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....