Wine of the Month - April 2013

Feeling rather sheepish as I write today - been very neglectful of the blog these past few weeks, life had simply got in the way!  Anyway, I will try harder...... so here we are with another wine recommendation - and a revamp of the blog. 

Spring has, I hope, finally sprung and boy has it been a long time coming - the clocks changing, a few warmer days (though it was sleeting here again today and we've still some lingering piles of snow....eek!), and lighter evenings and my thoughts turn to crisp, dry, cold whites.....

 

 Well, my latest recommendation is a somewhat overlooked wine in my opinion - the humble Muscadet. It hails from the Loire region of France, and in keeping with most of the whites from that area is a reliable dry, crisp, light wine - very easy drinking!I have recently stumbled across a very reasonably supermarket available Muscadet (NB do not with Muscat which produces a very sweet wine).

La Cheteau Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie - to give it its full name ( Sevre et Maine is the part of the Loire Valley it hails from and sur Lie means it has been left in contact with the 'Lees' after fermentation).  It retails in Germany for about EUR4.50 a bottle (and UK readers you can get it in Asda for £6.00).

It is a very light, fruity (but not overtly so) subtle wine, which works well on its own as an aperitif, or with lighter dishes - fish, seafood - that sort of thing.  Highly gluggable and well worth a try!

Bottoms Up!

Wine of the Month - February 2013

Herr Expat knows I enjoy my wine and so my usual Valentine's treat is a nice bottle - and he didn't disappoint this year.

February's recommendation comes from South Africa, from the Stellenbosch region, well known for its sumptuous reds.  We tried a Jacobsdal Pinotage 2010. Now it retails at a bit more than my usual bargain finds (about 12Eur according to Mr. E - and he found it in Edeka which seems to have a rather good wine selection if you can find a big enough branch - rather like the Co-op used to have in the UK - but I digress.....)

So to the vineyard.  This pinotage hails from Jacobsdal - a family run wine estate in the Stellenbosch which has specialised in the production of Pinotage wines - almost exclusively - until the introduction of a Cabernet Sauvignon in 2004.  And I must say that they do pinotage very, very well.  This wine was bursting with berry flavours, soft, full and rounded on the palate - a shame we only had the one bottle to drink.....

I think Pinotage has to rate highly as one of my favourite reds, this wine and another SA stunner the Delheim (funnily enough that hails from another Valentine's day post....) are two that I can really recommend - but of course, the downside being that they come with a heftier price tag - worth it I'd say.

Prost!

Wine of the Month - January 2013

Yes, Yes, I know it's February - but I bought and fully intended on drinking and talking about this wine in January - but I've been laid low by the lurgy for two weeks and until yesterday had not touched a drop of wine..... I must have been very ill.......

I have some very fond memories of Sardinia, we spent our honeymoon there and it holds a special place in my heart.  Alghero, on the North West corner is my particular favourite - known for its winding alleys, fantastic Lobster and some incredible wine.

When we were there, we stayed in this amazing Hotel, once a holiday home of Itallian Royalty, it sits on its own little rocky outcrop, surrounded by gardens just outside of the centre of Alghero.

Anyway, I digress, back to the point in hand, or rather glass in hand...and a Sardinian Red to be precise.  Today's recommendation is a Cannonau di Sardegna.  Now you may well not have heard of Cannonau, but you will no doubt have tasted it somewhere.... for Cannonau is actually Grenache  - where in Sardinia it is one of the principal varieties used in red production.

This wine is a beautiful plummy colour - almost damson-like, a rich, deep, purple.  It just invites you to get stuck in.  On the palate it is full, rounded and smooth and bursting with the fruitiness it's colour suggests - a real find for Eur5.99 in my local Edeka.

Sparkling Sylvester

A very belated Happy New Year!!

Girls in their finest

We saw the old one out and the new one in in style this year - I'd planned a black-tie (we don't get much opportunity to parade our best frocks so need to make the most of any that arise!) and cocktail party to ring in the new, but for a number of reasons, it didn't pan out quite as planned.  Thankfully, a fellow Expat, who conveniently lives staggering distance away, offered us the use of her 'Partyzimmer' and co-hosted with me.

Feuerzangenbowle at Lipstickandlaptop's Christmas Party.

Now Sylvester is one of the few times the Germans really, and I mean really, let their hair down! New Year's Eve in Germany is inextricably linked with fireworks - yup come midnight - actually for quite a bit beforehand too - it's like world war three has started.  The bangs are almost more important than the sparkles....  There is a great article on the Telegraph Expat site about Germans and their love of all things fire related - be it fireworks, feuerzangenbowle, barbecuing or even just their continued addiction to the humble cigarette.......

I digress, back to the party.....  Glad rags on, Partyzimmer suitably decorated, drinks bought, canapes made.... we were ready to rock and roll!  And we had a great night - despite illness (Mr. Expat Emma) and bad weather (raining - thankfully the wind had dropped - that would have made the fireworks even more fun...) we managed to see 2013 in in style - think glamourous frocks, champagne cup, delicate canapes - you're about on the right lines (at least that's how I'm picturing it in my minds eye.....)

Enjoying the Champagne Cup!

The champagne cup - a mix of a Blanc des Blancs, Pomegranate Juice and Seeds, sugar syrup and white rum, went down rather too well but was balanced out by a 'mocktail' for those not partaking of the hard stuff - this was a concoction of grapefruit lemonade with a tropical lime/coconut juice (think Malibu without the alcohol!)  Apparently very subtle and sophisticated - but not having tried it I'll have to take that on trust!

The canape table groaned with samosas (unusually done in a 'fladenbrot' a flat Turkish loaf as there was a lack of pastry it seems in Dortmund that day - actually supplies were running low in Kettwig too...); blinis with smoked salmon and dill creme fraiche; sun dried tomato hummus; a plethora of other chips and dips and then (more) mince pies and Christmas cake! 

Ready for the Fireworks

Then as the clock hit midnight - I'm not sure how we checked this as we didn't have Big Ben bonging in the background, we all toasted the New Year with a glass of Sekt and headed outside for the fireworks.  The rain didn't deter us or dent our spirits at all - nor did it adversely affect the display - or the bangs!  What is really lovely is that the whole community are out on the streets at this point, each doing their own small display but what you end up with is an ongoing, much bigger firework show than you'd have managed on your own.  

Seeing 2013 in with a bang!

Wine of the Month - December 2012

Just!

This month's tip is a D-I-Y affair - yup, into the kitchen to whip up a homemade batch of 'Irish Cream Liqueur'.

It's ever-so-simple, and ever-so-yummy.... your equipment consists of a whist and a can opener... and you'll need the following:

1 x Can of condensed milk (I use Carnation)

1 x Can of Evaporated milk (ditto)

2 x Tsps Glycerine (from the baking aisle - gives it a lovely consistency)

1 x Small strong Espresso style coffee (or as much/little as you like)

Whisky to taste......

Empty all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk thoroughly, I think it's best to use an electric whisk for this, but you can do it by hand.  Then decant to a suitable storing and pouring vessel.

It's best from the fridge and over ice!!

Wine of the Month - November 2012

It's coming up to the party season and so thoughts are turning to celebratory drink (as if we need a reason!) and I want to point you in the direction of a sparkling-wine based cocktail to try, if you've not already.

Aperol seems to be on the rise here in Germany - and Aperol Spritzers are becoming very popular.

So what is Aperol then - the new Campari?  It's an Italian bitter-orange flavoured aperitif, but who knew it also contains Gentian and Rhubarb?!   Indeed, a quick browse on the interweb tells us that Aperol is indeed owned by Campari now and the main difference between the two seems only to be the alcohol content - with Campari being twice the strength of Aperol.

Now, the Aperol Spritz, a somewhat trendy beverage for me to be indulging in, but is actually very drinkable - perhaps a little too so!!  You need a sparkling wine - I suppose seeing as it's an Italian drink, Prosecco should be called for, but any fizz will do.  Then a good splash of Aperol, and then topped off with sparkling water - and there you have it, a lovely vibrantly orange coloured aperitif, ideally suited to Christmas parties (as you can drink a fair few and still be standing.....) or to summer lazing - and we need to look forward to the long warm summer evenings as it's dark and miserable now!  Apreol spritzers will brighten any occasion!!

This being the land of the discount 'super'market, you can of course buy a variety of un-branded variations on the Aperol theme.  The real thing will set you back about 10Eur a bottle here in Germany, but of course if you're somewhat miserly (like me) you'll want to shop for a bargain.  I have to say, that the version I tried from Lidl is indeed a passable alternative - and at half the price would make a good option for a party drink!  There you have it then - Bitterol the recommendation for November....
Salute! 

Wine of the Month - October 2012

We're all off to sunny Spain, E Viva Espania!

And so we are... heading to sunny Spain for October's recommendations.  Notice the plural there - yes I have two delights for you this month.

Firstly, one of my favourite aperitifs.  Sherry - Jerez - Xeres however you want to write it.  I know it conjures up spinsters and schooners of sweet sherry after church, but if you pick the right one for the right occasion, sherry can be a real surprise.

I like a very dry, well chilled sherry as an aperitif, or as an accompaniment to tapas-y type nibbles (olives, marinaded white anchovies, salty nuts etc etc).  My sherry of choice is usually a Fino - dry, crisp and always very very cold - even over ice on occasion.

If you're after a bit more information - the wheres, whys, hows of Sherry - then look here. 

My tip for the month is a good old favourite - Tio Pepe - and specifically a Palomino Fino as also recommended by Susy Atkins in the Telegraph.  

I can find it for about 7EUR in my local supermarket - but it's often hidden amongst the white wine - we don't want too many people to find it you see!! 

Try it - I'm sure that you'll be another convert and slowly but surely we can dispel the fusty image that Sherry still has in the UK.  Harvey's Bristol Cream has an awful lot to answer for (and no I wouldn't touch the stuff with a barge-pole!)

I promised you two treats this month - and here's my second tip. 

Yecla.

Ye- what?  I hear you cry - well it's another Spanish wine region, a well kept secret in my opinion - under rated and not well known.  It's a DOC/AOC area of South Eastern Spain - near to Murcia - and other wine producing gems such as Jumilla.

It predominantly produces reds with the Monastrell grape as their base.  Though these are often blended to make lovely, full-bodied, easy drinking wines.  Furthermore, as it's not that well known an area, the wines are often very good value too.

I've blogged before about our favourite online Spanish wine store and we keep going back to them for reds - the wines they supply suit our preferred style of wine - big robust reds full of peasants feet and sunshine!!

The Yecla we've most recently tried - and boy was it yummy (and less than 5EUR a bottle) was Nembus - highly recommended if you find it!

So there you have it - crisp dry aperitif courtesy of Tio Pepe and then hearty reds to follow with the typical rich food of the season - stews, roasts, oh and a good bit of cheese too!!

Wine of the Month - September 2012

This month, we're off to Italy for a recommendation of a special occasion wine.  September marks the beginning of the birthday season in our family (well it actually kicks off in the last week of August) which runs through until the middle of January - oh and let's not forget Christmas in between.

So as the nights are beginning to draw in, the weather turns a bit cooler (well usually - we've 28c forecast for the weekend which will be lovely!) my thoughts turn back to red wines.  Something to sip and savour with stews and log fires  - that type of thing!!

This month then, I want to introduce you to a little known Italian gem -  Brunello di Montalcino.  It's a wine made from Sangiovese grapes (it's the main component in most Chianti and Montepulciano wines).  The Brunello though is much more than your usual pizza/pasta wine.  It's a more complex wine, often verging on the vegetal - think a slightly composty smell and brown tinges around the edge when you look at the glass against a light - now you may not think I'm selling it very well - but it really is very good. So good in fact that it is one of Italy's most expensive wines - most people would suggest Barolo as an example of a top Italian wine but in my opinion, Brunello is much nicer.  One left to breathe, it is a wonderfully rounded, full, fruity wine which could accompany the strongest cheeses and well-hung game with ease.

There is however a catch - and this is why, for us, Brunello remains a special occasion choice - you'd be hard pushed to find it for under Eur20 a bottle, but it is very definitely worth it's hefty price tag so you may just have to invent an occasion to give it a whirl!

We have one bottle left of this wine - ours is a 2000 vintage - which we've been saving for a special occasion, but which probably needs drinking sooner rather than later. Fortunately, we have just the occasion coming up to partake of this wonderful wine - Andy's birthday at the weekend - so raise a glass to him on Sunday - we certainly will!

As an aside, if you have a wine you're not sure about - when to drink it, what it should be like and so on there is a great site at cellartracker.com which you can put your wine's details into for some tasting notes and dates.  The link will take you to what it says about our Brunello as an example - and we need to drink it now..... Cheers!

Wine of the Month - August 2012

Well this month it's more of a general pointer towards the Languedoc than any specific wine.  We've just come back from two very pleasant, warm and sunny weeks in Mèze on the Thau Lagoon between Montpellier and Beziers, and of course, whilst there we took the opportunity to taste some wine in order to restock our very empty cellar!

So the Languedoc, think lots of sun, good meaty reds - we tasted Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.  We've come away with a super well rounded 2009 Merlot from Domaine la Fadèze a small vineyard between Mèze and Marseillan (home of Noilly Prat) on the Lagoon.  We had tasted some Merlot from a different winery about 20km further away a couple of days previously and this one was so different and so much smoother that there was no question of not buying - and at less than 5 Euro a bottle a complete bargain to boot!  Here we came across two varieties we'd never tried before - Terret and Roussanne.  Terret is a traditional variety from the Languedoc enjoying a renaissance there and was a refreshing light white - good as an aperitif - and if we'd not been so taken with the Merlot, we'd have bought some of that.  The Roussanne is a variety grown a lot in the Rhone Valley and it too was interesting to try, but not as nice as the Terret.

The first Domaine we visited was La Baume between Pezenas and Beziers, ah - thought I, I know that name - convinced it was the same as a wine I buy locally - but when we got there I noticed that the logo was not the same - albeit similar and after chatting in my best French to the Vigneron, we discovered it was from the same area just not the exact same place.  Bit suspect really given the similarity in name etc.... anyway so Domaine de La Baume was our first stop - there we tasted everything from Sauvignon Blanc to Cabernet Sauvignon...... and were pleasantly surprised by a very fruity (yellow fruits/peaches/apricots) Viognier - which we bought - and also by their Syrah which was suitably peppery in a subtle way - (not in an in your face New World style).  So needless to say we had some of that too!

Our final wine stop was the Beauvignac Cellars in Mèze itself. There we particularly wanted to try the Picpoul de Pinet which is another traditional variety of the area.  The Lagoon de Thau is the largest Oyster producing area in France and the white wines they make are designed to go well with seafood - and the Picpoul fits that bill perfectly.  Light, fruity and crisp - perfect in the sun and with a plate of Coquillage! We also tasted a blended wine they make - called Gemme - consisting of 50% Terret and 50% Vermentino - this was a VDP des Cotes de Thau so completely local to our holiday and another super fresh white wine - and that too has found its way into our cellar.

All in all a successful trip on the wine front and although we were disappointed with some of the other wines we tried - some Corbieres (which is usually a banker for us) and the fact we failed to find a Minervois - both wines of the region - we can wholeheartedly recommend Languedoc wine - both red and white.

Bottoms Up!!

Wine of the Month - July 2012

Well actually it's Beer of the month this time.  I've just returned from a trip to the UK and have brought back some 'proper English beer' as requested by A to serve at a party we're holding for work colleagues at the weekend.

Now you might thing that bringing beer to Germany is a bit coals to Newcastle-ish - and perhaps you may be right, but of course there is plenty to recommend beer wise for both nations.

Anyway, back to the tip of the month.  Near where I visited is a lovely little independent brewery and it's one of their specials which I think you all ought to hear about.  I'm not normally an ale drinker - the German pils style is much more my cup of tea (so to speak!) and I was pleasantly surprised by this hoppy little number.  Perhaps it's the fact that you should serve it chilled (a la lager) rather than warmer as a bitter might be but it did rather catch my fancy.

So who are these brewers and what is this yummy ale?  Well, the brewery is Rebellion Beer based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire and the beer in question is the bottled beer 24 Carat.  Give it a try and I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Wine of the Month - June 2012

Sorry folks, I know pink wine was supposed to be on the menu this month - but despite some (not as extensive as I'd have liked) tasting I've not found anything really worth recommending.  So despite it being June, summer apparently, I've plumped for a rather fabulous red to share with you this month.

Château de Montrabech - a Corbières from the Languedoc region of France. This is a small AOC area in the South-West of France, running from Montpellier to Perpignan and the Pyrenees.  It encompasses the Aude, Hérault, Minervois and Corbières regions and is in fact the largest wine region in France - although you'd be pushed to name any 'grands vins' which hail from the Languedoc.

Our wine is from Corbières - bang in the middle of the Languedoc region. It is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan and the resulting wine is full bodied and smooth - you can definitely taste the warm sunny weather these grapes were grown under.  As with most French wine, this one does improve with food - something gutsy - red meats, good cheese etc.

And the real surprise about this one - it's a complete steal at EUR2,99 from my local supermarket.  Can't beat it!

Wine of the Month - May 2012

So back hopefully to blogging a bit more frequently - feeling very sheepish that I've been called a Blogger by friends when I've not actually blogged in almost a year (yikes!)

Anyway - wine again is today's theme.....slowly easing myself back into the blogging habit.

Summer is (hopefully) upon us so my thoughts are turning to white wine.  I know German whites are meant to be very good - but I've not come across the right ones for me yet - so I stick with some safe bets - NZ Marlboroughs / French Muscadet etc.  So here's my tip this month - Seagull Mountain NZ Sauvignon Blanc - a classic Marlborough and in the 4-5 Euro bracket a real find - perhaps that's why there's rarely more than a bottle left in my local supermarket? - and no, it's not because I've bought them all (if only I could!)

Eminently quaffable - with or without food - and just right for the 'Grill Saison' ahead!

Wine of the month

So onwards and upwards on my blogging trail and this time we turn to wine (again!)  I think that sharing some good finds is only fair amongst friends so here's my current tip:

Fortaleza do Seival - a Tempranillo (2006) so far so good.  But here's the surprise - it comes from Brazil.  Now I was somewhat sceptical about a Brazillian wine but have to say it was very good, and when given that it is less than EUR10 a bottle has to be said it is very good value for money too!


As you'd expect from a Tempranillo, it's a good robust wine yet fruity too and not overly tannin-y. It would be ideal for matching with grilled meat in the summer - but would be lovely and warming with a hearty stew in the winter. 

Go - give it a try but leave some for me!!

Pancakes and possible purgatory.....

So another day knocked off the celebratory calendar - Shrove Tuesday / Mardi Gras / Fastnacht - or whatever it happens to be with you.  We, of course, had pancakes galore and I'm pleased to report that Laura managed to out-pancake the boys!!

For us grown ups, the menu is one of stuffed pancakes with chicken, schwartzwalder schinken, dijon mustard and creme fraiche grilled with cheese for a yummy crust.  Here's how I did it:

Pancake batter:
1 egg
100g Plain Flour
1/2 pint milk.

Whisked together till smooth - best done a couple of hours before you need it to allow it time to rest.  Then fried in the pan - should make about 6 large but thin pancakes.

Filling:
Diced chicken breast
Slice of cured ham (black forest / bayonne / parma - that type of thing)
Sliced onion
Large dollop of grainy mustard
Good slug of sherry
Small pot of creme fraiche

Cook the chicken, onion, ham till lightly browned.  Add the sherry, mustard and creme fraiche and reduce till slightly thickened.

Divide filling between 4 pancakes and top with grated cheese.  Pop under the grill till brown.

We ate this with a Rivaner from the Mosel. Which was suitably fresh and fruity.  Schmitges 2010 Rivaner trocken - might be worth a try if you can get hold of it.

This will probably be the last wine mention for a while as we're going on the wagon for Lent (although I'm reliably informed that Sundays don't count!!)  Will be quite a challenge for me I'm sure as I'm rather fond of my evening glass of wine once the Kindling are in bed - I'll definitely have to find some other wind-down options.  On the plus side though, hopefully it will kick start the diet again which I've not been able to get back on track with since Christmas.

The 'merry widow'

Well it can't have escaped your notice that it was Valentine's Day on Monday...... we don't much go in for that kind of thing - in fact here in Germany it's actually difficult to get a card as they're only just cottoning on to the great commercial opportunity it represents.  It's actually quite refreshing not to have the day rammed down one's throat for weeks beforehand!

Anyway, I have a very thoughtful husband......who managed to come home with "The Widow" on Monday night  - much appreciated I must say - although I have had several enquiries as to why my husband was bringing a widow home.... I must say I was somewhat surprised to have to explain quite what was going on in my house on Monday evening - that Madame Clicquot - was paying us a visit!!  Anyway, I popped her down in the cellar and we'll appreciate her later - well chilled!  He tells me that the chap from the couple behind him in the supermarket queue was getting a few pointed comments from his Fraulein indicating that he ought to be buying her something similar.

So here we come then to my first wine posting - as we didn't partake of The Widow on Monday - she wouldn't have gone well with the steak..... this, however went down a treat!

We came across this red on P&O of all places (the overnighter from Hull to Rotterdam) and were impressed at it's round, full fruitiness.  Often a Pinotage can be a bit hit or miss, but this one had been consistently good - mind you, you do pay for it - it retails at about 17euro a bottle here in Deutschland. 

It's a South African (aren't they all?) Stellenbosch region Pinotage, you can find out more about it here: - http://www.delheim.com/  I'm yet to try their other wines, but feel a taste of the rose will be required once it's a bit warmer.