Smoochie's Spring Fling Wine Picks
 
Now that the weather is bordering on change, I decided to focus on two wines that are totally different but fit perfectly for the day that may be a bit warm and sunny and the evening that's chilly and you just want a big plate of pasta. My fellow feline Garfield and I do share the love of Lasagna!
 
The white is the Coleman Pinot Gris from Willamette, Oregon, 91 points ($16.99) and highly recommended from Wine Spectator. It is bursting with tropical fruit and just the right amount of acids, and 100% stainless steel fermented. It has a huge mouthfeel but is suprisingly smooth. I would suggest it as an ideal bruch wine, feel free to leave some salmon samples for me as well as a perfect wine for scallops, crab cakes, and fondue.
 
The red is the CaLongone Cabernet Franc from Fruili, Italy ($13.99). Yes, they do grow Cabernet Franc in Italy, and actually quite well. This is a very small producer who still does all of his harvesting by hand and he is the 3rd generation land owner from within this family. They only produce two wines under this label and actually are a "negociant", or somebody who grows the grapes and sells them to the bigger production wineries. This wine screams green pepper like I scream for Pounce treats! It is ideal for any type of pasta dish, especially anything with sausage or roasted vegetables added to the sauce. I must suggest a nice loaf of rosemary bread along with it and you will certainly feel like you've just had a meal in Tuscany.
 
These are just two of our many hand selected wines and can be enjoyed for their unique flavors as well as the suggested pairings. We still have plenty of day's ahead where you can have both wines over the course of your weekend.... while I'm here keeping an eye on things and hoping that one day one of those leftover containers or grocery bags has something in it for me!
 
 
Cheers!
Smoochie