BIRTHDAY LOVE

I dashed into the wine store. It’s not that I NEED more wine, but when buying for a kid’s birthday party, you don’t really want to reach into the wine cellar. Although at one point we did, but that’s another story.

My daughter fortunately/unfortunately was born around Memorial day. Which basically means (on the East Coast) no one is around. She is also the ONE kid who plans her birthday for the entire year. Which means she basically has two parties. One on her birthday for whoever is around (shout out:friends & family) and another for her friends. We made a family trip to Party City, and by family, I mean ME and three kids. Basically, they should call it Party City; a mothers triathlon. There is the grabbing clenched items in kids hands, running after a loose child and doing laps around the store while juggling screaming kids and various items.  They might need a bar in there, just saying.

My one suggestion if you serve alcohol at any party, is look at the Alcohol content. There is a lot that goes into alcohol level for wines (and some manipulation at the winery that can happen), but basically depending on the vintage and global warming, alcohol levels in wine have gone up significantly. When serving people, you should do your homework. The rose I have been serving lately has 12% , compared to the California Chardonnay at 14.2%.  On the red side a Cabernet can be as high as 15%. My advice, look for cooler climate wines, they tend to have less alcohol, but again some wines can surprise you. Germany Riesling, Alsace Pinot Blanc and Portugal’s Vihno Verde all have lower alcohol for white wine around 9-11% compared to a NZ Sauvignon blanc (around 13%).  For the reds, try to find grapes that have less sugar as well, if you’re looking for a Pinot Noir, try to stay about from the fruit forward Napa Pinot, and try Washington, Santa Barbara or France’s Burgundy, the climate is cooler and will tend to have a slightly lower content of sugar and alcohol.  Same with a Shiraz or Napa Cabernet which can have a 15% alcohol content, look for a Bordeaux, maybe an Italian red, or even German Red. Bottom line; look at the label and be informed.

We did end up in the wine cellar for the family shin dig. I ran across a few wines I assumed had gone off. Not all wine is made to last and we had forgotten about a few gems in our cellar. Jeff and I have made it a point to try them lately when friends are around. Mainly, the wines we are trying are a few random Merlots we bought around 2001. This gem was a Pride Mountain Valley Merlot, CA. It was absolutely stunning, and for a grape that typically doesn’t seller for this many years, it was flawless.  If you have never visited this winery, do yourself a favor and give them a try. They consistently turn out amazing wine.