pinot grigio

How to Pair Wine with Food (video)

Filed under: Wine, Video

Pairing red and white wines with food. How to pair wine with food? The old adage that white wine pairs well with fish while red wine works with meat, serves as a good basis to start from, according to wine expert Brandon Walsh, president of Reston, Va.-based Hosted Wine Tasting (see video below).

Wines should always be served at their optimal serving temperatures, as well.

Another consideration, he suggests is the concept of matching weights of the wine with the food.

Lighter-bodied white wines include reisling and pinot grigio. Medium-bodied wines include sauvignon blanc while chardonnay is a fuller, heavier-bodied wine, he says.

Lighter-bodied wines go well with salads, as well as light fish, such as sushi. Medium-bodied wines works well with light and flakey fish as well as poultry. Heavier-bodied whites, such as chardonnay, pair very well with salmon or swordfish.

Red wines also range from light to heavier, fuller-bodied wines. A lighter-bodied red wine is a pinot noir or beaujolais. A medium-bodied red is a merlot, syrah (shiraz). Heavier, fuller-bodied wines include cabernet sauvignon. Pinot noir pairs well with salmon as well as some poultry. Syrah and merlot pairs well beef or pork. A cabernet sauvignon pairs well with beef, lamb and game.

See our review of The Best Wine Clubs offered directly from wineries here.

Tags: awards-main, cabernet sauvignon, food pairings, luxist-awards, main-pedia, pinot grigio, red wine, white wine, wine, wine and food matching, wine and food pairings, wine-pedia

Pinot Grigio by Real Housewives' Ramona Singer Available for Pre-Order

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Celebrity Design

Real Housewives of New York City Ramona Singer photo

Planning on watching the premier of Season Four of The Real Housewives of New York City on February 15? Be sure to place your order now for a few bottles or even a case of Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio wine, which is now available for pre-order. The first shipment from Veneto, Italy, which is expected to arrive in February, will sell out quickly. All pre-orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first served basis.

The perky blond cast member's love for Pinot Grigio is well-known to viewers. For three years, fans of The Real Housewives of New York City have been asking Singer the name of her favorite Pinot Grigio. Apparently, Ramona was always hesitant to answer the question, because she jumped from brand to brand, trying to find the Pinot Grigio she liked the best. When you consider that Singer is a serial entrepreneur who operates several successful businesses including True Faith Jewelry, Ramona Singer Jewelry line for HSN, Ramona Singer Collections for Amazon.com and Tru Renewal Skin Care, it is not too surprising that she teamed up Opici Wines to launch her own line of Pinot Grigio that suited her tastes.

Gallery: Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio

The wine is made from 100% Pinot Grigio grown in the picturesque Veneto region of Italy. The wine's label was designed by Ramona herself. The tasting notes describe the wine as having "Expressive citrus aromas with hints of mineral which show on the nose. On the palate you get fresh, clean white fruits and crisp acidity, with a kiss of lemon and stony mineral in the well-balanced finish. It is best enjoyed young and chilled." The wine is best paired with shellfish and other seafood; simple preparations of poultry, pork and veal; pasta salads; vegetarian dishes; mild cheeses; or enjoyed as an aperitif.

With 50 brands in its portfolio from such countries as France, Chile, Italy, Spain, South Africa and the United States, Opici Wines is an experienced and highly reputable player in the wine business, and thus an idea partner for Singer. Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio is priced at around $14.99. It will be represented nationally through Opici's distributor network covering close to 50 states. It can be pre-ordered for delivery in 35 states now, by the bottle ($13.99) or by the case ($167.88) through Bottle King.

Tags: bravo, bravo tv, Italian wine, Italy, Opici Wines, Pinot Grigio, Ramona Singer, real housewives of new york city, real housewives of new york city bravo, Veneto

Exclusive: The Real Housewives of New York City's Ramona Singer To Launch New Wine Label

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Ramona SInger of The Real Housewives of New York City to launch her own Pinot Grigio wine label.

Anyone who is an avid fan of The Real Housewives of New York City will not be too surprised to learn that Ramona Singer, the perky blond cast member, will be launching her own Pinot Grigio wine brand, Luxist has learned.

Singer's love for Pinot Grigio is well-known to viewers. Indeed, in nearly every episode of the reality television show (aired on the Bravo television network), the reality star is seen sipping a glass of Pinot Grigio. Luxist got an exclusive sneak peek of the unofficial rendition of her simple, yet elegant wine label (see gallery below).

According to inside sources, the wine is being produced in the Veneto region of Italy and will be part of Opici Wines. With 50 brands in its portfolio from such countries as France, Chile, Italy, Spain, South Africa and the United States, Opici Wines is an experienced and highly reputable player in the wine business. Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio will hit retail shelves in January 2011 will be priced at approximately $14.99. It will be represented nationally through Opici's distributor network covering close to 50 states.

Singer, a serial entrepreneur, operates several other successful businesses including True Faith Jewelry, Ramona Singer Jewelry line for HSN, Ramona Singer Collections for Amazon.com and Tru Renewal Skin Care. Her line of pendants, bracelets, earrings and rings, priced from $200 to $600, are inspired by her penchant for estate and art deco.

Gallery: Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio

Tags: awards-main, Italy, luxist-awards, pinot grigio, Ramona Singer, ramona singer jewelry, real housewives of new york, real housewives of new york city, real housewives of NYC, wine

Voga Italia Sparkling Pinot Grigio

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Here's a relatively inexpensive yet festive and delectable alternative to fancy champagne for frugal Valentine's Day celebrations: Voga Italia's Sparkling Pinot Grigio.

My colleague Deidre Woollard first wrote about the fashionable brand back in 2006; the Sparkling Pinot Grigio (right) is the latest addition to their luxe lineup.

Voga Italia "transformed the traditional, stuffy wine bottle into a distinctive, glamorous shape." The curvier clear glass bottle of the Sparkling is sealed with a traditional cork and topped with a resealable, airtight cap.

Voga Sparkling is made from 100% Pinot Grigio from the mountainous province of Trentino and the Veneto region (home to Venice) of Northern Italy.

At 12% alcohol, it's a striking golden color with a fine effervescence, aromas of white blossoms and ripe fruit, and a clean citrusy finish. It sells for $15.99.

Tags: Champagne, Italian wine, ItalianWine, Italy, Pinot Grigio, PinotGrigio, Valentines Day, ValentinesDay, vday09, Voga, Voga Italia, VogaItalia

Voga Italia, The Fashionable Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

I don't usually get my wine tips from Vogue but the advertisement for Voga Italia caught my eye because the bottle is so distinctive. It reminded me instantly of the bottle for Voss water. But this isn't water, there's a cork under the cap and the modern bottle contains a fruity Pinot Grigio. The wine is cheap, around $10. And a quick survey of the blogosphere reveals mixed reviews. Dave and Faye described it as tasting like grape juice (and took a lovely picture of the bottle), The Savory Notebook said it was quite good and Drank Tank was so smitten with the packaging that the wine may still be on the shelf.

[Picture via a current eBay auction for three bottles of this wine]

Source

Tags: pinot grigio, voga italia, VogaItalia, wine, wine packaging