I had the immense pleasure of hosting a food and wine pairing for Tanja’s birthday celebration. Wine and food pairing is all about balance. Finding the right complementary flavors in both the food and wine to make each sing.

I chose a variety of crowd pleasing wines from different regions to show how unique wine characteristics can be, how they contrast and complement each other.

The wines are all available locally:

• Segura Viudas Brut Cava NV, Penèdes, Spain

• St. Supéry Estate Vineyards 2019, Napa Valley, California

• AtoZ Winemakers Pinot Noir 2018, Oregon

I am very excited to be hosting a Thanksgiving Masterclass virtual wine & food education for the Military Spouses of Newport (MSON) in collaboration with a Grapes & Gourmet. It’s a biannual event and my way of giving back to the community and support the local businesses.

MSON is a small non-profit philanthropic military spouse group, which supports all branches of service. Please visit their @milspousenewport for more information and help support our military families.

Wine: Domaine Lapierre Raisins Gaulois 2020

Cheeses: Mimolette, Fromager D’Affinois along with charcuterie

Provence conjures up visions of sun kissed rolling hills, the Mediterranean seaside and aromatic French rosé wines.

I had the immense pleasure of hosting a food and wine pairing Provence Mastercalss for my dear friend and her family last weekend. Their travel plans were postponed so they decided to virtually visit the region through delicious food and wine hoping to be there in the near future.

I chose a variety of rosé wines from different sub-regions of Provence to truly experience the various regions and their unique characteristics:

• Figuiere Atmosphère Rosé Extra Brut Méthode Traditionnelle 2017

• Chateau Vignelaure Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rose 2020

• Domaines Bunan Bandol Mas de la Rouviere Rose 2020

I am very excited to be hosting a Prosecco Masterclass virtual wine & food education for the Military Spouses of Newport (MSON) in collaboration with a Grapes & Gourmet. It’s my way of giving back to the community and support the local businesses.

MSON is a small non-profit philanthropic military spouse group, which supports all branches of service. Please visit their @milspousenewport for more information and help support our military families.

Check out @grapesandgourmetri for their well thought out selections of wine, beer, spirits, fabulous cheeses and gourmet products.

Wine: Nino Franco’s Rustico Prosecco

Cheeses: Camembert, Parmesan along with charcuterie

I am very excited to be hosting a virtual wine tasting and cheese pairing for MSON (Military Spouses Of Newport), in collaboration with a Grapes & Gourmet. It’s my way of giving back to the community and support the local businesses.

MSON is a small non-profit philanthropic military spouse group, which supports all branches of service. Please visit their @milspousenewport for more information and help support our military families.

Check out @grapesandgourmetri for their well thought out selections of wine, beer, spirits, fabulous cheeses and gourmet products.

Good time was had by all with @milspousenewport virtual wine tasting lesson Rosé 101 and the delicious cheeses @cypressgrovers Humboldt Fog goat cheese and @somerdalecheese Cranberry Wensleydale cheese. We paired it with a lively Villa Des Anges Old Vine Cinsault Rosé from Languedoc, 🇫🇷

Thanks to Grapes and Gourmet for the wine and gable boxes.

#winetasting#virtualwinetasting

It’s Sparkling Wine time! Let’s kick out 2020 with a bang and bring in 2021 amongst family and friends with Sparkling Wine. I’ll guide you through two wines made in the same method as Champagne (called the Traditional Method) as well as what foods pair deliciously with the Crémant and Franciacorta.

Make every night seem like a weekend with a virtual wine tasting.

The wines that we will taste together are:

• Bailly Lapierre Crémant de Bourgogne Réserve, Bourgogne, France

• Ca'del Bosco Cuvée Prestige Franciacorta, Lombardy, Italy

A few tips before the wine tasting event:

1. Ensure the wines are very well chilled before the wine tasting.

2. Pour the wines 5-10 minutes before the wine tasting.

3. Have some water handy - wine tasting is hard work!

Chilean wines are a hidden gem when it comes to quality and price point. New Zealand has made its mark on the map for quality Pinot Noir and their signature Sauvignon Blanc. What do these countries have in climate? Cooler, coaster climates (and delicious wines)!

It’s time to taste some delicious and fresh Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Make every night seem like a weekend with a virtual wine tasting.

The wines that we will taste together are:

• Leyda Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Vallée de Leyda OR Matetic EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc

• Villa Maria Pinot Noir Private Bin Marlborough 2018

Maps courtesy of Wine Folly

A wine tasting party with friends is such a fun way to try new wines, pair with food and just have fun.

Here is the list of the wines that will be tasted:

• Parès Balta Cava Brut

• Léon Beyer Riesling Réserve 2018

• Carmel Road Pinot Noir Monterey 2017

Zoom Meeting:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79467267077?pwd=WStTNEdGVVlPR1hDdlFRZXJsTjJlZz09

Meeting ID: 794 6726 7077 Passcode: 1UnsVB

Pour the wines 20 minutes prior to the event.

Have a glass of water handy - wine tasting makes you very thirsty!

Wine tasting mat - courtesy of Wine Folly

Come join me to taste, learn and enjoy USA’s #2 wine producing state, Washington wines. Make every night seem like a weekend with a free virtual wine tasting.

The wines that we will taste together are:

Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills 2016 $16

Chateau St Michelle Dry Riesling Columbia Valley 2018 $11

Please contact me directly to sign up. Space is limited.

Things to have on hand: 2 wine glasses, a glass of water and a white piece of paper.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76989629814?pwd=clVRV09sMVRlTGZ5M2ppenVQaU9Idz09

Meeting ID: 769 8962 9814 Passcode: 3skheg

Grapes & Gourmet Pétillant Naturel wine and cheese tasting. The accompaniment of fat and salt with an off-dry wine is a lovely accompaniment. The acid and sweetness in the wines compliments and cuts through the richness of the cheeses.

Here’s what we tasted together:

Wine:

• 2019 Pétillant Naturel from Oyster River Winegrowers in Warren, ME

• 2019 Pétillant Naturel Rosé from Oyster River Winegrowers in Warren, ME

Cheeses:

• Melinda Mae single cream Brie from Lebanon, CT

• Saint Angel double cream Brie from Péllusin, France

• Delice de Bourgogne triple cream Brie from Burgundy, France

• Truffle Moliterno from Sardinia, Italy

Video of the wine and cheese tasting on Instagram Grapes & Gourmet Wine & Cheese Tasting

Come join me to taste, learn and enjoy summer a few delicious rosé wines. Make every night seem like a weekend with a free virtual wine tasting.

The wines that we will taste together are:

2019 Zestos Old Vine Garnacha, Madrid, Spain $12

2019 La Spinetta Rosato,Toscana IGT, Italy $19

Wines can be purchased locally at The Savory Grape. Please contact me directly to sign up. Space is limited.

Things to have on hand: 2 wine glasses, a glass of water and a white piece of paper.

Pair with olives, manchego cheese, salted Marcona almonds, shrimp cocktail, crab cakes, prosciutto & melon, parmesan, chicken basil skewers, charcuterie. More pairings available.

How is Rosé made? See my link for more details

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/72666913882pwd=L3Y2MjV3YWx2dnBVNmQ3c1hVNEVUUT09

Meeting ID: 726 6691 3882 Passcode: 4HHkMJ

What better way to catch up with family during this time of social distancing, try some new wines and have fun - a virtual wine tasting party! Make every night seem like a weekend with a free virtual wine tasting.

White: Paco & Lola Rias Baixa 2019 $18

Rosé: Gérard Bertrand Pays d'Oc Gris Blanc 2019 $16

Red: Paolo Scavino Dolcetto d'Alba 2018 $23

Come join me to taste, learn and enjoy sparkling wine alternatives to Champagne. Bubbles always make everything extra special and fun. Make every night seem like a weekend with a free virtual wine tasting.

The two wines that we will taste together are:

Ferrari Brut N.V., Trento DOC, Trento-Alto Adige, Italy $24

Raventós í Blanc, Blanc di Blancs 2017, Penedès DO, Spain $24

Please contact me directly to sign up. Space is limited. Contact me if you have difficulty finding the wines. We can always find an alternative.

Join Zoom Meeting:

Meeting ID: 726 3819 7482 Passcode: 1e1fvb

Food pairings: soft rind cheeses (brie, camembert), paté, shrimp cocktail, oysters, ceviche, prosciutto, chorizo, olives, sushi, fried calamari, veggies and dip, caviar…. the list goes on!

Come join me to taste, learn and enjoy summer a few summer reds. Make every night seem like a weekend with a free virtual wine tasting.

The two wines that we will taste together are:

Paolo Scavino Dolcetto D’Alba DOC 2018 $15

Domaine Jacky Marteau “Lulu” Gamay Noir, Touraine, Loire , France 2018 $15

Wines can be purchased locally at The Savory Grape. Please contact me directly to sign up. Space is limited.

Contact me if you have difficulty finding the wines. We can always find an alternative.

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 736 6879 3537 Passcode: 7CApB8

Come join me to taste, learn and enjoy summer wines from the Languedoc region. Make ever night seem like a weekend with a free virtual wine tasting.

The two wines that we will taste together are:

• Gérard Bertrand Thomas Jefferson Crémant de Limoux Brut Rosé, N.V. $18

• Charisse Picpoul de Pinet Blanc, Languedoc, France 2018 $14

Both wines can be purchased at Eno Fine Wines & Spirits in Providence, RI.

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 713 3058 2626 Passcode: 9K33j3

Try these refreshing and crips summer whites: Assyrtiko Santorini, Santo Wines 2018, Getariako Txakolina "Flysch," Bodega Gorosti 2019 & Vinho Verde, Las Lilas 2018.

Food pairings for the Interesting Summer Whites Tasting - cherry tomato, cucumber & sea salt feta salad (Narragansett Creamery), pan seared lemon garlic Argentina shrimp, avocado grouper ceviche and mini roasted bourbon pineapple