Rosé season is upon us! Hooray! If you follow along on my Instagram account, then you are well aware of my love for wine and rosé in particular. You can imagine how excited I was when the Umlauf Sculpture Garden reached out to me about covering their Garden Party this year! Not only is it a wonderful event benefitting an amazingly special place in Austin, it is also an event that I have volunteered with in years past and is something near and dear to my heart. This year the Garden Party is really taking it to the next level with honorary chairs Paul Qui and Deana Saukum and Matt McGinnis as their VIP cocktail guru. Don’t worry there are still tickets left if you want to come! I reached out to Sandra Spalding, Director of Marketing and Events for Twin Liquors, for tips about how she paired wines for the Garden Party this year and some tidbits that we can all use when choosing wines at home or at restaurants!
Sandra says that there will be lots more sparkling and rosé options at this year’s party. In fact 11 out of the 35 selections will be of those varietals. “Dry sparkling goes well with almost anything,” says Spalding. “Sparkling is great food wine. If you don’t know what to bring to a dinner party, go with sparkling.” Sweet sparklings go well with spicy and Asian flavors. Many great sparklings can be found under $20, making it the perfect toast!
Amazing! This just confirms my love for sparkling even more! Here are some pairings Sandra suggests to try at the Garden Party:
- Benji’s Cantina – Flounder Ceviche | Twin Liquors’ pairing –Cote Mas, Cremant Limoux Brut… dry sparkling with notes, of citrus, honey, apricot and floral note. Will pair nicely with fresh citrusy ceviche!
- Bess Bistro – Braised Pork Jowell | Twin Liquors’ pairing – Ksara Reserve du Covent… Lebanese red wine with dark fruit notes and firm body. Will pair nicely with braised meats but light bodied enough to drink in the garden!
When pairing wine with food, Sandra says ditch the old white vs red debate. Instead think about the weight of the wine and sweet vs dry. “You want the body of the wine to match the intensity of the dish,” says Spalding. Full mouth feels pair well with heavier dishes. For example, a buttery or cream sauce on a fish dish will go nicely will a full bodied chardonnay or Cabernet. A NY Strip with a lime vinaigrette or fresh veggies, pairs well with a Sangiovese or alboriño.
Lastly, Sandra told me that Millennials have quite the sweet tooth when it comes to wines. That’s why we are seeing lots of things like Moscatos and flavored wines. Sandra also says that this is indicative of more sophisticated palette (who knew!). “Sweet tooths often get into wine for the fruity and refreshing notes, but typically wind up wanting something more dry.” This has been totally true for me, so I can imagine it has been for others too!
If you want more in-depth info about wines and pairings, Twin Liquors offers Wine 101 classes! Perfect date night or something new to try with friends. I hope you all can join me at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden Party this year! If not, follow along on Instagram and tell me about your favorite wines!
[…] worry, this isn’t turning into a health or fitness blog, there will still be plenty of pies, wine and noodles, but I thought a little balance and peek into some other aspects of my life is really […]