The Swirling Dervish

Wine Stories, Food Pairings, and Life Adventures

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Stage 21: The Peloton Reaches Paris

Tour de France 2015 concludes today, with Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana, and Alejandro Valverde atop the podium. Check out the video highlights from the past three weeks, courtesy of www.letour.com:

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How good does my apartment smell right now?! Homemade broccoli rabe lasagna, just out of the oven: perfect for a chilly Saturday night dinner. And what better to pair it with than a 2015 Rioja Reserva from @bodegasmuga? I’m always grateful when my husband and I are in the same place at the same time, and I can cook us a nice dinner. Small pleasures like this are what life is all about. What are you celebrating today? . . . #homecooking #lasagna #rioja #bodegasmuga #dinnerfortwo #simplepleasures #foodandwine #wineblogger #onepotmeal #getcooking

Have you visited St. Mark’s Place in NYC’s East Village? The Guardian called it America’s Hippest Street, citing the unique place it occupies in art, music, and culture. Did you know that the album cover for Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti was inspired by an actual streetscape here? Last week I ventured down for dinner at @la_palapa, a fantastic Mexican restaurant housed in a building that was once home to Leon Trotsky, among others.(Cool, right?) My husband, who’s a native New Yorker, loves this little corner of the city, claiming it still boasts some of the real flavor of the Big Apple. Here’s an example of the vibe on St. Mark’s Place: the pedestal of a street light decorated with mosaics promoting local businesses (in this case, St. Mark’s Wine and Liquor.) If you’re in the city and have a few minutes to stroll around, check it out. You might even have a surprise encounter with a ghost of New York past! . . . #NYC #StMarksPlace #walkingNYC #travelblogger #citylife #bigapple #streetscene #oldnewyork #streetcred #urbanwalk #iloveny

Last week I had the chance to taste the white wines of Lugana DOC (aka liquid gold) with authentic Mexican cuisine at @la_palapa in NYC. What a fiesta! All in all we sampled 6 wines, from a traditional method sparkler (pictured here) to a late-harvest beauty. Each wine was paired with a delectable dish featuring the spices and ingredients of central Mexico. I loved the idea of mixing things up, creating cross-cultural pairings that made me think about both the food and wine in new ways. If you’re interested in all the details, each of the pairings is described further in my latest post, now up on the blog. Thanks to Susanna Gold @vignetocomms and the good folks at @la_palapa for such a intriguing - and delicious - evening! . . . #luganadoc #lapalapa #nyceats #consorziotutelalugana #italianwine #foodies #fishtacos #shrimpmole #goodeats #winelover

My latest post, titled, “You Paired That with What?!?” Is up on the blog. It describes a rather unorthodox pairing with a plate of fresh sea scallops, mashed sweet potatoes, and arugula salad. Let’s just say my original plan was a lovely white Burgundy from Saint-Véran, but that didn’t work out as expected. Plan B was a dry Palo Cortado Sherry that was a surprise hit. Thank goodness I had all those bottles of fortified wines lying around after my recent WSET diploma exam! Palo Cortado starts out as a Fino style sherry, aged under a yeasty blanket of flor that protects the wine from oxidation. After tasting and analysis, the winemaker decides it would be better as an oloroso style sherry, aged in barrel and exposed to oxidation. Sort of like an Amontillado, but with slightly fuller body. And totally dry. I loved this wine and found my new favorite pairing for seared sea scallops! Do you have an unexpectedly delicious pairing for Sherry? P.S. Not to worry: the Saint-Véran was a superstar pairing the next night, with grilled swordfish. . . . #Sherry #InternationalSherryWeek #PaloCortado #Lustau #fortifiedwine #wsetdiploma #foodandwine #winestudent #wineadventures

I thoroughly enjoyed this month’s Wine Pairing Weekend event featuring Texas wines. @spicewoodvineyards generously sent me 5 bottles and i had a blast pairing them with a few of my favorite dishes! If you haven’t yet tried wines from the great state of Texas, I urge you to do so! There is such a wide variety of grapes grown, from international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot, to traditional Italian and Spanish grapes. I feel like I’ve just gotten started! The full details on the wines and the pairings appear on the blog, but the photos should give you a good idea of what I got up to: everything from herbed salmon to loin lamb chops. And a special nod to the Best Portuguese Kale and Sausage Soup, courtesy of David at @cookingchatwine! . . . #TexasFineWine #SpicewoodVineyards #TheGoodGuy #TennyWren #Syrah #SauvignonBlanc #Tempranillo #WinePW

Do you love Prosecco? Then it’s time to celebrate one of the region’s pioneer producers: @ninofranco1919 They’ve been making DOCG-level wine for 100 years! This bottle of Rustico retails for $19 and is perfect for everyday celebrations. My husband and I shared it over a seafood dinner and dessert (what a lovely cake from @wetakethecake) after being apart for almost two months. All the details are in my latest blog post, including some background on the different quality levels of Prosecco. Happy Birthday, Nino Franco Prosecco! . . . #sponsored #prosecco #ninofranco #100years #valdobbiadene #proseccodocg #bubbles #sparklingwine #celebrate #wetakethecake #rustico

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