red wine

Food & Wine Event Tips & Attire

Over the years, some of our favorite food memories together have been at Food and Wine festivals around California and the world. For one price, you get to experience a multitude of different flavors and sample amazing wines from around the world. Our favorite event hands down have always been the Pebble Beach Food & Wine in our hometown (see more HERE, HERE, and HERE). We always start the day with a game plan and want to share with you some tips for you to keep in mind as you prepare to attend all of this year's Food and Wine events. 

xoxo Ivy & Eve

  • Make sure you are FULLY hydrated before the event and drink water between each taste. 

  • Eat something before the event! Otherwise the alcohol will affect you sooner!

  • Make sure you have your designated driver/transportation home figured out before you get to the event. We all want to be responsible imbibers!!!

  • Wear darker colors, or patterned clothes. During these types of events, you are walking and standing in tight quarters so spills are very common (at least for clumsy people like us!), Wearing patterned or dark colors will hide spills so you can keep looking flawless. #goals

  • Comfy, chic, closed toe shoes are best for such events since there are lots of people and the possibility of being stomped on is high. We recommend wearing shoes you are comfortable in since these events are hours long and you'll be standing/walking around the the whole time.  

  • A small yet roomy bag to carry all your personal items (camera, tickets, business cards collected from vendors, etc.). We love using cross body bags because they leave both hands free for carrying our wine glass and small bites. :)

  • Wear layers that can be easily carried (you'll need both hands for food/drinks). The weather in Pebble Beach can go from chilly 50's to sunny 75 in a matter on minutes, so layering up is always a good idea. That being said, make sure whatever layers you wear can be either tied around your shoulders/waist or stuffed in your bag.

  • Long lasting lip color/no lip color (greasy foods and lots of wine will make it rub off easily). We recommend Lipsense (our favorite brand!) but if you don't have time to get some...our second favorite is Maybelline Super Stay 24 Color

  • Start with bubbles! Sparkling wine excites your palate and gets you ready for what is to come!

  • Go from light to dark wines. Since you wont be guided through the hundreds of wines this guide comes in handy: White before Red, Dry before Sweet. 

  • Use the 5 S's - See, Swirl, Smell, Sip,  Savor!

  • Bring your sense of adventure! At all food & wine events, we highly recommend keeping away from your favorites and trying something new that you never thought you would like! Last time, we tried Chef Todd Fischer's Bacon Chocolate Covered Chicharrones which Eve was actually addicted to for weeks (we asked the Chef Todd for several take-home bags!!).

Wine of The Month Club: Wine Subscription Service Review

If you didn't already know, subscription services are one of our guilty pleasures. We've love receiving packages in the mail, and what could be better than receiving a package of wine?! Last year we reviewed the WINC wine subscription HERE. Now we want to share with you the Wine Of The Month Club!

So why join Wine Of The Month Club? Well, being the original wine shipping subscription service (started in 1972), they have had time to perfect. Why do we love WOTMC so much? They offer 10 different club levels to choose from, ranging from the classic membership to the more specific rosé only club.  You can be as picky or nonchalant as you wish with shipments. We subscribe to the "Classic" Cellar Series club which ships six bottles (4 red, 2 white) to our door every other month. We love this club because we try amazing value wines from around the world. All wines have a 100% guarantee so if you don't like the wine, you don't pay for it. Also, if you like something, they have fantastic reorder prices! Take a look at one of our most recent shipments!

xxx Ivy & Eve

Rockus Bockus Proprietary Red Wine / 2013 / Sonoma, CA

This mega red-blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Zinfandel has a deep crimson color with blackberry and spice notes acommpanied by intense fruit flavors and a hint of bright strawberry at the finish. We would pair this bold red with and equally big flavored dish and red meats. 

Pietra Santa Sangiovese / 2013 / Monterey, CA

This dark ruby colored classic Italian varietal has a slightly "hot" alcoholic smell with subtle scents of damp soil and dark fruit - bursting flavors on the tongue of black cherries and licorice. Nice long finish. We would serve this up with steak or game!

 Pietra Santa Merlot / 2013 / Monterey, CA

This lush merlot was our favorite out of the shipment. With an intoxicating aroma of dark fruits, spice, and leather. On the palate we tasted dark fruit and berries, vanilla, and a hint of tobacco. This wine had a nice smooth finish with silky tannins. We would happily sip on this alone or pair it with a great cheese board. 

 Pietra Santa Zinfandel / 2012 / Monterey, CA

While completely drinkable this was our least favorite of the shipment. This Zin had a dark rusty red color, smelled a bit like straw and had dry, dusty tannins. We would recommend decanting it (which we did after our first taste) giving it a chance to open up a bit.

Back Story Sauvignon Blanc / 2015 / CA

This Sauv Blanc had a very pale yellow color with a citrusy nose and a hint of green bell peppers. Pleasingly, it tasted much less acidic than what the scent hinted. We would recommend drinking this wine with a nice light veggie dish or fish. 

Kunza Sauvignon Blanc / 2015 / Maule Valley, Chile

This wine had a bright yellow color and aromas of grapefruit and pineapple. The taste was tropical with a nice mineral finish - very crisp and refreshing. We would suggest pairing this wine with fish or a fresh salad!

Whole Foods Wine Sale + Food Pairings!

Who loves a great wine sale? We sure do! Whole Foods Market is holding an awesome wine sale ONE DAY only-Friday, September 8th. For that one day only, you will get 30% off any 6 or more bottles purchase (excluding wines with prices ending in .98). We have partnered with our favorite grocery store to share with you some of our wine sale recommendations as well as some great food pairings so you can make the most of this great sale. 

Everyone also knows we LOVEEE wine tasting. Be sure to stop by the store this week for some of exactly that! There will be wine tasting going on Aug. 29th & 30th (4pm-7pm). This will is a great way to try out some of the wines on sale before purchasing them. And if you do find something you love we suggest pre-ordering to ensure you get the wines you want. Plus you will receive a coupon for 50% off your olive bar purchases when you come to pickup your wines on the 8th! We know we'll be heading over to our local Whole Foods to sample before we buy!

xxx Ivy & Eve

**Sale excludes Three Wishes & wines ending in .98 cents.**

Here are just a few wines we sampled that will be included in the wine sale: 

AVA Grace Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc / 2016 / CA / $9.99 each

Tasting notes: Pale straw color, notes of grapefruit, grass, and melon. Crisp.

Pairing: We love to pair Sauvignon Blancs with briny things like olives and oysters (YUM!). 

Le Galantin Bandol Rosé / 2016 / France / $22.99 each

Tasting notes: Light salmon color, notes of rose, strawberries, summer fruits, with a slight minerality. Dry.

Pairing: We tend to pair dry rosé with goat cheese, prosciutto and other cured meats, and our ultimate favorite...pizza!!

Lan Reserva Rioja Tempranillo / 2010 / Spain / $14.99

Tasting notes: Inky color, notes of subtle spices, jammy, black berry, black cherry, and slight tobacco. Light tannins.

Pairing: We love to pair our favorite Spanish red with a great Spanish sheep's cheese like a Manchego! We suggest the Mitica 3-month aged Manchego alongside some 34° Crisps crackers (Ivy's absolute fave) and Guayeco Guava Paste all from Whole Foods! This is seriously the ultimate single bite!

Domaine Allimant-Laugner Sparkiling Rosè / Nonvintage / France / $21.99

Tasting notes: Pale peach color, notes of strawberries and cream and lightly toasted brioche. Small, tight bubbles and nice acidity. 

Pairing: We would totally love to nosh on some brie and baguette with this sparkling rosé, but we could also see this pairing perfectly with brunch (eggs benedict anyone?!?) or even enjoying sans food poolside!

Do you have any Whole Foods wine recommendations or food pairing suggestions? Let us know!

Red Wine Sangria

Sangria is one of our all time favorite drinks. It's cool and refreshing and has yummy fruit snacks to munch on while you enjoy it. We have put together one of our favorite red wine sangria recipes for you using Pacificana Zinfandel from our second Winc shipment (we will be reviewing it shortly). We hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

xxx Ivy & Eve

Ingredients:

1 bottle of chilled red wine, like this Pacificana Zinfandel from Winc

1/2 cup brandy

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup club soda

1 orange (cut into thin round slices)

1/2 Meyer lemon (cut into thin round slices)

1/2 lime (cut into thin round slices)

1 apple (sliced into 1/2 inch chunks

10 Maraschino cherries

2 tablespoons Maraschino cherry juice

Directions:

  1. Slice and dice fruit and place all in a pitcher.
  2. Pour orange juice and brandy into the pitcher, mix, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 15 or more minutes.
  3. Add club soda and wine into the pitcher and mix.
  4. Place pitcher back in refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes or more. (optional step)
  5. Add ice cubes to serving glasses and scoop out sangria fruit as you pour.
  6. Serve! 

Cheers!