Monthly Archives: June 2016

LeBron, This Wine’s For You!

Pardon me if I sound a little giddy today, but I live in Cleveland (a.k.a. Believeland), and the town is wacko-nuts this week after the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Championship for the first time in franchise history. And by wacko-nuts, I mean an estimated 1.3 million fans  – more than three times the city’s population – left their air conditioning in 90° temps for a glimpse of King James on parade.

King James

In case you’ve been living in Uzbekistan, LeBron “I’m-just-a-kid-from-Akron-Ohio” James is the pivotal reason (pun intended) why Cleveland brought home its first championship trophy in any pro sport since 1964. LeBron, a 4-time MVP, is more than a basketball player; he’s an orchestrator, a natural leader, and from all indications a gentleman and attentive dad. Sure it takes a team to bring home the trophy, but it was LeBron’s mastery, more than any other single factor, that left the Golden State Warriors in Cleveland’s rear-view mirror. He grounded the Cavs in an almost supernatural way, and we mortals had never witnessed such extraordinary leadership on one of our teams. We were all in.

James started training for this moment when he was still a kid playing for Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, skipping college after he graduated to join the Cavaliers’ roster. But the move didn’t diminish his respect for education: since then, he’s picked up the tab for dozens of inner-city kids, spending millions of his own money for their schooling.

Ohio’s favorite son is ambidextrous, a lefty who usually shoots with his right hand. During the parade, it looked as if all the Cavs were using their right hands to swig their Moët Nectar Impérial Rosé, a pale-coral Champagne that will sell for $5,000 per jewel-trimmed bottle in Cleveland nightclubs.

We don’t have any $5,000 Champagne handy, but we did celebrate with a wicked Rosé discovery – Blackbird Vineyards Arriviste Rosé 2012.

Arriviste

That dark-salmon color on your screen is real, and the aroma and taste are just as striking – like a dry cherry soda mixed with a shot of excellent vodka. In fact, the wine tastes stronger than its 12.9 percent alcohol. In another year, I expect the berry and booze to smooth together a bit more. But that’s not a flaw; this wine, produced by the saignée method of “bleeding” free-run juice, is ready for summer. It’s on the pricey side at $25/split, but the city’s first championship trophy in 52 years is worth a splurge.

And if LeBron James wants to reinvent himself as the country’s newest celebrity winemaker, I am all in.

Wine Lingo of the Day:  Maceration =  steeping the juice of red grapes with their skins, a process that gives Rosé its pink color. A winemaker can choose to macerate for a few hours or a few days, depending on the color desired; in general, the longer the maceration period, the deeper the color.

If you’d like to join BigSexyReds on my wine adventures, please click on the “Follow” tab in the lower right-hand corner of your screen and you’ll receive these posts by email.

 [Big thanks to Emily Straffen for permission to use her photo of LeBron James, taken at the Cavaliers celebration parade.]

Now for the World Series…

Mary

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Doughnuts and Wine – a Tasty Pairing!

You say doughnuts, I say donuts – especially today, because it’s National Doughnut Day.

We can feel good about indulging our collective sweet tooth, since it’s for a good cause and always has been: the holiday was created in 1938 by the Chicago branch of the Salvation Army to honor “Lassies” – women who distributed donuts to U.S. servicemen in World War I. The Salvation Army’s practical aim was to raise money to help needy families during the Great Depression.

But the day puts two decisions on the table: what kind of donut, and which wine to pair with it?

Krispy Kreme glazed donuts

The donut choice is a no-brainer. It must be glazed, from Krispy Kreme. No substitutes, please. Don’t show up at my door with bear claws, fritters, cronuts or other pretenders. I’m adding 400 calories to my day’s total – just enough, probably, to keep me from losing weight this week. So I need to be picky. I’m sure many of you will disagree with my choice (poor misguided souls) and you’re welcome to chew me out in the Comments section.

On the wine I’m willing to compromise. You’ll want to select a wine with at least a bit of sweetness (trust me on this; both the wine and the donut will taste like they were brought together by Divine Intervention). If you’re not accustomed to buying sweet wines, take the plunge and buy a quality bottle – a Vouvray, maybe, which will always have a bit of sweetness, or a floral, not-super-dry Rosé.

If you’re not in an experimental mood, reach for a Prosecco, Italy’s famous sparkling wine. Prosecco is made from a grape called Glera, which is a little sweeter than the grapes used in making Champagne. You can also buy Prosecco without bubbles, but it may not be easy to find.

My choice for this evening will be a glass of Sherry, often called “the whiskey of wines” for its bite and high alcohol content, which can reach 20 percent ABV or higher. I like the nutty, aromatic nature of Sherry. It’s not as thick in the mouth as Port, though I do enjoy a nice Port with dessert, too. Sherry styles could make another long blog post, but I probably will reach for a spicy Oloroso that I can sip like a fine Scotch.

However you accent your dessert tonight, go get a donut (or, if you prefer, a doughnut)! Krispy Kreme is giving away donuts today, no purchase required. Dunkin’ Donuts will give you a free donut if you purchase a drink, and if you buy half a dozen donuts at Giant Eagle, they’ll give you another half-dozen free of charge.

Wine Lingo of the Day: Spumante, Frizzante, Tranquillo = “Spumante” is Italian for “sparkling” and refers to bubbly wine, usually in discussions of Prosecco. “Frizzante” is semi-bubbly; you’ll see bubbles in the glass and feel them tingling on your tongue, but they don’t last. “Tranquillo” is still wine, with no bubbles at all.

Happy sipping and munching!

Mary

[Photo courtesy of Camknows via Flickr.com]