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Yum's July Must Haves

partysugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:50:07 -0700

With the arrival of July, it's safe to say that Summer is in full swing. Currently I'm obsessed with hearty salads, planning picnics, eating outdoors, and homemade ice cream. I've rounded up the month's most important items - I either can't live without them or I'm dying to get my hands on them. In order to enjoy a spectacular July, here's what you must have.

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Boxed Wine: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:30:24 -0700

Lately, I've heard an increasing amount of hype around how much wine in a box has improved over the years. Like screw-cap wines, boxed wine has become more widely accepted. Because of their unique dispensing system, the wines can last up to six weeks - much longer than the average bottle of wine, which can only survive a couple of days. I haven't tried a boxed wine in years, but I get a hangover just thinking about the boxed wine my friends and I used to buy in college. Perhaps I should seriously consider giving it another chance. What about you: Do you appreciate boxed wine?

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Yummy Links: From Salmonella to Homemade Ricotta

partysugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:00:33 -0700

The raw tomato Salmonella outbreak has spread to 16 states. - FitSugar
A lovely alternative to classic pasta salad: Thai shiitake mushroom salad. - 28 Cooks
Isn't this gorgeous dress cake perfect for a bridal shower? - Frosted Garden
When baking, don't add too much flour while kneading. - The Kitchn
The best of ballpark food. - The New York Times
Due to the recession, Safeway's baker's dozen will only include 12 items. - Slashfood
Boxed wine isn't that bad. Here are six to try.-Mainstreet
Learn how to make homemade ricotta.-The Wednesday Chef

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Happy Hour: Three Thieves Bandit "Juice Box" Wine

YumSugar — Wed, 02 May 2007 13:13:13 -0700

Last weekend I picked up a 4 pack of Bandit Pinot Grigio by Three Thieves. I must admit, I bought them on a whim, and I mostly bought them because they're packaged in individually portioned "juice box" containers - plus it was under $10. Each box looks an awful lot like a regular juice box (don't give this one to the kids on accident) and has a foil tab that can be removed for pouring, drinking or placing a straw.

So how did it taste? Pretty decent, nice for a hot day and the perfect companion for a picnic. I decided to drink it three ways. First I drank it directly out of the carton - I wanted to see what it would be like if you brought it on a picnic and didn't have a straw or a glass. It was surprisingly nice and light - perfect for a hot day - with slight apple and lemon flavors, however it also had that plastic "waxy carton" taste. Since that taste was not exactly a bonus flavor, I decided to try it through a straw. The flavor was about the same, only without the waxy carton taste, and I must admit, it was a lot of fun to drink wine out of a straw. Finally I poured the remainder into a glass. It was pale in color and the smell was a bit lemony and it actually tasted much nicer in the glass.

Overall, I'd say it was far from the best glass of pinot grigio, but it was also pretty far from the worst. Besides, each box is 250ml and you get 4 boxes for the price of a 750ml bottle of wine, so there is a great value/quality ratio going on. Plus, it gets more points in my book because wine in a juice box made me feel like a kid, a naughty wine drinking kid.

Forget Wine in a Box, It's Time For Wine in a Can

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:28:33 -0700

By now, we're all familiar with box wine, screw top wine, and regular wine, but have you heard of canned wine?

Well, if Argentinean company Iron Wine has their way, you will soon. The Buenos Aires based company has just released two wines - a chenin blanc and a malbec and cabernet blend - in either eight and half or twelve ounce cans. The cans look just like soda cans, and the company defends their packaging by saying that they are perfect since they effectively block out light and air. Unfortunately the Associated Press is reporting that the wine is not yet available in the US, but I plan on trying it as soon as it is.

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Do You Drink Boxed Or Screw Cap Wine?

partysugar — Thu, 24 May 2007 03:11:18 -0700

I attended a fashion show pre-party with FabSugar and was only mildly surprised to see that boxed wine sat on all of the tables. It used to be that boxed wines, and their frowned upon cousin the screw cap, were reserved for large quantities of bad quality table wine. However, with better technology and techniques in sealing boxes/bottles, many young and established wineries are turning to the box and the easy to open bottle. What do you think of this growing trend? Do you drink boxed or screw cap wine?

Mother's Day Gift Guide: Personalized Recipe Box, French Wine & Rose Cupcakes

YumSugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:45:32 -0700

Yesterday I brought you the first part of our Mother's Day gift guide and today I'm finishing it off with a few more great ideas. This first one is for the mom with all the recipes in her head. Don't you think it would be a nice gift for her (and you) if you helped her get them put on paper? The personalized recipe gift set from William-Sonoma will help you do that in a classy and personal way. The set comes with a personalized wood box and embosser ("Kitchen of Mom's Name") as well as 100 cards (the box holds 500). It'll be lovely now, but can you imagine it getting passed down through the generations? Available for $69.

Two more gift ideas (including a great wine set and a cute cupcake idea), so read more

If your mom dreams of visiting the French countryside, but you can't yet afford to fly her out there, why don't you bring the countryside to her? The Tour of Provence Wine Set contains three must-have selections from the South of France, as well as Patricia Wells' At Home in Provence Cookbook. Available for $49.99.

If mom is a baker (or if you are) surprise her with a dozen cupcake roses. This Rose Bundt Cupcake pan from Nordic Ware allows you to create a dozen roses. I'm imagining strawberry cupcakes with lemon icing, talk about a cute gift! Available for $31.95.

Would You Buy Wine Bottled in Plastic?

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:50:22 -0700

Over the past couple of years, the wine industry has gone from mostly glass bottles with corks to a bevy of boxed varietals and wines with screwcaps. Now meet the industry's newest container contender: plastic wine bottles. Because they're one-eighth the weight of a typical glass bottle and take up 20 percent less space, plastic bottles are more cost effective and environmentally friendly. They also enable winemakers to save fuel by shipping more wine per truck. The downside? Plastic simply doesn't provide the same seal as glass, and the bottles come with "drink by" dates - so they'll only be used to package wines that are meant to be enjoyed right away. I can't help but wonder whether the plastic containers could pose a health hazard. How do you feel about the matter?

Happy Hour: Wine Cube

YumSugar — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:29:16 -0700

Imagine this scenario: You're out camping and you're ready to unwind for the night with a glass of your favorite wine. You find your best camping glasses/plastic cups and are ready to pour when you realize... there's no bottle opener!!! Sure you can go all MacGyver and find ways to open the bottle, but just think, if only you had brought a box of wine instead...

That's right, a box of wine. These days boxes of wine don't carry the same sort of stigma that they used to. In fact in scenarios like the one above they're actually quite handy. They're easy to transport and have a low-risk of being damaged, you usually get more for your money, they can be sealed back up and will therefore last longer.

So now that you're keen to the idea of box wines, let me introduce you to the Wine Cube. Available in both 3 liter (4 bottles) and 1.5 liter (2 bottles) sizes, the Wine Cube is a Target exclusive and costs between $10-$16. There are twelve varieties to choose from - including Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Shiraz, and Sangria - but it is the Pinot Grigio that took home the Double Gold Award at the 2007 San Francisco International Wine Competition. In fact, it was the only boxed wine to win a Double Gold Award that year.

Happy Hour: Le Cask

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:28:31 -0800

While I was at the SF Chronicle Wine Competition Tasting, I was lucky enough to try Le Cask wine. I was drawn to it because it was one of the few boxes of wine at the tasting. I tasted their Old Vine Zinfandel and was pleasantly surprised by how it tasted. It was well balanced and a bit peppery, a little sweet with notes of cherry and plum, but very drinkable.

The best part about Le Cask is that for about $25, you get the equivalent amount of wine as four bottles. Definitely worth the price, considering the quality of the wine is much higher than that. Also, unlike bottles, their patent-pending box stays fresh for 4-6 weeks after opening. And bonus, Le Cask is eco friendly. The box is recyclable, takes up 98 percent landfill space and by eliminating glass, they've reduced their carbon footprint up to 50 percent.

The winery is based out of Lodi, CA, and while it's available throughout the Bay Area, they're still looking for a larger distribution. If you do happen to see it, definitely pick yourself up a cask or two.