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robin@42aspens.com
Crushed Grape ChroniclesCrushed Grape Chronicles
Adventures in Wine Exploration
the stories behind the vines
  • CGC Home
  • The Stories
  • the places
    • Australia
      • Hunter Valley
      • Mudgee Wine Region
      • Shoalhaven Coast
      • Southern Highlands
    • California Wine, Wine Makers & Winery’s
      • Los Olivos, California
      • Paso Robles, California
      • Santa Barbara County
      • Napa Valley
      • Sonoma Valley
      • Temecula Wine Country
    • Central Coast Wine Country, a flash trip in 6 days
    • France, the wine regions
      • France, Alsace region
      • Champagne 101, the region
      • Côtes de Bordeaux
      • the wines of Alsace, France
      • the wines of Bordeaux, France
      • the wines of Champagne France
      • the wines of Languedoc Roussillion
    • Discovering Italy the Wine Regions
      • Abruzzo on Italy’s East Coast
      • Italy-Friuli-Venezia Guilia & the Colli Orientali
      • Vini di Valtellina
    • Oregon Wine Country
      • Willamette
    • Yakima Valley Wine
      • Red Willow Vineyard
  • the Philosophies
    • Biodynamics in Wine Production
    • Champagne & Sparkling Wine
  • Food & Wine Pairing
    • Tempting Spoonfuls: Pairing single bites with glorious wines
    • Food & Wine Pairing Recipe Videos
  • from dirt to glass
    • Wine Basics
      • the grape vines
      • the grapes
      • the seasons
      • the Wine harvest
      • the winemakers
      • Wine Faults
    • Crushed Grapes & Open Minds, Event
    • 12 Days of Wine, a holiday Wine list 2019
    • 12 Days of Wine, a holiday Wine list 2020
    • 12 Days of Wine, a holiday Wine list 2021
    • Uncommon Wine Festival at Vista Hills Vineyard 2018
    • Top Places to Taste Wine in California!
    • The Scenic Route 2021
    • The Scenic Route, a Flash Wine tour
  • Videos
    • The Scenic Route 2022
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  • 12 days of Wine 2022

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Discovering Wine Country Yakima Valley Wine
Discovering Wine Country, Yakima Valley Wine Country
Generations and stability at Red Willow Vineyard
Generations and stability at Red Willow Vineyard
The story of the iconic Red Willow Vineyard Chapel
The story of the iconic Red Willow Vineyard Chapel
the story of Red Willow Vineyard
the story of Red Willow Vineyard
The beginnings of Nebbiolo and Syrah at Red Willow
The beginnings of Nebbiolo and Syrah at Red Willow
Ancient Soils at Red Willow Vineyard
Ancient Soils at Red Willow Vineyard
Red Willow Vineyard – The Chapel Block
Red Willow Vineyard – The Chapel Block
A visit to Red Willow Vineyards, an Overview
A visit to Red Willow Vineyards, an Overview
A Vineyard walk on Candy Ridge with Seth Kitzke
A Vineyard walk on Candy Ridge with Seth Kitzke
JB Neufeld, Soil and Gilbert Cellars
JB Neufeld, Soil and Gilbert Cellars
JB Neufeld and Cabernet Sauvignon, part 2
JB Neufeld and Cabernet Sauvignon, part 2
Yakima Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with JB Neufeld, Part 1
Yakima Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with JB Neufeld, Part 1

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Tempting Spoonfuls: Pairing single bites with glorious wines (On Sale Now on Amazon)!

Tempting Spoonfuls: Pairing single bites with glorious wines Paperback – August 29, 2022

Tempting Spoonfuls: Pairing single bites with glorious wines Paperback – August 29, 2022

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Support us on this Small Business Saturday and fin Support us on this Small Business Saturday and find a great gift for the foodie in your life! Our "Tempting Spoonsfuls" recipe and pairing books make the perfect stocking stuffers! They are available on Amazon! You can find the link in our bio! Happy Holidays!!! #TemptingSpoonfuls #smallbusinesssaturday #stockingstuffers #wineandfoodpairing #smallbiterecipes
This is a historic bottle. One of just a few made This is a historic bottle. One of just a few made from the vineyard at Vittoriale degli Italiani, the home of the famous poet Gabriele d'Annunzio. We visited in October of 2022 and were gifted this bottle by the Valtenesi DOC, after tasting through over 50 Chiarettos (rosés). This wine is primarily Gropello. Alright, I'm going to close my eyes, take a sip, and allow my memories to transport me back to the shores of Lake Garda. *Want to learn more? You can find more on Crushedgrapechronicles.com just search for Valtenesi! @consorziovaltenesi @valtenesiinrosa #winemediaconference2022 #travelinabottle
Chilean Carménère and Charquican to celebrate Ca Chilean Carménère and Charquican to celebrate Carménère Day
November 24 – Carménère Day #CarménèreDay C November 24 – Carménère Day #CarménèreDay Carménère, that grape that found its groove in Chile! For decades, this grape was mixed in with Merlot, and it was not until 1994 that it was discovered that about 1/3 of the plantings in Chile that were believed to be Merlot were actually Carménère! This grape came to Chile in the mid-1800s from Bordeaux, where, at the time, it was often used in Bordeaux blends. The name comes from the French word "Carmin," which means crimson, the color of the vine's leaves in fall. Before the spread of Phylloxera, this vine was ground in the Médoc of Bordeaux and was considered one of this region's original six red grapes. Phylloxera and Oidium (powdery mildew) all but wiped this grape out in France, but it ended up mixed in with varieties taken to Chile, where it thrives. Carménère claims Cabernet Franc and Trousseau as parents. Flavors Sour cherry, tart raspberry, green peppercorn. This grape is known for its pyrazines, a compound that can give you green pepper notes in a wine. Depending on the style and the region, you can find dark fruit notes, smoke, and dried herbs. Pepper notes like jalapeno or poblano and richer notes of chocolate, leather, tobacco, and forest floor. In Chile, the practice used to be to get the grapes very ripe to rid them of these green notes; this, of course, raised the alcohol level in these wines, making rich, jammy wines. Today, more and more Chilean winemakers are embracing these green notes, balancing them, and creating wines with deep complexity. Pair this with rich meat dishes of steak, lamb, or pork. Grilled steak with chimichurri sauce is a great go-to! Try it with a mole or a range of foods with peppercorns or peppery spice. Vegetables lean into peppers and legumes with an added tang from olives or capers! In our book “Tempting Spoonfuls – Small Bites Paired with Wines from around the Globe,” we paired Chilean Carménère with Mini stuffed sweet peppers with a mole sauce! Visit CrushedGrapeChronicles.com to find our book and see more on Chilean wines! Happy #CarménèreDay
Turkey day at our house. Super simple semi-homema Turkey day at our house. Super simple semi-homemade dinner. (No cleaning the house needed, table set for 2, watching Holiday Baking Challenge while we dined) The wines...J.Wilkes 2016 Brut Rosé Santa Maria Valley and a Domaine Bousquet 2021 Reserve Pinot Noir from Tupungato Argentina * Received as a media sample (organic grapes from a winery that has since become Regenerative Organic Certified) Nesting, feeling grateful and enjoying a quiet day.
We pregamed last night with this Vermentino from @ We pregamed last night with this Vermentino from @serwinery Today is a nesting day. A day to quietly be grateful. There will be turkey and fixins' but cooking in pj's, without the stress of a photo shoot or company. You might get photos, but they will be unplanned and created out of the joy of the moment. Wishing all of you who celebrate a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Late last month, I had the opportunity to do an on Late last month, I had the opportunity to do an online tasting with James Marshall of @tenuta.licinia. The story behind these wines is fascinating and perhaps a bit confusing. These wines are a fusion of things: A Belgian Lawyer and his Oxford Oxford-educated grandson, making wines in Tuscany, with Bordeaux varieties made in a Burgundian style. They focus on expressing the soil in the wine and have been fine-tuning their winemaking since 2013, not releasing a wine until 2019. We tasted wines from their Sasso di Fata and Montefolli vineyards. These vineyards are planted to Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. We found beautiful, elegant rose notes in the wines, so we paired them with a bacon-wrapped filet and a rose petal sauce. Find the story on CrushedGrapeChronicles.com through the link to our site in our bio.
November 16 – Beaujolais Nouveau Day (3rd Thursd November 16 – Beaujolais Nouveau Day (3rd Thursday)#BeaujolaisNouveauDay Beaujolais Nouveau Day is celebrated around the globe. This wine is traditionally the first wine released in France after the harvest and this cheerful fresh wine is a reason to celebrate! This wine is made of Gamay grown in the Beaujolais region that is south of Bourgogne. While there are 10 Beaujolais Crus (St-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnieé, Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly) that make delicious wines that age beautifully, Beaujolais Nouveau is made in a different method, through Carbonic Maceration. In this method, the grapes are carefully harvested and placed in tanks whole (no broken berries.) The tank is then filled with Carbon Dioxide. This causes the berries to ferment inside their individual skins! This retains fresh fruit flavors in the wine, like cherry and raspberry and also adds additional flavors that might include, cinnamon, banana and bubble gum (I always think of Bazooka!) There are festivals all over Beaujolais, but you can celebrate even if you cannot get there! Many cities and towns across the globe will have celebrations and if there is not one near you, celebrate on your own! Grab some friends some snacks and some bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau which hit shelves around the globe on November 16th this year. For pairings, keep it light, festive and French! Think creamy French cheeses like camembert, ham, saucisson, terrines, cornichons, paté…It also goes well with fish and light chicken dishes! Happy Beaujolais Nouveau Day!
November 15th– (3rd Wednesday) #ZinfandelDay Zi November 15th– (3rd Wednesday) #ZinfandelDay Zinfandel in my youth it was known for it’s sweet rosé version, White Zinfandel. Goodness knows I drank plenty of that in college. But this wine can be formidable. In Paso Robles, Tobin James made Zinfandel sexy and approachable with their salloon style tasting room that greeted you as you drove in on Route 46. Further West in Paso Turley was making cult Zinfandels. Further north Ravenswood & Ridge Vineyards made versions of this wine, that were structured, balanced and yes, even elegant! For many years Zinfandel was a “mystery grape” in California, where no one knew it’s origins. In the early 2000s it was discovered that this variety was the same as Primitivo in Italy and Crljenak Kastelanski in Croatia. Of course the climate and the soil that the grape grows in affects the variety and California Zinfandel has a slightly different nature than say Primitivo grown in California. It's likely that Zinfandel arrived with the Gold Rush in California. It’s grown almost everywhere in the state. It has also spread across the globe! We had a wonderful Zinfandel in Australia from Lowe Vineyard in Mudgee. Zinfandel is well known for making delightful wines far into the vines old age, so if it says Old Vine, grab it!! Flavors and Aromas in Zinfandel? Blackberry, raspberry, Boysenberry, wild strawberry, marionberry, black cherry with spicy notes of crushed black pepper, cinnamon, and clove, fresher notes of anise or fennel and herbs and rich notes of tobacco and smoke. Pairings? A big bold Zin is perfect with BBQ. Think about pairing the berry note in the wine with notes in your BBQ sauce. Grilled meats and vegetables pair well, the smoky notes tying in with the wine. You can also pair with tomato sauce, which gives you a wide range of Italian dishes to pair with this wine and the wines structure and boldness allow it to work well with spicy Middle Eastern dishes. Of course, cheese and charcuterie boards are great pairings for grazing. If you are a person who enjoys wine with dessert, I suggest pairing with dark chocolate in any form! Pick up a couple of styles, from different regions and compare! Happy #ZinfandelDay
November 9th – International Tempranillo Day (2 November 9th – International Tempranillo Day (2nd Thursday of Nov) created by TAPAS #TempranilloDay The most famous grape of Spain, Tempranillo is best known in the wines of Rioja. While primarily grown in Spain, you can find bits grown in southern France and in the New World. It is known by multiple names. In the Duoro Valley (famous for Port) it is known as Tinta Roriz, in Alentejo Portugal it is called Aragonez. In Spain’s Ribera del Duero they call it Tinta del Pais and in the La Mancha region they know it as Cencibel. In Pisa Italy it is called Santo Stefano. Aromas and flavors are typically Red fruit (Cherry, Raspberry and Strawberry,) Dried Fig, Cedar, Forest floor, Tobacco, Baking Spice (clove & anise) and herbs like dill, balsamic notes and sometimes (depending on the oak) vanilla. In Rioja, this wine is made in 3 regions, Rioja Alta in the west with higher altitudes, Rioja Alavesa north of the Ebro River and Rioja Baja, the lower flatter region to the East. The climates in these regions affect the flavors in the wine. Rioja Baja, being the warmest brings full rich notes, and is likely higher in alcochol. Rioja Alta, with it’s altitude brings more nuance. Often these regions are blended. The wine is also made in several style levels in the wine. Crianz Rioja DOC Tempranillo wines spend at least 2 years aging with at least one of those years in oak. Reserva level wines age minimum 3 years with at least one in barrel and at least 6 months in bottle. Gran Reserva wines, age minimum 5 years with at least 2 in barrel and 2 in bottle. Pairings? This wine pairs well with meats, the tannins stand up to charcuterie, spicy meats and burgers and steaks with great fat. Lean into Red Peppers, garlic and paprika. While I mentioned beef, you can also pair this with game birds and even chicken, just add some saffron or olives. (You can even pair with fish stew) With cheeses, go with Spanish hard Sheep’s milk cheeses. Manchego is an easy pairing. Happy International Tempranillo Day!
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