Drink Recipe: Sicilian Sour

My brother and I came up with this drink this evening, and I must say, it's great. Just shake the following over ice and strain:

1 Measure Limoncello

1 Measure Club Soda

A splash of lemon sour

A twist of fresh citrus (change it up for variety!)

In honor of the main ingredient's region of origin, we call it a "Sicilian Sour."

Libiamo!

Wine Gift Giving

Wine makes an excellent gift given in the spirit of hospitality at a dinner party, as a holiday gift at a party, or simply placed under the tree.

If you're bringing wine to a dinner party, you should make an effort to find out what will be served and choose your pairing accordingly. You might even find out if the host all ready has wine for the main dish as you could bring something special for appetizers or dessert. If you are bringing something that requires chilling, pick out something that's pre-chilled, or use the in-store instant wine chiller.

If you want to give more than one bottle, there are many beautiful gift packs and baskets out there (unless you're a crafty-type and want to design one yourself). Food and Wine list their top 10 online wine stores here. Name the Tag has a really hip collection of wine tags, ready for personalization.

If you'd like to give a wine gift to someone who all ready has a good selection, consider giving a set of beautiful glasses, stoppers, or wine charms.

Happy Holidays! Libiamo!

*note: if you're wondering where that really cool wine bag can be found, it's here.

Hot or Not: Wine Stopper USB

I stumbled upon the Wine Stopper USB Memory Stick by Arwye Wan. I'm not sure what I think about the whole "anything can be a USB stick" movement, but some folks are crazy for disguised memory gadgets. Just don't make the mistake of using it in that bottle of vino...

Review: Creekbend Estate Chambourcin 2007

Vintner: Oliver Winery (Bloomington, IN)

Label: Creekbend

Grape: Chambourcin

Vintage: 2007

Price: $$

What they say: "Delicate flavors of raspberry and currant with a hint of oak - soft tannins and rich mouthfeel."

What we say: This is a versatile, nuanced wine with distinct notes of strawberry, pomegranate, plum and walnut in addition to those cited by the winemaker. Soft tannins and rich mouthfeel indeed, as it is barreled in casks made of 70% young US oak and 30% aged French oak. The season of the old oak ads a darkness to the wine, while the younger and more porous oak accentuates the natural tannins and suits the wine to collection. Also, the chambourcin's slightly higher-than-average residual sugar content makes it particularly palatable to those without a developed taste for reds. At $19/bottle, its not exactly a bargain at twice the price, but among other mid-priced varietals this one is hard to beat.

Suggested pairings: The tannins here make this wine an ideal compliment to red meat, although its mild acidity and balanced flavor makes it a compliment to pasta and/or heavier white meat dishes as well. The varied bouquet also make it a great bottle for a tasting party!

Libiamo!

Wine & Cheese Party

Want to have friends over for a night of tasting & conversation but fear the price tag? You CAN have a beautiful spread and stay within reason for an evening that is sure to be a hit with tasting newbies and refined palates alike.

The first thing to consider is how many people you'd like at your get-together. Would you like to host in your 1-bedroom flat, or share costs with friends living in a house or bigger loft? Sometimes the best recipe for success is keeping the guest list small no matter how big or small the space.

A good guideline for amounts:

• 8 People: 2 - 3 lbs. of cheese, 4 bottles of wine
• 16 people: 4 - 6 lbs. of cheese, 8 bottles of wine
• 24 people: 7 - 9 lbs. of cheese, 12 bottles of wine

Of course, my opinion is to have more wine than less (just in case you stumble upon a few jewels everyone wants a full glass of). The best way to do this and not go over budget is to have your guests bring a bottle of their own. You can either ask each guest to bring a certain grape, or have half bring whites and half bring reds. Always remember there are options, but try and limit down so as not to be too overwhelmed. A nice bonus to guests bringing whites and reds is you can supply the bubbly and or port (if you want to - a nice treat, but not necessary).


With cheese, it's always nice to offer a variety of textures and flavors. For balance, choose at least one cheese from each of these types:

• Soft - i.e. Brie, Camembert
  
• Blue - i.e. Gorgonzola, Stilton, Mountain
  
• Firm - i.e. Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino
  
• Aged - i.e. Aged Cheddar, Goat Gouda, Aged Emmental

You don't have to serve more than 4-5 types unless you want to. If you're unsure about which cheeses you think you might or might not like, many stores will let you sample anything in their case. Serve at least one cheese everyone will be familiar with, and include fruits, nuts, and chocolate with your spread. Also, very important to know is that cheese should be set out 1 hour prior to serving; the flavors can't be fully experienced otherwise.
*Note: if you serve pungent, stinky cheeses, place them on separate plates so they don’t overpower delicate cheeses.

You can go fancy-schmancy with your presentation, or keep it simple and clean. I say do what is easy! Use what you have for serving; don't feel like you need specialty cheese plates or knives. A fun thing to do with labeling the cheeses is including descriptives or poems about each one. Do as much or as little as you like - keep it relaxed and fun. Wine is all about the enjoyment of life and celebration of living! Libiamo!

Welcome!

Welcome to The Youthful Epicurean!

Here you'll find ideas, reviews and recommendations for (and from!) young people looking to enjoy the finer things in life... without breaking the bank!

At The Youthful Epicurean, we focus on wine. BUT don't be surprised by the occasional post on cheese, craft beer, single malt scotch (Josiah's favorite!), cigars, et cetera.

We look forward to helping you live a more pleasurable, fabulous daily life! Libiamo!

Best,

Josiah and Sharon