Started with a Pop!

July 30, 2015

Happy Champagne Thursday! It's been a bit of a crazy week.  We went to the Toronto Festival of Beer over the weekend (thanks for the mini-honeymoon, Jake!), and Shane was away Tuesday through until tonight. I went up to Peterborough to visit him for dinner on Wednesday (thanks for a delicious dinner, Hot Belly Mamma's, honestly, those sweet potato fries...). Busy busy. It feels like forever ago that we were sitting in Belleville getting the first peeks at the wedding photos - but it was only last week! 

So this week I got us a bubbly from the Loire region in France. It was the Chateau Moncontour Tete de Cuvee Brut Vouvray. It started out with a big pop, seriously, I think it dented our ceiling. It started to fizz up, and sprayed a little all over when Shane tried to stop it by putting his hand over the top... this was before he had the brilliant idea of putting his mouth over the top... After he got to the sink, he mimicked himself, pretending to blow up like a balloon from all the bubbles. 

When we finally got settled, and poured the first couple glasses, we noticed that this one is a little darker in yellow colour than they have been lately. Our amateur noses didn't get a whole lot of smells going on. When we first tasted it, it was SUPER tart, a little sour, and nicely dry. The bubbles are larger, but it didn't seem as fizzy as some others we've had (although, who knows how many we lost with our dramatic opening...). 

It got a little sweeter for me about halfway through the first glass as my mouth adapted to the tart, and then went sour again on me at about glass 3. We both noticed that this one made us burp, so maybe not a great choice for us if we were having company. 

We didn't find that this sparkling wine had much depth though, we were a little disappointed. As ridiculous as this sounds, it tasted like bubbly white wine. I know, I know, there are hundreds of types of white wine, and they all have their own flavour profiles, and they all have very distinguishing qualities... but you know when you first tried white wine, before you knew what to look for, or how to drink it, or anything about wine, and it just tastes like, well, wine? That's what this one reminded us of. It was very "vanilla", middle of the road, not much going on, but not offensive either. It would be a safe choice for a dry bubbly. 

It did the job though, by Glass #3 Shane had whistled an "s" when he was mocking the judges on Masterchef ("biggest Shock of the season"). It sounded like I was having a drink with Owl from Winnie the Pooh. Also, it was very threatening to Shane. We didn't have the bottle in the fridge for a long time, so we put it in a bucket of cold water while we were sipping. When Shane went to pour me another glass, Tyson decided he was thirsty and proceeded to lick the water off the bottle, making it almost spill everywhere, or as Shane said "threatening to spill". 

It was a lovely, relaxing, albeit late evening.

~S

Verdict: probably wouldn't get this one again, but not because it was bad, just because it was forgettable...

• Brand: Chateau Moncontour
• Type of Grape: Chenin Blanc
• Sweetness: 14g/L
• Price: $17.95
• Tasting Notes: Mild flavour, very tart, no lingering aftertaste (this would lend itself to pair well with most foods that you would normally serve white wine with, a creamy chicken pasta dish would be nice)

Photos of Wedding Bells are Ringing

July 23, 2015

Happy Thursday everyone! Today was a big day for Shane and me! Today we went to see the wedding photos that the amazingly talented Jessica took almost 4 weeks ago! Because it was a surprise wedding, we have been anxiously awaiting these pictures for what felt like forever! In particular all the reaction shots of the crowd after we made our announcement. It was a rainy day though, so we were also excited to see how the pictures of us splashing about with friends and family turned out. 

And of course, they were incredible. It brought us right back to the day of our wedding, there was lots of laughter and reminiscing while looking through the pictures. There were so many different elements captured: The pre-party, the announcement, the reactions, the getting ready, the ceremony, the toast, the speeches, the food!! The Champagne, the SABERING OF THE CHAMPAGNE!! The friends and family, the wedding couple pictures, the dancing, the everything. It was amazing. 

The bubbly helped, as it always does. This week we celebrated with another birthday-wedding gift from Shane's cousin Jordan and his girlfriend, Jillian. It's a lovely prosecco from the Valdobbiadene region in Italy, by Val D'Oca Prosecco DOCG: Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore. 

We quite like the label on this guy, makes us feel like we're pirates! aRRRRrr. 

Took me 4 tries, and changing the format of the picture, but I finally got this to upload right-side up. Oh my word.

This bubbly had a very fresh nose, nice soft bubbles that weren't too overwhelming. We didn't have it super chilled, just a nice chill (it had been in the fridge, and then we drove to Belleville, so it was out of the fridge for about an hour). I think this really opened it up. The flavour was lovely, fresh and crisp, with some fruity undertones. It was an easy-drinker, great for sharing with a new friends with varying palates. 

Verdict: Quite like it. Would get it again.
P.S.  For those who usually follow along you may have noted that Tyson, sadly, was unable to participate in Champagne Thursday this week.  We did the photo viewing at Jessica's home and I don't think her cat would like Tyson very much (I know it's ridiculous to consider... Tyson is awesome!  Who wouldn't like him???)  However we made sure we saved the cork from the bottle for him, so all is well at home. :)

Even when he's not invited, he still has to wait. Poor puppy.

• Brand: Val D'Oca, bottled by Cantina Sociale Valdobbiadene
• Type of Grape: Not specifically listed, but likely the Glera grapes. 
• Sweetness: 10g/L
• Price: $15.75
• Tasting Notes: Light and crisp, tart fruity undertones. Would pair well with friends and shrimp!

Je-lo? Je10? Jeio.

July 16, 2015

Happy Champagne Thursday everyone! 

Shane and I had a busy week, we had a wing night with our dear friends who have a glorious chalk board, and I've decided that I need one!  I enjoyed doing some lettering for our party a few weeks back, and continued to enjoy it at Wing Night - I'm still an amateur, please don't judge me!

My mom was away, she was sorely missed!

On Sunday, we had a fun night with some friends from London who were passing through. It's always nice to catch up with old friends who you can just fall back into easy conversations with, even after having not seen them for a long time.

Onto Champagne Thursday though! 

This week we celebrated with a lovely Prosecco from Italy: Bisol Desiderio's Jeio. (We used to call this the Jello Prosecco, because we couldn't determine if the JEIO was an "i" or a "1" or an "l"... oh my.)

 We have had this one before, but this particular bottle was given to us at our birthday party-wedding, by Dave and Cristin. 

This bottle has a lovely tart aroma at first, which after it's been open for a bit turns to an earthy floral scent (we use the word "earthy" quite loosely, as we thought it was important to note that it doesn't have a fake flowery smell, like an air freshener - thank goodness - but a nice field flower kind of smell). 

I noted that it had lots of small bubbles, where Shane noted that the "super tiny bubbles were plentiful"... if you say so...

Very fresh tasting, smooth on the tongue and easy drinking. It has a dry after taste, almost a tart-sweet... It's pretty light bodied and predictable. After a glass or two the flavour becomes a bit sour, in the good way that gets your saliva glands going. 

We liked it. 

Tyson liked the cork, as evidenced below:

 

See? He doesn't eat the cork, just chews it up and spits it out. 

Verdict: Absolutely would get again, most of the bubbly's we drink are in this price point, and this is one we all can enjoy over and over again. 

• Brand: Bisol Desiderio
• Type of Grape: Not specifically listed, but research would indicate that the formally known "Prosecco Grape" is now known as the Glera grapes, and "Prosecco" wines may also include the Bianchetta Trevigiana grapes
• Sweetness: 15g/L
• Price: $16.95 (a good value for a nice Bubbly)
• Tasting Notes: Tart tasting, floral fragrance, easy drinking. Would pair well with almost anything (I'm thinking it would go especially well with a spicy grilled chicken salad!)

Foggy Morning

July 9, 2015

Another week has came and gone. With it brought us busy days at work, the first day back to the gym in a while (ouch, I'm still sore!!), Shane's kids were over and his daughter's 10th birthday happened (family pool party, spaghetti and cake!), and a relaxing dinner with dear friends. 

Another Champagne Thursday has also came and gone, and I must admit, my head was a little foggy this morning. Probably had more to do with the extra drinks that were consumed on Champagne Thursday than the actual champagne though. 

This week's selection was a lovely traditional cuvee, by Gardet & Cie Champagne. This bottle was a birthday/surprise wedding gift from our friend Kaylie, and I think the ribbon was her addition and not sold that way in stores :)

It was very mild in scent, a little tart smelling. It didn't smell sweet, but it smelled "fresh" and refreshing (not like last week's bready smell, which was nice also). It was very dry (10g/L) which took us by surprise at first. We had just finished a couple cans of a lemonade-beer (also lovely), so I don't think we can use that as a fair base. 

After a few sips the dryness eased off (or we got used to it), and Shane tasted field berries... not the sweet ones, so blackberries he insists, in the aftertaste. I don't taste that, I taste yum. He asked me to swish the air around in my mouth after I'd swallowed, I was looking at him pretending to gargle with an empty mouth. I still don't taste the blackberry jam that he does, but it's entertaining to watch. You'd never guess which of us worked at a winery... Or would you? 

The bubbles in this bottle were nice and small, very refreshing and clean. It was a lovely bottle, and we would definitely get it again. 

Tyson quite liked this one also, and although he wasn't in the above picture, he was never too far away, waiting patiently for his cork. 

He didn't do much with the cork this week, but quite enjoyed his few drops off my fingers when I was feeling generous (which wasn't often as I was enjoying it also). 

I hope everyone has a fantastic day, and if you partook in Champagne Thursday, I hope yours was as enjoyable as ours. 

~S

• Brand: Gardet & Cie Champagne
• Type of Wine: Pinot Noir and Meunier
• Sweetness: 10g/L
• Price:$41.95
• Tasting Notes: Dry, clean bubbles, "blackberry jam aftertaste", easy to drink, would pair with most things (mmm, popcorn or nachos!)

Some History, and a Week of Firsts

Champagne Thursday, how do we even begin? Other than perhaps at the beginning. 

I saw it in a movie, and wanting desperately to be Zooey Deschanel, tried to implement it. Unfortunately, I worked as a ski instructor, and as anyone in that line of work can tell you, it's not about the money. I was broke, my friends were broke, and my sad attempt at Champagne Thursday fell flat on its poor, bubbly little face. 

Three years later, I met and started dating Shane. He was amazing and eager to please, and so, I mentioned how my previous attempt had never taken off. We were both keen to start something together, and so committed to it. Every Thursday, regardless of where we were, would be Champagne Thursday. It started out as a chance to pretend to be fancy each week, while trying new (to us) sparkling wines. 

It has evolved into something more. It is now a chance for us to relax, take a breath, and enjoy each other's company. There are the odd drop-in visitors for Champagne Thursday, but more often than not, it's just us two. Our tastes have changed, starting with the very sweet sparkles, we've moved onto the drier wines. Our palates have changed (or at least, we think they have), trying to taste different essences and get the various flavours from the different drinks. 

After 4 years of dating (and 4 years of Champagne Thursdays), Shane and I got married on June 27th (maybe a post for another day), and so when a friend mentioned again that I should start a blog about our Thursday experiences, Shane and I decided that if we're going to do it, we should start with our first Champagne Thursday as a married couple. 

Although this post is a touch late, I'm doing it anyways, because if I don't start now, I never will. And although only I would know that I missed my chance, I would know I missed my chance. 

Thursday, July 2, 2015
This week is full of firsts for Shane and I. The first trip to Perth (Ontario) as a married couple. The first visit with friends as a married couple, the first day at work as a married couple, and it goes on and on. Nothing's changed, and yet everything has changed. 

We received a few LCBO gift cards for our birthdays, and decided that this Champagne Thursday, our first as a married couple, we should use the cards and splurge and get something we may not otherwise have got. 

We are both a little tight-fisted when it comes to money, so we couldn't get too crazy (it would have hurt our souls too much), but we settled on a fancy-for-us bottle of Louis Roederer, Brut Premier. It came in a beautiful box (which was new, nothing else we had ever gotten came in a box!), all sparkles and shiny. 

Our Puppy Tyson LOVES chewing on the corks!

To our untrained noses, it had a scent of fresh baked bread, which sounds stranger than it actually was. It was light and fragrant. The first few sips were very tart (only 12g/L of sugar), and a touch dry (in a good way as it was very easy to drink). The tartness diminished after a few more sips. There was no lingering after-taste, which we liked for this bottle. It was a very predictable bubbly. 

After a glass or so of the bottle not being returned to the fridge, the tartness mellowed into a relatively sweeter taste. 

Tyson, our 5 year old Boxer x German Shepherd, loved the cork, although he was still tired from the week's activities so it didn't get as chewed up as it has in the past. Don't worry, he doesn't eat them, just tears them apart and makes a big ol' mess. 

Verdict: Would definitely buy again if we can afford to be fancy pants :)

~S

• Brand: Louis Roederer
• Type of Wine: Unknown (not listed on bottle)
• Sweetness: 12g/L
• Price: $69.95
• Tasting notes: tart, bready fragrance, would pair well with just about anything.