zealand (Auckland, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Waipara (Martinsborough), Marlborough, and Central Otaga)
- #49: South African & Portuguese Wine Regions – South Africa (Stellenbosch, Paarl, Constantina Ward, Walker Bay, and Elgin Ward) & Portugal (Douro Valley, Vinho Verde, Dao, Lisboa, and the island of Madeira)
Wow, that was VERY long; Sorry! I promise not to do that again, until next September. Next time, I will go back to a regular Food & Wine post. But before I sign off, I just want to thank you for reading my blog, whether you just started or have been with me for a while. I really do appreciate it. Until next week, cheers!
