Apparently coastal grandmother is a trending vibe and we’re so here for it! Comfy, loose clothing? Cozy, beach scenes? Maybe a good book?
Truth be told, this is a pretty standard affair. Since we were young, we’ve been spending lazy weekends sitting around our aunt and uncle’s Cape Cod house, sipping wine (and extra strong margs), and reading books. Guess you could say we embody this trend!
Want to live your best coastal grandmother life? Grab a bottle of Rezabal Txakoli ($20) to add some fresh, happy brightness to your afternoon chill fest!
Txakoli (cha-ko-lee) is made primarily with Hondarrabi Zuri grapes in the Basque region of Spain. After harvesting, the grapes are fermented at low temperatures and kept covered to retain carbon dioxide released by the process, which gives the wines a slightly effervescent, or spritzy, effect. The result is a delicious and unique experience, high in character, but low in AVB.
Ander and Mireya Rezabal produce this in Zarautz, a coastal Basque town not far from San Sebastian using traditional methods, featuring the latest technology.
Let us know in the comments: are you a longtime fan of Txakoli or a newbie?
Cape Cod has long been a favorite getaway spot of ours, though neither of us gets there as often as we wish. We escape here to walk along the coast, read the days away ocean-side, and share some wine with the local hermit crabs… just kidding, they prefer salt water beverages.
Day Wines Vin de Days Blanc ($22) is an Alsatian-style white blend highlighting Muller Thurgau, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Muscat picked from several sustainably-farmed vineyards from around the Willamette Valley. Crisp, bright fruit pairs with a mineral finish for a perfect coastal sipping wine!
Founded by winemaker and owner Brianne Day, Day Wines makes boutique, artisanal bottlings from fruit sourced exclusively from a small group of Oregon growers who utilize Biodynamic, Organic and/or Sustainable vineyard practices. We can’t wait to get our hands on more!
Have you read The House in the Cerulean Sea? Don’t sleep on it! It’s a cleverly spun novel about magical youth, love, and taking a stand for what you believe is right. Exactly the kind of book we’re excited to talk about (while sipping wine) as we come to the end of Pride month!
This book, which showcases a group of misfits and the love they hold for one another, demands a special bottle of wine. We felt a Mediterranean, lesser known grape might be the ticket, and cracked open Gerovassiliou Malagousia ($27) from Macedonia, Greece.
Malagousia is a grape used for white wines that almost went completely extinct before it was revived and vinefied in the 70s by the Gerovassiliou vineyard! Vangelis Gerovassiliou, his wife Sonia and their three children run their 80 hectare vineyard, surrounded on three sides by the sea.
This particular wine is incredibly refreshing with a Viognier-style body and tropical fruit, lemon peel, and a little hint of sour candy on the finish (our mouths are watering just writing this). We found it to be the perfect treat if you’re looking to get away from it all and disappear into the Cerulean Sea for a bit.
What pairs with voting in your local election? Kung Fu Girl Riesling fits the bill to provide ultimate bad bitch energy as you strut your way to the polls.
This Washington State Riesling ($12) is juicy and bright with green apple on the nose, and pear and fresh jasmine flowers on the palette. Although this is a dry riesling, there’a touch of sweetness and a long finish that give this bottle perfect balance.
Make sure you check out the dates of your local elections and make a voting plan early. It only takes 5 minutes!
We love a good restaurant recommendation and when Beth shared her last minute plans to jet off to Puerto Rico, Marmalade was highly recommended by visitors and locals alike. So naturally, reservations were made!
Located in Old San Juan, Marmalade offers a 5-course tasting menu with an optional wine pairing. One course is set for you – a delightful white bean soup served with scallions, black truffles, and pancetta “dust” – and you choose your other two starters, entrée, and dessert. Everything was delicious!
Beyond offering a sensational gastronomic experience, Marmalade is committed to supporting the community and affecting positive change for the people of Puerto Rico. In the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria, they established La Fundacion “Retoño” to support, encourage and reward Puerto Rico’s diverse multicultural community of organic and biodynamic growers. Their mission is to bring more sustainable foods and partnerships back to the communities around the island.
When asked to recommend a great red, our server brought us a taste of Regocijo, an exclusive Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon made just for Marmalade that is well structured and elegantly balanced. But, can you guess the best part? All proceeds from the sale of this wine fund and build greenhouses for farmers and families who have suffered setbacks in recent years! At the time of our meal, five greenhouses had already been built.
Planning a trip to Old San Juan anytime soon? Better make a reservation! Pro tip: around the corner, you can find a great natural wine bar for pre or post dinner drinks. Cheers!
We’re back with another pool day pairing! The Ned Pinot Gris ($14) from Marlborough, New Zealand was a HIT at a recent family pool day. This Pinot Gris is pale salmon, smooth and full-bodied, and white peach forward on the palate. The perfect accompaniment to soaking up the sun and floating away in the pool!
You may be wondering what the difference is between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris. While they are technically the same grape, the grape originated in Alsace, France, where it is called “pinot gris,” but is known as “pinot grigio” in Italy, where it is also widely popular. Today, both wines are made all over the world. Some key differences in style: wines made with Pinot Grigio tend to be lighter-bodied, crisp, and commonly feature citrus notes; wines with Pinot Gris are fuller-bodied with sweet tropical notes and an almost-creamy texture.
Another giveaway to look for – Pinot Gris can sometimes be spotted by its salmon colored hue. Wines made with these grapes are often produced at least in part with the skin-contact method, a method in winemaking in which the grape skins are not removed in fermentation. The result is a faint shade of rosé.
Will you be sipping on this in the sun this weekend?!
Sometimes we plan trips well in advance, dreaming of excursions, drooling over menus, and plotting exactly what we’d like to see and do during a vacation. Other times, we don’t plan so far out. For her recent trip to Puerto Rico, Beth booked flights just about a week out from the start of the journey, with hotels and excursions following suit.
All the notice in the world probably wouldn’t have made a difference anyway. 50% of her flights were canceled within 24 hours of flying and the remaining flights were delayed. What should have been a 30-minute hopper flight to Vieques, a small island east of the main island, turned into a 1-hour cab, quick negotiation of a ferry ticket, and a fairly pleasant 45-minute cruise to port. Finally arriving at the airbnb about 10 hours after leaving home before sunrise, a strong strawberry daiquiri was much-welcomed.
When arriving at your first or final destination, a delicious beverage can help ease your mind from stressed-by-travel to no-stress-vacation. Might we recommend Theopolis Symphony ($25), a gorgeous and aromatic white with notes of lilac and pear on the nose and a smooth, slightly spicy finish on the palate. The Symphony grape is a California crossing of Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris developed in 1948 – something unique and divine to commemorate the start or end of your trip!
You may remember from our February feature, Theodora Lee (aka Theo-patra, queen of the vineyards) was a San Francisco trial lawyer whose love of wine inspired her to enroll in viticulture classes at UC Davis. She founded her Mendocino County winery in 2003, and her Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, and Symphony wines have been winning accolades ever since.
Overall, this trip had its ups and downs, but definitely more ups than downs. Beth enjoyed snorkeling and kayaking excursions, explored beautiful beaches and a secluded watering hole with crystal clear water, and ate her fill of traditional Puerto Rico cuisine.
Planning a trip? We’ll be happy to share recommendations – drop us a note below.
After jetting off for 9 days, it’s a wonder any of these plants survived… we can only assume some garden gnomes were looking out!
These front step planters are loaded (perhaps overly so) with tomatoes, carrots, hot peppers, herbs, and flowers. The only plant that isn’t thriving is our mint – no idea what’s up with that! The rest are sure to provide a delicious source of salad fixings all summer long, especially when served alongside chilled rosé!
Every year, we look forward to the latest release of our favorite vineyards’ rosé – sometimes they’ll hit shops as early as April! Smaller shops tend to have the best hookups, so look for the latest vintage (probably 2021 if you’re looking now) on display at your favorite local shop rather than at one of the big box stores where wines can sit around for a few more years.
J. Mourat Rosée de Jardin ($18) is a lovely rosé of Pinot Noir from the Loire Valley, France. Strawberry jolly rancher on the nose, smooth on the palate with a soft, round finish. Don’t forget to chill your bottle before sipping on the steps!
Oh hey there! We are two ladies, drinking wine and sharing knowledge with other ladies and gents who enjoy learning about wine in a fun, approachable manner.
In addition to dreaming up funky and relatable wine pairings for all sides of our lives (and yours!) since launching Witty Pairs, we’ve loved discovering and highlighting super women in wine. None of our posts are paid advertisements (yet!) — we just like to share wines and makers we truly enjoy and think you will too. And in case you were wondering, this extends to the accessories that best help us enjoy our favorite wines!
We found Wine Wash Co. — a small, woman-owned business — through Instagram. We love their cute, cheeky products that make it a little more fun to wash those wine glasses you probably shouldn’t have left out overnight.
We recently ordered a few of their products as gifts for friends and family (and ourselves!), favoring their gloves and polishing cloths.
While washing a few dishes, we sipped a G.D. Vajra Langhe Rosso ($16), a ready to drink Nebbiolo from Piedmont, Italy. Well-balanced cherry, strawberry and earthiness deliver a little something for everyone in this bottle!
We’re embracing the world of wine holidays today as we’re celebrating three big ones: Wine Wednesday (a tried and true favorite), National Wine Day (heck yes!) and Languedoc Day (that’s a new one!). Lucky for you, we have the perfect pair to highlight all three.
Located in the south of France, Languedoc makes up 90% of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, which combine to represent the single biggest wine producing region in France and a prime source of great value wine. Red wines from Languedoc are primarily full-bodied blends with Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, and Mourvedre as major components. Today, we’re honing in on Carignan.
Carignan (pronounced “care-in-yen”) wines have long been known for value, but are more recently being recognized for quality as well! Carignan produces medium-bodied, fruit forward wines with low-tannins, a hit for Pinot Noir and Beaujolais lovers like us!
Recently, Beth stopped into Formaggio Kitchen for a pick-me-up of delicious cheese, treats, and a chat with the wine buyer about his favorite old and new bottles. The conversation led down memory lane to Beth’s days as a cheesemonger and to a certain favorite budget bottle that just happened to be sitting front and center in today’s display.
Château d’Oupia Pays D’Hérault “Les Hérétiques” ($12) has been a favorite go-to wine for easy drinking any day of the week. It’s medium bodied and lightly fruit-forward with earthy undertones, perfect with or without a charcuterie board to snack on. Depending on the vintage, this wine is at least 80% Carignan with some Grenache mixed in.
Unable to resist a wine experiment (or a glowing recommendation), Beth also grabbed a bottle of Mary Taylor – Anne Sarda Coteaux de Cabrerisse ($11) made with 100% Carignan and also from Languedoc. Mary Taylor partners with grower-producers throughout rural Europe to create a brand American consumers can trust to decipher the complex notion of terroir in a clear and straightforward way. When you spot her white label series, you can expect a solid representation of the appellation noted on the bottle.
I created Mary Taylor Wine because I don’t think you should have to be a serious wine expert to experience the kind of honest, authentic wines that the Europeans have been enjoying for centuries.
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