THE ART OF SPARKLING WINES

In 1811, Jean Ackerman founded the Traditional Method for Sparkling Wine in Saumur.For forty years, he was the only one to produce this  famous sparkling wine known throughout the world today. Vintages of great character, sparkling with finesse, prestige of a great label which , in two centuries of history, has succeeded in charming  the world, Ackerman offers sparkling , light and seduction with much accessibility. Sparkling Wine is Ackerman in France.

To date, the Ackerman company is the result of the merger of the three renowned Loire Valley wine producers, Remy Pannier and De Neuville, and today it belongs to a number of major Loire Valley winemaking cooperatives whose members have come together to pool their efforts in promoting and marketing the wines of the Loire.
Firmly rooted in their vineyards and benefiting from their winemaking culture, these cooperatives enable Ackerman to pursue a major-customer orientated strategy. A strategy founded on quality, authenticity and innovation.

All the grapes are carefully selected within the Saumur area. The wine ferments in the bottle according to the tradtional method. Then, it remains on its lees for a minimum period of 18 months to develop a good structure and complex aromas. The wines are well described below.

The SAUMUR BRUT has a brilliant pale gold colour with fine bubbles.Refreshing and mineral nose with citrus notes and very lively, beautiful balanced fruits-acidity minerality. Long mineral finish on green apple and citrus
aromas.

The SAUMUR ROSE has bright pink salmon colour with fine bubbles.Refreshing and mineral nose with notes of red berries.Very lively, beautiful balance fruits-acidity minerality. Long mineral finish on strawberries and cherries.

Why buy Champagne ????

HAPPY SAUMUR DAYS

Del

Food and Wine Pairings: Pasta dishes (Continued from Blog “Food and Wine Pairing”)

Introduction:- This Blog and the many more following will examine the pleasurable and often complex relationship between good food and wine, with the utlimate aim to assist our many discerning customers evolve the convivial bonding of good food and wine.

Food Being Featured:- Pasta dishes a a big favourite of so many around the world. A favourable feature dishes contain tastey sauces and these sauces create great flexibility regarding the choice of wine.

Challenges:- The challenge of pairing pasta dishes with wine can be exciting and enjoyable because of the accomodating nature of pasta. Many dishes will equally match a red, white, rose or sparkling wine. Where people have preferences, then you may wish to alter choices of different wine when serving you pasta dishes.

Recommendations:- Pasta is synonymos with Italy and convention often suggests serving Italian wines with Italian pasta dishes.Staying with tradition why not select a full bodied Chianti with a rich meat based dish such as lasagne or pasta with meatballs. Staying with the red wines and being a little experimental, why not pair a lite fruity Valpolicella or Brouilly with a seafood pasta dish flavoursome cheese sauce, the match can be perfect. For white wine lovers, try Pinot Grigio with Fellucine, Alfredo or Macaroni Cheese. For Rose wine lovers, try Le Pas de la Rhone, it’s the perfect match.

Main Directory :- Click on The Marriage of Food and Wine to access our quick search facility to locate hundreds of other food/wine/food pairing options, including hors-d’oeurves, starters, soups, main courses and deserts. Also view Great Friends-Cheese and Wine for cheese and wine pairing.

Next Article :- Vegetarian Dishes

Happy Pasta Dishes and Wine Pairing Days

Graham D

(continuation from blog  “ Food and Wine pairing”  dated 26th November  2009)

INTRODUCTION:—–this blog and the many more following will examine the pleasurable and often complex relationship between good food and wine, with the ultimate aim to assist our many discerning customers evolve the convivial bonding of good food and wine.

FOOD BEING FEATURED:—–POULTRY DISHES, including CHICKEN, TURKEY, GUINEA FOWL, GOOSE, QUAIL and FARMED DUCK

CHALLENGES:—–Poultry is an enjoyable challenge, mainly because most red , white and rose wines match most poultry dishes if we put to one side hot and spicy dishes like chicken curry. People who prefer white wines should stay with their favourite white wine and the same advise would be valid for red, rose and  sparkling wine lovers. My only no go area would be dessert or fortified wines.

 
RECOMMENDATIONS:—–grilled or roast chicken, for a white wine enthusiast  try a Viognier style wine like The Black Chook, no pun intended.  A cheese and chicken dish like Chicken Kiev goes very well with a Reserve Chardonnay or a light to medium red Beaujolias Cru such as Moulin-a-Vent.  Moving on to the slightly darker meat of guinea Fowl, Goose and farmed Duck, these will pair up well with a full bodied white wine from the Rhone or you can try a subtle red Cru Bourgeois from the Medoc in France, also either wine would pair well with Canard a l’ Orange.

Turkey normally associated with Christmas is now eaten all the year round and again well suited to a good Rose from Sancerre or Provence, a medium bodied Merlot from Chile or a fine sparkling Saumur from the Loire, France. The same three wines are also a perfect match for Quail and one of Portugal’s favourite chicken dishes Piri Piri.

MAIN DIRECTORY:—–click on the Marriage of Food and Wine to access our quick search facility to locate hundreds of other food/wine/food pairing options, including hors-d’oeuvres, starters, soups, main courses and deserts. Also Great Friends Cheese and Wine for cheese and wine pairing.

NEXT ARTICLE:—–Wild game dishes, including pheasant, partridge, wild mallard and venison
 

HAPPY  POULTRY AND WINE PAIRING DAYS

Graham D

A PASSION FOR PINOT NOIR

Pinot Noir is one of the more difficult grapes to grow and make into a fine wine, not only must the climate and soil characteristics must be right, the winemaker or oenologist’s skills also have a major part to play as do the forces of nature.  This wine at its best will leave a lasting impression on the palate and in the memory and a desire for more My passion comes with the appealing qualities of Pinot Noir – its soft, velvety texture, almost like imagining sensual liquid silk, it is unique and definitely my first love.
Its aroma is often one of the most complex of all varietals and can be intense with a ripe-grape or black cherry aroma, frequently accented by a pronounced spiciness that suggests cinnamon, sassafras, or mint. Ripe sweet tomato is also a common description for identifying Pinot Noir. It is full-bodied and rich but not heavy, high in alcohol, yet neither acidic nor tannic, with substantial flavour despite its delicacy.

One of my favourite Pinot Noirs has to be from Hunter’s Wines, Marlborough, New Zealand. I have known Jane Hunter for over 20 years and have always followed and sold her wines. She is the most acclaimed and awarded woman in New Zealand’s wine industry and was made OBE in 1993 for her services to the wine industry, recipient of a CNZM in the 2009 New Zealand New Year Honours List and most recently  World Class New Zealand 2009 Award. Jane is acknowledged as one of the first to capture international attention for Marlborough as an influential wine growing region. Her wines have won innumerable international medals, awards and accolades.  

I have recently re-tasted Hunters Pinot Noir 2006 (16.50). This is an easy drinking wine with light, delicate cherry fruit. Savoury flavours mix with spicy characters on the palate.

Hunters Pinot Noir 2007 is wonderfully smooth and generous with ripe cherry, plum and raspberry fruit combined with a touch of sweet spice which is so characteristic of Pinot and then there is a soft clean finish. This wine will be available as from May/ June this year.

For the record, Jane Hunter also produces the following superb wines :

Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (14.57)
A classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc  with intense tropical/gooseberry flavours dominating the palate leaving a lingering finish

Kaho Roa Winemaker’s Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (15.91)
A subtle twist of oak blended with very ripe, slightly less overt gooseberry fruit character of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. A very soft approachable wine

Chardonnay 2006 (15.91)
Rich and elegant with characteristically ripe fruit flavour, superbly balanced following maturation in French oak.

I can highly recommend Jane Hunter’s fine wines, they easily match other New Zealand wines that cost considerably more – I will mention no names

My perfect food match that also brings fond memories of New Zealand to mind, would be grilled snapper and Hunter’s Pinot Noir but for help in matching Pinot Noirs with food please click on www.ahadleigh-wine.com/wine-and-food/ which takes you to our websites specialist section on “MATCHING WINES WITH FOOD”, then just type in Pinot Noir in the box located under “TYPE IN WINE”

Happy Pinot Noir Days