Wine Together

London Mule Mocktail… same recipe as the cocktail except the gin is alcohol-free. We have such fond memories of London… especially the pub culture which includes the classic Fish & Chips.

For the pairing this week, Deb wanted Fish & Chips but with a sophisticated twist… broiled fish on a bed of baked rice with white cream and cheese sauce. It was comforting and classy.

London Mule Recipe:

• Mule Mug filled with crushed ice

• 1.5 oz. Gin

• 1 oz. Ginger Beer

• .5 oz. fresh lime juice

But for the mocktail use alcohol-free gin.

We appreciate your loyal support. Spread love wherever you go.🍁🍂

Cheers,

B & D 🍷💜

We were delighted to hang out with Emilia this week with espresso martini mocktails and cheesecake. Unfortunately not one of Emilia’s famous cheesecakes, but it was good in a pinch!😉

As her momma, I loved seeing Emilia in the screen as we chatted about everyday life and podcasting/live streaming. Even from a distance, seeing their faces and smiles helps me find comfort in the distance between me and my my kiddos. I know they are adults with their own lives and all, but when I see them my heart hurts and beats a little faster from the joy of seeing them… all at the same time. It is a weird phenomenon.🧡

I love you, kids!😘

And Brooke and I appreciate all who listen and interact with us.💜

Cheers,

B & D 💜🍷

Phony Negroni . We chose this mocktail because we LOVE a good Negroni and were hoping the non-alcoholic version would be just as lovable .💜😁

It was ok… what made it better was the dish we paired with it - Spanish Baked Eggs. It was our first effort at this dish so we will need to work on making it more delicious and appealing to our tastes.😉

Mocktails are a fun way to enjoy glassware without the alcohol if that is necessary. I do love good glassware!😉

We wish you all love and good wine (or mocktails) as we approach the cooler months.

Cheers,

B & D 🍷💜

Our drink of choice this week is an

aromatised wine-based drink we named B & D Swiss Sangria.

What is that, you ask? Well… a bit of history.

In January 2014, the European Union granted Geographical Indication (GI) protection to Sangria to safeguard cultural heritage, prevent consumer fraud, and protect the local economy. So we cannot call our homemade drink Sangria, but we can call it what we mentioned above.

We paired this sweet concoction with chicken burritos filled with our favorite veggies, salsa, guacamole, and crème frisch. This was a fun and sweet way to officially close out the summer.

We wish you all a calm, cool, and delicious Autumn 🍂 as we prepare for and look forward to good changes in our lives.

Cheers,

B & D 🍷💜

Continuing our month of Swiss wines and food pairings, this week we take on Switzerland’s very own Chasselas. DNA of this grape indicates it is an indigenous variety originating from the Lake Geneva region of Switzerland.🇨🇭 Because of this, the grape is historically protected under the name Fendant in that part of the country.

Other countries plant this grape, but not in the quantity per square acreage as Switzerland and not for the same purposes. Chasselas is Switzerland’s most important white wine grape.

We paired this wine with Chicken Tikka Masala. Another perfect combination!

Rumor has it that James Joyce would sip this wine all day while writing Ullysses when he was exiled in Switzerland during World War I. He was living the dream, right? The café supposedly still stands in Zurich … Café Pfanen… Brooke and I will try to find it and keep you posted.

Here’s to a life well lived with loved ones who stand by you and lift you up always.💜

Cheers,

B & D 💜🍷

Le Rosel Rosé de Pinot Noir 2025

Elegant rosé with notes of red fruits, citrus and yeast (that’s different)… this wine is dry, acidic, but not tannic or overpowering with alcohol tastes. It pairs very well with gamey meats and pasta with almost any sauce.

Paired with: horse steak and pasta tossed with a pink pesto melded with ricotta. We added a toasted garlic bread with melted mozzarella and parmesan to complete the meal.

The acidity in the wine cut through the richness of the sauce and cheeses for a beautiful, harmonious flavor on the palate. Nothing overpowering from any element… just a perfect blend of love and calm to perk up our day.

We wish you the best and hope you find time to relax with loved ones.

Cheers,

B & D🍷💜

Autumn is almost here according to the calendar, but the weather has been unseasonably warm (actually hot) in Switzerland this year. However, we are forging ahead and drinking red wine anyway.😁🍷

This Swiss red, Lemanic Salvagnin, made from the Gamay grape grown up above the shores of Lake Geneva is fruity, dry, and easily drinkable… so drinkable.😯 The flavors of dark red, blue, and black berries blend in a delicious mash up so that the wine flows freely over the tongue and leaves no tannic after taste/feel. The notes (for me at least) are vanilla and musk beside dark fruit.

Paired with a turkey club, this wine felt like „home.“ Nothing fancy, but definitely not cheap tasting either. I would drink this wine wearing shorts and a tank top while eating lunch at the beach AND while enjoying dinner on the riverside dressed to the nines. This bottle checks off many boxes on my list of what I like in a good wine.

We hope you will enjoy a glass of anything with friends and family this week as we all look forward to the changing seasons. 🍂

Cheers,

B & D🍷💜

September is one of my favorite months no matter where I happen to be in the world… cooler weather, the smell of warm apples & cinnamon, my favorite color - orange 🧡 - poking through everywhere from nature to home decor… and slower, later mornings (for me).

Brooke and I decided this September we would feature Swiss wines and food for the podcast. We are starting with one of my favorites… Heida Étoile Dorée from Canton Valais, vintage 2025… a very young white wine.

This wine, made from Savagnin Blanc grapes, is crisp and refreshing with notes of exotic fruits like mango, passionfruit, and pineapple along with earthy notes such as nuts and hay… maybe a little alpine minerality. The flavors I notice right away are pear, melon, and maybe some subtle spices. The secondary flavors that pop out to me on later sips are honey and subtle sweets such as marzipan. This is a perfect autumn to winter white wine.

We paired this wine with a pasta and Parmesan white cream sauce (with extra shredded parm as needed). The nutty flavor of the Parmesan cheese paired with the subtle flavors of nuts and marzipan in the wine were an excellent combination.

A definite winner!🏆

We hope you find a cool afternoon/evening to sit and enjoy one of your favorite wine and food pairings with friends and/or family to celebrate the end of summer.

Here’s to happy endings leading to new beginnings. 💜

Cheers,

B & D🍷💜

This week Brooke and Deb threw together a light seafood pasta to pair with Sunnu Oeil de Perdrix 2025 from Canton Valais in Switzerland. Only in our wildest dreams would we pair a wine from the French-speaking region of Switzerland with an Italian-inspired seafood pasta dish and tell you all about in English!🤣💜 .., but, hey… that’s how we roll in late summer trying to make everything work with wanting to sunbathe, swim, run, and bike, (maybe do a little shopping), but needing to find a real job, clean our living space, and not spend too much money on necessities. Life is full of decisions and choices… we chose to dream for a little bit longer this summer. 🏖️

We hope that you continue to dream as well. Stay strong, stay healthy, stay kind… we will keep you posted about food and wine as we continue to try new pairings. This one was top tier (in my opinion) and hopefully you all eat and drink top tier as well.

Cheers,

B & D 🍷💜

We‘re baaack!

We were on a much needed pause to celebrate several birthdays. So… back to work. The wine we had with our summer watermelon plate was very sweet. It is definitely not the kind of wine I would normally choose, but paired with the watermelon and feta cheese it was tolerable.

The berries were jammed in there, but the added sweetness was too much for my palate. So if you find yourself at a summer picnic with sweet wines, eat fruit and soft cheeses to help soften out the sugars.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Cheers,

B & D🍷💜