All posts by Kristina

Drinks, Events, Field Trips, Wine

10 Rosés with the Chrontourage

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wine score card

One of my friends recently posted the following on his Facebook status: Prosecco is the new Rosé.  While I love this sparkling Italian wine, and drink it quite often, I can’t imagine it will ever fully replace the rosé.  Rosés are among the Fooding bloggers’ favorite summer wines, and we have featured several in Jon’s Random Wine Wednesday posts.  Incidentally, Jon took a short hiatus from writing while he prepared for final exams, but Random Wine Wednesdays will return next week.

So what happens when our resident wine geek is swamped with grad school finals?  Well, he sends a couple of stand-ins to the Chrontourage** Rosé tasting event and hopes for the best. Peter and I were absolutely happy to comply, and just one look at our score card (pictured above) will show you how much fun we had with this assignment.  I had two things in mind as we tasted each wine: whether I would purchase it and what type of meal it would accompany. Since we shared a score card, the writing is tiny and pretty undecipherable, so see some of our tasting notes below.

  1. Segura Viudas Brut Rosé – Spanish Cava; we both loved it and would definitely purchase
  2. Chateau de Campuget Rosé – Neither of us were impressed; nothing distinctive about this wine
  3. Cruz de Piedra Rosé – This one was ok, but neither would purchase
  4. Gran Fuedo Rosé – Strong alcohol aroma; would not purchase
  5. Marques de Caceres Rosé – Another one with an alcohol aroma; would not purchase
  6. Mulderbosch Rosé – a Fooding blog favorite; would definitely purchase
  7. Goats Do Roam Rosé – light and fresh; would purchase
  8. Becker Provencal Rosé – Crisp and refreshing, with pear and strawberry notes; would purchase
  9. Columbia Crest Two Vines Rosé – I thought it was a little on the sweet side, but Peter said it was well balanced; would purchase
  10. Menage A Trois Rosé – another sweet one; would purchase; distinctive berry flavors

The wine tasting occurred just in time to get us through the final stretch of this never ending 100 degree summer.  The very knowledgeable staff at Twin Liquors in the Hancock Center walked us through the tastings, answering questions and providing bits of information we would not have known otherwise.

One final note: Prosecco, I love you, but Rosé will always be my summer fling.

Cheers!
Kristina

** Chrontourage = the Austin Chronicle’s promotions team + fearless leader Logan Youree

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Drinks, Food, Reviews, Uncategorized, Wine

Harry Potter Feast at Alamo Drafthouse South

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Harry Potter

Ok, I admit it.  I am a geek.  This fact is evidenced by, but not limited to, the following: I love to watch British Sci-Fi shows like Dr. Who and Torchwood; I recently purchased the original Star Wars soundtrack – on vinyl; I think Joss Whedon is brilliant; and I really wish I had tickets to Comic-Con last weekend. 

My geekiness extends, of course, to my choice in novels, with authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Douglas Adams, and J.K. Rowling occupying prominent places on my bookshelf.  Naturally, I have eagerly awaited the movie version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince pretty much since the book was published.  Having re-read Half-Blood Prince, the story was fresh in my mind, and I was ready to see these beloved characters on screen.  My plan was to see the film in its opening week at Alamo Drafthouse, because – as I’ve mentioned many times before – a pint of beer makes everything better.

I missed the infamous Hobbit Feast which accompanied the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so I was more than thrilled to find out about the Hogwarts Academy Feast to be presented with the screening of Half-Blood Prince.  The five course meal was inspired by the start of term feast enjoyed by Hogwarts students at the beginning of each book.

While I adore Alamo Drafthouse for their admirable beer list and usual fare, I was slightly apprehensive when I saw the menu for the Feast.  I was unsure how a kitchen which always produces such great pizza and fries would handle a terrine.  After a gracious welcome from Chef John Bullington, the room turned dark and our first course arrived.

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Comparisons, Field Trips, Food, Reviews

Austin Cupcake Comparison

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Austin Texas Cupcake Challenge

Why do we love cupcakes?  We’re all adults here at Fooding Blog – for the most part, anyway.  Shouldn’t we be eating grown up desserts like crème brulee or some kind of dowse-with-brandy-and-set-on-fire thing?  Don’t get me wrong: I love a good crème brulee, but it requires a torch and a utensil.

Cupcakes, however, remind us that it’s ok to feel like we did as kids, when dessert was fun and gooey and colorful.  They remind us it’s ok to eat with our hands and get a little frosting on our chins and maybe on our shirts too.  Cupcakes remind us that desserts don’t always require an open flame.

Click here to read more about the Austin Cupcake Comparison

Oops

How NOT to Open a Bottle of Wine

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Every spring, I look forward to the new batch of rosés. The gang and I like to try different ones early in the season and then pick our favorites, which will become our wines for the summer. After a highly successful shopping expedition, we happily discussed which snack options would go best with our wine. The first wine we decided try was the 2008 Chateau Valcombe Cote du Ventoux Rosé, so we a bottle of it out to chill.

oops11

A short while later, we had assembled an array of snacks on the table out on my brother’s shaded deck. It was a beautiful afternoon in Austin: the sun shining, a slight breeze blowing. The tinny music floating outside from the old kitchen radio was perfectly complimented by the cacophony of birdie happy hour which had commenced at the feeder in the backyard.

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