Everything sweet ain't sugarcoated..

What a lie..... (Jhene went off on that song by the way!)

Love has never been my strong suit - the struggle is real. I’m not perfect by any means, but I do think I am a decent person. I’ve had my fair share of interactions that have led to many interesting memories that I both laugh at and occasionally cringe over. I recently laughed about the date I went on in college to a fancy Italian restaurant in Midtown. My date at the time was an associate on Wall Street and I thought it would be fun to be fake fancy for the night. I’ve always been a lover of fine dining. But the way we looked at the menu and saw crab cake as an appetizer, only for the waiter to literally bring out  a single crab cake, for us both? I cannot. Overall, the date actually went okay. We had a lot in common and were able to laugh together at our Groupon shenanigans. (Yes, I bought a Groupon because it was literally $15 and this was a spur of the moment decision, don’t hate the player). In the end, neither of us were really ready to talk about what “this” was at the time, so it ended a bit somber.

I say all that to say - nostalgia is a double-edged sword. It can be your best friend and worst enemy. In quarantine, I’ve been sitting with my thoughts and in deep reflection more often than not. I know it’s weird to be kinda positive about this situation, but I think this period has changed me for the better. In life we are left with a bunch of what if’s and it makes you evaluate “Where would I be -- had I done ‘this’ differently?” “What would I have been doing?” “Should I have stayed in NYC, or was moving to Philly the best choice?” These are fair questions that I’ve been asking myself. With self-reflection comes clarity, and that is something I’m proud of because with each passing day, I’m more in tune with myself. And I’m only getting better.

So, we’re at the fifth issue and the community has grown by another 100 members. WOOT WOOT! Our IG community now has over 1,000 members! (Be sure to enter the IG giveaway!) I still can’t believe I’m writing these and you guys are loving it. Y’all make me so happy I could cry (and I did a little).

Here are a few new developments I’m excited to share with you:

1. WINE DOWN WITH COLE IS NOW A WINE.COM AFFILIATE! Listen, this is major. The commission I make on these links are going to help further the mission and be reinvested right back into you. So going forward, all wines will be linked! Just click and boom! THERE IT IS!

2. If you’re new to Wine.com, I have a code for you to help save $25-30 off your first order of $100. Click here to use it.

3. We’re now also a Coravin affiliate. Coravin’s Wine Preservation System enables wine lovers to pour any wine, in any amount, without removing the cork. If you want to check it out or purchase one, click here!

4. We have an official SHFT WORLD CODE FOR THE WDWC Community. It’s a social conscious lifestyle and apparel brand. I love their mission statement and they make some pretty rad tees with taglines that inspire and motivate. Latinx owned and woman-owned. Use “WDWC” at checkout for 15% off your purchase!

5. Did you fill out our community form yet? This helps me make this newsletter bigger and better!

A reminder for the audiophiles - we have a podcast! Check us out on Apple Podcasts, Anchor, and Spotify. Please be sure to leave us a comment and rate us!

So I know we have been drinking a lot of wine lately, some more than others (this is a judgment free zone). I’ve even dubbed some of my pours the “pandemic pour”. The typical standard serving size for wine is 5-6 oz. One 750ml bottle of wine holds about 5 glasses (Now y’all know I laughed when I saw that for real because I can easily finish a bottle by myself). Caloric intake ranges from 460 (if you are drinking dry wines) to 1,440 (if you are indulging in sweeter wines) calories a bottle. If you have a non-sparkling wine, sweetness levels can result in up to 130 additional calories per glass. The intent here isn’t to scare you, but just to provide some background. In the United States, wine companies are not required to label actual sweetness levels in wine! However most wineries do provide technical sheets that go into detail about how much residual sugar is in each vintage.

Michele S. asked if there are any “guilt-free wines”. Answer? Not really. However, you may recall  a previous newsletter where I talked about Resveratrol in red wines like Pinot Noir, Merlot and Malbec. Resveratrol helps protect the body against damage and lower the exposure risk to things like cancer and heart disease. It also helps block the enzyme related to the control of stress in the brain. There’s also another compound in Cabernet Sauvignon, Madiran and Syrah: Procyanidin. Procyanidin helps reduce inflammation, prevents blood clots and helps fight off infections! Studies have even said that wine with a high concentration of procyanidins have led to higher longevity. Pro-tip much! However if red wine isn’t your jam, go with a European white (Italian, French or German). Europe tends to have stricter laws and regulations on alcohol content which in turn often leads to less calories. A light white varietal like a Riesling, Pinot Grigio or a Vinho Verde will work here. If you want sparkling wine or champagne, go the Brut route! A glass of Brut is in the 120 cal range compared to around 175 cals for a sweet champagne. Regardless what you pick, everything in moderation. That’s the rule I live by (most times). I’m not perfect, but I’m a work in progress.

Hope this helps!

Coley’s Final Notes!

What I’ve been sipping on lately – Pinot Noir Rosé by Maison Nicolas. I actually picked this one up from my local wine store on a whim. The price target is $10, but I got it for $7.99. I was a bit skeptical at first, but do not sleep! This was pretty good! I shouldn’t be surprised though because this comes from the Languedoc region and the Rosé here is *chef’s kiss* This is a well-balanced, medium-bodied wine that is crisp, dry and has hints of strawberries. Suggested pairings: prosciutto, hummus, crab, and shrimp. Pro-tip: Use this for your frosé. 

Cava Me Down! – Clasico Cava Brut by Codorníu ($11.99). This is one of my favorite new sparkling wines. It was so fresh, fruity and well balanced throughout. This is a blend of three grapes: Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo, the traditional varieties used to make cavas. I’ve had cava every weekend since starting this newsletter, so look out for my cava rankings in the next one. 

Purchase Clasico Cava Brut by Cordorniu here

My latest pickups! – Moscato (2018) by Terra d’Oro. ($14.99) This one came highly rated, so I wanted to see what the hype was about. I don’t usually drink Moscato on the regular, but I know a lot of y’all love wine on the sweeter end. This is supposed to give off a lemon cheesecake flavor. Cake in wine-form? I’m intrigued. I also purchased the Grecante Grechetto (2018) by Arnaldo Caprai. ($17.99) I’m always here for wines that have exotic fruits. This is my first time having wine from Umbria, a region of central Italy. I’ll talk about it more over on the IG! 

Purchase Moscato (2018) by Terra d’Oro here

Purchase Grecante Grechetto (2018) by Arnaldo Caprai here

Upcoming Holidays – Pinot Noir Day (August 18th)

Random Tik Tok Quote that motivated me – “You have to start romanticizing your life. You have to start thinking of yourself as the main character because if you don’t — life will continue to pass you by. And all the little things that make it so beautiful will continue to go unnoticed. So take a second, and look around and realize that it’s a blessing for you to be here right now.”

Finally, THE WINNERS OF THIS ISSUE’S GIVEAWAY ARE:

Lindsay A. + Alex S.

Bonus Bottle Winners: Mychal B, Stephanie S

I will reach out to get your information and ship the bottles your way! xo.

This concludes the fifth issue of #WineDownWithCole – Stay vino’d up and indulge in a glass.