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BREWDOO

Written by: Brandi R. Harkness-Bruce

It happened.

I never thought it would. Honestly, I believed that the appearance of this magical brew last year was a once in a lifetime event. I had been burned so badly by Samuel Adams when they took Infinium from the market. However, a little trust goes a long way, and those Bayou Brewmasters down in Louisiana did not disappoint. 

After complaints, blogs, emails and getting other brew connoisseurs together, Abita has rereleased Strawator. I’m not going to take credit in this momentous occasion, but I do want it understood that I have been very vocal about the disappointment I felt when they pulled it so quickly from the market.

Those of you, who have followed my blog, understand my exultation. I got the newsletter from them a few weeks ago, and I made a trip back home to the Gulf Coast. There she sat, so pretty and perfect in the beer cooler at Sidney’s Wine Cellar on Decatur. Instead of a blue beer tap, she lay within the caramel-colored glass that Abita puts all of its bomber beers into. The strawberry doppelbock has overtaken the market in a convenient ‘take-home’ version instead of the exclusive (and almost elusive) ‘keg-only.’ Decorated with an explosion of red that forms a strawberry and the familiar green splashes that normally adorn the Andygator bottles, there is one major difference: Abita changed the name from Strawator to Strawgator. In their newsletter, they said they were listening to their beer fans in the overall change and listing of this brew.

Being a high-gravity beer, they included it in their ‘Big Beer’ series, so for the moment, it’s only available in their 22 ounce bombers. Advertised as half Andygator and half of their Strawberry Harvest Lager, they push it as a dessert beer due to the sweetness the strawberry lends.

Now, I’m not the biggest an of bottled beer, but I bought a case (which, side note here, was a pain in the ass to lug across the French Quarter in 97 degree whether and whatever millionth degree the humidity added to the journey) and brought it back up to the ‘Land of the (beer) Lost’ that is North Carolina.

so let me introduce to you the one and only strawgator:

ABITA STRAWGATOR

Style: Strawberry Doppelbock fusion of Strawberry Harvest and Andygator

About: Golden lager with malted barley and wheat, hopped with German Perles, with Louisiana strawberry juice added after filtration

ABV: 8%

Abita says: Serve beer around 42 degrees and in a pint, gobliet, stein, flute or snifter with desserts or rich cheeses.

Brandi’s thoughts: Now, I’m guessing the difference in taste is coming from how last year, it was straight from the tap and this year, we’re dealing with a bottled product. I can’t emphasize enough the damage the bottling certain beers can do to the overall taste. I’ve been assured by the brewery that the formula is the same as when they released it temporarily to the public in 2013, and noticed that the website has them listed the same as well. When drinking from the bottle, I got a little more sweetness than from the keg, and a slight bite at the finish that I didn’t previously. Definitely a must-have for any true Abita fan, as it doesn’t disappoint. I do recommend a keg over the bottle, and if they could start canning it, it would be the perfect beer. I enjoy Strawgator better than the Strawberry Harvest because the Andygator balances it out enough to take the sugar taste you usually get from this summer favorite. By marrying the two beers, Abita has once again struck gold. 

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BREW BUST

Written by: Brandi R. Harkness-Bruce

For those following my current crisis, I have been temporarily relocated to North Carolina. During the few months leading up to this move, I was freaking out. I couldn’t find anything that would supplement my chosen paid profession (tattoo artist) and the research I was doing on the craft beer scene was bringing me to terms with a brew bust. Clients of mine told me not to stress - North Carolina actually did have a great beer scene, and loved live music so I should have plenty on my personal plate.

Turns out, the beer scene in North Carolina resembles the entirety of their basketball programs (i.e. Duke and the Tar Heels): big hype on the home front which leads in failure to follow through and lame games to have to be forced to endure.

That’s right. I have been hunting and have found little to celebrate. A few chosen gems here and there have kept me sniffing, but my leads are turning up nothing. So what am I doing here? Where do I go from here? Am I completely doomed to live out my span here with only the company of Coors Light and whiskey?

Alas, I am a survivor. I have found a few places in town that actually serve as breweries and restaurants. There is a closet that tries to pass off as a beer and wine store here that does actually carry a few interesting beers that I was quick to stock in the refrigerator. And so we’re not at a complete loss - yet.

As I have been trying to come up with inspiration for this blog, I find myself feeling pretty down about my current living situation, which in turn does nothing to spark my creativity. I am definitely not trying to wallow in self-pity - on the flip side; I’m going to attempt to still create interesting recommendations based on my findings. I have vowed that while I am stuck in this vast hellhole that the United States calls North Carolina, I will become the Indiana Jones of the beer community and present to the public my findings. This week? I would like to just go over what has been in and out of the ol’ homestead during my hunting.

  Beer Find: Dogfish Brewery’s Namaste

Origin: Delaware

ABV: 4.8%

Style: Witbier

This beer is advertised as a witbier with ‘good karma’ that I can get into considering I just happened on it at a beer store in town. Originally brewed as a tribute to one of their fellow brewers overseas in Belgium, this beer is available year round. With bursts of orange and the refreshing spiciness of coriander, this beer is a more than pleasant experience and has quickly become one of my favorites. Light and fresh, this beer is a compliment to any meal or perfect on it’s own. Having a bad day due to living in North Carolina? This beer will perk you right up with the zesty lemon aromatics.

  Beer Find: 21st Amendment’s Hell or High Watermelon

Origin: California

ABV: 4.9%

Style: Wheat Beer

When I asked around town where I could find a place with a substantial beer menu, many of my clients outright suggested Carolina Ale House. This restaurant is a chain found in – where else – both the Carolinas that pride’s itself not only for offering a local selection, but also in bringing harder to find beers to the east coast. Automatic respect points were earned once I found that they offered a variety of 21st Amendments deliciously powerful canned brews. Their beautiful artwork is there to unnecessarily entice the drinker. Unlike other watermelon wheats, Hell Or High Watermelon starts with that traditional summer flavor and ends with the crispness of the wheat beer. It represents the perfect marriage of watermelon and the refreshing flavor from Magnum hops.

  Beer Find: New Orleans Dixie Jazz Amber Light

Origin: Louisiana

ABV: 4.13%

Style: Amber Light

So for as long as I lived on the cup of the Crescent City, I was never able to track down this delicious and surprisingly light beer from Dixie Brewery. Due to some illegal activities after Hurricane Katrina, Dixie Brewery lost their building to a government buyout by the VA. Because of this, it is currently contract-brewed, which is a sad story considering it’s the oldest brew from New Orleans. I long for them to be able to go back home, especially to make this exceptionally light beer more available. As it happens, I stumbled upon it at the North Class Six on Fort Bragg. The caramel malts and hefty barley are still full of flavor despite the fact that it gives some of your light beers a run for their money in the calorie (92.5) and carbohydrate (3.1g) department. This beer made me homesick as I could fully picture me, a plastic cup full of Dixie and a secondline through the Treme as I embraced the amber brew!

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BREWNITED IN FAITH

Written by: Brandi R. Harkness-Bruce

For those of you keeping track, American Craft Beer Week kicked off May 12th and lasted through the 18th. Bars around the country raised support for American Craft Breweries by dedicating business, beer sales, specials and giveaways to the consumers. Specialty craft kegs were tapped, pint glasses stacked and happy drinkers left with new beers to hunt down for home purchase.

Nobody was happier about Craft Beer Week than this lady. My local watering hole specializes in beer and whiskey. They offer one of the best selections in Mississippi when it comes to diversity and flavor. Because of this reputation, The Mahogany Bar (affectionately known as The Hog) teamed with some of the most notorious craft brewers to offer some great giveaways and specials. I was seated front and center at their traditional New Orleans wooden-style bar to bask in the golden beauty and stand ‘brewnited’ in the cause.

Now, I could go on about each night and the delicious beers I got the opportunity to taste. I could bore you with the details of how happy I was. Or I could even post photo after photo of each glass I got on each night, and what I had to do to obtain said glass. However, I was so blown away during their Wednesday night New Belgium launch that I wanted to centrally focus on the Lips of Faith line.

The Lips of Faith Series comes in specialty 22-ounce bomber bottles and falls into a somewhat ‘experimental’ category when it comes to beers. They’re not for your casual beer drinker as their flavor combinations are quite bold and can be quick to intimidate. They usually have a higher ABV, which can scare off your average beer guzzler. I haven’t had any bad luck with the ones I’ve gotten the opportunity to try. A few months ago they launched their Wild2 Dubbel, which I quickly fell in love with. Brewed with Schisandra berries (nicknamed as the five flavor fruit since they possess salty, sweet, sour, spicy and bitter notes all rolled into one) and done in the traditional malt-forward dubbel, this beer finishes with the classic New Belgium sour but leaves you wanting more. So when The Hog advertised the launch of the line of Sours for Craft Beer Week, I was ready.

This big night featured the Transatlantique Kriek, The Gruit and the previously mentioned Wild2 Dubbel. As I not only am a lover of the great beers of the world, but also appreciate wine, the Kriek automatically got my attention. Lambic ale and Polish cherries come together in a spontaneous fermentation? It sounded too intriguing to not try first. The Hog was offering a free New Belgium tulip glass with any two pours, so I knew I would get rewarded for my taste-adventure. The server warned me: if I started with Kriek, I would be disappointed with Gruit. However, I’ve always liked rolling the dice when it comes to beer, so I was more than happy to jump in feet first. For more thoughts on the actual beers, keep reading! As for the rest of the night? I was up beer Kriek with a paddle in the shape of a beautiful new glass!

  Transatlantique Kriek

Style: 45% Lambic, 55% Beat-strong golden ale

ABV: 8% | Served: 4-ounce taste from the bottle

Kriek is dedicated to New Belgiums ideas of wanting to defy the boundaries placed on beer when trying to categorize one of their products. They came together with Brewerij Boon of Belgium to create fermented lambic ale with Polish cherries. It’s called Transatlantique due to the fact that it goes from the Lembeek region of Belgium, across the Atlantic Ocean to the New Belgium Brewery in Colorado. From there, it becomes the best beer I’ve ever had besides Samuel Adams’ Infinium (which is no longer available due to poor decisions made by their company). The rich taste of the cherries meld with the smooth, crispness of the carbonation. The results in a taste that only the finest of red wines could ever produce. The brightness of the flavor and slightly sweet finish left my palate in a state of shock. When my senses came too, I could only stare at the glass in front of me. I had absolutely no words to describe what had just happened to me. I could do the only thing that my body could do on autopilot to react to such a sensation – I raised the glass up and took another gulp. Flavor after flavor encased my taste buds. I won’t be ashamed to admit that the corner of my eyes became slightly damp as my body shivered from the mere pleasure of tasting the beer once more. I found a replacement for Infinium, and it’s everything I had hoped for and more. I raised my tulip glass once more to find that the beer was ruby red, and since the carbonation is amped up to almost champagne-like, the pink foam teased me from the top. Light, bubbly, slightly fruity with still the yeast of beer. Perfection in a glass.

Gruit

Style: Ale

ABV: 6.66%

Served: 10-ounce taste from draft

This beer focuses mainly on herb mixing for bittering rather than on hops. Rich malts brewed with wormwood, elderflowers, horehound, bog myrtle, and yarrow come together to give the drinker a mouthful of smooth sweetness with a bitter and dry finish. The aromatics on this brew kick start the tasting experience by showering you with citrus. The interesting note I picked up was a spicy, almost peppery smell. When you first drink the ale, you get a crisp note of carbonation that slowly dissipates into a somewhat creamy flavor. This ale is a little heavier in body than the Kriek, yet lighter than the Dubbel. This beer is very pleasant at the start, but finished slightly drier than I normally like in ale.

Wild2 Dubbel

Style: Non-traditional Dubbel

ABV: 8%

Served: 4-ounce taste from the bottle

This dubbel is fermented with Trappist yeasts that gives you the wheat taste of bretta mixed with a slightly sour and dry finish. I earned my glass for this bad boy a few months prior during a New Belgium specialty night. I will throw in that the glass earned that night was way cooler than the one I earned during American Craft Beer Week. It was a hand-painted tulip glass in groovy, retro colors and an illustrator’s style. The beer itself is a pleasant surprise of flavor as it doesn’t focus on anything specific other than to be delicious. The ripeness of the fruit compliments the Trappist yeast so you get that combination of sweet and sour almost instantaneously.

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You can't go wrong with Midwestern Beer, and the same can be said to many of their local vineyards. I know that this might get me shot in certain parts of the world, but I do prefer a good Midwestern wine to a California. I can say that California whites are better than their reds. They lean towards a red blend, and sometimes that can be a recipe for disaster!

Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery is located in Miami County, Kansas. They offer their Buffalo Red as their premium semi-sweet and boast of their raspberry and cherry aromas. They recommend slightly chilled, I recommend a full chill as I feel like the spiciness comes out better from a little time in the fridge.

www.somersetridge.com

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CRAWFISH BREWING

Written By: Brandi R. Harkness-Bruce

It’s crawfish season.

I know that this might not be a big deal to those around the country who may be more concerned with the severe weather season that’s off to an intense start. But winter has come and gone, Mardi Gras passed by the way side, and that leaves us with the kick-off to summer.

This is what we call Crawfish Season.

Legally, the fishing regulation states that crawfish season starts in March and goes through June. I am referencing to the time of year when they’re big, plump and juicy; big enough to throw in a boil. They also become readily available and price wise, you get more bang for your buck. There is nothing better than a boil: imagine sitting outside on a summery day at a long table filled with friends and family. Before you lies a heaping pile of seasoned crawfish, crawdads, mudbugs… whatever, you call them, you’re stomach is eagerly anticipating the Old Bay on your fingers as you pull the tail, suck the head.

You’re necessities for a boil I’ve mentioned – the crawfish themselves, friends and family, some corn, potatoes and Andouille – but the most important element to a long-lasting great time? The perfect brew. Ice cold to the touch, and a refreshing element, your beer choice may make or break the good times. I lean heavily on Louisiana beers for good reason – the bayou contains some of the best crawfish you can find and they know how to compliment them. Cajuns know taste. Cooking comes naturally to them, as does beer brewing.

When you are trying to find a beer to compliment spicy foods it’s important to make sure the beer is highly drinkable. This means clean flavors with no lasting after taste. Not only that, but it’s also important to find one with longevity. Yes, this means that you need to find something that sits at a lower ABV. I know folks, this is probably the first time – and one of the only times – I will insist that lower ABV is the way to go. Frankly, nobody wants Uncle Joe to drink to much and revisit the pounds of crawfish he tried to hork down. A hot, drunk mess doesn’t get to enjoy the party – they get to spoil it for everyone else.

Whether you take my advice or not on brands, there are several styles that, if you stick by them, they won’t disappoint. IPA’s have a heavy hoppiness that will undercut spices to provide a full flavor explosion. American Pale Wheat Ales are milder and often have notes of citrus (or served with a lemon wedge). Citrus only makes crawfish taste that much better. Pilsners are great as well as they combat peppers that are often thrown into the boils.

As summer comes full force, and crawfish season embraces us once more, I present to you my top choices for Boil Brews:

 Abita Turbodog

Brewer: Abita, Louisiana

Style: Brown Ale

ABV: 5.6%

At a 5.6% ABV, this Abita brewed brown ale is probably one of the best compliments to the garlic-rich spices and seasonings used in a boil. The smooth flavor has a slight bite at the finish. It results in a clean separation that clears the palate to enjoy more of the food in your feast.

Summer Shandy

Brewer: Jacob Leinenkugel’s Brewing Company, Wisconsin

Style: Shandy

ABV: 4.2%

The great thing about this summer shandy is not only the low ABV, allowing you to enjoy more of them, but the fact that it’s beer and natural lemonade. Nothing says summer more than lemonade right? Wheat beer and lemon; this combination won’t fail you at a boil!

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Brewer: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, California

Style: Pale Ale

ABV: 5.6%

Known for it’s grapefruit aromas, the slight citrus favors seafood – this includes our boiled crawfish. The boldness of the beer lingers and enhances instead of muddying up the mudbugs. 

New Belgium Snapshot Wheat Beer

Brewer: New Belgium Brewing, Colorado

Style: Wheat Beer

ABV: 5.0%

I can’t say enough how refreshing the latest New Belgium brew is. Slight sweetness from coriander and lemon is brewed into the light wheat. With a snap, you have the perfect beer for the perfect food! Acid, citrus and seafood… it’s the holy trinity!

Tin Roof Voodoo Bengal Pale Ale

Brewer: Tin Roof Brewing Company, Louisiana

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.5%

This American-style pale ale carries enough hops to provide a balance between bitterness and the sweet malt characters that hint honey and caramel. This is the perfect beer to combat spices and brewed in Louisiana. 

BEST CHEAP BEERS FOR YOUR BOIL:

Coors Light Summer Brew

Natural citrus meets the refreshing taste of Coors Light. It was love at first sip. Whammy!

  Pabst Blue Ribbon

Heavier than I’d normally reach for if I want to eat pounds of tail, but the slight sweetness can’t be stopped with the saltiness of seasonings used for the boil which makes for a clever combination… and no, I’m not a hipster.

Miller High Life

Once upon a time I was anti-High Life, however, this is one of the fuller lagers that I can definitely enjoy on a hot summers day after learning to appreciate the simplicity of its flavor.

  Tip: Cans

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of cans for your summer drinking escapades. This is a guarantee to no skunk, to no bitterness, and what we like to call “commercial cold” beer. There is nothing more refreshing than the crispness of a beer fresh from a can.

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This wine is a traditional Bordeaux Claret that pours a dark ruby color. It takes a spin on ripe fruits that is characteristic of Merlot. This shows its complexity and length. The aromatics display fruit with a hint of vanilla. Overall, it is well rounded with a luscious, long finish. There is an earthy undertone representative of classic Claret – normally this is because vines will burrow roots deep into the soil to absorb its minerals and nutrients. I recommend decanting and letting breathe for a while and drink slightly cooler than room temperature.

These particular grapes are 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. Wine math states that when the Merlo predominates in a Claret, the winemaker gets a softer wine that becomes more rounded and rich in fruity flavors. This is probably what causes Chateau les Graves de Barrau to have it’s surprisingly velvet smooth finish.

As stated above, I recommend Bison, but any meat dish will pair beautifully with this wine.

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BIG EASY BREWING

Written by: Brandi R. Harkness-Bruce

There’s just something about New Orleans. The city brings an air of entertainment; great food, jazz music and the bars are ever flowing with beer and cocktails. There’s a reason she has so many nicknames - The Big Easy, The Crescent City, and of course Nola. This brings me to the point of my latest beer on my radar.

NOLA Brewing Company was founded in 2008 with the mission of bringing beer back to the area after the devastation created by Hurricane Katrina. In 2005, the Dixie Brewing Company facility was shut down, and no commercial brewery operated in the area until NOLA’s first craft beer hit the market. To tip their hat to their predecessor, owner Kirk Coco convinced ex-brewmaster from Dixie, Peter Cadoo, to join him in his dream. The company was founded off the hard work of second-hand equipment and volunteers who shared his vision of bringing back microbrews to the destroyed Gulf Coast.

It worked. NOLA can be found on tap at just about any bar in the South East. Their beers are canned and distributed to just about every cooler and are found at the pools that decorate the quaint courtyards in the French Quarter. With the idea in their hearts of bringing micro brewing back as a staple in a city dominated by bigger names, Coco’s team has surpassed any expectations of a small business. They represent the very spirit of the city.

NOLA Brewing Company Flagship

Blonde Ale

This was the very first beer brewed by NOLA. It hit the streets in 2009, and has become a staple since. With its medium body and citrus aromatics, it compliments any of the creole classics you can find on the streets of the Quarter. Definitely great on tap, I do prefer this one in cans. The cans retain the crispness that draws me to this brew; plus… cans are legal to carry on the streets. Done and done!

Brown Ale

The second in their flagship, the NOLA Brown has the typical notes of an English dark mild ale yet has very little hint of hops. It bypasses what can sometimes be distracting, and highlights instead the caramel flavors of the malts. A good social brew, but the sweetness gets to me after one or two.

Hopitoulas IPA

You may be asking yourself what the hell a Hopitoulas is. NOLA Brewing Company’s home is in an old converted warehouse located on the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Seventh Streets. The name comes from an extinct Indian tribe and used to be heavily devoted to river shopping commerce, as it is the through street closest to the Mississippi River running through Uptown New Orleans.  Now it is home to some delicious microbrews, including this one! This IPA is slightly more balanced than some I’ve battled with in the past. The citrus overpowers the pine, which helps regulate what could have been an overpowering hop.

7th Street Wheat

And this was the beer on my radar. It started out as a summer seasonal, but lucky for us, it has become the fourth on their flagship, and now available year round. This American style wheat is refreshing. The light body allows your taste buds to absorb the lemon citrus taste. Zesty herbs hit you on the backend, which compliments the sweet aromatics that start the experience, and leaves you refreshed and definitely reaching for another!

NOLA Brewing Company Seasonals

Flambeau Red

Style: American Red Ale

Yearly: Spring

Named for: The keepers of the flame that light the parade routes during Mardi Gras

ABV: 5.7%

Hurricane Saison

Style: Saison

Yearly: Summer (June through September)

Named for: Hurricane season… what else?

ABV: 6.5%

Smoky Mary

Style: German Rachbier

Yearly: Fall

Named for: The steam engine that ran on the second oldest railroad in the United States

ABV: 5.3%

Irish Channel Stout

Style: Stout

Yearly: Winter seasonal (with talks of bringing it to the flagship)

Named for: Neighborhood that the brewery is located in – The Irish Channel

ABV: 6.8%

THE LEGEND OF MECHAHOPZILLA

Mechahopzilla Can Design

What could possibly be more frightening than Godzilla? According to Wired.com, his lawyers. They long have battled small businesses that try to play off of what has become a cultural icon by bullying and threatening, suing and slandering. Godzilla creators believe that NOLA Brewing Company’s Mechahopzilla beer illegally copies the name and likeness of the character Mechagodzilla. Kirk Coco emailed the Times-Picayune in 2013 with the following: “We filed for the trademark immediately after we put it into use, and we are waiting for the results from the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office). Not sure why they filed this before that ruling.”

No longer available in the stores, this amazingly hopped-up brew can only be found on tap at local loyalists bars. Above is a picture of the distinct tap handle, apart of my personal beer memorabilia collection. These bad boys are hard to find, and expensive!

Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten any comments back on what ever happened with the lawsuit. Toho has sued, paperwork filed, but all is quiet on the beer front. Loyalists in the area are still devoted to the little guy; local bars proudly sport one of the most creative tap handles that I have personally seen. I have yet to find a can for sale at any of the typical stores I purchase my NOLA beers at (including Rouse’s which is a very ominous sign), and if forced to forever abandon the beer, I shall be sad. The name is perfect for this hyper-hopped double IPA. The power punch of malts and the 8.8% alcohol content is balanced with an almost light citrus. Personally, I think NOLA compliments Toho’s icon in just the right way!

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I picked this up for probably one of the dumbest reasons to buy a wine. This riesling bears the name of one of my favorite childhood games I played with my father. Let me also let you know - this was an adult game featuring an awesome black tower, electronically powered to pick your destiny around the realms. Pretty nerdy, right? I loved it. Upon researching the winemaker, I became even more excited. The wine was made in 1967 and they cleverly explained: “Elvis Presley gets married, America struggles with Vietnam, The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band hits No.1 and a true wine icon is born – hello Black Tower!” Sold. Anytime you feature a wine and you mention The Beatles, you have found yourself a customer.

I popped the cork, and instantly noticed the aromatics. They seemed strong, slightly fruity with a hint of spice. The taste on your tongue is slightly drier than some of your bigger names in Rieslings, but it definitely finishes with a slight sweetness in the back of your throat. Its more dry than crisp, which downplays me wanting to pick up another bottle. Not bad, but definitely not my preference with this style.

When to drink: I recommend this one as a dinner wine, with seafood or a meal that’s slightly rich such as alfredo pastas. They recommend as an aperitif, but I would skip that. If you don’t want to use it as a compliment to your entrée, it would definitely go well with a mega dessert featuring dark chocolates, mousse, or anything else on the decadent side.