ISSUE 18 | March 2011

Welcome to the Winacea E-newsletter.

Burgundy is the Queen of French wine, and often wine enthusiasts comment that it is the greatest wine in the world. What makes Burgundy so special is the magic of finding and affording a really great one. This can be a tall order! But once you discover the magic, you will never forget the Queen's seductive charm. Burgundy is a challenging wine region to understand because it consists of 100 AOC's ("Appellation d'Origine Controlee" = regulated place name) and every parcel of land has a name that recognizes uniqueness. Vines were planted in Burgundy as far back as the 1st century AD and have survived invasions, revolutions, and now global warming. The land is a patchwork of soils and geological history spanning 45 million years. Even though red Burgundy is always made with Pinot Noir grapes and white Burgundy is always made with Chardonnay grapes, each Burgundy wine is completely different from the next. This is because the ancient soils are extremely varied in their richness, depth and mineral concentration. In addition, the weather is unpredictable, causing great variations in vintages, and the vineyards are fractioned into small properties (sometimes only 2 or 3 rows of vines). There is inconsistency in every aspect except the grapes used to make Burgundy, and therefore, buying Burgundy is very tricky. If Burgundy sounds intriguing to you, invest some time studying the wines and you will get an incredible return!

Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Gumbo paired with Pinot Noir

Serves 6

Ingredients:
	1/2 c vegetable oil
	1/2 c all-purpose flour
	4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
	2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
	2 green bell peppers cored, seeded and chopped
	2 bay leaves
	2 tsp salt
	2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
	1/2 tsp cayenne powder
	40 oz clam juice
	28 oz canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
	1 lb smoked andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4" slices
	1/2 lb okra, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4" slices
	2 lbs raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
	1 1/2 c cooked long grain rice
	2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
	2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Heat oil on high heat in large soup pot or Dutch oven, add flour and cook until reddish brown (8 minutes). Add chopped celery, onions and peppers and cook for 5 minutes, stirring and scraping bottom of pan. Blend in bay leaves, salt, oregano, and cayenne, then add clam juice, canned tomatoes and sausage. Boil all together for 15 minutes. Add okra, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes until okra tender. Add shrimp and simmer for 3 minutes. Serve gumbo in soup bowls with a mound of rice on top. Garnish with fresh tomatoes and parsley.

Pair with a fruity Pinot Noir from Oregon or California.

Avoid Pinot Noirs with too high alcohol content (abv above 14%).

Recipe adapted from http://www.experienceneworleans.com/.

Where and What Time!?

Did you hear about a wine event and think other Winacea readers would dig it? Send us the details of the event, and we will share the exciting date and description on the Winacea website. There are more and more wine tastings, classes, seminars and festivals all the time, and we want to give you every chance to get it on your calendar (and don't forget the babysitter). Winacea is an advocate for all wines, all wine events, in all cities!

Stay Tuned!! Next month's issue will feature tips on buying Burgundy.

Winacea Events

To Be Announced

Other Recommended Colorado Wine Events

Piedmontese Wine Tasting - Denver, CO (March 10)

"Pop and Bubbly" at Spago - Avon, CO (March 15)

Taste of Vail - Vail, CO (April 7-9)

Fort Collins Wine Fest XXIX Fort Collins, CO (April 22)

Other US Recommended Wine Events

Zinfandel Festival Paso Robles

Taste Washington! Seattle - Seattle, WA (March 26-27)

14th Annual Rhône Rangers Wine Tasting - San Fransisco, CA (March 26-27)

Scottsdale Culinary Festival - Scottsdale, AZ (April 5-10)

Wine and Cheese Pairing Suggestions

Asiago = Barbera

Blue = Sauternes, Port, Zinfandel, Madeira

Brie = Champagne, Chardonnay, Alsatian

Riesling, Beaujolais

Cheddar = Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz/Syrah, Merlot

Cream = Champagne

Feta = unoaked Chardonnay, Assyrtiko, Beaujolais

Goat = Sauvignon Blanc

Gouda = German Riesling, red Bordeaux

Havarti = Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc

Mozzarella = Orvieto, Sangiovese

Parmesan = Amarone, Barolo

Swiss = Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir

Winacea will launch its inaugural membership campaign in 2011! Please stay in-touch for more information regarding the exciting Winacea expansion and exclusive membership.