Dead Head Red

Posted on April 29, 2017 by melsmosaic

There is a joke in my family about the Grateful Dead because of a Santa mistake that happened years ago. So anytime we see anything related to the band, we tend to get it. Normally it has to do with those cute little dancing bears. Well, now life is getting so much better! My Christmas present from my aunt and uncle was Grateful Dead wine. I’ll take that. The name is ‘Steal Your Face’ and it’s a blend (85% Syrah, 15% Petite Sirah) from Mendocino County. Great table wine, perfect for any dinner.

Got a box of three. One was enjoyed over Christmas with the family, one stayed with the (immediate) family and one came home with me and is still waiting a bit to be enjoyed. Have to pick the right people to share it with. Who should I tell the story behind the bottle with?

Also, the place that distributes this is Wines that Rock — they have various other wines from well known bands. Pretty fun and great gift ideas.

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.

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.

And another…Bench Cab Sauv. Overall great taste. Some cocoa, long finish. So smooth. Price is $25, per the bottle.

Hope some of these caught your attention and you head to your wine store/wine section to pick them up.

Napa Cellars

Posted on May 3, 2015 by melsmosaic

Was working another wine tasting recently and was introduced to a new wine(ry) in CA — Napa Cellars. That’s the great thing about doing the tastings — finding all sorts of new wines (and getting paid to do it)! The name sort of explains it all, location-wise. The varietals were their Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Both were great wines.

The Sauv had a crisp fruit taste – lemon, grapefruit. The vintner describes it as “aromas of vibrant gooseberry, pineapple and fresh pink grapefruit followed by flavors of pear, guava, passion fruit, lime, sweet clover and melon.” The price was $18 (on sale from low $20s)

The Pinot was amazing (I love Pinot!) and had some subtle leather and cherries, and unique spices. It had a good, medium body to it. When you read their comments you get “aromas of ripe cherry, sweet tobacco, raspberry, cedar and subtle spice followed by deep red cherry flavors and fantastic acidity.” The price was $16 (also on sale from low $20). These prices are in DC, so love to find out how much they vary from state-to-state, sale-to-sale.

Check them out if you’re looking for something new.

2 bottles of red, a bottle of white…

Posted on April 21, 2015 by melsmosaic

Other than the fact that my count doesn’t match the Billy Joel song, it doesn’t only have to depend upon your appetite; come on. There are so many factors to take into consideration. Likes, dislikes, meal, mood, interest in new stuff, desperation?!

Anyway, I work wine tastings on the side and the past couple I’ve done have introduced me to some new vintners, which is something I quite enjoy. I definitely have my favorites and normally stick to those — must expand!

The two reds were both Pinot Noirs from California, but very different. The first was Frei Brothers in Russian River Valley. Very light with the traditional fruit notes. Would pair nicely with a salad or light/white meat or seafood. Fruit would be great too, or why have food with it? Come on.

The second Pinot was MacMurray Central Coast. Very ‘thick’ for a Pinot. Almost a light jam texture with some fig notes, maybe some cherries and light chocolate. This could totally be paired with steak/heavier meat. Loved it! I picked one of these up before I left the store. Both of these were around $20.

Now the bottle of white I have recently added to my list (and wine rack) is the William Hill Sauvignon Blanc. To me it screams grapefruit, which I love. It’s definitely a citrus-laden wine. Nice and crisp and runs $12-$14.

Do you have any new wine finds?

Predator

Posted on March 24, 2015 by melsmosaic

Came across a new (Old Vine) Zinfandel last week that is wonderful. It’s Predator in Lodi, CA. It has some nice fruit, I tasted mostly cherries, then the other taste(s) I found was leather. There was something else that I just couldn’t place. Was also thick/chewy, but not overwhelming. Great wine, and I found it in the DC-area for about $12 (at Total Wine). Totally recommend checking it out if you’re looking for something new.

Oh, Chateau

Posted on February 23, 2015 by melsmosaic

A couple years ago I visited Sonoma and one of the wineries my friend and I checked out was Chateau St. Jean. After the initial tasting, they of course give you the rundown of their Wine Club. My friend told me to treat myself and sign up. Their wine is amazing and I deserved it.

So last weekend there was just bad weather going on and I decided to open up a nice bottle of wine, just because. There was nothing happening, there was really nowhere to go/there was no way I was going to go do anything. I pulled a bottle of Chateau St. Jean (2009) Syrah out of my wine rack. I opened it. It had a nose of berries and bark — yes, bark, ok, maybe some would say wood, but I got bark. The taste just made me stand still. I can barely explain how good it was. Raspberries, blackberries, that bark, and tiny bit chocolate. Some darn, darn good wine. The best part is that I know exactly why I have the bottle and enjoyed it all the more because of it. Cheers!

Do you have a favorite bottle for some reason? Do you remember a bottle you bought for a specific reason?

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Brew on

Posted on January 7, 2015 by melsmosaic

There was just a great article about the Best New Breweries in the US in The Daily Meal. They are everywhere across the country, showing how much microbreweries continue to grow. And as noted in the article, according to the Brewers Association, an average of 1.5 new breweries opens every day in the U.S. alone. In 2014, 13 states reached the 100-brewery milestone (along with some other great stats).

Photo Source: thedailymeal.com

Two New (Tasted) Brews

Posted on August 30, 2014 by melsmosaic

Checked out Mussel Bar in Bethesda the other day (hadn’t been since literally the day they opened) for some good beer on tap. They have quite the selection! Almost too many good ones to pick from.

Opted to first try the Oskar Blues G’Knight Imperial Red

Per the menu: “Our “Velvet M-80” is a hefty, dry hopped double-red ale with a nose full of aroma, a sticky mouthfeel, a malty middle and unctuous hop flavors. G’Knight sports a surprisingly sensuous finish for a beer of its size (8.7% ABV, 60 IBUs)…”

Very nice and smooth, not too hoppy. Great for a summer night outside. Did not taste like 8.7%…

After awhile decided to sip on another and went for Dogfish Head’s Sixty-One.

From the menu: “The name Sixty-One is a reminder that this beer is Dogfish Head’s best-selling 60 Minute IPA plus one new ingredient: syrah grape must from California. The label, painted by Sam, is a twist on a typical watercolor…”(6.5% ABV, 60 IBU)

Could definitely taste the grape in there. A bit sweet, but not overbearing. However, definitely couldn’t drink more than one of these.

Great to try these new (to me) brews. And it was a perfect night out so got to enjoy them outside. Has anybody had them or had others they can share feedback on?

Multiple Continents of Tastings

Posted on August 26, 2014 by melsmosaic

I figure since you can’t easily travel the world (time, money, etc), why not just grab a bottle of wine to check it out. So, the past few weeks I’ve explored most of the world. Between the Georgian wine I posted about recently (have some new bottles to be opened soon…) I have also checked out the following great vinos…

1) Chateau St. Jean, Pinot Noir, CA — (though this is Sonoma, think of Napa and support the locals by buying a bottle of Napa wine. They’ve had aftershocks after the big quake on Sunday.) Amazing, amazing CA Pinot — cherry and some leather. Was enjoyed with salmon.

2) Phebus, Malbec (Reserve), Mendoza, Argentina. Very nice. Berries, some chocolate. Can find it for about $10.

3) Klein Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa. Light, pineapple, peach and grass notes. Great for enjoying on a sunny afternoon or with fish or salad. And, screwtop for easy access. About $12.

4) Pfeffingen Weilberg Riesling, Germany. (Note: that site doesn’t stay in English the whole time) Nice and dry! Some stone fruit, various other amazing mineral flavors. Paired it with a pea and garlic gazpacho with grilled chicken. Perfect! It’s been in my wine rack for awhile so not sure the cost, but online I’m finding about $30.