IrisD Bridal Blog

On Friday October 29^th, I had the privilege to attend a Riedel wine tasting with none other than Georg Riedel. It was a tremendous experience. George has an amazing sense of humor and a breadth of knowledge on wine and glasses. I would say I was a bit skeptical with the proposition that your glassware would impact a tasting of different wines with this magnitude. I must say I was so impressed that I replicated the tasting w/ my father and was again blown away.

 had us start with whites specifically Chardonnay and Riesling. We had four glasses in front of us for 4 different varietals, chardonnay, Riesling, pinot and cab. I  was amazed with tasting the chardonnay in the pinot glass. These 2 glasses are identical except the Chardonnay glass is cut at a lower level than the pinot hence offering a bigger opening. I can only tell you it was mind blowing; the chardonnay was so much smoother on the palette, even had floral notes. Whereas in the pinot glass, it was a bit rough and a bit sour even on the side of my tongue. I could not believe this.

 Last night, I did further testing on red wines. We served a cote rotie in the cab glass and then put it across on the chardonnay and pinot glass. It was incredible. In the cab glass, the cote rotie was smooth, smelled wonderful, very smooth again. But back in the pinot glass It just wasn’t the same. Both my dad and I agreed that the Reds weren’t as easy to tell the difference but it was there. It seemed the big impact was on the whites during our tasting.

 Overall the wine tasting experience with the Riedel Vitis set was truly amazing. I am actually considering to only drink my wine with this set it is so incredible. What they need to do is devise a way to make it portable so I can take it to the restaurant, lol! For those winoswho are getting married, if can afford it, offer the Riedel glass to all your guests of the wedding, they and you will have a life experience. If you already plan to spend a lot of money on wine, why not choose the right glass to enjoy it.

Hello everyone,

Let me introduce myself. I am the main contributor for wines, bubbles and spirits. From time to time, I will post here with reviews and ideas on how to improve your wedding fun. My goals are to give you some tips and ideas on what to get depending on your needs to complement your overall wedding experience. This month is my first blog so I would like to welcome everyone. I came across a fun article in the Wine Spectator (Nov 30^th 2009 edition) that discussed the state of Merlot in California. As you know Merlot has taken its share of abuse ever since the movie sideways and as a result Pinot Noir has become extremely popular.

Interestingly enough I was intrigued by their commentary on many of the cheaper Merlot and to see what you could get in that $10 price range. The other day after finishing my shopping at the grocery store, I stopped in the wine section as I always do to see if any super sales were on. Luckily, the Beringer Merlot 2006 was staring right at me. I think the fact that it was marked off from $11.99 to $7.99 was even more intriguing. Today I decided to open it and give it a run with my lunch. I was eating a prosciutto sandwich to match with my Merlot. It actually worked just fine. I have to say that for $7.99 I was quite pleased. The Beringer Merlot had notes of oak, vanilla, and quite a bit of tannins. A lot of fruit forward and not a long finish but at $8 I don’t really expect that either. I could have decanted it a bit so that it would not be so “tannic” on the palate. That is a great trick especially on younger wines. Don’t be afraid to decant for 30 mns even if it is a $7.99 wine. It will greatly improve its taste and smoothness. For $7.99, this would be a good little wine if you were on a very strict budget. I encourage you to give it a try. Remember though always try the wines you are going to serve your guests before you buy them. And most important as long as you like it that is what’s most important.

Until next time, enjoy your wine!!!

Say “skal!” to a new drink with a Swedish vibe that’s dedicated to Sagittarians. The base is Karlsson’s Gold Voldka distilled from Swedish potatoes only once. What it tastes like? Here’s how the critics at The New York Times put it (and they aren’t easy to please, as you know): “A slightly earthy, pleasant vegetal aroma; a clean flavor with hints of sweet nuttiness; and a smooth finish. It is very appealing on the rocks, and it might be shown at its best in a vodka gibson. What could be better.”

The accompanying nibble is easy to make: Mix cream cheese with lemon zest and pepper, spread on rye bread, and top iwth smoked salmon.

Here is the receipe: (makes 1)

1 1/2 onces vodka, preferably Karlsson’s gold

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

3 dill sprigs, plus more for garnish

Fresh ground pepper

ice cubes

1 1/2 ounces tonic water

COMBINE: vodka, lime juice, dill, and a pinch of pepper in a cocktail shaker. Crush dill using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon. Strain into an ice-filled glass. Top off with tonic; stir to combine.

SERVE: with a dill sprig and an additional pinch or 2 of pepper

http://karlssonsvodka.com