Totally Gnarly

So again my plans are waylaid.  I planned on serving my Gnarly Pinot Grigio with talapia - well, we ended going out to sushi with some friends.  I was absolutely determined to have the Gnarly with dinner.
So, I emptied a water bottle and filled it half full with the Gnarly. I thought this to be very clever.
I was famished by the time the sushi came to the table, and in a fit of hunger ate several bites, before taking a sip of the wine.  The first sip wasn't my favorite.  It seemed relatively smooth, but rather dry.  As I continued to sip and enjoy my meal, the wine continued to improve as well.  I shared it with some of my dinner companions and they agreed it was a nice, smooth, dry wine.
I noted earlier that I was a little concerned about "stone fruit" flooding my palate.  Well, I found what that is and evidently I was one of the few people on this earth who didn't know that it referring to fruit that has a pit.  I think thats a dumb name, but no one asked me.  I didn't feel fruit flooding my palate, it was more of a slow trickle.
As you may know, this bottle came from my Boston Qualifier - who so kindly donated it for me to blog about.  In the spirit of reciprocity, I'm sending him a little something as well.  I found a fun,  Australian 2008 Shiraz called Jim Jim.  I hope he likes it.
Moving on to South Africa.  My brother informed me that I had in fact tried one that I liked called Sebeka.  I remember drinking it, because it has a cheetah on the label and a cheetah cork as well (I think).  I remember liking it, but I could have sworn he told me it was an Argentinian Malbec and I didn't bother to read the label.
I also went through my wine rack and found a 2009 South African red wine called Goats Do Roam.  I have no idea where it came from.  I know I didn't buy it.  Often, friends will come over and bring a bottle or two because they all know what a wino I am.  So, Im guessing someone brought it over.
Next week, I will try one or hopefully both if I can find the Sebeka.  Ever the optimist,  I have no doubt I will find one that I like, if not next week, then certainly at some point before this blog project ends.
As always, Im looking forward to it.  I have truly come to appreciate that are so many wines, and so little time.

Good wine, wonderful art show and great shoes

Obviously I'm not complying with my original plan.  Technically, Gnarly should have been last week. I've been dragging it along for an additional week.  I'm embarssed to admit, time just got away from me.

In my defense, it was very easy to loose track of time due to the celebratory nature of my life recently.  So, I am attempting to remedy that with tonights blog.
The wines I referenced on last nights blog were all from last week.  The weekend however, was quite interesting as well and is definitely blogworthy.
My daughter had an art show at Veramar Winery.  It was the perfect setting.  We sat on the patio and had a beautiful view of the vineyards and farm fields.  The wine was actually very nice.  We primarily enjoyed the Riesling which was nice and fun and not too sweet.  Well, let me just say we bought the first bottle (but definitely not the last) at noon and stayed there until 5pm.  There was a continual flow of friends who came to see Kristie, and of course the wine flowed as well - as it should've - we were at a winery after all!
Anyway, at some point I became enamored with my foot.  Or more specifically, my shoes.  I personally think they are so completely cool.  They are a pink cheetah design and one of my favorites.  I bought them years ago, but have never worn them as I had a hard time finding something to match them with.  But, my daughter shines through again and found the perfect blouse at New York and Company.  So, the picture reflects my love of my shoes and my daughters beautiful artwork in the background.  What a great match.  I do feel the need to note upon close inspection of this picture, my calf looks quite large and I can assure you this is not the case.  My calf is quite nice.
So wine lovers.  The next time you're in search of a fun winery, try Veramar.  They have some great whites and decent reds.  Enjoy!!

Too much wine... Is there such a thing?

As I've noted, Thursday will be the day to be Gnarly.  I'll post a picture tomorrow or Wednesday.
But for today, I wanted to blog about Evo Bistro and all the wine we've drank recently.  It's a lovely wine bar in McLean.  My husband took me there as a tag along to a business meeting and I was impressed.  The atmosphere is nice, the staff is very attentive and friendly.  We had a few appetizers and it was very good.  It also offers the wine card, which is like a debit card where one can go to a dispensing machine, select a wine and get a taste or a full glass (or something in between).
While there, I had 2 very nice wines.  The first was a spanish red, Martin Cendoya 2007 Rioja Reserva. $14/glass $63/bottle.  Very nice initial boquet, as it breathed I could smell a mineral scent and it was mildly tart.  I liked it and will try to find it a Total Wine.  My husband didn't like it - but the reason he didn't was because of his wine, not mine.  His was a Blackburn 2008 Cabernet for $10/glass $40/bottle, and it was exceptional.  Big and bold and smooth with lots of flavor, and nothing harsh or sharp.  Once you've sipped something like that, anything else is almost a slap on the tongue.
After that, our attentive server offered us something that had just come in.  She wasn't even sure if the owner would sell it to us.  She probably just said that to make me want it more, which worked because I did.  I wasn't leaving until I got to try it.  It was some type of French wine.   Of course my hubby wouldn't try it, he boycotted the French years ago.  Anyway, it also was $10/glass $40/bottle.  I really liked it.  It wasn't sweet, but reminded me of candy.  Mild citrus.  BUT I DIDN'T GET ANY MORE INFO ON THE WINE!
I get a bit distracted now and again.  Some would say I'm ADD -  maybe so, maybe not.  But in the course of enjoying the wine and the nice company, then realizing we needed to go because we were meeting some friends for dinner, we just happily walked out of the Bistro and I didn't think about it again until I went to bed that night.  Ugh!!
Moving on.  The next day, we had some pretty nice wines at the Boxwood Winery Tasting Room at Reston Town Center.   We tried several and the best one for me was the Boedecker Pinot Noir 2008 from Willamette Valley in Oregon.  It was smooth and light and I think it was $40/bottle.
There was also one that was actually really crummy.  We didn't even finish the glass.  It was called Chocolate Block ($13.75/glass $53.00 bottle) and it was South African.  It tasted like....a zoo.  Is there anyone that knows of a nice South African red that doesn't carry notes of elephant dung??  I noted my limited South African wine experience in a previous blog, and continue to hope that somewhere, somehow I will find a drinkable one.
So, needless to say after all this carrying on and celebrating, I've been wine-celebate for the last several days.  I'm saving myself for Thursday.  Actually, we've been drinking like sailors lately and I think I need to give my liver a break.
Someone wise once said, "All things in moderation".  Yes, It's time to moderate.

Evolution

Much wine has been consumed over the course of the last week as there has been much to celebrate.  I've mentioned previously that my husband just retired and we've had a lot of family here to celebrate with us for his several retirement parties.
So, during this time of celebration - several glasses - actually several bottles of wine have been consumed.  This is where the evolution began.  While sitting with my 2 sister in laws and my daughter at Matchbox restaurant in DC and sipping a lovely white wine (btw-FABULOUS restaurant) - the thought occurred to me that I need to start blogging about the wines I have while at restaurants.  I've found that I truly enjoy trying different wines while dining out - but inevitably, I forget the details of the wine.  Case in point, I had some type of Austrailian white wine.  It was a blend of some type - but I can't remember the specifics except that it was an ok wine, but nothing spectacular.   I told my lunch buddies my idea about blogging on the wines and everyone thought it was a great idea.
The next day, while shopping, my thoughtful daughter bought me a beautiful journal which fits perfectly into my purse so I can take wine notes.  What a thoughtful child I have raised.  Later that day, we had lunch at Applebees.  I had a Barefoot Chardonnay.  Guess what?  It was really nice.  It was $4.99 per glass.  It was served very cold - probably colder then recommended for whites - but I was very plesantly surprised by it's gentle flavor and will buy a bottle for my wine rack on my next visit to pretty much any store.  I've seen Barefoot wines hundreds of times, at Walmart, Safeway, Giant, etc.  but never tried it.  My bad.  It's a nice, low cost bottle.
I want to touch base on some of the fun wines we had this weekend.  Again, while celebrating retirement life, a dear friend brought over 2 very cool bottles from Traders Joe's.  Both were less than $10.00. Both were very flavorful and easy to drink.  The House Wine is a blend of Cab Sav, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Zinfandel, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot.  It's from Washington state and is quite impressive.
The other is about the coolest bottle I've ever seen.  As you can see, it has a happy face.  Nothing else on the front - on the back the label reads Project Happiness Syrah California.   Both were fun wines and perfect for our celebratory mood.  Truth be told, we drank them like water.
So, next week will be my Boston Qualifiers "Gnarly" Pinot Grigio.  Can't wait for that - and will be serving it up with some talapia.  I have high expectations.  I'm still wondering about the whole stone fruit thing - haven't googled that yet, but will have some fun facts about that next week.
I will also be blogging on some phenomenal wines I had tonight at an outstanding place called Evo Bistro.  I have lots to say about it but want to collect my thoughts a bit before I do.
This whole wine blogging thing has been (thus far) so much fun in that I have tried wines I wouldn't have given a moments thought to before.  But I'm finding time gets away from me.  Here it is already Thursday and I didn't even blog a prelude.
I've been off work for 2 weeks now and I'm having a difficulty finding the time to blog about wine?? Wow, what a wonderful problem to have.  :-)

Blondie Blondie

The three of us sat down to dinner - My husband, my daughter and me.  My son was conspicuously absent - but no mind.  It left more wine for the three of us to sample.  We each had different opinions.  My husband loved it.  My daughter didn't care for it.  And I thought it was very nice.....not at all oaky.....nice finish.....but slightly overpriced. I  would totally buy it again - but only if it were on sale.
It's been an awesome week for the wines I'd say.
My Boston Qualifier donated a bottle of pinot grigio.  It's a 2009 Gnarly Head from California.  It's screamin to be blogged on.
Here's what the label has to say:  Kick back after a day of surfing (or any other gnarly activity)with this gnarly Pino Grigio.  This racy wine takes off with aromas of ginger and pineapple.  Crisp flavors of pears, apples and stone fruit flood the palate and the finish "kicks out" with style and grace.  It goes on to discuss how great this wine goes with anything ranging from a beach bonfire to impressing clients at cocktail hour.
Hmmmm... thats a big ticket to fill.  Although I have to stay, I'm a little concerned about stone fruit flooding my palate.  That doesn't sound like much fun.  But I'm open minded.  I'll google it to prepare myself for the onslaught.
I think I may have had a Gnarly Head wine, but not sure - so therefore its bloggable.
As always, I can't wait.  Stay tuned for more fun next week.

It's Blondie night!!

The Blondie is chilling in the frig as I type.  I plan to serve it tonight with chicken.  I'm really looking forward it.  A few stats on this one - $24.99 at Total Wine.  2009 Chardonnay from Red Hen Vineyard, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley.  The wine was stainless steel tank fermented, then rested in French Oak for 3 months before bottling. So I'm guessing it shouldn't be too "oaky".   Only 235 cases of this wine were produced.   Hmmm...interesting.
As I noted previously, this week is dedicated to Mr Boston Qualifier.  This is a good week for him so far.  The Prosecco was spectacular and the Blondie has good reviews. I have very high expectations.
I took a moment to re-read the prior blogs that I posted and I'm noticing that so far Im 3 of 3. I pretty much like everything - at least in varying degrees.  I guess you could say that I'm a friend to all wines.  I think that almost every bottle has a place somewhere.
Looking back to my wine evolution, there have been very few wines I've walked away from.  I've only poured a few down the drain - which was not pleasant.   It could almost be referred to as reverse alcohol abuse.   At any rate, one of the worst in my memory was a South African wine that we tried to share with some friends.  We opened it, tasted it, cringed and decided to let it breathe for a bit.  We came back hours later - only to find it was as bad or worse than it was initially.
Thus far, I believe that has been my only experience with South African.  Maybe I try one for next week. I'll keep my eye out for a nice lable.  So far that philosophy is working out quite nicely!!

Mionetto Prosecco and Ideology Blondie Chardonnay

These are the 2 that I chose for the week.  On the left is a 2009 Blondie Chardonnay and the right is Mionetto Prosecco.  Actually my husband picked the Blondie - definitely can't wait to try that tomorrow.  But for today.  I am so in love with Mioneeto Prosecco.  We got it at Total Wine for $12.99.  It's a cute, short, fat bottle with a pop off top similar to a beer bottle.
I'm not sure why this particular label caught my eye, but it did.  It just seemed short and sweet.  I like that - it reminds me of me.
Prosecco, as you may know is Italy's version of champagne.  Prosecco is not a wine, but a precise wine growing region in Italy.  If it's not from there, it can't be called Prosecco - instead it's referred to as Italian table wine (how boring).
This particular bottle specifically states:  Prosecco "The" Gentle-Sparkling wine.  And it sooooo is.
My husband, daughter, a dear friend and I went to a lovely Italian place this past weekend and had a fabulous Prosecco with an antipasto platter.  The name of it escapes me - it started with an M, but we all commented on how bubbly it was.  This Prosecco is not that bubbly.  It's lovely.  I served it with pork roast and rice, and it was perfect.  We finished with banana cream pie.  OMG - have I died and gone to heaven?  I think so.
I believe that my unbridled joy is in part due to the fact that I'm off work for the next several weeks and my husband has just recently retired.   So, I find myself on this TUESDAY, when I theoretically should be at work and I was out SHOPPING with my hubby for most of the day (although I did have to take several sitting rest breaks) and then spent the afternoon sitting on my deck sampling this lovely Prosecco while my husband prepared a lovely supper.
It was so wonderful, I almost felt like I was doing something wrong.  Key word, almost.
Let me just finish by saying this beautiful, simple Prosecco is a must have for anyone who enjoys a sparkling wine.  I will forever keep a bottle of this cutie pie in my wine rack.
So stay tuned for tomorrow's Ideology Blondie - a 2009 Chardonnay from Napa Valley.  As we were strolling through Total Wine with this Blondie bottle in our cart, one of the Total Wine reps actually stopped talking to the person he was assisting and told us,  "You are going to absolutely love that wine".
I have to say, Im sipping the last of the Prosecco as I'm blogging.  The bottle is now empty and.....I'm sad.

There has been a delay....

There are very few things that could interrupt my wine journey.  One of them happens to be surgery.  And unfortunately, I had to have it.  It was nothing too major, but major enough to put me in the hospital overnight.  Without being too cryptic, it was girlie surgery, and I will be home for 4 to 6 weeks.
For the next couple of days, I will be on a lovely narcotic pain reliever and since I do fancy myself to be a semi-responsible adult, I don't think I will mix it with wine.
On the bright side, I expect to be back in the wine saddle in a few days.  This of course can mean only one thing - I will absolutely have to blog on 2 bottles next week to get caught up.
My daughter has a co worker she refers to as "The Boston Qualifier".  He told her he was disappointed that I was only going to blog on 1 wine per week.  Indicating something along the lines of my having poor wine stamina.  Seriously?? I'm 5'3" and weigh in at 120.  I think one bottle a week is plenty.  But, then again there is always room to improve!   So even though I've never met the man, I'm dedicating next week to him.  Here's 2 for you Mr Boston Qualifier!!!
I'm feeling a white coming on, and maybe a sparkling.  Ahhh, the joys of being home for 4 to 6 weeks - so many wines, so little time.

Wow, this was really nice.

Im not sure if it was the company - we had a very special friend over for dinner.  I'm not sure if it was the food, or if it was a combination of both good food and good company, but I have to say that this wine was very nice.
The label on the bottle indicates the wine goes especially well with pork, seafood and pasta. So of course I served it with steak and a salad. The steaks were big, fat, juicy T-bones.  I call them dinosaur steaks because of their size.  The salad was spring mix and baby spinach with celery, sugar snap peas and green bell pepper with an olive oil and balsamic dressing - it was magnificent.    The wine had a beautiful bouquet, and a lovely splash on the palate.  I liked it immediately.
My husband poured the first glass and took a sip before he handed it to me. He said "hmmm...this is ecclectic".  That was actually a great descriptive word for this wine.  It has a lot going on.  It's very flavorful, and did have notes of cranberry as the label suggested.  So I tasted it at that moment as my daughter previously suggested, with no other food or drink and it was gentle on my tongue.  Then later, with the meal, I noted that the wine was truly enhanced by the steak. It really made a difference.  It tasted smoother, silkier.
I'm really sad to say that at some point during the evening - we finished the wine.  So, now I cant speak to the staying power.  It may or may not be just as good in a few days.  I'm guessing that it would be.   So hats off to the sexy red head.  I liked having my head snapped.  I'd do it again...and again.

This is kinda sexy!!

So, Im strolling through Safeway trying to find some goat cheese to go with the grilled pineapple I was going to prepare with supper.  As a side note - my husband hated it, but ate it anyway.  I can't decide if he was really hungry or just didn't want to hurt my feelings.  We've been married over 25 years, so he probably wasn't too worried about my feelings.  Although he is usually a good sport when I place food in front of him that he hasn't tried.  I've been on a goat cheese kick lately and he has been quite tolerant.
Back to shopping.  I decided to take a look at the wines, which wasn't my original plan.  I wanted to go to World Market or Total Wine, but I just ran out of time today.  Sometimes life gets in the way of the wonderful plans I make.  Which is one of the reasons that  I often buy wine at Safeway.  It's just so convenient to shop there.  It's right by my house - literally 1 mile away and I'm there 2 to 3 times a week anyway.  The prices are ok, but if something is on sale then the price is as good as Total Wine.
I happened to glance at the top row and found this $19.99 bottle on sale for $10.99.  I thought the redhead on the label looked kinda sexy.  At the top, it reads "It's a Headsnapper".  I'm not sure what head it's referring to, but I was intrigued.  It's a 2009 Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast and I do love my California wines.  According to the back label, and I quote..."When a wine is so memorable that it makes you do a double take, you know It's a HeadSnapper."  Well then, I can't wait to have my head snapped!!