InMyCups

Life has come between me and In My Cups for these past half-dozen years. I’ve often thought about sharing my thoughts on a special bottle I’m drinking, but writing a blog during my off-hours doesn’t always hold appeal thanks to the daily writing I do in a professional capacity.

But today felt different, which has brought me back to WordPress. I thought perhaps a little distraction from the unsettling times in which we suddenly find ourselves might be a relief to me, and maybe give my friends and family a little something to read and engage in. After all, wine is social, amirite? And we can still enjoy it and share our thoughts with one another, even in our new world of “social distancing.”

I’m in the midst of a bottle of 2017 Matanzas Creek Chardonnay, which has always been a favorite of mine even though I’m not usually what you’d call a “Chardonnay girl.” I’ve had the good fortune to have visited the Matanzas Creek winery in Sonoma County, California on a couple of occasions. Matanzas Creek produces beautiful wines in a beautiful place. In fact, the winery is surrounded by incredibly lush lavender bushes, which create an absolute riot of purple when in flower.

One of the things I love about the Matanzas Creek Chardonnay is its balance. You often hear the words “flat” or “flabby” to describe a lesser Chardonnay — one that either feels almost watered down with no finish or one that’s so amped up with butter and oak that it’s sort of cloying to drink. The Matanzas Creek wine is a classic California butter/oak Chardonnay, but one that exhibits real restraint. I don’t always see Matanzas Creek wines in local liquor stores in the Boston area, but they’re usually available on Wine.com and the Chardonnay is in the $28-35 range. (By the way, I got an email earlier this week from Gordon’s Wine in Waltham, MA, saying they’re doing $5 flat delivery within Boston and the Route 128 area — a good deal for anyone who prefers not to venture into stores at the moment.)

Chardonnay always feels like a “winter white” to me because of its fuller body. As the weather warms up, I’ll be transitioning over to crisper whites like Albarino and Orvieto.

What’s everyone drinking at the moment?

It feels strange to be once again working from home five days a week. Mr. Cups is also home for the next several weeks as his school works to contain the spread of the coronavirus. But I firmly believe these isolation measures will be effective, will keep our hospital system from becoming totally overwhelmed, and will keep us all as safe as possible. In the meantime, keep calm, keep washing your hands, and stay well.

Despite plodding through more than my fair share of French classes through grade school and college, I still break into a cold sweat whenever I turn down the “French Wines” aisle at the liquor store.  France is pretty much the mother-ship of wine making, having shaped techniques, growing practices and new grape varietals over the centuries.  But the labels can be so damned complicated and French-y.  French wines clearly spell out the name of the winery.  But many then the specific region vs. the particular grape with which the wine was made.  This means a consumer must have at least a rudimentary knowledge of which regions grow which grapes.  For instance, most Bordeaux reds feature a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.  Most red Burgundy wines feature Pinot Noir; the whites are generally Chardonnays…unless you’re in the Chablis region of Burgundy where they grow, you guessed it, Chablis grapes.  Here’s a helpful graphic of two French wine labels, interpreted:

Karen MacNeil’s fabulous Wine Bible is my go-to resource for all things wine-related.  It’s worth picking up a copy to put alongside your cookbooks, and it really is both a great quick reference book when you’re puzzling out a wine and interesting chapter reading.

But if this kind of research makes your head hurt, Eric and the team at Arlington’s Mystic Wine Shoppe have a beautiful 2011 Pouilly Fuisse (Chardonnay) from Laboure-Roi picked out for you to sample during this weekend’s free tasting.

Established in 1832, Labouré-Roi is one of the largest wine houses in Burgundy.  Their wine is grown on limestone slopes, which give them a crisp acidity with hints of minerality that’s essential to a good white Burgundy. The Pouilly Fuisse is a 100% Chardonnay wine.  In the glass, it’s a pale gold with green tints.  You can smell honey, nuts and citrus/peach aromas.  The wine is dry and fruit-forward, with a nutty character.  Like most chardonnays, this stands up well with rich foods including lobster.

Mystic Wine Shoppe will also be featuring a 2012 Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio, a 2010 Antinori Santa Cristina Toscana (Super Tuscan) and a 2011 Angeline Pinot Noir during this weekend’s free tasting.  As usual, the tasting takes place on Saturday from 4-6 p.m. and all tasting wines will be discounted 10%.