Ottawa Women's Wine Club: VINO VIXENS!

Date : April 29, 2017 Theme : Japanese Host : Julie Attendees : Andrea, Anna, Melissa, Jacquie, Reem, Tayisa, Sheree     Starters :  Sushi: Vegetable Spring rolls and California rolls Edamame Wine pairing:  Hakutsuru SAKE Comments : Paired well with the sushi, happy to say we tried it, but overall not a big hit! Loosen Bros. Dr. L Sparkling Riesling Vintages # 296095 $14.95 Light & fruity – I loved this one, and thought it paired really well with the sushi. Would buy again. Lady Bug Malivoire 2016 Rosé VQA Niagara - $16.95 Comments:    A big let down, tasted sour, and didn’t pair well with the appetizers at all. (Although before I bash the wine, I should consider maybe this bottle was off ??) Main : Spring salad with MISO dressing Teriyaki Chicken Teriyaki Salmon Vegetable stir-fry with tofu Japanese Rice Wine pairing:  Pfaff Pinot Gris Alsace LCBO 362087, $16.95 Comments : I...

Host : Anna Attendees: Jacquie, Reem, Julie, Andrea, special guest, Marisa!  The peonies won centre stage.   This is the pinot noir we didn't get to in case  any of you want to try it. G. Marquis The Silver Line Pinot Noir   Pinot Noir VINTAGES#: 258673 $19.95 Theme : Pinot Noir vs Sauvignon Blanc - white or red wine with fish ? The consensus was white. Appetizer : Chickpea Shawarma Dip  http://minimalistbaker.com/chickpea-shawarma-dip/ Paired with :  Rustenberg 2015 Petit Verdot Rosé  ($13.95 - #451773) – raspberry, cranberry, watermelon, sweet mid with nice berry finish. Main Course: Cedar plank smoked Icelandic cod with cilantro/lime/ chilli butter.  http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/04/grilling-planked-whitefish-with-cilantro-lime-recipe.html. Grilled crispy tofu with cilantro walnut pesto. Side dish: ratatouille (recipe images attached), ciabatta baguette. Wines in order:   Ja...

Date : January 23, 2016 Theme : Maple - a wintery welcome to the new year! Host : Julie Attendees : Andrea, Anna, Carm, Melissa, Jacquie, Reem, Tayisa, Shereen Sparkling Maple sap (http://treewell.ca/) Comments: Unfortunately not a hit, Carm liked it, but majority found it a bit watery, but might be nice with a bit of rum or whiskey mixed in! Starters :  Cheese: Oka, Maple Goat cheese, marble  Crackers / fruit nut crisps, grapes  Arugula salad w strawberries, goat cheese, red onion, dressing (oil, balsamic, maple syrup) Wine pairing:  50 Degree Riesling Trocken, Henkell & Co. Germany Vintages 424523, $15.95   Comments : Liked by all, nice amount of sweetness, good match with the salad Main : Maple chicken curry served over penne  Wine pairing:  Pfaff Pinot Gris Alsace LCBO 362087, $15.95 Comments : with a sweeter curry, they recommend off-dry riesling or pinot gris. This o...

We spent a lovely evening together, as usual, enjoying good food, and celebrating happy moments!  Happy birthday Tayisa and congrats to Carm! The theme was a Mexican fiesta with nachos, shredded beef tacos, chopped Mexican salad, and tasty paletas (popsicles) for dessert! As requested, here are links to the recipes I used for the beef and the salad dressing.  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/mexican-chopped-salad-with-honey-lime-dressing-230154 http://www.food.com/recipe/shredded-beef-for-tacos-or-burritos-228102 Below are photos of the bottles we had - the first one on the left was the rose bubbly, which I think was a crowd pleaser!  Another bottle of note was the 4th from the left - delicious and a great price!

Summer Flavours and Crisp whites - Anna's Place - June 12, 2015 Present: Carmela, Reem, Andrea, Shereen, Julie, Sara Rose and a Reham as our honorary guest! Meal: Pesto linguine with toasted pine nuts, goat cheese, garden arugula and grilled chicken marinated with garden herbs and fresh garlic. Dessert: Coconut "cheese cake", chocolate raspberry and vanilla blueberry. Recipe from:  http://minimalistbaker.com/7-ingredient-vegan-cheesecakes/?utm_source=June+2015+Newsletter&utm_campaign=June+2015&utm_medium=email Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava LCBO# 216945 | 750 mL bottle - $13.95 a bottle. Spain Freixenet S.A. Cavit Collection Pinot Grigio delle Venezie IGT Pinot Grigio —LCBO#: 99218   |   750 mL bottle - $12.95 a bottle   Light and Crisp - Pale straw; light lemon-apple aroma and flavour; light bodied with a clean finish ...

Striking a pose... Pretty colours! Beautiful smiles Featuring a special guest Rose Coppola Sofia - $19.95 . We seemed to like this one. A little dry. We like the label and the name! Casal Thaulero Sangiovese Terre di Chieti - $7.75 . Our most economical but drinkable. Julie enjoyed this one but it burned her nostrils when she tried to sniff it. Lesson learned: good for drinking and not for smelling.  Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale - $22.45. Second most expensive but most liked! Cab Merlot Organic Frogpond Farm - $24.00. Most expensive and most earthy...it was OK.  Fonseca Periquita White - $8.95. Should have had this first! Light and easy, but difficult to appreciate after the heavier flavours.   Fennel, orange and olive salad Lamb, mint sauce, nut loaf, corn, watermelon + feta salad I want your cannoli nooooowwww! Too many cannoli...

Wine Club at Julie's Date : April 11, 2015 Theme : Zinfandel ... with Smoked BBQ brisket Company : Shereen, Reem, Jacquie, Andrea, Anna, Melissa, Sara-Rose Menu : Smoked Brisket Smoked Lasagna rolls Roasted potatoes Smoked beans Green beans with shallots Apple & Cabbage Coleslaw Apple Crisp Lessons of the night: Zinfandel is considered California's heritage grape.    We tested 'regular' vine vs 'old vine' Zinfandels. While there is no legal definition for what classifies a vine as 'old', some California vineyards are over 125 years old, and there is a general belief that older vines give better, more intense flavoured wine. Overall I think we noticed a difference, and found the old vine selections more full-bodied than their younger counterparts. Wines: Dancing Bull Zinfandel LCBO 00669499, $13.95 Excellent, light wine - liked by all, would buy again.  (Even went nicely with the Chicago mix!) Cline Z...