Hello!
I have been a bit MIA so I figured with an impending snow day (all the other counties around us have called it EXCEPT for ours!) I would sit down and update on my recent wine adventures.
My wine life has been enriched by the single best wedding present we received, the wine of the month club membership from head and mally. Seriously, I cannot imagine a better gift because not only do I get to try wines that I normally wouldn't, they are all EXCEPTIONALLY good!. Thanks HEAD!
1. Montevina Chardonnay - Until recently I had written off Chardonnay as a inferior white but I have had enough really good ones recently to realize that I was being unfair to this poor grape. This Chardonnay is quite good. It has been aged in enough oak to give it that vanilla flavor but it is not wood chippy.
2. Seghesio Red Zinfandel- Zinfandel, another wine I had written off until I tried this particular one. This Zinfandel has a bit of the fruitiness of a traditional zinfandel but then it has this rich creamy flavor to it that makes you crave a big old hunk of cheese. This was not a wine that I received from the wine of the month club, it was actually one that I sold at a tasting the other day. I sold quite a few bottles of it in spite of the fact that the economy is so shitty and it's a 22 dollar bottle of wine. In fact, I even sold a bit of cheese as well with my whole spiel about how well it would pair with fontina or Stilchester (the cheese I bought to go with the bottle I bought myself).
3. Matchbook 2005 Tinto Red from Dunnigan Hills - A blend of Syrah, Tempranillo, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Graciano. Another wonderful addition from the wine of the month club! I am usually wary for grape blends, especially red ones - most likely for the simple reason that Virginia wines do not do red blends well so I have been burnt too many times. HOWEVER, this blend truly picks up the best of each of its parts. The syrah lends its dryness, the Malbec lends a richness, the Tempranillo lends that classic spiciness. The smell makes me want to do backflips in my kitchen chair. YUM!
Update... In the process of writing this blog they have finally called the snow day for my school for tomorrow! Yippeee!!! Back to the wine for this guy!
d :)
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Terra Rosa
Long time no see Blog Spot.
Tonight I am watching the Superbowl with the Chenmeister and drinking a lovely old vine Malbec from Argentina called Terra Rosa. This is one of the lovely wines given to me by my Head and Mally through a Wine of the Month Club subscription.
This Malbec is incredibly smooth with a nice vanilla undertone to it. It tastes really good with the crock pot pot roast I made for dinner AND with the vermont white cheddar I am currently eating as a snack.
I have tried quite a few Argentinian wines as of late and as a result I am jonesing for a trip down south to the Mendoza region of Argentina.
yum
Tonight I am watching the Superbowl with the Chenmeister and drinking a lovely old vine Malbec from Argentina called Terra Rosa. This is one of the lovely wines given to me by my Head and Mally through a Wine of the Month Club subscription.
This Malbec is incredibly smooth with a nice vanilla undertone to it. It tastes really good with the crock pot pot roast I made for dinner AND with the vermont white cheddar I am currently eating as a snack.
I have tried quite a few Argentinian wines as of late and as a result I am jonesing for a trip down south to the Mendoza region of Argentina.
yum
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Tasting Update
Hello!
Here is an update from the wine tasting I did yesterday at the local Fresh Market. We tasted 3 wines, all from California:
1. Bonterra Syrah- Bonterra is a great organic vineyard out in California that makes delicious wines (especially their Viognier). The Syrah was no different. It was very fruit forward but then a bit dry with a buttery finish. A bit on the pricier end (17.99) but a good bet for Syrah drinkers.
2. Ghost Pines Cabernet Sauvignon - First of all, the name Ghost Pines sounds like a retirement community or a planned living community BUT don't let that stigma fool you, Ghost Pines is an excellent Cabernet. It has a lot of cherry flavor in it, a bold taste but not so strong that you think you are going to have a tannins headache. It's on the pricier end, 20.99, but it is a good dressy wine for special occasions.
3. Dynamite Chardonnay- Dynamite is an interesting wine to me because the label is so bold, but for the price I think it is a pretty solid wine. Their chardonnay is aged in vanilla oak but it does not have that wood chippy taste that many oaky Chardonnays have. At 10.49 this is a good sipping wine.
Now on to my top pic of late : COLUMBIA CREST SEMILLION-CHARDONNAY!
I put this wine in caps because it is THAT good AND it was only 7.99 at Total Wine. Columbia Crest is an organic vineyard out in Washington State and I was turned on to their wines at a tasting that was going on at the same time as a tasting I did a few months ago. I have tried their Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc and highly recommend both but the Semillon-Chardonnay is possibly even better.
It is not quite as sweet as a riesling but with a bit of sweetness and it has a buttery finish like all the Columbia Crest wines seem to have. Check it out. I wouldn't lead you astray!
Here is an update from the wine tasting I did yesterday at the local Fresh Market. We tasted 3 wines, all from California:
1. Bonterra Syrah- Bonterra is a great organic vineyard out in California that makes delicious wines (especially their Viognier). The Syrah was no different. It was very fruit forward but then a bit dry with a buttery finish. A bit on the pricier end (17.99) but a good bet for Syrah drinkers.
2. Ghost Pines Cabernet Sauvignon - First of all, the name Ghost Pines sounds like a retirement community or a planned living community BUT don't let that stigma fool you, Ghost Pines is an excellent Cabernet. It has a lot of cherry flavor in it, a bold taste but not so strong that you think you are going to have a tannins headache. It's on the pricier end, 20.99, but it is a good dressy wine for special occasions.
3. Dynamite Chardonnay- Dynamite is an interesting wine to me because the label is so bold, but for the price I think it is a pretty solid wine. Their chardonnay is aged in vanilla oak but it does not have that wood chippy taste that many oaky Chardonnays have. At 10.49 this is a good sipping wine.
Now on to my top pic of late : COLUMBIA CREST SEMILLION-CHARDONNAY!
I put this wine in caps because it is THAT good AND it was only 7.99 at Total Wine. Columbia Crest is an organic vineyard out in Washington State and I was turned on to their wines at a tasting that was going on at the same time as a tasting I did a few months ago. I have tried their Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc and highly recommend both but the Semillon-Chardonnay is possibly even better.
It is not quite as sweet as a riesling but with a bit of sweetness and it has a buttery finish like all the Columbia Crest wines seem to have. Check it out. I wouldn't lead you astray!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Adventures in Tasting
So I have been doing wine tastings for about 6 months now. By "doing" I mean that on Saturdays I am that perky girl at your local Kroger, Fresh Market or Food Lion standing in the wine aisle asking the question EVERYONE likes to hear "Would you like to try some wine?"
I have a particular Fresh Market in town that I love going to because the management is pretty lax and the clientele is usually very friendly and loose with their money. However, the Fresh Market spot for this past Saturday was taken so I settled for a local Food Lion.
Although I knew the area where the Food Lion was located (semi-rural, red-necky, genuinely down to earth people, much like my own hometown) I had never actually been to this Food Lion. However, after talking to the store manager and the sales rep I was a little bit worried. They both agreed that for the clientele at this Food Lion, Barefoot wine was the best way to go. Now don't get me wrong, for 6 bucks Barefoot is a good deal for the money because a) it doesn't taste like vinegar b) it is pretty standard across the board c) it doesnt give you a wicked cheap wine headache the next day and d) it doesnt remind me in the slightest of Helen Keller ;) (I had to throw that one in there)
HOWEVER usually when I do tastings we taste wines that are in the 10-12 dollar price range because we want the customers to try something different and perhaps spend a bit more than they normally would.
Ok so the selection of Barefoot was the first sign that I was in for an interesting day. The second sign was the fact that nearly every other customer who came through the section was looking to buy white zinfandel. Again, not hating on zinfandel but I mean you know.
The third sign that this was not your average tasting was that I saw a boy who was CLEARLY well under the legal age walked through the wine section making a dash for the door with a case of Budweiser in his hand. Two seconds later a store clerk went running after him and ten minutes after that he was sitting in the manager's office surrounded by 4 cops.
And that's all she wrote. This weekend I am back at my fave, Fresh Market. It probably won't be as interesting as my escapades in Food Lion but at least I will know what to expect.
Until next time... sayonara!
I have a particular Fresh Market in town that I love going to because the management is pretty lax and the clientele is usually very friendly and loose with their money. However, the Fresh Market spot for this past Saturday was taken so I settled for a local Food Lion.
Although I knew the area where the Food Lion was located (semi-rural, red-necky, genuinely down to earth people, much like my own hometown) I had never actually been to this Food Lion. However, after talking to the store manager and the sales rep I was a little bit worried. They both agreed that for the clientele at this Food Lion, Barefoot wine was the best way to go. Now don't get me wrong, for 6 bucks Barefoot is a good deal for the money because a) it doesn't taste like vinegar b) it is pretty standard across the board c) it doesnt give you a wicked cheap wine headache the next day and d) it doesnt remind me in the slightest of Helen Keller ;) (I had to throw that one in there)
HOWEVER usually when I do tastings we taste wines that are in the 10-12 dollar price range because we want the customers to try something different and perhaps spend a bit more than they normally would.
Ok so the selection of Barefoot was the first sign that I was in for an interesting day. The second sign was the fact that nearly every other customer who came through the section was looking to buy white zinfandel. Again, not hating on zinfandel but I mean you know.
The third sign that this was not your average tasting was that I saw a boy who was CLEARLY well under the legal age walked through the wine section making a dash for the door with a case of Budweiser in his hand. Two seconds later a store clerk went running after him and ten minutes after that he was sitting in the manager's office surrounded by 4 cops.
And that's all she wrote. This weekend I am back at my fave, Fresh Market. It probably won't be as interesting as my escapades in Food Lion but at least I will know what to expect.
Until next time... sayonara!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
New Kent Vineyards
Today Chen and I hit up New Kent Vineyards for two reasons:
1. It is very close to Richmond
2. I have been wanting to go for a while.
As I am about most Virginia vineyards, I was a bit skeptical about this place because it is new AND because it is in Virginia. (I am not hating on Virginia wines but let's be honest, they are fairly hit or miss at this point)
However, I was pleasantly surprised. They have only been open for about 7 months now and this shows in many ways, except in the wine. The staff is friendly and helpful. The building itself is built to look old and rustic but has still maintained its fresh wood smell.
Here were my top two picks at New Kent:
1. New Kent Vidal Blanc
2. New Kent Norton White
Both of these are sweeter wines, but not overly so. The Vidal Blanc tastes almost like a semi-sweet Riesling and seems like a great sipping wine.
The Norton White has some interesting qualities. It is a red grape and kind of a rose but not an annoyingly sweet cheap tasting rose like Beringer or Sutter Home. It almost has tastes of cinnamon or cloves in it. In fact, at the vineyard they were mulling this wine with mulling spices and serving it as the encore after the tasting.
The more I am around people who know a lot about wine the more I realize that I cannot just discout a whole kind of grape or a while kind of wine because I have had a few bad tastes of it.
For example, until recently I was convinced that I did not like Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs or Merlots. Although the latter two remain on that list, I must admit that I am finding more and more that I DO like Chardonnays, I just don't like ALL Chardonnays.
New Kent had a 2004 Reserve Chardonnay that was quite nice. They had fermented it in Oak for 4 years but it surprisingly did not taste like wood chips, as I find many oaky Chardonnays do. It was almost buttery.
Well, that's enough from this peanut gallery for one day. Until next time, hasta la pasta :)
d
1. It is very close to Richmond
2. I have been wanting to go for a while.
As I am about most Virginia vineyards, I was a bit skeptical about this place because it is new AND because it is in Virginia. (I am not hating on Virginia wines but let's be honest, they are fairly hit or miss at this point)
However, I was pleasantly surprised. They have only been open for about 7 months now and this shows in many ways, except in the wine. The staff is friendly and helpful. The building itself is built to look old and rustic but has still maintained its fresh wood smell.
Here were my top two picks at New Kent:
1. New Kent Vidal Blanc
2. New Kent Norton White
Both of these are sweeter wines, but not overly so. The Vidal Blanc tastes almost like a semi-sweet Riesling and seems like a great sipping wine.
The Norton White has some interesting qualities. It is a red grape and kind of a rose but not an annoyingly sweet cheap tasting rose like Beringer or Sutter Home. It almost has tastes of cinnamon or cloves in it. In fact, at the vineyard they were mulling this wine with mulling spices and serving it as the encore after the tasting.
The more I am around people who know a lot about wine the more I realize that I cannot just discout a whole kind of grape or a while kind of wine because I have had a few bad tastes of it.
For example, until recently I was convinced that I did not like Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs or Merlots. Although the latter two remain on that list, I must admit that I am finding more and more that I DO like Chardonnays, I just don't like ALL Chardonnays.
New Kent had a 2004 Reserve Chardonnay that was quite nice. They had fermented it in Oak for 4 years but it surprisingly did not taste like wood chips, as I find many oaky Chardonnays do. It was almost buttery.
Well, that's enough from this peanut gallery for one day. Until next time, hasta la pasta :)
d
My First Entry
Hello!
The idea for this blog came about today while Chen and I were visiting New Kent Vineyards, just east of Richmond. We were trying the different wines there and Chen said that since I am a dork about wines (basically that I enjoy learning about them and sharing what I learn with others) that I should make a blog about it. Therefore, here is my wine blog.
I am starting this blog with two disclaimers:
1. All I know about wine at this point in my life is what I like and what I don't like. I do not have a sophisticated palette, I just know what I enjoy drinking and what I don't enjoy drinking, plus a few random facts I have picked up on the way from people who actually know what they are talking about.
2. Take all of my recommendations with a grain of salt. As mentioned before, these are the ones that I like!
Now that I have those disclaimers out of the way, I am ready to talk about one of my passions... wine :)
The idea for this blog came about today while Chen and I were visiting New Kent Vineyards, just east of Richmond. We were trying the different wines there and Chen said that since I am a dork about wines (basically that I enjoy learning about them and sharing what I learn with others) that I should make a blog about it. Therefore, here is my wine blog.
I am starting this blog with two disclaimers:
1. All I know about wine at this point in my life is what I like and what I don't like. I do not have a sophisticated palette, I just know what I enjoy drinking and what I don't enjoy drinking, plus a few random facts I have picked up on the way from people who actually know what they are talking about.
2. Take all of my recommendations with a grain of salt. As mentioned before, these are the ones that I like!
Now that I have those disclaimers out of the way, I am ready to talk about one of my passions... wine :)
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