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 Greetings!
Happy November everybody,
Since it's just about time to prep the turkey for his day to shine,
we here at Imbibe thought it might be nice to make a couple of
suggestions as to what would be appropriate to pair with your
anticipated feasts. This week we just got in stock a delicious bottle
of bubbles, Domaine Carneros' Brut Sparkling Wine. With bright
lemon-lime, crisp green apple, and a slight nuttiness on the palate,
this sparkler is the perfect start to any occasion. Our suggestion
would be to pair this with flaky, pastry hors d'oeuvres or a nice
cheese and pâté plate.
On to the main course! Three wines that have been Imbibe favorites for the past few months - the 2007 Frank Family Chardonnay, the 2008 McManis Viognier
and the Breggo Gewurtraminer - will not only go well with the white turkey meat we all love so much,
but would also be superb with porcini or garlic mashed potatoes and a side dish orange and ginger glazed sweet potatoes. Each of these
wines offer a lush acidity that cuts through the creaminess of the
potatoes and makes every bite taste like the first. For those that
prefer a little darker shade of wine to accompany their meal, we think
that with turkey or a juicy, herb-crusted prime rib there is no better
mate than our 2008 Cazar Pinot Noir. With a silky texture,
loads of cherry and cranberry and a little char, this Pinot is very
much both food-friendly and people-friendly.
Zinfandel and dark-meat turkey were born to be friends; that is why we offer up our 2008 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel. While some Zinfandels are so jammy and tart they make your jaw hurt, Seghesio
has worked hard at making a wine that balances bold fruit with great
structure. With this glass, enjoy a maple-glazed turkey leg and a
heaping spoonful of dried cranberry and sausage stuffing. This is a
wine that is sure to please.
And finally, no Thanksgiving meal would be complete without
dessert. Whether it be pecan or pumpkin, we've got the perfect wine
match with your preference of pie. To pair with a large slice of
pecan, we suggest our 2005 Schramsberg Cremant. I think the
winemakers said it best when they described this wine as "fruitful,
floral and sweet spice notes with dried mango, glazed pineapple and
citrus meringue joining with honeysuckle, bread pudding and candied
ginger." It's practically a dessert in itself. If after that
delectable visual, you would still like a slice of pumpkin, we
recommend a nice Moscato d'Asti. Our 2008 Michele Chiarlo Moscato d'Asti
is slightly sweet and effervescent with hints of orange peel and stone
fruit. There is a subtle baking spice note in this wine that lends
itself well to complementing the pie and refreshing the palate.
Now that we've finished our imaginary meal, we here at Imbibe would
also like to express our thanks to those that have supported us in the
past months with your patronage. We've had a blast so far and are
looking forward to many great times. Just a reminder - we will be
closed Thanksgiving day so we can enjoy time with our families.
From our family to yours, have a pleasant and safe holiday,
David, Tamera & The Imbibe Gang
P. S. If
you'd like to test-drive any of the wines we've recommended, they,
along with more Thanksgiving meal favorite pairings, will be available
for tasting at our wine bar all next week.
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Beer News
 There is a growing segment of the Bakersfield community who are enjoying the expanding selections of beers at Imbibe. We certainly don't want to leave you without choices for your holiday feast, so please, read on for Dan's latest beer recommendations.
At Imbibe we currently
feature over 225 beers, originating from all over. Our national and regional
beers currently number over 100 with Belgium, German, French, Canadian and
Asian making up the remainder. Our selection is constantly changing and
represents a great alternative to wine as the only aperitif or food friendly
beverage.
A couple of my favorites today begin with the Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout. This is an Irish Stout
that is not nitro laden like most of the Guinness brands. Massive cappuccino
head that sticks all over the glass - almost black. Sweet malted milk with coffee
overtones. Very smooth with moderate body. Slightly charred grain flavors
with modest hops and some mineral sharpness that makes for a nicely balanced beer. The
finish is long and flavored with roasted grain. This is definitely a beer to be
enjoyed with food and BBQ is a great venue. Try making your own BBQ sauce with
a great stout like Guinness and see for yourself the perfect marriage of beer
and food.
Another Dark Bomb Shell favorite is Black Xantus
from Nectar Ales. The label is owned by Firestone Brewery and they produce the
beer in Santa Ynez. The Black is barrel aged for 6 months in a combination of
Bourbon and Firestone Union wine barrels infused with organic coffee. The
aromas are of bourbon and coffee with complex chocolate and tobacco flavors on
the palate. This is a full bodied and well balanced beer that will go
exceedingly well with a rich chocolate dessert.
We are now regularly scheduling great beer tasting and meet & greet brewmaster events at Imbibe,
so continue to check your emails. Our next Meet & Greet will feature Doug Dresser of Firestone Brewery and will be on November 24th from 5 - 8 p.m.
Cheers,
Dan
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Wine
Bar & Jazz Music - A Beautiful Match
This weekend we will
have David's favorite Pinots flight at the wine bar.
David's Favorite 2007
Pinot Noirs include:
Foxen Sea Smoke Vineyard
Roar Rosella's
Siduri Amber Ridge
Twomey Anderson Valley
En Route by Far Niente
Kanzler Sonoma Coast
Tastes range from $5 - $9
Dave says
that if Pinot Noir isn't your favorite wine, you just haven't drank enough
yet...words of wisdom?
Steve Eisen, Mark Meyer and friends will be back in the wine bar again this Saturday
night from 6 to 8 p.m. with live jazz music. Join us for a glass, perhaps a
cheese assortment tray and lively jazz classics - a great way to celebrate the
weekend.
Love is a friendship set to music.
E. Joseph Cossman
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