Random Oenophile

From the West Coast Correspondent: Red Blends from the 2009 Vintage

2012-01-29T21:32:00.009-05:00

I'm pleased to present some new notes from Random Oenophile West Coast Correspondent James Bassett. We talked about this post during the recent Seattle snowstorm, so I applaud his efforts to continue his thoughtful wine drinking under such trying circumstances. Sadly, by the time we thought about him getting pictures of the wine bottles in the snow, it had started raining again. His notes and pictures are below (with some comments by me):

With the new year, a bevy of 2009 blends are hitting the market. How do they compare with the 2008s? Read on to find out!

2009 Six Prong Red
Columbia Valley, WA
68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 4% Malbec, 4% Syrah, 2% Petit Verdot
Spicy blueberry and currant aroma leads into deep rich cherry, strawberry, and plum flavors; plenty of strong but subtle tannins support woody spice and licorice notes that wrap around a long oaky finish.

2008 Goose Ridge “G3” Red Blend
Columbia Valley, WA
45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 24% Syrah
Oh my goodness! A cherry and cedar nose with an oaky backbone, luscious dark fruit explodes in the mouth (figuratively!) with black cherry, plum, and boysenberry riding high on a wave of vanilla, tobacco, and spice into a long, long, rich cola-y finish. Why was this only $9?!? And why didn’t I buy more?

2008 Kennedy Shah La Vie En Rouge
Woodhouse Family Cellars
Rattlesnake Hills AVA
45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec, 9% Syrah, 2% Petit Verdot
Medium-bodied but surprisingly spicy nonetheless. Front-loaded with dark fruit, mulberry, raisin, and oak, it evolves through caramel, vanilla, and toast into a tannic cola and coffee finish, still dominated by that powerful spice, with a bright hint of alcohol.

2009 Desert Wind Ruah
Wahluke Slope, Columbia Valley, WA
Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, and Merlot
This medium-bodied Bordeaux blend starts out full of tart red currant and tannins, followed quickly by black cherry, strawberry, and vanilla that pick up those tannins and run with them into a long, very smooth and balanced finish.

R.O. Note: I tasted the 2008 vintage of the Desert Wind Ruah as part of the red speed tasting at the 2010 Wine Bloggers' Conference. My notes were as follows:

Desert Wind
2008 Ruah: 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc
Retail: $20
Fruity, coffee nose; big fruit, a little chewy with buttery finish
Guessed hot, right with 14.5% ABV

2009 Winemaker’sRed
Maryhill Winery
Columbia Valley, WA
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Franc (sourced 75% from Milbrandt Vineyards, 25% from Gunkel Family Vineyards)
Bright and oakey, this one starts out with a sweet and smoky cherry nose. The bright ripe cherry remains dominant on the palate, but cassis and licorice creep in around the sides, and the finish even adds pepper and . . . nutmeg? Or have I just had too much pumpkin pie? A rich wine, but medium-bodied and delightfully easy to drink. Maryhill was the 2009 Washington Winery of the Year.

R.O. Note: We visited Maryhill after the 2010 Wine Bloggers' Conference and were impressed. A link to that post is here.

2008 Mélange Noir
Waterbrook Winery, Columbia Valley,WA
33% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah, 11% Malbec, 7% Sangiovese, 11% other varietals
A dark, deep purple, transmitting almost no light at all, this wine looks like it would be perfect for Halloween! And with aromas of heavy black stone fruit, spice, and cedar it smells quite deliciously forbidding, too. Well, don’t be scared -- although fruit-heavy with plum, tart cassis and red currant, and black cherry, along with spice, oak, and a even chocolate and a hint of lemon in the finish, this wine is big and tannic in the mouth yet somehow remains medium-bodied. Not exactly delicate, and rather tight in the finish, but still quite nice. Just prepare yourself. . . .

Psychowine: Bubbles -- Naughty, Nice, or both?

2011-12-29T13:37:00.008-05:00

This is the first post in my new Psychowine series, wherein I'll be looking at the psychological aspects of what and where we drink. I encourage feedback, either below in the comments or through Twitter at @RandomOenophile.

No, this isn't one we tried recently. I just love this picture.

Remember when we were kids, and we'd tell jokes that we knew were supposed to be dirty, but we didn't know why? There was a series of such jokes about a survey taker who would go door-to-door and ask people in the neighborhood questions. In one, he found that the men of the neighborhood liked to "take baths with bubbles." The punchline was that the last door was opened by a beautiful blonde who introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Bubbles!"

I love bubbles, but not the slutty neighbor kind. A glass of sparkling wine has become my favorite pre-dinner drink when we go out to eat because it's tasty on its own but also pairs beautifully with any food. It's superior to a Cosmo because it's not going to raise my blood-alcohol content to the point that anything I drink after it will finish me. No, I don't have the "champagne goes to my head" syndrome.

Just like the Bubbles joke, there's something naughty about sparkling wine. That it's usually saved for celebrations lends it a decadent quality and sense of, "how dare you drink this without cause?" Its association with sexual symbolism, perhaps because bubbles do go to some women's heads (and some men's as well…and we'll leave it at that) also lends it an air of mystery. This impression is reinforced by a popular myth that the saucer-like glasses called coupes were modeled after a famous French queen's or royal mistress' breasts. Sadly, Snopes.com ruins the fun and says the tales aren't true.

So, with that in mind, here are some bubblies that we tried recently at a JavaMonkey wine tasting as well as one we sampled. Perhaps you can find something to get you warmed up for your New Year's Eve celebration.

Lois de Grenelle Platine Brut, NV (Loire Valley, France): 85% Chenin Blanc, 10% Chardonnay, 5% Cabernet Franc
I was apparently feeling quite literal with this one. My first comment: "It's bubbly." Beyond that, it's tart and tropical.
Rating: Good

François Montand Brut Rosé, NV (Côtes du Jura, France): 100% Grenache
Smoother and with more stone fruit. This one had nice little bubbles.
Rating: Good to Very Good

2008 Gramona Cran Cuvee Cava (Penedès, Spain): Xarelo, Macabeo, & Chardonnay
The longest age Cava in the world, this one had a nice bready, yeasty quality that makes it smooth and yummy.
Rating: VG to Excellent

Zèfiro Prosecco, NV (Veneto, Italy):
A beautifully light and fruity Prosecco.
Rating: Very Good

2009 Kila Cava (Penedès, Spain): 35% Macabejo, 40% Xarelo, and 25% Parellada
A little heavier and with less fruit, but not quite as well-balanced as the previous Cava. Yes, my notes on this one are minimal.
Rating: Good

2010 Cleto Chiarli e Figli "Premium" Lambrusco (Emilia Romagna, Italy):
Yep, it's a dark red sparkling Lambrusco. I found the fruit itself to be a bit harsh, and it was incredibly buttery. Good as a novelty wine, but if I want a sparkling red, I'm probably going for a Shiraz.
Rating: OK

I accepted a sample of Yellow Tail Bubbles White Sparkling Wine because I was curious to see how the Australian mega-winery would do bubbles. They claim their closure, the "Zork" would keep it bubbly even after opening. The wine itself is lightly sweet and fruity but lacking the acidity that would make it great with food. It finishes up with a hint of vanilla. We drank half on Sunday and "zorked" it with the intention of finishing it on Monday. We forgot until last night (Wednesday) and were pleasantly surprised to find that it was still as bubbly as it was on Sunday afternoon. This would be a good wine for anyone who wants a decent sparkling under $10, those who are trying to transition to less sweet wines from the Asti Spumante world, or someone who wants something that would go well in mimosas or other sparkling wine-based cocktails.

So there you have it! I hope this has given y'all some ideas for what to uncork, or un-zork, on New Year's Eve or any time you want to feel just a little decadent. To feel really naughty, consider putting on some soft music, lighting a few candles, and taking a bath with bubbles…in a glass.

Disclaimer: We received the Yellow Tail Bubbles as a sample. This did not affect my review.

Metapost: Attention Ladies of Decatur (Georgia)!

2011-11-28T20:41:00.003-05:00

Well, it's that time again, a post-holiday race to the bar to hang out, drink some fruity stuff, and have some girl time! Our next Ladies of Decatur tweetup will be this Friday, December 2, at Harbour Bar and Fish House, which is in the former Tesoro spot on Church Street. We usually start convening at around 6:00 and break up between 8:00 and 9:00. Please let me know via Twitter (@RandomOenophile) or in the comments if you plan to come!

A few of us had a discussion over the weekend about whether we should continue rotating location or pick one or two places to alternate between. Here are my thoughts on the two options. Please feel free to add your own in the comments.

The advantages of continuing as we've been, which is to go to different places, is that we get to try new places, and it makes the gathering more accessible to people in different parts of Decatur. We also won't burn out on one bar or food menu. The disadvantages are that it's harder for me to plan because I have to pick a place, and it's harder for y'all to plan for since I usually don't release the location until the week of the event.

The main advantage of picking one or two places to make our official Ladies of Decatur tweetup location is that we could develop a relationship with the owners or GM, and this may eventually grow into us getting perks or discounts. No, I won't go and ask for these directly. My philosophy from the blog is that such things are always appreciated but never expected. The disadvantage is that we risk losing people because they would get bored of going to the same place all the time or get burned out on the same menu.

I'm sure I'm missing stuff, so feel free to chime in!

Hopefully my back yard won't look like this tomorrow:

Random Outings: Molly Dooker Wine Dinner

2011-11-25T10:07:00.010-05:00

About a month ago, Hubby and I had the pleasure of being invited to a Molly Dooker wine dinner, held at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Atlanta. We arrived a little late for the passed hors d'oeuvres but enjoyed one with the Violonist, a crisp but fruity Verdelho. Then the evening progressed, as Hubby described:

Talk-talk-talk-shake-shake-talk-talk-talk-blend-blend-talk-talk-OMGWINE&Food

Okay, let me explain. First, the name… Molly Dooker is the Aussie term for a left-handed person. Both owners are left-handed and embrace the characteristic so much that at one point, they discussed having the screw cap on their premium wine be a left-handed one, or "righty-loosy, lefty-tighty." As clever as the idea is, that may have frustrated some already inebriated people. A wine closure shouldn't be a sobriety test. The funds were much better spent opening schools for disadvantaged children in Cambodia.

Owner Sparky Marquis's "Mum" Janet introduced him, and he told us how to do the "Molly Dooker shake." That's to release the nitrogen in the bottle, which is a preservative but can also cause the wine to taste flat. In order to demonstrate this, they poured a Two Left Feet, their blend, pre-shake, and then had one poured post-shake. The pre-shake one had more of a nose but did taste flatter, while the post-shake one had less nose but more body and a little smoke.

Then it was time to play! We got to try the three single-varietal "everyday" wines: The Scooter (Merlot), Maitre'D (Cabernet), and Boxer (Shiraz). Using a little bit of math, some equipment that looked like it had been stolen from the CDC's chem lab, and lots of palate-cleansing bread, we blended our own Two Left Feet. Each table voted on their favorite. We lost, but it was still fun. Our table winner was 60% Merlot, 10% Cabernet, and 30% Shiraz. The most interesting part of that was that Sparky wrote every table's winning blend on a board behind him, and the variation in people's preferences became apparent:

After our blending seminar, we flipped the paper over, and we ate steak while trying the "party wines," "love wines," and Velvet Glove in rapid succession. Of the "party wines," the Gigglepot (Cabernet) was my favorite with nice fruit and texture. I also really liked the Enchanted Path, a Shiraz/Cabernet. I actually preferred it to their premium $185/bottle Velvet Glove Shiraz. The food, steak with vegetables and a lovely chocolatey dessert, were very good as well.

Interesting tidbits gleaned from the talking, which was all delivered with an Australian accent. It was like watching a tipsy BBC America program(me):

- The everyday wines come from owners Sarah and Sparky's historical challenges of being Molly Dookers trying to make it through everyday life. Oh, and Sparky and his kids like to race scooters.

- The Gigglepot and Blue-Eyed Boy are Sarah and Sparky's kids Holly and Luke. They're pictured on the labels.

- Sparky's Mum Janet liked the Blue-Eyed Boy so much she would sneak tastes from the barrels. I like her!

- The Enchanted Path and Carnival of Love, the "love wines," refer to Sparky and Sarah, and the two labels go together. Sparky, the knight on the first label, becomes the joker on the second.

- Janet talked about the "Molly Dooker Miracles," events that seemed coincidental but all affirmed their wine-making purpose and endeavor. I can't do them justice here, but it increased my confidence that if I'm meant to become a professional author, it's going to happen.

After the dinner, Hubby and I checked out the rooftop bar, then went to the downstairs bar, where we got to hang out with Sparky, Janet, and some of their friends in the U.S. Janet and I discussed how, when you're engaged in something where the end product will be judged subjectively (like writing or winemaking), people's opinions tend to be a lot stronger. I'll keep this in mind the next time my romance manuscript gets ripped by a horror-writer friend.

Overall, although the pacing of the dinner and tasting were a little odd, it was a great night and influenced me more than I realized: for two weeks after, I couldn't help but inform left-handed people they would be referred to as a Molly Dooker in Australia.

Disclaimer: We were invited to this event, and our tickets were comped.

What does an Oenophile do at a beer fest? If you don't know...

2011-10-16T18:41:00.011-04:00

Yesterday Hubby and I went to the 2011 Decatur Craft Beer Festival. Yep, craft beer, as in the only presence of the big advertisers was the Budweiser breathalyzer tent. Maybe they were trying to hint that their crappy beer wouldn't get you as drunk as the good stuff. I wasn't originally going to go after a miserable, freeze my butt off experience two years ago, but I figured hey, my beer palate has expanded, so why not? I wasn't disappointed.

I'll go ahead and get the complaining out of the way. No, it wasn't the drunk people that bothered me, but more the lack of water toward the end of the day (thank you to the volunteer who took pity on me and gave me his) and the cigar smoke. Seriously, Beer Fest, you had to have a cigar-seller there? I'm allergic to tobacco smoke, so I ended up with an instant headache and some other issues once the cigar smokers reached a critical enough mass it was hard to get away from them.

Okay, complaints over. I'm not a hop girl, although I do appreciate hop guys. Here's a picture of me with a couple of hop wranglers – check out the hoppy embroidery on the shirts. They were good sports. So was the Decatur policewoman who took the picture.

We mostly hung out with friends Dan Browning and his wife, famous violinist Kirsten Browning (who needs a web site to tout her wonderfulness). This was probably good for me, as they and Hubby encouraged me to try things I otherwise wouldn't.

My beer tastes run towards the malty rather than hoppy. Consequently, I'm more into Belgian-style than American style. Sometimes these parameters make things easy. India Pale Ale (IPA)? No, thank you. Dubbel, Trippel, or Quadruppel? Yes, please! Milk stout, uh… The ones I tried tended to be too bitter for me but would have been lovely with some ice cream. I suspect that other oenophiles who prefer wine over beer would also go for malty, which tends to be smoother. Think about hops as being like tannins: you want enough for structure, but too much, and the bitterness is overwhelming.

Note-taking on my cell phone got a little tricky as the festival went on, so I'll hit the highlights. Here are my awards for the day:

Best Hot Day Sipper: Highland Clawhammer Octoberfest. It was smooth, only hoppy on finish, and with sweet malt mid palate. After the random guys in lederhosen appeared, it seemed even more perfect. Oh, they weren't even the weirdest. One couple came dressed as good zombie angel ballerina, and bad zombie angel ballerina. They were both guys. I wonder if they thought the Little Five Points parade was going to leave from the Beer Fest? Although I was tempted, I did not ask them if they had new sympathy for the women in their lives after they went to the port-o-potties. Leotards can be a pain to get on and off in a confined space.

Biggest Surprise: Oskar Blues' Old Chub Scotch Ale. I thought I was going to hate it. The spot-on description on their web site says, "A head-turning treat for malt heads and folks who think they don’t dig dark beer." No, it wasn't a Belgian, but I could definitely drink it again with its malty, coffee, chocolate notes.

Hardest to tweet about after a few: North Coast Brewing's Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale. Yes, I liked it. Here is my note: "North Coast Brother Thrlonious lives up to Belgian abbey ale promise." I was doing well with my touch-screen, but having to spell Thelonious would probably be a good sobriety test. I also really liked their PranQster Belgian Style Golden Ale.

Weirdest Beer: New Belgium's lineup (the three I tried). Hubby thought I would like the Super Cru. I had mixed feelings. It had some very sour notes I didn't appreciate on their own but would have probably gone well with food. However, I did like New Belgium's dubbel-style Abbey Ale, which had a dominant first flavor of banana (weird, but good) and Trippel. Yes, it boggles me that a brewery named New Belgium only has a few beers I like.

Strange Potentially Religious Coincidence: I tried the He'Brew Genesis 15:15, a Barleywine, and the Lost Abbey 10 Commandments beer back-to-back. With the Genesis 15:15's 13.4% A.B.V., and the 10 Commandments' 9%, it's no wonder I was on the verge of a religious experience. No, I don't think there were any messages from the divine in there, but I found two beers I'd drink again.

Consistently Good Award: Unibroue I've loved Unibroue since I stumbled (not literally) upon them at a beer festival in San Francisco last year. I realize it wasn't very adventurous, but I cozied up to the table and enjoyed their Fin du Monde, Maudite, and Trois Pistoles. Since their A.B.V. (percentage of alcohol) across the three beers are 8-9%, that pretty much finished me for the day. I'm glad I saved them for last. This is a girly thing to say, but they also have the prettiest labels. This one's for the Trois Pistoles:

Beer geeks know that I.B.U. stands for International Bitterness Units. The threshold for being able to distinguish it is 90. From the web sites I could pull up, the I.B.U. of the beers I liked were 25 and below. Fellow oenophiles who dislike bitterness and like geekery may find this a good place to start. I dare you to ask the bartender what the I.B.U. of the beer he/she is pouring you is. The only one I know up to the task would be The Marlay House's Andrew, who educated me on I.B.U.'s and gave me the 90 I.B.U. taste threshold tidbit. That factoid won my team some beer at a trivia night.

So, is there a place for an oenophile at a beer fest? Definitely! It's a great place to hang with friends and try beers you'd never order. I found some that I want to try again, with food and without. You can take the oenophile away from the pairing...

By the way, I'm drinking Viognier today.

Test driving the new chef at Feast: Villa Maria Wine Dinner

2011-10-02T19:35:00.008-04:00

When you buy a new car, you get to take a test drive with a hopeful salesman beside you. When you buy a house, you get to visit it with a hopeful realtor and have it inspected by a professional. But what about when one of your favorite restaurants gets a new chef?

Sure, you hope he or she has been thoroughly vetted by people you trust, but the consumer's test drive takes place over multiple visits. It takes time to see how a new chef handles beloved menu items, specials, and timing. We got to do our test drive of Feast's new Chef Rich Velazquez recently at the Villa Maria wine dinner, where we got a preview of his creativity and ability to handle dinner for twenty-five.

In spite of its Italian-sounding name, Villa Maria is actually a New Zealand winery. I wasn't disappointed – a cute winemaker with an accent is a cute winemaker with an accent, no matter where he's from, and Simon Fell is definitely that. Hubby and I hadn't tasted any of their wine before this night, and we were on the fence about the dinner until we saw the food menu. It got our attention better than a car dealer's jerking plastic giants ever could (srsly, what's up with those things?).

There were six courses, so I'll hit the highlights. This chef test drive was particularly effective because we got to see how he'd handle some potentially tricky food and wine pairings. For example, the first course was paired with the Cellar Selection Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand Sauv Blanc is known for its distinct bouquet, which can range from grassy to cat pee, and undertones that can get pretty odd to sensitive palates. This wine thankfully did not make me think of a litter box, but it did have a certain funkiness that some compared to ripe papaya, and tinned asparagus came to mind for me. Chef Velazquez opened the dinner with roasted cauliflower soup with butter poached lobster and chive oil. The food cut the funkiness and brought out the fruit. My only complaint was that I got two shell bits among the tender, sweet lobster.

My favorite course, and one that our end of the table was clamoring to be added to the menu, was the second one, diver scallops with white truffle mousseline, tomato fondue, leeks, and port wine. It was paired with the Single Vineyard Taylor's Pass Sauvignon Blanc. This wine was more crisp than the previous one, and the acidity played very well with the smooth texture and flavors of the scallops. I made a note that this course was "perfect," and I could have drunk the wine on its own.

The wine highlights for me were the reds. My favorite of the evening, the Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir, had some coffee on the nose, a lot of good fruit, and silky tannins. In other words, it was a BIG Pinot, and one that shows how New Zealand won this year's Pinot Smackdown. It went well with the fennel coriander lamb loin, kalamata olive and goat cheese farro, oyster mushrooms, and blueberry jus. Another highlight red was the Esk Valley Merlot/Cabernet/Malbec. The fruit in this Bordeaux blend tangoed with the spice of the dark coffee black peppercorn rib loin, horseradish, chive potato puree, asparagus, and rosemary jus.

One odd tasting note for those who like them… The Cellar Selection Marlborough Riesling tasted good and went well with the cheese course, but it had a bouquet of freshly opened pool toys.

The chef and kitchen had the good pacing we've come to expect from Feast, and we left impressed with his creativity. We look forward to returning for more wine dinners as well as to see how Chef Velazquez uses his Latin background to spruce up the menu for fall and winter. Overall, I would say the test drive was a success. I should've figured – owner Terry Rogers seemed more excited-hopeful than nervous-hopeful.

Oh, and the wine? Except for the first Sauv Blanc and maybe the Riesling, I would have drunk any of the ones poured on their own. I was particularly impressed with the reds. For me, a good wine goes well with food or by itself, and several of these satisfied this requirement. I'll be looking for Villa Maria on wine lists since their test drive was a success, too.

Fellow attendee and blogger Dan Browning about to dive in to the rib loin:

Disclaimer: We paid for everything, so I have nothing to disclose.

Metapost: Attention Ladies of Decatur (Georgia)!

2011-09-05T15:46:00.004-04:00

Greetings, Ladies of Decatur!

Sorry to have disappeared this summer, but it was a little busy between work and vacations and post-vacation catch-up at work. Now that we've gotten back into the swing of the school year (if that applies to you), and you've probably had a hectic Labor Day weekend, it's time to par-tay without the significant others or little ones! I've been avoiding Leon's because it seems like it would be super crowded on a Friday evening, but I'm thinking that since the weather's supposed to be nice by then, we could try for a spot on the patio and dare each other to order some of Miles' creative cocktails. So, here are the details:

Date: Friday, September 9
Place: Leon's Full Service
Time: 6:00 p.m.

Please comment or tweet back at me so I know approximately how many to expect. I look forward to catching up with everyone!

Tasting Notes and Winery Reviews: Nelson County, Virginia

2011-09-05T15:34:00.007-04:00

So, yeah, this is only about four weeks late, and that's being overly generous with myself. I've been doing a lot of thinking since the Wine Bloggers' Conference, and I got stuck in think mode rather than write mode. Oh, and there's that whole writer's block thing that's finally lifting. Before this year, I didn't believe in true writer's block, but I do now!

Hubby and I were on Bus Two, which went to the following Nelson County wineries: Flying Fox Vineyards, Cardinal Point Winery, and Afton Mountain Vineyards. When they were telling us where we were going, I at first thought it would be the critter tour, but Afton Mountain doesn't have an animal in the name. We later found out that Cardinal Point is not named for the bird (although they have a cardinal head as their logo), but for a military exercise. Flying Fox is named for the fox atop their weathervane, so it's not a true flying fox, either. Oh, well.

Several of the other inhabitants of Bus 2 have blogged about the wines themselves, so I'm going to talk more about visiting the tasting rooms. Yes, I realize we were in unusual circumstances, but I think it's telling how a place handles a big crowd. First, I'd like to point out evidence that, being one of the original thirteen colonies, Virginia has had plenty of time to perfect its lawyering, even to the point of making wine tasting sound like a potentially dangerous activity:

We started at Flying Fox Vineyards, which had set up its tiny tasting room to accommodate our group of twenty-ish. Although it was snug, it felt more cozy than claustrophobic, kind of like if I had an American grandmother with a winery, and she had the extended family over. I did feel bad for one non-blogger couple who showed up to taste. They seemed more bemused than annoyed, and they agreed to wait for the twenty minutes or so for us to finish the tasting. At some point, it occurred to me that we were those annoying bus people who drive around and crowd tasting rooms, but only temporarily.

Flying Fox had some lovely Viognier, but the highlight of the visit was the vertical Petit Verdot tasting. I found the 2006 and 2007 vintages to be a little tart. The 2008 seemed a little rough around the edges, but I liked it the best of the three. It would be great with barbecue.

At this point, I get to curse technology because I took my notes about Cardinal Point on my phone, and they're gone. I have no idea what happened to them, and of course it's been too long for me to remember specific wines. Lesson learned.

The tasting room at Cardinal Point looked familiar, so Hubby pulled up a blog post from our first visit to Virginia. We'd been there and to Afton Mountain but hadn't been impressed. I'm happy to say that both wineries have improved a lot since that first trip.

I do recall winemaker Tim Gorman bringing out a Cabernet that was almost old enough to drink itself but had more smoothness than most late adolescents. Almost as many pictures were taken of that bottle as of the cat Aubie (named for Aubaine, an alternate name for Chardonnay), who totally mugged for all the cameras:

Yes, the winery dogs and cat make a visit to Cardinal Point fun, but the wines make it worth it.

We ended the excursion at Afton Mountain Vineyards, which has great views from, well, everywhere. Owner Tony Smith met us at the barrel cave, where we escaped the heat and tasted the 2008 Tête de Cuvée, their sparkling. In 2010, the tasting room moved to a newer building further down the slope, and we ate a lunch provided by a local restaurant while looking over the vineyards and lake. Tony and his wife Elizabeth bought Afton Mountain after our first visit, and their enthusiasm for the wine and the land itself is evident. They admitted that the lifestyle of a winemaker is tough with all the uncertainty, even with their ideal growing location. Like the parents of a cranky toddler on a rough day, they smiled tiredly and said it's worth it.

The highlight for me was the 2009 Festa De Bacco, their super Tuscan.

Although I was originally annoyed that the excursion took me to two wineries I'd been before, I'm glad it did because it shows how dynamic the wine industry in emerging states can be. Cardinal Point has found its stride, and Afton Mountain, under its new owners, has become both more interesting and more welcoming. I would definitely like to return to all three of the wineries in the future.

Wine Bloggers' Conference: The Existential Aftermath & a Quiz

2011-08-16T21:19:00.006-04:00

This is my fourth attempt at writing this blog post. Yes, it's been about a month since the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference, but I needed some time to gather my thoughts. I'm an introvert – we do that. Also, Hubby and I went on vacation the week after the conference, and I enjoyed a week of geeking out about American colonial history and North Carolina wine, all of which will make for good posts for both blogs. And then, after a record busy week at work, we went to the beach!

Hubby and I noted in the car on the way to Williamsburg from Charlottesville that we were left with a sense of negativity that hadn't been present during or after the previous conference in Walla Walla, our first. Over the weeks since the conference ended, I've seen a lot of complaints, both about the event and the complainers themselves. To respond, I've decided to take keynote speaker Jancis Robinson's advice to heart and try to bring my unique perspective to the topic.

To this point, I've been somewhat secretive about my profession in my social media life, not because I don't want my fellow oenophiles to know what I do, but because I was trying to keep my professions separate. However, with what amounts to almost three jobs, it's gotten impossible. So, I'll out myself here and do a longer post later on the new direction of the Random Oenophile blog.

Hi, my pen name is Cecilia Dominic, and I'm a psychologist. Yep, I'm a full-blown, over a decade of higher education, achievment junkie, Ph.D.-level helper of the depressed, anxious, and sleepless. I spend my days asking probing questions (but not literally probing – eww!) to help people clarify their thoughts, attitudes, and problems.

So this is where I'd planned to pose some of the probing questions I'd come up with, but really, who wants to read another thoughtful WBC11 post? Consequently, I've already decided to put aside the serious part of my profession and come up with a little women's magazine-style quiz to help you figure out what kind of wine bloggers' conference attendee you were: wino, oenophile, wineaux, or whino/drama queen?

1. When I heard the wine bloggers' conference would be in Virginia this year, I thought…
a. They make wine on the East Coast?
b. Yay! Something new and different.
c. I'll be able to score some good Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, and Viognier.
d. They make drinkable wine on the East Coast outside of New York?

2. The sponsors' reception on Friday was…
a. Lots of free wine.
b. A great chance to catch up with people and introduce myself to Twitter friends, and oh, crap, we were supposed to get lunch on our own???
c. A great chance to connect with industry people and score promises of samples.
d. A great chance to show off my tasting/slurping/spitting technique.

3. When I heard they'd continue with the Monticello reception in spite of the heat, I thought…
a. It'll be hot, but who cares? Free wine!
b. It'll be hot, but who cares? I get to drink wine at the house of the father of American wine. Cheers to you, T.J.!
c. It'll be hot, and I'm worried the wine won't show well.
d. What the hell are they thinking? It's never this hot where I'm from!

4. The relationship I have with the wine industry is…
a. Cordial. I hold out my glass, and they provide the filling.
b. Educated consumer.
c. Associated professional or wannabe associated professional.
d. My blog and opinions are so important that they bow to my whims.

5. The number of letters I have after my name is:
a. Who needs letters after their names to taste wine? I'm done with school!
b. Two or more, not wine-related.
c. Two or more, wine-related.
d. Sommelier counts as nine and an honorary doctorate.

6. I can't go wine tasting without my:
a. Woozie. They look cool.
b. Water and crackers.
c. Orange hipster glasses.
d. Foofy little dog.

7. To me, the number of sponsored events was…
a. Perfect. Free wine!
b. More than I would have cared for, but understandable considering they have to pay for the conference somehow. It's not supported by a professional organization, and registration fees are really low.
c. Just right. Show me the vino! I’m a thirsty catfish!
d. Excessive. Free wine, especially from the Southeast, can't really be that good.

8. My initial reaction to Eric Asimov's challenge to not write tasting notes was…
a. Good, I always skip them, anyway.
b. Relief. I always feel dirty when talking about mouthfeel.
c. Intrigue. Maybe we do need some different ways to talk about wine.
d. How can I sound like an expert if I can't reference flavors that most people have never had like cassis or lychee?

Scoring: Each (a) gets one point, (b) two points, (c) three points, and (d) four points. Add 'em up, and see where you fall below:

If you scored 8-12 points, you might be a virgin wine bloggers' conference attendee, or wino. Sure, you may have felt intimidated and over your head, but at this point, you're still flirting, and you can always go back to beer if you need to. You're also the person I 'm targeting on my blog, so please come back.

If you scored 13-20 points, you have gotten into wine, and you're in the first giddy stage of the relationship. You and wine have admitted you like each other, and now you're getting to know it. You're probably not comfortable with all the trappings and rituals like spitting, and you may snicker at the spitters behind their backs for wasting such wonderful stuff. You spend holidays hiding from family and friends who want wine recommendations because you're still low on confidence and afraid you'll screw up horribly with the wrong pairing. On the other hand, you've got enough of a knowledge base that you can really start looking into the parts that catch your interest, and you're not afraid to explore new regions or varietals.

If you scored 21-28 points, you're probably in the wineaux stage, and you've taken it to the next level. Yes, you and wine have moved in together or are talking seriously about it. Maybe you've gotten or are in hot pursuit of some wine-related letters after your name, and you might have even scored a job in the industry. You've started finding out the dark sides of being a wine lover, like maybe it squeezes the toothpaste from the middle or you spend holidays hiding from family and friends who want wine recommendations because it's starting to feel like a job.

If you scored 29-32 points, then you might be a whino/drama queen. Congratulations on your accomplishments, especially if you've made it all the way to sommelier level, but please try to remember that wine is just fermented grape juice, and everyone's taste is not yours. There is someone to love that little East Coast wine you snubbed for her uneducated accent, or "B" game, and let's not forget that hot weather makes for hot lovers. There has already been enough meta-whining (i.e., whining about the whining), so I'll just stop here.

Psychologist disclaimer: this quiz and its results have absolutely no psychometric properties, validation, reliability, or validity.

Please feel free to comment with your score or any other feedback!

Speed Blogging: Whites and Roses

2011-07-22T16:19:00.014-04:00

Artesa Vineyards & Winery (CA): 2010 chardonnay, lightly oaked, tropical fruit, texture a little syrupy, $15-20 retail

Shindig White (Finger Lakes): 2010 vidal blanc/riesling blend, hint of stone fruit on nose, a bit acidic, crisp, $15.95 retail

Veritas (VA): 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, nice caramel overtones on back of the palate, good grapefruit and lime

Chateau Le Gay (Fr): 2009 Festival Rose, strawberry and orange, nice color, blend of merlot, cab sauv, and cab franc

Rodney Strong (Sonoma): Reserve Chardonnay, softer than the first chard, still oaky but ): good for a summer afternoon

Decibel (NZ): 2009 Sauv Blanc, very nice & crisp, a little green but not sheepy, great citrus w some pear

Afton Mountain (VA) 2008 Tete Cuvee sparkling, half chard half pinot noir, aggressive bubbles, but nice apple finish, $30 retail

Llano Estacado Winery (TX): 2009 Viviano, blend of Gewurtz, Riesling, Viognier, & Muscat Canelli, very floral with lychee

Barboursville Winery (Va): 2009 Viognier, tropical & citrus fruit, loved this one this morning & still like, $20-22 retail

Boxwood Winery (VA): 2010 rose, cab sauv & merlot, retail $14

Chateau Morrisette (VA) dry rose, buttery and a little funky, 100% Chambourcin

Tabarrini (Italy) 2008 Trebbiano Spoletino, honey & smoke (I might not have this one exactly right)

Testing: Can I do this on my Nook?

2011-07-22T12:51:00.003-04:00

For those who follow my blog, you're in for a treat. Hubby and I are at the wine bloggers conference, and we'll be doing the live blogging today with whites and roses. Tune in today at 4:20!

And yes! I'll be using my Nook Color to post.

Stuffed Oenophile: Qupe Wine Dinner

2011-06-26T17:22:00.006-04:00

It's funny how some things come full circle. Four years ago, I was in Minneapolis for a professional conference. One of my good friends lives there, and we went out to dinner one evening to an Italian restaurant. The food was unremarkable, but I do remember the wine we shared, a bottle of the Qupé Syrah. At that conference, I also took (and passed!) a certification exam for the specialty area upon which I've built my practice.

Fast forward four years… I wrote the first version of this post on a plane to Minneapolis for the same conference, the aftermath of which at work has led this post to be a little later than originally planned. The prior weekend, Hubby and I attended a full Qupé pairing dinner. Things have gotten bigger and better for all of us, it seems.

We had heard of Local Three Kitchen & Bareven before they opened, when chef Chris Hall contributed a course to the Brick Store Orval dinner two years ago. When our friend Joe Herrig, aka the Suburban Wino, tweeted about the pairing dinner, we jumped at the chance to join him.

I'll go ahead and get my one complaint out of the way. The dinner information had said that the "reception" would start at 6:30. Hubby and I got there a little after 6:30 and were shown to the room where the dinner was to be held, a semi-formal space watched over by the gopher from Caddyshack (I'm not even going to get into the rubber chickens). The servers poured the water, but nothing else. Several people bailed to the bar until the real meal was supposed to start at 7. I decided to hold off since I knew that we'd be drinking plenty, but still, it was somewhat annoying.

The first course soothed any ruffled feathers. The Hamachi Tartare with avocado, yuzu, and snow pea, and topped with micro cilantro, was fresh and tender. The creaminess of the avocado and texture of the tuna were the perfect pairing for the 2009 Qupé Bien Nacido Cuvee, a blend of 50% viognier and 50% chardonnay. Crisp citrus on the nose and front of the palate gives way to very smooth melon with floral notes from the viognier and creaminess from the chard. Yep, this was a texture pairing, and the food brought out the fruitiness of the wine.

The second course was probably my favorite other than dessert. The Florida rock shrimp were cooked to the sweet spot of fully done but not chewy and served with spinach and ricotta ravioli. The pairing, 2008 Qupé Block 11 Chardonnay, had a gorgeous color. It's done on new oak, but the high acidity kept it from being an oak bomb. It's well balanced with citrus and a little vanilla.

It's Georgia, so you know there had to be peaches. A fairly traditional grilled Georgia peach, arugula, and blue cheese salad with almonds allowed the 2008 Qupé Bien Nacido Vineyard Roussanne to shine. This was, to me, a perfect white: crisp and fruity with enough acidity to go with food but not too much to be enjoyed on its own. At $40 a bottle, it was also the most expensive wine of the night. (check out the aforementioned Suburban Wino's homage to Roussane, inspired by the dinner).

My new favorite restaurant food is sliders, and I love duck, so I was excited about the fourth course. Grilled duck sliders with raspberry ketchup came with thin, crisp sweet potato chips. A Cotes du Rhone-style blend of 53% Syrah, 25% Grenache, and 22% Mourvedre stood up to it with its dark berry nose and lingering finish with a hint of butter. As with the first course, the similarities with the food and wine played well together.

Then it was Syrah time! The fifth course, a braised beef short rib with porcini and blueberry risotto got rave reviews from the table for the tender, flavorful beef and mixed reactions to the blueberries. I liked them in the risotto, but I found the whole dish to be salty. The 2008 Qupé Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah reminded me why I originally filed the name Qupé away in my brain as a Syrah to look out for. Again, the dark fruit was the predominant flavor, but with enough tannic structure to stand up to the food.

The Qupé winemaker's son Ethan represented the winery at the dinner, and he shared some of his own bottling, the 2007 Ethan Purisima Mountain Vineyard Syrah, with the sixth course. Another pairing of meat and fruit, the roasted cervena venison with cherry compote and herb gnocchi worked much better than the short rib and blueberries. The wine itself was excellent, although not widely available, which caused some wailing and gnashing of teeth at our table. Lighter bodied and with brighter fruit than the previous Syrah, I would have put it earlier in the lineup if it had been a straight-up tasting.

Believe it or not, we found room for the seventh (!) course, a chocolate truffle cake topped with ganache and served with chocolate cremeux (think chocolate cream that's heavier in texture than whipped but lighter than ice cream) and cherry sauce. Sadly, it killed the wine, an earthy 2006 Qupé Bien Nacido Hillside Estate Syrah. I finished the wine first and then went back to the dessert, which was as rich as it sounds but too good with its three levels of chocolate to leave any behind.

Thanks, Ethan, for coming out east to the dinner to share your wines and knowledge with us, and a big thanks to Chef Hall for an incredible dinner! We will definitely be back to Local Three in the future.

Tasting Notes: Summer Sippers

2011-05-30T21:23:00.006-04:00

Well, it's that time of year again. People in other parts of the country call it summer. We call it, "OMG when did it get so hot and humid?" I think we Southerners have the same kind of thing happen to us that women who have children do. Every year, as we go into the cool, crisp days of fall, the painful memories recede until it's time to do it all over again, and then we tell our husbands, "It's too hot! You're not getting near me again!" Sometimes, as during our recent harsh winter, we even yearn for temperature ninety-five, heat index of you-don't-wanna-know.

All that to say, it's time to start drinking... We tried most of the wines mentioned below at recent JavaMonkey tastings. This is my attempt at an artistic picture from the last one:

Summer sippers need to have three qualities: refreshing, inexpensive, and dangit, they'd better make you look hot in that swimsuit! Okay, maybe just the first two. After a couple of glasses, you won't care what you look like in that tankini.

Let's start with whites...

One of the most reasonable and interesting whites is Vinho Verde, which comes from Portugal. Yes, the name is translated as "green wine," and it has a slightly green tint to it in the right lights. Don't worry, it's not green enough to send your toddler running (although that might be useful). The 2008 Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde (Vinho Verde, Portugal) is made of 60% Laureiro, 10% Alvarino, and 30% Trajadera. It's got a nice mineral backbone with some citrus and pineapple, and it's even a little fizzy. The Cashal Garcia, which may be more widely distributed, is also very good.

If you're looking for something a little more floral, the 2009 Quinta do Crasto White (Duoro, Portugal) will give you the sweet floral nose of your neighbor's gardenias without the mosquito bites. It's well-balanced with some melon and also made from a bunch of grapes I've never heard of (45% Rabogato, 40% Gaveo, and 15% Rapero).

Another reasonable option comes from across the border in Spain. The 2009 Nora Albarino (Rias Baixas, Spain) is 100% Albarino and has great body for a white without being syrupy or heavy. It also has a nice balance of floral and citrus with some lime coming through.

If you want to go classy, there are always bubbles!

One that's easy to find and easy to afford is the Saint-Hlaire Blanquette de Limoux (current vintage 2008). With 90% Malzac, 5% Chenin Blanc, and 5% Chardonnay, it has apple (but not fruit box) notes and good body.

Quick shout-out: the Saint-Hilaire and Albarino were both selections by Dan Browning at our recent tasting collaboration.

If you want to splurge, think pink with the Louis de Grenelle Brut Rose (Saumur, France). It has a yeasty nose and very delicate strawberry flavors. It's made 100% from Cabernet Franc. If you want something a little closer to home but just as good, try the Wolf Mountain Brut Rose, which is one of my all-time favorites.

But let's not forget my favorite thing about summer: peach pie!

If you're wondering why all the mommy references, it's because this coming Friday is our next Women of Decatur tweetup: 6:00 p.m. at the Palate side of McGowan's/Palate in Oakhurst. Non-mommies are welcome, too.

Metapost: Attention Ladies of Decatur (Georgia)!

2011-04-23T13:11:00.004-04:00

First, thanks to all who have been attending the monthly tweetups! I'm super excited about how our group is growing, and I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone as we continue to meet.

One of the things I've been getting asked about is wine suggestions, so our next tweetup will be a wine tasting for beginners at The Little Wine Shoppe in Avondale Estates.

Here are the details:

Place: The Little Wine Shoppe
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Date: May 6
Cost: $15/person

I need a minimum of ten people to commit to coming, so please RSVP either on Twitter or by commenting below.

Thanks, and Happy Easter and/or Passover!

Random Field Trips: Atlanta Culinary Tour of Sweet Auburn Curb Market

2011-04-12T21:27:00.007-04:00

I had lunch a few weeks ago with a friend at LottaFruitta on Auburn Avenue. "Is this anywhere near the Sweet Auburn Curb Market?" she asked. I'd heard of the place, but, like many in-towners, I had no idea where to actually find it. So when Hubby and I were invited to tag along with the Atlanta Culinary Tour of the curb market, I was excited to finally go and see what it was all about. There, we found that the people and food are down-to-earth with some surprises.

First, the location: just west of the downtown connector at the corner of Edgewood Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr. Drive. Auburn Avenue is a block north of Edgewood, and the district is designated as "Sweet Auburn" because it was a prosperous business area for the city's African-American population in the mid-twentieth century. The "curb market" is so named because segregation at the time meant that the blacks shopped outside, while the whites did so inside out of the elements. In relation to downtown, it's approximately here:

Now everyone can shop there, and Hubby and I did some produce hunting before the tour started. We went to Natural Produce, which, in addition to locally grown fruits and veggies, carries pre-washed , shredded, cut up, diced, chopped, and otherwise deconstructed produce. However, as we found out, eat or cook the washed and cut up veggies quickly or re-pack them in produce bags with paper towels to absorb the moisture because otherwise, they won't last past a few days, even in the fridge.

As I mentioned, the food is "down-to-earth." Atlanta Culinary Tour leader David Jones (not the pirate or Monkee) had us sample some "white dirt," which is sold in some of the produce shops. It pretty much tastes like, well, dirt.

Our first real food stop was Ciao Boca. Owner Debora Kudelka treated us to samples of a meatball sandwich and one with arugula and pancetta, both of which were really yummy. She made sure to let us know that she has vegetarian-friendly soups and grilled cheese paninis for our non meat-eating friends.

After a stop to talk about the proper way to cook pig's ears at Country Meats, we stopped at Metro Deli Soul Food. Each of us got a little plate with something different. I had a rib, black-eyed peas, and collards. Hubby had meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and collards. Oh, and cornbread! They also gave us samples of either peach or sweet potato cobbler for dessert. The next time I want soul food, I know where I'm going, although I don't think I'm brave enough to try pig's ears yet.

We'd also talked about oxtail, as the curb market was known for its variety of meat shops, and the lower level was once an abattoir, where animals were slaughtered for sale. We got to sample some at Afrodish, and even non-adventurous meat eaters would be hard-pressed to resist the seasoning.

Our other non-dessert stop included Tilapia Express, where owner Farrah's daughter peered over the counter as he served us a deep-fried trio of catfish, tilapia, and whiting. Then it was on to the sweet stuff!

Sweet Auburn Bakery has the following case of temptation:

I didn't think it was possible, but I found room for a little sweet potato cheesecake there:

Then we got to meet Miss D and sample her New Orleans Pralines, which did, as promised, melt in my mouth.

Finally, we ended up at Café Campesino, where we had coffee to combat the food comas that threatened to set in at any moment. Oh, and the scones were good, too. Hubby and I knew them from the Saturday Decatur Farmer's Market, but it's nice to know where to find them during the week.

My only complaint about the tour is something that liability and legal reasons would prevent, which would be beer or wine to go with all the great food. Hubby and I made up for that afterward. We also had dinner reservations at Sound Table, which we ended up moving to 10:00 because we knew we wouldn't be hungry until then. Overall, it was a fun afternoon, and we enjoyed getting to know some of Atlanta's food, history, and the intrepid restaurant and shop owners that are making up our local food scene.

Metapost: Attention Ladies of Decatur (Georgia)!

2011-03-27T16:05:00.002-04:00

This coming Friday is April 1, so you know what that means! Well, besides wanting to smack your husband and/or children for that rubber snake in the sink. It's our Ladies of Decatur Happy Hour!

I didn't get many suggestions this month, so I decided to bring it back to The Marlay House. I hope to see y'all there this coming Friday at 5:30-6ish.

Please @ me on Twitter or leave a comment so I know you're coming! No rubber snakes, I promise!

Tasting Notes and Winery Reviews: Brandywine Valley, PA, Day Two

2011-03-26T15:53:00.009-04:00

Day Two:

Breakfast at the Kennett Square B&B on Sunday morning: French toast and turkey sausage. If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I've recently rediscovered a love of French toast, so it's our usual Sunday breakfast. It was nice to have someone else make it for me and clean up afterward, and I enjoyed her take on it.

We started the day not with wine, but with flowers. We hadn't originally planned to visit Longwood Gardens, but the B&B innkeeper Ms. Gilja Kusano was insistent that we go. They should seriously give her a kickback on her guests' admission. No, she didn't check up on us as far as I know, but she's also the kind of lady you don't say no to, and she made it sound like we shouldn't miss it.

Thankfully we'd both taken our allergy medicine that morning. The main attraction at Longwood Gardens was the Orchid Extravaganza in the Conservatory, which seriously took us an hour and a half to go through. Yes, it's well worth the $16 admission. See my writing blog for more thoughts on the gardens.

Then it was back to wine tasting!

Our first stop was Twin Brook Winery, which is in a lovely wooden farmhouse. We were able to pick out eight wines from their list of fourteen to taste. We love Cabernet Franc and found their 2008 to be very good with bright red fruit, some tannin, and enough acidity to make sure you know it's a Cab Franc but not overpowering We got to barrel taste the 2010 Cab Franc, and it's going to be worth a trip back. We enjoyed talking to winemaker Tim Jobe, who's from Mississippi, and it was nice to hear a Southern accent after two days of Yankee.

On our way to lunch, we encountered a traffic hazard we'd never seen before: an Amish horse and buggy. No, he wasn't aggressive.

We had lunch at Rocco & Anna's Ristorante in Parkesburg, where the "small" calzones are bigger than the plates. We put the alcohol-soaking properties of dough and cheese to good use at Black Walnut Winery, where they "crush innocent grapes to make wine."

At Black Walnut, we got to try the whole list as well as the barrels. We particularly liked the 2007 Blanc Franc, a wine that's somewhere between white and rosé that has soft fruit but isn't too dry or sweet. Other highlights that we liked but didn't purchase were the 2006 Black Tie Optional, which would be a great barbecue wine, and 2006 Chambourcin, which is earthy but has a nice, tart finish.

We once again went off-trail to finish our tastings at Stargazers Vineyard, which is remarkable for its sustainable practices including use of solar energy (for the buildings, not just for the grapes). We particularly liked the unoaked 2008 Solar Celebration Chardonnay, which has a leading edge of vanilla over nice citrus. They have a Gruner Veltliner, which had the GruVe floral nose, but more tartness. The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc) had deep, rich blackberry and currant fruit with nice body. We bought bottles of the Solar Celebration and Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.

We were amused by what they used for their doorbell and impressed by their sloping vineyards, which were still pretty in spite of the vines still being asleep for the winter (note the lavender garden at the bottom right):

I have to say that, in spite of the rumored aggressiveness and attitude, everyone was friendly, and they usually got even friendlier when they found out we're from Georgia. No, I didn't play the wine blogger card at most of them. Black Walnut and Stargazer win for most welcoming and congenial. To be fair, it was also Sunday, and they weren't nearly as slammed as the places had been on Saturday. Even so, both days were some of the most relaxed wine tasting Hubby and I had ever done, and we look forward to returning to the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail to see how the 2010's turned out.

Final Bottle Count:

Reds: 4
Whites: 4
Rosé: 2

Tasting Notes and Winery Reviews: Brandywine Valley, PA, Day One

2011-03-24T22:22:00.005-04:00

Hubby and I have a mission to taste wine in each state that grows its own grapes and makes it. The original goal was to taste wine in each state that makes it, but some luster is lost when the juice is California or Niagara. Not that a talented winemaker can't put his own stamp on something, but where the grapes are grown matters.

While in Pennsylvania visiting Babysis, we took the opportunity to check out the wine scene. We lucked into the "Barrels on the Brandywine" (BoB) passport, which was $30 to visit most of the wineries in the Brandywine Valley area. It essentially covered tasting fees, but hey, we got glasses! Oh, and most of the wineries on the list were also doing barrel tastings of the 2010 vintages, so we got a peek of what's to come (hint: 2010 was a good year for Pennsylvania grapes).

This was our first time tasting wine in the northeast. It has hazards that we hadn't encountered in any other part of the country:

Indeed, we saw several examples of the following highway exit maneuver, which Hubby dubbed the "Jersey Exit Strategy":

1. Slam on brakes in left lane approximately ten feet after the start of the exit demarcation.

2. Throw right blinker on and dash over to exit, regardless of who's coming up behind you or at what speed.

3. Curse out other drivers for honking at you and Department of Transportation for not putting the exit where you think it should be.

Okay, I made up number 3, but I imagine it's pretty accurate. Having seen this maneuver with somewhat less frequency in Atlanta, I feel that I have adequate confirmation that the second Yankee invasion has occurred, and they're driving around I-285.

Other challenges included Yankee cluelessness regarding sweet tea (hint: it is not the canned stuff that's premixed with lemon) and, back in Philadelphia, cab drivers who will try to kill you in their backseats and then curse you out in some foreign language when you pay with a credit card. Also, conversations in restaurants seem to occur in one of three volumes: loud, louder, and Jersey, which is really loud plus liberal sprinkling of F-bombs.

Back to the wine tastings… Lists of tasting notes get boring, so I'll hit the highlights at each winery.

Our first stop was Penns Woods Winery in Chadds Ford. Located in a lovely yellow farmhouse with green trim, it featured five wines for the BoB tour. It's here that we got our first taste of Pennsylvnia Pinot Grigio, which we found to be a strong wine across the area. Even Hubby, who tends to dislike PG, found several he liked. Their 2005 Pinot Grigio has lovely citrus notes with mineral/melon on the edges of the palate. No barrels here.

Chaddsford Winery had been recommended to us by a fellow wine blogger and a local, and they didn't disappoint. We particularly enjoyed the 2008 Naked (unoaked) Chardonnay with its lovely green apple nose and hint of smokiness. Our favorite was the 2007 Merlot, which is medium-bodied, smooth, and well-balanced with nice, dark fruit. We got two bottles in anticipation of needing a wine for a BYOB restaurant for dinner. They barrel tasted the 2010 Chardonnay and the 2010 Pinot Noir, which I didn't even know could be grown on the East Coast. It was a little rough, as expected, but it should be nice when finished. The Chardonnay should also be good.

Oh, and they use Hungarian oak:

Since we had an SUV, we went off-trail. Paying ten dollars for the "Signature Tasting" at VaLa Vineyards was worth it. Hubby commented that he's not sure whether winemaker Anthony Vieti is a genius or a mad scientist because the blends are complex and interesting in a good way. They pair each tasting with cheese, which makes for much foodie fun. Our favorite was the 2008 Silk, a dry rosato blend of "Barbera, Corvine, Carmine, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Nebbiolo, etc." They paired it with Shellbark Hollow goat cheese, a local cheese that has to be the best goat cheese I've ever tasted: fresh with just enough tanginess to identify it as goat cheese, but not at all funky. Oh, the wine was good, too. They bill it as "something for everyone" with enough crisp fruitiness for white lovers and mild tannin structure for those who prefer reds. We found it to be a nice rosé and smooth as the name implies.

The GPS brought us over the river and through the woods (literally) to Paradocx Vineyard, where they tried to be in denial of the cold by handing out plastic leis and having a cookout. I give them points for effort but detract them for not having printed tasting notes. Our favorite was the Yield, a blend of Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. Light-bodied, it has nice fruit through the middle and a lingering apricot-honeysuckle finish. We got a bottle of it, and it was opened on our first night back home.

Our last intentional stop for the day was Kreutz Creek Vineyards. We didn't find the wines there to be to our tastes, as they tended to be very tart and acidic. They should take note from VaLa and pair with food.

It was getting to be evening, and the event technically ended around 5:00, so we headed to Kennett Square and checked into the Kennett House Bed and Breakfast. We wandered through town to see where we might like to go for dinner and stumbled upon the Flickerwood Wine Cellars tasting room. The winery is actually in northwest Pennsylvania, so we were excited for the opportunity to taste some PN wine from a different area. We liked the whites better than the reds and ended up with a bottle of their Pinot Grigio, which was more like a dry Riesling with its floral and stone fruit characteristics.

So, by the end of day one, the bottle tally was:

Merlot: 2
Pinot Grigio: 2
Rosé Blend: 1
White Blend: 1
Chardonnay: 1

Yes, two Pinot Grigios and a Rosé. This is almost unheard of for Hubby. By the end of the day, I was wondering whether the second day would live up to the first. Tune in Sunday to find out!

Tasting Notes: Dr. Goldilocks and the Six Tempranillos

2011-03-18T23:21:00.003-04:00

Once upon a time, there was a stressed-out allied health professional with curly hair the color of old pennies, but shiny. We'll skip the debate as to whether it's blond or red, and we'll completely ignore the gray that's popping in – they're just really light blond, darnit! She had a long four-day week with lots of patients, emails from a marketing minion who wants everything NOW, and a very patient adminion who wouldn't let Dr. Goldilocks put off important tasks for too long. Oh, and contract work that makes for a nice change of pace, but which needed to be done before she left the next day to see Dr.-in-training Goldilocks 2.0 (aka Babysis) in Philadelphia.

So yes, she was stressed out, and when she finally left the office at 8:30, she was tired, hungry, and ready to have some wine. She wandered through the food aroma gauntlet of downtown Decatur (of which Atlanta is a suburb in case you're reading this, and you're Carl), but having given up red meat for Lent, Ted's wasn't an option, Ruby Tuesday was too chain restaurant, and Leon's was just too crowded. It was too early for the Decatur Diner, so she ended up at JavaMonkey, where she knew her friends would be gathered for the biweekly wine tasting, in this case Tempranillo.

Tempranillo, if you're wondering, is a Spanish varietal red, and the only people who can say the name right are from places like Peru. Seriously, it sounds like they're making love to it in their mouth. It's swoon-worthy. You may know it better as the primary grape in Rioja, which goes with fun words like Crianza.

For the sake of narrative, I'm going to mix up the tasting order. Just bear (no pun intended) with me.

Dr. Goldilocks tried the 2008 Protocolo Tempranillo (Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, Spain). Aged in American oak, she proclaimed, "This wine is too thin!" Indeed, it didn't have much to it outside the cedar-y finish.

Then she tried the 2009 Vega Sindoa Tempranillo (Navarra, Spain). This one she deemed as, "too earthy, and it's doing strange fruity things on the roof of my mouth!"

The 2008 Emilo Moro Finca Resalso (Ribera del Duero, Spain) had interesting caramel-cedar notes, and had a caramel/chocolate finish. "It's good, but still not what I'm looking for."

Enter the 2006 Raimat Viña 43 Tempranillo, which spends 18 months in Virginia oak. Because there's nothing like knowing *exactly* where your wood comes from. It has to be good if the founding fathers got drunk on it, right? This one was all cherry smoothness. "That's more like it!"

The 2006 Sierra Cantabria Crianza from Rioja, Spain (told you!) had a nice raspberry-cherry nose that Hubby said had a whiff of sunscreen. It went very well with the Bello Prosciutto sandwich. "This one's very good."

Finally the 2007 Venta Mazzaron Tempranillo (Tierra del Vino de Zamora, Spain) had a little hickory smoke to it, but was well-balanced with yummy fruit. It also has an interesting history in that it's mostly from un-grafted, pre-phylloxera vines.

"Ah," said Dr. Goldilocks, "this one is just right!"

Look for blog and Twitter updates this weekend from Pennsylvania wine country!

Tasting Notes: Charity Case Wine

2011-03-13T15:33:00.003-04:00

As you know Hubby and I like to drink for a good cause. Okay, we like to drink period, but when we can do so for a good cause, even better.

We recently had the opportunity to try the current offerings of Charity Case Wine (their image, cropped, above). Founded in 2008 after a rainy season caused a surplus of juice from the grapes, it's made from a variety of grapes across Napa Valley. All the juice, labor, and shipping are done by volunteers, which leaves the proceeds to go to a variety of Napa family- and child-focused charities.

There are currently two types of wine available, a Rosé and Sauvignon Blanc. We took the opportunity afforded by the warmer weather to try both.

The 2008 Rosé has a lovely color and plum-cherry nose. It's on the dry side and tart with berry flavors, mild tannins, and a fruity finish. We originally paired it with a spicy honey chicken thigh recipe from Cooking Light, but the chicken killed the wine. A much better pairing was a Chicago-style pizza with roast tomatoes, coppa, and basil. I liked it with food and on its own. Hubby, who is very picky about rosé, didn't find it to his taste.
Rating: Good

The 2009 Sauvignon Blanc surprised us at first with its smoky vanilla nose, and Hubby asked, "Are you sure this isn't a Chardonnay?" Obviously we hadn't looked at the tasting notes, which indicated that it had been aged in new French oak, first. The vanilla continued on the palate with pineapple/melon as the predominant flavor with others around the edges.

We didn't have this one with food. Its perfect pairing was a warm spring afternoon on the back patio, which is how I like to drink oaked whites.
Rating: Good to Very Good

The bottom line is that these are both good spring wines and worth a taste now that it's warming up. At $11.99 a bottle, they're a great value. Now if only their retailer would ship to Georgia…

Disclaimer: These bottles were sent to us free for review purposes. This did not influence our review.

Metapost: Attention Ladies of Decatur (Georgia)!

2011-02-27T22:13:00.003-05:00

This coming Friday is the first Friday in March, so that means it's time for another Ladies of Decatur tweetup!

Date: Friday, March 4
Location: Carpe Diem
Time: 6-ish (I'll aim to be there around 5:30)

Please leave me a comment or tweet me at @RandomOenophile (link to follow me above) so I know approximately how many to expect. Happy spring!

Tasting Notes: European Cellars at JavaMonkey

2011-02-20T21:24:00.007-05:00

Yes, I'm actually blogging about wine this week! I have to do that every once in a while so y'all don't think I'm knocked up. On the other hand, a recent comment addressing me as "sir" on a post from three years ago tells me that people still think I'm a guy.

I was supposed to go to novel critique group this past Thursday night, but Hubby and I have been crazy busy with our jobs, so we haven't had the chance to spend much time together. All Jess (also a woman) at JavaMonkey had to say at a previous tasting was two magic words: Eric Solomon. He's an importer who focuses on "place over process," and I've rarely had a wine of his I didn't like. With a nod to a recent post by my awesome blogger friend Joe (not a woman), I'll try not to be too pretentious in my descriptions.

2009 Giachino Altesse (Savoie, France): 100% Altesse.
I love tasting grapes I've never had before. This one, originally called Roussette, which I've also never had, was originally from Cyprus, but apparently the soil next to the Alps is a little bit different. Instead of being sticky, this one has a little citrus and stone fruit with some muskiness and a lot of floral notes on the palate. It's also really dry and would likely be better with food. Hubby and I think that a seafood pesto dish would be just about perfect with it.
Rating: Good

2009 Bergerie de l'Hortus Cuvee Classique Blanc (Montferrand, France): 30% Chardonnay, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Viognier, 10% Roussane
The guy who started this winery was walking in the hills and found the ruins of what may have been a Roman farm growing the "Mediterranean three" of wheat, olives, and grapes. He cleaned it up and started growing wine there. This one has an apricot-jasmine nose with a little honey and stone fruit on the palate.
Rating: Good to Very Good

2008 Rhône by Roger Sabon (Côtes du Rhône, France): 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Cinsault
This winery has been in the family since 1576 and currently has three generations working on it. They must drink a lot. My favorite of the evening, this one is a nice, smooth, dry red with some earthiness. It's not heavy at all and would be a great summer sipper with light grilled food or on its own.
Rating: Very Good

2009 La Madone (Loire Valley, France): 100% Gamay
One of my table mates asked Jess, "Are you trying to get rid of the leftover Beaujolais Nouveau in disguise?" This one's not a nice Gamay. My notes say moldy strawberries and very tart.
Rating: Meh

2008 La Granacha (Côtes du Rhône, France): 100% Grenache from 80-year-old vines
A little acetone-chemical on the nose with some raisin. Big and chewy with high alcohol, it wants steak or barbecue.
Rating: Okay, got better as it opened

2009 Château Pesquie Terrasses (Côtes du Ventoux, France): 70% Grenache, 30% Syrah
If you've been following our adventures for a while, you know that Hubby and I are always on the lookout for good wines from the Côtes du Ventoux region after we had a particularly good one in Belgium. Yes, I just commented elsewhere that I think the term "barnyard funk" is a funny one to use with wine, but there are some French syrahs that have that aspect on the nose. This one had smooth fruit with a hint of caramel and really became lovely after it was open a while with the funkiness all but disappearing and just leaving the fruit.
Rating: Good to Very Good

Oh, and in exciting news, the Emory Commons Publix now has a cheese counter and cheese minions!

I was irked when they decided to rearrange the whole freaking grocery store, but I can live with it if it means I can get cheesy goodness. Alon's is still my first choice, but in a pinch, this will do.

The Great Bread Experiment, Part One: Confessions of a Newbie Bread Baker

2011-02-12T16:31:00.009-05:00

I have a little secret to share, and it's scandalous. You see, I'm in love with another man, and he's a member of the cloth. Even more shocking? Hubby doesn't mind! It's because the thing I'm in love with isn't his eyes or hair, it's his…

…recipes!

I'm talking about Brother Rick Curry, of course, author of The Secrets of Jesuit Soupmaking and The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking. No, I've never met him, but his recipes are divine, if you'll excuse the pun.

The Secrets of Jesuit Soupmaking was a gift from my parents' neighbors when I was in graduate school. I'm not sure how they found it or whether they've tried it themselves. Maybe their thinking was along the lines of, "Hey, she's a budding cook, and she's Catholic! This is perfect!" Each recipe is accompanied by a story, either from the author's experience or from Catholic lore, and that's about all I paid attention to when I first got the book. The recipes were just too much for one person living alone, and I was intimidated by the stocks.

Fast forward four or five years to Hubby looking through our cookbook shelves and pulling it out with a "What's this?" He took making stock as a challenge, so the stars and ingredients aligned. We've made several recipes out of that book, which prompted Hubby to give me the Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking for Christmas this past year:

I'd heard that making bread was addictive, but I thought, "surely that bug won't bite me!" Even so, I was cautious, and it took some nudging by Hubby to get me to dip my toe into those floury waters with Focaccia:

Crispy on the outside and dense on the inside with a nice mix of herbs both in the bread and on top, it was delicious.

The next weekend, we made Irish Lamb Stew from Cooking Light, and I made onion rolls to go with it. These guys were more like the Sister Schubert rolls in texture and flavor (what is it with religious and bread baking?) with onion and dill in them.

The following weekend, with a freezer full of bread, we decided to take a little break from the baking. Our eating had not caught up with my bread production habits, so we settled for pizza dough, which I'd made a few weeks previously and a Deep Dish pizza from the Weight Watchers pizza cookbook.

See? Playing with leavening agents is addictive.

Finally, Superbowl weekend, with a pot of simmering meatballs in spaghetti sauce (my dad's recipe), I got back to the bread making with olive bread.

I'm a bad Italian and only like olives in stuff (not on their own), so I enjoyed this bread most dipped in the sauce that went with the pasta. Hubby, my carb enabler, really liked it.

Oh, and I'd like to note that I don't have a bread machine. Each of these projects was hand-kneaded. My only "cheat" is using the stand-up mixer for "beat for ten minutes"-type instructions. Yes, I make a big mess in the kitchen, but it's a yummy mess!

Okay, I'm hooked. My goal is to make each of the recipes, but I'm not going to commit to a timeline. Just look for bready updates to come! Atkins aficionados need not apply…

Tasting Notes from the West Coast Correspondent!

2011-01-30T16:36:00.007-05:00

Being an oenophile has its advantages, namely friends who are willing to drink for you and send you notes! My very talented friend James Bassett lives in Seattle and does sculpting, Qi-Gong instruction, and freelance writing and editing when he's not drinking wine. You can see his website here. Everything below is his wonderfully detailed guest post.

2007 Columbia Valley Syrah
Waters Winery
Columbia Valley, WA

Tremendously aromatic, this fine Syrah is “made of 100% Syrah from select ‘cool climate’ sites in Washington State.” Which means it is a blend, rather than being made from grapes all from a single vineyard. Which means that it is half the price of Waters’ impressive single-origin Syrahs -- yet it is nearly as good, in my opinion!

Black and red cherry, black pepper, cola, licorice, vanilla, even olive and watermelon swirl on the tongue, along with smoke, black tea, and subtle hints of a mushroomy muskiness that strengthens as the finish lengthens and lingers. The complexity on the tongue, along with an acidity that sneaks from the front of the mouth to the back as of the palate develops, though, will have you taking another sip long before that finish is finished. This is what Syrah at all about -- and it comes at a great price.

Hedges CMS Red 2009
Hedges Family Estate
Columbia Valley, WA
39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 16% Syrah.

Wine is a fascinating, sometimes baffling substance. It is so easily affected by so many factors, so dependent on both weather and winemaker, and can change drastically from year to year. Take the Hedges CMS, for instance. Two years ago I called the 2007 vintage one of the best wines in Washington -- in fact, one of my favorite wines, period. When your lovely hostess and her equally lovely husband visited the PNW last summer, I provided a sampling of several of my favorite local wines for them, picked from my guest reviews here on Cecilia’s site; the 2007 Hedges CMS was no longer available, so I got the 2008 instead.

The consensus: Meh.

For a number of reasons, 2007 was a truly spectacular year for wine across the state of Washington -- pretty much every grape in every region produced great wines. And 2008 seems to have been just as uniformly unspectacular. We were all completely unimpressed with the 2006 Hedges. It wasn’t at all *bad,* just completely and unremittingly *bland* from weak start to pale finish -- and a huge letdown after the 2007 (especially considering Cecilia and husband’s anticipation after my review). It was so unremarkable that neither Cecilia nor I bothered to review the wine at all. (Though perhaps we at least should have warned you, her valued readers, to Save Your Money. Well, better late than never: consider yourselves warned. . . . )

But now we have the Hedges Family’s effort for 2009. And the pendulum has swung away from the disappointment of 2008 and back toward flavor -- we can only hope that this is indicative of 2009 for Washington in general.

Now, before you get too excited, I have to say that the 2009 is not nearly as wonderful as the 2007. It is far less aromatic, and attacks with a disconcertingly acerbic bite on the tip of the tongue, almost as if this wine is trying to be sparkling. Hopefully that will soften as this wine ages. In any case, once you recover from that surprise, this settles down to a very enjoyable and well-behaved wine, grapey and peppery/herby with undertones of slate, cedar, tobacco, and tar. While it lacks the richness and character of 2007, it is nicely balanced (perhaps a bit on the hot side at the moment, but that should also fade with age) with a medium body and just enough tannin that it should pair well with most foods.

A to Z Pinot Noir 2008
A to Z Wineworks
Newburg, OR

Above and beyond the earth and spice we expect of any Pinot Noir, this medium-bodied wine sourced from across the state (hence “A to Z”) pretty well typifies *Oregon* Pinot Noir -- not much aroma, but in the mouth a strong minerality cuts the bright sweetness of red cherries, blueberries, even a hint of strawberries. Fruit dominates, but the palate has enough layers of flavor that it maintains its strength all the way to the end of the very long finish. Keeping in mind that 2008 wasn’t a very good year out here overall, you can certainly find better Pinot Noirs from the PNW (especially from Washington, but I may be biased. . . .), but it would be hard to find an easier-drinking wine appropriate for any occasion with any group, from connoisseurs to those friends who think that any wine that comes in a glass bottle is fancy (you know who I mean. . . .).

2007 Cabernet-Merlot
San Juan Vineyards
50% Merlot, 25% Cab Franc, 25% Cab Sauv

Very small vineyard on rustic, scenic San Juan Island -- closer to Victoria BC than to mainland Washington. When I saw small, I mean they have just seven acres planted -- mostly Madeleine Angevine and Siegerrebe, with one acre of Pinot Noir (the San Juans don’t get hot enough to grow reds). So 70% of their output is sourced from other Washington AVAs.

With Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Yakima Valley and Cabernet Franc is from Horse Heaven Hills, this beautiful, ripe hand-crafted vintage spent 20 months in French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels, and that extra care is apparent as soona s you pull the cork.

The beautiful deep plum color, complimented by a very dusty aroma full of tannins, let you know just what to expect from this bold wine: cola and cocoa and smoke (oh my!) leap onto the palate with the first taste followed immediately by a perfusion of blueberry, cherry, cassis, and cedar. The high fruit is perfectly balanced with earthy, foresty bottom notes that carry through into a long, strong tannic/mineral finish. Wow!

They don’t make much of this -- or any of their wines -- but they do ship, so I’d suggest ordering some. Meanwhile, I’m going to try to get my grubby little mitts on some of their other products. And, say -- a good friend of mine just so happens to live on San Juan Island. Maybe it’s time I pay her a visit. . . .

Flying Fish Merlot 2008
Wahluke Wine Company
Columbia Valley, WA

Cherries (red and black), plums (very purple), chocolate and caramel, with touches of pomegranate and blueberry leading into silky vanilla-draped tannins in the long, subtle finish. This should pair quite nicely with just about anything as long as it’s not *too* spicy.

And if the wine itself doesn’t make you feel good enough about drinking it and you need even more reason, Wahluke donates a portion of the profits to Ocean Conservancy to protect wild healthy oceans “in honor of the waters that are home to the great salmon that travel thousands of miles from the ocean up the Columbia River past several of our vineyards.” So what are you waiting for?

Shooting Star Blue Franc 2008
Steele Wines, Lake County, CA
100% Yakima Valley (WA) Lemberger

Made in California, this surprising wine is made from Lemberger grapes grown in Washington’s Yakima Valley AVA. Lemberger is the American name for the Austrian Blaufränkisch -- or “blue grape from France.” Confused yet?

Well, don’t worry about it. All you have to know is that this crisp, medium-bodied wine starts out cinnamon-hot (from the alcohol showing through) and peppery, with coffee and plum swirling through, but that quickly gives way to big Merlot-y fruit. That, too, fades quickly, leaving soft tannins to carry that transparent alcohol heat An odd assortment of flavors, perhaps, but a good one. This wine is fine by itself, but you could also try pairing it with the hearty flavors of its Austrian (not French!) homeland

And as long as we’re immersed in geographic confusion, let’s go even more international and pop a cork on some bubbly (yes, French this time!):

Nicholas Feuillatte Brut Champagne NV

Okay, you may be asking yourself “Why is the West Coast wine correspondent reviewing French champagne? Especially when he doesn’t really even care for champagne?” Well, let’s just call this the special International Edition of my guest blogging. I was introduced to this particular French champagne in Miami by a dear English ballet-dancer friend of mine who lives in Las Vegas and is married to a Russian pyrotechnics expert. International, indeed!

Brighter and more floral (what some snobby types might call “unrefined”) than what you would expect from champagne, this wine is rich with hay, honey, green peppers and olives, grass, and melon/citrus flavors. This is not your typical champagne, and I say that’s a good thing -- and for only around $35, this from now on will be my go-to choice for those situations that absolutely call for champagne.

Metapost: Attention Ladies of Decatur (Georgia)!

2011-01-30T16:24:00.003-05:00

The first Friday of January brought Hubby to a hockey game, so I decided to have a happy hour with some of my Twitter friends in Decatur. The small gathering went so well, I thought I'd try to make it a monthly thing: First Friday Women of Decatur Happy Hour. Okay, we can come up with a better name. Here are the details:

Date: February 4
Place: The Palate side of Palate/McGowan's in Oakhurst
Time: 6:00 p.m.-ish

I'll be hanging out at the bar. DM me on Twitter for details on how to recognize me (since I'm all incognito with a pen name). You can follow me here if you don't already.

Thanks, and I'm looking forward to some girl time!

Wine Review: Kluge Estate

2011-01-23T14:51:00.008-05:00

This wine review is a sad one because a few months after we received the samples, Hubby and I found out that Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyards went into foreclosure. We had good memories of visiting there during our wine trip to Virginia in 2008, although we were a little put off by the wine tasting being served in a test-tube tray (sorry, no pictures). We also got to try some Kluge wine as they expanded distribution into Georgia last year and found it to be better than we'd remembered.

I'd wondered whether to even post this review since the winery has gone under. It's kind of like reviewing zombie wine, but I would imagine that there's still some hanging out in warehouses and with distributors. Even though the sparkling and Viognier are listed as "Sold Out" on the Kluge website, they may still be available somewhere and are worth a taste before they're gone.

We saved the 2004 SP (for sparkling) Blanc de Noir for our anniversary and weren't disappointed with its toasty notes and very slight berry undertones. It paired well with the view from the porch at my parents' cabin in Blairsville:

We tried the 2009 Albemarle Viognier in November. It had the Viognier peachy nose and floral finish, but I expected more in terms of body. It has an acidic bite instead of a smooth texture, almost like a Pinot Grigio. However, the shrimp risotto we paired it with brought out the stone fruit character of the wine, which enhanced it.

Finally, the 2009 Albemarle Sauvignon Blanc was also quite acidic, but good with food. Citrus and melon were the predominant flavors with a little grassiness. This is the only one still listed as available on the web site.

If nothing else, I hope this review serves as a reminder that we need to support our local wineries. Yes, I realize that Kluge got caught with their financial pants down in a tough economic climate (recent article here), but I hope that other local wineries won't disappear as well. As consumers, the best things we can do are to ask for local wines in restaurants and wine retailers and to visit our wineries regularly. And, as a wine blogger, I will try to review samples in a more timely manner. I'm finally getting my writing routine down, so that should help me to post more regularly.

Disclosure: All wines in this review were received free of charge for sampling purposes. This did not impact my review.

Frozen Flakes of Doom!!! Day Two, Cabin Fever Sets In

2011-01-11T21:16:00.008-05:00

Well, for those of us in Atlanta, it looks like it's going to be a long, cold road out of this one. As you can see, although the ice on the roads is melting, they're still pretty covered, and it's supposed to go down to 19 degrees Fahrenheit. That's too many degrees below zero Celsius for me to want to think about right now.

Now that we're on our second day of enforced staying home, a little bit of cabin fever has set in. Bailey has taken to attempting mind control to get us to let him out (he doesn't go outside):

Meanwhile, Tabitha has started gazing longingly at one of the pictures Hubby took on last summer's trip to the Pacific Northwest, which makes for some interesting typing and tweeting with her fat self on my laptop keyboard. Maybe she's reminiscing about getting us humans out of the house for a while.

I was going to deal with the cabin fever by baking all day, and I did make a batch of yummy blueberry muffins:

Hubby was also climbing the walls, so we decided to head out to the nearest pub within walking distance, the James Joyce. I typically don’t go there since they allow smoking after a certain time, and I did come home smelling of smoke tonight, but it did feel good to get out. It was especially fun after we ran into some friends and met "head busboy" Daniel Acree. It felt like a real neighborhood pub.

I, of course, forgot all about those healthy eating intentions and went straight for the comfort food, a Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger, and Chimay Red beer:

Hubby enjoyed the fireplace (they have two on the porch):

No, we didn't sit out on the patio:

Wow, even the fountain lions look cold:

The sun is supposed to come out tomorrow, and I'm hoping to make it back to the office in the afternoon so the week isn't a total loss. Meanwhile, I'll watch out for those killer icicles:

Frozen Flakes of Doom!!! Day One...

2011-01-10T17:56:00.019-05:00

Yes, two blogs posts from me in a week! I promised to keep you apprised of the developments at the World Headquarters of Random Oenophile Enterprises as the winter weather moves through, so this is my entry for Day One.

So, as you probably know by now we got some snow:

It started here last night around 8:00 and went steadily to around 1:30, and then I went to sleep and can't tell you what happened after that. Apparently the snow turned into something called "freezing drizzle." It's kind of like the post-nasal drip of wintery precipitation: steady and annoying, and likely to leave a crust on things if you're not careful. Okay, that was gross. Sorry. The cabin fever might be setting in.

Hubby made an executive decision that we'd do the Duck Confit Tacos last night. We had originally thought we'd do a head-to-head comparison of Cab vs. Pinot as a pairing, but after Hubby made the salsa according to directions, he decided it would be too spicy for the Pinot and went a completely different direction: beer. He's the best Hubby ever, so he made salsa for me that was mild, and I had the 2006 Texas Hills "Kick Butt Cab." Medium bodied and with great fruit and caramel notes, it had enough acidity to cut through the fattiness of the duck and enough sweetness to balance out the salt and spice.

Although we hadn't bought milk, bread, and eggs this weekend, I decided to engage in an act of solidarity with our panicked brethren and make French toast. We're out of maple syrup, so I did some strawberry topping:

A couple of friends of ours who have the French Tart blog are absolute Pho addicts. For those who don't know, Pho, pronounced "Fuh," is a type of Vietnamese soup. It's also apparently a really good hangover remedy. We decided we'd make some Turkey Pho, courtesy of Cooking Light and their annual "what to do with leftover turkey" article from a few years ago. It turned out really pretty and tasty, especially paired with the 2009 Montinore Estate Borealis: The Northern Whites. The blend of Miller-Thurgau, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Riesling had distinct vanilla notes at the front, and the savory-salty soup accented the citrus notes and minerality of the wine. Sorry, there's no picture. Blogger kept flipping my bowl of soup on its side, and I didn't want it to spill.

No snowstorm blog post would be complete without a few pictures. I took these around the yard, and you can see that the freezing drizzle had, indeed, coated everything with a thin layer of ice.

Like most other things in the city today, the bird bath is closed:

Frozen berries:

Last night's carnage:

Pondering food and wine to survive Frozen Flakes of Doom!!!

2011-01-09T13:44:00.005-05:00

As most of the country is aware, there is a snow/ice/sleet/OMGwe'reallgonnadie storm headed to the Atlanta area. Forget the rest of the Southeast that will likely get it, too… We've got the airport, so we're more important, right?

I admit to some skepticism until the first flakes start falling. You see, I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. We'd get days of hype about the weather, and then it would end up being rain or nothing much at all, dashing all our schoolchildren hopes of a day off. No, school-age kids never seem to get the concept of "you'll have to make it up later." Kind of like New Year's resolution dieters. But I digress…

My parents live on a big hill, and the only access to it is two roads, both pretty steep, so when the inevitable ice storm came, we were trapped for a couple of days. This typically occurred without power because of the following equation:

Ice + Above Ground Power Lines + Trees (Pine are the worst!) = power interruptions. For days.

After the historic blizzard of 1993, which I remember vividly because my high school boyfriend had just dumped me (I later killed him off at least three ways fictionally – fear the pen!), we were without power for five days. It sucked. Probably even more so for my parents, who had to deal with a mopey teenager. Thankfully, they kept one of these on hand:

Theirs was red. We knew it was serious when the camp stove came out and they hooked up the propane. It was nice to have hot food, especially because that was before they had a generator, and the stove and oven were electric. Ours are gas.

Hubby grew up in Montgomery, which was usually below the snow/ice line, so he didn't get the camping at home experience. You'd think that most of our discussions around the impending Frozen Flakes of Doom!!! would center on important things, like whether and how we'd get to work (more important for me since I have my own business, and if I don't work, I don’t get paid). Nope, we've been discussing food, likely because he plans on working "from home" (aka, the pub). Here's the plan:

1) We'll stick to cooking things that we can make or reheat with only our gas stove, using the grill as necessary. We've decided on Duck Confit Tacos and Turkey Pho.

2) If we lose power, we'll keep the freezer closed and put the refrigerated stuff in a cooler on the back porch or garage. It's going to be cold enough. If you try this, please keep an eye on outside temperatures. Food poisoning sucks. It's even worse with icy roads.

3) We stopped off at Ale Yeah! yesterday to stock up on supplies. Sadly, the Gouden Carolus Tripel didn't make it through the night. We do have plenty of wine, though, and as one of my Twitter friends reminded me, corkscrews do not require electricity.

I'll tweet and blog pictures and pairings as we cook. Meanwhile, I hope everyone stays warm!

P.S. As I'm writing this, Hubby's on the phone with his parents, who are in Montgomery. They're getting snow. I hope they have a camp stove handy.

P.P.S. For all you northerners who are scoffing at us, remember what happened a couple of years ago when the northeast got a true ice storm. You can't drive on ice any better than we can, so stuff it.

Good Day, and Welcome to 2011

2011-01-02T18:43:00.004-05:00

First, thanks to all my wonderful blog followers and regular readers! I know I don't get a lot of comments, but I see the hits, and I really appreciate them.

The general sentiment (on Twitter, so it must accurately reflect the opinion of the masses, right?) seems to be that 2010, as far as years go, pretty much sucked. It really didn't for me, although it was weird. I moved my practice from the Northside/Perimeter area to Decatur, which cut my commute time by two-thirds or more. It also hit the two-year mark, and I found myself to be very busy, which was a very good thing. On the down side, my triglycerides fell, but then spiked just in time for disability insurance bloodwork (hmmm…), and I hurt my shoulder, which is still bothering me. So, all in all, it's a mixed bag.

One thing I feel guilty for is my lack of blogging, especially over the past few months with the office move and trying to get back into a routine. Trust me, I've been drinking wine, but I've kept all my thoughts to myself except a few that leaked out on Twitter. Apparently I got burned out on a lot of things, including writing.

One of my fellow writing friends misunderstood me when I told him I was taking a week off between Christmas and New Year's and thought I meant from everything, which, he said, would be a good thing considering how I've been feeling. I decided to give it a try, and my week away from work, writing, blogging, and even from Atlanta (we were in Alabama doing family stuff for most of it) gave me some much-needed perspective. Consequently, I've come up with the following problems and the corresponding changes I need to make in my life:

1. My life is out of whack when it comes to the work/life balance.

Moving my office closer to home has backfired in that I now don't have a long commute, so I can stay later, right? Wrong! Things have gotten much better now that I have an awesome adminion (administrative minion for those who are wondering), but I'm still spending way too many hours there, which is leaving me with precious little time and energy for any kind of writing.

Solution: Be more conscious of work/life boundaries and be home within an hour of ending client contacts. I'm also going to start building in transition/relaxation time at the end of the work day so I'm not as likely to bring work home with me.

2. Writer's block: it's real.

For me, writer's block is actually writer's overwhelm with lack of sufficient support. I have so much stuff I want to write that I look at it all and say, screw it, I'm going to pet the cat/get on Twitter/read… Not that any of that stuff is bad, only when I use it as a procrastination tool. I also feel like I've gotten stagnant with this blog, and it may have started to bore me.

Solution: Schedule time for writing, make it a priority, and reach out to some of the great people I've met through the Georgia Romance Writers and Village Writers Group. I also need to set daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Finally, I'm going to make some changes to this blog that I've been pondering since last year's Wine Bloggers' Conference. I need to do something to make it stand out, which will make it interesting for me as well. Stay tuned!

I do have to include one highlight... I am now a published author! I had work accepted to two anthologies and even got paid for my contribution to one!

I do feel so much better when I write regularly, just like when I exercise at least three times per week, which brings me to…

3. I feel faaaaaaat!!! And my triglycerides are high.

Even if I wanted to be in denial that I'm not taking as good care of myself as I need to, the blood work doesn't lie. I wrote for my oeno-lution last year that I wasn't going to worry about losing ten pounds, but it seems as though that's not an option anymore.

Solution: Yep, gotta exercise and get the eating back under control, and I really need to work harder at sticking to an average of just one glass of wine per day. Not that I'll give up everything I like, but try more for that moderation thing.

I'm avoiding the word "resolution" this year. People expect to break those. These are changes I really need to make to be a happier, healthier person in 2011. I'll let you know how they go!

Travelin' Oenophile: San Francisco Adventures

2010-12-09T23:37:00.004-05:00

I'm reading a book called The Psychology of Wine, which is (duh) by a couple of psychologists. One of the points the authors return to repeatedly is the connection of wine experiences with memories. It's well-established that certain tastes and smells can transport our memories to a specific time or situation, and for those who love wine, this can certainly be the case.

A psychology convention brought me to San Francisco the weekend before Thanksgiving. Perhaps it was the influence of my reading material, but during the trip, I seemed to pair wine with experience.

Being at a conference and having professional interactions may have prompted some people to drink before dinner, but I decided to be good (for once). The rain had started by Friday evening, and apparently it's a rule in San Francisco that half the cabs disappear, so the line for a taxi plus the cold, windy, damp weather deterred me from waiting for one. I'd had a recommendation for the Daily Grill, which was a couple of blocks away, so I made a dash through the rain for dinner. Being cold and wet in a city where I was truly missing Hubby, whose work schedule wouldn't allow him to accompany me on the trip, may have led me to turn to an old friend: the Rodney Strong Charlotte's Home Sauvignon Blanc. Yes, this is one of our house wines. No, it wasn't adventurous, but it was "comfort wine," and I could almost believe its citrusy-grassy notes would preserve me from getting sick in the cold and damp.

I started with the special soup of the night, Butternut Squash with Crème Fraiche, which hit the spot with its creamy texture, sweetness, and spices. The Blackened Ahi Tuna Salad seemed a good, healthy choice for my entrée, and although I enjoyed it, it needed some mandarin oranges or something to balance the tangy saltiness of the ginger-soy dressing. I did appreciate that the tuna was served rare and not too spicy. Alas, jet lag caught up with me before I could get to dessert.

I was on a panel on Saturday, so again, the drinking had to wait until the evening. San Francisco "Wine Brat" Thea had invited me to join her at the Night That Never Ends BevMo Holiday Beer Festival. This time I had to wait in the taxi line, so I ended up being late and not able to spend that much time with her. Still, it was a pretty awesome beer festival, not least because I was able to try everything at the Unibroue table while talking to a fun couple from Oakland. I'm a fan of the Trois Pistoles but hadn't realized that their beers are all Belgian-style. I also liked the Anderson Valley Brother David's Triple (not available in Georgia, sadly) and the Scaldis Noel. The other highlight of the beer fest was hanging out with Ashley Routson the Beer Wench, who showed me around to some of her favorites and then drove me to North Beach for dinner so I wouldn't have to wait in yet another taxi line.

This brings me to the absolute highlight of the trip. Vicoletto, which means "little alley," had also been a recommendation. This cozy spot on Green Street is off the main North Beach drag (Columbus Avenue) and worth seeking out. I started with the Insalata tricolore, a salad of bitter greens and reds with parmesan and lemon vinaigrette. I asked the cute young guy behind the bar, whom I assumed was the general manager, what he would recommend for an entree, and he suggested the veal or lobster ravioli. I was in the mood for pasta – yet more comfort food – so I went for the ravioli. Check out the description from the menu:

Ravioli con aragosta: house made lobster ravioli, sautéed prawns and cherry tomato brandy cream sauce

Yeah, it was amazing.

And, of course, there was wine. The 2008 Sabazio Rosso di Montepulciano (100% Prugnollo Gentile, aka Sangiovese) had enough acidity to go with the food, but was fruity and smooth enough to drink on its own.

Finally, I didn't crash out before dessert and had a chocolate soufflé with crème fraiche ice cream. I've come to learn it's hard to do a good chocolate soufflé with a molten center, but this one was perfect.

And the hot Italian guy behind the bar? That was owner Francesco Covucci. Hanging out and observing him interact with his other guests gave me an education in relationship-building from a business perspective, which, ironically, had been part of my panel discussion. The evening helped me to feel like my trip had been as well-balanced as the Rosso di Montepulciano (which he told me was his favorite). The next time Hubby and I are in San Francisco, we're definitely going to Vicoletto.

By the way, as you can probably guess from his blog post while I was gone, Hubby is still pouting. I'll let you add your own sour grapes joke here.

Apologies for lack of pictures. The Blackberry is on its last keys, and its battery was dying that night.

Tasting Notes: A Bar Full of Beaus at JavaMonkey

2010-11-21T14:40:00.003-05:00

(or “Cecilia ran off to San Francisco and all you get is this lousy blog post”)

Yes, Cecilia is off at a convention in San Francisco this weekend, so the blogging for this week’s JavaMonkey tasting gets left to me. As is usual on the third Thursday on each November, this tasting was all about the Beaujolais in honor of the release of the 2010 Beaujolais Nouveau.
Before the review, recent sporting events have led me to post this disclosure:

I paid regular market price for this tasting. I received nothing additional for it other than a t-shirt and hideous yellow tie that I won in a raffle. (And if you saw my impromptu traveling fashion show after the tasting, I think you’ll agree that I know how to rock the t-shirt and hideous yellow tie.) At no time did I ask for any compensation, nor did any of my associates. The rumors of a text message containing a proposed payment plan from someone representing me to one of Georges Dubouef’s boosters are completely bogus. As for the allegations that I cheated on a solitaire game once in college, I won’t address something that happened that long ago.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get to the wines (hangover neutralizing Pho not included):

2009 Macon-Villages Chardonnay
The first thing I noticed about this wine was that something seemed… odd. What was it? Everything about it seemed like a pretty typical Old World Chardonnay. It had the nice golden color and the fruity, slightly tart nose. A little mineral there as it goes down. But something else… And then on my second sip, I got it.

Oak.

I have no idea what, if any, oak this wine sees, but I wasn’t the only one who got a little bit of it at the very end of the finish. (After my infamous declaration of “popcorn” on the nose of a wine once in the presence of the winemaker, you have no idea how much better that made me feel.) It certainly wasn’t California Oak-Tree-In-A-Glass, but it might catch you off guard. I think this warrants some future research, preferably with the assistance of a good chicken and mushroom dish.

2010 Beaujolais Nouveau
Ah, the star of the party arrives! Fresh off its overseas flight from Paris (TSA pat-down not pictured) and into this fine establishment. With the red carpet rolled out, it elegantly strolled through the paparazzi and autograph-seeking masses and into my glass. What wonders would this French star have for me this year? I anxiously lifted the glass to my nose, swirling the red nectar and inhaled…

Cranberry. Bubble gum.

Yup, it’s a Beaujolais Nouveau.

Dan suggested that it would make a good base for Thanksgiving cranberry sauce. I concurred, and scribbled down that it might also make a good base for getting unwanted holiday house guests sauced.

Hey, at least we get wine schwag for drinking it.

2008 Brouilly Flower Label
The very first bottle of this at the tasting was corked. The next bottle was so weak that I’m pretty sure I saw some Italian Pinot Grigios kicking its ass outside Twain’s later that night. Other people seem to be pretty impressed with it, so I’m going to write this off as a bad case and hope to try it again sometime in the future.

2009 Juliénas Flower Label
While researching this wine, I came across an interview with Georges Duboeuf on Wine Review online where he states that the Juliénas is his favorite Cru. I can see why. This wine was surprisingly intense – inky color, tart dark fruit in the mouth, and a hint of earthiness on the finish. My first reaction was to compare it to some of the more intense Oregon Pinots I’ve had, though I don’t remember as much spiciness here as those tend to feature. If you’re jonesing for Beaujolais on your Thanksgiving table, skip the Nouveau and head for this one. (Or save it for yourself after you kick out the house guests for whom Nouveau was bought.)

2009 Morgon Flower Label
This one was supposed to be poured before the Juliénas, but we got crossed up. This was unfortunate, because I think that might have helped my opinion of it. My impression was that it was like a slightly more subtle version of the Juliénas. It didn’t have the earthiness, and the tart fruit was less pronounced. It’s probably the more food friendly of the two.

Cecilia is returning this evening, and I’m sure she’ll catch you up on her weekend of beer tasting and North Beach pasta touring in the coming days. I could fill you in on my weekend of futile attempts to rid the front yard of leaves, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be as interesting.

An Oenophilic Foray into Urban Art

2010-11-17T00:43:00.006-05:00

There is a statue of Thomas Jefferson in front of the Old Dekalb County Courthouse in Decatur. It depicts him sitting, quill pen in hand, looking into space, doubtlessly pondering his next passage as he writes the Declaration of Independence.

For years, I've always felt that something was missing from the statue. After all, Thomas Jefferson was America's original wine connoisseur. Here he is, writing the document that set out the rationale and reasons for the founding of the United States. And here is his left hand, left thumb and index finger parted just perfectly for...

(My apologies to Mr. Jefferson. They wouldn't let me out of the wine festival with a full glass.)

Metapost: This is going to drive me to drink...

2010-11-15T16:21:00.004-05:00

Okay, it's not a long drive, but...

I don't usually talk about what I do on social media outlets, but sometimes I feel it's warranted, and this is one of those times. As you've probably heard, an old law is going to cause the Medicare reimbursement rates to healthcare providers to be cut by around 25% if it's not stopped by our lovely Congress.

"Sure," you may be thinking, "this will impact healthcare access for the over 65 crowd, but how will it affect me?"

If you're over 65, you're probably thinking, "I'm screwed."

The problem is, as an auxiliary healthcare provider, I'm also thinking, "I'm screwed." Why? Because the rest of managed care bases reimbursement rates on Medicare rates, never mind that they supposedly have antitrust laws. You know that they're salivating over this because it will mean even more billions in profit for them. In the end, if it's not stopped in a timely manner, it could mean a 25% reimbursement cut for me.

"Sure," you may be thinking, "but won't they go back up if the law is corrected later, and Medicare reimbursement goes back up?"

That's the thing about insurance companies -- once rates drop, they RARELY go back up, and they've been on a steady decline for years even though operational and overhead costs for providers keep increasing.

So here, I'll make it easy for you. Here is what I've written to my Senators and House Rep:

Dear ,

I am writing to request that you make halting the Medicare reimbursement cuts a priority. If they are not stopped, they will impact both the ability of senior citizens to access care and will cause a ripple effect through the healthcare industry, as the other companies base their rates off of Medicare.

One important consideration is that most healthcare and mental healthcare private practices are small businesses, and this is one of the few economic areas where growth is anticipated. The Medicare rate cuts, if they go through, will only serve to make them cut staff and shrink the main industry the country is depending on for growth.

Thank you for your time and consideration!

Sincerely,

Yes, that's right, cut staff. Do you already allow two hours for a routine doctor's visit? Better make it four or just take the day. Oh, you're sick? The doctor will be able to see you in a few months instead of six weeks (yeah, that's already an issue, but not in my practice). Got a billing problem? Oh, sorry, it's going to take a while to get back to you because the billing departments are short-staffed.

For the Georgia people, here are some important links:

Contact form for Senator Isakson: Click Here

Contact form for Senator Chambliss: Click Here

Your House Rep will depend on where you live.

Please please please bug your Congresspeople! This is one of the few times when government inaction could affect EVERYBODY.

Thanks!

Cecilia

Tasting Notes: Crane Creek & Blackstock

2010-11-13T22:27:00.007-05:00

Yeah, Hubby and I have been hitting the sauce again. Shocking, right? We went up to my parents' cabin in Blairsville in September and October and decided to check out a new (to us) winery and one that we'd visited before. With the Winter Wine Highway 2010 weekend coming up in a few weeks (Dec 3-5), it seemed like a good time to write about them.

Crane Creek Vineyards, located in Young Harris (e.g., one of those places near Blairsville that sells alcohol) has great views, like all the Georgia wineries:

Their 2000 vintage was their first, from vines planted 15 years ago. The tasting room has been open for eight years. Apparently my in-laws had trouble catching them open, but we walked right in and tasted the lineup. There is a small tasting fee, but the pours are big enough for two to share.

Whites:

Seyval Blanc:
The first wine planted and made, this one has a tangerine/mandarin orange nose with citrus notes carrying through the palate to orange and grapefruit.
Rating: Good to Very Good

Traminette:
Cross of Gewurtzraminer and Seyval Blanc, has a mint/stone fruit nose and is floral and tart through the palate and finish.
Rating: Okay to Good (not a big fan of mint on my wines)

Enotah White:
Another hybrid, Chardonel (Chardonnay & Seyval) is the basis of this wine. Smoky oaky nose, but overall nice with good balance of citrus and vanilla.
Rating: Good

Vidal Blanc:
Described as "uncomplicated," and I would agree. Fruity with a tart finish. Another quote: "You can sit on the porch and pound this one back." Very likely.
Rating: Good

Reds:

Brasstown Mountain Claret:
Medium-bodied with a spicy nose and spicy cherry on the palate.
Rating: Good to Very Good

Mountain Harvest Red:
Super-smooth red made from the Chambourcin grape. Berry characteristics.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent

Sweet Sally:
Blend of Catawba and Niagara, has a scuppernog/muscadine nose and honeysuckle notes.
Rating: Good to Very Good

We came home with a bottle of the Mountain Harvest Red, which will be a great porch sipper next summer.

We revisited Blackstock Vineyards & Winery on the way up to the cabin in October since it had been a while. The way their tasting works is that you select eight wines for $10, so with two people sharing, you can cover most of the list, which is what Hubby and I did. We also got a cheese plate, which complimented the wines.

2007 Viognier:
Stone fruit/orange/floral nose, but very tart and a little bitter.
Rating: Good

2009 Chardonnay:
Pear nose, musky melon flavors.
Rating: Okay

2008 Viognier:
Still good citrus, but a lot smoother.
Rating: Good to Very Good

2008 Reserve Viognier:
Toasty nose with a little vanilla oak, but well-balanced and good with cheese.
Rating: Very Good

2006 Sangiovese Rosé:
Smoky on the nose, but nice and fruity and balanced between dry and off-dry.
Rating: Very Good

2008 Sangiovese Rosé:
Muscadine nose, and a little rough on the finish.
Rating: Good

2008 White Merlot:
Hubby smelled this one and said, "Apple juice!" It has a somewhat effervescent texture, kind of like an apple wine cooler.
Rating: Good

2007 Rocking Chair Rosé:
Subtle nose and flavor, but kickass finish.
Rating: Starts Okay, goes to Good, finishes Very Good. Would be a good one for a beginning wine drinker to experience the different stages of the palate.

2007 Rocking Chair Red:
Big Merlot nose, but light-bodied.
Rating: Good

2008 Sangiovese:
Still Very Good

2006 Merlot: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet
A little acidic.
Rating: Good

2005 ACE Family Reserve:
Better than when we tried it last year with more depth to the fruit in the middle, but still not as good as the previous award-winning vintage. Apparently that one's going for something ridiculous, over $100/bottle.
Rating: Good to Very Good

2007 Cabernet: What I'm drinking as I write this
Savory fruit, medium-bodied, would be great with Italian food (yeah, I think I have the wine munchies).
Rating: Very Good

2006 Reserve Merlot:
It was recommended that this one be aged, and I agree.
Rating: Good

We came home with a mixed case of the 2007 Viognier, 2008 Reserve Viognier, 2006 Sangiovese Rosé, 2008 Sangiovese, 2005 ACE Family Reserve, and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.

So, please get out the first weekend in December and support your Georgia wineries! You may not realize it, but there's legislation in front of the national House that may limit their ability to sell and ship to consumers, so the more support they have, the bigger the message we send to our Congresspeople (especially those who think that Guam is going to tip over) that this industry is important to us and to Georgia.

If you're a winery and would like to send us samples for review, please check out our Sample & Disclosure Policy, which also includes a link to contact us.

Random Thoughts and Tasting Notes: 2010 Decatur Wine Festival

2010-11-07T22:14:00.010-05:00

Autumn is my favorite time of year. The changing leaves, cool weather, and thoughts of the holidays put me in a good mood, and, of course, there are fun festivals. No, I'm not talking about harvest festivals. My favorite by far has to be the Decatur Wine Festival.

This year's Wine Fest was particularly good, likely because the weather was cooler than in years past, when the red wines at tables in the full sun tended to get overheated and taste more like mulled wine than how the distributors intended. As Hubby noted, we all reached cellar temperature this year, and I ended up wearing my gloves toward the end of the day. However, the temperature of the wines ended up being about perfect, and we only tasted at one table where the wines were too warm (and it wasn't over the MARTA station).

Of course I didn't try all of the hundreds of wines that were poured. One very helpful addition this year was a featured wine or two for each table. This gave the experience some structure. After getting some snacks, Hubby and I started at Table 26, Pasternak/Black Tower. I tried the featured Trumpeter Torrontes and found it to be less floral and more fruity than I had expected. It started with stone fruit and went into citrus with a good mineral backbone. A few other solo wines that I liked:

Duboeuf Cru Beaujolais (W.J. Deutsch table): light bodied, with dry, delicate fruit

Concannon Conservancy Petite Syrah (Sustainable; Wine Group/Sebastiani Table): grapey nose, but not a fruit bomb, moderate tannins

Steele Lake County Merlot (Also the Wine Group/Sebastiani Table): not a fruit bomb like a lot of Merlots. Nice fruit, but also hints of cedar.

Shooting Star Zinfandel (Pacific Southern Table): toward the end of the day, so my notes simply said, "very nice"

Val de Salis Marselan (first Catamarca Table): made from a grape that's a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache Noir, this gorgeous red had overtones of butter.

Yellow + Blue Malbec (Organic; first Quality Table): this one made me curious to try more box wine. Definitely not my mother-in-law's Franzia!

Santa Julia Organica Bonarda (also Organic and at the first Quality Table): drinks well on its own, but would love some food.

The festival website noted that the focus was on organic and sustainably grown wines, and there were a few, but one change that excited me was the number of sparkling wines being poured this year. Some of the better ones:

Taltarini Brut Tache (Empire – a whole table of sparkling wine and champagne!): light peach color, yum. Per the website, it's from Victoria and Tasmania, and the blend is, "52% Chardonnay, 41% Pinot Noir, and 7% Pinot Meunier" with a dash of red wine liqueur.

Valdivieso Extra Brut (New World Wines table): a very reasonable sparkler from Chile made with the same process as champagne, this one would probably hold its own in a blind tasting.

Fontallada Brut Cava (Compass Wine Group): this Spanish sparkler had nice hints of almond

What would a wine festival be without cool wine toys and displays? Compass Wine Group at Table 20 had a gorgeous decanter, from which they poured the Martius Selection Red. I went to look up the blend online but couldn't find anything about it. It was very smooth with dark fruit. The Iberian Pig also had a nice display (and their yummy dates wrapped in bacon).

Finally, let's talk about good wines with interesting labels. Of course this one at the New World Wines table caught our attention:

The Sexy Rosé was actually one of the better ones I've had. Not too dry or too sweet, it hits the palate just right with plum notes to smooth out the berry.

Of course, if you're gonna have Sexy, you'd better have Naked Grapes:

Not to be confused with the Naked winery in Washington or the Naked Grape winery in Canada, this one had a great Pinot Noir that wasn't earthy but still had great fruit and body (no pun intended). The Cabernet Sauvignon was also very good.

Hubby and I had ended up skipping lunch in anticipation of stuffing ourselves at the festival, but this turned out to be an epic fail on our part. It's not the restaurants' fault – all the food we tried was great – but there was less of it than we remembered from years past. Particular highlights were the Crab and Prosecco Cream Sauce tossed with Gemelli pasta from Capozzi's, who won the award for favorite food, the sushi from Sushi Avenue, the pumpkin ravioli from Saba, and the Orange and Tomato Soup from Mercantile. Farmstead 303 and The Marlay House also had good stuff, Caroline Barbecue and Apple-Rhubarb Crumble, respectively.

Okay, so now that I've put all that in a list, it sounds like we ate a lot, but remember, these were all samples. We ended up at The Square Pub for after-festival snacks. The nachos with grilled chicken and fixins were good, and we're curious to try the rest of the menu.

And okay, I'll admit it, my post-festival libations were decidedly non-vintage:

For my Decatur News Online article on the Wine Fest, click here.

Decatur Wine Festival: This Year's Tips

2010-11-04T22:35:00.003-04:00

This year's Decatur Wine Festival has a focus on organic and sustainably produced wines. In the same spirit, this is a sustainable blog post in that I've recycled some of last year's etiquette and survival post.

Now that we've all survived the elections, who wants a glass of wine? Or several? Seriously, whoever planned the Wine Festival for the weekend after Election Day was a genius. Nothing makes me want a drink more than weeks of mudslinging and robocalls.

However, no one wants a hangover or a miserable Saturday night after having spent three hours in the sun drinking wine. The temperature looks to be a little cooler than in years past, which will hopefully keep the reds from getting too warm.

Of course it's impossible to taste every single wine. First, the festival is only a few hours long. Second, a lot of tables start to run out toward the end of the day, especially the ones from popular or well-known wineries. Third, even if you have phenomenal tolerance, you've got to pace yourself.

Here are some survival and etiquette tips:

1. Bring a bottle of water and/or avail yourself of the ones there, if offered. An occasional glass of water is not going to be enough to stay hydrated. Try to consume equal parts water and wine, ideally more water. Hopefully they will continue to have the fancy portable bathrooms. Also, avail yourself of the food and keep something in your tummy.

2. To keep things moving, get a pour and move to the back of the line. Sip as you move forward again. There's nothing more frustrating than waiting forever for someone to go through four or five tastes while they block the entire table.

3. Rinse between tastes, especially if you're going back and forth between reds and whites. If you don't rinse, pour thoroughly and shake your glass out. Even if you're really tempted, don't shake it out on the table hog.

4. Try to save the sweet wines for the end. They'll burn your palate. They also tend to have higher alcohol content, and really, who wants to be sick by 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon?

5. As I mentioned above, pacing is everything. Hubby and I have a "two sip, three strike" rule: If the wine isn't good after two sips (two to allow for the interference of previous tastes), it gets dumped. If you try three wines at a table and don't like any of them, move on. Don't try to sample everything! The setup this year will make this easy with featured wines at each table.

As a wine professional commented last year, "Wine tasting is a journey, not a destination!" Relax, enjoy, and remember -- this is one of the few occasions where it's actually okay, even encouraged, to spit.

Disclaimer: all of the content of this post is mine. I didn't get any perks or freebies from the Decatur Arts Alliance or any of the festival sponsors. No wines were harmed in the writing of this material, although I can't make any guarantees for later.
Posted by Cecilia Dominic at 2:39 PM

Tasting Notes: Brown Bagging It at JavaMonkey

2010-10-17T16:44:00.002-04:00

In Mindfulness there's a concept called Beginner's Mind, wherein you shelve preconceptions, expectations, and interpretations and experience things as though you're seeing, hearing, or – most importantly for this post – tasting them for the very first time. I think I got my first inkling of this in graduate school, when the newest darts player would usually score the highest. This concept came back to me clearly during this past Thursday's brown bag tasting at JavaMonkey.

For wine beginners a brown bag tasting involves the wine bottles being covered by a brown bag and numbered so that the tasters are blind to what's being poured other than it being a red or white.* This means the clues you have to what you're drinking come only from your senses, so it truly is mindful wine tasting. I'll admit – I'm not good at this type of tasting and fully expected Dan Browning, who's had a decade more to develop his palate and knowledge, to kick my ass. Surprisingly – or maybe not so – we were both trounced by the newbie** at the table, at least the one who was actually trying. The other beginner was merely labeling what she drank as "wine."

The wines:

Number one had a floral nose, and those notes carried to the edges of the palate with fruit in the middle. The texture had a slight effervescence, and it was so delicate I guessed something like a Semillon. Dan guessed Australian Riesling since the bottle was obviously a screw top. The newbie guessed it was a Sauvignon Blanc, and he was right. It was the 2009 Cartlidge & Browne Sauv Blanc from Napa.
Newbie: 1
Dan: 0
Cecilia: 0
Rating: Good

Wine number two didn't have much of a nose, but it was so tart that I guessed Sauv Blanc, and Dan went as far as to say it was from New Zealand.

"Hmmm," said the newbie with a swirl, "I'm going to say Pinot Grigio."

Once again, he was right. The kicker is that Hubby and I had tasted the 2008 Montinore Estate Pinot Gris on our recent trip to Oregon (yeah, that's one of the blog posts I need to catch up on). My notes in the tasting room were melon, green apple, and pear. I guess I got more of the green apple with this pour.

Newbie: 2
Dan: 0
Cecilia: 0
The wine: Good to Very Good

We were all in agreement on wine number three in that it was a Pinot Noir. Newbie and I both said Willamette, Dan said New Zealand again. It was the 2009 Montinore Estate Pinot Noir, which we hadn't tasted because it wasn't out yet. Again, a little fizzy on the texture, fruity with white pepper overtones, and with a nice, buttery finish.

Newbie: 3.5
Dan: 1
Cecilia: 1.5 (I'm awarding half points for guessing the region)
The wine: Good to Very Good

Those will be the last scores because the Newbie didn't get any of the other ones, and Dan and I only got the last one beyond this.

Wine number four threw us all. It came out of the bottle dark and inky, and it had smooth fruit with a cedar-spice finish. I decided to throw caution to the wind and guessed (hopefully) Petit Verdot. Wrong! This beauty was the 2008 Protocola Tempranillo (Castilla, Spain).
Rating: Very Good

Number five had a plastic nose, dark fruit middle, and hot finish. Dan and I guessed Merlot or maybe a Cotes du Rhone blend (can you tell we were foundering?). Nope, it was the 2008 Viña Borgia Garnacha (Borja, Spain).
Rating: Good

Finally, Dan and I both guessed number six to be a Shiraz from Australia. Oaky with blueberry overtones and a chocolate finish, the 2008 Cimicky Trumps Shiraz (Barossa Valley, Australia) was yummy.
Rating: Good to Very Good

Discussing it at the end, Dan and I figured that we had overthought the tasting. Apparently one of the regulars had nailed five out of the six varietals.*** This tasting demonstrates that I need to do more drinking with my nose and palate in Beginner's Mind mode. I can definitely live with that.

Final Scores:

Newbie: 3.5
Dan: 2.5
Cecilia: 3

* Yes, I realize that most of you know what a brown bag tasting is, but I figured I'd explain just in case there's someone out there who thought we were drinking wine that's typically drunk from a bag-wrapped bottle, e.g., Mad Dog.

** I mean no disrespect or condescension – he's in a similar field to mine, so I'm not sure whether he'd be okay if I identify him.

*** Bitch.

Wine Shop Opens in Avondale Estates: The Little Wine Shop

2010-10-03T14:05:00.010-04:00

So I'm finally moved out of my old office, and tomorrow is move-in day for the new one. Yes, I think I'll need a nice bottle of wine to celebrate. Thanks for your patience, and look for more frequent updates from now on...

Eco friendly canvas wine bag:

I'd be excited about The Little Wine Shop opening in Avondale Estates even if it wasn't selling my favorite beverage. After years of stalled development and depressing empty storefronts, it's a welcome, vibrant addition to College Avenue. Hubby and I were invited to the sneak peek in September, where we got a taste of the good things to come.

Previously a gallery, the space now occupied by The Little Wine Shop immediately invites you in with its warm wood, but also appears larger due to the high ceilings and openness. The selection of wine doesn't hurt, either. Owner Rebecca Hadj-Taieb and Wine Guru and CSW Marty Shaver aim to sell good wine at affordable prices. They carry three hundred labels, forty percent of which are in the $10-$13 price range, and thirty percent between $13 and $18. Sure, there are more expensive bottles for special occasion, but this is a great place to stop by for a bottle – or case – on the way home from work.

Wine newbies need not fear. Although the boutique aims to be a "cute little place" like in NY, Hadj-Taieb promises that it's "not uppity," and my (and others') experience with Shaver has been that he's helpful and not at all snobby. He seems to enjoy talking about wine as much as I enjoy drinking it! In other words, the atmosphere is just as one would hope to find in a neighborhood shop.

Marty Shaver is ready to serve the wine, bread, and cheese.

The selections that Shaver had open for the sneak peek event impressed me. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised that he'd gone past the typical white varietals to pick an Austrian white for the first pour. The 2008 Domäne Wachau Federspiel "Terrasen" Gruner Veltliner had green apple and pear on the nose, and citrus going to mineral for a nice finish.

The reds were equally as interesting and good:

Domaine Des Meurgets Bourgogne (Burgundy, France, imported by Scott Levy):
Yep, Burgundy is the French Pinot Noir, and this one had smooth texture balanced with bright fruit on the palate and a pepper bite at the end. I found it to be very cheese-friendly.

2008 Don Nicanor Bodegas Nieto Senetiner Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina):
Gorgeous dark color. Smooth and dark on the palate with hints of chocolate and tobacco. This was probably the most expensive wine poured that night at around $18, but it would make a nice Sunday dinner bottle with a roast or steak.

Other good-to-know facts:

The store also carries breads from Holeman & Finch and a great selection of cheeses from Atlanta International:

They'll have wine open every Saturday and tastings once a month.

Have a fear of commitment? Then you'll like the walk-in wine club, $85 for 6 bottles that change monthly.

The event capacity is 30-40 "mingling." However, since it's not licensed as a wine bar, these are tasting events only.

Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Address: 100 North Avondale Road, Avondale Estates, GA 30002

Metapost: T-Minus 10 days...

2010-09-21T21:58:00.002-04:00

Ack, two metaposts in a row! Sorry about that.

The countdown I'm referring to is the move to my new office in Decatur. Yes, I get to be a Decatur business owner starting in October. It also means I'm stuck in detail hell right now, so I don't have much time for blogging, although there's always time for drinking wine! The good news is that once I make my move, I should get about eight to ten hours back per week, and I plan to use many of those for writing. I also anticipate having more energy in the evenings, which will help a lot.

I do want to make a brief mention of a cool new wine shop in Avondale Estates, The Little Wine Shop. Their grand opening is September 30, but Hubby and I got to go to a sneak peek event. I'll do a full review on it this weekend.

I hope everyone's having a great week!

Metapost: Why I didn't apply for the AJC freelance reviewer job

2010-09-12T16:23:00.007-04:00

This past month has been a time of big decisions for me, and I feel like I have a lot of balls in the air. I also fear that there are a few up there that will surprise me and bonk me on the head if I don't catch them soon enough. One of the balls I decided not to juggle was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution freelance food reviewer position (view the announcement here).

At first, it seemed to be the perfect opportunity: review one restaurant per week for the AJC working under John Kessler, whom I admire. I took his workshop at last year's Decatur Book Festival and learned a lot about food writing in those two hours (hint: it's a lot like narrative nonfiction writing). I felt like I could have competed well for the job with my wine knowledge, blog experience, and writing samples from this blog and Decatur News Online.

Openness to "OTP" restaurants was a must. This wasn't a problem, as Hubby and I enjoy exploring Buford Highway, and we lived in Lawrenceville for a while and still have favorites up there. Another excuse to meet up with friends in Roswell and Alpharetta would have been great, too.

There comes a time, however, when priorities have to be defined. As I've mentioned before, I'm in the middle of moving my office closer to home, and the picky little details are driving me crazy. One of the reasons I'm making this move is to be able to expand my business, which is going to take a lot of time as well as mental and emotional energy. Having a weekly deadline, even if it means I get a meal out comped (and I actually don't know what the financial arrangements were going to be), would add more stress than I need at this point. Hell, I can barely keep up with this blog and my Random Writings.

Also, there's a psychological principle that a behavior that is internally motivated (e.g., restaurant reviewing) will cease to be rewarding once it is externally motivated (e.g., by being paid for it). I like eating out. It's one of those things that Hubby and I can do to relax after a stressful day or week. I'm afraid that, by doing it for someone else for pay and adding deadlines to it, I wouldn't enjoy it as much, and it would become just another job.

So, good luck to those who are vying for the coveted spots, either as the freelancer or as one of John Kessler's brigade of bloggers! I'll enjoy reading your reviews. Meanwhile, I'll keep eating and writing on my own schedule.

Part of the chaos from my last office move & bookshelf rearrangement:

Tasting Notes: Cleavage Creek

2010-09-06T15:51:00.007-04:00

First, my apologies to Cleavage Creek for taking so long to write this review. As I mentioned to them soon after we got the wines, Hubby's mom is a breast cancer survivor, so we wanted to share them with her. She broke her leg last August (unrelated to the cancer, which she seems to be clear of), and it's been quite the ordeal requiring two surgeries, so we didn't get the chance to taste the wines with them until a couple of weeks ago.

For those who aren't familiar with the Cleavage Creek story, founder Budge Brown lost his wife of 48 years to breast cancer and decided to turn his grief and anger into action. For him, this meant purchasing the Cleavage Creek label, and he now donates 10% of gross wine sales to breast cancer research. Yep, gross profits. That's the money they make before expenses are taken out. Each bottle has a picture of a breast cancer survivor on it. You can see their stories on the web site. I've summarized them below, but I encourage everyone to go read them. They're incredibly inspiring, and each gave me a good dose of much-needed perspective.

I'll admit that Hubby and I got into the 2007 Merlot-Shiraz before going to see his parents. It opens with Pumpernickel bread spiciness and mellows out to bright fruit. Susan, the woman on the label, has survived breast cancer twice and now is very involved in breast cancer activism and volunteer work.

The 2008 Tracy Hills Reserve Chardonnay is a beautiful straw color. I drank this one as I assembled a peach pie at my in-laws' house and found it perfect for the summer afternoon. It has a light oak nose. The palate opens to melon, mandarin orange, and vanilla palate and has nice acidity and balance between fruit and oak. Label model Terrie was all too familiar with breast cancer from the medical and personal side when an intuitive radiologist picked up on something suspicious. She sought support and fought back aggressively, and she continues to be proactive.

Finally, we drank the 2007 Tracy Hills Secret Red with lasagna for Sunday dinner with Hubby's parents. All agreed that this well-balanced red complimented the food and stood well on its own. Plummy and smooth, it opens up to ripe fruit and has a great finish. The smile on model Jennifer's face demonstrates the courage and humor she's shown in a difficult and tragic battle.

We and my in-laws thank Cleavage Creek for the opportunity to taste their fantastic wines! Thank you as well for the support and hope you give to women who have breast cancer and those who have survived it. Wine that saves boobies? I'll drink to that!

Disclosure: These wines were sent to us free of charge for sampling purposes.

Random Events: Montaluce 2009 Vintage Release

2010-08-16T20:39:00.017-04:00

As I've mentioned, I'm a bit behind on my blog posts. Yes, I feel like a slacker, but check out this post at my Random Writings blog to see what's been going on. Ohyeah, I think I might be in danger of becoming a lamp junkie. I'll let you know if I find one with a genie in it.

July was a busy month for me and Hubby, even beyond the business drama. On July 18, we attended the "Taste & Tweet" 2009 Vintage Release at Montaluce Vineyards in Dahlonega.

The visit began with a Georgia summer downpour. If you've never been through one of those, picture your favorite deity hurling tablespoon-sized waterballs at you. The clever valets and allowed us to pull into the barrel room so we wouldn't get wet:

No, we didn't get to park there.

The weather cleared while Hubby and I ate lunch at the winery's Le Vigne restaurant. He got the Italian Sausage flatbread, and I had the Berkshire Pork Meatballs, served over rich, creamy polenta. Was it good? Were you paying attention? Let me list out the main ingredients again:

Meatballs
Polenta

'nuff said. Here's a pic:

After lunch, we met up with a couple of friends (her blog post on the day is here) and got so comfy on the wide porch with the lovely breeze that we convinced everyone to join us outside.

One of the highlights of the day was getting to meet the new vineyard manager and wine maker Maria Peterson, who has a lovely South African accent and an obvious passion for wine. She explained the new releases to us, which, according to the winery blog post had been in the bottle for about six weeks. The wines (all 2009 unless indicated otherwise):

"Risata"
Nose of strawberry-cherry-lime. The tasting notes say "Cherry limeade" with watermelon, and I'd agree that's pretty accurate. Other attendees agreed with Maria that it's a French style rosé.
Rating: Good to Very Good

"Primoro" blend of Seyval and Vidal
Pineapple, mango, and some honey. Very smooth and balanced.
Rating: Very Good

Chardonnay
Leechee and melon nose with soft tangerine-melon characteristics.
Rating: Very Good

Viognier:
A little smoky on the nose, some floral and honey. Balanced vanilla, citrus, and smoke on the palate.
Rating: Very Good

"Dolce"
Very mild nose and apple pie in a glass. Should satisfy the sweet wine drinkers but didn't overpower those of us who don't usually drink the sweet stuff.
Rating: Good to Very Good

2008 "Centurio" 90% Georgia Merlot and 10% French Merlot
Yum! This wine should help to dispel the myth that Georgia makes wimpy reds. Nice plum/currant nose and good ripe fruit with some herbal notes.
Rating: Very Good

Keep in mind that these wines had only been in the bottle for about a month and should only get better. Hubby and I are looking forward to going back and trying them again, and perhaps purchasing a few for the holidays.

The rest of the day included wandering out to the vineyard, seeing the grapes, and learning about the pruning process that keeps Montaluce's wine high-quality. We even got to taste some homemade strawberry and lavender mead.

Part of the fun of "tweetups" like this is seeing people you normally only interact with online. Yes, we tweet as we go, but there's plenty of conversation otherwise. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we stayed for dinner, which, that night, was a three-course Prix Fixe for $40/person.

I started off with the Diver Scallop, served with cream corn and smoked blueberry. This was my favorite course of the evening with its mix of sweet and salty flavors and fun textures:

I chose the Butter Poached Poussin with summer squash, maitake mushroom, and cipollini onion for my main course. The chicken itself had been cooked to tenderness and not beyond, but I found the sauce to be a bit salty.

Finally, I’m a sucker for Chocolate Silk Pie, this fudgy one with mint and raspberry sauces:

Oh, and pictures of our hosts the Beecham brothers in their natural habitats. Rob's the one in the vineyard, and Brent's the one with the martini. When I first met them, I thought that Brent was the quiet one. I have since been proven wrong.

Disclosure: We paid for our own food, but the alcohol, including with dinner, was courtesy of Montaluce. This has not influenced my review in any way.

Random Events: Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival, August 8, 2010

2010-08-09T21:21:00.015-04:00

The toughest thing about being a wine and food blogger is that the busier I am with wine and food events, the less time I have to write about them. However, if I don't have anything going on, I don't have anything to write about. Luckily, since we got back from the Pacific Northwest, life has been full of fun food and wine events. Add to that some major business changes that require a lot of mental energy, and you can see how I've gotten behind.

How much do Georgians, especially Georgian foodies, love tomatoes? Several hundred (my estimate) came out on a hot, August afternoon to sample dishes and cocktails, all of which had tomatoes as a main ingredient. The tomatoes themselves came from several local farms. The event took place at the JCT Kitchen & Bar complex and courtyard in Midtown, which, thankfully, is oriented well for shade and breezes.

Killer Tomatoes need to be attacking something, so here are the victims of yesterday's festival guardians, who fiercely leered at us from every corner:

Victim 1: Bland, average food

Why am I blogging about the Georgia Organics Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival the night after it happened? Partially so I don't get further behind, but also because I believe in the mission of Georgia Organics, "to integrate healthy, sustainable, and locally grown food into the lives of all Georgians." Few things are more depressing than grocery store tomatoes with their anemic pink flesh and bland flavors. Sure, they get a little better in the summer, but there's nothing to compare to a basket full of gorgeous organic produce:

Vote with your fork, people!

Victim #2: The Boring Bloody Mary

I'll take a Mimosa over a Bloody Mary any day. Thankfully the mixologists came up with several yummy tomato-based cocktails that piqued my interest. The following were my favorites. Yes, each of these was made with hard liquor, and trust me, we spread them out over the afternoon.

I hadn't heard of Sound Table before today, but their drink, the La Mancha, was great, kind of like a tomato mojito with basil instead of lime. I'm definitely intrigued. He also beat out all the other mixologists for the King of Cocktails award.

The crowd favorite – literally, she won the People's Choice cocktail – was Cara Laudino of Miller Union, which Hubby and I have been meaning to try. Her Electric Boogaloo combined sungold tomatoes with some sort of citrus for a yummy and thoroughly sneaky combination.

The most refreshing drink, and my favorite, came from Restaurant Eugene's Nick Hearn. He combined a splash of tomato juice, vodka, and cane sugar syrup Coke for a Tom Cola. I liked how the sweetness of the Coke balanced out the tomato and vodka. It also ended up being sneaky.

Hubby's favorite was also the judge's favorite for Best Presentation. Miles Macquerrie of Leon's Full Service was reigning King of Cocktails from last year's tomato fest. This year, he mixed up The Golden Ticket, which was also based on sungolds, but which didn't taste overly tomato-ish. The presentation? Golden liquid with a sungold skewered over it. Hubby hopes it'll make it on to Leon's cocktail list.

Finally, the "Most Original" drink was the Mason Dixon Sangrita. Hubby tried it and liked it. I think I had given up by that point and switched to non-tomato water.

Victim #3: Uncreative recipes

Atlanta chefs have been coming up with interesting variations of the B.L.T. for years. As Caroline the French Tart blogger commented, "Everything I liked had pork in it!" No, this was not really a festival for the vegetarians. I deemed the following three dishes to be the Pork Trifecta:

The first dish that really wowed me came from Craft Restaurant's Kevin Maxey. His pulled pork lettuce wrap with smoked tomato molasses and heirloom tomato relish satisfied the meat eaters and fulfilled the tomato requirement.

Another great showing of tomatoes with pork came from the other direction. Matt Palmerlee of Farm 255 in Athens brought his Confit BLT. The confit made for a great salty, tender crunch on top of the sandwich.

The final piece of the pork trifecta was courtesy of Chef John Currence from City Grocery Restaurant Group. His roasted mortgage-lifter tomato biscuits, crispy big bad bacon rillettes, basil aioli, and Bluebird Farms arugula could best be described as a porkburger slider with regard to texture, and the biscuits had good density. By the way, Chef Currence gets my admiration and gratitude for coming all the way from Oxford, Mississippi. Thank you!

I'm from Birmingham, so I was excited to see that Chris Hastings from Hot and Hot Fish Club came over to share his Hot and Hot Tomato Salad with fresh corn, field peas, fried okra, applewood smoked bacon, and chive aioli. The tomatoes shone as the main item, and the other players complimented them: the corn with its sweetness, the peas with their texture, the okra with its crunch, and the bacon with its baconness. Do I really have to tell you why the bacon was good?

Finally, the King of Taste award went to Gerry Klaskala of Aria for his grilled cheese keaster with roof top dried tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon, and chipotle dipping sauce. Essentially a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich, this one had everything from smoky to tangy to gooey cheese with a little kick. Yummy version of a classic summer favorite!

One other fun B.L.T. variation included the Steamed Coconut Bun B.L.T. from Pura Vida's Hector Santiago:

Miller Union's Steven Satterfield poses with his Heirloom Tomato Aspic:

Victim #4: Conceptualization of Tomato as just a vegetable

In case you thought the Tomato Festival was all about mains, soups, and sides, consider that the People's Choice award went to Keira Moritz of Pacci Ristorante for her heirloom tomato and fruit sorbets and ice creams. I got to try her tomato and peach (I think) gelato, and it was great – perfectly balanced sweetness with a hint of tanginess that was then cut by the creaminess. It was hard to go back to eating the savory stuff after that.

It's great when an event host does well, and Chefs Ford Fry and Brian Horn of JCT Kitchen deserved the Creativity Award for their Killer Tomato Jelly Donuts. Yes, these puffs had bacon fat mayonnaise – I'd mentioned that this food wasn't necessarily healthy, right? – in the middle and were topped with a tomato jelly. All I can say is: wow, can I have breakfast for dinner?

The Best Booth award went to the crew from Holeman & Finch for their "Science Fair Meets High School Musical" theme. However, the Twitter buzz was all about their Heirloom Tomato Corn Dogs with Brandywine Ketchup. The thick sausage in the middle of the corn dog had an incredibly light texture, the coating a great crunch, and the ketchup gave it all a tangy sweetness. When asked what the success of the booth's theme came from, Chef Linton Hopkins' son said, "Corn dogs!" I couldn't agree more.

Victim #5: Atlanta dining out habits

I just remarked to Hubby that we have a lot of restaurants to try and revisit. We tend to be like many others in Atlanta in that we have certain parts of town where we go to eat. This festival reminded me that venturing out can be rewarding.

Final thoughts:

My only suggestion to Georgia Organics now that we've been to both Killer Tomato Festivals is that water needs to be made more available toward the end of the day. Last year, volunteers handed out bottled water, and it lasted through the festival. This year, there were pitchers, and pretty much all had run dry by the mixologist challenge. Other than that, everything was great!

Thanks again to everyone for making it a great event, and special thanks to Chefs Currence, Hastings, Palmerlee, and Acheson (of Athens' Five and Ten) for coming all the way to Atlanta on a hot day to share our love of tomatoes and organic food!

Winning Tomatofest Mixologists and Chefs

For much better pictures mixed with video and catchy music check out Eat It, Atlanta.

Restaurant Review: Afternoon Snack at Au Pied de Cochon

2010-07-28T13:37:00.007-04:00

Hi, I'm Cecilia, and I'm a dessert addict.

Yes, no matter how stuffed I am, I'll take a peek at those seductive little menus with the fancy font promising an array of delights, decadence, and extra trips to the gym. Hubby will turn them down, and I'll assuage my guilt with a "Let's split something." He acquiesces because he knows he'll get a bite or two. If he's lucky. No, I don't share well with others.

Last Friday I had an experience that most dessert addicts only dream of: a whole dessert flight at Buckhead's Au Pied de Cochon, located in the Intercontinental Hotel. They've figured out how to help addicts like me satisfy our cravings and not feel guilty with smaller portions of five of their desserts ($3 each). Executive Chef Didier Lailheugue told me that they were to be passed and shared. Yeah, right.

No, I didn't finish all of them, just three. And I started with a Brie and Tomato Tart (I ate half) and glass of wine. Did I mention I was hungry? The Tart, a puff pastry topped with a savory, chunky warm tomato sauce and brie slices, had great texture and flavors, especially with the fresh greens dressed with vinaigrette on top. The wine, the 2008 Chateau de Sancerre (Loire) Sauvignon Blanc, had nice citrus and crispness, and paired well with the tart.

The desserts, with which I drank French press coffee:

Baba au Rhum (pictured front and center in composite photo):
A traditional French dessert, two little sponge cake rounds floating in a pool of – you guessed it! – rum. One holds a small dollop of cream, the other a raspberry. These cakes were very happy, if a little soggy. This could serve as an after-dinner drink and dessert for efficient diners.

"Calvados" Apple Liquor Sorbet:
The alcohol isn't evident in this one, lending flavor rather than kick so it won't lower the freezing point too much. This is probably the lightest of the bunch with apple flavor that's on the sweet side, but well-balanced. Think Gala or Fuji.

Georgia Peach Crème Brulée:
The custard itself is a little eggy. The subtle peach flavor really comes out with the fresh fruit on the top. The burnt sugar topping was perfectly done, crispy without being hard.

Profiterole:
Also a traditional French dessert, this is a puff pastry with vanilla ice cream in the middle and chocolate sauce on the top. The pastry held its integrity and didn't get soggy with the ice cream. The chocolate sauce is made in-house with high-quality milk chocolate. How did I know it was high quality? It's not too sweet – no Hershey's here! The whole dessert worked well.

Chocolate Crunch Bar:
My favorite: chocolate mousse over a nutty hazelnut crust, and topped with a chocolate macaroon, chocolate curl, and raspberry sorbet. The crust had great texture and was a little chewy, and the mousse was perfectly soft. The flavors worked well together. As for the picture, well, I heard the words "chocolate" and "mousse," and I forgot to take a picture before I took a bite:

I tasted all of this under the watchful eyes of a couple of meringue piggies:

There was only one when I left.

In addition to Chef Lailheugue, I had the pleasure of meeting Kerem Kendigelen, the food and beverage director for the Hotel Intercontinental. I'd originally gone in thinking I'd sample an appetizer and dessert, but he figured out who I was.* Hence the dessert flight. He also gave me some history on the restaurant itself.

Au Pied de Cochon started in Paris, and the goal was to appeal to the aristocrats and upper class, but also to be accessible. It was one of the first 24-hour restaurants, and the Atlanta location is also always open. The original in Paris has an area in the middle where real pigs run around. No, I don't think that's equivalent to a lobster tank ("I want that one!"). In addition to the regular menu, there's an oyster bar in the evenings. The glass in the chandeliers is from Italy, and the outdoor furniture was shipped from Europe.

Thank you, Kerem, Chef Lailheugue, and fantastic server Terry for taking such good care of me!

*Yeah, apparently I fit the blogger "profile." He gave me some tips on how to remedy that. Thanks, Kerem!

Disclosure: Since I'd been "busted" as a blogger, I didn't have to pay for anything but parking, and only that because I parked in the wrong deck. The restaurant does validate parking in the ICH deck.

Winery Reviews: Maryhill, Cascade Cliffs, Naked, & Cerulean

2010-07-19T21:52:00.006-04:00

What does one do after a wonderful weekend of hanging out with fellow oenophiles, drinking wine, and talking about blogging? Drink more wine, of course!

If you'll allow me a moment of mushiness, I am so grateful to have this hobby. It's allowed me to see parts of the country I never would have and to meet so many cool and interesting people!

Okay, mushiness over. Back to the wine.

Hubby and I had driven through the Columbia Gorge before, but we hadn't ever tasted the wine through there. The Columbia Gorge Wine Growers website bills the area as "A World of Wine in 40 Miles!" Part of the area is The Dalles, which, if you ever played the video game Oregon Trail, might briefly make the words "You have died of dysentery" flash through your mind. Luckily there's just wine now.

We'd seen the sign for Maryhill Winery earlier on our drive, and a huge plume of smoke plus warnings of a traffic jam due to a fire up ahead made up our minds to cross the Columbia River and check out some of the wineries on the Washington side. Maryhill did win an award:

The winery also has its own outdoor amphitheater and amazing views:

They have a long tasting list with a small fee. The highlights:

2008 Viognier: stone fruit nose, peach and honeysuckle with good structure and some tartness

2006 Reserve Cabernet Franc: grapey Cab Franc nose with some currant and cinnamon; very smooth with nice red fruit

2006 Reserve Merlot: I noted that this one is pretty. Tobacco-berry-cassis with a long, smooth finish.

Since our mission was to stock up on whites, we came away with a bottle of the Viognier.

The next stop a little further down the road was the Cascade Cliffs winery and tasting room, where Naked Winery also has staff and wine on hand. You can also get a cool picture of grape vines with Mount Hood in the background:

The highlights in this tasting room included:

Cascade Cliffs 2009 Estate Symphony: The grape is a cross between Muscat and Grenache Gris (not to be confused with the Bovin Symphony wine, which is a blend -- sorry for the confusion). Flavors of stone fruit and a little citrus.

Cascade Cliffs NV Horsethief Red (Columbia Valley): Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot
Great currant-berry nose, smooth blend

Cascade Cliffs 2008 Estate Nebbiolo (Columbia Valley)
Bright cherry nose, tart fruit & berry

Cascade Cliffs 2005 Nebbiolo
Tannins have mellowed, very smooth and elegant w/ fruit/ acid balance

Naked 2007 Oh! Orgasmic CS (Columbia Valley)
Big fruit nose, smooth tannins

Cascade Cliffs 2008 Estate Barbera (Columbia Valley)
Blackberry/raspberry, nice acidity, but smooth -- would be great on its own or with food

I also learned a valuable lesson about Washington and Oregon wine geography. When tasting room staff says that the fruit came from "the Valley," they mean the one that they're in. I got a little confused since there's a bunch of them, and they all seem to produce good grapes.

Finally, we made our way back across the river, drove through The Dalles without losing anyone to dysentery or having any livestock washed away, and arrived in Hood River for the evening. Our wine adventures weren't over yet, however. We found a tiny tasting room for an even tinier winery called Cerulean Skies. Their philosophy is "Pure, Natural, Authentic," and all the wines are organic. They're also all really good. Favorites:

2009 Chardonnay: great citrus and good acidity

2009 Pinot Gris: pear nose, very clean flavors

Red Sky Blend: 2007 Zinfandel and 2008 Merlot plus Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah
This one was noted to be "grapes gone wild" with nice dark berry and raspberry flavors. A little hot, it should mellow.

Owner and winemaker Pat Graham entertained us in the tasting room. That's what I love about small wineries -- getting to know the people. We bought one of the whites, the Chardonnay. Yes, a Chard I liked! This winery will be one to watch.

Next stop: Willamette!

Random Thoughts and Tasting Notes: Wine Bloggers' Conference Field Trip!

2010-07-12T11:51:00.009-04:00

All hail the power of Twitter and Hubby's new FourSquare addiction! In the week since we returned from the Pacific Northwest, the question has not been, "How was your trip?" but rather, "Sounds like y'all had a great trip!" It was, and this journey got off to a great start with the Wine Bloggers' Conference in Walla Walla.

One of the best parts of the conference was the excursion on Saturday morning. Hubby and I stayed a few blocks from the Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center, and as I walked down Second Avenue dodging sprinklers and watching the morning sunlight sparkle on the dewy grass, I couldn't help but be reminded of early mornings leaving for Band Camp (not nearly as exciting as portrayed in the movie American Pie). This feeling was only reinforced by reaching the Marcus Whitman parking lot and seeing a herd of… School buses!

Oh, wow. For a moment, I looked for the drum major coach (whom we called Torpedo Tits – don't ask) to jump out and ask why I didn't have my alto saxophone. Then I remembered where I was, and with a grin, walked inside to catch the second half of the talk on Walla Walla Terroir. It was fascinating. I wished I'd gotten my butt out of bed in time to hear the whole thing.

Only a limited number of people were allowed on each bus due to winery lunch capacity, so the bus wasn't even half full. Of course, there were the noisy kids/percussion section in back (the British Banfi crew from New York – yeah, I'm still confused about that), the overachievers/brass section in front (the Wine Talk Radio guys and Josh Wade of Nectar Wine blog), and the rest of us/woodwinds in the middle (those I can remember: Ben Simons of Vinotology, Kitri McGuire of Sokol Blosser Winery, Tamara Belgard of Sip With Me, and Randy the Wine Whore who is not whore-ish at all in real life). Oh, and Nicky Vallee, The Vino Chick, who was the only one to turn out a true performance (see below). I apologize if I'm forgetting someone or if I've put you in the wrong section. I'm doing this from memory two weeks later. Consider yourselves lucky – my original analogy was going to be Gilligan's Island.

Our first stop on this "mystery tour," as the papers handed out by our guide told us, would be the vineyards of Woodward Canyon. That meant our school bus had to go up a steep hill. I had flashbacks to bus stalls, but it made it up, and we had a breathtaking view:

At that point, we were given glasses and poured tastes of the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc. At 9:30 in the morning. I told myself it was after noon at home. It was great first wine of the day, very crisp. They then poured the 2007 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, and 8% Cabernet Franc) and 2006 Estate Red (42% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Petit Verdot). Both reds were good, but I liked the 07 Cab better. I did end up spitting, although it felt so rude to do that in front of winemaker Rick Small as he talked about his passion. We even got to see baby Merlot grapes:

The next stop was Beresan Winery, which was showcased with Tertullia Cellars and Balboa Winery. We tried:

2008 Beresan Semillon, a nice, light white

2008 Beresan Cabernet: elegant with mint on the nose and tongue-coating fruit

2009 Tertullia Viognier: winemaker Quentin Mylet's first effort, this Viognier had great balance between fruit and floral as well as a great, crisp texture

Quentin Mylet with Beresan's Tom Waliser in the background joining us in a taste:

2007 Balboa Mith: a yummy Cab-Syrah blend

This was also where Drink Nectar's Josh Wade distinguished himself as an overachiever by being the one to jump out with the first guess as to what was in the Mith blend. He wasn't exactly right, but mad props to him for being the brave one! This group of wineries also sent us off with a great parting gift: freshly picked cherries! I challenged Randy the Wine Whore to a spitting contest, but he didn't take me up on it. As Ed Thralls of Wine Tonite responded when I tweeted about it, "Whores don't spit."

Band camp maturity level, anyone?

We finished up at Whitman Cellars for lunch and a tasting lineup from them and Walla Walla Vintners. I felt quite welcome at this winery. The sign:

Catered lunch of Southwestern chicken sandwich and salad in the barrel room:

We even got a treat with Nicky Vallee (@Vinochick75 on Twitter) giving us a rendition of one of my favorite songs, Landslide. See my thoughts on the Wine Bloggers' Conference post for a link to the YouTube video, but here's a picture:

I kind of wished at that point that I'd brought my alto sax.

The real stars, the wines:

Whitman:

2008 Viognier: aromatic with hints of apple and pear, floral finish

2005 Narcissa Red: some ripeness, food-friendly, a little "hot"

2005 "Silk Stocking" Cabernet Sauvignon: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc – lives up to its name with nice, smooth fruit

Walla Walla Vintners:

2007 Sangiovese (blended with a little Malbec and Syrah): nicely rounded fruit

2008 Sangiovese: pretty much as one would expect for the grape

Cabernet Franc: a little cedar on the nose and good red fruit

Then it was back on the bus for our return to the Marcus Whitman. After that, I took advantage of time for one thing we never got in band camp: a nap!

Tasting Notes: Pink Stuff at JavaMonkey

2010-07-08T23:17:00.003-04:00

I was going to put this post off until after I covered some of the Wine Bloggers' Conference material as well as the post-conference adventures. However, Dave Kell of inDecatur made a cameo appearance tonight to sample some wine, so I thought I'd go ahead and get the notes up for the full lineup. Conference posts forthcoming this weekend, I promise!

I'll confess, I have an ambivalent relationship toward rosé wine. One of the first wines I ever liked (note the past tense) was White Zinfandel, you know, that syrupy sweet stuff that you could get in the grocery store. My friend (whom I will not name to protect the guilty) and I would go to the old Vincent's in Birmingham, load up on chocolate pastries and a bottle of white zin, and go to the house of whoever's parents weren't home, watch girly movies, and have a giggly sugarfest. Yes, I was supposedly the "responsible" one at 21, but hey, we weren't drinking and driving. I still remember doing that with A Midsummer Night's Dream the summer after I graduated from college. Now that friend has two kids, and I'm jaunting around the country drinking wine... Who's the responsible adult now?

That's a rhetorical question. You really don't have to answer it.

So, back to the pink wine... Rosé wine is so much more than white zinfandel now. We even brought back some from our recent travels. Hubby is very picky about his pink wine because, as one of our tasting compatriots once noted, "If you're gonna be a dude drinking pink wine, you've gotta be prepared to take some..." You can fill in the blank.

Here's the lineup. For visualization purposes, I've included the exact (according to me) shade of pink for each selection.

2007 Kluge Estate SP Rosé (Albemarle County, VA): 95% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Noir
You may remember this one from the last post. It's still good, kind of tart at the beginning of the tasting with overtones of butterscotch.
Rating: Good to Very Good
Shade: Blush pink

2009 Sauvion Rosé d'Anjou (Loire Valley, France): 80% Cabernet Franc, 10% Gamay, 5% Pineaud d'Aunis, 5% Grolleau
Smooth, light, and fruity, this one stood up well to food. Maybe it was the power of suggestion, but it did have some pear notes with some citrus in addition to the expected rosé berries.
Rating: Very Good
Shade: Cooked Atlantic Salmon

2009 Artazuri Rosado (Navarra, Spain): 100% Garnacha
Raspberry nose, a little flat on the palate with a buttery finish.
Rating: Okay
Shade: Pretty in Pink

2008 Saddlerock Rosé (Malibu, California): 100% Syrah
I liked the 2006 vintage from last year's Pink Stuff tasting better. This one had some mustiness on the nose, some floral and melon in addition to the "chewy" fruit on the palate.
Rating: Okay
Shade: Barbie Shoe Pink (c'mon, ladies, you remember them, the two-toned pink and white Barbie shoes!)

2009 Château de Ségriès Rosé (Tavel, Côtes due Rhône, France): 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 15% Clairette, 5% Syrah
Strawberry pie in a glass with buttery fruit.
Rating: Good
Shade: Crayola Fuschia

2009 Castaño Rosado (Yecla, Spain):
Strawberry-raspberry juice, but I liked its straightforwardness.
Rating: Good to Very Good
Shade: Raspberry

2008 Hendry Ranch Napa Valley Rosé (Napa, California): Proprietary blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Malbec
Strawberry, citrus, and pink grapefruit smoothed out by overtones of stone fruit.
Rating: Very Good
Shade: Prom Dress Pink

Before you take my color designations too seriously, please keep in mind that I'm not a girly girl and have maybe owned two pieces of pink clothing in my lifetime. I'm happy to say that I've moved beyond my white zin preferences and biases, so I hope that you will give the pink stuff a try, too. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Tasting Notes: State-Specific Drinking at JavaMonkey

2010-07-07T06:35:00.001-04:00

I've gotten behind on my JavaMonkey wine tasting notes, probably due to that little jaunt to Texas at the beginning of the month and another to the Pacific-Northwest after the Wine Bloggers' conference. I do have thoughts to post on the WBC excursion on Saturday and then our subsequent adventures. I'll get to those this weekend. Oh, and tomorrow night is the next JM tasting, pink wine!

Wines from Oregon were featured at the May 27 JavaMonkey tasting. We felt it was a good warm-up for our recent trip, during which we tasted down through Willamette Valley. We've been to the area before, but just the wineries north of Dundee.

The wines of the evening (only region given since they're all from Oregon):

2007 Rex Hill Chardonnay (Willamette Valley):
Interesting tidbits about this one: it's now owned by one of the couples from the A to Z winery, and the stainless steel barrels used for 95% of the fermentation may have, at one time, been used as Coca Cola barrels. That makes it practically local!

Overall, a nice, mild Chardonnay with good depth and structure. Mineral-grapefruit flavors with oak smoothness.
Rating: Good

2007 Rex Hill Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley):
Lemon! But with a creamy texture.
Rating: Good
Wants: Fish in butter sauce with capers.

2007 A to Z Riesling (Multiple Valleys in 5 different appellations):
Mineral nose and backbone, still citrus but with a hint of tangerine. Some of the grapes are grown in blue slate soil, which supposedly gives it a hint of petrol. Yes, I'm thinking about my neurologist friend here. He found a hint of petrol in every white.
Rating: Good to Very Good
Wants: Pasta with prosciutto and lemongrass

2008 A to Z Pinot Noir (Slutty -- sourced from all 30 AVA's in Oregon):
A little earthy/funky on the nose. More earthiness with dark cherry on the palate.
Rating: Good

2008 Rock Pinot Noir (maybe Del Rio -- info not available):
Still cherry, but more tart with a long buttery finish.
Rating: Very Good

2007 A to Z "Night & Day: Southern Crossing" (Rogue Valley): 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 20% Syrah, 10% Sangiovese, 4% Grenache, 4% Cabernet Franc
I can just picture them measuring this blend by the grape... My notes only say it's a "yummy red blend," and it would go well with steak. Apparently West Coast correspondent James Bassett also liked it (see previous post).
Rating: Very Good

Tasting in Texas seems to have been a good transition back to the East Coast because the June 10 tasting was all about Kluge Estate in Virginia. Hubby and I have visited there (mentioned in this blog post from our Virginia tasting trip), so we were curious to try the newer vintages. My notes on these are pretty sparse -- I had just flown in from San Antonio that day and was exhausted.

2007 Kluge Estate SP Blanc de Blancs (Albemarle County): 100% Chardonnay
A strong start with the bubbles. Citrus nose and well-balanced (not too citrusy, not too vanilla).
Rating: Very Good

2009 Albemarle Rosé (Albemarle County):
No notes for this one. As I recall, I didn't really get much from it.
Rating: Good

2007 Kluge Estate SP Rosé (Albemarle County): 95% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Noir
Very elegant pink sparkling.
Rating: Good to Very Good

2005 Albemarle Simply Red (Albemarle County):
The name says it all -- a good red with nice fruit.
Rating: Good

2005 Kluge Estate New World Red (Albemarle County):
Earthy with some spice. Dark fruit and a little oaky.
Rating: Good to Very Good

Kluge Estate Cru (Monticello, Albemarle County):
Sweet -- could taste all components, but didn't really blend until I tried it with dark chocolate.
Rating: Good, Very Good with chocolate

So yes, Kluge Estate is worth a look if you're up there. I'm glad that more Virginia wines are making it into the Georgia market. Now if only Tarara would start shipping here... And according to the comments, they are! Thanks for the update! My monthly bugging them on Twitter must have worked. Never underestimate the power of social media.

Random Thoughts: On the Wine Bloggers' Conference

2010-06-27T02:06:00.006-04:00

When I told my friends I was going to a wine bloggers' conference, they looked at me skeptically and then asked, "What are you going to do there?" No doubt they pictured a lot of intense people sitting through seminars with intriguing titles like, "Distinguishing funkiness: forest floor vs. barnyard" or "101 ways to describe tannins." Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect, either, having only attended academic conferences to that point.

Part of a successful conference is the venue, but my friends' and colleagues' (at least the ones who don't know much about wine) reactions toward Walla Walla was one of scorn for this adorable little town. It's a great place for two reasons:

1. The plethora of wine tasting rooms within easy walking distance of my hotel.

2. The lack of humidity and pleasant temperature. We left HOT AND HUMID AS HELL Atlanta on Thursday. Warm and not humid? Really nice.

Keep that in mind if you're one of the bloggers complaining about Virginia next year -- every place has its charm, and Charlottesville has it in spades. I've liked Walla Walla since the first time I went there in 2007, but for some reason it gets a bad rap.

Back to the conference itself... The highlights for me pointed out some lessons that I had forgotten or that I needed to learn:

1. Wine tasting means wine spitting. Yes, this sounds silly, but the biggest surprise for me was how much wine I actually drank while at the conference. Admittedly, I'm not big on spitting. I just can't figure out how to do it gracefully. I did spit, though, at Woodward Canyon's vineyards because, hey, it was 9:00 in the morning, and it was a little too early for even me to start sipping. I did feel badly, particularly because the wine was good, and Rick Small, who is the fifth generation to farm the land (although the first to make wine) was so proud and passionate of the wines they make.

Speaking of crazy wine consumption, you may have seen my blog posts on the speed tastings. Trust me, I don't envy anyone who has subjected themselves to speed dating, although it may go better with a little wine. I poured a lot of good stuff out because there was no way to finish it before the next tasty bottle arrived with harried wine maker/representative/pimp. As for how badly it fried my palate… Let's just say it was so fried it could've been served up with hush puppies and slaw. That was a reminder how important it is to have adequate neutral-flavored munchies between tastes. Btw, mad props to Molly Dooker for bringing the wine with the pettable label:

Oh, and check out this post by Josh Wade at his Drink Nectar blog. He envisions the future of speed wine blogging as a sport. Watch out, Iron Chef!

2. While a love of writing is good, it's passion that will sustain. I felt lucky to witness the following examples of passion:

- Seeing Hardy Wallace speak on Sunday morning's panel. I may not entirely agree with him, seeing myself as a writer who happens to write about wine and not a "content pusher," but I admire his enthusiasm.

- Hearing Tertullia Cellars winemaker Quentin Mylet speak so lovingly of his Viognier, which was his first effort as a fledgling winemaker (and a darn good one). He described it as his "baby."

- Talking to David Honig of Palate Press. He thoroughly believes in what he's doing. He originally approached me about the ad network, but Palate Press also recruits writers. I'd've bitten much sooner if he'd mentioned that.

- Witnessing the efforts of the ladies from Okanagan Valley to start the movement to have the 2012 conference in Canada. Yay for Canadian wine! Boo for Canadian export difficulties!

- Hearing Nicky Vallee sing (@VinoChick75 on Twitter). For those who don’t know her, she is in the process of a reinvention, but one of her core loves is music. I was lucky to be on the bus with her for Saturday's excursion, and she got up and sang with the musicians at lunch. You can see the video here (the risk of hanging out with a bunch of bloggers – good equipment and immediate posting capabilities).

During this conference, I realized that, once I split the fiction off, I lost some of my passion for the Random Oenophile. For me, blog-post writing and fiction writing overlap a lot, and the conference helped me clarify how the skill-set is essentially the same (more about that on a post at Cecilia's Random Writings). I also realized that this split personality thing I have going on is not working for me because I feel too fragmented with the professional/personal dichotomy, and then splitting the fun part into wine and writing. I need to figure out how to give more reign to my creative part and let my other expertise shine through. I'm working on that.

3. Wine is a condiment. This is something the Montaluce guys profess strongly, and I agree. One of the most fun parts of the conference was Chef Jeffrey Saad's lecture on wine and food pairing as well as the actual pairings for lunch afterward by Chef Bear of the Marcus Whitman Hotel. When I'm out wine tasting, it's usually wine in isolation. This was a reminder of how flavors play together. The highlights of the pairing session were:

2009 Tilia Torrontes (Mendoza, Argentina) with Phyllo Bouchee with Monteillet Chevre, Pistachio, and Chestnut Honey
The Torrontes smoothed out the funkiness of the Chevre, while the honey brought out the minerality of the wine. Perfect!

2009 Clean Slate Riesling (Mosel, Germany) with Ahi Poke White Soy on Apricot Namasu (served in mini Chinese takeout containers with chopsticks – too cute!)
The off-dry Riesling and White Soy played so well together we can't wait to try something like this at home.

2004 Rioja Vega Reserva (La Rioja, Spain) with Pork Belly and Pea Vines with Saffron Scented Stock
Fatty Pork Belly and acidic Rioja tamed each other nicely.

2008 Terranoble Grand Reserva Carmenere (Colchagua Valley, Chile) with Oven Dried San Marzano Tomato and Andouille Flat Bread
Okay, this was essentially pizza and red wine, but rich pizza and a big, luscious red. It worked.

The other pairings were good, too. These were my favorites, and I liked them enough that I'll try them at home. Maybe I'll even write about them.

So there you have it, from the mundane to the lofty lessons. I'll do another post on the Saturday excursion, which deserves one of its own, as well as our post-conference wine tasting adventures. I'm still traveling, so free internet is hit or miss, but I'll post as I can.

Oh, and I should mention I'm drinking a beer as I wrote this. There's a saying that it takes a lot of beer to make good wine. It may also take some to recover from a Wine Bloggers Conference.

Live Blogging at 2010 Wine Conference: Speed-Drinking, Part Two -- Reds

2010-06-26T20:05:00.007-04:00

Here's how this works: each winemaker or rep has 5 minutes to pour and talk about the wine, and we have the same amount of time to drink and write about it. 12 rounds. Here we go...

Monthaven Winery
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Central Coast)
Octavin technology -- an eight-sided "box" guaranteed to be good 6 weeks after initial opening, all parts recyclable
$23.99 for 3L package (4 bottles)
Blackberry nose, medium-bodied fruit with long finish and moderate tannin

Doolhof Wine Estate
2009 Dark Lady of the Labyrinth
Retail: $19
Breakfast (coffee & bacon) nose, smooth fruit and more coffee/mocha, done in toasted oak

Magnificent Wine Company
House Wine 2007: 32% Cab Sauv, 31% Syrah, 30% Merlot, 3% Malbec, 2% Zinfandel, 1% Cab Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Retail: $13
Dark fruit nose, a little light-bodied with regard to flavors, but would be a nice, light summer sipper

Ortman
2008 Sangiovese (Paso Robles)
Fruity-earthy nose, Sangiovese flavors, but not as acidic as one would expect from a Sangiovese; has a hot-climate backbone of cedar
Pairing suggestion: Tomato-based sauces

Louis M. Martini (owned by Gallo)
2006 Lot No 1 Cabernet Sauvignon (Mountain AVA's in Napa Valley)
Retail: $120 (Srsly!)
Smooth and elegant with long, fruity/oaky finish

Isenhower Cellars
Bachelor Button Cabernet (Walla Walla): 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot
Retail: $28
Great berry/butter nose, old vine grapes, kind of delicate for a Cab, but still good w/nice structure

Don Sebastiani & Sons
2008 The Crusher Petit Syrah
$12 Retail
Berry and toasty nose, great mouth full of dark berry fruit, good balance w/ adicity

Desert Wind
2008 Ruah: 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc
Retail: $20
Fruity, coffee nose; big fruit, a little chewy with buttery finish
Guessed hot, right with 14.5% ABV

Duck Pond Cellars
2008 Red Blend (Wahluke Slope, WA): 52% Merlot, 29% Syrah, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon
Retail: $15
Bright fruit nose with leather, savory & chewy fruit, maybe a little bitter on the finish, but overall good; would be great with food

Molly Dooker
2009 Velvet Glove Shiraz
Retail: $180 (yes, srsly)
Ripe fruit with a little licorice on the nose, wow -- very smooth and savory fruit, velvety
ABV %15.5

Trio Vintners
2007 Riot: 52% Sangiovese, 36% Syrah, 12% Mourvedre
Very smooth nose for a Sangiovese, but has the acidity of the Italian grape and roundness of the others

Ponzi Vineyards
2008 Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley)
Earthy nose, earthy flavors continue on the palate with some interesting effervescence on the end of the tongue with typical Pinot cherry flavors

I think I just hit my tolerance, but that's also 12. Oh, wait, can't disappoint this guy...

Stoller
2007 Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills)
Retail: $25
Another super earthy Pinot. Light- to medium-bodied, but nicely balanced. I'm done.

Live Blogging at 2010 Wine Conference: Speed-Drinking

2010-06-25T19:55:00.009-04:00

Charles Smith Wines
Kung Fu Girl 2009 Riesling -- 1.5% Residual Sugar
"The Modernist Project" = drink it now
Retail $12
Notes: Crisp and refreshing, off dry and tart with nice citrus notes, smooth stone fruit undertones

K Vintners 2009 Viognier
Biodynamic
Retail: $22
Notes: A little vanilla on nose, again crisp with good finish, more floral

Jordan Winery
2008 Chardonnay
Retail: $25
Oak & vanilla on the nose, not too oaky on the palate with good balance of oak and citrus
Would be great with Asian food.

a Maurice Cellars
2008 Columbia Valley Viognier
Delicate stone fruit nose, great texture -- chewy, but not syrupy, tart finish
Retail: $25

Cadaretta (winery named after a lumber schooner)
2008 SBS
Retail: $23
79% Sauvignon Blanc & 21% Semillon
Lime nose, citrus with another savory element that coats the palate -- some herbal notes, maybe? Long finish with a hint of sweetness on the end.

Le Chateau
2008 Chardonnay
Retail: $25
From near the airport, a little petrol & peppermint-vanilla on the nose. Interesting, can taste the alcohol, but balanced with vanilla and lemon/pear.

Don Sebastiani & Sons
2009 The Crusher Rose of Pinot Noir (Clarksburg): Pinot Noir, Viognier, Malbec
Very dry, floral nose from Viognier, mild fruit/plum, but some vanilla from oak
Retail: $9-$13

Cornerstone Cellars
2009 Napa valley Sauvignon Blanc
Single Vineyard, old clone, stainless steel fermented
Reminds me of European-style in that it's subtle and elegant with balanced citrus and good texture and a little spice at the end.
Retail: $25

Concannon Vineyards
4th generation vineyard, est. 1800's, 127 years ago
2008 Chardonnay, Conservancy (Livermore Valley)
Retail: $12-14
Light vanilla nose, lemon and brioche (yeah, got that from the tasting notes, but it fits)
Very enthusiastic about being "being friendly to Mother Earth" with solar power, etc.

Neethlinghof Estate
2008 Unwooded Chardonnay (South Africa)
Retail: $15
Nice floral/citrus nose, big citrus with mineral finish and a hint of nuttiness

Molly Dooker
2009 The Violinist (McLaren Vale): 100% Verdelho
Retail: $25
Apricot nose, some savoriness in the flavors -- toasty, maybe? -- and floral

Magnificent Wine Co
2008 House Wine: Chardonnay 78%, Riesling 11%, 5% Gewurtztraminer, 5% Muscat Canelli, 1% Pinot Gris
Retail: $13
Seashell-citrus nose, basically an all-around white with mineral, citrus, and a hint of floral

Dry Creek Vineyards
2009 Dry Chenin Blanc (Clarksburg)
Retail: $12
Stone fruit & herb nose, tropical fruit & a little grassy.
Back around to beginning with good pairing with Asian food. Also oysters.

Phew, and that was round 12 of 12. Ho-ly crap, that was intense! I'm glad I'm married so I don't have to do real "speed-dating."

Tasting Notes from the West Coast:

2010-06-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

In honor of the upcoming wine bloggers' conference this weekend in Walla Walla, Washington, here are some recent notes from the Random Oenophile's West Coast correspondent James Bassett. All the content below is his. We're looking forward to visiting with him in Seattle next week. As you can see, he finds good stuff, both wine and stories (and we agreed on the "Southern Crossing," as you'll see next week):

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah Volume II
Charles & Charles
Mattawa, WA

The label looks like a poster for a low-rent circus coming to town, but fortunately this 50/50 blend isn’t nearly as egregiously gregarious. Light on the palate, not too tannic or oakey, and initially intensely plummy, though a surprising complexity develops through the long finish, with blackberry, plum, and spicy, acerbic cranberry riding on soft, sweet tannins. A hint of chocolate and even the vaguest touch of tobacco develop at the very end.

2007 Night and Day “Southern Crossing”
A to Z Wineworks, Rogue Valley, OR
36% Cab Sauv, 26% Merlot, 20% Syrah, 10% Sangiovese, 4% Grenache, 4% Cab Franc

Don’t let the mongrel blend fool you -- this is no mutt! A juicy Very Berry blast up front, tempered by spice and pepper, slowly gives way to a backbone of olives (*lots* of olives!), darker fruit, tobacco, and a slaty minerality that bites hard on the front of the tongue. The slate fades into cocoa in a long, slow finish. This wine gets *much* brighter as it open up -- taste it immediately after opening the bottle, then wait for 10 minutes before pouring a full glass, and you will be quite (pleasantly) surprised.

Corvidae Wine Company, Columbia Valley, WA
“Rook” 2007 CSM -- 17% Cab. Sauv., 57% Merlot, 26% Syrah

Full of fruit from the Merlot, with dark fruits like cassis, blueberry, and plum predominating thanks to the addition of the Cabernet, which also adds cocoa and rich tannins, but brilliantly balanced with smokey Syrah spices. Notes of leather, pepper, vanilla, and chocolate sneak in as well. This is a big, big wine, but it doesn’t quite manage to hide the heat from the alcohol. Perhaps the best CSMs I’ve ever encountered (though still not as spectacular as Corvidae’s The Keeper), but get it soon -- this vintage feels like it’s just on the downside of its prime.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Barnard Griffin
Columbia Valley, WA

Berries (lots of ‘em!), plum, and cherry balance perfectly against an acerbic minerality and vanilla oak, with hints of mocha above and below. Bright and tart and surprisingly smooth, and all for less than $20 from a family-owned winery that is among the best in our fair state, with scads of awards (this particular wine is a double platinum award winner from Wine Press Northwest).

2007 Naked Cabernet Sauvignon
Snoqualmie Vineyards
Columbia Valley, WA

Tart cherry, currant, and cranberry aromas. The taste is full of fresh young fruit and herbs (definitely sage; is that licorice, too?), with a medium-bodied tannic backbone and some slightly sharp spice notes trailing off into a hint of oak in the finish.

Snoqualmie sells no wine for more than $26 (and many for considerably less -- this bottle was just $10), and all of their “Naked” wines are made with 100% USDA-certified organic grapes.

2006 Bombing Range Red
McKinley Springs Winery
Horse Heaven Hills, WA
Another blend, this one 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cab Franc, 8% Syrah, and 4% Mourvedre. (Yes, all of these grapes grow in Washington -- and very nicely, too, thank you very much!)

According to the back label, during WWII the Army “asked” families in the Horse Heaven Hills to leave their farms so the area could be used to train fighter pilots. If all those munitions had an effect on the soil, it wasn’t a bad one. The Cab character comes through the strongest right off the bat, of course, but the rest of the blend smooths it out into a mellower, medium-bodied drink. This is a tasty wine, full of plums, cassis, and cherries and other dark fruit., but cedar, sage, and subtle tannins keep this safe from “fruit bomb” status.

Bottle-aged, this is a fairly small production and not widely distributed -- like the Renegade, there isn’t even a UPC code, so even in the PNW you’ll have to look for this in specialty shops, but it’s worth it for a good lazy afternoon kind of wine.

Learnin' Oenophile: Tasting Class at Total Wine

2010-06-19T15:27:00.006-04:00

Last Tuesday evening, my colleagues and I attended a wine class at Total Wine & More, Perimeter location. No, these weren't wine-tasting colleagues. The range of wine knowledge was vast, which made it fun.

The classes are given in the large room in the back corner of the store. It doesn't have any windows, and it's a testament to the strength of the storms that night that we continued to hear the thunder. Large wine region maps are stuck to the wall with Velcro, which gave me a decorating idea I don't think Hubby will go for.

I don't talk about my day job on my blogs for anonymity reasons, but let's just say we all went to school for a really long time. Therefore, when our teacher gave us handouts and started with slides, we took notes. Yeah, habit. I'm happy to say that there is not a test at the end.

The classes include crackers, cheese, and water. However, it was the end of the day, and teacher Michelle (also the store wine manager) was very cool about letting us order pizza. Yes, Papa John's delivers to the Total Wine classroom. It just doesn't get better than that, y'all.

The theme of the night, "The Grapes Less Traveled: Delicious Whites and Reds which you may or may not have tasted," took us around the world in ten wines. We started in Argentina. Here are the wines:

2009 La Vuelta Torrontes (Mendoza, Argentina):
Aromatic with a little citrus, but mostly stone fruit and jasmine. Couldn't believe this one's only $8.99!
Rating: Very Good
Came home with me.

2006 Winzer Krems Grüner Veltliner (Austria):
Subtle citrus with more green apple and grape skin. Some effervescence. Cheese brought out vanilla notes.
Rating: Good

I'm not sure of the vintage on the next two.

Villa Lanata Gavi La Doria (Piedmont, Italy): 100% Cortese
Nose is slightly sweet. Again, some effervesence. Citrus/lemon/lime with mineral undertones and a tart finish.
Rating: Good to Very Good

Anakena Viognier Single Vineyard (Rapel Valley, Chile):
Interesting nose with hints of rose and ginger. The palate adds minerality and some herbal qualities. This was one of the oddest Viogniers I've ever tasted.
Rating: Okay/Good

2008 René Sparr Gewurtzraminer (Alsace, France):
The comparison for the nose on this one was "bath salts" in that it was very floral. Although it's designated "off-dry," it's just slightly so with nicely balanced acidity.
Rating: Very Good

2009 Finca Los Maza Bonarda (Mendoza, Argentina):
A pretty straightforward red with dark berry nose.
Rating: Good

2008 Vasco Sassetti Il Ginepro (Montalcino, Italy): 100% Sangiovese
Nice nose with a little cedar. Good fruit/acid balance. As luck would have it, the pizza came when we were tasting this wine, and it's a great pairing. At $11.99, this wine may cost less than a pizza.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent

2007 Sobon Estate Zinfandel Fiddletown (Amador County, California):
Apparently Fiddletown is an AVA, and this wine was made from all organic grapes. Smells like a Zin with big fruit and a long, fruity finish to match. It also had some vanilla.
Rating: Very Good

2004* Beaucanon Estate Cabernet Franc (Napa Valley, California): 95% Cab Franc, 5% Cab Sauv
Savory fruit nose and finish with a slightly chewy texture. One of the tasters designated it a "good gift wine."
Rating: Very Good

2008* Martin Family Petite Sirah (Dry Creek, California):
Comes out of the bottle inky purple. Blackberry nose, some spiciness on the palate, and cedar/fruit finish.
Rating: Very Good

Overall, I was quite impressed with the wines selected for the tasting. Prices ranged from a low $8.99 to still reasonable $24.99. The additional information that came with the wine included discussion of regional characteristics, descriptions of the winemakers, and a tiny bit of wine gossip. I'm not going to share that all here because, darnit, my school report-writing days are over. If you want some fun info and good wines, sign up for a class. Now I need to figure out where to get some of those velcro wine region maps.

By the way, have I mentioned how much I love my job and the people I work with?

* Not sure of vintages. I apologize for not paying more attention -- I didn't notice that they were only on the pictures of the labels in the handouts, some of which were too blurry on such a small scale to make them out. The ones I guessed came from internet research.

Confessions of a Fallen Oenophile: Desperate Times Near the Alamo

2010-06-11T21:02:00.007-04:00

Okay, so I gotta say that I was not impressed with the wine scene in San Antonio. Duh, right? It's not that they didn't have nice wine lists, it's that the glass selection is really limited, like maybe four or five options per list. You see my quandary.

On Friday evening, we had a generally unremarkable dinner at some Italian place on the Riverwalk and ended up at SoHo Wine & Martini Bar. Sounds promising, right? Hubby ordered a couple of glasses of sparkling for us. They didn't have those or the other option Hubby tried, but they ended up giving us a fairly good bottle of sparkling for $20. I didn't really want to split a bottle of wine, but it was a great price, so I can't complain too much.

Saturday morning ended up being a comedy of errors. Hubby and I were to meet up with a friend of ours from college for lunch. Due to a rather slow start (I blame the surprise bottle of sparkling), we ended up eating breakfast at 10:30. I got back to the hotel room to find a voicemail on my phone, the gist of which was, "We're early! Our landscapers are coming so we have to get right back, so we'll eat an early lunch." Breakfast, part 2 ended up being at a Mexican restaurant. Okay, was probably not hungover enough for that. At least we got to catch up with our friend.

Now that I think about it, having Mexican for dinner after that lunch/brunch/Hobbit-style breakfast may not have been the smartest thing to do but we went to Rosario's Restaurant y Cantina, which is far enough off the Riverwalk that the margaritas are very, very strong. Here's a picture of the Top Shelf ones. Before we stirred them, the mix was a happy island in the midst of the alcohol:

This restaurant, and especially the ceviche, had been recommended to us by several people in Austin, so I had to try it. It lived up to the recommendations with its perfect balance of texture, citrus acidity, and crunch from the homemade tostadas, and a small portion was more than enough for appetizers for two.

Then came the entrees. Hubby ordered Parrilla de Tripas. He didn't connect Tripas with tripe, so when his fajitas came out with fried tubular protein, well, he was a little surprised. I tried a Tripa. It was crunchy and moist and fatty, kind of like deep-fried pork belly, but from further south of the navel. Now I know what Mexican Chitlins would taste like. My Tacos Nortenas, while a little safer, weren't nearly as interesting.

The next dining highlight came on Monday night, when a colleague and I had dinner at La Focaccia Italian Grill.

This is where I have to make my confession... Their glass list is limited as well, but they have a nice selection of house wines. I started off with the Frascati and wanted to move to red, but didn't want something too heavy or warm. So, I ordered a glass of Lambrusco. Yep, all I needed was the jelly glass to drink it out of. Cool, sweetly fruity, and buttery, it's kind of like the Italian version of Beaujolais Nouveau. I probably lost a lot of wine cred for that admission, but I do feel better for having gotten it off my chest.

Oh, and the food was good. Try the pasta and seafood dishes.

Not coincidentally, the two restaurants I just mentioned are off the Riverwalk in the King William historic district. The Riverwalk had a couple of highlights:

1. Acenar, a Southwestern-style restaurant with a different take on the usual fare. I had the Crepas de Pato, duck crepes with a tamarind-tomato grilled onion sauce. It almost flirted with Far Eastern-style food. Definitely different from the usual Tex-Mex. Oh, and they went really well with a Blood Orange Mojito:

2. I didn't eat at the Republic of Texas restaurant, but they had great margaritas compared to the other Riverwalk establishments we'd tried. They seemed to have one ingredient the others lacked: discernible alcohol. Try the fluorescent Prickly Pear Margarita:

It's the margaritas that you go to San Antonio for anyway, right?

Texas Wine Trip: Days Five through Seven

2010-06-04T21:38:00.008-04:00

For those who are just jumping in, Hubby and I are in Texas. I have a conference here in San Antonio next week, so we came early to explore Austin and Texas wine country. I'm a couple of days behind due to inconsistent internet access, so this is going to be a long one.

Austin:

We started out on Wednesday at the Blanton Museum of Art on the University of Texas campus. They had a special Matisse exhibit and some great European art. I'll admit we don't really get that much into modern art, which they're heavy on, but those who are would probably like it.

After the art museum, we found our way to "The Drag," which runs along Guadalupe Street for lunch and then wandered back through campus to the parking deck. It's a beautiful campus, and now I have a better idea of the University of Texas other than "that football team whose sole purpose is to annoy Ohio State." They even have a fountain that spews water roughly the color of margaritas (no, I didn't taste it):

After that, the heat chased us inside back to Cork & Co wine bar, where we had a few glasses, a cheese plate, and got to hang out with Alex from www.wines.com and Personal Wine. I don't have a picture of Alex, but here's the cheese plate:

By then, it was storming, so I still didn't get to see the bats. We ran back to our hotel in the rain, changed, and ate dinner at Sullivans Steakhouse, where they're having a great summer prix fixe of three courses for two for $69. We enjoyed everything we ate, which was typical steakhouse fare.

Back to wine country...

We took off early after breakfast at Bakerman's Bakery, where we split an amazing turkey and Swiss cheese croissant. The chocolate fudge brownie I'd gotten the day before was great, too. This is a place I'll seek out should I ever return to Austin.

Our first stop was Texas Hills Vineyard, where Camille welcomed us into the tasting room and made us feel right at home. We also thought the sign in the bathroom was funny:

The highlights:

2006 Syrah
Dark cherry and plum aromas balanced with smooth spice on the palate.
Rating: Very Good (but not quite $75 good)

2006 Kick Butt Cabernet Sauvignon:
Smoky nose, medium-bodied with a little leather. Berry-smooth.
Rating: Very Good

2006 Kick Butt Cabernet Sauvignon:
Smoky nose, medium-bodied with a little leather. Berry-smooth and a little tart.
Rating: Very Good

2007 Kick Butt Cabernet Sauvignon:
Earthy nose with bigger fruit. Very smooth on its own.
Rating: Very Good
This one is also award-winning. The trophy? Yep, you guessed it, big belt buckle:

We liked all the sweet wines as well, especially with chocolate. I talked with winemaker Gary Gilstrap, who said he is most proud that all his wines are good. I agree – I rated all of them as good or above.

We'd seen a low-slung brick building that wafted aromas of smoked meat out on to the road on the way in and returned to Ronnie's BBQ for lunch. We each had a huge sandwich – Hubby's was sausage, mine turkey – prepared by Ronnie himself. If we were impressed with Texas barbecue before, we really are now.

The place:

The equipment:

The owner:

The first stop after lunch, Pedernales Cellars, had the best views of the hill country wineries we'd visited. They're known for their Viognier and Tempranillo. Highlights there included the 2008 Garnacha rosé, 2008 Merlot, and 2007 Family Reserve blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Merlot and Tempranillo. With space in Bertha the wine safe at a premium, we didn't get anything there.

Woodrose Winery had a beautiful back patio where we were seated for tasting. It was like being on my parents' back porch at home with all the trees. Again, the wines were good, but nothing wanted to come home with us.

One of the fun things about tasting wine in Texas has been what I've called the Texas terroir. We could hear cows mooing from several tasting venues, and driving to the wineries was fun because we'd see fields of cows, cross cattle rails on roads, and then suddenly – grapes! Indeed, the driveway to Becker Vineyards has corn on one side and grapes on the other. However, they do have an elegant tasting building:

They also offer souvenirs:

We'd been told by several that Becker is the "Big Dog" of Texas wineries, and they did have a long tasting list. We stuck with reds. Highlights included:

2008 Claret: A Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot
Savory fruit nose and nice smooth palate.
Rating: Very Good

2008 Zinfandel:
Again, nice smooth fruit.
Rating: Very Good

2008 Syrah:
Blackberry nose, medium-bodied and fruity
Rating: Very Good to Excellent

2009 Reserve Cabernet Franc:
A little more acidic with a buttery finish, but already good. Probably wants more bottle time.
Rating: Very Good

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve:
Nice fruit with cedar and caramel.
Rating: Very Good

Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (High Plains):
Dryer, but still great fruit.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent

Uh, oh. We got three bottles, the Claret, 2008 Syrah, and High Plains Cabernet Sauvignon. That meant we arrived in Fredericksburg with one spot left in Bertha, several tasting rooms to explore, and one or two more wineries to visit. The tasting room quandary solved itself because by the time we got to Town Creek B&B, checked in, and made it back to town, Fredericksburg had pretty much rolled up the streets. Yep, most of the shops and tasting rooms close at 5:30. We did find two notable exceptions:

Mar Silver Jewelry, where the jewelry prices are seriously low for the beautiful handmade pieces. I got two pendants and a chain. If you know me, you know I wear the same pieces all the time, so you know I was wowed if I'm willing to introduce others into the rotation.

Lincoln Street Wine Bar, where "Director of Nectar" Dave Shaw poured and kept us entertained for a couple of hours until we went to find dinner.

Friday (yesterday) found us back in downtown Fredericksburg after an incredible breakfast at the B&B. We stopped by a few more shops and one of the tasting rooms, and decided to head out to Chisolm Trail Winery, which everyone had described as "cute." They hadn't told us how good the wines are. The cuteness factor was, of course, upped by the winery critters.

Donkeys:

Winery cat C.J.:

Our favorite wines:

2008 Belle Starr: Blanc Du Bois
Blanc Du Bois is a white grape with nose of pineapple and apple with great tropical fruit on the palate.
Rating: Very Good

2007 Lone Wolf: Lenoir
Lenoir is a red grape, also known as Black Spanish, that was developed from Spanish root stock brought over 300 years ago and hybridized with native grapes and root stock from Georgia. Or not. No one is really sure, but it's yummy with blackberry jam nose and tartness on the palate.
Rating: Very Good

Lil's Red Satin: Cabernet Sauvignon
Again, very berry/cherry nose with bright fruit and medium body. I might chill this one down a little and sip it on the back porch.
Rating: Very Good

We got two bottles, the Belle Starr and Lil's Red Satin. That meant we were one over in Bertha, but we took care of that last night with some Claret before dinner.

I'm in San Antonio until Thursday, but I'll be conferencing and need to give my Random Writings blogsome attention, both with regard to content and to get back to the serial I'm writing for The Penny Dreadful, so look for occasional notes on particularly great San Antonio dining experiences while I'm here. And, of course, I'll be tweeting daily. As for drinking, there will likely be lots of these:

Disclosure: We got free tastings and a discount at Texas Hills for being "industry." I felt guilty, so I didn't try for that anywhere else. I would have still rated all the wines as good or above even if they hadn't treated us so nicely.

Texas Wine Trip: Day Four

2010-06-02T11:34:00.007-04:00

For those who don't know, Hubby and I are in Texas this week tasting wine and exploring cuisine. I have a conference in San Antonio the second week of June, so we came over a week early to check out Texas wine, food, and scenery. We're exploring the hill country and Austin. To read our adventures from the beginning, click here.

The heat and humidity smacked us in the face this morning when Hubby and I walked out of our hotel to find breakfast.

"Wow, welcome to the hot, wet blanket that is Texas!" I said.

"Those who live in hot, wet blanket houses shouldn't throw stones," Hubby replied.

Okay, as an Atlantan who grew up in Birmingham, I should be used to summer by now. Even so, we did try several strategies yesterday to escape the heat:

1. Shopping:

We walked up to the Second Street shopping district and found some cool jewelry stores that featured Texas and other artists. I didn't buy anything, but we enjoyed the shops and the air conditioning.

2. Walking along the river:

The breeze in Austin feels great where you can get it, but that's not along all city blocks, so we took a little pre-lunch stroll along the river. We went under the Congress Street bridge, where Austin's famous bats nest and fly out at sunset in a dramatic display. Or so we hear. We tried to see them last night, but circumstances weren't with us. We may try again tonight.

3. Find air conditioning and good food.

Once lunchtime rolled around, we had two criteria for a restaurant: someplace with good air conditioning, and available seating inside. We found both and some great food at Taverna by Lombardi, an Italian restaurant on 2nd Street. They started us off with great focaccia and dipping oil:

I had the whole wheat spaghettini with vegetable ragu and turkey meatballs. Whole wheat pasta can be a challenge, but this was cooked to the perfect texture. The meatballs had great flavor. Hubby had garganelli with tomato and basil. And then there was this molten chocolate thing for dessert:

4. Get a massage.

What better way to beat the heat than to get pampered in an air-conditioned spa? Hubby very kindly scheduled a massage for us at Milk + Honey Day Spa, also in the 2nd Street District. The massage was excellent, and the therapist actually got my sore shoulder (rotator cuff issue) to feel better.

5. Find a bar.

This one should really come as no surprise for you. After our massage, we stopped by Cork and Co. for a glass of wine. Actually, I ended up with a wine cocktail made from NV New Age white blend of Malvasia & Sauvignon Blanc. The predominant flavors in this off-dry wine are peach and citrus, so it's great served over ice with a twist of lemon:

6. Find sushi.

What food is better to beat the heat than raw fish? At the recommendation of several Austinians (Austinators? Austinites?), we had dinner at Uchi Restaurant. Chef Tyson Cole puts together a Chef's Tasting Menu of 10 courses that changes every night. We were feeling adventurous, so we went for it. In Japanese, Omakase means "It's up to you," or "I trust you." We were in good hands.

Each course was artistic and delicious, but these were the highlights:

Course #2: A Japanese Ceviche with salmon and sea bass. Sorry I don't have more details than that. At its busiest, the restaurant is really noisy, so it was hard to catch some of the descriptions.

The fish, as all of it was, came to the table perfectly fresh and at the right temperature. The silky texture of both fishes complimented the delicate citrus of the fruit.

Course #4: Grilled rare scallops with carrot gastrique, baby carrots, sea beans, and grilled cipollini mushrooms.

This was a great combo of smoky, sweet, savory, and vinegary flavors. Sea beans are a seaweed with the texture of string beans and flavor of asparagus.

Course #8: Wagyu short ribs, pickled peaches, shredded rhubarb and gastrique, and (seriously!) grilled popcorn puree.

Hubby and I loved the peaches with the perfectly tender short ribs. The grilled popcorn puree added nice elements of savory smokiness and creaminess to the dish.

Course #10: Smoked chocolate sorbet, dehydrated blood oranges, aerated chocolate, marshmallow mousse, chocolate powder, and chocolate bacon mousse and oil

This complicated dessert, essentially "deconstructed S'mores," as our server described it, was playtime. The perfectly smooth chocolate bacon mousse balanced the salty and sweet, and the sorbet had smoky/sweet, and the rest of it accented the two main elements. We had fun trying different combinations of tastes and texture.

Okay, Austin, I'm impressed.

Texas Wine Trip: Day Three

2010-06-01T11:20:00.007-04:00

For those who don't know, Hubby and I are in Texas this week tasting wine and exploring cuisine. I have a conference in San Antonio the second week of June, so we came over a week early to check out Texas wine, food, and scenery. We're exploring the hill country and Austin.

I'm writing this blog post from Little City, a coffee shop in downtown Austin just down the street from the state capitol of Texas. Hubby was drawn to them because of this warning posted on their web site (perfect for this trip!):

Alcohol Warning: If you consume 3 or more alcoholic drinks every day, you may need to double the recommended dosage of Caffeine. Ask your doctor or co-workers.

It's one of the great mysteries of life that lower-priced hotels (e.g., Hampton Inn) include internet and breakfast, whereas the nice ones (e.g., Omni) don't. Luckily, thanks to Hubby's mad skills with Priceline, we're not paying the premium price, and I enjoyed my bagel with cream cheese, tomato, onion, and bean sprouts.

Yesterday we headed out early-ish and made it to Fall Creek Vineyards, which gets my vote for best entranceway/driveway:

The tasting is "about eight wines, and you get to keep the glass" for $4 per person. We tasted twelve wines and could have gotten three more pours, but we didn't want to burn our palates on sweet wines that early. The highlights:

2008 Tempranillo (blended with a little Cabernet Sauvignon):
Floral up front, a little tannic in the middle with good fruit, and nice fruity finish. While it's good to very good now, we got a bottle to age for a few years to mellow out the tannins. The question is now whether we'll remember not to drink it.

NV Merlot:
Oak and fruit with smoother tannin. Suggested pairing: Peanut Butter & Jelly
Rating: Good to Very Good

This is a good winery to bring a picnic and enjoy a glass on their patio, which is shady and complete with misters:

We also made the acquaintance of this gorgeous and friendly winery kitty:

We left Fall Creek with a quarter of a tank of gas. My GPS once again took us the scenic route on narrow county roads with loose livestock and not much else, so we arrived at Alamosa Wine Cellars hungry and a little frazzled. Karen Johnson, the "mom" of this "mom and pop" operation immediately set us at ease along with the welcoming committee, who did achieve consciousness when we walked through the door, but only briefly:

Their tasting is complimentary. The highlights:

2007 Scissortail HVV: Blend of Marsanne, Rousanne, and Viognier
A very well-balanced white with some citrus and vanilla.
Rating: Very Good

2004 Texacaia: "Super Texan" (that cracks me up) blend of Sangiovese, Syrah, and Tempranillo
Ripe berry nose. Medium-bodied with great fruit and a long finish.
Rating: Very Good

2007 Palette: Blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Cinsault
Smoky nose that quickly goes to fruit, nicely balanced and complex with watermelon notes from the Cinsault smoothing out the tartness and tannin of the others
Rating: Very Good

2007 Rosato di Sangiovese:
Holy cow, another pink wine that Hubby likes! Milk chocolate-covered cherry and off-dry.
Rating: Very Good

A picture of the vineyard (with some Texas dust):

Karen recommended a couple of others, but they weren't open, so we headed back to Austin. We did get gas in time to not run out in the middle of nowhere (whew!), and we ended up at Subway in Lampasas for lunch because we couldn't find a local place that was open as late as 3:00.

I am proud to say that we hit the fitness center at the hotel after we got here. As Hubby noted, we "probably burned off a couple of tastes of wine and two bites of barbecue." At least we're trying!

We ate dinner last night at Malaga Tapas and Bar. We both ordered Spanish Tempranillo (sorry, Texas) and shared the Coca de Pato Ahumado, flatbread with smoked duck breast, blue cheese, caramelized onion, and sliced grapes:

Also, being true Southerners, we couldn't resist the thought of breaded and fried avocados with gaspacho salsa and some sort of lemon cream served with baked pita slices:

Then it was back to the hotel, where we enjoyed some time on the roof by the pool. I shall end this blog post with a picture of some of the Texas decor in our hotel room:

Moo, baby!

Texas Wine Trip: Day Two

2010-05-30T19:21:00.015-04:00

For those who don't know, Hubby and I are in Texas this week tasting wine and exploring cuisine. I have a conference in San Antonio the second week of June, so we came over a week early to check out Texas wine, food, and scenery. We're exploring the hill country and Austin.

Day Two:
Wineries visited: 5
Thoughts about work: ~10, but had work-related stress dreams
Snakes in the car air conditioner vent: 0, but we did have to watch out for loose livestock. In case you were wondering, cows are really big.

If you're familiar with Hubby's and my typical wine trips, the fact that we left our hotel at 11:30 a.m. and got back around 5:30 p.m. and only visited five wineries attests to the fact that things are freakin' far apart in Texas. The "Hill Country" is still pretty wild in parts, and we even saw one place that had a zebra and camel behind its wire fencing. At that point, I couldn't help but wonder just how far we'd driven.

We started at Stone House Vineyard in Spicewood, which is south of Marble Falls. They have a basic tasting for $5, reserve for $10, and dessert wine tasting for $7, but if you get the basic and reserve tastings, they'll add the dessert for free. Their owner and winemaker is Australian, and so most of the grapes or juice or wines (I wasn't really clear as to when it comes to Texas) are sourced from Barossa Valley and other Australian AVAs. Our favorites:

2006 Claros: 100% Norton grown on site (see picture)
Spicy and a little raisin.
Rating: Very Good

2008 Shiraz (Barossa, Australia):
Nice and smooth with good, dark fruit.
Rating: Good to Very Good

The outside Stone House tasting area:

Our next stop was Spicewood Vineyards. They pour a nice lineup for $2 per person per tasting. They, too, source some of their fruit from elsewhere, namely Columbia Valley. I surprised myself and Hubby by really liking the Chardonnay, which is aged in stainless steel, and -- are you sitting down? -- new French oak. It's a little smoky/nutty on the nose, but beautifully balanced with pear, melon, and almond. I rated it Very Good, and yes, it's from Texas fruit.

Spicewood Tasting Room building:

We went for lunch at Flat Creek Estate, where we were supposed to meet up with a college friend who now lives in Houston. She couldn't make it, but we had a great lunch at the Bistro and enjoyed the view:

I had the brie and blackberry jam sandwich, and Hubby got the special flatbread, which had mushrooms, tomatoes, chicken, and some sort of special cheese in addition to mozzarella. Sorry, we didn't get pictures because we were hungry. I had a glass of the 2008 Pinot Grigio, which was very floral and had good melon and citrus to it, and Hubby had the "Super-Texan," mostly Sangiovese and medium-bodied with bright fruit. Both played well with food. We tried to do a tasting of other wines, but the tasting room was a little crowded and understaffed because they, like many of the other wineries we talked to, expected that the crowds would be in Austin for the Wine & Jazz Festival and not visiting the wineries.

After a long drive through some narrow roads, we arrived at Texas Legato, which we were intrigued by because they offer Malbec. Our favorites:

2007 Family Reunion: blend of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Syrah, which, according to the label are "from Texas and California"
A nice, medium-bodied red with bright fruit and smooth tannins. It would be great slightly chilled and sipped on the back porch.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent

2008 Malbec: blended with 3% Cabernet Sauvignon
Coffee and cassis nose. Full, dark fruit and very smooth.
Rating: Very Good

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon:
Cranberry-cherry nose. Definitely tart and with good acidity. Wants MEAT.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent

We got the Family Reunion and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Rudy the winery dog at Pillar Bluff

The final stop of the day's tasting was Pillar Bluff, where I got a little distracted from the wines by the cute winery animals. First, there was Rudy, the winery dog, and then Pistol, the winery cat. Our favorites:

2006 Boar Doe: No, this isn't a spelling error on my part or a wacky Spellcheck correction, this is how they put it on the label:

It had a big fruit nose, nicely balanced fruit and acidity, and very dry finish.
Rating: Very Good

2007 Founders Red: blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% combined Petit Verdot and Malbec (same blend as Boar Doe)
With 2% residual sugar, it's a little sweet, but lovely raspberry and cherry flavors. Another great summer sipper.
Rating: Very Good

Pistol the winery cat

My GPS took us through some very scenic spots, most of which don't have a place to pull off, and Texas ranch roads and farm roads and random county roads don't have much in the way of shoulders. He did get this one:

FYI, all the pictures in this post and the previous one were by Hubby with his spiffy new camera. He's doing a great job with his new toy, and I feel like a big shot blogger with a cameraman.

Texas Wine Trip: Day One

2010-05-30T00:03:00.009-04:00

For those who don't know, Hubby and I are in Texas this week tasting wine and otherwise getting into trouble (but not too much trouble -- don't worry, Mom!). I have a conference in San Antonio the second week of June, so we came over a week early to check out Texas wine, food, and scenery. We're exploring the hill country and Austin.

Day One:
Wineries visited: 1
Thoughts about work: ~15
Snakes in the car air conditioner vent: 0

Hubby and I listened to NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell me! news quiz this morning between taking a very unhappy diabetic gray cat to the vet for boarding and deciding to leave the car in the PreFlight covered parking in case of hail. They mentioned this story, which happened in Austin. Yep, apparently the snakes in Texas get frisky. We both kept a close eye on the a/c vents in the rental car and will continue to do so as we travel around and in Texas hill country.

The trip itself went smoothly, for which we were grateful. Apparently a very bad combination of weather and the new federal laws about tarmac wait time combined to create headaches for quite a few travelers last night, and the Atlanta airport was crazy busy today. Our flight left Atlanta and arrived in San Antonio generally on time. We picked up the rental car and headed north in search of Texas wine:

Our first stop, about an hour north of San Antonio, was the Mandola Estate Winery. They had followed me on Twitter and tweet under the #TXWine hashtag, so my curiosity had been piqued. Even better, they were open until 9:00, which was perfect since we didn't get to the area until 6, after all of the others had closed. We would have gone anyway because of their focus on Italian varietals.

Mandola Estates started in August 2006 with juice sourced from California and moved quickly to Texas grapes. They get some of their fruit from the High Plains AVA near Lubbock and grow some of their own. Thanks to Bill Elsey for sharing that information with me and connecting on Twitter. The only complaint I have is that the tasting room gets a bit noisy when crowded because of the rustic Italian stone construction.

I didn't rate any wines below a Good, so here were the highlights:

2008 Viognier:
Grape-perfume nose, but good stone fruit and citrus. Not at all syrupy.
Rating: Very Good

2008 Vermentino:
Grapefruit nose, pear and herb on the palate. Like a Sauv Blanc, but herby instead of grassy.
Rating: Very Good

2008 Dry Rosé:
Made from Cabernet, tart and spicy cherry/strawberry.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent

2008 Aglianico: Grape exclusive to this winery
Tobacco and dark fruit nose, plummy supported by tobacco with a smooth but leathery finish.
Rating: Very Good

2008 Spino-Montepulciano:
Smoky nose, but great fruit moving to the darker side with more depth
Rating: Very Good to Excellent

2008 Rosso:
Blend of Cab and Merlot, this one has dark fruit and spice with some cedar notes.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent

We got bottles of the Rosé and Rosso. The Rosé came to dinner with us at Salt Lick Barbecue, which we had gotten several recommendations for. It's BYOB, so we had to ask for cups for sipping while we waited:

And it was a bit of a wait:

We actually ended up only waiting for 45 minutes, and it was worth it. Here's a picture of the "pit:"

And the plate:

Yes, that's sausage, beef brisket, and a pork rib with cole slaw, potato salad, and beans. The sauce, Salt Lick's secret recipe, is more vinegary and mustardy and not at all tomato-ey. It's also a little sweet. We debated on how to describe it, and the only thing we could agree on was that it's really good.

Oh, and it's true that Texans wear their cowboy boots all year long, even when it's 90 degrees outside. There's even a statue to honor the almighty boot:

Tomorrow's agenda: meeting up with a college friend at Flat Creek Estate winery for "Jammin' in the Vineyard"

Disclosure: Mandola comped our tasting. When I asked why for clarification, I was told it was "for being a fan and supporter." They did know I was a wine blogger through the Twitter connection.