January | 2017 | Sip Tripper

Like the ruby slippers of a young girl who, in the turn of a twister wasn’t in Kansas anymore, the colorful French gamay grape awaits in a bottle of Chateau de Nervers Brouilly and Domaine Des Quatri Vents Fleurie, both villages classified. Gamay grapes are a cross between pinot noir and the ancient white gouais, and grown in the most southern region of Burgundy, in Beaujolais…considered by many to be its own appellation. The timing of the new release of gamay wines have the precision known to Switzerland. Every third week of November, a new release of Beaujolais Nouveau is swiftly sold. Many buyers open the bottles for Thanksgiving dinner as a tradition, but almost nobody will put the bottle down in the cellar.

The idea of Beaujolais Nouveau is to taste the grape of the prior harvest, newly released, as a gateway to how a particular vintage will age. This is not a wine to elicit layers of character and perfumes. It is meant to be consumed immediately and offers a straightforward mouthfeel of straight fruit and fine tannins. Its aromatics are without the mask of oak, and for the Fleurie, you’ll get hints of fresh-picked violets; for the Brouilly, cherries and red currants dominate. Both gamay wines are fruit forward, inviting on the palate and pair well with aged cheeses, spicy dishes and tarragon chicken or roasted lamb. Okay, so they both work really well with pizza!

The biggest producer of Beaujolais Nouveau is Georges Duboeuf, who also produces Chardonnays such as Macon-Villages and Pouilly-Fuisse, the former grown in limestone and the latter in clay, chalk. My preference is Pouilly-Fuisse for its Burgundian character and aroma of roasted almonds mixed with verbena. This is a slightly oak-aged wine and expected to age well. The best pairing? Caesar salad topped with lobster, or any light pasta dish, seafood bisque or shellfish.

Finally, wines from Burgundy can be expensive, yet these wines are priced around $20 a bottle. Enjoy the youthful vibrance of these entry-level, Beaujolais wines. Especially at a picnic, and if you’d like…in a sangria.

Without the bitter oils and acid finish in a sip of coffee, cold brewed coffee made in the Dutch or Japanese style… in a slow ice-drip, changes the taste to an almost caramel texture coffee experience. I recently tested a new product on the market, Dripo by gosh! and after my initial confusion in why I would want to wait 2-plus hours for a cup of cold coffee, I tasted it and get the idea….sort of.

At first, the concept was lost on me. I opened the container that looked to be a carton of milk, and inside was a cylinder with three twist off parts. Fortunately, I had a guest staying with me who took charge of the initial testing. Unfortunately, the first go at making this brew took all day. I later realized that she had placed the thin coffee filter on the bottom instead of the top of the grounds, and this caused it to slow down considerably. In fact, I tried it twice and realized that its best to skip using the coffee filter on top since there is a metal filter built in.

The problem for me is that i don’t really like cold coffee, and that’s what I got. Delving deeper into this phenomenon of cold-brewed coffee, I was advised to simply add a bit more coffee grind and then add boiled water so I could taste a cup of hot, yet cold-brewed coffee. The result was a caramel-smooth texture of weak coffee I really didn’t want to continue brewing in this effort-heavy method. Oh, and the cap with the pour-out lid doesn’t work.

Come summertime, I will definitely make another attempt to enjoy this when the thought of drinking a cup of hot coffee is unfathomable. But for now, some like it cold, but I like my coffee hot and brewed in my traditional coffeemaker.

For those who have joined the craze of cold coffee, Dripo by gosh! is sold on Amazon.com at this time for about $30, and is patent-pending. Be sure to hashtag #howyoudripo to share your smooth tales of ice-drip coffee, or visit GetDripo.com, Facebook.com/GetDripo for more information.