Mini Grenache Tasting by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Mini Grenache Tasting by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

The Spanish wine grape Garnacha is called Grenache in France and the United States.  Grenache is widely grown in France for everything from rosé to a wine that tastes good with chocolate.

I first learned about wines made from Grenache grapes when driving past the Maury vineyards high up in the Pyrénées Mountains as my husband Laurent and I drove towards the Cathar fortress-castles of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse in the French Rousillon region (French Catalonia).

This tasting’s objective is to acquaint tasters with the range of wines that use Grenache in their making.

Suggested wines and regions:

-Monterey County California

Chalone Grenache

-Rousillon, France (French Catalonia)

Maury Wine

-Rousillon, France (French Catalonia)

Banyuls wine

(This wine is said to go well with chocolate.)

-Southern Rhône Valley, France

Châteauneuf-du-Pape - Grenaches is one of several grapes that go into this wine.

(The papal glass seal on the bottle is impressive to look at while dining.)

-Côtes-du-Rhône, France

Tavel Rosé

(Tavel is my favorite rosé.  It goes well with spicy food like couscous from Morocco.)

Happy Tasting!

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Click for Laurent Paget's Book

Ruth Paget Selfie

Suggested Syrah Wine Tasting by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Suggested Syrah Wine Tasting by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Syrah is a grape variety that grows well in very hot climates like inland Monterey County California.

This wine tasting’s objective is to identify the effect of soil on the taste of Syrah wine.

Suggested wine regions:

Monterey County California Syrah Wineries:

Chalone

De Tierra

Rhône Valley France Syrah Wines:

-Hermitage

-Côte Rôtie

-Cornas

-St. Joseph

-Crozes-Hermitage

Australia:

Syrah is called Shiraz there.

BevMo, Nielsen’s, and Lopez Liquors on the Monterey Peninsula can probably supply many of these choices.  BevMo delivers.

Have fun tasting!

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Click for Laurent Paget's Books

Ruth Paget Selfie

Mini Malbec Wine Tasting by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Mini Malbec Wine Tasting by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

-Clos d’Argentine from Argentina, 2014 Reserve, 91 Wine Spectator (available at Grocery Outlet in Salinas, California for under $10 as of today). 

-A Cowgirl Winery Malbec from Carmel Valley, California (available from the Carmel Valley wine room)

-A Hahn Winery Malbec from River Road (Monterey County), California

-Cahors – a French Malbec wine with additions of Merlot and Tannat.  From Southwestern France below Bordeaux.

-a Bordeaux Médoc – Malbec is one of the blending wines in Bordeaux Médoc wines.  Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape, though.

-California Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a single varietal.

(Both Bordeaux and Cabernet Sauvignon can be sourced from Grocery Outlet.  Lopez and Bevmo in Carmel might be able to arrange for Cahors.)

The main question for the tasting is:  How does Malbec influence the taste of Bordeaux Médocs as opposed to single varietal California Cabernet Sauvignon?

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Click for Laurent Paget's Books

Ruth Paget Selfie

 

Clos d'Argentine, 2014 Reserve, 91 Wine Spectator