209 Hot Stories

Mother’s Day is a special occasion that allows us to celebrate and honor the amazing women in our lives. There are many ways to show appreciation for the special women but one option to consider is a delicious and refreshing cocktail. It’s a thoughtful gesture to treat your mom to something she’ll enjoy so this year, we’re introducing a new recipe that’s perfect for the occasion: the cranberry mimosa.

The cranberry mimosa is a twist on the classic mimosa, the popular brunch cocktail that’s typically made with orange juice and champagne. This version adds a festive touch with the addition of cranberry juice, making it a perfect option for this celebration.

To make this cocktail, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients:

• 1 bottle of chilled sparkling wine or champagne
• 1 cup of chilled cranberry juice
• Fresh cranberries, for garnish
• Fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish

To start, fill a champagne flute about halfway with chilled cranberry juice. Then, top it off with your favorite Lebanese sparkling wine. Garnish with a few fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary, and you’re all set.

Not only is the cranberry mimosa delicious and easy to make, but it’s also a beautiful and festive addition to any Mother’s Day brunch or celebration. Plus, the cranberries add a pop of color and a touch of tartness that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the sparkling wine.

If you’re looking for a fun and unique way to celebrate your mom or any special women in your life this Mother’s Day, the cranberry mimosa is the perfect choice, the perfect treat, and is sure to impress.

So, go ahead and raise a glass to all the amazing moms out there – and cheers to a delicious and memorable Mother’s Day!

I grew up in an environment where pleasure and beauty combined with good food was the motto. Hoda & Chocolat’s story is a family story. It started in the eighties when my mom and dad decided to share with their family the delicious confectionary they enjoyed creating together.

While traveling for thirteen years in the business world, I kept being drawn towards the marvelous, delicious and artistic world of chocolate and sweets. I ended up giving into my passion and came back to Beirut in 2010 to be an active actor in my family ‘s heritage.

The “Chocolate World” just like the wine universe is an artistic philosophy in itself. It’s about senses, art, precision, balance, feelings and moods; but before going through the marriage of wine and chocolate, we ought to talk about chocolate.

Tasting chocolate engages your senses: first, the sight. A good chocolate should be shiny and glossy; and its color is a significant indicator of its quality. After the gentle touch of the delicate piece, comes the smell: just as is the case for wine, smelling chocolate is the next step toward discovering its aromas and characteristics. Depending on the chocolate you picked, you can enjoy scents of vanilla, caramel, smoked cocoa and so on…

Then, your sense of hearing is solicited: when you take a bite into a good plain tablet, it has to crack. If it doesn’t, then your chocolate contains butter other than cacao butter which is a sign of lower quality. (The French legislation for example requires chocolate to have 95% or more cacao butter to be sold on the national market.)

And finally, comes the taste and texture in the mouth: the chocolate has to melt in your mouth leaving a velvety sensation.

This is when you can start to savor the flavors, appreciate its intensity, balance, or subtle aromas. It should be rich intense with a perfect harmony of sweetness, bitterness and acidity.

In other words, chocolate tasting is a complex and fascinating experience. It requires a keen sense of taste and smell, as well as an understanding of the variety of factors that contribute to the flavor and quality of the chocolate. From evaluating the appearance and aroma to tasting the flavor and texture, the goal of a chocolate degustation is to identify the unique characteristics of each chocolate and determine the quality of the product. Whether you are a professional chocolatier, a chocolate lover or simply someone who enjoys good food, chocolate tasting is an experience that will never leave you indifferent.

As we just went over for chocolate, wine tasting also calls upon all your senses so imagine combining both together for a special tasting experience. It is a sophisticated experience, an explosion of senses, a marriage that brings out the unique flavors and aromas of each. The right combination magically balances the sweetness of the chocolate with the tannins and acidity of the wine, while enhancing the tastes of both at the same time. This type of tasting is increasingly popular as people tend to seek out new and unique food and drink experiences.

The best way to taste chocolate and wine is to take small bites and sips, allowing each flavor to fully develop on the palate before moving onto the next. It is important to note that the temperature of the chocolate and wine can greatly affect the taste and texture. It is therefore recommended to have both at room temperature.

When selecting chocolate for a dual tasting with wine, one has to consider the type and intensity of the chocolate. Dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa solids is often considered the best type of chocolate for wine tasting as it has a rich and intense flavor that can stand up to the bold flavors of red wines. Milk chocolate is typically considered a sweeter chocolate and is best paired with sweeter wines such as Moscato or Port.

Similarly, when selecting wine for a chocolate and wine tasting, it is important to consider the wine’s tannins, acidity, and sweetness levels. Tannins are a natural component of wine that give it its structure and flavor. Wines with high levels of tannins, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir, are often considered the best types of wine for chocolate and wine tastings as they can stand up to the rich flavor of dark chocolate.

Wines with high acidity levels, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling, are also good choices for chocolate and wine tastings, as they help balance the sweetness of the chocolate.

Furthermore, the most joyful combination tastings start with lighter-bodied wines and chocolate and then move on to more full-bodied wines and chocolate. This offers a gradual progression in intensity and flavor, allowing each pairing to be fully appreciated. It is also recommended to taste each pairing on its own before moving on to the next in order to fully appreciate how flavors and aromas fully develop on the palate.

In conclusion, chocolate and wine tastings are a unique and sophisticated way to enjoy two of life’s greatest pleasures. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or a chocolate lover, a chocolate and wine tasting is sure to be a delightful and memorable experience for you.

In my view and beyond the fact that taste is very personal and subjective, it also depends on one’s mood or state of mind. So, I won’t go for big statements saying that such chocolate must absolutely go with this or that wine; when both are good quality, I would say follow your gut and take risks as there are great chances for you to be happily surprised.

Taste is a culture and we breed it. Chocolate and wine are art, and we discover them.

This is for all those who want to taste wine like a pro, develop their palate, and become refined experts.

After having had the pleasure of meeting up with Gaston Hochar in his winery Chateau Musar, we learned many tips on how to taste and evaluate a glass of wine like a specialist.

Learning how to do the latter can greatly enhance one’s appreciation and understanding of the beverage. Tasting wine is not just about identifying the flavors, but also about understanding the wine’s structure, balance, and overall quality. This knowledge can help you identify wines that you enjoy and make better-informed wine purchasing decisions.

It can also make social situations, such as dining at a restaurant, more enjoyable as you will be able to confidently order and appreciate the wines being served.

For those who work in the wine industry, understanding how to taste wine and evaluate it like an expert is essential for success. This knowledge can be used to create, market, and sell wine. It can also be used to provide professional recommendations, pairing suggestions, and wine education to others. Overall, mastering how to taste wine correctly is a necessary skill for anyone who wants to fully appreciate and understand its beauty along with its complexities.

Mr Hochar, owner and General Manager of Chateau Musar, walked us through the proper steps of tasting wine. According to him, having the ability to do it like a pro requires both knowledge and technique; things he has accumulated with years of experience. Here is the walk through to follow:

To start off, you must examine the wine’s appearance, noting the color and clarity. The color can indicate the wine’s age and variety, while the clarity can indicate if it has been filtered or if it has any sediment.

Firstly, look down into the glass to be able to view the wine’s entire color. Then, tilt your glass so that the wine rolls towards the rim providing you with more clues regarding its weight and age.

Next, you should give the wine a swirl (in a swift motion) to aerate it and release its aromas. Take a moment to take in the wine’s nose, or its bouquet, noting any primary and secondary aromas such as fruit, floral, and earthy scents.

Once you have a good sense of the wine’s aroma, take a sip and let it linger in your mouth to fully experience the taste, texture, and finish. By letting the wine cover all parts of your mouth, prior to swallowing it, you avoid missing any key element. Here, you should be paying attention to the wine’s acidity, tannins, and alcohol level, as well as any flavors or impressions you may have. The trick while you finally give it a taste is to inhale while doing so, in order to have a better encounter and understanding of the beverage in question.

Overall, the key to tasting wine like an expert is to approach it with an open mind, take your time, and use your senses to fully appreciate the complexity of the wine.

Following these steps will enable you to discern what you like, dislike, or appreciate in your wine. Taking your time to fully understand and recognize the components of each wine will help you articulate your feelings towards a certain blend and help you ultimately find your preferred type of wine.

Make sure to check out our Instagram for the full video of Mr Hochar demonstrating the step by step on how to do it!

Roasting chestnuts on an open fire has long been a beloved tradition, even a winter activity, that evokes both feelings of warmth and nostalgia. It is the heat from the fire and the aroma of the chestnuts that help us forget the cold weather outside. This, along with a glass of red wine, is the perfect combination that creates the cozy inviting atmosphere that everyone yearns for during the cold months. Whether enjoyed at home or at a cozy wine bar, wine and chestnuts are the ultimate comfort food to help you feel warm and happy.

Red wine and chestnuts make a perfect pairing as they complement each other’s flavors and textures. Chestnuts have a naturally sweet and nutty taste that pairs well with the tannins and fruitiness of a red wine. The earthly and slightly sweet flavor of chestnuts is particularly well-suited to bolder red wines such as Pinot Noir. A full-bodied red like a Syrah, with its rich and dark fruit flavors, can also be the perfect pair for chestnuts, as it offers a perfect balance of flavors on the palate. These distinct flavors work marvelously well together to create a harmonious culinary experience with their ability to bring warmth and comfort during the cold weather.

Chestnuts have a unique and delicious taste that are highly enjoyed on their own. Yet, they add depth and flavor when had with a glass of red wine. The variety of red Lebanese wines available, from bold and full-bodied to lighter and fruitier, allows for a culinary experience that can suit any palate and occasion and is most definitely the perfect way to warm up from the inside out.

When combined, red wine and chestnuts are the perfect pairing for a cold winter night. The pairing of both together is a classic and timeless combination that is sure to please.

https://www.209lebanesewine.com/collections/chestnut-and-wine