Category Archives: Wines

Europe, France, French Wines, Travel, Wines

Delightful Blush Wine from Cote du Provence, France

1 Comment

Back when I was a wine “novice,” I would drink the dreaded White Zinfandel – a sweet blush wine, primarily from Lodi, California (where my youngest son Mitchell was born).  White Zin is the blush (or rose’) wine preferred mostly by wine novices, red wine haters, and my good friend Lorna in St. Charles, MO.  However, I have found that substituting a good dry blush wine can be a great way to convert a White Zin drinker eventually into a red wine drinker.  When I have snuck a good dry rose’ to an unsuspecting White Zin lover, their typical response is “Yes – that’s really fruity and sweet!”  I then tell them that they are half right. It’s definitely fruity, but it is not sweet – it is a dry wine.  The fruitiness can make your brain think “sweet,” because that’s what we think about fruits.  Once they get used to a good dry blush wine, you can start having them try some reds, such as a light Pinot Noir or Merlot.  Another reason someone may not like red wines is because they have only tried either too intense of reds, or low quality reds.


Tonight’s delightful wine – 2013 Caves d’Esclans “Whispering Angels” dry rose’ from Cote du Provence, France. This is one of my favorite areas of the world – along the southern coast of France, from west of Marseille to Monaco, and north into the French Alps.  I will write a few times about this area in future posts, but I have taken three wine tasting tours in this area – all with a fantastic tour company, Provence Wine Tours (www.provincewinetours.com) with my good friend and the owner of the company, Gaetane Thurot.


https://www.facebook.com/Provence-Wine-Tours-127638462050/

We had this wine on our Alaska cruise on Lobster Night, and we couldn’t have had a more perfect wine!  One of the most drinkable wines you will find, this is a wonderfully light bouquet of fresh strawberry and raspberry, with a hint of jasmine and lemon.  This wine was fantastic with trout, marinated with ginger, green onions, and Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce.  But it would certainly be acceptable with most seafood, especially salmon, crab, lobster, and white fish.  Also great with white cheeses and a number of fruits.  This wine is a MUST for every cellar, and runs about $16-19.


Feel free to leave a comment below, and to subscribe on the left, so you get notified of new posts.

Also, feel free to email me privately at: stevestastingsandtravel@gmail.com.

Lastly… grab a glass of wine, and ENJOY!!!

Texas Wines, Travel, USA, Wines

One of my recent Texas wines…. from Kuhlman Cellars

Over the past few years, I have posted to my personal Facebook page a number of photos and thoughts about wines I have had that evening.  To get started, I’ll put a few of those on my first few posts.  This is truly a work in progress, so please bear with me!

I’ll start with a local Texas wine – from Texas Hill Country, about 1 hour west of Austin (from about Hye to Fredericksburg).  For those who have never tried Texas wines, I was absolutely amazed at the wines they have here.  Texas Hill Country has become the #2 region for winery visits in the U.S.  The Texas Hill Country has become an award winning wine region, and makes some of the best Tempranillo’s anywhere!

Texas Hill Country Wineries link

Texas Hill Country Wine Map

Kuhlman Cellars is one of the newer wineries, in the “town” of Stonewall, just west of Hye, just east of the LBJ Ranch, and features an excellent wine and appetizer pairing (by appointment).  Jeremy Wilson is one of their excellent sommeliers, and is an excellent host!

Kuhlman Tasting & Pairing

http://www.kuhlmancellars.com        https://www.facebook.com/kuhlmancellars

Kuhlman Cellars has a lovely selection of wines, including Sauvignon Blanc (90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillion); Calcaria (75% Trebbiano, 17% Roussanne & 8% Viognier); Roussanne; Viognier, Alluve (59% Carignan, 22% Grenache & 19%Petite Sirah); Baranca (82% Carignan, 9% Petite Sirah & 9% Grenache); and Kankar (43% Malbec, 38% Petite Sirah & 19% Sangiovese).

2012 Kuhlman Cellars Alluve

Last night’s wine – a 2012 Kuhlman Cellars “Alluve’ – Sonoma County” ($28).  A Texas Hill Country winery, using Sonoma County grapes for this blend of 59% Carignan, 22% Petite Syrah, and 19% Grenache.   The blend of primarily Petite Sirah and Carignan together creates a beautiful red-purple color.  The nose displays an amazing blend of aromas such as blackberry and plums, with a touch of black licorice.  The flavors that come out of the taste in the mouth are well balanced, and the use of Grenache lightens up the wine to keep it from being potentially heavy.   There are subtle hints of coffee and sweet plums, with a touch of leather.  As with many Texas wines, this is a wine that is very enjoyable now, and for the next 5-7 years.  It paired very well with lamb chops, but would also go well with steak, bison, or venison.  And Kuhlman Cellars recommends to pair Alluve’ with their own herbed almonds.

Kuhlman does some fantastic pairings with their wines. Another of the newer “must visits” on the 290 wine trail west of Austin!

Feel free to leave a comment below, and to subscribe on the left, so you get notified of new posts.

Also, feel free to email me privately at: stevestastingsandtravel@gmail.com.

Lastly… grab a glass of wine, and ENJOY!!!


General Posts, Travel, Wines

Welcome to my world of my travels and wines!

Paris_France
Seine River, Paris

 

And so it begins…

My intent with this blog is to provide a fairly practical guide to the world of wines and travel.  I’ve been fortunate through my work and vacations to see many beautiful places in this world, and I have a passion for planning trips.  I’ve also found myself immersed in the wonderful world of wines over the years, and love to share not only my wines, but also my experiences with both beaulieu-vineyard-friends I have, and with friends I have yet to meet.  I hope you all find this blog not only informative, but also worthy of sharing with your friends for them to enjoy, as well.

A little about myself.  My name is Steve Ruegg (pronounced like reeg).  I was born and raised in the small town of Walworth, in Southeastern Wisconsin – in the beautiful Lake Geneva (or Geneva Lake as it is officially called) area.  I’ve also lived in Minnesota (twice), Florida, Northern California, Missouri (both sides of the state), and I now live in Austin, Texas. I’m a die-hard Green Bay Packer fan (and owner), and also a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan.

So… what makes me “qualified” to write a travel and wine blog??? Well, I think I’ve got some great stories and experiences that I can share, that might help someone to decide where to go on that dream vacation, or to help you find some good new wines to try, and places to go wine tasting.  Throughout this blog, I’ll talk about places I’ve been to (U.S., Brazil, much of Europe, Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, etc…) in my travels, and wineries I’ve visited, wine tours I’ve taken, and wines that I drink. IMG_0225 I hope to give travel tips, talk about types of travel (cruise, drive, trains, and flying), how to plan travel, how to pair wines with food, etc., in as practical a way as I can.  If I like a place or a wine, I’ll say that.  If I don’t like it, I’ll also say that.  I’ll never recommend something I don’t like, but that doesn’t mean that you might not like it.

I hope you’ll feel free to ask questions, suggest topics, (gently) criticize, and most importantly, be supportive.  I always welcome suggestions for new wineries and wines to try, and new places to visit.  Pass this on to your friends, to wineries, etc.

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska
Hubbard Glacier, Alaska

Feel free to leave a comment below, and to subscribe on the left, so you get notified of new posts.

Also, feel free to email me privately at: stevestastingsandtravel@gmail.com.

Lastly… grab a glass of wine, and ENJOY!!!