Wine Wednesday; Flowers and Fruit

I've been drinking lots of French wine lately, not only honing my palate for an upcoming trip but also because I LIKE IT!

I also like finding great values, which is not always easy when it comes to wines from Bordeaux. Mouton Cadet is one of the regions most successful, affordable brands, offering some wines that are perfect for waiting out the summer heat.

While I like a good rose' anytime of the year, put a nice chill on the 2013 and have it with grilled seafood, stir fry or as a sipper while hanging out with friends. This one is made up of mostly merlot, with a little cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. I liked it better after it opened up a little as the raspberry notes became more clear. Nice and dry, this wine also looks beautiful in the glass.

Known mostly for its amazing red wines, Bordeaux is also the birthplace of sauvignon blanc. Mouton Cadet's The is a fresh delight with just the right touch of citrus. I noticed lots of peach and a hint of juicy nectarine. Another good choice to pair with fish or chicken off of the grill, or a fresh salad with some salty, creamy cheese.

Find both wines in the $10 range. Now that makes for another happy Wine Wednesday!

An Angry Orchard Makes For A Happy Party

Angry Orchard released a green apple hard cider this spring, and this wine lover has somehow ended up with a refrigerator full of it!

One of my favorite hard candies are the jolly ranchers; I love the bold flavors and this cider took me there. The green apple is crisp and refreshing but it also has just a hint of melon in the glass.

We did a little experimenting at my house when an afternoon cookout was chased indoors by both heat and rain. Not only did we drink the cider, but cooked with it. After sautéing some onions and adding Angry Orchard to the pan, sweet sausage was placed into the sizzling mix. Not only did it smell great but also added a nice touch of flavor to the meat.

The experimenting continued when the Fireball (cinnamon whiskey) was opened and added to the green apple cider. Another mix that worked was ginger ale and cider; effervescent and refreshing.

I will tell you, it is not fun to get off of a kitchen floor so try to keep it in your glass or in your mouth if at all possible. Angry Orchard Green Apple Cider is a great summer treat.

Betting Big On The "Bucket"

The popular Mercato Shops in Naples is full of trendy places to hangout; places that while offering good food and a cool scene aren't necessarily inviting for families or for diners in a more casual mood.

That all changed in May, when the Rusty Bucket opened its doors. A family friendly tavern, the new restaurant serves well prepared comfort food with fresh and local ingredients. The craft beer selection is quite impressive, the wine list is quite adequate and the cocktails are made with fresh squeezed juices. The dining geek in me loved the fact that the menu offers drink pairing suggestions, for appetizers as well as main courses.

Fresh and delicious grapefruit margarita

We enjoyed a hearty selection of appetizers including a tangy hummus platter and mouthwatering pork potstickers with sweet chili and ponzu sauce. But it was the fried pickles that had the entire table talking. These were not wimpy little pickle chips, but a healthy sized spear. Dipped in batter you would expect for fish and chips, the fried treats were perfectly crisp; good on their own but even better with the side of ranch dressing for dipping.

Palate pleasing pork potstickers

The main courses range from giant sandwiches and ribs, to burgers and fish. The grilled salmon with a soy glaze, stir fried green beans and sticky rice was so simple, yet simply delicious. The meaty and moist fish was seared with a pleasant crisp, and fantastic flavor.

Perfectly pan-seared salmon

This menu has a little bit of something for every diner, to please both diets and cravings. The Rusty Bucket has a kids reading program and the Blue Plate specials make eating here affordable for the family. In addition, it's a great spot to catch a game on the manyTV screens throughout the dining room and bar.

Rusty Bucket's signature 'Big Sicilian' pizza

Next time you are shopping at or passing by Mercato and want a good meal along with good service, kick it at the bucket, the Rusty Bucket.

Fresh and Fabulous; Wine Wednesday

The hot summer months always have me looking for a crisp and affordable white wine to keep chilled and ready to go. Having been a fan of Spanish wines over the years, I recently read where verdejo, the signature grape of the Rueda Region, was being billed as a better version of sauvignon blanc. Also a sauv blanc fan, I figured it was time to revisit this grape and I'm so glad I did.

Some forty producers currently export verdejo to the US, I chose Verdeo Verdejo from the acclaimed Torres family. It is just as fresh on the inside as the label would suggest on the outside.

This wine had a nice balance of minerality, acidity and citrus. Something that often turns people off from many sauvignon blancs is heavy citrus, sometimes I feel like I'm sucking on a grapefruit peel. So perhaps the aforementioned comparison is good strategy to win over the disheartened sauv blanc drinkers.

A refreshing sipper, this wine also had a nice touch of the tropics, as in fruit. Good with grilled shrimp and a fresh salad, it's one of the best bargains of the summer for me, in the $10 range.

You'll want more than one bottle so do yourself a favor and just buy a case.