“Wine”ding down at the Captain Freeman Inn

by Heather Puffer

Even though the summer is “wine”ding down, I’m really looking forward to the fall.  Starting with the November 8 class on Paris (Oui!), I’ll be the wine gal at Captain Freeman Inn!  I’ll be pairing wines to complement the cuisine guests will whip up with Chef Carol during the 2014/2015 Captain Freeman Inn Cooking School.  These classes are the perfect way to enjoy the Cape during the quiet season and pick up some great tips, tricks and recipes to take back to your kitchen.  For the Paris class, I can almost hear the accordion music playing, enjoying a crusty baguette, a steamy bowl of  French Onion Soup and creamy Butternut Squash Bisque paired with a glass of Burgundy. Here on the blog, I’ll be sharing what’s in my fridge and good finds to drink now, as well as favorite wines, unlikely food pairings and maybe even some Q&A if you are so inclined to reach out with questions or comments (yes, please…I’d love that!)

This summer has brought lots of warm, sunny days, perfect for the beach, barbecues, boat rides and being outside.  My go-to white wine for this weather is Broadbent Vinho Verde (non-vintage). Vinho Verde translates to “green wine” and means to be enjoyed young. It comes from Portugal and is a blend of the Loureiro, Trajadura and Pedernã grapes.  It’s light and crisp, low alcohol, with flavors of citrus, peach, and melon and a touch of spritz.  I snuck this wine onto the beach to share with friends, and feel it’s also perfect as an aperitif or paired with a light dinner of  fish, chicken and vegetables.  Another reason to give this wine a shot? It retails for around just $10.

Rose wine is made for summer days like we’ve had lately.  The blush color, the fresh taste.  I feel like I’m in a scene from a cooking magazine whenever I have a glass of rose in hand, it’s that quintessential.  My favorite lately is Chateau La Moutete Grande Reserve Rose (2013), which hails from the Cotes de Provence. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault, this wine expresses flavors of ripe strawberry, peach and some candied lemon rind, this wine is refreshing and elegant, but not sweet and retails for around $15.  Cotes de Provence roses are rather easy to find at many local shops so I hope you’ll decide to give one a try during these precious remaining days of summer.  I’ve paired it with mussels, lemon herb grilled chicken and imagine it would be amazing with the Bouillabaisse that we’ll be cooking up during the February 21 class on Provence!

While Labor Day tends to trigger us all into fall mode,  September is a gorgeous month to savor your whites and roses since pumpkin bread and beef stew season is just around the corner.   Try these wines out and please let me know what you have been enjoying this summer too!  There is still time to find a new favorite!

Salute!

Heather Puffer is a marketing professional located in the greater Boston area with a passion for food, wine and travel. She holds intermediate and advanced certificates from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust in London and is currently enrolled in the Diploma program. Favorite places to be: in the kitchen, on the Cape in the summer, skiing in the winter, on a bike (preferably in Italy) or finding a restaurant with an interesting wine list and cuisine to match!