Since we are the Wine and cheese couple, we are always on the look out for new wine experiences. Over the weekend we visited Lake Tahoe for some much needed R & R. While we were there, we found a winery with bocce ball, definitely a place worth checking out.
We ventured out to the East Bay for a little wine tasting over the weekend. Sabrina and Geoff invited us to try a place near their apartment called The Barrel Room,
http://www.barrelroomoak.com . They change themes on a regular basis so you can keep learning about and trying new wines. The current theme is Italian wines and there was also the option to try some Italian small plates.
When we visited the Rainbow Market cheese counter, we were given a few different samples to try. (http://www.rainbow.coop) We tasted the Jasper Hill Harbison cheese and I thought it would pair nicely with a Pinot Noir. And we were in luck because we got an extra bottle of the Row 503 Pinot at the BevMo 5 cent sale. (http://www.bevmo.com) Let the pairing begin!
Neil and I were invited to Jess and Cory’s for a game of ZinZig over the weekend. Just the idea of a board game that involved wine knowledge really peaked my interest. There were a total of 6 of us playing and each couple had to bring a bottle of red wine.
This week I attended a wine tasting called “The Strange” at William Cross Wine Merchants. (http://wmcross.com) I have passed this wine shop many times while riding the bus to work and decided it was time to check out one of their Wednesday night tasting flights. The space was divided into a wine retail store in the front and a tasting bar in the back. There was quite a sense of community there, with many people who were greeted by name. The room was comfortable with maps on the wall and some people even brought their dinner in. I was pretty curious to see what this “Strange” wine tasting would entail.
When we purchased this wine, I tasted watermelon jolly ranchers so I was excited to try it again. (http://mferraro73.tumblr.com/post/78294642143/gianelli-vineyards-over-the-weekend-we-made-a) I researched Nebbiolo online and the pairings suggested were earthy mushroom flavors so we chose a truffle cheese. Lets see how they work together.