Texas Kick Butt Cab

So here I am in Texas, with dear friends. We've decided to blog on a Texas wine. This particular one is a 2007 Cabernet from Texas Hill Country, and yes it's called Kick Butt Cab.

There is no back label, so we won't worry about it.

The wine is...lighter than what you would expect from a cab - it's fruity and rather tart. I bought it at a totally cool wine place called Spec's. Which actually appears to have more wine than Total Wine - and they have liquor and specialty foods as well.

The bottle cost $16.99. Would I buy it again?? Probably not.. I love the label though and might actually save it because I recently bought a candle holder that fits on the top of a wine bottle. I will use it for that.

Not sure what is happening for next week. My hubby and I just drove 2000 miles over the course of thte last 3 days, I can't think that far ahead.

Until then...Cheers

Did someone say Naked????

Sorry no pictures available for tonights selection.

It's called Simply Naked. It's a 2010 Caifornia "unoaked" Cabernet Sauvignon. What does that mean exactly? Well, it means the wine is not aged in oak. Actually, this wine is not aged at all except for the time it sits on a shelf. The winemaker chose to produce the wine this way with the theory that the wine would taste crisp and fruity. The back label boasts of an explosion of plum and black cherry. I checked out the website for more tasting notes and it also adds cinnamon spice with chewy tannins. I have to say chewy tannins is not something that sounds appealing.

The serving recommendations are the typical red meat, tomotoe pasta or hard cheese. I served it with a green chile beef burrito.

The wine is actually....ok. It's not that bad, it's not that good, but the price is very reasonable - my hubby bought it at Walmart for under $12.00. It does taste like a new wine, which makes sense since it's not aged. My hubby and daughter didn't care for it. They described it as rough. I didn't think it was too bad, a little tart for my taste, but maybe if I actually served it with the proper recommendation, it would improve. As I've blogged about before, some wines crave food, I think this one does.

I'm too tired to put much more thought into this one.

I'm still looking forward to a Spanish cava. One day....

Until then, Cheers!!

Radius......smoooooth

As usual, my well thought out plans didn't cooperative with my hectic life. Therefore, I still have not found a Spanish cava. But it's on my list to do before the end of the month.

But, I did go rumaging through my wine rack and found this very nice bottle of Radius. It"s a 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon from Walla Walla, Washington. This is still yet another Washington state wine that is quite nice. If your taste buds haven't ventured into Washington state, well it's time they take a trip. It's not Napa valley, but it comes close.

The back label boasts of currant, black cherry and red jam fruit. Serving recommendations are red meats, game, sharp cheese and dark chocolate. Well, I actually took note and served it with a beef roast, broccoli and a spring mix salad. It was very nice. Nice bouquet, definitely dark fruits, no pepper or spice - lots of flavor initially on the palate that smoothly and slowly finishes. As a matter of fact, as I type Im nibbling on dark chocolate and sipping the vino. My oh my, this is good.

My hubby bought this at Total Wine. He vaguely recalls that he spent $22 for this bottle. I don't really trust his memory with this type of stuff, but I'm at his mercy as I don't have the energy to research it tonight.

So, all that being said. If your looking for a nice bottle as a gift or something nice to take over to a friends for supper. This is a good one.

On that happy note. Stay tuned for some Arizona wines - I will be relocating to that beautiful state in the very near future and look forward to doing some tastings. Until then...Cheers!!

Check out the FLASQ....not

As usual life got in the way of my plans to get a Greek or Spanish sparkling wine or cava. I never made it to Total Wine to purchase anything.

So, after sushi night at our favorite sushi restaurant Otani (a tradition we have with several friends), I had to run to the drugstore to pick up my daughter's dog's phenobarbital prescription (he is epileptic) and I decided to grab a wine to blog on tonight.

This FLASQ looked really cool dressed in stainless steel - all modern and nuveau. Well, the taste is rather harsh. My daughter described it as a euro college wine. As if they tried to make the bottle look sleek and metallic, but instead they sacrificed the taste of the wine. She further described it as grainy and dehydrated.

It's very inky and deep colored. The back label describes ripe berries with a hint of spice. Well, there's a bit more than a hint, and even the bouquet has a metallic smell.

All in all a must have if your already drunk and want to drink more.

I love the look of it, but the taste of it doesn't appeal to me. I hate to say it because I think it's alcohol abuse, but I'm thinking I might pour it down the drain.

Boo hiss.

Yes!!

Yes it does!!! As a 47 year old women who has never been botoxed, I totally agree.
Not sure what will be the one for tomorrow night. But I am looking forward to it.
Until then...Cheers!

Grapeables

I was in Phoenix for a few days on business, or more accurately in Fountain Hills.

During lunch, I walked across the street from the hotel to have a sandwich at a plaza. As I meandered through the plaza I found wine bar called Grapeables.

It was closed at the time, but I noticed a write-up from the local Phoenix paper posted in the window proclaiming this place to be a hot spot. What the heck, I thought. Maybe later after work, I'll give it a try.

Thank Goodness I did. Not only is the owner Dave wonderful and friendly, the atmosphere is tasteful and cozy, but the wine......Ahhh…....the wine.

I think I had the best red wine in the history of the world. Dave recommended it when I advised I'm looking for a good red. It was an Elyse 2006 C'est Si Bon Nagglar Vineyard. It's a California winery that produces a beautiful Rhone style wine that will knock your socks off. Smooth, silky, earthy, and smoky with kisses to your tongue that linger.

I asked about buying it from Total Wine, which is not possible. So, I got the information from the back label. www.elysewinery.com. I will positively buy this wine.

Dave knows the winemaker and explained how a smaller winery can do things a larger one cannot. For example, the wine owner/maker hires the same crew to hand pick the grapes, only accepting those that are healthy and unblemished. Whereas a larger winery uses a piece of machinery that literally shakes the grapes off the vine and all the other tidbits that may fall along with it.

Does that actually make a difference? Well when you taste this nectar of the Gods the only is answer is absolutely yes, it makes a difference.

I've only been here less than 24 hours and I already found my favorite place.

To quote Arnold....."I'll be back".

Until then....Cheers!!

We are thankful

that someone didn't get an eye poked out....

I sit here among family and friends utterly stuffed and uncomfortable and blissfully happy.
We are preparing to sip a Bevlamo Moscato Rosato. This is an Italian Spumante. It is a beautiful sweet Italian sparkling wine. I originally intended to purchase a Greek or Spain sparkling, but will save that for Decemeber. This bottle was a gift from a friend for my recent promotion, and traveled from my house, to another friend's, then back to here - so, it's begging to be imbibed.
When we uncorked it, the cork hit the ceiling, bounced off and landed in a candle splashing wax all over the place.
We laughed, sipped and decided we are going to drink this for New Year's eve as well. We all enjoyed the flavor. It's sweet, light, fruity, gently bubbly, and fun. Everyone loved it.
I should've taken a picture of the bottle as it is quite lovely. It's a pretty rosy pink with gold letters and foil and would make a great gift as well.
I'm off to prepare for Black Friday with sweet wine on my lips and dreams of big savings and lots of Christmas purchases.
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Blessings

Thursday snuck up on me this week. It's been quite a challenging few days. So, when I realized it was Thursday and I needed to blog about a wine, I decided I don't have the time or inclination to go retail searching for a label that catches my eye. Instead the plan was to just pick something pretty out of my wine rack and hope for something good. Actually, my hubby picked it. It's a W.B. Bridgman 2008 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine hails from Walla Walla, Washington. Evidently back in the early 1900's, W.B. was one of the first to introduce European wine grapes to Washington. I gotta say, he did a good job.

We served it with barbecued chicken, brown rice and a spring mix salad. The label recommends the typical red meat dishes, which of course we did not do.

The color is beautiful - deep and dark and it had a fruity-tart bouquet. When it first hit my tongue, I thought for a moment it was going to be peppery. But the flavor quickly turned in smooth, velvety, almost smokey lingering finish. I really liked it. My hubby purchased this recently at Total Wine, and guesses he spent between $15-$20.

This wine is a keeper. It would be a great gift as it's a nice looking label - classy, expensive looking. My phone broke so I can't take a picture of it.

All I wanted tonight was to taste a lovely, smooth, velvety wine and end my week (I'm off tomorrow) on a beautiful note. And that did occur. Actually it's occurring as I type sip on this wonderful wine. I named this blog "Blessings" because tonight, not only did I want a nice lovely wine to sit down with, but I wanted to count my blessings too. Like I said, it's been a rough week with many stressors that at times felt like circling wolves. But as I ponder all the wonderful family, friends, and love that I have in my life, I can sit back and sip my beautiful wine and know that those wolves are no match for me - they are like the buzzing of flies.

Next Thursday, I will be much more prepared and daring. I mentioned in a prior blog that maybe it's time to look at sparkling or champagne. I want to try one from either Spain or Greece. There's gotta be something out there.

Until then....Cheers and don't forget to count your blessings.

About that Burgundy...

So on my way home from work I stopped at Total Wine and purchased a bottle of Bourgogne Hautes Cotes De Beaune 2008 for $19.99 plus tax.

I made it home and opened the bottle anticipating the "seductive gracefulness" I read about.

I have to note that most of the Burgundy wines were quite pricey with an average price of more than $30.00. I'm thinking maybe I should've spent more. As I recall the cheapest bottle was $8.99 and the more expensive was close to $100.00.

Lets break down the verbage first. Bourgogne is French for Burgundy. The Hautes Cotes... is a subregion of the Burgundy wine region. So yes, it's just location.

Here's the wine notes I looked up online...

"The 2008 Hautes Côtes de Beaune is youthful and enticing on the nose, with beautifully soft red cherry and strawberry notes along with a hint of pepper and some earthy tones. The palate is dry with balanced acidity and soft, low tannins. Medium body and soft yet focused fruit with pure red berries in abundance and a soft, vanilla edge."

It also suggested pairing with chicken or meaty fish dishes. Well, we are actually going by that this evening and serving it with salmon. I don't know that salmon exactly qualifies as a meaty fish, but it's the closest thing I have.

I'm trying to reserve final judgement for when I have this wine with my meal because on first taste. I was hoping for more.

I knew it was going to be light, because as I poured the wine, it's visibly clear. It's lighter than most of the Pinot Noirs' I typically drink. This wine is made primarily from the Pinot Noir grape - which is what the Burgundy region is known for. I took the first sip before any food touched my tongue. It hit my palate well initially with cherry, strawberry and pepper notes (pretty much in that order), but the tartness is bit too much and caused the muscles in my mouth to tighten up. That's weird, but I don't know how else to describe it. And there was no vanilla to be found.

As I drank the wine with dinner, it was a bit more pleasant - no more of the tightness. However, I let my son finish the bottle and I switched to the Shriaz that my hubby was drinking. He gave up on the Burgundy after the first sip.

Would I buy it again?? Uhhhh, no. But I'm glad I tried it.

I did mention in the last blog that there may be plenty to celebrate. I just found out that I am receiving a promotion which will take me to Arizona. It won't be for a bit, but I am so very excited at the opportunity. So next Thursday will likely include champagne or sparkling wine.

Until then...Cheers!!

Moving On....

We did not polish off the bottle of the Cab Sauvignon from Williamsburg Winery. So, again a bottle of wine has been left to the hotel maids (this is the 2nd time - see the Idaho blog). Oh well, it's a small sacrifice to the Wine Gods. I hope they enjoy it.

Nor did I find any info on the wine label online. Actually, I didn't even look. I've moved on and looking forward to this Thursday's pick. I can tell you right now it will be a French wine. I'm thinking Burgundy. I believe I noted in a prior blog I read something about "seductively graceful". Those are beautiful words and I want to try the wine they were referring to.

So, I'm off to find a Burgundy. I have a feeling there will be much to celebrate on Thursday. Exciting news is on the horizon.

Until then....Cheers!

Williamsburg Wine

Well, my 2 wonderful coworkers agreed to share the wine with me. Luckily they are also my friends, so we will definitely have a good time.

We sipped a glass of wine and talked about work. It seems that somehow, most work problems can be solved with an open mind and a glass of wine.

The wine was a Williamsburg Winery Cabernet. It retails for $11.99. Unfortunately, I left the bottle in their hotel room so I don't have any label specifics. If I can find the info online, I will include it when I get home on Saturday.

Some of the descriptive words my friends used were smokey, mild, metallic. One of them said it smelled like smoked ham. I didn't quite get that, but this was an ok wine for me. It started off great, but had a tartness at the end that was mildly unpleasant. I think this wine craves food and would likely be well complimented with a roast or something off the grill.

Would I buy it again?? I'm not sure. We are going to polish off the bottle tomottow night. I'll decide then.

So until tomorrow. Cheers!

Where there's a will, there's a wine.

Well, this Thursday I will find myself in Williamsburg, Virginia. What a globe trotter I've become.

I will do my best to blog on a Williamsburg wine. Actually, there is a very nice winery in Williamsburg that I tried several years ago. I remember there were several red and white varietals, but I most vividly remember enjoying one of the whites.

I think I will go to Total Wine and purchase a bottle of some type of Williamsburg wine to take with me to the hotel.

I love the company I work for, but often when we travel, we have to room with coworkers, as will be the case with this trip. My roommate will likely think I'm a bit nuts to go off to blog about a wine in the middle of the evening, but I'm not sure what else I can do.

So, I will sign off with thoughts of lovely Williamsburg wine.

Until Thursday..Cheers!!

Blue Teal

Before I get into the Blue Teal Rio Rojo (which means red river), I have to comment on the St Clair label that indicated New Mexico was America's oldest wine producing region.

Here's what I found out....Mexico is the oldest wine producing region in the Americas. So, since New Mexico was once part of Mexico, I guess it could sort of be an accurate statement.

I also mentioned the label for Blue Teal had a plethora of information. To elaborate, it goes on a bit about the Blue-winged Teal (pretty colored duck) that is commonly seen in New Mexico during migration. I lived in New Mexico for many years, but never saw one. Maybe I wasn't looking.

The label describes the wine as "very approachable with mild and well intergrated tannins...easy drinking, rich nose of red berry plums, and hints of freshly sawn wood". Hmmmm.....well, that could sort of be an accurate statement. At least parts of it. It is easy drinking. There's definitely notes of berry, but I'm not so sure about the wood. It's a bit like berry punch with a short sugary finish. The aftertaste almost reminded me of Equal or Splenda or some type of sugar substitute.

The wine is recommended to be served chilled - specifying between 42 and 46 degress. There is also a sweetness level indicated as well, and as you might guess this is definitely sweet. And the alcohol content is only 11%. This is a bit on the low side when compared to other reds (or even whites).

So, all in all. This would be a great wine for novice wine drinkers. Typically, those that are new to the beautiful world of wine prefer the sweeter wines. I myself was nothing but a Moscato drinker when I first started so I'm thinking this would be a great "starter" wine.

So, here's to all you new wine drinkers!!! Cheers!!

New Mexico prelude to a blog.

So, due to reasons beyond my control. I find myself in New Mexico for a few days. This is not an unfamiliar place and I am happy to be here. Actually, I used to live here many moons ago and still come back once or twice a year.

I've noticed something about wineries. Except for California, it seems that vinyards and wineries used to be somewhat of a rarity. But now New Mexico, like so many other states boasts several wineries.

I have a bottle of a New Mexican green chile wine that is held in the mouth of my Theodore Roosevelt wine holder showcased in my wine room at home. Yes, I said wine room. My wine hobby has become so large, that I have devoted an entire room to it. Not quite the wine cellar I dream of, but the next best thing I suppose. Anyway, the green chile wine is a novelty and I will likely never open it. In part, because it looks so cool in the Teddy wine holder and it's a great conversation piece. Beyond that, I don't believe I have purchased any other New Mexico wines. But today, I was lucky enough to purchase 3 bottles from local wineries and will blog on at least one this Thursday.

Now for a bit of info on each. The first bottle on the left is a Rio Rojo from Blue Teal vinyards in Deming New Mexico. According to the label it's a red table wine, so we know it's a blend. I went to the website to try to find out what the blend was, but wasn't able to find out any more info than what's on the back label, which actually has a plethora of information about pretty much everything else such as vinyard name, wine notes, sweetness level, serving temperature, etc.

The next bottle is Voluptuous Sweet Temptation from Southwest Wines which is also in Deming. I love the back label, it reads: "Sweet Temptations is strikingly sweet with the robust flavors of juicy, plump raspberries stacked with tart cherries and sweet strawberries. Its ample sweetness will tempt you into a wild night out with your girlfriends or a cozy evening at home after a long day of being fabulous". Ha! That's too awesome.

The final bottle is from St Clair winery which is also in Deming. Hmmm....Evidently Deming is the wine mecca of New Mexico. Anyway, this is a rather sophisticated looking Riesling. The back label claims New Mexico is America's oldest wine producing region. Wow, that bears further research and sounds completely incorrect. But, being the open-minded individual I am, I will reserve judgement for later.

So, one two or maybe all of these New Mexico beauties will be the topic of my Thursday night.

Until then...Cheers!!

And the winner is.....

What an education.

I think I have compiled a decent list of light to full bodied wines. To compliment my list making sensibilities, I am sipping on a Chianti which I will describe in detail momentarily.

In my mind, I tend to clump together wines, grapes and regions and then don't quite know what all that means. Actually, I still do that, but it is becoming somewhat clearer.

So, lets begin with light bodied - Beaujolais Neoveau (gamay grape), and Pinot Noir (Burgundy's most famous grape). As an FYI - France has 3 famous red wine producing regions which are Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhone. As a side note, my next blog will be on a Burgundy. I read an article recently that describes Burgundy as seductively graceful. That sounds magnificent, and I simply must have some.

A light to medium bodied wine is Dornfelder - this is Germany's primary grape for red wine. I visited Germany several years ago and remember sharing a Dornfelder red wine with my relatives. I really enjoyed it, but couldn't understand what kind of red wine it was. My dear German relatives speak no English and I do not sprecken se Deutsch. My Mother, who was the translator did not do so well with the information translation. So, I never really knew what I was drinking.

Moving on to medium bodied - Merlot, Shriaz, Chianti (Sangiovesi grape) Pinotage (blend of South African's cross between a Pinot noir and Cinsault grape)

A medium to full bodied wine is a Tempranillo which is a Spanish wine from the Rioja region. Other countries seem to name their wines based on the region it was grown versus they way we do it by typically naming it after the actual grape. I like our way much better.

Malbecs are another medium to full bodied wine and used to typically be a blend from the Bordeaux region. However, Argentina changed all that and made it a single varietal wine which has become quite popular.

Other medium full bodied wines include Italian Borolo or Barbarescos (nebbiolo grape) and Petite Verdots - which is very often used in Bordeaux blends. Zinfandels are thought of as medium to full bodied as well.

Finally the big daddies. The number one full bodied big red is.....drum roll please....Cabernet Sauvignon of course. Was there ever any doubt?? Well yeah, I guess there was, I actually thought that Zinfindels might be a bit fuller bodied than Cabs. And there are some other full bodied contenders as well such as the Italian Super Tuscans and Bordeaux. Bordeaux are typically made from 3 varietals which are most often the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Super Tuscans are Tuscan wines that don't adhere to the traditional blending laws for the region. Just as another FYI - Italy has over 20 wine producing regions that account for 1/5 of the worlds wine production. Thats so awesome.

A quick note on the the Chianti. It was ok. Somewhat of a sharp finish. Definitely cherry spice, with soft tannins. We paired it with spicy pulled pork sandwiches. I don't know how we come up with these pairings, but spicy wasn't the best thing for this wine. But all in all, it was ok and reasonably priced. Would I buy it again? Probably not.

Finally to end this novel sized blog. I noted a visit to 2 wineries. Barrel Oak was very nice. This lovely picture is the beautiful view from the deck at Barrel Oak. At first, our wine server seemed a little tired and uninterested, but she quickly came about and we had a wonderful tasting and bought something called Chocolate Lab. It's a dessert wine. Port style Chambourcin (French-American hybrid grape)infused with cocoa. It's either infused with Brandy as well or aged in a Brandy barrel, I can't remember which, but either way, it was excellent!!! We are going to savor it this weekend with dear friends and cigars.

The suck fest was Chrysalis. This is the second time I've been made to feel unwelcome there. When we first entered, both wine servers were busy with tastings - I waited patiently at the counter. After a few moments, one of the wine servers rather curtly asked me if he could help me. I advised him my hubby and I were here for a wine tasting. He said he would be with us in about 5 minutes. Well, after about 10 minutes, the other wine tasting party had left and he cleaned up their mess and made his way into the back and disappeared with out a word. The other wine server was still knee deep with her tasting party and still unavailable. We decided we weren't feeling the love. Not only were they not interested in helping us, they weren't even interested in telling us.

Except for that minor negative moment, everything else was wonderful.

So, I'll sign off with dreams of Cabernets and Super Tuscans. Oh, BTW, I'm practically a celebrity in my own home. Thanks to my beautiful, generous daughter, I now have a Little Miss Vino t-shirt and business cards. I plan on planting the business cards at various and sundry locations through out the contiguous United States. So be alert. If you find one, you could win a prize!!!

Until then...Cheers!!

Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the most full bodied of all???

Well, there's lots happening for tomorrow. I've got a lot of research to do. I want to know, what is the most full bodied wine...and not just American wines. I want to know how others compare. We're talking Sangiovese, Chianti, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Burgundy, Bordeaux. etc. etc....Which is it?? I DON'T KNOW!!!

But, I can't wait to find out. My hubby says a Cabernet Sauvignon is the most full bodied of all. I love him, but he is totally biased, so much research is warranted.

Also, I was off work on Tuesday and went to 2 wineries. Barrel Oak and Chrysalis. One was quite nice and the other was...quite frankly, a suck-fest.

Tune in tomorrow to find out who was who.

Another thing...I now have "Little Miss Vino" attire. I may just show it off tomorrow as well. Actually, I may have contest for my readers (all 3 of them). The winner gets a Little Miss Vino t-shirt. Ahh!!!! This is getting larger than life!!!

Mirror, mirror.......

MAGGIANO'S!!!!!

OMG!! We've lived here for years and have never been to Maggiano's Italian restaurant. In a word, it is MAGNIFICENT!!

Let me paint a picture. My daughter, son and I sat down (my hubby and Arizona friend were parking the car) our server Theo (shout out to Theo), asked if we would like some to drinks to start and what were we in the mood for. Here was the conversation.
"We want wine of course."
"Red or white?"
"Red!"
"Smooth or dry?"
"Definitely smooth."

Well, Theo read me like a book because he brought a bottle of 2008 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet. This South Australian wine was wonderful. It was not only smooth, but had lots of gentle currents, dark berry flavors and ended on lovely velvety finish. It was $34.00 a bottle at the restaurant, but I found it online for $12.00. I am going to either Total Wine or World Market tomorrow to buy some.

Another exceptional moment was when the Chef actually came to our table and brought a special appetizer. I'm not sure what it was - some sort of zucchini tempura style. It was excellent.

I enjoyed watching my son drink the Penfolds with his lobster pasta dish. His eyes actually rolled up in the back of his head. Culinary nirvana at it's finest..

We ended up polishing off 2 more bottles of wine beyond the Penfolds. Although nice, neither compared in my mind. One was a Louis Martini Cabernet the other a Cellar number 8. I don't remember much about them beyond that. They were good, but the Penfolds stole my heart.

I have to say, our server Theo was awesome. He was a cute little New York Italian - all of about 5'4". I adored him. He was attentive and obviously made some awesome recommendations - not only with the wine, but with our entrees as well.

My hubby and Arizona friend weren't very easy on Theo. I say this with love. These 2 men are both well educated, articulate, and successful. But they are also knuckle dragging neanderthal, testosteroney, gun toting, alpha males. Theo didn't stand a chance, but he was such a good sport. My hubby made up for it with a big tip.

The picture above depicts my daughter and I enjoying this marvelous wine at this fabulous restaurant surrounded by 3 men that we both love dearly.

Life doesn't get much better.

Rumpas????

I thought Tres Ojos was a dumb name, but this one ranks right up there with dumb names as well.

My hubby and I celebrated our 26th anniversary last night at The Wine Kitchen. I must say that this restaurant is fabulous. It's small, intimate, great food, attentive staff.

We each ordered a wine flight of 3 wines each and shared them, but neither of us had fallen in love with any of the wines and didn't want to commit to an entire bottle of anything. Our server recommended a wine called Rumpas. He described it as a very nice, smooth, California blend. My hubby lamented that he didn't know why wineries were always trying to mess with blending something as perfectly nice as a cabernet. He's obviously a cabernet puritan. Whatever, that means more blends for me.

Back to the wine. It's a 2009 blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Cab Franc. Rumpus is a Sonoma California wine. I forgot to take a picture of the bottle. It's quite plain actually. I thought I could easily find a picture online, but no luck.

I personally loved it. It's smooth, fun, flavorful, with lots of dark fruity notes. It's definitely a stand alone wine. It needed nothing..except for me.

The wine kitchen also sells wines by the bottle, so of course I wanted to buy one. But again, no luck - they were out. I was disappointed, but thought I should be able to find it at Total Wine, so I called them from the restaurant (they're on my speed dial). Still yet again, no luck.

I finally did find it online, but haven't ordered any yet. The Wine Kitchen charges $35 at the table and $25 if you buy it to go. Online, I found it for $16. I will absolutely buy some as this wine is just lovely.

So, except for not getting to take a bottle home and getting into a stupid fight with my hubby about him fertilizing the yard (are we the only couple who bickers over idiotic things?), it was all in all still a good night - at least for finding a wonderful new wine to add to my list of things I love.

For next time, I'm going to do some research on what is the most full bodied wine. It is a Cabernet or a Zinfandel? How do other wines compare such as a Shiraz or Chianti or Sangiovese? I have no idea!!

So turn in next Thursday and learn something new.

Until then....Cheers!!!

Hob Nobbing

I noted yesterday that I might try some bubbly. A bit of the bubbly would've been quite nice, but just wasn't in the cards for tonight.

Instead, my hubby and 2 wonderful friends met at local pub for a night cap after a wonderful dinner at Uncle Julio's. I had a 2009 HobNob Pinot Noir for $7.00/glass.

I looked up the wine online to check the retail price and it sales for about $13.00 a bottle. The HobNob website is pretty cool. Good music, lots of stuff to do and read. And it has a great way of providing info on the wines - to see what I'm referring to, go check out the website.

So, it turns out I had a french wine at an Irish Pub in Virginia - I LOVE IT!! I am so cultured.

I don't think I've had HobNob before. As I noted, it is a french wine from the Languedoc Roussillon region of France. Evidently, this is one of the oldest wine regions in France and is quite large with over 400,000 acres of primarily red wine producing vines. It's been referred to as France's "wine lake". I wanna go swim!!

The wine itself is pretty good. The winemakers notes on the website indicate violets with bursting cherry flavors. I thought it did have some cherry notes although I would not say bursting. It was a nice medium bodied wine as you would expect from a Pinot Noir with a relatively gentle finish. It's an easy drinking, stand alone wine. I had no food with it, but the website recommends food items such s prime rib or sausage.

I would buy it again. It's reasonably priced and has enough character and texture to be compared to a more expensive wine. That plus the fact that it's a hip looking french wine with a goofy name is just plain cool.

So, go hob nob and have a good time.

Cheers!!

So many wines, so little time.....

I have absolutely no idea what I'm blogging on tomorrow. I'm hoping for some sort of epiphany.

The choices are endless.....

I don't even know what I'm in the mood for. Maybe a bit of the bubbly - we shall see.

Until tomorrow - CHEERS!!

About that Chapelle.....

I tried it. The maids who clean this room tomorrow are going to think I'm an alcoholic with the 2 wine bottles I've left behind, but I figured I likely would not have the chance again, so I better take advantage of the opportunity.

I went to Walmart and purchased a $6.97 bottle of 2008 Ste Chapelle Cabernet Sauvignon from the Snake River Valley. The back label indicated this winery has been producing since 1978 with grapes grown in high-altitude vineyards overlooking the famed Snake River in southern Idaho. The long daylight hours, warm summer days, crisp evenings and well drained volcanic ash soils are ideal for producing distinctive varietals.

Thats lovely and well written.

The wine is so so. It actually tastes a bit ashy and tart. It's not too bad, it's just a bit unusual with it's tart finish.

I googled Snake River and found that it sits within a 4 million year old lake and boasts 44 vineyards and 22 wineries. The Snake River Valley was quite renowned for it's wine prior to 1920, but prohibition shut the wineries down and they didn't perk up again until 1970.

Would I buy it again?? Probably not...But I'm glad I took the opportunity to try it. I'll put a cork it in and leave it for the hotel maids when I check out of here tomorrow. I hope they enjoy it.

Arena Valley Vineyard, Idaho

Hmm....Not bad.
I'm sampling the Snake River 2006 Merlot from Arena Valley Vineyard in my hotel room. I've already had dinner, so Im sipping it alone. It's quite nice. Lots of berry flavors, oaky, not too light, gentle tannins.

The label boasts of violets on the nose along with fresh berries...medium bodied with soft tannins. Yup, I agree, except for the violets. It's a descent wine. I'm not a Merlot fan, but I've found during this wine journey that a few are quite nice. This is one of them. It is a stand alone and would certainly compliment the typical red wine dishes as well.

I went to the website, and I have to say that I'm impressed. This winery offers 17 different wines, and from what I read most if not all the grapes come from this vineyard.

I found this wine by going to a beer/wine retailer in historic downtown Idaho Falls and inquired about local wine. I paid $18.00 for this Merlot, but on the Snake river website it retails for $14.00. I do think $18 is a bit much, but $14.00 is reasonable.

Does $4.00 really matter? Well, yes and no. $4.00 doesn't make me any richer or poorer, but it could potentially make a difference when I'm wine shopping. I don't know why, but it would.

This has been educational, I didn't think Idaho had wine, I briefly googled it before I arrived and did not find any wineries, but evidently there are a few. The helpful lady at the wine store told me of Chapelle, which is a popular Idaho wine that is sold at the local grocery stores. I actually found it at Walmart for $6.97 a bottle. I may try some before I leave, if I do - i will definitely blog on it.

The Vino Rosso place I mentioned in my prior blog is also in historic downtown. It's basically a restaurant. I am still intrigued and will hopefully go there for supper tomorrow.

I have never noticed an Idaho wine at any of the wine stores I shop at home. But if any of the other wines from the Arena Valley Vineyard are as good as this one, then maybe one day soon Idaho will it's place among notable wine producers.

You never know.

Until then, Cheers!!

Idaho Falls....

Well, thats where Im headed, so we shall see what wines I can find to blog about for week 19 (wow - is it really week 19? It seems like I just started this journey).

I'm thinking Idaho is not the premier place for wines.... potatoes maybe, but since I'm not blogging about potatoes - that doesn't do me much good.

I think I might have found a fun place online. It's called Vino Rosso. It's not a winery, but rather a place for wine. I'm intrigued.

I can't wait - I love Thursdays!!!. It will be an adventure.

Stay tuned......

Spicy...not so much

Well, as usual things did not go as planned. We initially thought we might enjoy this Washington Hills Gewurztraminer wine with sushi. But, life got in the way and it just didn't work out, so we ended up with pizza...don't ask.
Anyway, the wine was chilled and savored with a slice of pepperoni. And....it wasn't spicy. My hubby described it as fruity, appley, and light. I thought I tasted a spiciness, but it was just the pepperoni.
Dont get me wrong, it's a nice, light, easy drinking wine. It's not too fruity and not too tart. It would be a nice addition to any wine rack. Would I buy it again???? Probably. It's just that I'm not often in the mood for white wines, it seems my palate craves red.
On that boring note. I'm ending this blog for tonight. I'm too tired to think anymore about anything - except that next Thursday is the 29th. I have to go get another Washington state wine.
I'm not even sure if my DF has made it yet.
Well DF. where ever you are...Cheers!!

It rhymes with "Shmawurzt-shmaraminer"

There is a movie entitled "Knocked Up" with Seth Rogen and Kathryn Heigl. At some point during the movie, Seth Rogan's friend is recommending a solution to a problem. Rather than just come out and say it, he adds a "Shma" to the word, preceeding it with, "It rhymes with". I find that method of "not" saying something particularly funny.

In this case, if you don't already get it. Tomorrows vino is a 2009 Paradise Peak Washington State Gewurztraminer that I purchased at Total Wine for $11.00.

According to the back label, "Gewurz" means spicy. I found that interesting as historically, spicy is not a word I would have used to describe a Gewurztraminer. But, I haven't had this type of wine in years, so maybe my palate has evolved enough to notice that. The serving recommendations are either Asian cuisine or light meat. So, of course I will serve it with something other than that.

According to the Google search I did, the name is obviously German, but the French have had the most success with this type of wine (I assume in terms of production and sales) but it actually originated in Italy.

I hate to say it, but I'm not really looking forward to drinking wine tomorrow. I've picked up a bit of a cold and am feeling poorly - so much so that I left work early yesterday and took off today. Sometimes when you have a cold, your sense of taste is dampened somewhat. But, maybe that spiciness will shine through and make me smile. We shall see.

Until tomorrow....Cheers!!

I'm in love....

So, tonight my hubby and dear friend (DF) opened my Washington state bottle of Apex 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Valley.
It was waiting for me when I got home from work. My DF is supposed to be moving westward, but has had a few delays and stayed the last 2 nights at my house. She is expected to leave in the morning, so tonight we are celebrating life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and sharing this lovely bottle of wine.
I have to say, the label is completely boring. This one is by far the most unassuming, pay-no-attention-to-me label. I would like to reach out to the label creator and have a word. I would say "really???" "Could you be any more nondescript and lifeless". Luckily the wine has much more to say than the label.
When I purchased this wine, along with 2 others to celebrate my DF, I did not save the receipt. So, I had to look up the retail value as I couldn't even begin to remember. It seems $15.00 is about what you would pay. This is a good price and a great wine.
It is definitely a stand alone, it does not "crave food", but would pair nicely with a variety of dishes. My hubby served it with a baked chicken, grilled squash and edamame. It was wonderful. The wine is light enough that it would go with virtually anything.
I am in love with this wine for several reasons. First, it is nice and light. It states Cabernet Sauvignon on the label, but once tasted, it's lighter than you would expect. Upon further investigation, you will find it's actually a red table wine or blend because it does have 5% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot.
That small percentage makes the wine complex, yet light. It does not have the heavy, in-your-face taste of a pure Cabernet. This is why I feel in love. It has the complexity, the name, the predominance of the Cabernet (testosterone), but then you realize this lovely lightness (sensitivity) and you have the perfect wine (man). Wow.

These shoes are made for running, and this wine is made for drinking!!

I made 2 magnificent purchases this weekend. The shoes are Saucony Progrid Kinvara. Completely awesome, neon pink, fits like a glove, perfect running shoe. You see, I fancy myself a runner - jogger actually. For me, buying new running shoes is almost (almost, not quite) as good as buying a new car. I totally love the new smell, the new feel. I love it, I love it.

The next magnificent thing I purchased was this Lucky Star 2009 Pinot Noir from Graton, California which is Sonoma County wine country. The label reads: "Star light, star bright, your Pinot Noir wishes have been granted" I thought that very catchy.

The label further describes ripe raspberry and red cherry. Thats an accurate description as it is a fruity wine, but not too sweet or grape juicy. I was so proud of my 21 year old wine connoisseur daughter. She took a sip and right away identified the raspberry while I was still fumbling around with my wine glass and looking for my glasses and wine journal.

The wine had a bit of a tart finish initially, but this smoothed out beautifully as we slowly drank it with our lunch. The last sentence on the label is quite thoughtful "May our wine shine brightly at your table and bring good fortune to you and those who share it". What a lovely thought.

If you're not a Pinot Noir fan, you likely won't like this wine as it is on the light side. If your on the fence, this one will probably push you right over into being a fan.

We purchased a bottle at the restaurant for $15.00. It was $7.50/glass, and a nice full glass it was. Actually the entire lunch was fabulous. It was by sheer luck that we ended up at a place called Brix American Bistro in Great Falls. It was excellent. The food was fabulous and our server was very attentive. The food took a bit long to get to us, but we were in no hurry so it was not an issue.

We will definitely return to this restaurant and I will definitely shop for this wine the next time I'm at a wine store.

So Cheers, and here's to great shoes and great wine.

Washington State

Tonight we tried the Gordon Brothers 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Valley in Washington.
The wine is quite nice, even my hubby agreed.

The label describes black currant, rich berry flavors, chocolate and leather and moderate tannins. I would agree except for the chocolate. I would have described it as smokey. It does have a bit of a lingering peppery finish, but it's not overwhelming, just kind of floats around on the tongue. The label describes it as a "smooth, toasty, lingering finish". I liked the word "toasty" - it's a great word for this wine.

As usual we didn't pair it with the recommendations, which was intensely flavored meat and bone in steak with mushroom sauce. I can see how this wine would pair wonderfully with a steak. It would be quite grand actually.

All in all, a keeper for the wine rack. However, with a price tag of over $20, I do believe you could do just as well with a Simi, Jekel or even a Newman's Own.
It would thrill me if someone gave me this as a gift, and I would purchase it as a gift, but not likely to buy it again for a "must have" in my wine rack.

On a final note, from the time I uncorked the bottle until now has been about an hour, and I must say the wine opened up quite nicely. The bouquet is more intense, the taste smoothed out with the "toasty" finish softening to just a gentle lingering flavor.

On that happy note, I'm off to slumber. This day was long and rainy and gray and dreary.

This blog was boring, but the wine was good.

Cheers!!

Lots and lots of vino

Much wine was imbibed on Sunday. It was wonderful to see what wine my friends brought with them.
The lovely expectant couple brought 7 deadly Zins. I don't care who ya are, this is a very flavorful, full bodied wine that is easy to enjoy.
The realtor brought Estancia Merlot (and some totally yummy cupcakes).
My dear friend brought a 181 Merlot and a Willowcroft Albarino.
And my volleyball teammate brought a Prosecco.
I completely forgot to buy a Newman's Own Cabernet. But if I would've remembered, it would have been a big hit. It's an exceptional wine, but since I hosted the party and provided all the food, it didn't bother me too much.
Back to the wine....First, the 7 deadly Zins. Just so ya know. It's a Zinfandel from the Lodi region in California. Evidently thats the place to go if you like Zin. Anyway, the wine comes from 7 different growers, hence the name 7 Zins. It's a great wine, great price, with a great full in your face taste. What more could you want? The couple that brought it are really nice folks. She is 5 months along and he is.....a great guy. My daughter and I thought he was gay when we first met him. It's a long story, but he obviously is not, and he obviously has good taste in wine.
The Estancia Merlot was nice. The Realtor that brought it was more fun than the Merlot. She was funny and friendly and high energy. Actually wine spectator gave the 08 Merlot 86 points - Not bad, but I liked her better.
The 181 Merlot. Well, this was good. Nice flavor, smooth finish. This is a Borderaux style Merlot - meaning, it's from California, but we copied the French.
Finally, the Willowcroft Albarino. That's my dear friends favorite winery, so she brought a bottle. It's a lovely white wine, very tart and citrusy, not sweet, but not too dry either.
And last but not least, my volleyball friend brought an awesome Prosecco. This one was a Riondo Spago Nero. It was fun fun fun!! Not too dry, not sweet, easy on the tongue. We downed it quickly.
It was a great barbecue!!
As I mentioned, the rest of September is all about Washington State wine in honor of my dear friend that is leaving for greener pastures - So I went to Total Wine and bought several. For tomorrow, we will be having the Gordon Brothers 2008 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for $23.00. It's the first bottle on the top picture. According to the wonderfully helpful gentlemen from Total Wine. We should LOVE IT!!

It's not a barbecue, it's a wine tasting!!

Tomorrow we are having a barbecue for a dear friend. She will soon be leaving us to go westward. To commemorate my dear friend and the many glasses of vino we have shared through the years, I am going to make the rest of my Thursdays through the month of September Washington state wines. What better way to "Cheers" to my friend.
As a final bash, tomorrows celebration will not only include celebrating friendship (as well as Labor Day), with a menu of ribs, beans, potato salad and corn on the cob, but I've told everyone to bring their favorite bottle of wine and we would have our own wine tasting.
I can't wait to see what everyone brings. My own contribution of wine will be Newman's Own Cabernet Sauvignon. It's one of my all time favorites.
So, hopefully lots of new stuff to blog about tomorrow and starting Thursday - It's all about the state of Washington!!

Petit Sirah from Hopper Creek

What an awesome shirt. I haven't even worn it yet, but I do have plans to wear it the next time I take my bike out on the W & OD.

Now to the wine. This 2006 Sirah is a lovely dark color. The label describes it as a "big inky wine". That's good verbiage. It goes on to further describe "mounds of fruit accompanied by substantial yet smooth tannins.....the soil is shallow and consists of Pleasanton Loam". I have never heard of Pleasanton Loam. Google time..... Nothing major, just the dirt or soil in that area.

Well after having tasted this inky wine, both my hubby and I agree that it is quite nice. It starts off very flavorful and fruity like the label indicated, but it finishes with a bit of a metallic taste - not overwhelmlingly so, but it is notable. It's not quite a stand alone, I think it does "crave food" a bit.

I do not remember how much this bottle cost. I tried to look it up, but was not able to locate it. I asked my hubby if he remembered how much it cost, and his response was "I think you got it for free, because you flashed your b---s!! My response, was "No, I did not in fact flash my b---s, I only took off my ---!! So there!! And I specifically remember it was not free, the shirt was free, we paid heavily for the wine.

As usual, I'm not serving it with the recommended dishes of either grilled steak, lamb and roast duck. Instead we are having "lechon asado" (roast pork) with black beans and rice. The pork is roasted until tender, then pan seared. The wine complimented it quite nicely. It didn't shatter any world records, but it was nice. Would I buy it again?? Well, maybe not. But I would still remove a specific piece of clothing to get the totally cool bicyclist shirt.
Until next week...CHEERS!!

Hopper Creek??

Did someone say Hopper??
It has been decided. Hopper Creek Winery in Napa Valley.
A petite Sirah from the Jonquil Vineyard will be the one.
We were there last year and purchased this lovely bottle. It has been waiting patiently in my wine rack since.
I must say, I don't remember much about this winery. We were on a wine tour with several other couples and this one is a little fuzzy. It must have been near the end of the tour.
I actually acquired a totally cool bicyclist shirt with the Hopper Creek Winery name on it that day. I can't say what I had to do to get it, but it involved the removal of specific clothing.
So, that being said, tune in tomorrow for a fully clothed wine blog on a hopefully fabulous wine!!

Maybe a Zinfandel?? Maybe not.

Thursday will soon be here and I'm not sure what to blog on. I was thinking maybe a Zinfandel. They have captured my attention. My hubby suggested a Rutherford Ranch. The only thing is that I've tried most of those. I will search to see if I can find something. Otherwise, we have a bottle from a winery in Napa called Hopper Creek. It might be a good one to blog about. I obviously tried it at the tasting, but that doesn't count it terms of my original plan of only blogging on wines I've never tried - besides this is my blog right? I can do whatever the heck I want to right?
On a side note, my daughter and I recently tried the Lavender Mead. It wasn't as good as I remembered. We even mixed it with some lemonade as suggested by the lovely pregnant mead server in Maine. Even with the lemonade - it still wasn't happening. It tasted medicinal. We thought maybe it wasn't cold enough and let it chill a bit longer in the frig - and that did help somewhat, but not enough. I ended up pouring it down the drain. THATS LIKE THE THRID TIME I'VE DONE THAT since starting this blog. I hate that...

Iron Chef at Flemings

We did it again. We went to another Flemings wine dinner. As expected, it was fabulous. Last nights was an in-house "Iron Chef" competition. It was the Head Chef versus the Sou Chef. It was extra wonderful because we got 2 of everything.
The first course was the appetizer. One chef prepared a red and yellow grape tomato, onion and shrimp skewer. It was excellent, very tasty and flavorful. The other prepared the best bruschetta I've ever had - Roma tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil with an olive oil drizzle. I don't know why it was so good, aren't those the general ingredients for all bruschetta? But whatever it was that made it so tasty, it sure worked.
All the wines for the evening were Spanish and this course was complemented with a 2009 Bedegas La Cana, Albarino Rias Baixax. In a nutshell, this wine is very similar to a Sauvignon Blanc. It was ok, nothing outstanding.
The second course was a roasted vegetable soup with a baked brie crostini. With the other chef preparing mixed greens, gala apples, and candied walnuts with a lemon vinaigrette dressing. This was complimented with an absolutely beautiful wine. A 2009 Palacios-remondo, Rioja la Vendimia. A lovely medium bodied, soft red wine with gentle berry notes. This is a very nice, stand alone wine. I will definitely purchase this one for the wine rack. The wine manager said it retails for abut $25.
The main entree was duck. I didn't think I liked duck, but I guess I do. One chef baked it with a maple/mustard glaze and sides of spaghetti squash and fried squash blossoms. The other chef pan seared it with saffron risotto topped with a blueberry port wine reduction. The wine served with this course was a 2006 Vall Llach Priorat Embriux.
This wine craves food (I got that line from Dennis at Fabbioli), meaning it should be served with food. It's not a stand alone. However, it was excellent with the duck. Duck is a gamey, fatty bird and the abrasiveness of the wine just went with it perfectly. It was very dark colored, earthy tasting, and rough on the tongue. But again, the duck and wine just went well together.
The final course was dessert. It was a chocolate crepe with pineapple brandy filling and a pineapple creme brule with chantilly cream serviced with Segura Viudas Brut Cava.
I typically love Segura Viudas. It's a great Cava or sparkling wine. But last night, I just wasn't loving it. I think it was because I had just had too much of everything. It was time to have a nice sip of coffee and head home. Which is what we did.
What a wonderful night!!!

Better late than never....

Ok, so the plan was not to start blogging at 9pm. But thats the way it went today. Hundreds of other issues got in the way as they often do.
But, here I finally sit, enjoying my dinner of grilled chicken, fresh corn, grilled potato wedges (one day I will send out the recipe) and a salad. And of course, it is perfectly complimented by the Fabbioli Cab Franc.
Here's how it went down. I think I noted on a previous blog that some friends and I went to the Fabbioli winery. Well, when we first pulled up, it was apparent that the owners converted their garage into a tasting room - no judgement. I'm all about rooting for the Little Man. We don't need no corporate winery!!
At any rate, we walked in and were greeting by a friendly staff. One was even so kind as to give directions over the phone to one of my lost friends. Although later, she did became a bit of an olive oil nazi. Still, the tasting room was lovely with a nice atmosphere.
There was a beautiful wine rack made from the slats of a wine barrel. It was awesome, I wanted to buy it desperately, but good fiscal sense prevailed and I did not. Also, there was a train set glued to the ceiling - we loved it!! I asked if it was covered a hole as it was not only the train, but the whole set up on a big plywood section actually adhered to the ceiling. According to the staff, there is no hole, they just had to find someplace to put it and thats where it ended up.
When we were requested to pay our $10 tasting fee up front, I was a little put off. But again, I was trying not to be too judgmental. Finally, we strolled up to our tasting table and our tasting director was a middle aged man named Dennis. I hate to admit it, but I was totally judgmental. Here's what I saw. A middle aged man, bad teeth, mildly overweight, rather sloppily dressed. He had hole in the middle of his T-shirt!! (yes, it was a t-shirt) So, I again was a bit put off and thought, "This West Virginia hick surely has nothing to tell me about wine". Well, I was totally incorrect. Not only was Dennis funny, witty and had tons of fun facts about wine and the winemaker/owner of Fabbioli, he was from Buffalo!! Let me just say, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a West Virginian. It's a beautiful state with beautiful people. But there is a stereotype. I didn't invent it, I just know it exists. It is what it is.
The one thing that was quite unique about this tasting, was the wine was paired with food - not an entire meal mind you, but little snacks to help compliment the wine. Once I tasted the sausage and mustard (they do sell mustard and olive oil there as well) I did not mind the $10 fee at all.
So now, move forward 2 weeks and were back to my house and the wine. The winery trip was in fact 2 weeks ago and now, after much delay we have finally opened the Cab Franc. I really enjoyed the bouquet. When I swirled the wine on my palate, I could definitely taste notes of berry, maybe a little smokey, slightly peppery or spicy, but softened nicely. My hubby wasn't too fond of it as usual. He said it was a bit metallic, referring to the taste as "tinny".
Truth be told, we drank it last night and I'm finishing off the bottle tonight with my dinner. This wine is great the next day. It really does better once it has sat for a bit. Last night after dinner, we let the wine open on the counter without corking it and enjoyed one more glass before going to bed. I have to say, this wine really opened up beautifully. Even the bouquet was different. It was almost like a perfume and the taste was just....softer. I loved it. Even my hubby said it was improved.
A couple of cool notes. I have a totally awesome quote from Dennis. As he was describing a bit about the history of wine making, he said "Man didn't settle down to grow corn or soybeans, he settled down to get drunk". Bahahah.
Another line for a chuckle. On the back label of the Cab Franc, it reads: Cinnamon, spice and everything nice? Give me a break. Who writes this junk on the back label? Medium bodied with characters of allspice, berry fruit, herbs and caramel, this Cabernet Franc could help define the Virginia Wine Industry.
Not only did it make me smile, but I would have to agree. When we first started frequenting Virginia wineries, I could barely drink the reds. The whites have always been decent, but the reds were...not good. But, Virginia has come a long way. It's no Napa Valley, but it's definitely got something promising going on.
On that happy note, I will polish off this lovely Cab Franc and call it a night.

Ok, so here's the deal. Things aren't quite working out as planned. I wanted to blog on the Fabbioli Cab Franc. But...now I don't want to.

I actually bought the wine anticipating sharing it with my hubby, but he isn't available this evening, so I don't want to open it.

Instead, I'm blogging on a lovely 2009 Argentinian Malbec. It's from the Trapiche winery in Mendoza. According to the label, this wine is aged for 12 months in oak casks. The label also notes the grapes come from the foothills of the Andes Mountains, which is a huge mountain range that covers 7 different countries and peaks over 22,000 feet.

If you noticed the picture of the wine bottle, you'll see that it's a bit of a different angle. Normally, I take a "full bottle" picture. But this time, I had to improvise. You see, it's late..I'm somewhat lazy and watching TV in bed. I have the wine bottle with me, and took several pictures of it in different places (that didn't require that I actually got out of bed) such as the night stand, the foot of the bed, between my knees - but it all looked weird. Especially the shot between my knees. So, the picture you see is in fact on my knee - it's just a close up.

The wine itself is quite nice. Lots of flavor, smooth texture, lingering finish. Evidently a lingering finish is a positive thing and a sign of a good wine. I recently read, that once you've swallowed the wine, breath out through your nose to help enhance the flavor that is on your palate. I think, that unless you have a cold or stuffy nose, most people do that anyway.

This wine does have some dark fruit notes, maybe a little smokey. The label includes notes of vanilla as well. I don't know that came to mind when I first tried it, but after I read it and tried it, I would agree. That goes to show how susceptible I am to the power of suggestion.

Serving recommendations are cheese, mushrooms, red meats, stew and typical Argentinian "asado". I've never heard of "asado". According to Google it's an Argentinian barbecue. So, of course I had none of that and instead ate pasta.

So, all in all - a very nice wine. The only thing is I'm not sure of the cost. I pulled it from my wine rack as I didn't want to open the Cab Franc tonight. I looked it up online and it appears to sell for about $12.

For next week, the plan is the Cab Franc. We shall see.....

I totally forgot to blog..

UHG!!! About 15 minutes ago, I was setting up the coffee pot for the morning and I suddenly realized IT'S THURSDAY AND I HAVENT BLOGGED!!!
I can not believe that I completely, utterly, totally forgot.
It wasn't even that crazy of a day. It was busy, as most days are. Work was a rush, I left at 4:30, ran by Home Depot, then hurried home as we are dog sitting and our friends were coming by to pick up their dog - which they did. I fertilized the grass in the front yard, painted a file cabinet, made supper, ran to Total Wine and dropped off food for my son, went to Ross to pick up a few goodies, ran by the bank, then to Cold Stone (my daughter insisted) and finally back home, fed the dogs, put in a load of laundry, watched an episode of Sex in the City, went to make coffee and BAM!!
So, for the second and hopefully last time, I will not blog on a Thursday - Instead, tomorrow is blog night. And I was really excited to try the Virginia Cab Franc from Fabbioli!!
Assuming I don't forget again..tune in tomorrow...

Lots of stuff

I always go back and re-read prior blogs. I noted on the Maine blog that I was going to look up WST. Well, I googled it and found it's actually WSET. Wine and Spirit Education Trust. Evidently it's a formalized UK program with 5 levels of study for wine enthusiasts and professionals alike. Once completed, you are certified and can add a cool title to your name.

I don't see myself doing something like that at this time - Although I do admire those that do. The reason I started this blog, is because I'm a wine lover. I am an educated women with several degrees - 2 Associates and 1 Bachelors. I have enough credit hours to have a PhD, but in too many different subjects. I am licensed, cerfified and qualifed in my career, and wanted this wine blog to be my self taught education into wine. I write this blog like I speak to my family and friends. I've been told it's a little "all over the place". That may be, but this is not a term paper or thesis, nor is it a proposal or legal document. If it were, my writing style would be completely different. This is my wine blog for the everyday Joe, have a good time, silly blog - just in case anyone was wondering.

Moving on...about the Virginia wines. I noted that I plan on doing a Loudoun County winery tour with some friends. The thought was we could rent a limo and spend the afternoon hitting several wineries. It appears that schedules may not allow for that. Luckily, some of those same friends and I were able to visit a winery today. We chose to go to Fabbioli and actually had some lovely wines. I had never been to this winery before and look forward to blogging on one for Thursday. As a teaser..It's the Cab Franc. Typically, I am not a fan of Virginia Cab Francs, but this one was special. Hopefully the bottle I purchased will be good as the tasting. It seems that isn't always the case, but I'm very hopeful, as this was a very nice wine at the tasting.

I have to spend a few minutes on a wine I had last night. I took the bottle over to a friends for dinner. We were having brisket so I thought a red would go nicely and pulled one from my wine rack that I had recently purchased at Trader Joe's for less than $10.

It's an organic wine with no sulfites and is from Heartswork Winery in Woodbridge California. The name is Well Read, but the "a" is so small on the label it looks like the name is Well Red. On the label it indicates it to be a 2010 California Red Wine, so I knew it was a blend. I'm not sure of what, as no other descriptors were given.

Well, I'm sad to say, this is one of the very few that I've poured down the drain. The bouquet was reasonably pleasant, not very strong, mildly earthy, sort of a tart scent as well. But the taste.....vinegary. So, just to make sure, I took another sip...same thing. I told my hubby to try it. I thought maybe it was bad. He hated it and dumped his glass as well. I was totally disappointed. I feel bad when that happens. Thank Goodness it doesn't happen too often.

On that sad note, I'm off to do domestic chores.

Until Thursday..Cheers!

A bit dry...

About the Rose. I tried both. I just had to compare and contrast. Not only were the colors different, but the tastes were quite different too. Both of these Rose wines were dry. Which can be the norm for Roses. Not only do the colors vary, but so do the tastes ranging from sweet, to semi-dry to bone-dry.
The South African Rose with the beautiful rose color was definitely dry, and tart with lots of citrus notes and a lingering finish. The pretty golden colored French Rose was less dry, and less tart, with some nice fruity notes and a clean finish.
I did not serve it with the meal I had intended. Instead, we tried with a cheese/meat/cracker platter prepared by my hubby (and Wegman's)
I believe that after today, I can safely say that Roses are not my favorite wine. I don't dislike them, they were both very nice wines in their own way, and these 2 were easy drinking wines. They just don't make me go ahhhhh.
However, I was somewhat curious about Roses. I wondered if they were from a particular grape or a blend. I did find out that the color of the Rose depends on the grape that is used to make it - which typically are either Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Sangiovese or Zinfandel. The varietals can either be used solo or in a blend.
The color also depends on how long the grape skins were in contact with the juice and as the 2 wines I picked indicate - there can be a wide range of color.
There's lots of terms for a Rose wine - rosado, rosato, blush. I think I like the names better than the wines.
Moving on...For next week, I'm going to try to blog on a Virginia Wine. I must say that I've had quite a few Virginia wines, so I'm going to have to be careful of the one I pick.
Until then..Cheers!

A Rose is a Rose

I find I’m being non-compliant with my original plan again. I posted that I wanted to focus on Virginia wines. Well, about that….the wine I purchased is not a Virginia wine. I’ve decided that my hubby and I along with a group of friends are going on a Loudoun County wine tour within the next few weeks, so I will blog on the Virginia wines then.
In the mean time, I did mention that I wanted to blog on a White or Rose. Well, I went to Total Wine today and they recommended 2 different Roses. I struggled between the 2, then decided to purchase both.
The reason I purchased both is because they are so different. The one to the left is a South African (As a side note, I think I may end up apologizing to South Africa for disparaging their ability to produce a nice wine) It was $11.99 an is called a Mulderbosch Cabernet Rose 2010. The wine notes indicate “crisp, refreshing, notes of grapefruit and hints of spice”. “The slightly dry, medium bodied palate shows pomegranate and berry fruit with a clean finish”. This sounds really nice. Also, note the beautiful Rose color.
The other bottle is French. It’s a Dom Fontanyl Rose de Provence 2009 for $12.99. The wine notes refer the Rose as “lively and fragrant with alluring aromas of ripe berries and dark flowers”. “Flavors of strawberries and wild cherry are presented in a sophisticated manner that preserves the fruit.”
I just have to take a moment to comment on wine notes. They crack me up. Are the fruit flavors really presented in a sophisticated manner?? Really??
I took the picture of both together, because I really liked the difference in appearance. The South African is a lovely Rose color, while the French is more of a pretty, soft golden color.
I haven’t decided which to blog on, I may get crazy and drink both. Nor am I sure what will be served with the Rose.
These days my retired hubby is my chef. But he is very receptive to what I request. I googled Rose to find out about food pairings and found it to be a very flexible wine that goes with most anything.
We’ve been trying to eat on the lighter side lately, so I think I will recommend turkey sandwiches on thick sliced whole grain bread with lettuce, and tomato served with a salad.
I think that sounds perfect with a Rose. Just so you know, Rose is to be served chilled. I will put them both in the fridge and look forward to whatever tomorrow brings.
**FYI - I tried to post this last night, but blogspot was having some sort of maintenance - so I created a document last and had to cut and paste this morning.
Until then…Cheers!

Vino Solo

Like I said, a dear friend gave one of these to a dear friend. That dear friend gave 4 of them to me - 2 whites and 2 reds.

The reds are Merlot and the whites are Chardonnay. They are both 2008 North Coast, California wines.
I tried the Merlot. Not bad, not earth shattering, but very drinkable. The novelty of the totally cool plastic lid that when you flip it over becomes the wine glass is such a good time that I think it made the wine taste even better.

There's even a website. www.singlz.co.nz
Here's what it had to say:

Singlz - a revolutionary new all-in-one bottle and glass format.
The Singlz concept brings 21st century portability and convenience to wine drinking - an innovative all-in-one design combined with leading edge PET bottle technology that preserves wine quality.
Ideal for picnics, barbeques and situations where a single serve is all that is required .
Perfect for sporting and other outdoor events, concerts and performances where glassware is not permitted for safety reasons and where many people need to be served in a short space of time.
Welcome peace of mind for the consumer who opens their own bottle of quality wine knowing it is untainted and safe to drink.

It's a fun little wine. I expect to see more of these little guys!!

The dear friend of the dear friend that I mentioned bought these at a wine shop in either Portland or Falmouth, Maine. I'm sure you could get them on the website or at most any wine shop.

Now that my happy hour days and vacationing are over, I'm going to have to get back into some type of regular work/blog routine. Because I am now fully back to work, I feel like it's interfering with my wine tasting and blogging. But actually, that's rather impressive. Here we are at week 11 and I'm just now feeling like work is getting in the way? Not bad..

I obviously didn't do justice to my idea of a white or a rose. That will have to wait until next week. I have decided that I should try to focus a bit on Virginia wines for next few blogs.

Until then...Cheers!!

The Cutest Thing

A dear friend gave me these. A dear friend gave them to her. I thought I was done blogging about Maine wines, but evidently not.
Although these are not Maine wines,they are in fact California wines, but the story originated in Maine.
More on that tomorrow....

Maine Meadworks

I've never had Mead. I've heard about it, or rather read about it in a novel or
two.  Probably at some point during the storyline where the main character takes
a sip of the Mead before he kills Colonal Mustard in the library with a candle
stick.
At any rate, we (my hubby and I) find ourselves driving around Portland trying
to find this place. We got lost because our GPS is a worthless liar and
frequently tries to get me lost. This time was no exception. It took us to the
exact oppsite end of the street on the exact opposite side of town. Needless to
say, by the time we got there, we were irritable....and thirsty.
This is where things improve notably. We were greeted by a very lovely and very
pregnant young women who told us all about Mead. It's made from honey. How

lovely!  I love honey.

Evidently, Mead has been around much longer than beer or wine. According to our
lovely pregnant lady, it is classified as a wine. One of her coworkers Andrew
was kind enough to give us a tour. Its an interesting process and quite labor
intensive for this small business as pretty much everything is done by hand. 
But the end product is quite nice.
We sampled 6 or 7 different flavors such dry mead, strawberry, blueberry, semi
sweet, lavendar, reserve and one that had hopps in it. It tasted like beer!  The
others were similar to a reisling in that they were light in color, light on the
palate, and gentle sweetness. With the fruit flavors, a certain amount of
sweetness is expected. I thought the dry Mead tasted mildy sweet and assumed
that was because of the honey.  Evidently it's more of a "perceived sweetness"
because of the process, there is no sugar left in it and it's not acidic.  So
what's left is a light, pleasing, gentle drink.  My hubby and I both noted a
mild aftertaste with all the Meads, especially the fruit flavored ones.  But,
they were still nice enough that we bought 3 bottles.
Maine does have several wineries. Actually I googled it and found 6.  Obviously
Maine does not have a long growing season, so most of these wineries produce
fruit wines such as apple and strawberry.  I even found one that does a rheubarb
wine!
It's my understanding from what I've read that most grapes come to Maine
wineries in the form of juice or must (juice plus skins and seeds). We bought
several from a Winterport Maine winery to give as gifts to our fellow wine
drinking friends. One in particular is a blueberry, raspberry wine with
chocolate.  Like I stated, the plan is give it to friends, but I may end up
drinking this one.
Wow, I didn't think I'd have much to wine blog about in Maine.  I could easily
go on for days. But I won't. Its time to start thinking about next week.  I feel
a white or maybe a rose coming on.... 

Portland Maine Rocks!!

Ok.  So my main plan was to blog on a wine from Maine.  I know that Maine has some extreme temperatures, but I googled it and found that there are several wineries in Maine.  So, I was hopeful I would find a local wine at a local restaurant.  But.....no. Instead, I found something exponentially better.  A wonderful little restaurant called "Street and Company".
It was wonderful on a variety of different levels. First, the atmosphere is lovely. Hardwood floors, lots of brick and a very attentive staff.
Second, the sommelier is fantastic.  His is more ADD than I, but in a very good way.  He knows wine like the back of his hand.  I could never hope to be as knowledgable a resource as he is.  He told us, over a glass of Amarone (64.00 a bottle), that he is pursing his WST.  I'm not sure what that stands for, but I will google it tomorrow when I'm of sound mind.  But in a nutshell, it's a Master's Degree in "All that is Wine".
He stole my heart because he not only knows his wine, but he knows what to pair it with.  He recommended a Lobster Bread Pudding.  My first thought, was "yeah, about that..."  But OMG!  It was PHENOMENAL!!  If you've seen the movie "Ratatouille"  There is a scene where the food critic takes a bite of the rattatouille and suddenly he is a young child at home, eating a homemade meal from his Mom.  It conjures of images of home and warm fuzzies.  I sort of felt that when I took a bite. It was magnificent and perfectly complimented by the Amarone.
Let me take a moment to describe the Amarone.  It's an Italian wine.  I wanted to take the bottle with us as I knew I would not remember all the details.  But, my hubby said Noooo, we will get the wine menu and that has everything you need.  Well, it does not.  it only states that it is from Venice, it's a 2008 Amarone produced by Villalata.  I will definitely try to find it at Total Wine.  It is an absolutely wonderful wine.  I don't care who ya are, or where you're from.  You would enjoy this wine.  When I smelled the bouquet, I commented to my hubby that it is very fragrant, almost "meaty".  When I tasted it, it presented with a very strong burst of flavor, notes of dark cherry, tobacco, but very smooth.  To quote the sommelier "smooth, velvety finish".  And that is was.
Then, we had the special..Bluefish with gazpacho.  EXCELLENT.!!! The tomato base was a perfect compliment to the wine.
Finally, we had the chocolate hazelnut torte with cream sauce with the Recioto Della Valpolicella Bertani.  AHHHH!!  It went together like bread and butta...like Thelma and Louise...like Fall and football for you NFL fans. It was so wonderful, I could've continued eating and drinking...I felt like I could go on forever...
But I did not.  There is this thing, we big girls like to call "self control".  I decided at that point, I have to stop this utter self indulgence and hydrate... which I did.  Lots and lots of water.
To finalize, Maine is not the place for premier wines.  We knew that before we came, but I was just hopeful.  I fancy myself to be the Eternal Optimist.
But, there is light at the end of the tunnel.  After the spectacular dinner at Street and Company, we went to the Wine Bar.  Luckily for us the sister of the owner was there and was just a plethora of information.  She told us of the challenges of a very shortened growing season and offered that the Maine wines I had read about was most likely native Blueberry/Strawberry wines, not a grape product. But she told us of a distinctly Maine product, something called "Mead".  I've read about it in novels, but have never partaken of the drink. It is made from honey and fermented for a similar time period like wine, but at a much higher alcohol volume. She informed us of a local Mead producer here in Portland that offers tastings.  She was highly complementary of the Lavender Mead.
I CANT WAIT!!  We are going tomorrow.
Stay tuned...