Episode 3: The worst wine pour in Bachelor history and a pairing.
I don’t know Nick but hope he finds love.
Forget the wedding photos, interruptions, or breakups — the cringe-worthy moment of last week was the sparkling wine foam over.
Ouch, Yikes… ‘pour’ Nick. This moment has now been saved in giphy history. He rushed the sparkling wine pour and had to imbibe the consequences in front of producers, fans, and helicopter pilots.
Here are a few pointers to make sure your celebration does not become a frothy nightmare.
1. Make sure the wine is cold!
2. Tilt the glass around 35–40 degrees
3. Pour the sparkling wine so it hits the side of the glass instead of the bottom.
4. Continue slowly until the bubbly is at the 1/2 or 3/4 mark of the glass.
Enough pouring deviation, let’s get to some pairing!
Pairing episode 3 with a Beaujolais, or a Gamay from Beaujolais to be exact.
I know some of you are happy now that we finally have a red!
First, understand that Gamay is the varietal. Beaujolais is the most famous wine producing region that makes wine with the Gamay grape. It’s French and traditional to think more of where this wine comes from (terroir) vs what grape it is. VinePair breaks down the naming confusion in more detail. Go wild.
This is our first red and boy are we excited! But it’s still a light bodied red wine with fresh fruit flavors like cranberry and raspberry, so white wine drinkers will enjoy as well.
Reason 1: Beaujolais wines have high natural acidity and low tannins, and this should pair nicely with the expected tears.
We’ve seen the previews. The ladies have now known Nick for 48 hours and just like clockwork the salty drops of emotion will soon be pouring for some. What pairs with salty foods? #tanninsandtears do not go together. Salt brings out the bitterness in tannins, so low tannin wines (mostly whites) are the way to go.
The Gamay grape has a thin skin (like a few of the contestants) and is low in tannins. It’s why some people say this grape is “the only white wine that happens to be red”.
How do they keep it so light and fruity? Jancis Robinson describes it the best in 1 sentence.
Beaujolais is notable for being made in sealed tanks under the influence of carbon dioxide, a method known as carbonic maceration which helps to extract fruit rather than tannin.
Reason 2: We all know about Nick’s surprise confession tomorrow, but here’s another: wines from Beaujolais are shockingly affordable.
$20-25 gets you an outstanding bottle of Gamay and the ability to pair it with a spicey tuna roll, brie, spanakopita or basically anything instagrammable. You can find high quality Gamay Noir (as it’s called) at a cheaper price than Pinot Noir.
Beaujolais Nouveau, a barely-fermented juice, gave the region a bad rap, but the wine world is rediscovering Beaujolais for it’s lighter-bodied, easy-drinking style.
OPTIONAL white wine pairing: If you’ve read this far and don’t like red wine then you deserve bubbles of your own! Go find some champagne, prosecco, cava, or sparkling wine from the U.S. This low tannin, high acidity white will pair just as nicely.
That’s all for now — Cheers and happy Bachelor-ing!
FAMILIAL call-out to my cousin Brandon Cavender, the originator of #tanninsandtears, and valued episodic contributor.
Did you like or loathe the wine? Tap the ❤ button below or contact me. Looking for more first-timer or male perspective on The Bachelor? Check out Rodger Sherman, Jake Rosen, and Andrew Adams.
