Last year when I was working hard to lose the extra baby weight from my daughters' births in 2010 and 2011, I found myself having to give up some of my favorite wines due to their being high in calories. And, as I work to maintain my weight loss, which took the better part of last year to finally lose and get back into pre-pregnancy clothes, I now have two wines that I can enjoy that is not only crisp and full of flavor, but is also 20 percent lighter in calories, thanks to the folks at Brancott Estate and their Flight Song premium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and a Marlborough Pinot Grigio.
It's now more than 30 years since we introduced the world to a wine style unlike anything experienced before.
As pioneers of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, from Marlborough, our winemakers select and harvest grapes earlier when their sugar levels are naturally lower, to craft a full-flavored wine that is 20% lighter in calories*, Brancott Estate Flight Song.
When giving up high caloric wines, I did my fair share of sampling lower calorie wines. But, each and every time, I found the flavor of the wine to be less than enjoyable. I oftentimes wondered how winemakers made lower calorie wines. So, it was interesting to read how the winemakers at Brancott Estate harvest their grapes early in the season, before the grapes have fully ripened, thus having lower sugar levels. To counter the high acidity of the grapes, the winemakers add in a small amount of sugar back into the wine. But, this is such a small amount, just to counter the acidity, that you don't taste it, while you get to enjoy this low calorie wine.
I shouldn't have told my husband that the two wines "Flight Song" varieties I was sent by the folks at Brancott Estate to sample, were low in calorie, as he had it stuck in his head that the flavor would be lost and quality of this lower calorie wine would be poor. It wasn't until he took his first sip of the Brancott Estate Flight Song Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, which I served up with salmon and wild rice last week for dinner.
He said, "Wow, this is surprising good." I had to inform him that Brancrott Estate winemakers were the pioneers of New Zealand Sauvigno Blanc, so they know what they are doing with their varieties, including these new 20% lighter Flight Song wines.
While I am no wine connoisseur, I do enjoy going on wine trail tours, of which we have a few here in CT and the neighboring RI state. Either I go with a bunch of girls for a much needed day out with the girls, or my husband and I will go on a wine sampling tour of local vineyards for our birthdays or anniversaries, while my parents watch the girls. I love not only sampling the different red and white wines, but also learning about the origins of wines and how winemakers make so many great tasting and award winning wines for consumers to enjoy paired with meals, to relax after a day, or when having family and friends over during the warm summer months for BBQs or gatherings.
During one of my recent wine tours, I learned how New Zealand is known for their grapefruit flavored wines. Usually I am not a fan of grapefruit, but after sampling a selection of New Zealand wines, I have since become a fan of this countries wine offering. So, you can only imagine how excited I was to get the chance to try out the two new Flight Song varieties.
"Brancott
Estate Flight Song Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is pale green straw in
color. On the nose, it exhibits pink grapefruit and passion fruit notes
while ripe lemon acidity excites the palate. It is best enjoyed slightly
chilled on its own for any occasion, or accompanied with seafood
dishes, chicken or pork."
"Brancott
Estate Flight Song Marlborough Pinot Grigio is pale straw in color and
shows floral notes with nashi pear and sweet lemon. White peach and
guava create a full palate with ripe, citrus like acidity. Brancott
Estate Flight Song Marlborough Pinot Grigio makes an excellent aperitif
or serves as a perfect match to pork or chicken dishes."
Out of the two wines, I have to say that my personal favorite was the Brancott Estate Flight Song Marlborough Pinot Grigio, which had notes of white peach, pear and sweet lemon. While this wine is great paired with chicken or pork dishes, I ended up enjoying a couple glasses with my husband this past Saturday night with cheese and crackers as we caught up on recorded shows me missed during the week. What a way to wind down the week, than with great tasting wine from the folks at Brancott Estate.
I still can't get over how a 5 oz. glass is only 88 calories, compared to the normal 100-120 (depending on the varietal) glass of wine.. Knowing this, I didn't feel guilty when my husband brought me a refill. And, unlike other wines, I didn't have to worry about getting tipsy due to high alcohol volumes as these two wine varieties only contain 9% wine -- making them great for an afternoon lunch date wine, or enjoyed on the patio in the summer. I will definitely be stocking up on these two low calorie wines from Brancott to enjoy again with my husband, but also to have on hand and offer to family and friends who come to visit and are watching their waistline, and would otherwise have to turn away a great tasting wine.
So, if you love trying new wines, or want a lower calorie wine that doesn't skimp on flavor, you will want to try the delicious new Brancott Estate Flight Song... lighter in calories yet full in taste. The Brancott Estate Flight Song range is now available for purchase in the United States nationwide at around $14.99/bottle.
Enjoy Brancott Estate wines responsibly. www.brancottestate.com. And, don't forget to follow them on on Twitter and Facebook.
Disclosure: I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Brancott Estate Wines. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
I know I drink a lot of my calories and I have to be more mindful of that. I have to try this I really like white wines and would not have known about this one thanks so much for sharing and have a great day.
ReplyDeleteheather [email protected]