Project Pinterest :: February & March!

I promise I did not forget about this!  But the last two or so months have included a teething baby, family visiting, being wedding coordinator for dear friends' special day, making jewelry for and selling at several clothing pop shops - and I still managed to get a couple of things into this project!

So for February, I had this wild idea to make something scrumptious for my hubby instead of trying to find a good gift.  Food is a love language for both of us so I gave it a shot.  And for my ridiculously over ambitious project, I took on the illustrious pain aux raisins.  It is a croissant with rum soaked raisins and an amazing pastry cream to keep it all together.  I will be sharing pictures but not the specific recipe, sorry, I won't do that to them.

Bouchon Bakery cookbook - worth every penny

But like I said, it was a bit ambitious.  I ended up baking for almost 12 hours because it has a lot of steps and you have to chill the dough between every step!  Thankfully, the hubby loved my efforts as did my dear friend who has tasted both the real deal and my feeble attempt.  =)

Kind of an old picture but we do love our Bouchon!

So that was my February project.  March was pretty crazy because I was doing a bunch of different stuff getting ready for a wedding and making jewelry (btw, several of the new pieces are listed at https://www.etsy.com/shop/AimeJewelry!)  But back to what I am really trying to talk about.  So March I did some more baking out of the Bouchon Bakery cookbook - this time as a birthday treat for the hubby.  And this project was much more within my skill level and came out beautifully...unfortunately, all the cookies got eaten before I could get a picture of any of them.  Hopefully, that means that project turned out well.  =)
I did do one other project for March that is amazingly easy!  If you are looking for a nice refresh to your jewelry box this spring, try this project out!  My favorite vendor is Rio Grande and they have this ridiculously easy wire wrapped ring tutorial that you can do yourself!

Wire-Wrapped Bead Ring

One of the easiest tutorials I have come across in a while.  If you aren't quite able to get the hang of it yourself, I have a few of my own version of this ring available at Aime Jewelry now!  But really, you should give it a try!

So if you have been able to work on any creative, Pinterest-inspired projects, share them!  I would love to get some ideas for some new things too!


Have a beautiful day!

Wine Wednesday :: 2009 Dierberg Chardonnay

It has been a while since I have done a Wine Wednesday post but this week the hubby and I needed a bottle of wine (it was a long day) and decided to open this one.  So I thought I would share it with you.

What wine is it: 

2009 Dierberg Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley

What I ate with it: 

cod (or any mild white fish) steamed with butter, lemon, and garlic and a side of grilled eggplant

How much is it: 

starting at $22

Where to shop for it: 

Wine Exchange (for the 2010 vintage) & Wine Searcher (for the 2009 vintage)

Point of clarification: the bottle I drank this past week was the 2009 vintage.  That is what we had in the house.  You can still get the 2009 vintage but may have to do a little hunting.  My favorite wine shop is out of it and only carries the 2010 now.  I did include the link above for Wine Searcher's 2009 vintage results. 

Whatever you can get, get it.  It is really good.  The nose was crisp, slightly apple-y, and mild sweetness.  Sipping was an even more pleasant experience.  It was not too acidic and drank well by itself but also paired with the cod very well.  It highlighted the sweetness of the fish and compensated with the light fruity-ness that was left.  

It would be perfect for a girl's night in, after a long day with the kids, or even to have in the house for those up-coming holiday events!

Find a bottle and enjoy!  Have a beautiful day!

missing home...

It has now been two weeks since I got back from my trip to Hawaii (hence my prolonged blogging absence) and I still can't get these things out of my head...

the view I grew up with every single day growing up...never gets old

my son beginning to appreciate the same view

H figuring out how to lick an ice cream cone for the first time!

a date with the hubby at Salt where we had the most amazing dinner: kim chee reuben sandwich, "ham and eggs" (pork belly and a space egg on mini english muffins), and a Hawaiian mud pie that had soy sauce caramel.

It was a three week trip that was still too short.  Hawaii, you will always be home.

Have a beautiful day, everyone.

Wine Wednesday :: Reinhold Haart 2007 Riesling Piesporter

It has been a while since I have loved a wine as much as I enjoyed this amazing Riesling.  For a little bit of background, Rieslings are made all over the world but depending on geography, the flavor can vary from dry and tart to honey-like and syrupy.  This particular wine was a delightful German surprise that balanced all of the above.  It was definitely a "budget" wine and I was not expecting a lot.  But suffice to say, it was totally worth it and I am going back to stock up for the summer!

What wine is it: 

Reinhold Haart 2007 Riesling Piesporter

What I ate with it: 

soppresata, aged havarti cheese, baguette, balsamic/olive oil for dipping

How much is it: 

$9.99

Where to shop for it: 

Wine Exchange & Wine Searcher

It was a lovely day so we had gone for a walk this afternoon and were planning on a picnic when we got home for dinner.  Since we were warm and ready for a drink, we brought this bottle out and man oh man.  It was perfect with these foods.

The wine was delightful with the earthiness of the cheese and the spices in the soppressata.  Those flavors in the food heightened the subtle fruit and honey quality of the wine.  It was so refreshing after a warm afternoon walk too (you will definitely want to drink/serve this wine chilled).  For your summer party, this is going to be a fantastic white to choose (this would also have gone wonderfully with fish, sushi, pork, etc.).  So find yourself a bottle and your taste buds will thank you later.  And at $10 for a slightly aged white wine, how can you go wrong?!

Have a beautiful day!

Wine Wednesday :: Beauty & 50 Year Old Wine

Alright folks, I am about to do something a little mean.

I found my favorite wine - in the whole world.  And it is an experience that I cannot reproduce.  Which is sad.  And probably going to end up being a little mean...to you.

I believe that wine is art.  A fairly subjective experience with an objective standard that most people acknowledge either explicitly or implicitly.  All wine is valid but some is certainly more "beautiful" than others and people are aware of that if they pay attention.

But before I start getting philosophical about wine, the point of this post is to share a sublime experience that I had.

Rarely do people have the opportunity to taste old wines anymore - at least not on most budgets.  The wines exist but they are hidden in private cellars or cost an arm, leg, and first born child.  So when a friend of mine mentioned that he had a 1964 Spanish Rioja, I had to try really hard not to both scream like a little girl or act too nonchalant as if I didn't care...because I cared...a lot.

It is also worth noting at this point that Spain is my current favorite wine region (if you haven't had a good reserve Rioja, you have no idea what you are missing out on).  I also am just beginning to learn that older is better when it comes to wine (most of the time).

Finally, we set a date, had dinner planned, and the group together that was going to taste this practically 50 year old wine.  We opened the bottle with bated breath, hoping that it would not have been over exposed to air (even in the bottle), and battled a decaying cork that almost didn't want to come out.

Then we poured it into our glasses.  A rich, red, velvety elixir that had so much potential for ecstasy.

Hesitantly, we sniffed at our glasses.  Each inhale telling us that we could possibly be in for the experience of a lifetime.

Finally, we took our first sip and waited as air and wine mixed and bathed our tongues in...heaven.

If this seems like an exaggeration  then you have a whole world of amazing waiting to be experienced.  The taste was smooth, no acid, no tannins to interfere with the pure fruit and wood and pure liquid beauty of this wine.  And it felt velvety.  It was like drinking the most luxurious thing you can imagine.  The texture was actually velvety on the tongue - I couldn't get over that sensation!  The fruit flavors were so balanced and gentle that the dark berry and faint savory herbs that you got seemed to have been locked in a beautiful dance that was going on and on.

It was a truly amazing experience - in my wine glass.  A few moments of beauty and other-worldly glory in liquid form.  I'm not sure that even my words here are sufficient to record this event.  Which maybe is a good thing.  Then you won't be too mad at me for not inviting you to share this bottle with you.  =)

Have a beautiful day!

Project Pinterest 2013 :: Greek food!

I know it is getting close but I have not forgotten about my resolution to actually do some of the things that I keep drooling over on Pinterest.  And I actually did these two weeks ago but have been doing rather poorly at keeping up on my blogging.  So today, you get a double dose of Pinterest yumminess!

I had two of my best friends visit me at the beginning of the month and decided to make Mediterranean/Greek food for dinner one night mostly because I had seen these two delicious looking pins.

Pinterest via Sweet Paul

Pinterest via Annie's Eats

So I thought it can't be that hard to do this, right?  Well, I was partially right.  =) The first recipe, a feta cheese dip, was so easy and yummy!  Because we were doing Greek food, I had cut up cucumber and bell peppers to dip with as well as the pita bread that we had made (I can also see pita chips going amazingly well with this dish).  Verdict on the dip: excellent (read: make it yourself now).  =)

yeah....so we already started digging in but I had to snap a quick pick of the feta dip especially since it was amazing with this wine: Waipara Springs Riesling

Now for the pita bread.  I am going to be honest here.  We misread the recipe.  =P  So some of our struggles were our own fault.

I love pita bread, ok fine, so  I love bread generally, but can you really beat the deliciousness of warm, soft, barely poof-ed, pita bread?  So I saw this recipe and thought, let's try it!  Turns out the recipe isn't that difficult if you get the timing right.  Which is what we didn't get right.  =P  But I will make two notes on my experimentation with it.  First, I think the recipe could make more than just 8 pieces of pita.  And second, it is possible to make it in less time but you will have a denser pita because you will have fewer rise times.

Other than that, I have to say this recipe does make some pretty stinking amazing pita bread and I would highly recommend it - and read the recipe all the way through before you start.  =P

Have a beautiful day!

P.S. And if you want to see some other Pinterest projects that I have not had time to post about yet, check out my Pinterest board that has them all!

Wine Wednesday :: Wine Tasting Tips

Hello all!

It has been a while since I've done a Wine Wednesday post but I thought I would try and get back into it because I just got back from a whirlwind two day trip to Napa, California.  I got to visit some absolutely stunning wineries, ate the most amazing food, and came back a few pounds heavier.  =P  But before I get into all of the great wineries, I thought I do a few "basics" of wine tasting pointers for those of you who may be going out to do the same wherever you are located!

1) Do NOT drink the wine if you are tasting multiples.

This is a scientific fact.  When you swallow the wine, you are cementing that taste in your taste buds and it will make it much harder to get a good idea of what the next one will really taste like (has to do with the way air and our taste buds work).  There are some exceptions to types of wines that are less permanent on your tongue.  Generally speaking though, if you are at a wine bar or winery tasting through several types and styles of wines, you 1) do not want to get too happy too quick and 2) don't want to kill your palate too fast.  If the place where you are tasting does not automatically provide them, ask for a spit bucket.

2) Before you take your first sip, swirl your glass and take a big sniff with your nose as far in the glass as you can get it.

Wine and oxygen are best friends.  Especially when you want to get a good idea of what you are smelling and tasting.  So swirl the glass to expose the wine to as much air as possible and take a big sniff so you are ready for your first taste and you have a sneak peek through the smell!

3) Once you have the wine in your mouth, suck in air through your mouth and "mix" it with the wine.

Breathing is crucial to the human tasting process.  So when you are tasting wine, expose your taste buds and the wine to as much air as possible!  Technically, this is called "aerating" but really, you are doing that thing your mom always told you not to - slurping.  

4) Pay attention to what you are tasting & smelling!

Flavors in wine are complex.  Different grapes make different wines and have different tastes (profound, I know).  But really, that is the beauty of wine.  This single beverage can have an infinite number of taste profiles, colors, ages, origins, and purposes.  Let yourself experience and understand that!  A red wine might taste like strawberries, chocolate, or wet dirt.  A white wine might have hints of honey, peaches, or herbs.  The exciting part is that you have a whole world of wines to try out!

Pretty basic, right?  Hopefully these tips will help you get the most out of your next wine tasting experience!

Have a beautiful day!

Project Pinterest 2013 :: Roasted Tomato Soup

Well folks, here it is.  My first Pinterest project of 2013 and if they continue as good as this one, you may be seeing several projects a month rather than the one that I definitely committed myself to.  =)

So it has been rather freezing in Southern California recently.  (I admit that I may be exaggerating slightly but given my Hawaiian roots, you can't blame me.)  =P  And that has put me in the mood for soup.  Pinterest to the rescue!  And I just happened to stumble across this pin (by the way, the blog where I found this recipe has lots of other great recipes!):

Roasted Tomato Soup

The recipe is so incredibly simple for a creamy soup recipe with ingredients you are likely to always have in the house.  So I decided to make it.  I did make a few tweaks that I will make note of as I share my pics with you all.

Sauteing veggies to soften.

Almost finished product.

Mom and kiddo's helping with a little parmesan cheese on the top and I have to have Tabasco in my soup.  =)

I ended up doubling the recipe (I like to have left overs for lunches).  And I made my own chicken stock.  But part of the reason that I loved this recipe is that they had the genius idea to roast canned tomatoes in the oven for an additional dimension of flavor to the recipe.  It turned out to be super easy.  NOTE: If you like a tomato-y soup, add more tomatoes.  I ended up adding an extra can of tomatoes and blending them like the rest of the soup is.  The extra can really helped make the tomatoes and not just the rest of the vegetables taste-able...yes, I know that is not really a word.  =P

Anyway, point is, the soup was good!  The hubby ate it, the kid ate it, and I enjoyed it too.  Try it - I approve of this recipe.  =)  Now I'm off to find my next Pinterest project!

Have a beautiful day!

Wine Wednesday :: Jean-Claude Lapalu 2011 Brouilly Vielles Vignes

Hello everyone!

I am finally getting back to my Wine Wednesday posts.  I'm sorry I have been so absent (if you've been following the blog, you know why) but I am very excited because in my absence, I have been stockpiling pictures and meals from some fantastic wines that I highly recommend you look for at a wine store near you!

What wine is it: 

Jean-Claude Lapalu 2011 Brouilly Vielles Vignes

What I ate with it: 

eggplant steaks grilled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper

How much is it: 

$19.99

Where to shop for it: 

Wine Exchange & Wine Searcher

Alright, folks, I am starting to build up a repertory of wines that have struck me as amazing.  And let me tell you, this is very easily at the top of the list.  Some wines that you drink are difficult to dissect, others are very simplistic and hit you over the head with how fruity they are.  This wine was so beautifully harmonized, balanced, and all together a make-you-wanna-cry type of wine.  

we did decant this wine (which simply means pouring it into another vessel that allows for the wine to come in contact with oxygen) but it did not need it.

this is the rest of our dinner: grilled eggplant & green bell peppers, baby back ribs, Louisiana style sausages, and garlic mashed potatoes

The eggplant with the caramelized balsamic vinegar off the grill complimented the apple cider-y quality of the wine so perfectly that I can only think of one food pairing that I have liked better in a long time.  As the wine sat in the glass longer, floral notes (one friend swears he smelled roses in his glass) became more prevalent.  But the subtle cinnamon spiciness of the wine balanced with deep berry flavors and the light scent of flowers made this wine sound weird in that sentence but taste absolutely phenomenal in the glass.  

Get a bottle and try it.  You will not regret it!

Have a beautiful day!

Wine Wednesday :: Crnko (Silvo Crnko) 2011 Jarenincan

Summer is rapidly drawing to a close but I thought I'd squeeze in another summery wine for the last few hot evenings and beautiful sunsets that remain this season.

What wine is it: 

Crnko (Silvo Crnko) 2011 Jarenincan

What I ate with it: 

brown rice with furikake (a Japanese seaweed  condiment) and seared yellowtail tuna

How much is it: 

$10.99 for a liter bottle

Where to shop for it: 

Wine Exchange (this is the only place I could find it for sale so I apologize if I get your hopes up and you can't find it.)  =P

This wine was absolutely delightful.  It is a rare Czechoslovakian wine.  Not a country widely known for having great wine but they are certainly working up to it if this bottle is any indication.  

The nose was strongly green apple (think the smell of biting into a Granny Smith apple) but the taste was more apple with a pine-y taste also.  (The hubby said it smelled like moments in his childhood when he and tree sap became inseparable.)  =P  It sounds like an odd combination but it actually harmonizes very well.  It is like tasting the fruit and the soil it grew in at the same time. One word of caution: this wine does not sit open very well.  So if you are not able to drink a liter of white wine by yourself, get some girl friends or have a dinner party or something.  If it does end up sitting for too long, it starts to have more resemblance  the scent of cleaning products than wine.  We had a glass left over from Monday evening to Tuesday and it definitely was past its prime.

But I would definitely recommend it over all and hope you all get a chance to try it!

Have a beautiful day!

Wine Wednesday :: Mountford Liason Pinot Noir 2008

I give up.  I keep trying to take pictures of my meal and wine so that you can see what I'm eating and drinking.  But I'm going to be honest here.  I get kind of excited and start sipping and eating and before I know it, I'm done with everything.  =P  

So we are going to start a new format.  I will use whatever picture I can find/snap of the bottle so you all know what to shop for and I will give you all the information you need right off the bat.  Like this:

What wine is it: 

Mountford Liason Pinot Noir 2008

What I ate with it: 

spicy Italian sausage with angel hair pasta tossed in meyer lemon olive oil, oregano, Parmesan cheese, and sea salt.

How much is it: 

depending on where you get it, $29.99

Where to shop for it: 

Wine Exchange, Wine Searcher

via winex.com

As you may have seen on my post last week, it was my anniversary and we decided to get a couple of bottles that we might not otherwise get to celebrate on a few other days.  Extend the party if you will.  =) 

But when we opened this bottle and started sipping, I couldn't believe how easy to drink it was.  It was one of the most balanced wines I have ever had.  The alcohol content is a little high for a pinot but the flavors in the wine itself were so well harmonized that it didn't matter.  There was an even balance of fruit and the earthy flavor of the soil that the grapes had grown in.  It was amazing.  I am certainly not qualified to accurately describe what was going on in that wine.  Suffice to say, it was worth every penny of the $29.99 we paid.  Even while eating the spicy sausage, there was no competition between the food and the wine.  The flavors were clear and compatible.

Verdict?  Get a bottle.  =)

Have a beautiful day!

Wine Wednesday :: 2011 Ostatu Rioja Blanco

I have been very negligent of my Wine Wednesday posts recently and I am very sorry.  However, I do have a good reason and I hope that you will forgive me since we have had friends and family visiting for the last two weeks.  It was a fantastic time to catch up with people and I will put together a summary in photos of that time pretty soon but for now, I have another wine to introduce you all to!

I have realized recently that I am developing a distinct inclination for European wines.  They have a balance and complexity that is often harder to find in domestics.  (This does not mean that American wines are not good, just not always my taste.)  With this inclination, I have recently been introduced to some amazing Spanish wines that are phenomenal.  Today, though, I will be focusing on the Ostatu Rioja Alavesa Blanco 2011.

From: Wine Searcher.  From: Wine Exchange.

The vineyard has changed its wine making style in the last few years from a process that merely churned out early drinking wines to a process that allows the wines to age for a good period.  That being said, this new 2011 is drinking beautifully right now.  (And I suspect it will hold up for a few years to come as well.  So the $11.99 price tag from Wine Exchange makes it a great investment or wonderful for this weekend's party.)

There are two varietals in this blanco: 85% viura and 15% malvasia.  Viura is pretty exclusive to this area of Spain and let me tell you, they do it good.  =P  There are strong green apple notes on the nose but when you sip, there is something that made me think of hiking.  A strong earthy (flinty, as one friend described it) tone is there as well.  Altogether a very pleasant wine that balances well on the nose and is pleasing on the palette.    I paired it with an Asian inspired noodle salad and with the ginger dressing and crispness of the vegetables brought out the sweetness of the wine but also highlighted the more sun-warmed earth elements were there also.  

So what am I saying?  I'm saying get a bottle, chill it, and enjoy.  You won't be disappointed.

Have a beautiful day!

Wine Wednesday :: Louis Bouillot Cremant de Bourgogne

***This post is getting up late this week and I apologize.  I came down with some weird cold thing earlier this week and then baby got it yesterday.  Thus computer time was limited.  I hope this makes up for it.  =)***


Hello dear readers!  Here we are at yet another Wine Wednesday.  Crazy thought, I realized that I could probably keep this series going for a very long time and never exhaust all the wonderful wines that have been and are still being created in this world.  So let's raise a glass and discuss a great new wine that I highly recommend to you folks.

This past Saturday, the hubby, kiddo, and I were invited to a sushi party at our friends' home.  It was an amazing dinner but more on that later.  I wanted to bring a a beverage of some sort (our hostess is an amazing woman who wouldn't let me bring anything to help with dinner).  So I turned to my friend/wine adviser for a suggestion and he said to do champagne.  Only in this case, he recommended a cremant de bourgogne.  Are you asking what is the difference?  Good question, I asked the same thing.  (Well, I asked what's the difference right after I asked him how to pronounce that.)

To make a long and complicated story shorter, the difference is in the region of France it comes from rather than any major difference in the essence of the grape or winemaking style.  French wine makers jealously guard the right to claim where their wine comes and so only wines made in Champagne are champagnes.  Both wines fall under the general category of sparkling wine but each comes from a different region in France.

Louis Bouillot Cremant de Bourgogne Sparkling Brut: from Wine Exchange or Wine Searcher

Louis Bouillot Cremant de Bourgogne Rose Perle Aurore: from Wine Exchange or Wine Searcher

So back to the main feature: cremant and sushi.  It was an amazing pairing!  My personal favorite was the rose cremant.  It was refreshing, palate cleansing, and not over powering to the main event (which was the mountains of sushi we were about to set in on).  Just imagine a refreshing glass of bubbly to go with the richness and fatness of good salmon and tuna.  

This picture was early in the evening before all the food came out relegating the flowers to  another space.

Near to far: shrimp, yellowtail tuna, and assorted veggies.

Clams, octopus, salmon, and spam musubis.

Isn't it beautiful?!

The requisite miso soup and sake cup!

The big picture.  =)

While some people ate, the little one went and had some fun on the floor.  =)

That was my Saturday night dinner and my Wine Wednesday suggestion!

Have a beautiful day and go get something good to drink!

Wine Wednesday :: 2007 J.L. Wolf Wachenheimer Belz Riesling

Hello everyone!  Welcome back to another Wine Wednesday!  I am totally in love with this wine that I am sharing with you today and it is a great summer wine that will not break your budget!

Today, I have a wine that is crisp, clean, and extremely refreshing for the warmer weather that most of us are enjoying!  J.L. Wolf Wachenheimer Belz Riesling is fantastic!

I think I may have found one of my new favorite wineries for white wines.  J.L. Wolf makes several fantastic wines.  I have had their 2009 Wachenheimer Riesling also - with the same great experience!

The hubby and I opened this bottle last night for a little late night relaxation (the baby is teething so life has been more than a little hectic).  While we didn't have a full meal with this, it isn't hard to imagine having this wine with something beautifully fried.  =P  (Maybe these pig ears that I talk about over in this post.)

When you smell it, the wine smells like apple pie before you bake it.  There is a spicy, tart, scent to it.  When you take a sip, that green apple taste is predominant with some undercurrents of white pepper or the bite that you get when you eat arugula.  (No, the wine does not taste like arugula but there is that almost bitter taste that you get when bitting into a leaf.)

All in all, I have had two different rieslings from this maker and love them both.  You can find bottles for anywhere from $10 - $30 depending on the year and vineyard it is sourced from.

Check it out!  I think you will like it!

Have a beautiful day and get a bottle of wine to drink!  =)

a crazy week full of precious moments

It has been a full week.  And I mean full in every sense of the term.  Both in terms of what I needed to do and the things I got to do with my family, the moments I treasure.

the family got to have some beach time and enjoyed a warm weather treat.  a kind stranger came up to us and told us that she had to take our picture because Hito was so excited and smiling so big about having his first shave ice!  I am rather in love with this picture.  

he got a little brain freeze.  =P

it was super yummy!

he passed out that night.  =)

a great bottle of wine that I talk about here

a little book I picked up for some summer reading...I finished it in two days.  It was really good!

we had some precious mommy and baby moments...

anyone else go and get donuts during their 75th birthday celebration?!  Happy birthday, Krispy Kreme!

and did you know that some stores have clearance on their flowers?!?!  I got a dozen roses and these sunflowers (as far as I can learn, they are called teddy bear sunflowers.  anyone want to help me out on this one?)

But all in all, it has been a wonderful week and I am endeavoring to savor the little things and work on the big ones.  Linking up with Lindsay over at Hello Hue for her Friday linky party!

Have a beautiful day!

Wine Wednesday :: 2011 Domaine de la Solitude Cotes du Rhone Rose

Hello folks!  It's hump day again and from where I sit in Southern California, it is also a HOT day.  So today, I have a refreshing summery wine that will pair beautifully with a salad or a steak (preferably tuna steak but I'm getting ahead of myself).

I started hunting around for a wine for this week's post and asked my friends who know what to drink.  And here is what I came up with: 2011 Domaine de la Solitude Cotes du Rhone Rose at $12.99 a bottle at my still favorite wine shop: Wine Exchange. (Looking for it somewhere closer to you?  Check out Wine Searcher: http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/domaine+de+la+solitude/2011)  Does it get much better than that?   Good wine at fabulous prices!

So I have been promising to post pictures of the food I have been eating with the wine I've been drinking and I have finally done it!  Since I knew I was going to be drinking a rose, I decided to make a hearty salad and put the protein on top.  So this is what I ended up with: 

Somen salad with seared tuna steaks on top.  The salad is just somen noodles (I found them at my local Asian market but you could use any kind of rice noodle), lettuce, cucumber, celery, green onions, and cilantro tossed in a store bought Asian sesame dressing.  And then the hubby pan seared the tuna with a little sea salt and cracked pepper (the tuna was an amazing gift from a deep sea fisherman in our church!) and we were ready to eat!

The wine has some very apple-y notes when you sniff the nose.  Think crunchy, tart, Australian apple (I thought it tasted like a Brae-burn apple myself).  Blended in with the apple are some wildflowers and a hint of something spicy, like white pepper.  Don't know what that might taste like in a wine?  Good.  It tasted really good.  =)  And when paired with the sesame dressing on the salad and the tuna, it was amazing!  A wonderful, healthy, light summer meal.  

(If you aren't a fish person, you could easily use fish or pork tenderloin or some other lighter meat if you are going to pair it with this wine.  Traditionally, a somen salad would have char siu pork on top but I wasn't going to make any yesterday.  And I thought the fish was definitely a good choice!  Salmon would also be delish on this.)

Have a beautiful day and go find a good bottle of wine!