What To Serve When the Easter Beagle Comes A Callin'

It’s Easter time. Spring is in the air – at least in Florida it is and it’s time for another holiday family gathering. Of course food is at the core of the get-together and if you are looking for a wine to make the affair memorable consider one of the following.

If you are serving an Easter brunch, a Rosé is the perfect pairing. Go for a dry yet fruity Rosé that will have enough acidity to stand up to the variety of foods that make up the brunch buffet but also enough fruit flavor to be enjoyed as a sipping wine. The Castillo Perelada Cresta Rosa Vino de Aguja (11.99) is just the wine. Made from 100% Grenache, the wine is made in the semi-sparkling petillant style – it pours with a bit of fizz then stills out. This style of wine is bursting with fruit flavors yet is dry to the finish. The Cresta Rosa is refreshing, fruity and beautiful to behold in the glass.

Thinking about having an early dinner? Ham, hot-crossed buns and all the fixings that make the Easter table fun call for the Prosper Maufoux Morgon Cote de Py Cru Beaujolais (15.99). Made from 100% Gamay, this wine is rich and powerful with a ruby red color and ripe fruit aromas of cherries and plums. Morgon is the second-largest cru in the Beaujolais region of Burgundy and is well-known for its powerful wines. The Cote de Py slope has a base of slate and produces concentrated, structured wines that often resemble the Cote d’Or Pinot Noirs. The Cote de Py is said to be a dormant volcano rich with nutrients that gives wines from this part of the Morgon appellation an upper-hand compared to those from the lower land.

If you are planning a more elaborate gathering with lamb and maybe some asparagus or broccilini and salad with field greens, then the Chateau d’Excindre “Magdalia” (15.50) is for you. Made from 50-year old Carignane (60%), Syrah (30%) and Grenache (10%), this wine is very well balanced with red berries and ripe fruits surrounded by sweet tannins. The Magdalia comes from the Coteaux du Languedoc from hilly south facing vineyards giving the grapes warmth for juicy ripeness that comes through in the wine. Your guests will ooh and aah over this pairing for years to come.

What's an O'Dowd Drink for St. Paddy's Day?

A Wexford Irish Cream Ale, of course. Wexford is the first Irish Cream in a widget can to be imported to the US. What’s that widget do in the can, anyway? Although the little widget sounds cool in the can, please do not shake the can; you’ll just get an Irish Cream shower when you pull the tab pack. The widget is an in-can system that allows for a creamy head when you pour the beer for an authentic draft experience; the widget releases CO² to create the head. Because of the widget, you are experiencing real Irish draft beer. Doug O'Dowd, our resident beer expert, would rather have the Wexford straight from the tap but the in-can system is as close to the real thing as you can get without getting the passport out and going through customs. The Wexford is light to medium-bodied with rich, smooth, mellow flavors of malt and caramel with a light touch of fruitiness. The Wexford Ale Company was established in 1810 and follows five generations of brewing traditions. Enjoy with some shepherd’s pie or the all-American St. Patrick’s Day favorite, corned beef and cabbage.

Hold It! Get Your Hands off the Bowl and On the Stem

I almost don’t want to mention it. It sounds so snobbish and I really don’t like to be snobby about wine. My philosophy is that wine should be a complement to life therefore if you are enjoying a wine with dinner or while hanging out by the pool, then it must be a good wine for the occasion at hand. Otherwise you wouldn’t be drinking it. But this particular “thing” I just can’t let slide by. It’s when people hold their wine glass by the bowl.

Some people may not know that the bowl is for holding the wine and the stem is the actual holder. Like the cup part is where you pour the coffee and the holder is where you “hold” the cup. But you would think that Hollywood types trying to pass off a whole show as hip and sophisticated would know better. Apparently, not. Case in point, the Sex and the City HBO series. The show centers around four brilliant, young, beautiful, “with-it” women who make enough money to live alone in Manhattan while still able to afford $400 a pair shoes. With all the sophistication surrounding this show, one would think that they would hold onto a glass of wine in proper form. I named myself the unofficial wine censor of this program and noted 100’s of times when Carrie or Miranda have sheepishly looked into the eyes of their respective dates and then man-handled a glass of wine; not very appealing.

“What difference does it make?” you ask. The difference is that when you hold the glass by the bowl the body heat you emit through your hands, however slight, is changing the elements of the wine in the glass. As a wine warms up, it will create vapors from its aromas that will enhance the wine tasting experience. If it warms up too quickly the aromas will dissipate at a faster rate and the flavor experience will be lost. Remember that we “taste” through our sense of smell. Moreover, most reds are already served way too warm and by giving it the added warmth of your hands, you are not getting the optimum wine that the winemaker had in mind. Let me put it in easier terms to understand. Holding your glass of wine by the bowl would be akin to pouring ketchup on Chateaubriand from Bern’s Steakhouse. You could do it but why?
If you have been guilty of holding your wine glass by the bowl, try holding it by the stem and see if it doesn’t make a difference to your wine experience.