So let’s start 2010’s wine news and trends Friday post with the most laughable wine headline of the year to date: Sarah Palin is speaking at this year’s Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) conference. I usually try to avoid judging too harshly in this blog – but really? REALLY? Come on…. If you’re planning on attending this annual event, I beg you to report back here after. Better yet, make sure you have a glass of wine in hand while you listen. You’re going to need it!

Silicon Valley’s Jessica Yadegaran has a better idea… giving her opinion on what’s sure to be a hit in 2010. Check out her article on wine trends and see if you concur!

Last but not least, a man after my own heart, Dr. Vino has gotten to the heart of the matter with his recent post on appropriate wine pairings to enjoy the last of football season – with 7 Layer Dip (um, Albarino people!). See what others suggest here!

What would you rather do: get Sarah’s opinion on the trade or taste test the best pairing with 7 Layer Dip?

December is one of my favorite months for enjoying wine. Festivities abound and the cold and snow are still welcome friends. It’s also a time to wax nostalgic as we think about all that’s transpired over the last 12 months – and anticipate a new chapter soon to come. There are ample wines for gussying up and heading out the door in your “Sunday best” to enjoy the company of good friends and family. And there are wines for snuggling up by the fire because it’s just so tempting to stay in! Pop over to Wicked Local to learn more about the Wicked (good) Wines for you and yours to enjoy this December!

What do you think? Did we hit the nail on the head this month?

With the Thanksgiving festivities behind us (tear!), it’s that time of year when you can’t help but look just a few weeks forward to the end-of-year holidays. Myriad reasons abound to thank those in your life and so, in a great tradition of holiday ’spirit,’ we begin to think of ways to do so. Of course, buying a bottle or two of wine is often something many of us consider… but it can also be a tricky route to go! What will be sure to WoW your recipient?

Over the years, I’ve figured out a few ‘rules of thumb’ to keep the anxiety at bay and the good juice flowing! Head on over to Wicked Local today to get a few quick tips to wine shop with ease this holiday season.

Who on your list will be getting a bottle of wine this year? Which strategy will you use to tackle the challenge?

Last weekend my “Supper Swap” group met again for the first time in a while. (We try to meet at least quarterly, picking a theme to inspire our respective culinary adventures for the night and otherwise help us break out of any cooking ruts we may have fallen into.) As we sat around the table discussing our “Summer-is-coming” dishes and what changes we would make to the recipes, I realized I have gotten away from discussing food more specifically in relation to wine on the Pour Favor blog.  I’ve been talking wine first, then food. But most of the time we work the other way around, right? You pick your meal or what you are going to chef, and then select a bottle to accompany it.

Food is important.

I mean, yeah, there is the whole sustenance factor, lol. But in seriousness, wine is meant to be enjoyed with food. There are certainly some that excel on their own; but for the most part winemakers hope their wares grace your table and, ideally, take on a whole new meaning when matched with a wonderful meal.

This isn’t to say we should always strive for the perfect pairing. Nonsense! Rather, we should be mindful that the components which make a wine a wine – fruit, acidity and tannin – are elements that, by nature, are designed for food. On that note, let’s start talking about the union of food and wine over the next few weeks, shall we?

Supper Swap dish #1:  Watermelon, mint salad.

Apparently this dish was inspired by the Mustard Seed restaurant out in Davis, CA. Now their (online) recipe calls for cucumber, watermelon, mint and feta – but my friend recalled it with red onion, watermelon, mint and feta. Either which way you slice it, this salad was terrific. A true summer crowd pleaser. Fresh, healthy and delicious. And there is literally nothing more to it than dicing up the ingredients and tossing them together.

What wine would pair? This dish is incredibly versatile. But my instinct is to go for a terrific, DRY, rose – still OR sparkling! Rose tends to have terrific strawberry, raspberry or watermelon characteristics. One with more minerality (typically French offerings from areas such as Provence) or a more spice-nuanced flavor profile would be best because of the mint, bite of onion and slight richness to the feta.  You can certainly try one with more fruit-forward flavors.  But the watermelon on its own is so delicious, I’d want something nuanced in other ways to draw out it’s more subtle, secondary (et. al.) flavors.

White varietals to consider would be Spanish Albarino or Txakoli or lesser known/sought French offerings like Muscadet, Gros Manseng and Picpoul.  Sauvignon Blanc might be an easier grab-and-go choice that would certainly work.  Simply think crisp, refreshing, minerality.

Prefer red? Try a fruity, ligher-styled, dry summer red. You don’t want to upstage the juicy watermelon on your plate!

What wine(s) would you pick for this dish?

If you think of Spain’s geography as the shape of a bull’s head, you realize it doesn’t have much of a western coast. Portugal actually comprises much of that area – with only the tippy-top of Spain’s left “bull horn” having ocean boundaries. It is in this northwestern area, Galicia – and perhaps more notably, the D.O. Rias Biaxas (said Ree-as Byay-shas) – where arguably the most versatile white wine is created: Albarino.

With its northern location and proximity to the sea, it won’t surprise you to learn Albarino has its work cut out for itself to avoid rot and ripen fully. (Or, well, maybe the high, spread out trellising by the vineyard managers has something to do with it, since the wind can more easily pass through the vines and help dry things out….) Whether natural selection is at play or not, Albarino fortunately has developed very thick skins – which impart the strong, beautifully floral aromas you should associate with this particular vino.

Actually, Albarino is often likened to two other grapes we’ve discussed now and again: Riesling and Viognier. It is associated with Riesling for its mineral characteristics and Viognier for the stone fruit and floral aromas that often float from the glass. It also has very low alcohol and high acidity. These factors make Albarino so versatile. (Low alcohol allows it to pair well with spicy dishes too, for example; the heat of the alcohol does not fuel the flames of spicy cuisine while the residual touch of glycerin adds a robustness that complements richer foods’ texture. ) And it’s not just that Albarino’s innate characteristics make it a good match for these “trickier,” spicy foods! The wine is also enhanced by the flavors found in these dishes: it tastes even more distinct than when it flies solo!

Albarino is a go-to wine for me particularly around holiday meals. It is so refreshing, has that extra bit of roundness to it texturally, complements so many dishes and is one even red wine drinkers can appreciate. With Easter a few weeks back, I brough home a bottle thinking I would save it for our feast. It never made it that far…. The Vinum Terrae’s Agnus Dei Albarino offered such a lovely bouquet of peaches and apricots, it was love reignited. It delivered the same apricot-peachy goodness on the palate and was further enhanced by a serious squeeze of lemon citrus “juice” and a bit of wet-slate minerality. With its low alcohol, it quenched my thirst as I prepared the meal.

There are several Albarino’s on the market, probably the most widely distributed being the Martin Codax. Have you enjoyed this varietal before? Which was the offering you tasted?