Episode 197: Breakfast Wine

Breakfast wines extend beyond the Mimosa. Breakfast is just food. Wine goes with food. Whether you’re having wine for breakfast or breakfast for dinner, we stand by breakfast with wine – any time. [recorded 9 Jan 2019 – before lunch!]

Finally, as you all know, it’s not five o’clock and we don’t care.

In the glasses (4:00)

Albinea Canali Pennarossa, Lambrusco Grasparossa, Reggio Emilia, Italy (8% abv)

2011 Alain Brumont Chateau Montus Pacherenc du Vic Bilh Sec (80% Petit Courbu, 20% Petit Manseng), France

We also had these on hand and are personal recommendations from Steph:

2015 Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling, Columbia Valley, WA (100% vinifera rootstock) – between Medium Dry & Medium Sweet on the IRF scale on back label. (12% abv). “I’m imagining crab eggs benedict. YUM!”

2017 Susana Balbo Signature Rose’ del Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (13% abv) – 60% Malbec and 40% Pinot Noir, priced around $20, in a Burgundy style bottle. “Puts me in the mood for lox & bagels!”

Key points (14:55)

  • Sweet vs Savory Breakfast Foods
  • Lower Alcohol Strength Options
    • Ice wines (+/- 7% abv) – see our episode 162 “Ice Wine & Chill” where we suggested – “Why not serve ice wine at brunch with fruit and whipped cream topped waffles?”
    • Prosecco (11-12% abv)- did you catch episode 141 “Decoding DOCG Prosecco”?
    • Champagne and other classic method bubblies
    • Rieslings (8-12% abv) – with an wide range of sweet – semi-sweet – dry
    • Lambrusco
  • Mimosas and alternative versions
    • Way back in episode 48, we dug up some info on the mimosa for International Womens’ Day: The cocktail “is believed to have been named for the yellow [mimosa] flower and created at the Ritz in Paris.  Like with many cocktails, there are other stories of the Mimosa origins alluding to an original Champagne and OJ in London called, ‘Buck’s Fizz’ … and even a suggestion that Alfred Hitchcock had something to do with its creation, or at least helping to make it popular!”
    • What about substituting the OJ for something else like Grapefruit juice?
      • There’s also the “I’ll have a mimosa, hold the juice.”
  • Still wines that have a place at the breakfast table
    • Vouvray, Albarino (Ep173), Gewurztraminer (Ep159), Pinot Blanc, Chenin
    • Chardonnay, White Rhone blends (i.e. CDP Blanc with truffled eggs)
    • Rose’ (with or without the bubbles)
    • Reds – Bardolino, Gamay,
  • Besides sparkling wines, it seems that Bavarian breakfast and cocktails rule the breakfast booze roost.

More resources

Morning Drinking History (Vine Pair) https://vinepair.com/articles/morning-drinking-history/

16 Stylish Wines For Upscale Breakfasts (Wine Enthusiast) https://www.winemag.com/2018/07/25/eggs-wine-pairing-breakfast/

The Best Wines to Drink with Breakfast -These low-ABV options won’t kill the rest of your day (Tasting Table) https://www.tastingtable.com/drinks/national/best-breakfast-wines

How to Pair Wine with All Your Favorite Brunch Dishes (Martha Stewart) https://www.marthastewart.com/1529010/wines-to-serve-with-brunch

Pod Quiz (27:21)

Last week we asked: When we mention a wine from Basque country, to which country are we referring?

Answer: Countries. Plural. Basque country exists in Spain and France in the western Pyrenees. There are 4 provinces in Spain and 3 in France.

Where wines are concerned, 11th century monks in Roncesvalles promoted Basque vineyard growth, mainly for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. It was the treaty of the Pyrenees (1659) brought three provinces north of Pyrenees to the French

The only French AOC in Basque country, in the Pyranees AOC (so it is a subregion), is one of the smallest, Irouleguy. (Bearn is Basque-adjacent). Here it is called le pays Basque.

In Spanish Basque country – or Euskadi – we’ve mentioned the Txakolina and its three DOs (Alava, Vizcaya, Bizkaiko), but there is also Rioja Alavesa DOCa. (Four DOs in Pais Vasco)

Back up the Dubonnet Truck (31:02)

We are skipping this week’s quiz, but do want to revisit Dubonnet from last week’s quiz who was keen on the answer regarding the Queen of England’s favorite favourite cocktail:

  • I hope the question on the bloopers podcast was referring to the delicious Dubonnet and Gin! I believe it was originally the favourite drink of the Queen Mother, who passed her fondness down to Queen Elizabeth II. Some fun facts:
  • On the UK podcast “Help I Sexted My Boss”, the hosts William Hanson (who is a big fan of the royal family) and Jordan North begin the show by drinking a Dubonnet and Gin.
  • The drink was also mentioned in the Noel Coward song “I Went to a Marvellous Party” from 1938 – “We knew the excitement was bound to begin; When Laura got blind on Dubonnet and gin”
David on Dubonnet at 31:30 – you want to hear this. You do.

We will resume Pod Quiz fun in February!

Shoutouts (32:38)

Ashley in NC experimented with iced tea and dark rum “which pairs perfectly with the aroma of bacon & salted caramel shortbread biscuits from Cartwright & Butler.” See her post on our FB Community Page. Talk about a #W25Challenge AND breakfast combo?

Kristen, who recently moved from CA to TX, is trying new, local wines and posting on Instagram. See her photo of Llano Estacado Texas Meritage Red Blend for under $10.

More #W25Challenge

Gotta give a shoutout to Andrew who was blowing up the #W25Challenge HT this week on Twitter (after this was recorded):

#W25challenge @winetwofive 2018 was a good year! 2000 Chateau Leoville Poyferre is an amazing thing to experience. What a luck individual I am to have such good friends that share such treasures. Notes of tobacco and forest floor with supple tannins. pic.twitter.com/wX1fMBADN1— Andrew Villarreal CS (@MrTraderJoe) January 11, 2019

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Patreon Love (35:35)

Thank you to our patrons who support us on our Patreon crowdfunding platform! Heads up – our 200th episode is on the horizon, and WTSO is helping us celebrate with $200 worth of giveaway for patrons! (The drawing will be on 31 January).

*We do read all the names on the show, and feature the list on our Support page.* Your support helps fund monthly syndication & publication costs, equipment & software upgrades, shipping & marketing.

Connect (37:27)

Between each weekly chat you can find us on the social spaces @WineTwoFive, and play in our private FaceBook group called Wine Two Five Community!

Connect with Val on Twitter @WineGalUnboxed and everywhere else as @VinoWithVal.

Steph is in all the social spaces as @TheWineHeroine.

You can also find us on the My Wine Society App under “Podcasts.” There are also channels on travel, wellness, events, wineries and more.