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.

Rioja

Posted on April 10, 2015 by melsmosaic

Popped open a new bottle of Rioja last night that I found in my wine rack. Don’t know when I bought it or if I knew why I bought it. It was Vivanco Rioja Reserva 2008. Wow…very nice. The nose had light oak on it. The wine itself had some fruit — I got cherries and strawberries, and a bit of spice. I saw on the label that I had scribbled $24. DIdn’t see that before I opened it, just to have a glass of wine with a weekday dinner. Oh well, definitely worth it.

Bring me my wine!

Posted on June 20, 2014 by melsmosaic

Over the past couple weeks, I have tasted some amazing new wines that I’m finally writing about. They were great and I just want somebody to bring me more! Or, I suppose I could just go to the store and buy some.

#1 Duetorri Pinot Noir. Italy. Nice and fruity — cherries! Mild tannins, light. Affordable, too — about $10-$12/bottle.

#2 Sarah’s Vineyard Pinot Noir. Central Coast, CA. Just amazing, amazing tastes. That’s all that needs to be said. About $30/bottle.

#3 Antiche Tradizione Lambrusco Rosso IGP Sparkling Red. Italy. Love finding sparkling reds. Just a good bubbly to have, could also pair it with a salad with grilled meat. Can’t find the actual site with the info on it or more price info, but it was $10/glass.

#4 Franciscan Estate Merlot. Napa Valley, CA. This DID NOT take like a Merlot in the least. I don’t particularly enjoy Merlot and I would never have said that’s what this is. I would have claimed it as a Pinot. Dang! This one is about $25/bottle.

Have a great weekend of wine and please share any new ones you find and love!

Saturday Wine Tasting

Posted on March 4, 2014 by melsmosaic

I checked out a great wine tasting on Saturday and some of the wines made it home — can never go wrong with that. It was at Wine Cellars of Annapolis and the theme/title was Value Imports from Vintus Wines. We suffered through 3 whites and 3 reds from a total of 4 countries.

2012 Talmard Macon-Chardonnay, Burgundy, France

Per the cheat sheet: Gerald and Philbert Talmard are a father son team carrying on a four century family tradition of grape growing in the French village of Chardonnay, believed to have given the grape its name. The vines are planted in calcareous soil, which provides the wine with a particular mineral characteristic along with fruity aromas. This wine is luscious, showing scents and flavor of butterscotch, honey and lemon with a distinct mineral taste on the finish. $14.99

My notes: Dry Chard (score!), with some butter at the end. Unique in the sense that you wonder how it’s a Chard then voila! There it is right at the finish.

2010 Domaine Des Baumard Savennieres, Loire Valley, France (if you want to check out their true site, here it is, in French obviously — www.baumard.fr)

Per the cheat sheet: “This is perfectly balanced dry Chenin. It had just the amount of richness, aided by a touch of vanilla. The green and white fruit are blended with deceptively soft acidity to give a wine that feels full and ripe in the mouth. Good to drink now, but also worth aging 3-4 years and more.” 93 points Wine Enthusiast $26.99

My notes: Too sweet for me.

2013 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand

Per the cheat sheet: “This is powerful and rich with a reserve and tension. Full and layered with beautiful dried fruits and a bright acidity. Dried apricots and lemons. Lots going on. Loving it. Turns to aniseed and dried lemons.” – James Suckling $22.99

My notes: AMAZING smell — grapefruit, mango. But, the taste doesn’t match the nose.

2011 Tommasi Valpolicella “Rafael”, Veneto, Italy

60% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella, 15% Molinara

Per the cheat sheet: This classic Valpolicella is full of dried-cherry flavor with a hint of smoke and grilled meat on the nose. Offering loads of bold fresh cherries on the palate and a core of mouth-watering acidity in the background behind all the bright cherry fruit. Tart dried cherries and a whiff of smoke linger in a long finish. $16.99

My notes: Cherry, smooth, light but still has body, cranberry. Big stars on my piece of paper. Left with a few bottles — and enjoyed it 1while watching the Red Carpet and Oscars on Sunday.

2010 Heartland Shiraz, Langhorne Creek, Limestone Coast, Australia

Made by star winemaker Ben Glaetzer, this deliciously dark and rich Shiraz has hints of chocolate, pepper and tobacco leaf on the nose. Plums, blackcurrant and spice flavors abound on the palate and are perfectly balanced by fine supple tannins. $19.99

My notes: Coffee, smoke, amazing, light acid taste, will get some soon.

2009 Chatean Lyonnat Lussac Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France

Per the cheat sheet: “Firm, richly dark wine from the Saint-Emilion satellite village of Lassac, with chocolate and coffee flavor, layers of wood and spice. It is packed with ripe plum and black cherry fruits, weighty and already concentrated.” 90 Points Wine Enthusiast $24.99

My notes: Light wine, taste of ‘wet rocks’ — we know exactly what those taste like, right? So funny who we know the taste of random things.

Overall, some great new finds!

Italian Find

Posted on February 6, 2014 by melsmosaic

I will admit, I lean hard towards new world wines. I have no problem with others but don’t seek them out. Had some friends over recently who brought a nice Italian vino and wow, that is what reminded me I need to remember where wine started. We enjoyed Savuto Odoardi, which is a blend of Gaglioppo, Greco Nero, Nerello Cappuccio, Magliocco Canino and Sangiovese. Just great tastes all around, and it didn’t even breathe much. Looking online, retails for $13-$18, depending on where you live.

Koper Pennie Wortel Slaai (Copper Penny Carrot Salad)

Posted on January 19, 2014 by melsmosaic

Last week I had my monthly supper club and the theme was Food From a Place You Want to Visit/Love to Visit. South Africa is on my (near future) itinerary so I did some searching for a dish from there. I finally decided on Koper Pennie Wortel Slaai (Copper Penny Carrot Salad). It’s fresh veggies and quite the ‘dressing’.

Ingredients:

Salad

1 kg Carrots
3 Onions (I used white)
3 Green Chillies or if you prefer Green Pepper (I did that — nice green bell peppers)

Sauce/Dressing (note — I did some major amount adjustments to these)

250ml water
1 packet of tomato cream soup (I used a can of tomato soup because of lactose intolerance, so eliminated the aforementioned water)
200 ml Vinegar – used about 2 tbsp white vinegar
250 ml Sugar — used about 2-3 tsp
125 ml Oil — used about 1/4 cup olive oil
10 ml Worcester Sauce — used about 1 tsp
7 ml Mustard — used about 1 tsp

To make:

Cut carrots and onions into rings. Boil carrots 15 minutes with a little salt. During the last 6 minutes, add the onions.

Dice green peppers or chillies. Add carrots, onions and chillies or green peppers in a low bowl. (Remember not to use stainless steel bowl, as it will cause a reaction due to acidity).

For the sauce/dressing, combine all ingredients and bring to boil for about 5 minutes.

Pour hot sauce over the vegetables. Refrigerate for at least one day. Enjoy!

For the balance of the meal, some food came from Italy with a Tuscan Bean soup, the Southwest with some great spicy beans, Northern Africa with some Moroccan Chicken. Delicious all around!

Wine Recap

Posted on January 19, 2014 by melsmosaic

Over the past month, I’ve had a nice spread of new wines that I’m finally getting around to posting about. From red to white to bubbly, I love trying new happy grapes to add options to my wine rack.

#1 — Fire Road Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand. Citrus, apple, crisp, light, but still a nice weight to it. Price seems to range from $10-$16/bottle (when looking online).

#2 — Oakley Eighty-Two, California Red Wine. Who makes this one? One of my favorite vintners — Cline. Nice red blend that’s a bit heavier (jammy) and can pair with about anything. Great to have on hand to open and serve (or drink) whenever needed. Price is about $10-$12/bottle.

#3 — Diseno Old Vine Malbec, Argentina. Fruit and spice can make a wine so nice. Price is $8-$10.

#4 — Bleasdale Vineyards Sparkling Shiraz, Australia. I seek out sparkling reds. This one is better than some but a bit sweet. Was drinking it on New Year’s Day, though, so very fun for the occasion. Definitely worth trying. Price is $16-$20. Note, the picture in the link is different than the one below, they might have changed the bottle/label.

#5 — Alvarez de Toledo Roble, Spain. Just a nice red wine. I was at a friend’s place for dinner and it was out and it was so nice. Doing some searching looks like it’s about $8-$10 bottle.

Wente Chardonnay, Livermore Valley, California. Some apple, some tropical fruit. Aged in both barrels and stainless steel tanks it’s a very unique wine. Definitely a Chard I’ll add to my list. About $12-$14.

#6 — Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz, Australia. Berries, a hint of chocolate and smoke and a bit of pepper. Very nice. About $20-$25.

Wine Class #4

Posted on November 15, 2013 by melsmosaic

I posted about my first couple wine classes and got lost in a shuffle and wasn’t able to share the next couple. I am indeed posting about #4 here (will backtrack to 3 eventually). In class 4, we learned about ‘other’ varietals, spending a lot of time in Italy. Some good, fun stuff to take home:

-DOC — great wine, DOCG — AWESOME wine, in layman’s terms

-Trebbiano is almost all bulk and per our instructor is boring²

-Barbera is just a fun wine

-Zinfandel producers are renagades

Our tastings for the night:

1) 2012 Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio, Dolomiti, Italy, about $20