I Love Wine...

We have been discussing some tough topics so I thought I would lighten the mood with one of my favorite things, wine! I found a site that I think did a fantastic job in explaining the different types of wine. Today, we will discuss RED WINES.

RED WINES (http://www.frenchscout.com/types-of-red-wines)

Syrah, cabernet, zinfandel are grape varieties. This page describes wine styles by variety and production area.

If only one variety (merlot, cabernet sauvignon) is mentioned on the label, then the wine is called varietal and is named after the grape with a capital initial (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon). A varietal wine primarily shows the fruit : its taste much depends on the grape variety.

Syrah (or Shiraz)

Shiraz or syrah are two names for the same variety. Europe vintners only use the name syrah.
Food pairings: meat (steak, beef, wild game, stews, etc.)
Districts: syrah excels in California, in Australia, and in France's Rhone Valley.

Merlot

(Mare-lo) Easy to drink. The softness of Merlot has made it an "introducing" wine for new red-wine drinkers.

Food pairings: any will do.
Districts: a key player in the Bordeaux blend, merlot is now also grown in Italy, Romania, California, Washington State, Chile, Australia, etc.

Typical taste in varietal wine: the Merlot type of wine is tannic (rough) but less so than Cabernet Sauvignon. A middle palate gap is common. Blackcherry and herbal flavors are typical.

Cabernet sauvignon

(Ca-burr-nay So-veen-yawn) Widely accepted as one of the world's best varieties. Cabernet sauvignon is often blended with cabernet franc and merlot. It usually undergoes oak treatment.

Food pairings: best with simply prepared red meat.
Districts: cabernet sauvignon is planted wherever red wine grapes grow except in the Northern fringes such as Germany. It is part of the great red Médoc wines of France, and among the finest reds in Australia, California and Chile.

Typical taste in varietal wine: full-bodied, but firm and gripping when young.

Pinot noir

(Pee-know Na-wahr) One of the noblest red wine grapes. Pinot noir is difficult to grow, rarely blended, with no roughness.

Food pairings: excellent with grilled salmon, chicken, and lamb.
Districts: makes the great reds of Burgundy in France, and good wines from Austria, California, Oregon, and New Zealand.

Zinfandel(Zin-fan-dell)

Perhaps the world's most versatile wine grape, making everything from blush wine (White Zinfandel), to rich, heavy reds.

Food pairings: very much depends on the freshness/heaviness of the wine; tomato-sauce pastas, pizza, and grilled and barbecued meats.
Districts: only found in California.

Typical taste in varietal wine: often a zesty flavor with berry and pepper.

Sangiovese

(San-gee-oh-ve-zee)
Food pairings: a good choice for Italian and other Mediterranean-style cuisines.
Districts: sangiovese produces the Chiantis of Italy's Tuscany region and, of late, good wines from California.

Typical taste in varietal wine: the primary style is medium-bodied with fresh berry and plum flavors.

Barbera

(Bar-bear-a) Not as popular as Merlot but with similar attributes.

Food pairings: barbera wines are versatile: they match many dishes, including tomato sauces.
Districts: another classic red of Italian origin. Widespread in California.

Typical taste in varietal wine: juicy black cherry and plum fruit, a silky texture and excellent acidity. You may wish to read tasting notes of Barberas at La Spinetta.

I have a favorite local wine, http://www.ste-michelle.com/.

A Get together...

This weekend I had a get together at my house with some friends. We were a group of married with children that are either embracing our 40s or coming up on 40 rather quickly.

The subject of family came up. We were talking about our childhoods, and surprisingly or not surprisingly, all of our stories were marred with dysfunction. Everyone sitting on that deck, everyone had experience with divorce, abuse, and abandonment. We talked a lot of not wanting the same experiences for our families and protecting our children the way we wished we were protected growing up. I even admitted to the fact that my family turned their back on me when I spoke up about some of the injustices in my childhood. I was just supposed to deal with it, not speak about it in their minds.

For me, getting through those issues from my childhood has been a process that put me in therapy. Now the word therapy, for most African-Americans is a dirty word. This is too bad because many of us need it. So let me ask you; if I came from a divorced home, never really knew my father and was abused; do I really know how to be healthy on my own. I thought I did, until I just could not shake this unhappy feeling. My motto for a very long time was "It is the hand I was dealt so I just have to get over it". I needed therapy.

While there is some truth to my motto, I forgot the part about grieving. I forgot that it is OK to grieve abandonment, divorce and abuse. That grief is part of the healing process; until you grieve you truly have not healed. If we truly are going to be better for our children we have to confront and deal with what pains us. Therapy helped me embrace this concept.

I have to say, it was refreshing to see us all take a step towards that by talking about our fears, past pains and future desires.

For The Next Year....

OK, this is my first post and also my last year to say that I am thirty something. What does it mean to be going into your forties? Some say you are getting old, others say you are moving into a new phase of your life and others ask are you freaking out.

Well, I have chosen not to freak out and while yes, I am getting older, I hope I am moving into a new phase of my life. I have spent the last year dealing with the demons of childhood, my 20s and 30s. Trying to make sense of it all but mostly choosing to NO LONGER ignore some pretty significant events that included tragedy, love, pain, success, and failure.

How did I start on this journey? I was talking with a friend and he said my life was easy. In my mind I screamed what the heck are you talking about, I am lucky to have survived it all! Then it the next moment, I realized it probably does look easy because I do a very good job of keeping everything inside. I had to face that for the last 38 years I have held in every negative emotion and I have not grieved the negative events; leaving me overwhelmed, stressed and losing my mind. So, I chose to do what I have not done in the past, concentrate on me.

Don't get me wrong, my life is pretty good. I have been able to attain education, travel and even though it is far from over, I have a pretty successful career. It has been the many downs in the journey to get to those things that have not been fun. Not grieving the negative has not allowed me to truly enjoy the positives.

So, for the next year, I am going to blog to help me continue the work on my heart that I started this year. I think it is going to be a fun, difficult and a rewarding journey. I am growing. Some believe you learn to love; I believe you grow to love.