April 22, 2009
Happy Earth Day!
Today would be a great day to try some earth friendly wines. Whether they are certified organic, sustainably farmed or biodynamic, great care is taken in the vineyard practices and the winemaking process... and they are delicious! There are plenty of wineries in California and Oregon, but look to Spain, France, Italy, Argentina, Germany and even my favorite farmer fizz in Champagne that use these "green" practices. I think I'll celebrate with some Oregon Pinot from Bergstrom!
...on another note...
So I've recovered from wine festival weekend, then spent some time exploring New Orleans... building houses for Habitat for Humanity by day, and exploring jazz clubs, beans and rice, mint juleps, bignets, and Abita (I probably had everything they make)! So it's been a bit of a beer week, and I've got pictures to share!
at French Quarter Fest drinking Abita Purple Haze
New Orleans on a busy Saturday night
mmmm... bignets... perfect way to end a night or to start a morning! pairs with chickory coffee,
beer, and probably would be delightful with champagne... ooh... add strawberries on top of them
and have it with rosé champagne! now we're talkin.
March 12, 2009
It's Wine Festival Weekend in Cincinnati!
Check out my tips for festival-ing in this weeks issue of CinWeekly.
http://cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090310/NEWS0102/903110315/1067/rss05
Look forward to pictures and stories from the wine festival weekend. Maybe I'll see you there!
Cheers!
Happy Anniverary Cincycoolness!!!
For the 1 year anniversary of this website, I had Jim pick the coolness wine of the year...
Naked on Roller Skates Sparkling Shiraz
me and Jim grinning a little that there was 1 bottle of this still stashed away!
Time sure flies! I can't believe the coolness is 1 year old. I have had tons of fun picking wines and sharing my wine adventures and ramblings with all of you. Jim does a great job with this website, and I love being a part of it. Thanks Jim! You rule! I look forward to another year of wine picks...
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
hope you shared some yummy wine with your valentine! i did!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Happy Friday the 13th!
There is no wine pick for today. We're going to talk about tasting notes. You may not even know what I'm talking about when I say that. It's not scary. It's just what you might write down about a wine after tasting it. A way to describe the wine for other people or to remind yourself what it was like in the future. Attempting to write your own tasting notes may at first seem intimidating, but have no fear... it doesn't have to be full of wine-geek verbage! Tasting notes can be whatever you want them to be really. You can describes flavors and aromas that stand out for you, even if it's very basic. You don't have to say things like "this wine has aromas of dried acacia flowers mingling with a note of candied black currant, is full bodied with eucalyptus and green tea on the lingering, tannic finish." You can stick to things like "berries" or "cherry-coke-ish" or "yummy."
You can capture a feeling, a setting. a memory, a song, a person in a tasting note. "This wine is SO Halle Berry!" or "this wine screams for a fall bonfire" or "this wine is Tom Petty's Free Fallin'"
So for Valentines day, creativity in tasting notes can get on the fun side of dirty. Ask yourself what body part is this wine? Maybe it's an ankle, or an earlobe, a collarbone. Who is this wine? Is it Harry Connick Jr. in cowboy boots? Maybe it's your wife when she wears a black cocktail dress and heels? Where do your want to be drinking it? In a tent in the Redwoods? On a bearskin rug in a cabin? In a hot tub when it's snowing (that one would be champagne, by the way). It's that easy! Let your imagination run wild.
This Valentines Day, relax, sip, let the wine inspire you. Come up with naughty tasting notes with your sweetie while sipping vino into the evening...
Friday, January 23, 2009
Le Mire 2007 Rosso di Toscana, I.G.T.
$11.99
Mmmm... Italian wine...
It is one of the best feelings to taste a wine and love on it and then learn it is a great price. When I tasted this wine on Wednsday, I immediately mmmm-ed over it. Like I mentioned last week, I have been in a super Italian wine mood lately. And this was so satisfying that craving. Then the magic moment when my sweetheart Jen revealed the price. Really, $11.99? Excellent!
The wine is oh so lovely. The nose is herbal, earthy, like the dirt and wildflowers in the vineyard in Italy. Then there's the pretty fruit...black raspberry, blueberry. An olfactory pleasure. And it is oh so silky in your mouth. nice creamy weight, a quick spice and dried flowers all over the finish. A gorgeous, everyday wine.
the label is pretty too. wouldn't that flower make a cool tattoo?
Saturday, January 17, 2009
yeah for real, the first time i typed 2009 on this website! exciting, but also slacker-y of me for waiting so long to post anything on the coolness. anyway...
Some Young Punks 2007 QUICKIE!
South Australia
$26.99
yeah, the wine is really called quickie. great fucking label!
so this is a blend from australia. 85% nebbiolo and 15% shiraz. kinda fun. this winery does crazy fun stuff with italian grapes in australia. but always blended with their superstar shiraz. this wine is not what i expected. which is ok. in fact i kinda like getting suprised. when i think aussie shiraz blended with nebbiolo (the grape of fucking barolo!) i assume giant big dark wine with crazy fruit and spice and a long-ass finish. but no. the quickie is totally name-appropriate. very gulp-y. very quick drinking. lighter in body, easy fruit, not a ton of finish or spice, but again, gets you where you're trying to go. recall again, the wine is called quickie. just sayin'...
and since i haven't been writing much, i've got some wine shit to talk out with y'all...
RANDOM WINE THOUGHTS...
so i'm having wine philosophy dilemmas. i'll discuss it as i can with you, but still in turmoil-ish. in creating a wine list, do you pander to the masses, or create a list that you love and feel great about that is expansive and representative of all wine regions and styles even if the wine doesn't sell as well? in theory a duh, but in practice a harder decision. i'm fighting for the latter and will let ya know what my tweaked '09 deli wine list includes and what i fought for! probably can't make a wine list with nothing but champagne though, huh?
lately i am so obsessed with syrah and italian red. and of course bubbly, but more often craving reds and seem to tend toward california syrah and fabulous old-worldy italian (which is often flippin' expensive dammit!). but shit, check out the cline syrah. yeah, the regular old boring, $10 bottle of regular cline syrah. great for price. but i'm lovin even more on old syrah. yeah. nothin like it. or dusty, earthy giant italian red. or even elegant pretty italian. shit! getting thirsty as i type.
speaking of thirsty, had my first yuengling experience this past weekend in alabama! love it! for real. way fun lighter-ish beer that we can't get in ohio, m-fers. i did get to enjoy it on the beach on a sunny day in january, so that may have clouded my love and experience, but overall i'm a hard-core yuengling fan and will do whatever i can to get it here. beer is good.
come see me saturdays at dilly in mariemont for wine tasting every saturday from 1 to 4!!! it's the best.where else can you try stuff like $60 champagne for fifty cents! or the st. germain elderflower liquer! for real. tastes like meadow flowers in the sub-alpine meadow regions of colorado. gorgeous beverage. really, come hang with me and my wine rep peeps that i LOVE on saturdays.
i promise to be less of a slacker and post more wine picks... until then, drink yummy stuff!
Friday, December 19, 2008
My Holiday Drinking Advice:
Drink what you love! Wine, beer, bourbon, absinthe, egg nog, cocoa, tequila, coca cola classic, champagne... whatever. Don't feel pressure. The name of the game is celebration and spending time with people you love being with. So pop whatever it is you love and be with your crew.
Tomorrow there is a top-notch tasting at Dilly Café (1pm-4pm) for only $1 per taste of 2 AWESOME sparkling wines- both from France, one is Champagne, Champagne from France and the other is a lovely rosé cremant from Alsace, France. But the REALLY exciting part is that the Dilly back-room vault will be open. Back vintages of Pride Merlot, Laurel Glen Cabernet and Ravenswood single-vineyard Zinfandel will be coming out for your pleasure... stop by! We have plenty of stocking stuffers and great gifts for your beloved wino or foodie friends.
I'll give you my current wine obsessions and holiday bubbly picks soon!
In the meantime, CHEERS!!!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
GO XAVIER!!!
Anyway, I am back on the coolness train! Sorry for being a slacker the past few weeks. And now I am just going to confuse everything and choose a beer of the week this week...
me with the Ambassador of Great Brews
So as you know, Dilly Café has been named the #12 best beer bar on the planet by Beer Advocate magazine. And even though I am in the wine department, I have to go with a beer pick on this occasion. This week I am lovin on the Deus Brut des Flandres. Not only is it delicious and great for celebrating, but it is also sabor-able because it is made like champagne! Yeah you read that right, they make the beer in Belgium then it goes to France where it gets the same treatment as champagnes. Last night Peanut Kahles, the Ambassador of Great Brews (largely responsible for earning this beer award), used a giant-ass sword to sabor a bottle of this yumminess. It was a night to remember!
We do have to talk a bit about wine though too. Just because I haven't been posting wine picks does not mean I haven't been tasting like crazy. Let me give ya a few picks from the past few weeks:
Dal Bello Prosecco
Italy
$13.99
Fabulous light, crisp bubbly for a steal. Tastes almost like Sprite without the sweetness. A limon treat!
Seghesio 2007 Sonoma County Zinfandel
Sonoma, California
$24.99
Number 10 on the Wine Spectator top 100 list this year, if you care, I don't really think I do, but it is damn tasty Zin. Very silky, dark fruit, nice spice.
Kitfox Vineyards 2005 Foxy Red
California
$12.99
A party wine for sure. Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Refosco, Syrah and Petite Sirah. A go-to for me and the '05 is tasting really great right now. Nice oak tones, lots o vanilla and black raspberries. A crowd pleaser.
I promise to stop slacking and give ya more wine love on the coolness. Look forward to holiday wine picks and lots of bubbly in the weeks to come!
Drink some great beer tonight during the Crosstown Shootout and pop some bubbly when X wins!
Friday, November 7, 2008
2007 The Prisoner
Napa Valley
$36.99
red tights, fun shoes and the new vintage of Prisoner... torturous!
If you haven't heard of The Prisoner, I don't know where you've been. This wine is a cult wine with a following of people who stalk it. The new vintage was just released and I feel excited that my toes get to be that close to the bottle! It is a blend from Napa made by Orwin Swift... 50% Zinfandel 24% Cabernet Sauvignon 14% Syrah and the rest is Petite Sirah, Charbono and Grenache. And it is damn tasty! Giant nose, tons of fruit, chocolate, tobacco, a smidge of vanilla bean... and the palate is just as intoxicating with dense layers of dark berry and cherry fruit, some wood, mocha, and a big ol long finish. Not a wine for slamming that's for sure. This is one to pour and savor and watch how it changes as it gets more and more oxygen. Hell, will probably be smokin' amazing on day 2 if you can manage to save some for the next day.
me in the wine shop with The Prisoner... it comes in big bottles too. Dreamy and a half.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween!
yeah, I got skates...
2006 Luchador Shiraz
South Australia
$19.99
Yes, another fun wine from Chris Ringland. Had a hard time thinking of a good Halloween wine, and decided on the Luchador for the fun masked wrestler on the label. It's tasty, silky, blackberry-y, earthy Shiraz. Great for an October party night! Maybe I should have dressed like Nacho Libre instead of Roller Girl.
in action! i am amazed that i didn't fall or run into anything wearing these all night working in the wine store... i even went up and down stairs and drank champagne in a sorta hilly backyard in them!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
yes, i love wine in a box, as you can see... like the box set of Duval Leroy, and J. Schram 2000, and Dom, and PJ, and Feuillatte and of course the Krug 1988... wine in a box is good! and thank you to lookatmeshirts.com for this inspiring and fun t-shirt!
SO I know, I suck. I partied too much Bday weekend and was a giant slacker with no wine pick last week. This means I take extra good care of you and you get a pick for last week and a pick for this week.
So for this week:
The Squid's Fist 2007
South Australia
$26.99
yeah, yummy Australian wine complete with genius label
You surely remember my enjoyment of the Naked on Roller Skates wine, right? Well this is the latest from the same winery. The cool kids at Some Young Punks Winery in Australia bring us this fun red blend. It's 61% Sangiovese and 39% Shiraz. And damn fine. Tons of blackberry and black plum on the nose. Super lush in your mouth with a nice complexity and great structure. Lots and lots of fruit, and yeah, a little slutty.
And from last week...
2006 Chateau Grande Cassagne 'GS' Grenache/Syrah
Costieres de Nimes, France
$14.99
for real that's how easy it is... come to my wine tastings because wine is good!
This is one steal of a wine. The price is silly for a super alluring French red. It's a blend of Grenache and Syrah, which I am honestly totally obsessed with Syrah since I went to Santa Barbara, it's all I want to drink besides Champagne. So yeah, Grenache and Syrah, hence the 'GS' label. It is a naughty wine. Aromas of fall leaves, sunshine, barnyard, into nightfall and stars. I know that doesn't sound like anything helpful to describe wine, but sometimes you can capture the essence of a wine with describing it in terms of a setting or a person , or what food it would work with, etc. So as my girl Ashley from the Cool Corner puts it best, she says "this wine spanks me." And that is the perfect call. It is funky and dirty, but in the best way.
Friday, October 10, 2008
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!
this photo is in Sedona, Arizona, after i went on a hot air balloon ride, they fed us breakfast and bubbly...
one of my happiest times! can ya tell?
So for my birthday, rather than give you one wine pick for the week, I'm going to give you a list of wine highlights for me in the past year, regardless of price. Usually for my weekly pick, I try to keep the price reasonable, so for today I'm throwin' down damnit! So here is the list in no particular order...
1) J. Schram 1998 Brut Rosé
2) Delectus 1998 Unfiltered Syrah
3) DeLoach 2006 Ritchie's Vineyard Chardonnay
4) Antano 2003 Sangrantino de Montefalco
5) L'Aventure 2001 Estate Cuvée
6) Stoller 2005 Pinot Noir
7) René Geoffroy Brut Rosé Premier Cru
8) The Prisoner 2006
9) Moorooroo 2003 Shiraz
10) Bonny Doon 2005 Le Cigar Blanc
11) Darting 2006 Scheurebe Spatlese Durkheimer Spielberg
12) Jaffurs 2006 Syrah
13) Bergstrom 2006 Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir
14) Red Head Ranch 2004 Late Harvest Zinfandel
15) Jean Lallement Brut Grand Cru
16) Epiphany 2006 Grenache Blanc
17) Chris Ringland 2006 Ebeneezer Shiraz
18) Lingenfelder 2004 Scheurebe Halbtrocken
19) Donatella Colombini 2004 Rosse di Montalcino
20) Schramsberg 2003 Brut Rosé
and of course...
21) Naked On Roller Skates Sparkling Shiraz
So, if you want to get me a b-day gift, look no further than this list!
DON'T FORGET...
Saturday between 1pm and 4pm I will be pouring some of my favorite wines at the Dilly Café in Mariemont. Only 50 cents per taste, plus you get to hang out and drink wine with me. And some of the wines from the list will be there to taste!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Zincinnati 2006 Zinfandel
Mendocino, California
$16.99
not only is it cool that there is a Zincinnati Zin, but there are BIG bottles too, and t-shirts!
So especially made just for the Cincinnati market, we have a delicious Zinfandel from Mendocino. And it has a super cool story behind it. My wine friends Jen Petrey and Brandon Monroe went out to California and worked with winemaker Rich Parducci to create the Zincinnati blend. It is 100% Zinfandel from 4 different single vineyards and the wine is way yummy. Lots of lovely black cherry, raspberry and blackberry fruit, delicate, lush spice and a finish that leaves you wanting another glass. Or another bottle. That's kinda how the party went when the wine was released last Thursday at Dilly Café. Here's party pics!
the fabulous Jen Petrey (now superstar wine extraordinaire), my girl Amy and me rockin our Zincinnati Zinfandel t-shirts
me and Amy partying with my wine partner-in-crime at the wine shop, Chuck from Dilly
It was a great night and the wine was superb! There's still plenty to be had, so come visit me and get some for your next fire-pit weekend. It'll be perfect.
On another exciting note, my birthday is coming up this Friday! I hope to extend the birthday fun as long as I possibly can into October. So there will be special wine picks this week, including a top 10ish list of my faves. And you don't want to miss a very special wine tasting this Saturday at Dilly Café from 1pm-4pm, where I will be pouring some of my favorites... oh yes, there will be naughty scheu, the decided go-to pink bubbly, silky pinot, elegant italian, satisfying grenache blanc, and one of the most get-in-trouble syrahs I've tasted. Come celebrate and taste wine with me!
Viva Las Vegas!
Last weekend I did a whirlwind trip in Vegas and had some great wine...
Mmmm... Barolo...
and drank beer from a tower...
while it was crappy beer, it was from a GIANT TOWER...
Had lots of great bubbly, free wine tasting at the hotel, delicious food, saw Zumanity, played some black jack, spent time at the pool, watched the Bengals lose... what more can you pack into one weekend!
Stay tuned for a wine pick later!
Friday, Septmeber 26, 2008
Terra Andina 2007 Carmenere
D.O. Valle Central, Chile
$9.99
I'm feeling saucy drinkin wine from Chile!
This week's wine is so yummy. If you haven't had Carmenere before, this would be a great place to start. It tends to grow pretty well in Chile and this wine is a lovely example of both Chilean wine and Carmenere. When you smell it, the nose is soft with vanilla, blueberry, and black plum, with a bit of an earthy note and gravel-y aromas with a hint of green peppercorns. This wine is silky in your mouth and very balanced with good fruit and acid, followed by a long rich finish. A super value that you don't want to miss. SO tasty!
On another note, I was in Las Vegas last week and had a blast. So forgive me for the lack of wine pick last week. I had lots of great wine, ate at fabulous restaurants, went to a show, lounged at the pool, played blackjack... I'll work on getting my photos organized so I can fill you in on my whirlwind weekend soon... not everything that happens in Vegas needs to stay in Vegas. I'll tell ya some of the good parts!
Happy Weekend!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Bogle 2005 Phantom
California
$19.99
ooh yeah, sippin the phantom!
So I am still holding out and trying to hang on to summer for as long as I can. I'm a total warm weather girl. But I have to admit that the release of the Bogle Phantom is a reason to be thankful that fall is coming! The Phantom is a blend that the Bogle Winery releases every fall... OLD VINE Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, OLD VINE Mourvedre. THAT'S WHAT I"M SAYIN! A deep dark wine, perfect for bonfires and smores. For real, pair this frickin' wine with smores.
When you smell this wine, you know you're in for a hell of a night. Blueberries, blackberries, cardomon pods, maybe some forest floor. And you mean I get to drink it too? When you drink this wine, at first it's a giant dollop of black fruits, that's that old vine character, then there's the forest-y structure, THEN there's the crazy warming sensation EVERYWHERE. Not sure exactly the biology behind this, but trust me... ok, deep breaths, Kate, step away from the wine...
Campfire, smores, Phantom... try this combo asap. For real. This wine is only released once a year, and is super allocated, so there's not much. I expect to sell my 2 cases out by tomorrow night. This wine has a following. And people seek it out and ask for it and stalk it.
So who's gonna make me some smores? I'll bring the wine!
Saturday, September 6
2 wines this week in celebration of a new wine movie out- Bottleshock!
Definitive 2006 Chardonnay
Napa Valley
$19.99
Domaine Alain Normand 2005 Macon La Roche Vineuse
Vin de Bourgogne
$15.99
double-fistin Chardonnay in preparation for going to see Bottleshock tonight...
So most likely you haven't even heard about this movie. But wine geeks are nothing but pumped to see it. Bottleshock is a movie about the monumental wine tasting in Paris in 1976 that pitted California wines against French wines. It was a blind tasting of Chardonnays... some from France and some from California. The top wine experts in France were the judges. And it changed the wine scene forever. Gives me goosebumps thinking about it. Wow, I really am a geek. I'm not going to tell you too much about it because you should go see it, or at least add it to your Netflix queue eventually. Or read the book about it called Judgement of Paris by George Taber. Anyway, the movie was great! Especially when you have a travel coffee mug of Chardonnay in your purse at the movie theater.
So, for my wine pick this week, I chose a Napa Chardonnay and a French Chardonnay. Needed to not only celebrate the spirit of the movie, but also had to test myself. So, I blind tasted to two.
Hells-yeah! I rule.
Somewhat quicky, I correctly identified the California wine and the French wine. Both wines were yummy. But smelling them next to each other and then tasting them was cool, they were pretty different. The California wine was butterscotchy with a bit more weight. Still a nice balanced Chardonnay, but a smidge creamy, oakier that the other wine. The French Macon had more of a mineral finish, was a bit lighter in body. Very balanced, cool finish. A steal at $15.99.
Isn't wine too cool?
try your own blind tasting sometime... it's way fun
Kate's Adventures in Wine Country!
me, drinking the best wine of the trip...
So I arrived in Santa Barbara, California on Friday August 8 around 7pm or so. I'd been camping and hiking on Santa Cruz Island, which is part of the Channel Islands National Park, for 2 days (and loved every second of it), but I was a smelly, unshowered, dehydrated, tired, dirty traveller when I got to the Hadsten House in Solvang (a cute little Dutch-ish part of town in Santa Barbara). And it was like an oasis in the desert for me. The room is gorgeous, air conditioned and has a shower. AND there's a bottle of pink bubbly chilling, waiting for me (courtesy of my friends at Dilly Cafe, I mean really, how thoughtful is that!). So I clean up (literally, I had to scrub dirt off my legs and the washcloth turned black on both sides, I was gross), and while showering I savor the bottle of Roederer Estate Brut Rose (so tasty, and so needed, that I brought my flute of bubbly IN the shower). Then I headed out to the Hitching Post! Cuz where else ya gonna eat while in Santa Barbara. Come on, as cheesy as it may be, we all want to be as cool as the kids in Sideways.
at night, after wine, but still proof i was there!
At Hitching Post I got to sit at the bar, ya know where Miles and Jack sat countless times drinking Pinot. So that was pretty cool. It was packed and I didn't have a reservation, so not sure how I was so lucky to get a prime seat, but whatever! And so I order a glass of the Pink Pinot. I've had this wine a ton of times, but rosé sounded perfect! And holy shit, who is that across the room, but Jim Clendendon, winemaker for Au Bon Climat! I had met him a week ago at a tasting in Columbus, and certainly I know and love his wines, but I totally chickened out and didn't go say hi. He probably wouldn't remember me anyway, but how cool is that! To be out at the Hitching Post and see a superstar winemaker hangin on a Friday night! The food was great and I ended up ordering a glass of the Syrah, which I had never had before, and was a tasty welcome to the terroir around here. It's gonna be a good couple of days!
In the morning, the first stop was Fess Parker. Lovely spot, tasty wines, friendly people, lots of Davy Crockett kitcsh goin' on. Brought a bottle of the '04 Syrah home. And the guys in the tasting room were quite helpful with recommendations for where else to go. So next was Los Olivos for tasting at Consilience and Epiphany. Los Olivos is way cute. Lots of tasting rooms and restaurants and shops.
me in the vineyards at Fess Parker
Consilience was first and the wines were excellent. Like all of them. And shitballs was the rosé good. Ended up with 3 bottles of that in my cooler to bring home.
me outside the tasting room at Consilience
Again, all the wines there were fabulous. Almost came home with Petite Sirah too, but crap, this was only winery #2 today and already I had 4 bottles in the cooler in the car. I might need to buy another cooler.
Next stop was Epiphany. And let me just tell you how much I love Grenache Blanc. I mean I knew I loved that grape, but oh my. So cool to taste the '06 next to the new '07 release. I think I'm still into the '06 big time, but that '07 is so fresh with green pear skin, green apple and nice minerality. What a treat. I guess I had to buy a bottle, huh. Ok, so for real, the cooler is getting full. Where are the veggie dogs going to go?
Next it was on to Zaca Mesa, which was my favorite overall experience on wine country. They were way too good to me. A tour, a walk in the vineyards, tasting grapes off the vine, a tasting through everything, then lunch and a bottle of whatever I wanted with lunch at a picnic table. Life is way good. Yeah, so I chose a bottle of the Z Three for with lunch. It's a gorgeous Rhone blend that was perfect with the picnic spread for lunch. So I guess I had to buy a bottle of that to take home too. But, seriously, if you're in that area, DO NOT miss Zaca Mesa.
So then I buzzed in to Blackjack Ranch to taste. Lovely Chardonnay, which isn't usually a favorite for me, but these were way yummy.
Then on to a tasting room in Solvang called Tastes of the Valley. They offered several tasting flights, but I went with the 'Grand Cru' tasting. The highlight was the Brochelle Zinfandel. Delicate, dark, sweet-ish, but not super sweet or over-the-top-high-alcohol like Zin can be at times. This was a way pretty Zin. So I'll take 2 bottles to add to the cooler. Yeah, the peanut butter and jelly and the salsa and the veggie dogs must be sacrificed for cooler space for more wine. I guess the Diet Coke will have to go next.
me smelling and taking diligent tasting notes at Tastes of the Valley... i'm so serious...
Next was a bit of an adventure to get sunset photos of grapes. The lights gotta be just right. Ended up kinda sneaking under the gate at a winery to remain nameless to be able to get these photos, but it was way fun!
me sneaking under the gate, hoping it's not electrified, and that it doesn't signal the cops to show up or something...
Marigold fields on the way to Los Olivos
Dinner was at Los Olivos Café. Such a cute spot. The place where Jack and Miles and Maya and Stephanie eat that great dinner and drink bottle after bottle after bottle at dinner in Sideways. They indeed had a great wine list. And dinner was scrumptious. What a day! Time to pass out so I can do it all again tomorrow!
isn't it just beautiful in the Santa Ynez Valley?
So Sunday morning I start with breakfast at Paula's Pancake house. Need work get through that minor hangover and get a good layer of food in before I dive back into the wine again. Paula's is way cute. On the main drag in Solvang, and I got to sit outside. Sucked down coffee and water and Dutch pancakes topped with blueberries and whipped cream. What a way to start a day!
First wine stop was Fiddlehead. SO cool. Winemaker Kathy Joseph was there while I was tasting, so we tasted and talked and she gave a personal tour of the winery and showed me pictures of their parties there. They do Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. And the new vintage of Sweetie (their dessert wine) is just coming out, so I got to try that too. And they had a bottle of the '96 Willamette Pinot open. Yeah, '96. What's with that? I don't know and I don't care, just let me re-taste it one more time!
Now the drive continues and I head out of Santa Barbara to the Arroyo Grand Valley to taste Pinot and Bubbly at Laetitia. Lovin the '04 Brut Coquard! And the single vineyard Pinots for sure. Enjoyed some cheese and fruit for lunch here, then headed to Paso Robles.
First stop in Paso was L'Aventure. Yeah, I get melty thinking about these wines. L'Aventure does beautiful Rhone style wines. I've only ever tried the reds. Didn't know there was Rousanne! Or GSM Rosé! Shitballs! And then the reds... Optimus, Estate Cote a Cote, and Estate Cuveé (which I am dying to try the older vintages hiding at the Dilly wine shop)! So good! Guess I'll have to bring some Rousanne home. It isn't distributed, so I have to, right?
Next was Turley. I so love Zinfandel. And that is the specialty at Turley. Such top-notch stuff. Couldn't decide what to buy, and I wanted one of everything. Ended up taking the Pesenti Vineyard Zin home. Guess I'll just have to come back again. Soon.
Then I headed to Justin for tasting and tour. These are some lovely wines and such a gorgeous property.
grapes at Justin... beautiful spot, right as sun is going down, so the grapes and light cooperated for nice photos
They have cool cottages and stuff you can stay at here, and there's a sweet wine cave where they have a tasting room. The tour was cool and I got to barrel taste a few things, which is always fun. Who knew they did a Tempranillo!
Dinner was a a super spot within walking distance of the inn where I was staying (which was super cool, a registered historic landmark, the Paso Robles Inn, and I had a mineral spring hot tub on my balcony overlooking the gardens!). So based on the recommendation of Jacob in the L'Aventure tasting room, dinner was at Artisan. Excellent food, cool choices for wine flights, plus a great glass, bottle and half bottles selection. Did a wine flight that included bubbles, a white, a red and an icewine. Perfect. And Chef made a stellar vegetarian pasta for me that isn't something that's on the menu, so that was a treat! Drank a Cab Franc based blend with the pasta. And decided a half bottle of Schramsberg Blanc de Noir would be a good idea to take back to the room for sitting in that mineral spring hot tub, so I got a bottle to go. That WAS a good call.
When can I go back?
So here are the fabulous stats I compiled about my wine tasting over my whole vacation. So this was a 2 week trip and I only did wine country for about 2.25 days...
Total number of wines tasted: 105
Total of these that were red: 58
Total of these that were white: 24
Total of these that were pink: 8
Total of these taht were bubbly: 11
Total of these that were dessert wines: 4
Total of these that I had never tasted before: 85
Total bottles that came home: 10
Best Wine of the Trip: Delectus '98 Unfiltered Syrah from Mendocino
Best White of the Trip: L'Aventure Rousanne
Best Pink of the Trip: Consilience Rosé
Best Bubbles of the Trip: Roederer Estate Brut Rosé
Total beers tasted: 12
Total Tequilas tastes: 2
Total Whiskeys tasted: 3
Total cigars smoked: 3
That's what I call vacation!
Friday, August 22, 2008
I'm back! I'll give ya the skinny on my wine adventures in California as soon as I get the pictures more organized. Until then, here's this week's wine of the week!
Lyeth 2005 Meritage
Sonoma Valley
$16.99
I swear I wasn't responsible for all those corks myself...
So this wine is dynamite! When I tasted it, I had no expectations, prior knowledge or frame of reference, but when it was in my mouth I was all like "Mmmmm..."
So it's from Sonoma and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. When a wine says "meritage" on the label, that means that it is a blend of the classic Bordeaux varietals. Technically there's a Meritage thing where you have to pay and be part of the society or association or whatever, and meet rules and stuff to be able to say your wine is a Meritage and put that on the label. Not sure about all that, sounds a bit snobby to me, but I do know this one'z damn yummy.
What was the most striking to me when I tasted it was how it felt like liquid silk in my mouth. The fruit was pretty and the structure was delicate and elegant and when they told me the price of this wine my jaw dropped and I ordered a case of it. So yeah, it's good and I kinda like it. Great choice for dinner or on it's own on a lovely evening. Not too shabby on day #2 either.
And again, I promise you'll get more details about my trip to California this week!
Friday, August 1, 2008
I'm heading out west tomorrow, so there won't be a wine pick for 2 weeks, but I promise that when I get back, you'll get a complete report telling all about my wine adventures while I'm gone. With photos. You'll know every glass I drink while I'm gone, I promise. With tasting notes. Anyway...
We'll start today with the list of liquid treats I am taking on my 2 week vacation out west: for beer, I've got a 750 ml bottle of the Southern Tier Un*Earthly and a 750 ml bottle of the Brooklyn Local 1 and a 6 pack of Victory Hop Wallop. There will also be some Knob Creek and some Woodford Reserve stashed in the car. And, duh, this is the WINE page after all, so for wine I am bringing the Seebrich Scheurebe from Germany (one of my go-to wines) and some Strong Arms Shiraz from Australia (a total gulpy, spicy value), and those that know me well, or at least pay a tiny bit of attention to my wine picks will know there has to be something bubbly and pink involved, so the other wine taking up space in the cooler is the Laetitia Brut Rosé (I've never had it before, so I am chomping at the bit to try it!). Smack in the middle of my adventures hiking and camping, I'm going to dive into vineyards and wineries. I'm starting in Santa Barbara (setting of the legendary wine movie Sideways) and then heading up to Paso Robles to drink and tour wineries and drink and eat and drink and sleep and drink. So you'll get the complete scoop when I get back.
For today's wine pick of the week:
Vinum 2007 Rosé
Napa Valley, California
$11.99
wine and bare toes are good.
This is the new vintage of this wine that was just released. With snazzy new packaging and all! I am certainly a giant sucker for the old Vinum wine labels. All of them. The cute dog on the Petite Sirah label, the goobers with the 'will work for chenin' sign on the Chard-No-Way label, the dude in the dunce hat on the old Rosé It's Okay label. I am sad they are gone. But I do have to admit the new labels are sorta coolio. The wine is stellar, as always. Especially this rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa is certainly known for their Cab, and you may think it is a waste to use such grapes in PINK wine, but you're wrong. This is one of those fabulous, can't deny you love it wines. It is so summer. A gorgeous, deep pink color, it is quenching, but a dry rosé with crazy juicy cherry stuff goin' on. This is a total be happy wine!
don't you LOVE rosé!
Don't miss me too much while I'm gone. It's only two weeks. Go back and revisit your favorite wine picks, or sample some of the stuff from my vacation drinking list. I'll come back with great stories! But whatever you do, don't stop tasting wine!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Paoletti 2006 Piccolo Cru
Napa Valley
$16.99
perfect...wine and cheese on a perfect summer night at sunset
This wine is dreamy. It's 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, and 5% Merlot from Napa Valley. I love me some smooth red blends. There is one thing I can say from my experience tasting Paoletti wines, it's that they are all gorgeous and delicate and complex. When you smell this wine, it is just plain alluring. Soft, subtle vanilla aromas, barely a touch of eucalyptus, black cherries a teeny note of cocoa. In your mouth, it's soooo silky with pretty dark fruit and a lacy spice on the finish.
So but here's the fun part (and another reason to add to the list of why wine is so cool)... you have to start experimenting with wine and food pairings. See how wine changes when you have it with different foods. Cheese is a great place to start with this excursion. So, I decided to try the Parrano from Italy (the cheese is like a cross between a fine aged parmesean and a young Dutch Gouda). Slam dunk. The best part is that the cheese turns this delicate, feminine wine into a frisky, spicy trouble-maker who had a tequila or two. Then, try putting the cheese on a cracked-pepper cracker, and then tasting the wine. Shitballs! That's a dynamite taste sensation.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Don't forget to come taste wine with me today!
We'll be out on the patio...
1pm-4pm at the Dilly Café in Mariemont (6818 Wooster Pike)
50 cents per taste
It's a crazy line-up that includes a Vinho Verde, an un-oaked Chard from Australia, a total value white Rhone blend, Pinot from California, the Sangria described below in my wine pick, and of course as promised the Aussie Sparkling Shiraz called Naked on Roller Skates.
Don't miss it!
Friday, July 18, 2008
de la Costa Sangria
California
$10.99
i must be crazy drinking red wine, chilled with an umbrella in it!
It is frickin hot out today. Which i love (would way rather be sweating like a pig than have goosebumps). And so I was having a hard time finding the perfect wine pick for today... kinda still feelin' the beer craving, but this is the WINE of the week section of the coolness, so I was pondering a wine (besides, I cheated and did a beer a few weeks ago). So as I was starting to think about picking bubbly, or a rosé, this wonderful, genius (and maybe psychic) guy walks in the door with a goofy, up-to-no-good smile on his face asking if anyone wants some sangria. At first I can't tell if he's kidding or not. Until he busts out this liter bottle of sangria with the most fabulously cheesy label. Of course I want some sangria, Tom! So he pours a few glasses for a few of us. We add ice, a splash of soda water and garnish with an orange and umbrella and top it all off with a twisty straw. I knew after a few sips and a few sighs of refreshment that this was SO the wine of the week.
Mmmmm... wine with a twisty straw...
Sangria is fruity red wine that is a bit sweet. It's best cold and you can do all sorts of fun stuff with it. Add brandy, or chop up some fruit and dump it in a punch bowl. It's a summer party beverage that is tasty and a bit girly, but you're all secure enough to admit when something is tasty, right? I've given up guilty pleasures a while ago and just openly take shameless pleasure all over the place. So gulp this shit down with an umbrella in YOUR glass and a twisty straw between YOUR lips.
EARLY Friday, July 18, 2008
I promise I will post a wine pick later, BUT I just wanted to let you know about a wine tasting opportunity ASAP so you can clear your calendar... this Saturday, I will be pouring Naked on Roller Skates Sparkling Shiraz. For real. So you need to taste this wine with me. Come to the Dilly Café between 1 and 4 tomorrow afternoon, I'll be pouring a handful of wines out on the patio for 50 cents per taste, including Naked on Roller Skates. It's gonna be too much fun. We'll taste and talk wine... a perfect way to spend your Saturday afternoon.
See ya there!
so i am still without roller skates. it's been 2 weeks, come on, help a girl out! size 7 and 1/2 should work... though i don't know, you may have missed your window of opportunity on this one... unless you also throw in a bottle of that sparkling shiraz to go with the skates...
so, i apologize for taking last week off, but it was a fun july 4th par-tay... so you get 2 picks this weekend. enjoy!
Friday, July 11, 2008
2007 Bitch Grenache
South Australia
$12.99
"Life's a bitch, then we drink."
this wine is bitchin'
How fun is this wine! Perfect to take to a party, or a girl's night in, or for a gift. I LOVE it as a gift. One of my favorite customers bought this for his wife (yes, a wine called Bitch) for her birthday last week... and she loved it!
Part of the Grateful Palate portfolio, Bitch is 100% Grenache from sandy-loamy soil in the Barossa. It's mostly bush vines between 20-80 years old. The fabulous Chris Ringland makes this wine- all un-oaked. You get gobs of black fruit, candied plum, vanilla goodness and ground cinnamon on the finish- taste-tastic! I'll SO be this wine's bitch.
Now back up to last weekend... remember, 4th of July, fireworks, misbehaving...
Friday, July 4, 2008
Tripel Karmeliet
Belgium
$8.99 per 750ml bottle, OR even better, $5.95 on draft at the Dilly Café
beer is good...
All right, sit down for this one...
I love beer. Like I really LOVE beer a lot. So much so that over the holiday weekend, I didn't drink any wine at all, really no wine. BUT I did enjoy a lovely array of beers and the Tripel Karmeliet is SO the winner this week. It's a Belgian tripel TO DIE FOR. It's a full, rich, pillowy beer that is for savoring, not chugging. It has great citrus fruit, honey tones, yeasty love, like sweet orange marmalade and smells like bananas. Yes, this shit is B-A-N-A-N-A-S (so I am a geek, but I ain't no holla-back girl).
The best way to enjoy this beer is on draft in a gorgeous Tripel Karmeliet tulip glass. You feel SO sexy-bad-ass drinking out of it. In fact, there's a good chance that if you come to the Dilly Café anytime this summer, you'll find me planted at the bar with a glass of this in my hand, drinking away my paycheck. Here's to beer!!! Cheers!!!
June 27, 2008
Naked on Roller Skates Sparkling Shiraz
South Australia
$24.99
so i'm not on roller skates, but possibly naked...
Summer is a perfect time for sparkling Shiraz. But wait, you say, I thought Shiraz was a red wine. Why, yes, it is. But red wine isn't bubbly, you question. Ah, but the Australians are making some bang-up bubbly red wines these days. And one great example is this... Naked on Roller Skates Sparkling Shiraz from the Some Young Punks Winery. Check out the label of this wine:
i know it's backwards, damn computers! but you get the idea and fun-ness factor, right?
So the wine is yummy! Has a nice bubbly mousse when you pour it in the glass. The color is super dark purple. It smells like Shiraz. Tastes plummy and black cherry with a fun bubble texture, yet still has some tannic structure and finishes with some oaky-ness. Perfect for grill-outs and porch chillin' this summer. And the label will be a hit at any party you bring it too. The Some Young Punks Winery has a bunch of FUN wines along the same lines as this. Check out their web site: www.someyoungpunks.com.au. I like the Quickie wine label and the one that comes with stickers to dress up the naked girls!
Cheers! And if I get some roller skates, I promise I'll re-take a picture with this wine : )
June 20, 2008
Montebuena 2005
Rioja, Spain D.O.C.
$12.99
I know exactly what you're thinking... it's about time she picked a red wine! So here we are in Spain with a super tasty Rioja. This wine is SO for ANYTIME. Great for casual sipping on it's own, or for with food... you can handle it in the afternoon, or late evening, inside or outside, upside down or right-side-up... and I'm not sure I know how you would drink wine upside down, but sounds like a worthwhile wine adventure to embark on, though I may need help with the upside-down-ness... any takers?
SO I just really like this wine a lot. The nose is cherries and plums, some soft leather notes, subtle black pepper. In your mouth it's lots of dried cherries and plum skins, has great acid and structure with a nice charcoaly dry-ness on the finish. Just what you want from a Spanish everyday wine. And it is so time to refill my glass now!
Happy weekend... drink something yummy and think of me!
June 13, 2008
HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH!
2006 Le Cigar Blanc
(46% Grenache Blanc & 54% Roussanne)
California
$21.99
i love live music... and some wine! (if this pic is too dark on your screen, adjust the brightness, i had to)
This wine is SO exotic.
It's always been a favorite of mine, but the kind of favorite that you sorta save for when the right mood strikes. So you know you love it and you have a sense of it, but when you open it after it's been months and months since you've had it, the first taste almost sneaks up and makes your knees weak and it's like "oh fuckin' yeah, now I REALLY remember why I'm crazy for this wine."
This wine shouldn't be allowed.
It's nothing but trouble.
It makes you stop and think naughty thoughts about the person you're drinking it with, and it's kind of immediate, like slam me up against the wall NOW.
You get stuff like tarragon and lemongrass and spiced honeydew and poached asian pear. It has a great mouthfeel and decent weight with racy, changing layers of fruit and spice and then it's got a lingering finish that is very primal.
It's like one of those Georgia O'Keefe flower paintings, or a Maplethorpe- it's like if you were to bottle the feelings that wash over you when you look at those pieces of art. That's this wine.
June 6, 2008
Llopart 2004 Rose Brut Cava Reserva
Cava, Spain
$21.99
Check out the love I have for the cicadas! I SO LOVE THEM! Looks like they like pink wine. I had like three of them crawling on me while trying to get a great photo, but they wouldn't sit still and kept crawling up my face, or on my boobs, or flying away, or tickling so much that I had to swat them off and I finally decided on cicada love on the rosé glass. This one was quite cooperative. No worries, no cicadas were harmed in the snapping of this photo; for real, I'm a vegetarian and was very aware of keeping all the bugs very happy and safe... no one drowned in the glass, which was my big fear!
So I'm not sure what this says about me OR about rosé, but, after a whole week of nothing but tons of rosé and last night's tasting of 37 pink wines, all I want on a hot day like today, is sparkling rosé. The Llopart has ALWAYS been a super fave of mine. It's 60% Monastrell, 20% Garnacha and 20% Pinot Noir. And delicious. The color is to die for. Magenta. Gorgeous. Beautifully balanced, nice small bubbles, great structure, lovely acidity, long finish, cherry fruit, subtle geranium notes, juicy, some minerality. Yet EASY and FUN!
Shit, can you tell that I can pretty much drink almost nothing but sparkling wine and be a happy camper? I'm way too easy and transparent. But I guess now you know what to get me for my birthday, and for Christmas and for Valentines Day, and Easter and Halloween and Flag Day and and Summer Solstice and the Persiades Meteor Shower, and Boxing Day and next Thursday...
May 30, 2008
Il Follo Cuvée Rosé Brut
Italy (Prosecco, Near?)
$14.99
Welcome to the lovely Dilly Cafe patio! First night of live music outside and I'm lovin' it with my bubbly : )
There is no way for you to get out of it now- it is hot out (and the cicadas are out, at least in Mariemont) and it is TIME for Rose! I don't care if you're scared or confused or too manly for pink wine- it's time to jump on the train (or not, and be a left-behind loser on the pink train of fun).
So this is pink sparkling wine from Italy... a pink Prosecco, if you will. But the label does not say Prosecco because there it is 90% Prosecco and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and because of the laws and stuff in Italy, that splash of Cab makes it so they can't put Prosecco on the label.
The color of this wine in your glass is like brand new pink ballet slippers. So gorgeous! The wine smells like rosewater and passionfruit skin and pink grapefruit juice. On the palate, this wine is like a ticklefight. Starts with intense, quick, playful, bubbly fun, then mellows out to where you've already tickle-fought and you've already laughed too hard, until you cried, and you're out of breath and its time for a break to pop the microwave popcorn and put on the horror movie, or chicflik at the slumber party. It is SILLY, EASY FUN in a bottle.
May 23, 2008
Lang & Reed 2006 North Coast Cabernet Franc
California
$24.99
So where's your soft spot?
I can't lie... I have a short list of grapes that I am a complete sucker for and Cabernet Franc tops that list. And Lang & Reed is one winery that knows how to throw down when it comes to 100% Cabernet Franc. In fact, it is all they make and it is what they set out to make when they started the winery. There aren't many out there doing that. I LOVE THEM!
So this wine is all violets and smushy red and black cherries and there's a soft graphite-y thing on the end, and it is so, so smooth. Such a slutty wine (I need to thank my friend Burke for introducing me to slutty wines)... and if you open this wine and drink it slowly over the course of like three hours, believe me, all that, um, foreplay time will pay off.
So again, computer troubles suck, so I didn't get to post a wine last week, so I have two for you...
May 15, 2008
Tres Picos 2006 Garnacha
Campo de Borja, Spain
$15.99
Damn this wine is stupid-silly-good! It is a big, fat DUH. Who doesn't like homemade chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven? Who doesn't like peanuts in the shell with a beer at a baseball game? Who doesn't like making out with a hottie? Who doesn't like a day off work? Who doesn't like getting flowers? Who doesn't like a sunset at the beach? Anyone who is alive in this world and likes to be happy will enjoy this wine. If you don't like it there is something wrong with you.
The wine is deep purple (almost like the color of my dress right now). It smells like a happy berry fruit party and a dash of vanilla-y spicy love. In your mouth it is lush and fruity and has some baking spice notes to it and a subtle smoky thing on the end. And it is sooooooo easy, easy, easy... it kinda demands 2 bottles.
Think back to last Friday when it was cold and rainy and gray and dark...
May 9, 2008
Bogle Petite Sirah Port
Clarksburg, California
$19.99
This is SO a day for deep, dark wine. The weather is brooding and I'm feeling like trouble.
It's colder than it should be for May and I really want a bonfire, smores and this port... OR a fireplace, a dark, fucked-up movie (or Dexter on DVD, my new favorite TV show) and this port... OR some dark chocolate, a dark-haired boy and this port. Yeah, time to open the Bogle.
It is a lovely, dangerous, dark color in your glass, a little more purple-y than blood, but along that line (so, indeed a perfect match for watching Dexter, he's a blood spatter expert on the show). The wine smells like blackberries and blurberries and powdered sugar and a fall forest and cocoa. In your mouth, it's blackberry pie and mocha and tart blueberries and plum skins, and the finish haunts and lingers and pulls your mouth back to your glass for more.
May 2, 2008
Atteca 2006 Old Vines Garnacha
Calatayud, Spain
$18.99
look how pensive i am, contemplating the rain dropping on the wine barrel, the aromas in my wine and the cars in Mariemont...
The rain right now is super inspiring me to choose this wine. I LOVE the way it smells when it rains. It's the earth at its best- it's the greenest the leaves get, the slatey-est the stones in the creek smell, and richest and darkest and oldest, yet ripest the soil smells. And to my nose anyway, rain earthy-ness is one of the most pleasurable, haunting and alluring smells on the planet. Something about this rain makes me want to drink this wine. They hold hands with ease and anticipation. I guess they both have something primal about them. I've been crazy for this wine for a long time. Like since the first time I tasted it. Because it's dark and brooding and fleshy and sexy. Lots and lots of blackberry and spice. It coats your mouth and the finish hangs on with that woodsy thing. And it kinda makes me want to kiss someone else who just swallowed a gulp of this wine... where IS he when I need him?
April 25, 2008
It is your lucky day! You get 2 wine picks this week because I didn't get to put a pick up for last week due to computer troubles.
So the pick for this week is:
Gruet Brut Rose
Albuquerque, New Mexico (yes, for real, Albuquerque)
$17.99
(oh yeah, I've got a big-ass knife that is specifically to be used for swording-open bottles of bubbly... a skill I continue to practice every chance I get)
I cannot even tell you how much this wine is workin' for me right this very minute. Wine is cool because it can be so many things at different times depending on your situation, who you're with, how the day has gone, what you ate 10 minutes ago or what song you're listening to... And right now, for me this wine is eveything I could have asked for. Quenching, healing, happy... the massage I've been craving all day.
So this is a bubbly rose that is done in the traditional Methode Champenoise (basically this means they make this wine in New Mexico the same way they make Champagne Champagne in France). This is 100% Pinot Noir and the grapes are grown at 4300 feet elevation. The wine is so much fun... when you smell it, the bubbles tickle your nose a little and it's like being in a fresh strawberry patch. In your mouth, the bubbles are soft, but still feisty, and the fruit is a juicy berry somersault on your tongue. It is fresh and so perfect for a warm spring night like tonight. Ok, I'm going to refill my glass now...
Now close your eyes and pretend like it's last Friday...
Kate's Pick of the week for April 18, 2008:
Gainey 2005 Sauvignon Blanc
Santa Ynez Valley, California
$13.99
It is warm out and all I want is easy, yummy white wine. Are ya feelin' me? Try the Gainey Sauvignon Blanc. This is a wine that is soft and citrusy with a nice round mouthfeel. There's 25% Semillon added in there, which makes me a happy camper (I am a Semillon fan) and I think it definitely ups the yummy factor in this one. It's a grapefruit-y, lemon cream pie-y wine that is making me think sittin' on the porch and spying on the neighbors sounds like a silly-great way to spend a weeknight.
AND if you are one of those people who only drinks red wine, you've GOT to try the Gainey Pinot Noir. Or the Gainey Limited Selection Pinot Noir (the kind of wine that makes everything in the room stop for a minute because when you drink it, all there really is is this wine). Yeah, it's a dreamy wine.
April 11, 2008
Kate's Pick of the Week:
Tozai Junmai Living Jewel Sake
$9.99
I just LOVE sake.
And in case you don't have much sake knowledge, I'll give ya the lowdown on this one. Sake is very basically polished rice that is brewed (sorta like beer) using yeast and koji mold. There are different classifications for sake based on how much polishing the rice gets and how much it gets filtered before it is bottled. The Living Jewel is a junmai, which means that 30% of the rice grain is polished away. And this one is oh so clean and complex and lovely. The nose is anise-y, and has a slight sweetness, maybe some plum tones to it. In your mouth, it is just so cool because of the layers and layers of flavors that keep changing. First it's honeydew melon, then marzipan, then white pepper and plums and cantaloupe... and the finish is long, lingering and clean. This will be excellent with food or by itself. If you haven't had the chance to dive into sake before, I challenge you to go on your first sake adventure with this one!
April 4, 2008
Kate's Pick of the Week:
Lingenfelder 2004 Schuerebe Halbtrocken
Kabinett Grosskarlbacher Burgweg Pfalz
Germany
$20.99
Damn! You do not need to drink this wine to be completely and utterly satisfied. The fact that you get to drink it too, is, um, yeah, like getting extra fulfillment. On the nose it's papaya seeds, a bit of banana cream, lemongrass, subtle white orchid, some sort of crazy, happy spice, sea salty maybe? On the palate, it's like no wine I've ever experienced... so complex and exotic, it keeps changing, at first there's fuji apple and asian pear then there's fresh hand-whipped creme and ginger... the mouthfeel is full, round (and a bit ssslippery). The finish lingers and teases and keeps enticing you back into it's complexity and you're on your knees and at the mercy of this wine. OK, Kate, take a deep breath..
And the best part is that you can taste this wine with me on Tuesday! On April 8th, The Dilly Deli Cafe is so thrilled and honored to host German Winemaker Rainer Lingenfelder for a wine tasting of this and 15 other wines (plus super tasty food that matches with the wines). The wines are tremendous and talking with Rainer Lingenfelder is the chance of a lifetime. It's only $25 per person for 16 wines, food, and a fabulous winemaker.
See you Tuesday ;-)
Kate
April 2, 2008
Kate’s Adventures at the Cincinnati International Wine Festival
Rather than pick just one wine for the week, I thought is would be more fun to chronicle my first time at the wine festival. The fun began at the trade tasting (just for wine industry folks) on Friday afternoon. When you walk in, there is wine as far as the eye can see!
Kate and Chip Emmerich of Burnet Ridge Winery, Cincinnati's own!
I dove in head first with Chip Emmerich’s delicious Burnet Ridge wines. If you haven’t tried these wines before, you really need to. Chip makes his wines in North College Hill using grapes from California. How cool is that? I’m simply crazy for the Super Tuscan and am a total sucker for the Zinfandel (and for Chip). You really have to meet him. He exudes an amazing energy that is contagious. AND his Purple Trillium won a silver medal at the festival!
Kate and Terry Lannon of Del Rio Vineyards in Oregon!
I continued on and hit a handful of wines and came to Terry Lannon with Del Rio. Del Rio is a winery in Oregon that makes very cool wines. Some stuff you usually don’t see out of Oregon (like Malbec for example, that is quite yummy). I’m a giant fan of the Rose Jolee. It’s a rosé that is just barely bubbly. It’s like a fresh strawberry picnic in your mouth and it won a silver medal at the festival.
Kate with Greg Graziano, owner/winemaker for Graziano, Monte Volpe, Enotria, and St. Gregory - all from Mendocino, CA!
After some more tasting, I got to meet Greg Graziano, who makes Saint Gregory, Enotria, Monte Volpe, and Graziano wines. I just fell in love with the Enotria Barbera (I already knew that I loved the Arneis and the Cortese). Greg’s got all these super-fun Italian grape varietals that you don’t find hardly at all in the U.S. but he’s workin’em in California. I can’t wait to see what he makes next!
Kate along with Marilyn Ashkin (redheaded owner); and Adam Bauman,winemaker; of Red Head Ranch in Paso Robles!
More tasting and fun ensues, and then I come upon the Red Head Ranch table. I had the pleasure of meeting owner Marilyn Ashkin and winemaker Adam Bauman the day prior to the wine festival and had been looking forward to this table all afternoon. Marilyn is simply a treat to taste and talk with. And the wines are phenomenal. Adam does an absolutely brilliant job. I cannot gush enough about him. I started with tasting the Chenin Blanc. It is BEAUTIFUL. I got to taste through the whole line… the Zinfandel, the R³, the Cabernet Sauvignon, the Old Bailey Cabernet Sauvignon (both Cabs won a bronze medal). And then I came to the Late Harvest Zinfandel. With some dark chocolate. Oh. My. God. That’s what I’m talkin’bout. Did I mention how Adam is a genius?
And the tasting keeps on going. And going. You can’t possibly try everything because there isn’t time and you need your liver to be functioning at the end of the day. So after a break to eat and cleanse the palate with a beer, I went BACK to the festival in the evening for the Grand Tasting. Revisiting favorites, trying some things I hadn’t tried in the afternoon, more talking with my favorite wine friends. At the end of the evening, I ended up sorta helping my new best friend Manou Chahmirzadi at the Fess Parker table, and since he is divine and the wines are to die for (oh my Big Easy Syrah, it’s trouble in the best way), it was a great way to end day 1 of wine festival. Oh yeah, I went back for the Grand Tasting on Saturday night too. Can ya tell that I kinda like wine?
March 21, 2008
Kate's pick for this week:
Rabbit Ridge Bunny Cuvee
Paso Robles, California
$12.99
Just in time for spring (the bunny’s favorite time of the year) we get to gulp down some Bunny Cuvee. Every year around this time, Rabbit Ridge Winery releases the Bunny Cuvee, and it’s different every year because it is basically a red blend of whatever juice they have left from making their other varietals that year. And I don’t know about you, but there is something a bit refreshing about not knowing the specifics about what’s in the wine. You have no choice but to sit back and enjoy it without thinking too hard. And that is exactly what you can do with this release. It is EASY to enjoy this. The nose has a black cherry, blackberry thing goin’ on with a nice layer of vanilla on there and even a maybe a subtle white chocolate note (sounds like a treat you might find in your Easter basket). On the palate, this wine has a rich, smooth, velvety feel that is really easy to get into. When the wine is in your mouth, it’s like pulling a velour blanket of fruit up over your tongue. The dark fruit on the nose is continues all the way through swallowing the wine, with some of the vanilla tones and maybe some milk chocolate cocoa powder too. And there’s a yummy spicy thing right when you’re swallowing the wine that makes your mouth water like crazy. The finish starts with a spicy blackberry seed thing and morphs into a nice cedar-y texture-y thing that hangs on the roof of your mouth and tongue. SO yummy and fabulous. Would be a great treat in a grown-up Easter basket, or lovely on the table with Easter dinner, or if ya don’t do the Easter thang, a perfect any-spring-day wine to share with your favorite love-bunny.
March 17, 2008
Kate's pick for this week:
Crios 2007 Rose of Malbec
Mendoza, Argentina
$11.99
So we got a little taste of spring this week and I couldn’t wait another minute to dive head first into some rose (and too free my toes from boots into sandals, I know I’m a little too eager). I know you may be leary of pink wine, and there is some pink wine to be leary of for sure, but have no fear… I am happy to hold your hand and gently guide you into some smashing, dry-style pink wines this spring and summer.
The Crios Rose of Malbec comes from superstar Susana Balbo in Argentina. My girl’s workin’ my mojo with this one. It’s 100% Malbec (Malbec is red wine though, you question… yes, so is this, they just don’t leave the grape skins on the juice as long, so it’s a lighter color). And speaking of color, this wine has color to die for. It’s a deep magenta like the inside of the petals of a Stargazer Lily. The nose makes you drool with notes of blood orange and a touch of lemon peel. In your mouth, this wine has a nice weight. The fruit is lush and fleshy and hangs on. It’s nice and dry and has a great spice on it. It’s a grapefruit, blood orange, white peach tango in your mouth… wait, that’s a threesome isn’t it… huh, oh well! Here’s to rose, cheers!
March 7, 2008
Kate's pick for this week:
La Posta 2006 Malbec 'Angel Paulucci Vineyard'
Mendoza, Argentina
$17.99
So, I've tasted quite a bit of Malbec from all over the world this past week or so, but I have to say this wine stands out for me. You can tell it is a cool example of Malbec just from smelling it. When you swirl the wine in your glass and then inhale, the first word that comes to my mind is 'pretty.' Dark, pretty fruit, maybe barely a note of mountain wildflower on the end of the nose. Then you get to taste it... it's like if you put fresh blackberries and black cherries in a bowl and gently massaged and crushed them with your fingers and somehow wove them into thread and then into a silk dress... it's like tasting the woman wearing that dress. Gorgeous, lush fruit floods over your tongue and elegant, subtle spice dances around in your mouth, finishing with a subtle raspberry note and a barely-there earth-y air. Ok, so who's helping me drink this?
For serious, come to the Dilly Deli Cafe on March 12 and help me drink this wine and 24 other Malbecs that will be open for tasting (part of a week long event we call March Malbec Madness). Come meet me and Malbec, you won't regret it!
February 29, 2008
Kate's pick for this week is:
Bangin' Red 2005
Napa Valley, California
$9.99
Here's the skinny on the blend...
45.1% Cabernet Sauvignon
19.1% Cabernet Franc
18.7% Merlot
8.8% Petit Verdot
5.2% Malbec
3.1% Zinfandel
This wine is an absolute steal for under $10! The complexity of Bordeaux with the gulpy berry-ness of California Zinfandel. The wine is bright but dark... spicy but charcoal-y... full-bodied but gulpy. Gotta LOVE this. A perfect weekend night wine. Or Sunday afternoon. Or lunch on Thursday with Burgers. Um, yeah. I like this wine a lot.
February 22, 2008
Kate's wine pick for this week is:
David Girard Vineyards 2003 Rive d'Or
El Dorado, California
$19.99
Don't be scared of blends! I know you may be WAY into 100% varietals (and those are indeed excellent, believe me, I LOVE them) BUT there is no need to fear mulitple grapes in the same bottle... often they have a way of frolicing on your tongue and caressing your palate with layers and layers of intoxicating pleasure. Such is the case with this wine. It is 44% Cabernet Franc, 32 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 6% Malbec. So a very cool blend, right? Kinda Bordeaux-ish, except for how the Cab Franc somes out, making it a tad Loire-ish, but overall, I have to say, it is a fabulous, complex, delicious offering that is California at its best. It is a gorgeous wine with tons to offer. When you smell this wine, I mean really smell it, swirl the crap out of your glass and dive down in there for a frickin' long, deep inhale (close your eyes too), you will barely be able to wait another second to taste the wine. It has the black cherry, vanilla Cab thing goin' on with the subtle hint of violets and graphite that are a hallmark of Cab Franc. This is a big wine wih nice texture, intriguing complexity, and a lovely finish that hangs on. Never would have guessed it was under twenty bucks. Bring this on.