Sour Grapes

Posted on March 12, 2017 by melsmosaic

I was recently told about a wine documentary released last year, Sour Grapes.

image source: sourgrapesfilm.com

What’s it about? Straight from the site (love to copy & paste):

With pockets full of cash, charisma and a preternatural memory for vintages, an unassuming young Rudy Kurniawan earns the reputation of a wine savant, surrounding himself with some of high society’s most fervent wine connoisseurs. But when Bill Koch, a top US collector,and, Laurent Ponsot, a Burgundian wine producer, discover suspicious bottles, a humorous and suspenseful investigation begins into one of the most ingenious cons of our time.

I will say, I buy affordable wine. I know each person has their own definition of this. The most expensive bottle I’ve purchased is $75, my normal price $10-$20. This movie was fascinating about the prices people spend on wine, what Rudy was blowing away on vino and the investigation into his family. When they were talking to Koch and Ponsot it was amazing. Then some of the jobs the people have investigating labels. Dang!

Totally worth checking this flick out. If you don’t have NetFlix, go to a friend’s place who does and take a bottle of wine to enjoy while watching.

NY Wine

Posted on January 22, 2017 by melsmosaic

We have wineries across across the country and New York is ranked #3 in the country size-wise in grape production per Wikipedia (where is Oregon?? — CA and WA are 1 & 2). Commercial production started in the state the 19th century. Also, some fun tidbits from Wikipedia — New York is home to the first bonded winery in the US, Pleasant Valley Wine Company. It is also home to America’s oldest continuously operating winery, Brotherhood Winery in the Hudson Valley, which has been making wine for almost 175 years.

I visit the Finger Lakes area annually and last year, after not having gone for a decade (at least), stopped by the New York Wine & Culinary Institute in Canandaigua. In addition to the cooking school and restaurant, they have a tasting room.

There were 3 of us there so we opted to each get different flights so we could get a good feel for the current stance of NY wines. Out of the 15 wines we tasted, I would say maybe 4-5 were decent/good. And the downside is they aren’t wallet-friendly ones for what they offer — $20+. New York wines are still generally very sweet, both reds and whites. Two of us were more red people and one was an oaky chard lover so there was a bit of a difference in tastes, but overall, same thought on NY wines.

We did, however, try some of the their of sparkling wines, and left with 2 bottles. That was quite good and was enjoyed later in the evening.

Overall for the day, very fun location to visit and worth the time.

Barrel Oak Winery

Posted on January 16, 2017 by melsmosaic

After a weekend of hiking at Dolly Sods, ziplining at Nelson Rocks and hiking at Seneca Rocks, one must reward oneself!

So on the way home from WV, there are several wineries off of 66. We decided to stop at Barrel Oak (BOW) to kick back and relax. The tasting room is quite large, with several outdoor areas with fireplaces, some lofts, couches, tables and the counters.

There were 3 of us so we figured we’d get a bottle. We weren’t sure what we wanted to enjoy, though. The great person at the counter said — well, you can buy a tasting flight, or, you can get 3 tastes for free since you’re going to buy a bottle. And, since there were 3 of us, we figured that would work just fine to cover any considerations we had from the menu. Oh, when you taste they also have both oyster crackers AND dark chocolate!!!

So, after going through the menu, we decided on the, amazingly, Merlot. I say amazingly on my end. Not something I usually get. It had a nice body with some good fruit and light spice.

We sat outside to enjoy that bottle on an amazing evening. The weather was perfect and could not have asked for more. We just did not want to go home. We had to get something else. We went inside and then there was just a perfect fire in the fireplace. We had to sit there. We then grabbed a bottle of their Cab Franc. Just as nice, with difference fruit and spice tastes. What was great is that two of us were able to enjoy more of this because the driver (1) was being very responsible and (2) isn’t as big of a wine lover as the other two of us.

This is a fun place to visit if you’re a dog lover, too, because it is a dog-crazy place! Totally take your furry friend there if you want to go. Or if you’re going through dog withdrawal, you’ll do so well there with wine & pups.

Definitely one of the good VA winery and worth a nice weekend day trip for wine, relaxing (and dogs). And, if you need more wine glasses, you get to bring the one you use home with you.

Just Bubbles

Posted on January 1, 2017 by melsmosaic

Went to a Champagne tasting recently and found a new bottle of bubbles that was just wonderful. And when it comes in a split, it can be even better when you’re enjoying it solo! You don’t want the stuff to go flat.

This was the Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve. It’s made of 40% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. It has some nice fruit notes while still carrying the dry/brut taste. The split was about $20 so it was perfect. Great was to say cheers before the New Year.

Bubbling over work

Posted on January 1, 2017 by melsmosaic

I have side gigs to help fund my travel and wine rack. One of them is working wine tastings. I had one yesterday afternoon, New Year’s Eve, at Bassin’s/MacArthur Beverages in Washington, DC. And, oh darn, I had to pour bubbly! One was sparkling wine from CA the other three were veritable Champagne.

#1 Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley. This is the an estate/winery Louis Reoderer (next on the list) opened in the US. $20. It’s a sparkling wine, since it’s CA vs. France. This is roughly 60% Chard, 40% Pinot Noir. Some nice fruit notes for bubbly, especially compared to other bubblies (aka champagnes). And, at least half the cost.

#2 Louis Roederer Champagne, Brut Premier. $40. This is a blend of roughly 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier. Traditional Champagne taste. I would put it ‘medium’ toast, nice and soft.

#3 Taittinger Champagne. $40. This is a blend of roughly 40% Chardonnay, 60% of Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier. Medium bubbles, soft toast taste, just rolls around the mouth and down your tongue to give you pure happiness. I am partial because it’s one of my favorites.

#4 Comtes de Champagnes, Taittinger, Blanc de Blanc 2006. $129 (yes, that price is correct). 100% Chardonnay. Very nice taste all around, and while it was definitely a better taste than the prior 3, it would be tough (for me) to spend that much. However, 3 people did buy bottles. All personal choice.

Cheers to 2017!

Santa Came Early

Posted on December 13, 2016 by melsmosaic

Got a great Christmas present recently. A stocking stuffed with wine. Box wine, removed from the box, stuffed in the stocking, and the tip of the stocking had been removed. Perfect! Just press the button and your wine glass gets filled. And since box wine has improved a lot, this is a great way to enjoy the holiday season!

Pour Me Some White

Posted on October 28, 2016 by melsmosaic

Love my part time wine tasting gigs. Last weekend during one of them I had all whites. Ironic because it was freezing cold outside because of the 15-20mph winds and mid-50 temps. But, I guess you can sip your pain away, right?

I was sharing the delights of:

La Marca Prosecco — one of my favorites. You cannot go wrong with this stuff. You can find it for $10-$15/bottle. Just crisp and and perfect bubbles with tiny hints of citrus. Need I say more?

Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc — I love the SB from New Zealand. Gimme some grapefruit! This one was a bit milder than my favorite. Awesome notes of citrus all around with a nice finish. Low teens on the cost.

William Hill Chardonnay — if you like (traditional) oaked Chard, this one’s for you. It’s from the North Coast of CA and has some definite tropical fruit notes in it while giving you that oaked, buttery taste. This one runs in the mid-teens per bottle.

Sip on, my friends.

Southwest Has It Right

Posted on October 27, 2016 by melsmosaic

In the air, the drink cart comes down the aisle. I had one of the drink coupons that my awesome fitness class students give me because they don’t use them before they expire. What more could I ask for from people who I get to workout?!?!

I was handed the napkin, then the drink (wine, duh). The tagline was far too perfect: Now for something really refreshing. Southwest Airlines, keep it coming. Now I just need to be sure I get more of those drink tickets. Cheers!

Chilled, oops

Posted on October 27, 2016 by melsmosaic

Pulled out a bottle of white from my wine fridge for a dinner party I was having and poured myself a little bit to enjoy. Since my wine fridge is for both whites & reds, I keep it at 55 so I usually put the whites in the regular fridge for a bit longer.

I did that for a couple minutes then thought I’d just put in the freezer real quick so it would get done faster (vs putting it in ice water, blah blah).

So people got there and we were all into the reds. The next day I opened my freezer and oh, yeah, I put the Nobilo in there. Hello, slush. That was fun! I had a great time shaking it and seeing how long it would take a get some out and then having a very nice wine slushy. Very refreshing.

Take me to the wine section

Posted on August 23, 2016 by melsmosaic

Have been meaning to write about many wines over many months. Finally getting to it. So, here is a compilation. Hopefully you’ll head to the wine section to grab some.

A friend had this one open last week, Rosa de Arrocal, a nice Spanish wine. Such a deep red rose. It’s made with tempranillo. Some nice fruit notes, a tiny bit of rose (the flower) and then I could taste the tiniest, tiniest amount of bubble gum? That’s all I could place it as. It was a phenomenal wine. About $12. I just love the color!

Next, Peach Canyon (Increbible Red) Zinfandel, from Paso Robles, CA. Side note on that. I was working a wine tasting the other day and was pouring a Zin. A guy had to ask if it was Red Zin. All Zin that is wine is red. White Zin is not a wine. If you put the word red in front of the word Zinfandel we have a problem/I do not want to associate with you.

On this label they are just noting that this is an incredible red wine. So, very nice Zin that pairs well with many foods. Not too heavy, some nice berry notes and a tiny bit of smoke (one of my favorites in wine). You can usually find it for between $12-$15.

Also in this shot is one of my favorite inexpensive whites, New Harbor Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Has those nice citrusy notes that NZ SBs are known for. Also the great easy-access (as I like to call it) screw tops that NZ uses. Fairly dry and a bit acidic in a good way. Prices range from $7-$10 normally.

Next…Shoofly Shiraz from South Australia. A nice versatile Shiraz that can be enjoyed solo or with any food, really. Lots or berries and spices on there. Cost is around $12-$15.

Then the Silver Palm Chardonnay. This picture is from a couple months back and they have changed the look of their bottle recently. I noticed that last weekend in the wine shop. I’m not a big Chard fan, but did enjoy this one because it’s done in steel not oak. It’s crisp with some lemon and a bit of peach. Price is around $15, give or take a few dollars.

Next is Gavi Masera. This nice Italian vino was enjoyed at my friend’s place pre-dinner, or shall I better say while her husband was preparing (an amazing-to-be dinner). A very light, fruity wine, perfect for a hot summer day. All tastes in the wine were very light and the color of the wine, almost water-like. Price is mid-teens.

Another new one was Rawson’s Retreat (yes that link does go to an Australian store, it’s like the US Total Wine). This was a Shiraz Cabernet, oddly enjoyed while eating Ethiopian food. This one is from Australia. Based on what varietals it is from, it had some nice berry notes to it and subtle spice. It has been hard to find around DC. I found it at a random grocery store I had been meaning to go into – Snider’s Super Foods – didn’t expect a grocery store in MD to sell wine! Regardless, price is around $8-$10.

Now, Smith & Hook. Enjoyed this after a friend told me to pick the wine for dinner from the wine rack. This one is a Cabernet Sauvignon. I got some nice fruit and a chocolaty ending. Bring it on! The cost…looks like it can be $15-$18.

Such a kind answer from this wine. A friend brought this to a party, the Denada Cellars Red Blend. She bought it at Trader Joe’s. That means I need to cross the line into DC or VA. Darn MD laws! She said is was under $10. I give it fruit and leather. Bring it on!

Had some friends over and one brought a Vina Eguia Rioja. Normally I don’t reach out to riojas but this one is now definitely on my list. There are so many notes and flavors bouncing around your mouth when you sip it that you just need to get some to try it out. Price range is $14-$18 (it’s so funny seeing the differences online).

Attended at Wine Wednesday at Whole Foods in Georgetown/Glover Park. If you live in DC and you don’t know about this, tune in, as they don’t advertise it. Every Wednesday from around 5-7pm, for $5 you get 5 wines and 5 food stations. It is awesome!

So the great one there was Lolea Sparkling Red/Sangria. They have it in ‘normal’ bottles but also in pocket size. It was about $7 for the pocket size and was perfect to enjoy with food (after nibbling). Tons of great fruit flavors and would have been even better on ice.

Now onto ‘real’ sparkling red. This one is Italian and very dry — Piria Paltrinieri. Minerally and acidic. Unique, worth trying, but not your traditional sparkling red. Around $20.