Sauternes - something sweet

Here's a mighty good intro from Wiki:

Sauternes is a French sweet wine from the Sauternais region of the Graves section in Bordeaux. Sauternes is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot. This causes the grapes to become partially raisined, resulting in concentrated and distinctively flavored wines. Due to its climate, Sauternes is one of the few wine regions where infection with noble rot is a frequent occurrence. Even so, production is a hit-or-miss proposition, with widely varying harvests from vintage to vintage.

I personally love sweet wine - this has been a bit of a joke with my wine loving friends who prefer drier wines and pretty much think that sweet wines are nothing more than grape juice. But hey, I am all for individuality and I will proudly say, I love sweet wines. I really adore Sauternes. It can be quite hard to find out side of France and most probably it is because wine snobs like my friends are consistently ignoring sweet wines.

While I like cheaper sweet whites (will save this for another post), Sauternes is one which has pedigree. Sauternes' wines have been around for a long time (documented since 17th century) and are extremely expensive to make, hence the end product is not cheap too. Premier Cru Supérieur from the estate of Château d'Yquem is supposedly the most premium you can get. This poor cat has never tried it but what other 'cheap' ones I had was never disappointing. Sauternes typically starts out with a golden, yellow color that becomes progressively darker as it ages - so find the darkest shade that you can and if possible from a good year of harvest that fits your budget. 

Sauternes can be drank as an aperitif to being a dessert wine and whatever is in between. Like other white wines, it is usually served chilled. I (please take this with a pinch of salt as I am no sommelier) would suggest having it with stronger tasting food.. as it is a 'strong' and sweet wine. I feel that it goes especially well with South East Asian food which is heavier on the spices, or spicy food in general as the sweetness work well with the spices. Traditionally food pairing however is - Sauternes with Foie gras. 

Here's a list of the vintages if you are interested... 2007 is a good year it seems a 2008 no so good for instance.. but for me, I justly just go ahead and grab something I fancy that fits the budget. One man's meat is another man's poison and you don't know until you try.. if you don't get it right, try and try again.. mm somehow that sounds like the recipe for alcoholism.

Happy drinking!

Somersby Cider

I love cider.. I usually drown Magners as it is most easily found (called Bulmers in Ireland) mainly because I like the taste and it is the most common cider you can find in Malaysia. I particularly like Magners Pear which will give you an indication that I like them sweet. Not all the time but most of the time. I find that this is the perfect drink for a hot summer day. Which is every day in Malaysia.

I was at a meeting (I kid you not, a proper business meeting) and saw that they sold Somersby Cider - never seen it but again I haven't been out much these days. This means I must try it.

Then I read the label and seems that it is made in Sweden and distributed by Carlsberg. Eh? Swedish cider?

Searched it up on Google and it seems that Carlsberg owns this brand. It has 4.5% abv but because of its sweetness you won't feel a thing. This is the perfect girly drink or one for those that don't like the 'bitter' taste of beer but wants a kick of alcohol. Not a bad at all - taste like apple juice with sprite/7up and a tinge of beer. Be careful though - it still has a fair amount of alcohol so don't gulp it down too quickly.

One small note on serving methods; I find that my Magners/Bulmers usually will come in a pint glass with ice in the UK and Ireland but I don't see this when served local ciders in Germany, France and Italy. Somersby in Malaysia though it came with ice. Hmm... It’s nice that is cold but I feel it gets more and more diluted in the end when you are drinking outdoor in tropical weather - unless you drink very quickly. Maybe it is better to serve it with a big chunk-type of whisky ice cube or just no ice?

Type: Modern cider with 4.5% abv

Where: The Royal Selangor Golf Club

When: A warm evening

Accompaniment: Muruku and peanuts

Conclusion: Love it, will order again. Highly recommended for those that like sweet, light bodied alcoholic drinks.