Last-Minute Thanksgiving Wine Suggestions

Posted by Mario Bosquez

Carol Berman aka The Travelling Sommelier has some wonderful ideas for Thanksgiving wines. Below are two choices that Carol feels are perfect for your turkey feast.

Daniel Gehrs, Chenin Blanc, 2008, is sold for $16. Carol describes this wine as "lovely" with floral scents and notes of pear and honeysuckle. The Daniel Gehrs also has a clean finish and pairs very well with everything on your holiday table.

Carol also suggests Bonny Doon Vineyard, Vin Gris De Cigare, 2008 (pictured on the right). It's a beautiful rosé produced by Winemakerr Randall Grahm and sells for $17 a bottle. Carol says this wine is a great choice for turkey and all the sides.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Wine Suggestions

Posted by Mario Bosquez

With the Thanksgiving Holiday next week, we decided to explore the world of wines that would be lovely gracing your Thanksgiving table. They are delicious, affordable, and pair well with everything from the appetizers to the turkey!

Elissa Cooper of Barterhouse Wines joined me to share her Thanksgiving wine suggestions.

Elissa's first choice, Dr. Karl Christoffel Mosel Riesling Germany 2008, sells for $15 and carries flavor notes of stone fruits, mostly peach and pear. This selection is wonderful for serving with all the sides and the turkey itself. It was my favorite wine out of the bunch too!

GET MORE WINE SUGGESTIONS AFTER THE JUMP

Quality Wines for Less Money

Posted by Jon Costantino

Today on Morning Living, wine expert Marnie Old,  (author of "Wine Secrets: Advice from Winemakers, Sommeliers & Connoisseurs”) took suggestions for your favorite quality wines that are priced between $10-$15. In return, she offered her insider tips on similar wines for our listeners to try. Here’s the full list-- and Marnie’s personal picks for Rieslings as well.

Listener Suggestion:                                  Marnie Says Try:

Sutter Home Moscato                                   Moscato D’Asti

Clean Slate Riesling                                     S.A. Prum “Essence” Riesling

Hayman & Hill Chardonnay                           Wente Chardonnay

Fish Eye Merlot                                           Tin Roof Merlot

Haut-Marin White Bordeaux                           Tariquet Cotes De Gascogne

Red Diamond Merlot                                     Hogue Merlot

Pepperwood Grove Chardonnay                     Concannon Chardonnay

 

Marnie’s Favorite Rieslings

Dry – Jacob’s Creek “Reserve” Riesling

Off-Dry (Sweet) – Rosemount Estate Traminer-Reisling

Wines-day lesson: Zinfandels.

Posted by Mario Bosquez

With the holiday season fast approaching, it's time to explore the world of Zinfandels. We did just that recently on Living Today with our latest edition of Wine-sday. Joining us for this lesson was Robert and Layla Fanucci;Owners of Charter Oak Wine. This producer of boutique wines is said to feature some of California's best Zinfandels. They all pair well with foods on the holiday table in particular steaks, turkey, and poultry.

Among the wines we tasted and learned about:

2007 Charter Oak Monte Rosso Old Vine Hillside Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley.The vines for this wine date back to the 1880's and brings with it notes of spices, blackberries, wild raspberry and runsa. It sells for around $42.

2007 Charter Oak Old Vine Napa Valley Petite Sirah. This selection brings with it overtones of dark chocolate and black cherry and goes for about $42.

2006 Charter Oak Estate Napa Valley Zinfandel. You will notice a blackberry scent. The blend of this wine includes a 100-year-old Zinfandel! The price is around $60.

What is your favorite Zinfandel?

Mario pops champagne!

Posted by Mario Bosquez

'Tis almost the season for bubbly! We enjoyed a recent Wines-day lesson (which happens every Wednesday) on Living Today. This week we focused on the delights of Champagne. Maria Hunt, author of "The Bubbly Bar" joined us for a taste test of delightful bubbly! She recommends the following Champagnes and Champagne-related selections.

A wine perfect with French fries!
This Domaine Carneros Brut is an organic wine from Napa and has sweet notes with a creamy texture. Try this with brie and even French fries! You can buy it for around $30.

Got mushrooms in your dish? Pair it with this bottle.
This Cava is called Juve y Camps and is sold for $15. This selection is delicate and light in flavor and pairs well with roast pork, roast chicken, and any dish with mushrooms.

An affordable and classy Shiraz for Thanksgiving.
Also during our Winesday lesson we learned about this Shiraz from Hill of Content in Australia. This choice is perfect with roast turkey so keep it in mind for your Thanksgiving table. Its flavor notes a deep berry taste. This Shiraz is an affordable option for Thanksgiving -- it costs $17.

A delightful Sparking Rose.
Another bubbly selection that Maria loves is this Sparkling Rose that costs around $18. You will experience flavors such as black currants and raspberry. Try this with a dish such as Shrimp Tempura.

Which is your favorite bubbly?

Grand Tasting at the NYC Wine & Food Festival

Posted by Jennifer Sendrow

There are many tasting events at the New York Wine and Food Festival, but the Grand Tasting held at Pier 54 dwarfs them all. Dozens of restaurants, wineries, and liquor brands compete for attention, and it can be hard to take it all in visually, let alone in sips and bites. Here are the highlights for 2009.

Though Mediterranean restaurant Ilili was officially serving leg of lamb, a little cajoling got me my favorite -- and most unusual -- taste of the day: lamb brain lightly breaded and fried, served atop a milk bread pancake and topped with pickled slaw.

Klee Brasserie served Viennese fried chicken. I wish I could convince my local sports bar to do the same!

Chef Patrick Connelly from Bobo reinvented the BLT without bread, just pork belly on lettuce garnished with fresh mayonnaise and chutney.

I watched as "Morning Living" regular guest Chef Dave Martin received compliments from fan after fan who still think he should have won season one of "Top Chef." Someone get this man a restaurant!

From Top Chef to Iron Chef: Yes, it's the Chairman!

SEE MORE PHOTOS

Wines with a Twist!

Posted by Mario Bosquez

How do you find just the right pairings for wines that have a more acidic profile? That's just the premise behind a visit from Richard Bill, wine director and general manager at Bar Luna in New York City.

Richard brought to Living Today some great selections and food suggestions. Best of all, they are all under $25! First is this Stephen Ross Pinot Noir from the Edna Valley in California. Richard tells us this selection is higher in acidity, which gives wine a tart, sometimes sour note but also makes it taste crisp. This wine is also lower in tannins; which you find in many red wines. Tannis creates a dry sensation on the palate. By the way, tannins usually come from the skins and other parts grapes. A perfect pairing with this wine would be salmon, duck, or pork.

You might also try Rosso Piceno, Rio Maggio. This wine is fuller, more robust with a lot of fruit notes. Try this wine with pizza -- one of Richard's favorite pairings.

Next is this Felines Jourdan, Picpoul de Pinet from Languedoc. This wine has a more salty nature and pairs wonderfully with gorgonzola and brie cheese.

Last but not least, here's a 2007 Menetou-Salon Domaine Gerard-Millet. This white goes very well with scallops, any dishes with a light citrus note, and a cheese like Manchego.

It's National Pasta Month!

Posted by Mario Bosquez

October is National Pasta Month and Living Today is celebrating the occasion in a delicious way -- with a visit from chef, author, and television personality Micheal Chiarello of Bottega restaurant in Napa Valley.

The chef shared this insight into pasta: he recommends cooking with artisanal pasta. Look for pasta that looks rough on its exterior and that has been air-dried. A brand such as Rustichella d'Abruzzo is a great start. The chef says these types of pasta create a wonderful al dente feel. He also explained that pasta water should taste of light seawater. Use more salt than usual and taste the pasta water before boiling it.

Chef Michael also shared his recipe for Red Wine Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe. Get the recipe after the jump. Enjoy!

GET THE PASTA RECIPE

Gorgeous Wines

Posted by Mario Bosquez

Carol Berman, also known as the Traveling Sommelier came on Living Today for our weekly, Wines-day segment, in which we talk shop about different types of wines! She describes her wine selections today as gorgeous red wines.

Carol brought a Clos la Coutale 2007 (it's the left bottle in the photo). This red carries notes of pepper and cloves and pairs beautifully with salmon and tuna. This selection costs around $16 and is available everywhere.

Next is a Les Restanques de Pibarnon (Bandol) 2006 (it's the right bottle in the photo). it runs around $24 and is earthy with softer tannins. There are notes of fruit such as plums with less spice. This wine pairs with dishes such as lamb shanks prepared with herbs like rosemary and thyme. You can also enjoy this gorgeous red with ribeye steak.

Thanks Carol for such wonderful Winesday choices!

The wines of approaching autumn!

Posted by Mario Bosquez

As we approach the fall season, it's time to re-think our wine selections. They need to match the wonderful, comfort food that's so popular during this season. Elisa Cooper of Barterhouse Wines visited with us on "Living Today" and shared some great selections. The first two are from the Rhone Valley of France.

Her first offering is a Compostelle Blanc Costieres de Nimes 2006 ($26) This white wine has notes of pears and a touch of spice making it perfect for dishes like pumpkin ravioli with sage butter.

Next up, Elisa suggested Boutinot "Les Coteaux Shisteux" Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret 2003 ($25). It's perfect with Osso Bucco, duck, and lamb.

And finally here's a Jacques Lurton Islander Estate Old Rowley 2005 ($35) from Kangaroo Island, Australia 2005 ($35). This wine, Elisa says, can be enjoyed with all types of spicy foods such as Mexican dishes. Think of it as an Australia meets Mexico kind of wine.

What's your favorite fall wine?