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.

Man’s Best Friend

Posted on August 22, 2014 by melsmosaic

I get a call from a friend the other night telling me she has to put her 10-year old black lab down today. Slam! Not what I was expecting, or wanting, to hear. Needed to go over to see her, and him (the dog), man’s best friend, one last time. My friend picked up some wine to honor him — LAB. It’s a winery in Portugal and they have 2 blends, a red and a white, both screw tops. The red was fruity and had a bit of spice to it. The white was crisp and citrusy. And, both under $10. I would give you a link to the site but it’s under construction. We enjoyed this while playing with the black lab one more night. May man’s best friend rest in peace.

Wild Horses

Posted on August 17, 2014 by melsmosaic

Over the past several months I have started a part-time job as a wine taster/pourer. So, 1-2 times a week I get to go to a variety of locations and be that person who pours different wines for the customers to sample, while of course sampling them myself to be educated about them to properly inform the shoppers. It’s a win-win situation — learn more about the wine and talk to people about it! It occurred to me the other day — why don’t I write a blog about all my tastings? It has to start sometime, right?

Ok, so Friday night I was doing a tasting for Wild Horse Winery, which is located in the Central Coast of CA. Very nice, affordable wines. I had 3 varietals.

1) Wild Horse Chardonnay. Oaked, but not overkill on it. Very smooth, green apple, pear and vanilla notes. Perfect with fish. Price is around $15-$18.

2) Wild Horse Pinot Noir. Light Pinot, smooth, had both fruit and earth notes, with some mushroom in there. Pretty nice. Would pair well with salmon, grilled vegetables, chicken. Price is around $16-$20. (for some reason they don’t have this one on their site).

3) Wild Horse Chardonnay. Hello happiness, where have you been? The body, the flavor…cherry, berry, cocao. WOW! Wow. Go find one, buy it, open it, drink it. Would be great served with a pizza made on the grill or some steak.

If you go pick any of these up or have had them in the past, let me know what you think. Cheers!

Georgia on my Mind

Posted on August 14, 2014 by melsmosaic

When you read the title, is this the first thing that pops into your head?

Well, Ray Charles, while you’re thinking about a lady, I am exploring the world. Some people equate Georgia to peaches. Last night I equated it to grapes. And I’m talking about jumping across the Atlantic to a new country and trying some very unique new wine, not just simple fruit.

First, we likely know where the state of GA is but can we pinpoint the country? Crash course:

Until a few weeks ago I had never heard of Georgian wine. Apparently, Georgia is about the oldest wine region in the world. It’s where the world’s first grapevines were cultivated, oh, some 8,000 years ago. But who’s counting? They have about half a dozen key wine regions in the country.

Last night my first sampling form the country was Teliani Valley Saperavi. It was about $10 bottle from Total Wine in VA. The nose has leather and smoke. When drinking it, medium body, with some light fruit notes. Just very, very unique. For ten bucks, totally worth it. There were several others at the store, about $5 more, so will have to check them out.

If you’ve had Georgian wine(s), please share your thoughts! Would love to hear what you think about them.

What (wine) do you have on tap?

Posted on August 10, 2014 by melsmosaic

There is a great pizza place in DC that has expanded and now has several locations — Matchbox. I’ve been to the one in Merrifield/Mosaic District recently.

Before enjoying their delicious pizza, I had to try their wine on tap. It’s not available at a lot of restaurant so I couldn’t turn it down. I scanned the menu and it was a tough decision. Hot as heck outside, freezing cold AC inside.

I opted for the Gotham Project Zin. Nice nose all around. Fruity, very fun for a wine on tap.

My friend arrived later and we were ordering some nice pizza and we opted for a white to accompany a prosciutto and fig pizza. We opted for a white on tap. We went with the Tangent Sauvignon Blanc. Very fruity and fresh, perfect for the meal.

Such a fun new way to enjoy wine. Can’t say that it was than much different than a normal glass, but simple changes and simple pleasures!

Confessions of a wine (buying) addict; 10 signs you may have a problem

Posted on August 5, 2014 by melsmosaic

Great post about wine lovers from The Wine Wankers.

Confessions of a wine (buying) addict; 10 signs you may have a problem.

Zuch and shrimp and peas and corn

Posted on August 4, 2014 by melsmosaic

…and SO good! Last weekend I caught up with a friend I hadn’t seen for 14 years and we both love to cook, so we had to make some good stuff. Well, I sifted through tons of recipes that I’d been wanting to make and decided on one from a recent issue of Health Magazine. It was actually pretty easy to make, but packed with flavor! So, the main dish of the night was Zucchini ‘Pasta’ with Shrimp.

Ingredients

4 large zucchini (about 2 1/2 lb.) — why weigh the stuff? that would make it right/be too easy
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound large shrimp (about 22), peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper
2 cups fresh corn kernels — I heard the freezer calling!
1 1/2 cups fresh peas — and that freezer called right back!
1/2 cup dry white wine — some people reading this blog are laughing at dry white wine. You just add water, right? I just went with the bottle that was open in the fridge, as I normally do.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter — because of my lactose issues, I used olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup torn fresh basil

Prep

1. Using a vegetable peeler, shave sides of zucchini to create ribbons (discard peel), turning zucchini once you hit seedy core.

2. In a deep, heavy 12-inch skillet, warm oil over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and cook, turning often, until just pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Add corn and peas to skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add zucchini and wine. (Don’t worry about crowding skillet; zucchini will wilt.)

Cook, tossing with tongs, until zucchini is crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add butter (or oil) and continue tossing until all vegetables are tender, about 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, until shrimp are warmed through, about 1 minute more.

Remove skillet from heat. Stir in lemon juice and basil, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Prior to this we enjoyed some great figs with goat cheese, prosciutto and honey.

The food was all enjoyed with some of my favorite Oregon wines — Sokol Blosser (Pinot Noir) Rose and Penner Ash Pinot Noir. Such a rough night!

Chocolate and wine…combined

Posted on August 1, 2014 by melsmosaic

Office, client visit, who happens to be a doctor, thoughtful gift brought from a trip to California. What does it reveal…WINE. What does it next reveal…some kind of heavenly trouble. It’s a good thing doctors tell you wine and dark chocolate have antioxidants, that they’re good for you and all that other jargon because wow, this was a drug in a bottle. What did we get? An innocent (bottle of) chocolate bar by Riboli Wines/San Antonio Winery — (NOT in TX).

It’s on the dessert-side of wine. Sort of port-like. It’s 18% alcohol, so enjoy this as dessert…maybe paired with some angel food cake, strawberries or raspberries. You can only snag it at the winery proper in CA. So if you’re out there, pick up a bottle. Because, going back to do some research on their website, they don’t even list it on there! They only list a Cab.

Some nights…

Posted on July 16, 2014 by melsmosaic

Some nights call for a good wine to numb a long day. I always try to keep my (wine) glass at least half full, but had to shake my head when I was having problems getting it open to even fill it to that point! Really? I am just glad this made me laugh. While opting for a white on this beautiful evening, I (attempted) to open a bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay and the cork split. AHH! Give me my wine! No, it didn’t take long to fix the error, but still. At least good things come to those who wait. Now I am enjoying some yeasty, citrus-y, toasty, oaked California Chard (with a few cork sprinkles). I am not normally a big fan of oaked Chard, but there are some that hold a place in my heart.

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.