Hana-Lee with her father,
Jonathan Sedgwick
Hana-Lee, like her famous aunt, Edie Sedgwick, is not only a natural beauty, but has the innate ability of inspiring people to expand their horizons She has a charming new blog called WANDER & WINE, which I found informative, fun and interesting. Take a gander for yourself and see if you don't feel like you've just visited the finest Wineries in the Country. I can see Hana-Lee with her own travel-cooking-wine show, taking her audience to Wineries around the world and just enjoying a good glass of wine in a lovely setting with people she meets on the way. http://wanderandwine.com/wine/
Here is a sample of her blog....
Having lived on the West Coast my whole life (5th generation Californian and proud!), it didn't take long for me to appreciate and take full advantage of all the amazing wine regions around me. After a few months in Italy, several trips to Napa and a few years of trying interesting wines at local wine bars, I decided to take my excitement about wine to the next level and became certified as a Sommelier a few years ago. Soon after, I worked at a winery and traveled to various wine tasting events, but these days tasting/discussing/exploring wine is a favorite hobby. I’m also passionate about travel, entertaining, trying new restaurants, cooking, sports, design and yoga.
More cheese, please
3/17/2013
Last night I had some girlfriends over for a pre-St. Patrick’s Day wine and
cheese tasting. Since we’re all fans of cheese (I mean, BIG fans), I thought
it’d be fun to try some cheeses that pair well with certain wines. I just really
look for any excuse to get the girls together to drink wine and chat, especially
when I can make it a bit educational and eat lots of cheese!
I didn’t want us to be influenced by labels, so we tasted everything blind,
starting off with a sparkling wine. It was paired with St. Andre triple-cream
cheese. Since the fat content of this cheese is so high (75% – no wonder it’s so
good), its richness can easily overpower or kill certain types of wines.
Luckily, the crisp acidity of sparkling wine or Champagne helps cut through
that creaminess without hurting the flavor of the wine or cheese. Killing
flavors = no bueno.
Next, we tried a Tempranillo from Spain that I paired with Manchego, also
from Spain. I knew it’d be a good pairing because wines and foods from the same
region typically work together (makes sense, right?). When it doubt, think
regionally! This wine and cheese pairing was a huge hit with the group….
meaning, I think the bottle was drained in 4 minutes.
Lastly, we tried a Cabernet with an Irish White Cheddar… had to get something
Irish in there for St. Patty’s Day so the green cupcakes didn’t feel out of
place. :) Cabernets are bold, so pairing it with an equally bold sharp cheddar
is a good bet.
And now, the big reveal…
Sparkling: Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut NV. Light,
easy-drinking, and a great match with the St. Andre. Tempranillo: 2010
Monte Alto Tinto Tempranillo from Spain. This was the favorite wine of
the night! Medium bodied and smooth, with lots of spice, plum, and black
raspberry aromas and flavors. Finally, the Cabernet: 2011 Sawbuck
California Cabernet from the Crew Wine Company. Everyone immediately
got aromas of leather, tobacco, spice, dark fruits, and a touch of mocha.
Full-bodied and relatively smooth tannins. Not my favorite of the night, but
definitely easy to drink.
Really good cheeses + delicious wines + great
company = a perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
**Wine Notes**
Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut NV – Alc: 12.5 % – Price:
$17
2010 Monte Alto Tinto Tempranillo – Spain – Alc:
13.5% – Price: $12 (Really good!)
2011 Sawbuck California Cabernet – Mendocino &
Yolo Counties, CA – Alc; 13.9% – Price: $10