Food and Wine Time! Chinese Food and Butter Chardonnay Tasting Review!

Welcome back my wine lovers!! It's starting to get crazy out here in our Texas weather, so how about a wonderful wine and food pairing review?!? 

2014 Butter Chardonnay

So I have been wanting to try this wine for a very long time. Everyone talks about it, everyone wants it (hello, look at the catchy label!!), and well, I finally caved on my birthday, (yep, in case you missed it, I turned the big 3-0!) got a bottle, and had it with some awesome authentic Chinese food at Monkey King Noodle Company in Deep Ellum (awesome hand made noodles!! YUM!) with the hubs. So totally worth every bite, and probably the best meal and wine pairing I've had in a long time!

Butter Chardonnay is from JaM cellars, a winery business started by John and Michele Truchard (get it?! JaM!) that has produced some amazing wines, which some of you are probably familiar with. Their very first wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon, looks like this: 

(Courtesy of Wine Searcher)

Another catchy label right? Well, I have not tried JaM Cabernet yet, so no offense, but this Butter is freaking awesome! Yeah, I said it. 

Beautifully golden in color, the aromas you get right off the nose are lovely! Creamy butter and yeast (okay, so when I say yeast, since a lot of you are probably like eww, I mean the smell of bread dough about to be put in the oven, where that smell of yeast is so prominent. I swear, smell that dough the next time you're about to bake it. I mean, yeast is one of the basics you need to make wine, so smelling it in white wine especially is not that uncommon), you can smell in the first swirl of the wine, then it opens up with vanilla and toast (Remember, these two descriptors are our big hint in the  wine world to tell us that this juice has been aged in oak barrels. Oak aging will almost always give you that toastiness and vanilla aroma), and a little bit of pineapple! I know, it sounds ridiculously awesome right? Heck yea! 

But the best part is taking that first swig of this lovely white! 

It slides down like pure creaminess. The perfect amount of creamy butter and vanilla and that tiny bit of toast and lemon all come together like a great lemon sandwich cookie (just not quite as sweet)! 

I know, I just made your mouth water. So what's stopping you from buying this awesome bright yellow goodness? Don't know what to have it with? Problem solved. 

Have a glass with some real Chinese food. No, not that instant ramen, but authentic Asian goodness. I had this for the first time with Monkey King's DanDan Noodles (ground pork and fresh noodle soup), as they were out of the hot spicy beef noodle soup, and it was the best decision ever! The perfect amount of spiciness, the ease of the ground pork (pork is just about always good with Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. It's a win-win!), and the chicken broth just complemented the wine so well, I cleaned my entire bowl, and finished two glasses! Yep, simply a delicious birthday dinner. 

So what are you waiting for? The Texas weather to get better? That might be a while. So go grab a bottle and some noodles! 

Perfect to Pair With: Chinese noodle soup, pork dumplings, chicken alfredo, shrimp scampi, salads, or by itself on a nice patio! 

Average Price: $16.99 -(a little high, but totally worth it!) - Available at Whole Foods, Market Street, Central Market, Total Wine, and some Safeway locations!

Cheers my wine lovers!

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Kroger Wine: Simple Truth Organic Red Wine Tasting

(updated video will be up shortly!)

Hello my wine lovers!! It's been a hop skip and a jump since our last encounter, but I have a new wine to share with you all! :)

As you can tell from the video and title of this post, I found out that Kroger (yes, the grocery store that keeps expanding their stores... Yep, they have everything now in their stores! I actually bought an awesome dress at one location, and they have shoes too!!) now has their own wine, besides everything else!
Okay, honestly, my first thought, Kroger is trying to measure up to Costco and their Kirkland brand wines. However, after trying this discovery, I do not think Costco will have a problem with Kroger.

Simple Truth Organic California Red Wine

Okay, so just warning you guys up front, this might be the first wine tasting review that I am about to share where I honestly did not really care for the wine. Stating that, let us move on to the wine and explain why.

I bought this on a whim when I explored my favorite Kroger location in Mansfield, TX. (I am a Tom Thumb girl, but just can't help this store! It's awesome!) I saw this wine, and was blown away at the price (hello super super Inexpensive!) and the temptation of trying an organic wine from the brand that already makes so many great products (haven't had a bad simple truth organic product before). Because I am yourwinegirl, I had to jump at the chance and give you guys a review.

This red wine is a light and very fruit forward. Lovely red cherry color, you can smell the blackberries as soon as you pour the wine. You can taste the lightness of the wine as you take a sip (because there are no added sulfites... yes, majority of wines add a little more sulfites to the wine as a preservative so the wine does not spoil, and to give it a little more flavor...this wine tastes very fresh and light), and then a raspberry jam takes over your tongue.
Here is where I got a little disappointed. The raspberry jam just ends. No lingering finish. Nothing more than a quick hit in the mouth of raspberry jam, and then nothing. There is no substance.
However, after letting the wine sit for about twenty minutes, it did open up a little bit more, and had a little bit of a finish, but not much.
Honestly, after the jamminess left my tongue, I did not like it.
The next day (after we used our wine saver and sucked the oxygen out to help keep it fresh... yes, I actually have these things. They work well, but honestly, if you're going to finish the wine the next day, there's not really a need for it. But hey, whatever floats your boat!), the wine really was not good. It was done.

Here is a quick wine lesson on why the wine did not last the night.
Sulfites are a natural product of making wine. They help prevent oxidation in the wine (wine + oxygen = bad), prevent further fermentation, and act as a natural preservative for shelf life of the wine. As stated earlier, majority of your wines add sulfites on top of the naturally occurring sulfites in order to help preserve the wine and add a little more flavor, and sometimes to even preserve that red color of red wines.
Many people (I hear this on a daily basis), think that sulfites are the reason for their headaches/allergies with wine.. especially red wine, and I am here to tell you that you are pretty much wrong.
Now I must state that there is a very small percentage of the population that is allergic to sulfites, and they usually have asthma. Since no one wants an asthma attack, by law (at least in the U.S.), vineyards have to report "Contains Sulfites" when they add sulfites to the wine, on the bottle.
Here is the kicker: Organic wines and wine before adding sulfites contain anywhere from 10-40PPM (parts per million) of sulfites. When sulfites are added, it jumps up to about 50PPM, which really can not do much damage, as compared to some foods, like prepackaged foods and dried fruits, that can contain up to 1,000PPM or more (which honestly, who wants that much preservative??); AND Red Wine has LESS sulfites than White Wine! 

That is right. For all those out there that think red wine has more sulfites and that is why you get headaches and are allergic, here is your eye opening fact: White wine has more sulfites added to them because they have less color. Red wine has naturally more occurring sulfites in them due to the hardier, tougher, black colored grape skin, which gives the wine it's color and natural sulfite derivative, which the white grape does not have.
Sweet white wine, hello my Moscato drinkers, has even more sulfites so a secondary fermentation does not happen from the excess sugar in the wine.

(If you want to read more about sulfites, check out these awesome articles:
- The Bottom Line on Sulfites in Wine
- Sulfites: Separating Fact from Fiction )

A lot of cool wine info right?!?!

Because this simple truth wine is 100% certified organic and "contains no detectable sulfites," (No added sulfites. Remember that's really what it means.) this is why the wine more than likely tasted fresh, but went bad quickly and did not taste good in the long run for me.

All in all, if you want an easy, basically cheap wine for the night, this wine will do the trick!

Perfect to Pair with: Spaghetti Squash, light chicken dishes, salad.

Average Price: $4.99!! (Hello Super CHEAP!)

Cheers my wine lovers!

Green Wine for St. Patrick's Day?!?

Happy St. Patrick's Day my wine lovers! Now I know that this is a big beer holiday, but hey, why don't we change it up, and make it a wine holiday! :)

Now how do we make this grand Irish tradition a wine holiday you ask? 

Well, how about with a glass of GREEN WINE?! That's right! Someone finally came up with green wine, and that someone might just be me! :) 

So how did I do this you ask? Well, it is quite simple... and quite fun!

Step 1: Pick out your favorite bottle of Pinot Grigio. 

Why Pinot Grigio? Good question! Well, if you look at your selection, majority of your Pinot Grigio bottles are green, or have some green to them somewhere on the label. Hence, a reason why I picked the Kirkland Pinot Grigio. 

The other reason for picking a Pinot Grigio is that they are light, easy, refreshing, and inexpensive (Kirkland Pinot Grigio is on sale at Costco for $5.99! You can find a bottle of decent Pinot Grigio around $8 at any wine retail location!). Personally, for me, I have always assumed a little green tint to Pinot Grigio because of the citrus and light feel. I could also say the same thing for Sauvignon Blanc. The point: grab an inexpensive bottle of Pinot Grigio!

Step 2: Go Green!

Yes, what you see there on the table is GREEN WINE!! :) All it takes? A couple drops of Green food coloring! Yep! That is it! No harm to the wine in any way, no take away from the taste, just plain 'ol non toxic coloring dye! 

Now you can make it your wine as green as you want. Like in the picture above, and the video available below, you can add a couple of drops to your own glass, which makes it an Emerald Green, or you can add a couple to the bottle, and come out with almost a Slimer Green (yes, totally just made that reference to the Ghost Busters. Can't help it. He is an awesome shade of green! Click on the link to watch a clip of Slimer's first appearance!)

 

Step 3: Enjoy!

Now that you have your St. Patrick's Day juice, it's time to celebrate and enjoy! I know it is a little weird to look at while you take a sip of the green delicious liquid, but I promise, it is worth it, and will be a huge hit at your next gathering! Plus, how many times can you say you drank Green Wine?!? 

So sit back and relax with your bottle of Green deliciousness and have a Happy St. Patrick's Day my wine lovers! Cheers!

Popcorn and a Glass of Fifty Shades of Grey White Silk!

Hello again my wine lovers!! Hope you are keeping up the drinking, as it is a civic duty of a wine lover. :) Now grab some popcorn, (I really do enjoy a bag of the Skinny Girl Popcorn. My husband got it for me and it's so delicious!) and then hit the store for a bottle of today's wine tasting!

Fifty Shades of Grey White Silk

Okay, so yes, I will admit, I read the book when it first came out, and went to see the movie Valentine's weekend. My two cents: book definitely better, but the movie did a pretty good job too! And yes, I went to Alamo Drafthouse and had a glass of this white blend while watching the movie too. Don't judge me. I like wine and I am sticking to it!

Now when I found out about the Fifty Shades of Grey wine a while back, I was surprised that a white blend (well now that I think about it, Grey does drink a lot of white in the movie and I believe in the book too...) would be made (there is also a red blend, called Red Silk, which I will hopefully be trying soon!). However, I think this blend hits it just right!

A blend of Gewürztraminer (as I mentioned in Rose Wine tasting, the one that usually has a defined Lychee taste) and Sauvignon Blanc, this crisp white blend is light and full of flavor! 

Clear with a light golden hue, this white opens up with lychee on the nose, a little pear and crisp honeysuckle; but blows your mouth with even more lychee (it's like you just bit down on one! Mmmm), grapefruit and a slight creamy butterscotch! 

So what are you waiting for??! Grab that popcorn and a bottle and enjoy all for under $15!

Perfect to Pair With: Popcorn, light pizza, fruit and cheese plates, white fish, and of course, just by itself!

Average Price:$12.99- Available at Albertsons, CVS (yep, the drugstore!), Total Wine, World Market and other wine retail locations!

Cheers my Wine Lovers!! 

It's Wine Time! How About a Cold Glass of Cameron Hughes CAM Collection Chardonnay?

Welcome back my wine lovers! Hope you all are keeping warm in this icy Texas weather. If not, just grab a bottle of wine and start chugging! Well, only if you are stuck inside like most of us. :) 

So on to the featured wine! Now as some of you may know, I used to have many jobs. (I used to have five jobs at one point. All I can say is, there was $$$ coming in.) One of these jobs, that really got my fascination with wine going, was working for a wine negociant, Cameron Hughes Wine as a Wine Contractor. Many of you might recognize the name from Costco and Sam's Club, (That's where I actually started. Doing dry tastings at Costco. I worked every weekend for months, to the point that I became dubbed "The Wine Girl." Most of the people did not even know my name. Just wine girl. Hence, I am now yourwinegirl,.... you know, just in case you were wondering how I got the name,) when they were in the Lot Series (The ones with Lot # that were like super inexpensive. We're talking mostly $10 and under. I believe this is where my $10 and under obsession began).... and yep, I was one of those people who would talk to you about the wines and offer you a taste as well. Ah the days. 

Jump to the present, and Cameron Hughes now has his own line, the CAM collection. 

Cameron Hughes CAM Collection 

Monterey Chardonnay

I am loving this wine! I do not think I have ever liked a Chardonnay so much as this one. :)

Born in the sunny Monterey County in California, this wine is just lovely. 100% Chardonnay grapes, the golden color lights up your glass as honeysuckle, mango and vanilla fill your nose. My favorite part is when it hits the lips and it tastes like creamy, lingering pineapple mango all the way down! (I am a huge fan of Mangos! Some might even call me that. Right Pineapple? ;-p) 

Perfect to Pair With: Creamy pasta dishes, salmon, white fish, white or margherita pizza, or just by itself!

Average Price: $15.99- Available at Tom Thumb, World Market, Kroger and other wine retail locations!

Cheers my Wine Lovers! Enjoy your snow (ice) day!

Sweet Wine, and Kosher Too!

Happy New Year my wine lovers!! Resolution: new post every week! Starting today! :) Hope you all had a great year; and well, to start it off here is a wine that I have been meaning to write about since I discovered it! And why yes, it is a sweet wine, and kosher too! :)

Bartenura Moscato!  

Yes, many of you may recognize this beautifully blue bottle and squeal with delight. It is that good. 

Made in Italy with 100% Muscat grape (it's a small grape that is extremely perfumey (I don't think that's a real word, so let's go with fragrant), with the nectar and grapey smell, that it actually attracts insects... kind of like a moth to a flame kind of deal), this white wine is light in body and color with only 5% alcohol (yes, I am sorry ladies, but most Moscatos are about 6% or lower in alcohol), but big on taste!

Smooth, crisp, and refreshing from the slight effervescent bubbles, the nose is filled with nectarines, tangerines, and I get a little peachiness too, as the wine slides into your mouth and becomes absorbed with the classic grape taste. Yes, this is a wine that actually tastes like grape! (More of a white grape versus the classic black or red grapes). Keep that in mind as you shop for your next girl's night in. :) 

So what more could you want?! How about, this wine is actually Kosher and Passover approved? 

(Psss... Here is an easy way to identify Passover approved wines: If you look on the bottom of the front label, there's a little P in the bottom corner, which symbolizes Passover approved; and for authentic Kosher wines: if you look on the back label, there's a K which symbolizes that it is a Kosher wine. Pretty sweet and simple huh? And a little extra tidbit: Not all Kosher wines are Passover approved!)

So what exactly does this mean? Besides the fact that just about anyone can drink this wine; in a nut shell: that certain types of yeast must be used and handled by male Sabbath-observant Jews to equal a Kosher and Passover wine. Ta-da!

Now do you have to be Jewish in order to drink this wine? Do I have to be like Drake in order to drink this wine (yeah, just found out that Drake is Jewish! And he totally drinks Bartenura Moscato and shows it in his explicit (hey, I tried finding the rated version, and there is none such) video, I'm On One around the 3 minute mark)? 

Simple. No, just a fan of wine, or learning to become a fan of wine. :) Especially one under $15!

Perfect to Pair With: Desserts (goes a little better with non- chocolate desserts), fresh fruit plates, or just by itself! 

Average Price: $11.99: but you can usually find it on sale around $9.99 to $10.99 at Tom Thumb, Market Street, Total Wine, and other wine retail locations!

Mazel tov (cheers) my wine lovers! 

"Where Words Fail, Wine Speaks."