WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Portland Current Conditions: Hot.
Tomorrow’s Forecast: Really Hot.
Wines At Carpe Vinum Tomorrow: White, Chilled, Cool and Refreshing!

Yes, tomorrow I’ll be pouring a whole slew of refreshing, summery white wines, selected from around the world, in a stunning cross section of wonderful varietals and blends. It appears to be just in time, considering the rising mercury. I mean, we haven’t seen weather like this since.. .well, since March. . .but it’s been a very odd year.

Now, we know it isn’t hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. That’s a myth. It is, however, possible to fry an egg on the hood of a car on days like today. I wouldn’t recommend it, as it’s bad for the car, and not so good for the egg considering the cleanliness of most cars. But for the sake of arguement, say you cleaned your car really well, and buttered up the hood nicely, and made sure to use a plastic spatula to avoid scratching up the paint job. . .it would, theoretically, be possible to fry and egg worthy of eating on the hood of your car.

And which of these wines would be the best pairing for car-hood-fried-egg? Quite honestly, I haven’t had wine with breakfast before, barring maybe a mimosa (bubbly-sparkly wine with O.J.). And what luck! I have a bubbly in here (Trevisiol Prosecco) that would make a great mimosa, although it works just fine on its own. Of course, there are a few other egg dishes that may be served with wine: Quiche, for example. I would say with all certainty, though, that it would be difficult, if not impossible to make a quiche on a car hood. Should someone prove me wrong, I would serve that with Pinot Blanc, a wine also in the tasting (Walnut City).

Vehicular cusine aside, all of these wines are just what we need to escape the heat, and I’ll keep them chilled here all night! I’ll also have the air conditioning cranked all day to keep everyone as cool as a car hood in Canada. (I mean really far North in Canada. . .Y’know. Where it’s really cold. . .I know. . .Lousy joke.)

So Friday, June 18th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Summery CHILLED Whites!
Trevisiol NV Prosecco, Veneto, Italy
El Coto 2002 Blanco, Rioja, Spain
Walnut City Wineworks 2002 Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Jean Leon Terrasola 2002 Muscat/Parellada, Catalunya, Spain
McManis 2003 Viognier, River Junction, California

The Extra-Special Premium Pours:
J. Christopher 2002 Sauvignon Blanc, Croft Vineyard, Oregon
Sineann 2003 Pinot Gris Wyeast Vineyard, Hood River Valley, Oregon

Next week is Syrah/Shiraz!
M