Between the Vines: One woman's wine-soaked musings

Mission Hill Pinot Noir with our beef stroganoff

I poured half a bottle of the Okanagan Valley 2010 Mission Hill Five Vineyards Pinot Noir into my beef stroganoff last night; the other half of the bottle went into our glasses. It fully satisfied the first of my five no-fail tips for cooking with wine: Never cook with a wine you're not willing to drink on its own.

This wine, which I received as a sample, was juicy, fruity, and well balanced. I found aromas and flavours of raspberries, cherries, and sweet spice. Also on the palate were soft, soft tannins, earthy notes, and juicy acid that worked well with the rich mouthfeel and tangy flavour of our supper.

Ringing in at just under $20 at B.C. Liquor Stores, this VQA Pinot Noir, which is pleasant and uncomplicated, promises to please palates and wallets.

À Votre Santé!

Copyright © 2012 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

 

Cooking with wine: Five no-fail tips to guide you

Do you like to cook with wine? I'll bet you do.

Here is my column offering five no-fail cooking-with-wine tips, published in the November, 2012 issue of My City, a monthly magazine in the Abbotsford News.

“I love to cook with wine; sometimes I even put it in the food.” That’s what a magnet on my stove reads. And it’s true.

So, how do you pick a wine to use in your cooking? Here are five tips to guide you:

1.  Never cook with a wine you’re not willing to drink on its own. If you don’t like the flavour of the wine while it’s in your glass, you’re not going to like it as it concentrates in your dish. Read more.

À Votre Santé!

Copyright © 2012 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.