Monthly Archives: February 2013

Two Bites with One Sip

Posted on February 25, 2013 by lilliebette

Hello!

I have been behind but I think a post every two weeks is respectable considering all the GRE prep I am doing. But I am here now to delight you with my latest musings and adventures.

The candy for this post was donated by my friend Ally! If she had a blog, I would link you to it. Suffice it to say she’s a great college pal from back in the day. In addition, the candies are both from the great state of Vermont (which is inferior to New Hampshire…you’re welcome Ally)!

Candy: Dark Chocolate Truffles on top of Apricots with a spicy kick & Maple Candy!

Wine: Barton & Guestier’s Beaujolais, 2011

The Dream: Sam & I both thought a white would work with the chocolate and apricot, but my friend Ellen countered saying the sweet of the maple candy would not work. They both would be too sweet. We met in the middle and decided that a fruity and rich red would work. The Beaujolais was the perfect fit since Ally loves a nice Beaujolais.

I am making a cameo

The Reality:

The Beaujolais has a wonderful bouquet with a distinct richness and a hint of chocolate. The wine goes down smooth and has a nice tang at the end.

The chocolate apricot truffle is interesting. My only complaint is that the apricot is very chewy so it inhibits the entire experience. The thick truffle chocolate combined with the spice does go well with the Beaujolais. If the apricot chocolate ratio was a bit different, then the pairing would be a knock out of the park.

Maple candies are well, maple. They are extremely sweet and the wine doesn’t quite mix with it. The maple melts way too fast but the flavors are not bad when they come together at first.

The first pairing is definitely one I’d like to explore further…push the boundaries of the chocolate/apricot ratio!

A Lover’s Pair

Posted on February 11, 2013 by lilliebette

Today’s post is, you guessed it, Valentine’s Day themed! But if you are looking for Candy Hearts and Chocolate Kisses, go elsewhere (except don’t, please stay…love me), because I have a less traditional approach.

This post is based on a little game I made up to test your compatibility to your partner.

This is how you play:

1-Toss a coin with your honey. Heads gets candy, tails gets the wine.

2-Part ways and choose wisely. No texting back and forth and no peeking! What would Cupid say?

3-Reunite to sip, chew, and enjoy

Lacking a perfect date for your new beau? Good thing you stumbled upon this blog.

This is how the game went down for Sam & me.

Sam-Heads

Liz-Tails

Let the love begin.

The Candy: Almond Joy, Snack Size

The Wine: Beringer Zinfandel 2011 (like the bunny kitsch?)

The Dream:

The PERFECT pair that would determine the fate of our relationship

The Reality:

The wine is sweet, rich, and a bit tart (just like me right?). There’s a pleasant aftertaste, but it’s slightly too ripe for me.

An Almond Joy is mostly chocolate and coconut at first. This combo mixes well with the Zin, but it doesn’t stand out as anything exceptional. The nuttiness of the almond adds a more diverse flavor palet. The pair is OK and I wouldn’t say no to it, but I think we can do better by coconut in the future.

What does this say about our love?

We both chose perfectly mediocre candy/wine with a mediocre result. What if I chose a $100 bottle or Sam chose a high-end candy? How out of sync would that be?

So the answer is: our love is here to say (thanks Sam, you are a real sport…love you)

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