Drink Bubbles!

The sun is shining, the weekend is supposed to be beautiful and I am in a sparkling wine kinda mood, hence my inspiration for today’s blog!  Not enough people appreciate drinking sparkling wine unless they have a special occasion to celebrate, but look at it like this, you are alive, living in an awesome city, so celebrate everyday!

I know sparkling wine can be intimidating, don’t let it be!  The typical term you hear for sparkling wines is Champagne.  Champagne comes from the Champagne region in France and can only be called Champagne when it comes from this region.  Champagne holds the highest prestige (and price tag) of sparkling wines, so don’t assume you should only drink Champagne, venture out!  Here are some other sparkling wines from around the world that will make drinking bubbles just as glamorous, but let you afford to do so all the time!

Prosecco- One of Italy’s main sparkling wines
How it sizes up to the competition:  Compared to other sparkling wines, Prosecco is low in alcohol, about 11 to 12%.  The flavor of Prosecco is described as aromatic and crisp, bringing to mind yellow apple, pear, white peach and apricot.  Unlike Champagne, which is appreciated for its rich taste and complex aromas, most Prosecco’s are meant to taste fresh, light and simple.

Cava- Spain’s main sparkling wine
Cava is produced in varying levels of dryness and must be made according to the Traditional Method with secondary fermentation in the bottle (just like Champagne).

Sparkling Wine- Made throughout the world, but the term “sparkling wine” will mainly be used in California
As the sparkling wine industry in California has grown, some of the Champagne region’s most noted Champagne houses came to set up wineries in the US.   These producers include Moet et Chandon’s sister property Domaine Chandon,  Louis Roederer’s (producer of Cristal) Roederer Estates, and Taittinger’s Domaine Carneros.  All of these sparkling wine houses can be found in the Napa and Sonoma Valley’s of CA.

When you go out this weekend order a glass of Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Prosecco or Cava and remind yourself how amazingly good bubbles are for any day of the week and any occasion!

Cheers!

Eat, Drink & Art

WOOO D & E 4 C!!!

Tonight, local non-profits Common Threads and LegalArts will be teaming up for a first of its kind collaborative fundraising event celebrating artists and chefs.

Guests will be able to taste delicious bites from Chow Down Grill, Gastropod, and Mad Man Jack’s Bar-B-Q along with complimentary cocktails and beer. LegalArt artists will be performing interactive culinary-inspired art performances while DJ Nando Arcier will be spinning on the turntables.

Tickets are only $25 in advance ($40 at the door) with all proceeds going to Common Threads and LegalArt.

BrickGals will be there! Will you?

Taste It, Taste It Real Good

Oh, Taste of Brickell, how I love thee, let me count the ways.

1) It’s D4C benefitting the Kristi House.

2) BrickGuys are bound to be present.  There is The International Wine & Beer Crafters Tent sponsored by Dolores Lolita & Gordon Biersch which presents samplings of wines and beers. And we all know there are only two things BrickGuys like to hear: “It’s not your’s” and “Open Bar”.  (Open Bar is in the VIP Area only.)

3) The only thing BrickGals love more than alcohol, specifically complimentary, is food.  Over 50 Brickell restaurants will be present, including Perricone’s, Garcia’s, Edge, El Gran Inka, Altamare, Taverna Opa, Oceanaire Seafood Room, Mint Leaf, Piola, El Vato, Planet Sushi, Tabu, Fado, Le Boudoir, Mare Nostrum, Toscana Divino, Pier 94 and more.

4) It’s outside.  It is a BEAU-tiful day out!

5) I had a fantastic time at the inaugral Taste of Brickell last year, and I’m overly anxious to get back in a few hours.

Taste of Brickell is being held at 1201 Brickell Bay Drive, just south of The Mark, from noon to 10 pm, today and tomorrow.

Aller Cusine!

St. Patrick’s Day in Brickell – U2 Tribute Bands, Green Beer & Salad Tossing

Lucky for us (dry humor, people) we have a total of five Irish bars in Brickell.  And, then we have another one that’s hosting cabbage wrestling and tossing some salads.  All jokes aside, that means today is going to be pretty epic.  Let me run down the partays…

Brickell Irish Pub

Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant Miami

Doors open at Fado like now so get off your buttuski and head on over! $10 for 2 pints, all you can eat pancakes and cover until 11am.  If you’re a cheapo, $10 cover starts at 11am for inside so you best be already on your way.  There is no cover for the outdoor street festival with Y100 Radio that starts at 1pm with Irish Dancers, Bag Pipers, Crazy Folkers and UZOO, a U2 Tribute Band outside at 8pm.

Lucky Clover Irish Pub

If only I could look that good in green lipstick. DAMN YOU GINGER!

The Clover’s party goes from 1 to 11 pm with live entertainment throughout the day.  They’re shutting down 11th street to bring in their main act Mad World Orchestra — a (wait for it, wait for it) U2 tribute band.  All I gotta say about this one is that Gelato Nostro better be open serving me up some mint goodness.

Waxy’s on the River

Finnegans on the River

If that guy with the mustache is there, count me in.

Tobacco Road

The party starts with music by DJ Oski at 2pm outside when they’ll fire up the industrial chipper to shred some Irish cabbage to fill the pool for the main event, Ladies Cabbage Wrestling hosted by Miami’s Vice City Rollers. They’re also going to have a Cabbage Patch dance off every hour with a $50 Tobacco Road gift certificate given to each hourly winner and at midnight they’ll attempt to break the world record for the most people doing The Cabbage Patch Dance at once. Got some good aim? Ever want to toss some salad??? We know you did…. Toss your head of cabbage in the prize pool to win BEEERS and prizes!

Cabbage Patch Datch

 

Spin That Record, DJ

After you’re St. Pats-ed out today, don’t just call it a night (a BrickGal would never end her evening activities before 7 pm).  I just heard about this uber cool art exhibit opening at MAM this evening. Basically all the works incorporate vinyl records, thru sculpture, painting, photography, etc..  Beyond the actual exhibit, MAM will be hosting a series of classes and seminars, including MIAMI VINYL, a 3-part series on the history of record making in Miami (arranged by decade beginning with the 70s; first session is April 5).  They’re even going to launch a ‘soundbomb bus’ – sort of like a food truck, packed with DeeJays – that will visit area events throughout the course of the show.  Tonight’s opening reception features a special performance by guest DJ LeSpam. Starts at 6:30 pm.  Oh yea, it’s called The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl. Like, le duh.

A Work by Dario Robleto

The “NEW” Pinot Grigio

After spending the week tasting wines from Alsace, France I was inspired to share my love for these wines and this region with you.  I would bet most of you probably have a glass of Pinot Grigio as your white wine of choice when out and about because it is light and easy.  It is a basic wine that is easy to drink on its own and doesn’t take much analyzing, it is just simple and that’s why so many choose this as their sipping wine of choice.

Now let me introduce you to Pinot Gris from Alsace, France.  Pinot Gris (pronounced Gree) is the same grape as Pinot Grigio, just specific parts of the world such as France and Oregon chose to call this Pinot Gris instead of Pinot Grigio.  Even though it is the same grape, stylistically the wines are night and day from each other.  DISCLAIMER… My opinion ONLY!  MOST Pinot Grigio’s are bland.  High in acidity and light in flavor and color.  Nothing too much going on with them.

The Pinot Gris from Alsace are rich in body and have tons of flavor.  These are some of the best wines to pair with foods in the world.  My recommendation is the Gustave Lorentz Pinot Gris.  Gustave Lorentz winery is a 6th generation family-owned estate in Alsace that makes a delicious Pinot Gris.  It has a beautiful aroma and a rich mouthfeel of apricots, pears, spice and a very subtle hint of sweetness on the finish.

This wine is a perfect pairing with shellfish and seafood which are obviously not lacking in our hood.  To get a good taste of the Gustave Lorentz Pinot Gris  I would suggest visiting Trulucks for their awesome happy hour or “all you can eat” stone crab.  They serve this wine By The Glass, but if you are with a group, get a bottle or 2, cause it won’t last long with its rich mouth watering palate appeal.

If you would prefer to buy this wine retail, ask your local wine shop if they can order it for you.  Since the wine is new to Miami it is currently in limited retail distribution but is available!  OR… Check out www.quintessentialwines.com to see how you can order online.

BrickGals One Year Anniversary!

Happy One Year Anniversary to Us!

Tonight we’ll be grabbing some happy hour cocktails at Toscana Divino, but stay tuned for info on our one year anniversary bash to be held within the coming weeks!

A Bit of Tuscan Heaven: Toscana Divino Review

I’ve never claimed to be the nicest girl in the world, but what I’ve done to my BrickGals is unforgivable.  I’ve been a super  bitch (think Lindsay Lohan-style in Mean Girls when she gave my angelic Rachel McAdams the fat bar).  I’ve deprived you all of Brickell info (shout out to Neil at BrickellInfo.com) for wayyyy too long, especially since I’ve been holding a little secret in my pocket.  Unless you’ve strolled past the center of MBV recently, you may not have seen this little gem smack dab in the middle.

I first (yes, I’ve been back a couple times) visited Toscana Divino the Sunday after it opened its doors (early Feb).  “Is this it?” I looked at my boyfriend who had  accompanied me for the journey.  Walking up to Mary Brickell Village, we had the crowded chatter of Balans to our right and the bumpin’ jams (yes, even on a Sunday) of Blue Martini coming from the heavens.  Tucked away in the epicenter of the bustling hood, a quaint eatery with little more than a “TD” on the door announcing its presence.  (Granted, it was freezing (maybe 50 degrees…) out so its outside tables were stacked away.)

After being welcomed by very friendly door staff, we were taken to our table/transported to Tuscany.  While I’ve actually never been to Italy, the food we tasted was so fantastic that I’m pretending/telling everyone that I’ve eaten the delights of the Tuscans.  We started with some cheese and charcuterie, think Wild Boar Cacciatorini, Smoked Duck Prosciutto and Mozzarella di Bufala.  My man is on the Paleo diet (yes, I got him hooked) so for apps we had Beef Tenderloin “Sashimi di Chianti”, Arugola, Parmesan, Lemon, Tuscan Olive Oil aka Carpaccio and Ceviche di Gamberi Rossi Toscano (Lime Marinated Red Shrimp, Red Onion, Lemon, “Peperoncino”, Garlic, Ginger “Ceci Rosa di Reggello”).  For my main course, I selected (per advice of our server) Guanciale di Vitello (Chianti Braised Veal Cheeks, Herb Citrus & Hazelnut “Gremolata”, Sauteed Chard, Toasted Sesame Seeds, Tomato Ginger “Mostarda”).  To be honest, I only recall that my bf had Olive Oil Poached & Grilled Swordfish from the pictures.  My Veal Cheeks were the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life and I did not even look up from my plate after I started consuming them. (Ok, maybe once, when I slapped his hand away to give him the stink eye after he tried to get in on my heaven.)  For dessert, we both got equally good selections – pineapple carpaccio and Tiramisu. Yum town.

Overall, the food at Toscana Divino is fantastic (i’ve had some pasta selections on my return visits that were to die for).  Service on my first visit was a little slow but it was a day after opening.  Since going back, it’s been rock star.  The restaurant also offers a very good selection of wine, vino for us Italians (remember, I went to Italy?).  My only qualm is that they try to fit a lot of tables in a small space inside so we recommend grabbing an outside table on their patio.  Oh yea, and I also HATE that they display really awesome snakeskin purses from Tuscany that just sit on the shelf and stare at me.  No, purse! I can’t afford you!  You’d think my boyfriend would have caught my many hints throughout dinner… I mean it was right before Valentine’s! Drats!

For all the {amateur} pics of my delish food at Toscana Divino, check out the Toscana Divino BrickGals’ Facebook Album.

Bring Your “A” Game

BrickGals don’t like losers, that’s a given.  Get your game face ready for St. Patrick’s Day with a little (relative to next week) drinking this weekend.  Buck up young son.

Chardonnay vs Chardonnay

So here’s a thought… would you like a glass of chardonnay, or a glass of chardonnay?  What?!  Chardonnay is becoming one of the most confusing grape varietals out there, despite its high recognition in the wine industry.  Chardonnay used to be described as a wine that is oaky, buttery, rich, full bodied, etc.  But now, more and more producers are going to an unoaked style of making Chardonnay, so more of a clean, crisp styled wine with great minerality.

I know this can get very confusing, but some producers have gotten smart and addressed the issue up front, on the label.   The best example I can come up with is Mer Soleil Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands in Central California.  Their original wine was Mer Soleil, but now they produce a Mer Soleil “Silver”.  The original Mer Soleil is aged in oak barrels with a nose of pineapple, banana and coconut.  The finish is rich with weight that coats the mouth for minutes after your last sip.  This is a heavier styled Chardonnay, and more typical of what “traditional” chardonnay drinkers expect.

Now on the other hand, the Mer Soleil “Silver” Chardonnay is called Silver because of its use of only stainless steel barrels, no oak, ever!  Aging Chardonnay in stainless steel creates a wine with much more minerality and acid.  The palate shows citrus fruits such as lemons, gooseberry, and grapefruit. This style of chardonnay finishes dry with good acidity.

The kicker here is that both wines come from the same vineyards, and use the same fruit.  The difference is ONLY the effect of fermentation treatment (oak or stainless steel).  If you are up for the test, I would suggest buying a bottle of each Mer Soleil and Mer Soleil “Silver” and doing a side by side tasting.  You will, without a doubt, be able to tell the oaky Mer Soleil from the clean style “Silver”.  Although both wines are fantastic, this will be the easiest way to figure out if you are an oaked or unoaked Chardonnay drinker.

Or, even cheaper, next time you go to a restaurant and they have a few Chardonnay’s by the glass, ask if you can taste a sip of one that is oaked and one that is unoaked.  Most restaurants have no problem letting you taste a wine before you order, especially if you make nice with the server or bartender, so give it a shot and find out what kind of Chardonnay drinker you are!