A Taste of Fashion

A Benefit for the Montgomery AIDS Outreach

All portions of proceeds will be donated to MAO

All donations are tax-deductible

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Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Yes I'm still on the hunt for Sauternes but I will have it hands this weekend. I promise, but since I haven't hunted it down yet, I decided to open a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc by Nobilo, which I almost drunk the entire bottle alone.(smile)

I first taste this wine at a wine tasting and instantly feel in love with it! I was told by a friend who accompanied me to the tasting that, "There's a wine at that table that taste like grapefruit!" (eyebrows raise) So, of course I had to make my way over to find out about this wine. Now, I tell you I was shocked when I found out it was a Sauvignon Blanc because before I was not a fan. With one taste of Nobilo's I was sold! It definitely had a nice hint of grapefruit in it and not only was I sold but so was the bottle. Here's more about Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc 2010 from Marlborough, New Zealand:

Pale yellow with brilliant clarity. Very evident aromas of pineapple, passion fruit and melon. Fresh, crisp and clean with zesty flavors of ripe tropical fruits and zingy acidity. A beautifully balanced wine with great presence and mouthfeel.

FOOD MATCH. Enjoyable on its own as an aperitif, or pairs well with any lighter seafood dish, lemon herb chicken, or summer salads.

critical acclaim:
"Vibrant and mouthwatering, with a laser beam of lemon, lime, grapefruit and apricot flavors. Hints of fresh herbs and flowers add to the complexity."

89 Points
Wine Spectator

I would also like to add that the bottle was only $9.99. Great price for a great tasting wine. This is a great summer wine and it gets two wine glasses (or 3, LOL) from me!

Happy Wine Drinking!

Sweet Sauternes

Lately (via Twitter) I've seen a lot of talk about Sauternes pronounced {soh-tern}. Now I've never taste this wine before nor had I even heard of it. Since it seems to be so popular I had to look it up and find out what all the rave is about. Here's what I found out...


Sauternes an elegant sweet wine from the Sauternes region of western France. It's made from SAUVIGNON BLANC or SEMILLON grapes that have been infected by a beneficial mold called BOTRYTIS CINEREA, which causes the grapes to shrivel, leaving a sugary fruit with concentrated flavors. The best Sauternes come from vines that have been hand-picked (as many as 12 separate times) to ensure that the grapes are not removed from the vines before reaching the perfect degree of ripeness required for these wines. Sauternes are most notable as DESSERT WINES but, because of their high acidity, they also make excellent partners for rich dishes like PÂTÉ, CAVIAR and FOIE GRAS. "Sauterne" without the ending "s" usually refers to an inexpensive semisweet California wine.

Flavors in Sauternes range from apricot, peach, pineapple, and vanilla.The wines are smooth and creamy (Mmmmm...that sounds so good! I love the color of the wine as well)

Desserts pair well with Sauternes but because of it's complexity it goes well with a variety of food.Here are some ideas for pairings with Sauternes
http://www.hellovino.com/food/wine/pairing/sauternes


So it is safe to say that will be on the hunt for this wine this week. I will definitely tell you all if it's all the rave, which I'm sure that it is. (smile)

To find out more on Sauternes go to: http://www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary/entry/?id=4430

Music & Fireworks in the Vineyards -Morgan Creek Winery

Morgan Creek Winery will be hosting a series of Music & Fireworks in the Vineyards this summer.

Dates are June 18, July 2, & August 13

6pm-10pm

Admission is $10

Bring a picnic or purchase food on site.

All of this along with winery tours and wine tastings!

For more information check out the Wine Events tab and for more information on Morgan Creek Winery check out the Alabama Wineries and Vineyards tab.

Corks in the Courtyard-June 2nd

Corks in the Courtyard is back this year!

Come out to the A&P Lofts in Old Cloverdale to sip and stroll through the shops at the A&P with wine tastings, door prizes and live music by Henry Pugh from 5:30-7:30Pm

Admission is $5.

For more information call 334.356.4598 or visit www.rsvp-montgomery.com

Serving Wine: Temperature

Article courtesy of Publix Wine Guide

Serving your wine at the right temperature can make all the difference between a so-so sip and a "wow" of a wine. While over-chilling wines can mask their flavors and aromas, serving them too warm can make them taste flabby and dull. For the most enjoyment, serve wines at the following temperatures:

Champagnes/Sparkling Wines-45°F
Lighter whites (such as Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling) - 45°F to 55°F
Full-bodied whites (such as Chardonnay)-55°F to 60°F
Lighter reds (such as Beaujolais and Pinot Noir)-55°F to 60°F
Full Bodied Reds, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel and Merlot 62°F to 67°F


To get your wines to these temperatures, chill reds about 45 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator before serving; two hours should suffice for the whites. Don't worry if your wines are colder than the above temperatures when you first take them out of the refrigerator—the warmth from a room full of friends will quickly take the chill out of any glass, and soon your wine will taste just right.

For more wine tips from Publix Wine Guide go to www.publix.com/clubs/wine/wine101/Home.do

Art & Soul at Pure Artistry Cafe'

Hosted by Kalonji Gilchrist

Friday, May 27th @ 8pm

Art & Soul is an event dedicated to the visual arts. Come out and invigorate your senses with paintings, photos and sculptures by local and regional artists, while enjoying smooth jazz and light appetizers.

This event includes door prizes and a silent auction. You will also have the opportunity to mingle and connect with the artists as they express the inspiration for their pieces.

This event is presented by Pure Artistry Cafe' located in Montgomery, AL.

Make sure to check out the Laugh Lounge at Pure Artistry Cafe' this Saturday, May 21st!

To find out more information on Pure Artistry Cafe', tickets and events go to http://www.palitcafe.com/

Good Food, Good Wine, Good God Let's Eat!

Eat, Drink and be Merry is exactly what I and group of friends did last month!

We attended a Five Course Wine Dinner benefitting the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance on Monday, April 25 at Carrabba's. The food was declicious and the company of friends was a plus. This wine dinner is held every year to help find a cure for this disease. The wine dinner was $35 which is a steal compared to most wine dinners that range from $45-$80. So of course I had to jump on this! The wine pairings were perfect with the food and I was stuffed and feeling the wine at the end of the night. I didn't even taste the last red wine because I had approached my limit. LOL



Below is the menu of our wine dinner. My favorite dish Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin. It was so tender and seasoned so well it taste like steak! My favorite wine of the night was the Kendall Jackson Chardonnay.

Antipasti
Spinach Fonduta
An oven-baked blend of spinach with Fontina and Gruyere cheeses, served with grilled bruschette bread
Wine Paring: Kendall Jackson Chardonnay

Insalate
Italian Salad
Wine Paring: Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc

Pasta
Penne Franco
Mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and black olives, in garlic and oil with ricotta salata cheese
Wine Pairing: Ravenswood Zinfandel

Carne
Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Wood grilled to perfection and topped with an apple and fig infused port wine sauce Wine Pairing: Pian Di Nova, Super Tuscan

Dolci
Creme Brulee
A rich custard dessert topped with a layer of caramelized sugar


Unfortunately, we didn't get the Creme Brulee but overall we were all very pleased with the dinner.I meant to take pictures of each dish but I was so hungry and the food looked so good that I forgot to. At the end of dinner we were each given nice wooden Carrabba's cutting boards. The dinner was everything I expected it to be and I look forward to my next one!

If you would like to attend a wine dinner at Carrabba's or get specials and deals on meals sign up for Carrabba's Amici Club at www.carrabbas.com/amici-club/

For more information on Friedreich's Ataxia go to http://www.curefa.org/.

Giving Back One Bottle At A Time with ONEHOPE WINE

I recently came across this wonderful brand of wines from a friend who suggested I follow them on Twitter. When I found out what the wine distributors are doing with the profits from the sell of their wine, I had to share it. With each bottle of wine that is sold half of the profits are donated to charity.

ONEHOPE has donated over half of $400,000 to there partneted charities. Matt of ONEHOPE informed me that they are now distributing in the Southeast.

Check out ONEHOPE at http://www.onehopewine.com/.

May is National Wine Month!

I can't explain how excited I am about National Wine Month! I have thought of several ways to celebrate this wonderful month. One way I plan to celebrate is to visit one of the 14 wineries here in our great state of Alabama. I also plan to attend wine tastings at some of the other wine shops in our area. I've becomed a fan of PepperTree Steaks N' Wines but I will be attending a tasting this Friday at Ted the Wine Guy. (Oh yeah its free you'd like to attend as well)So here's some info on National Wine Month. Now mind you this is celebrated in the UK but who says we can't celebrate it in the USA?

National Wine Month takes place in May 2011 - the start of the summer period - when wine consumers are likely to be trying new wines

MAKE TIME FOR WINE is the umbrella campaign designed to:

• Increase awareness of the wide variety of wines available
• Give reasons for people to experiment and try different wines
• Encourage people to discover more about wine
• Engage different groups of consumers

To find out more about National Wine Month go to www.nationalwinemonth.org

So how do you plan to celebrate National Wine Month?