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Central Coast Wine Insider Blog

Central Coast Wine Insider Blog

Ring in 2017 with Sparkling Wine!

Sparkling Wine New Year!

Sparkling Wine New Year!

New Year’s Eve is finally here and we’ve got your how-to guide to decoding the various varieties of sparkling wine, sure to be on hand however you chose to ring in 2017!

While Champagne, France is best known for its production of the world’s most famous fermented libation, Italy and Spain offer delicious (and less expensive) alternatives with their respective prosecco and cava.

But what’s the difference between these three sparkling wines?

Sparkling Wine Lineup

Sparkling Lineup

The major difference is in the process of fermentation (the “bubble making process”). Champagne goes through a second fermentation in a sealed bottle. For prosecco and cava, the second fermentation is done in a large vat, also known as the Charmat method. The three wines are also made from different grape varietals: Champagne from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes; cava from macabeo, parellada and xarel-lo grapes and prosecco from glera grapes.

Each wine has different amounts of fizz, either frizzante or spumante. The easiest way to determine how much fizz your bubbly will have is to simply compare the corks. If the cork has a string attached to it, you’ll have light fizz (frizzante) and if you notice a wire – traditional for Champagne – then you’ll have heavy fizz (spumante).

And in general as far as taste, Champagne is richer and more complex, while cava and prosecco are lighter and slightly fruitier.

Sparkling Wine for you

Cheers!

Now that the science is out of the way, this New Year’s enjoy a pairing of a Champagne, prosecco and cava with a simple dish that is sure to add sizzle to your sparkle.

It is said that “Champagne goes with everything.” Perhaps that is because this sparkling wine boasts notes of citrus, apple and pear balanced with crisp acidity and a soft and creamy mouth feel are a perfect pairing for cheeses, delicate fish and foul alike. One of our favorite festive pairings with Champagne is oysters. Oysters are briny, delicate and salty, complementing the rich flavor of white currant in Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve ($50). Comprised of all three Champagne grapes, this bottle is worth the price as it is from one of France’s oldest Champagne-making houses.

Italy does so many things right when it comes to food and drink, and their Prosecco and cured meats are no exception. While figgy pudding may not have made it onto your holiday menus, fresh figs and prosciutto make an easy and delicious appetizer to execute and serve at New Year’s Eve parties. Choose the subtly sweet Prosciutto di San Daniele that hails from northern Italy, and pair it with Nino Franco Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Rustico ($15). This classic, off-dry sparkling wine has notes of tropical fruit and a bone-dry finish.

Spanish Cava is growing steadily in popularity. Llopart “Leopardi” Cava Brut Rosè Reserva 2008 ($15) from the Catalonia region is made from the grapes of Mouvedre and Garnacha. This cava is a great match with a cheese course. This pink sparkling wine offers a wonderful bouquet of cranberry and wild red fruits underscored with lovely minerality. Choose a trio of cheeses from each of these countries – garrotxa (a semi-firm goat milk cheese from Spain), a hearty hunk of aged parmesan (hard cow milk cheese from Italy) with a drizzle of ten-year balsamic vinegar and a creamy brie (cow milk cheese from France).


Cookies and Wine: Perfect Holiday Pairings!

Want to add the perfect sip of wine to your Holiday cookie ritual? Breakaway Tours has got you covered!

 

butter cookiesButter Cookies and Chardonnay

The buttery cookie pairs well with the smooth oak and vanilla in the Chardonnay. It’s a deliciously rich pair!

 

Chocolate Chip  and Cabernet Sauvignonchocolate chip cookies

America’s favorite Red and Americas favorite Cookie. Use a dark chocolate chip to draw out the deep flavors in this Bordeaux bottle.

 

gingerbread cookiesGingerbread Cookies and Dry Riesling

The slightly sweet and crisp Dry Riesling balances nicely with the spice in the gingerbread.

 

Oatmeal Raisin and Syrahoatmeal raisin cookies

The savory, salty oatmeal compliments the big fruit in the Syrah.

 

pb cookiesPeanut Butter and Port

This combo is as close to an adult PB&J as you can get! The roasted salt in the Peanut Butter and the sweet, deep, dessert wine are made for each other.

 

Shortbread  and Champagneshortbread cookies

This classic British cookie is a perfect fit for classic French bubbly!

 

molasses cookiesSoft Molasses Cookies and Pinot Noir

This rich and chewy cookie goes well with the bright acidity and berry flavors in the Pinot Noir.

 

Sugar Cookies and Proseccosugar cookies

The bright, crisp effervescence of this sparkling wine balance the sugar and butter in this Holiday staple.

 

thumbprint cookiesThumbprint Cookies and Merlot

The jam in these Cookies is echoed in this smoothest of Reds.

 

Oreo and Malbecoreop cookies

Ok, so Oreo’s don’t make it onto many Holiday Cookie lists, but who doesn’t love an Oreo? The rich earthiness of this South American varietal keeps up with that big chocolate crunch.

 

A cookie and wine party sounds like the perfect gathering for kids and adults alike (with sparkling cider for the kiddos, of course!) Let us know what your favorite combo is!

 

 


Champagne Cocktails: A Festive way to Dress up your Bubbly!

Champagne Cocktails: A Festive way to Dress up your Bubbly!

champagne cocktail2An LBD for your Champagne!

 

Die hard champagne enthusiasts may consider us sacrilege to add other ingredients to such a beautiful wine, but here at Breakaway Tours, we just love to experiment. Including champagne in a recipe can make a great cocktail really spectacular, especially around the Holidays. After all, you shouldn’t be the only one dressing up for those amazing parties. Let your favorite sparkling wine in on the action!

Champagne is a sparkling wine of great distinction – turning any occasion into something a little more special. There are various styles of champagne: for example Brut (very dry) and Demi Sec (sweeter) as well as vintage (made from grapes of one specific year) and non vintage (grapes from blends produced in various years). To earn the right to have the word champagne on the bottle label however, the liquid inside must be entirely produced from Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Champagne region of Northern France around the cities of Reims and Epernay. The champagne producers guard their exclusive name vigorously and have in the past been to court to protect it as in 1993 when they went into battle to prevent the Yves Saint Laurent company producing a perfume called “Champagne” and won their case. It is one of the few “white wines” in the world produced from red grapes – due to the way they are gently pressed so as not to bruise the champ cocktail3skins. There are also extraordinarily strict limits on the amount of juice that can be squeezed from a certain weight of grapes to maintain the highest quality of champagne produced.

Here we have selected a few of our favorite champagne cocktails for you to try out – we hope you enjoy making them. If champagne isn’t your cup of tea, feel free to use Prosecco, Cava, or your favorite California Sparkling Wine for the occasion. We recommend: Laetitia Vineyards’ NV Brut Cuvee $25, or Vina Robles Sparkling Brut NV $23. Serve all champagne/sparkling cocktails in a flute glass which allows the bubbles to move from the bottom to the top of the glass. The more space the bubbles have to move around in within the glass, the longer it will keep its fizz!

Classic Champagne Cocktail

Known as the ‘Classic Champagne Cocktail’, this libation is thought to have first originated from the winner of a New York Cocktail competition in 1899. A unique combination of ingredients – you’ll be surprised by the result. Drip 4 dashes of Angostura Bitters on a sugar cube and place in the bottom of a champagne flute. Cover the cube with cognac and top up with champagne. Perhaps what seems most strange is that as you drink it the flavor changes from dry to sweet as the sugar cube slowly dissolves.

champagne cocktail1Champagne Charlie

This cocktail recipe is believed to have been named in tribute to the original ‘Champagne Charlie’ himself – Monsieur Charles-Camille Heidsieck who first launched the champagne brand bearing his name in 1851. Through his extensive travelling around the world to promote his champagne, he became well known for his charm and his adventures. This cocktail recipe is a fruity combination of Apricot Brandy topped up with champagne.

Emma Peel

A blend of Cherry Brandy and pineapple juice and yes you’ve guessed it – topped up with champagne. The Cherry Brandy and pineapple juice mix together to make a dusky pink colour and give it an exotic fruity tang. We think it’s just like it’s namesake Emma Peel , the British spy from the 60’s classic TV romp, The Avengers!

The Kir Royale

Perhaps one of the best known champagne cocktail recipes is the Kir Royale. Named for it’s inventor Felix Kir, mayor of Dijon in post-war France. It consists of a measure of  Crème de Cassis in a flute glass topped with champagne for a subtle pink hued cocktail.


Wine Cork Crafts for the Holidays!

Upcycle those wine corks for amazing Holiday Décor!

With the Holiday Season in full swing, the timing is perfect for an amazing day in wine country with Breakaway Tours! Whether you use the trip as a way to find the perfect bottle of wine for that festive gathering you have on your calendar, you decide to take your Holiday Party on the road (no cleanup-yay!), or you simply want to escape the chaos of shopping and baking with a special someone, we have you covered!

It’s no secret that we love wine! We love tasting it, talking about it, drinking it, and remembering that special sip long after the glass is empty. But how can you treasure the memory of that amazing bottle you bought on your wine tasting trek with Breakaway AND get into the Holiday? We’re so glad you asked!

Here are some amazing DIY projects to help you turn wine corks into wreaths, jewelry, and ornaments that will impress your friends and make your home feel Merry and Bright:

Wine Cork Knives

Wine Cork Knives

Wine Cork Cheese and Canape Knives

What goes better with wine than cheese and canapes? We cant wait to use these quirky cutters at our next Coaktail Party. To make them yourself, follow the link HERE. And be sure to invite us!

 

 

Wine Cork Stamps

Wine Cork Stamps

Wine Cork Stamps

We love the versatility of these cool Cork Stamps. Whether you use them to decorate wrapping paper, or to seal your holiday cards with a flourish, they are sure to make an impression. Fun for kids and adults – just make sure you leave the cutting to the adults.

 

 

Wine Cork Pendant

Wine Cork Pendant

Wine Cork Pendants

What do you get for the wine loving gal who has everything wine-related? A custom made wine cork necklace. With a few items from your local craft store, you can easily upcycle that cork into the statement necklace of the season. Check it out HERE

 

 

Wine Cork Wreaths

Wine Cork Wreath

Wine Cork Wreath

Greet your guests in style with this Wine Cork Wreath! Some hot glue gun and a wreath frame, and you’re in business. Warning: this one requires more than a few corks, so you may have to enlist the help of some friends…or simple drink more wine yourself!

 

 

Wine Cork Ornament

Wine Cork Ornament

Wine Cork Ornaments

Have a few corks laying around? Looking for a way to gussy up your tree this year? HERE are some whimsical ideas on how to kill two birds with one stone and feel like a vino-inspired Martha Stewart in the process.


Recipe for those incredible peaches!

Riesling-Poached Peaches with Tarragon and Salted Sour Cream Recipe

Enjoy the last of our beautiful Central Coast peaches, and impress your friends with this super-easy summer dessert recipe that will impress even your most discerning friends! This five-ingredient dessert is an elegant way to serve peaches. Present the fruit halves skin-on or peel them while they’re still warm. For the rosiest color, look for peaches that have a lot of blush to the skin.

INGREDIENTS

peaches

Recipe for those incredible Peaches

  1. 2 1/2 cups dry Riesling (We recommend Claiborne & Churchill 2014 Reisling)
  2. 1/4 cup sugar
  3. 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
  4. 5 tarragon sprigs
  5. 4 ripe but firm freestone peaches, halved and pitted
  6. 2/3 cups sour cream
  7. Salt

 

For this Recipe:

In a medium saucepan, combine the wine, sugar, vanilla bean with seeds and 
1 tarragon sprig and bring just to a boil. Add the peach halves and simmer over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

In a medium bowl, whisk the sour cream with a big pinch of salt. Dollop the cream 
in bowls and top with the peach halves and some of their poaching liquid. Garnish each plate with a tarragon sprig and serve.

MAKE AHEAD

The peaches can be refrigerated in their poaching liquid for up to 3 days.