Friday, October 5, 2012

Getting my Craft on

I like to peruse Etsy from time to time, and someone made a wreath out of wine corks. I thought it was a fabulous idea, but the one I saw was pricey, so I have been saving our corks for months and months.

Finally, I estimated that we'd saved enough (in part thanks to DiStefano in Washington, who keeps a big jug of corks in their tasting room for crafty wine snoots like me).

I got all the corks sorted by hue, from light to dark on a big mat. An undertaking unto itself!

Then I bought a styrofoam wreath form at Michael's the other day when I had a 40% off coupon. Thrifty!

Then I got out the hot glue gun.

And I started to glue corks onto the wreath.

Ran through the first glue stick quickly. So, I put another stick of hot glue in the gun.

I glued some more.

And I continued to glue.

And glue. And glue.

And I've run out of glue.

So, not only do I need to go back to Michael's for more glue sticks...

I might run out of corks.

Which I guess is the long way of saying,

Is it too early for a glass of wine?


Saturday, August 11, 2012

Wine Under the Stars

Back in July, we had the good fortune to join Kramer Vineyards' Wine Under the Stars dinner with the winemakers. What a perfect evening.

The weather was sunny and warm, but not hot, as we all gathered for a tasting and enjoyed some nice Washington state cheese. Kramer has a small vineyard near Yamhill/Gaston, with lovely views of the coast range.

After everyone had arrived, we sat down at long tables, nicely set with fresh summer flowers.

Let the games begin!

The appetizer was lightly blackened wild Pacific salmon on a bed of microgreens with an orange-pepper gastrique. It was paired with Kramer's 2009 Brut. Delish!

Kramer is one of very few Oregon winemakers making champagne-style wines.

Next came a chilled cream of asparagus soup with dungeness crab and creme fraiche. This paired very nicely with their 2010 Pinot Blanc. We were pleasantly surprised, since we're not big "white" fans. It was nice and crisp.

Our salad course consisted of heirloom tomatoes, golden roasted beets, and bocconcini on heritage greens with an apple cider vinaigrette.  This was paired with Kramer's 2011 Rose of Pinot Noir, which had strong strawberry notes and was an absolute pleasure.

They had to let it sit for longer than usual to get the beautiful color you see at right.

Next came the main entree, medallions of horseradish crusted beef tenderloin on a crispy chive mashed yukon gold potato cake with caramelized sweet onions.

Heaven!

The entree had a dual pairing: the 2009 Rebecca's Reserve pinot noir and a 2008 Merlot from Walla Walla, Washington. The pinot was nice, especially with the veggies, but the merlot held its own much better with the beef.

Dessert was a fantastic strawberry tiramisu. Kramer also roasts their own "wine country coffee", a nice medium roast with no bitterness.

A very nice evening with some great winemakers and their fans!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

2006 Famous Gate Pinot Noir

We were thinking this Famous Gate by Domaine Carneros might be nearing its end date, so we popped it open a few nights ago. It's from the Carneros region of the Napa Valley, 13.7% alcohol.

The color was a medium garnet. On the nose, it was gentle, earthy, smokey and soft, with minerals, oak, trees, and dark berries. The flavors were nice and it was dry, medium body, and nice round tannins. We tasted spice/pepper and dark red fruits (cherry, some blackberry). This pinot noir had a medium finish, and more power on the tongue than some recent pinots I've had.Would be really nice with lamb or chicken.

Domaine Carneros has a stunning, French castle-like location for tastings and nibbles, with great views.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Kah Tequila Flight


I found this tequila to be a bit on the pricey side, so shop around when you purchase this brand.  The skull bottles are very nice; each one is “hand painted”, so they should all be a little different. The bottles are also color coded: White is the Blanco, Yellow is Reposado, Black is Añejo. 

Now for the reviews:

I found the Blanco to have a light smell of chemicals and the still, and the taste was gin-like with a strong chemical burn in the nose and throat. I have to say, this tequila is my least favorite of those I've tasted in this price range.  I have had some that are much worse but they were also at a very low price point.

The Reposado was unreal; it has a nice chardonnay-like color.  Kah Reposado is 110 proof, which is about the proof of tequila straight from the still.  Some of my friends found it to be a bit rough, but those of us who drink tequila and whiskey on a more regular basis enjoyed this tequila.  The taste of Kah Reposado is slightly spicy, with hints of caramel and a finish that reminds me of vanilla and stainless steel.  Kah has a smooth baritone and an almost silky mouth feel and a decent burn on the way down.  The first smell of this tequila has a slight chemical smell to it, which goes away after a minute, leaving you with the earthy tones of the desert and a light hay smell.  Kah Reposado is tequila with strong character and some excellent flavors if you sip it. Shooting this tequila will get you drunk fast.

The Añejo from Kah is a bit more as one would expect: well-aged, dark amber in color, and smooth.  The smell is like most well-made tequilas: slightly smoky oak, with agave and hints of coffee.  The taste is what really sets this tequila apart. It has hints of stone fruit and oak, with a strong taste of the agave plant from which it came. It has a finish of citrus and a mellow burn down the throat. Kah Añejo has a full mouth feel that will leave you thinking, "yep, this is a well-crafted tequila".

As for pairings, I would match the Reposado or the Añejo with a thick, juicy steak and fried potatoes. The Reposado will also pair well with Tamales or Enchiladas.  The Añejo would do real well with a good Kansas City Barbeque.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

2009 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon

I tried this Hall cab while at the Westin Napa. It was their featured wine in the Bank Cafe & Bar, which had tasty tuna lollipops.

It has a beautiful dark cherry color with dark red fruits on the nose. Really mellow aroma, and no sting of a high alcohol content.

Nice jammy flavor, especially cherry. The tannins are strong but smooth, a really nice grab on the tongue, and lingering pepper and spice. Nice minerals and woodsiness, too. Truly wonderful, lingering cab.

Almost makes up for the valet crunching the side mirror.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Pepperwood Grove Viognier

First of all, I have to thank Alaska/Horizon for the complimentary wine. It makes screaming toddlers a little more bearable. A little. Very little.

Normally, I'd have chosen the red, but alas, they were out of (or didn't stock) the Radius Merlot on my flight. Maybe on the way home from Cali...

Pepperwood's viognier is a warm amber color.
Faint apricot on the nose, along with bright green grass and a little wood.
Tastes of peach with a slightly spicy, peppery note. Not sweet, even with the apricot favors. Instead, it's surprisingly crisp.

Probably not something I'd buy, but I could see pairing it with pork chops and a nice apple sauce or chutney.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

2005 Porter Creek Syrah

This lovely syrah comes from the Russian River Valley, which is one of my favorite areas for earthy reds.

The Porter Creek syrah has a nice dark cherry color. Aromas hint of hay and grass. We didn't decant this 2005, and the result was a tad disappointing. High acidity and very little fruit on the palate. This is definitely one to let breathe.

The tannins were full, and it felt warm and velvety with a woodsy scent. We found this syrah really brought out the pepper in our Beecher's cheese and also brought out the creaminess in our herbal Boursin.

Next time, we're decanting this baby!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Meloza Añejo Tequila review


I bought a bottle of Meloza Añejo Tequila the other week on a lark. I had never heard of it, but the price was ok and the bottle looked interesting.  Well, I was fairly impressed; Meloza has a nice smooth finish, and pleasant taste.   

The tequila itself is a light gold amber. It does not have the smell of raw alcohol, which is common of less pure tequilas.  Meloza has scents of earth and aloe, with slight hints of the barrel.  The taste is light and sweet building to a spicy burn that really feels good.  Down the throat, it reminds me of a good smooth bourbon in the even, light burn it gives.   
 
This tequila would go well with some lamb, or wild game stew.  Overall, an excellent addition to the fine tequilas at the middle of the price range.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Part Vegas re-cap, Part restaurant review, Part Wine review

Cuz that's how we roll...

We spent a week in Las Vegas earlier this month. Hubs had a conference to attend, so I tagged along, did a bit of antiquing, lots of walking, and we played tourist in the evenings. We ate out a lot, which has gotten very expensive in Vegas. Most restaurants were not worth it, but Circo (in the Bellagio) definitely was. We sort-of ended up there by default, having opted for the dinner-and-show combination to see Cirque du Soleil's "O". (We reviewed "O", "Phantom", and all our restaurants on TripAdvisor if you're planning a Vegas visit).

So, about Circo... We got there early, so had a drink in the bar before our reservation. The bartender was very friendly, and he suggested the espresso martini. It was excellent.

The recipe:
equal parts espresso,
Stoli vanilla, and
Kahlua. YUM!

For dinner, we got a table by the windows, so had a stunning view of the Bellagio fountains. Having signed up for the pre-show dinner, we had limited menu options. After deciding what we were going to order, we checked out the wine list. Yikes! To say it was extensive would be an understatement. And to top it off, some bottles were 5 figures. That's right, over $10,000 a bottle!

We picked a very modest bottle: a 2007 St. Francis Old Vine Zinfandel.

The wine had a nice plum color. The aroma reminded me of a shady oak grove on a hot summer day...berries, light oak, and it smelled of cherry with a hint of green grass. The flavor was fruit-forward (black cherry) with a slow building of pepper.

For dinner, Hubs got the salad, which was fresh and light. I got calamari with tomato sauce, which was good. The sauce brought out the sharper tannins and pepper in the wine. We both got the ravioli, which was super tasty. The wine really brought out the sweet butter of the ravioli dish.

Our desserts were tasty and a feast for the eyes. Circo's service was attentive throughout, always keeping the wine glasses full. The fountains were lovely, and it was a great start to our evening.

Just goes to show that you needn't buy a pricey bottle to enhance a fine meal!

Monday, January 2, 2012

New Year's Eve Eve Winery Tour

Happy 2012! On the eve of New Year's Eve, we decided a winery tour along Highway 47 sounded like fun. We packed up my mom and some cheeses, and headed out early. After all, it was 5 o'clock somewhere.

Our first stop was Montinore Estate on Dilley Road. The house up the hill was a stunner. I thought we might be in for a pretentious sip, but we were in for a fine start to our tour. You can either choose your own tasting of five wines or take their pre-selected flight of six. I chose the latter. Mom picked her own. Our designated driver (the hubs) was offered anything from the soda & water fridge for free.

The 2009 Pinot Gris was aromatic and crisp. The 2009 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir was bright and fruity.
The 2008 Parson's Ridge Pinot Noir was more full bodied, with berry and cedar notes.

Not part of my flight (but sampled thanks to Mom sharing), the 2008 Graham's Block 7 Pinot Noir had a cherry scent, with bolder flavor (blackberry, nuts, woodsy) than the Estate Reserve. We ordered 2 bottles.

On the sweeter side, the 2010 Borealis (a white blend) was fruity and sweet, but still bright. The 2010 Riesling Sweet Reserve had honey and citrus notes. A very sweet one. Finally, there was a port-style wine: the 2005 Ruby made from their estate Pinot Noir. Super tasty with hints of fig. We ordered one bottle of this lovely port.

Our next stop was the very unpretentious new winery called Plum Hill. We knew they were good people when we saw the doggy play area and whimsical fountain. Inside, we were greeted by a friendly yellow lab and warm, low-key service. They also had a nice gift shop with a variety of items, including the wafers and chocolates that were sampled during the tasting. I didn't keep notes for this tasting, but we did get several bottles here, too, including:
2009 Pinot Noir
2010 Riesling
2010 Pinot Gris

Next stop: Kramer Vineyards. They had an intimate tasting room, and were clearly a popular stop. This was the only tasting room where we didn't have it to ourselves. The hubs wanted to stop here on the hopes of finding a local source for sparkling wines. This was our most extensive tasting, and one I'd recommend if you like whites.
The 2009 Brut was nice and dry with a hint of lemon. Very crisp. We bought 2 bottles. The Celebrate Muller-Thurgau was ok, but the non-sparkling version was better in my opinion, and at only $10 a bottle, hard to beat. The 2009 Pinot Gris was ok, not very complex, but drinkable. The 2007 Chard Barrel Select was good for a chardonnay (I'm not normally a fan). The 2007 Estate Pinot Noir was very light, drinkable, not at all complex. We like ours to have more body. The 2007 Cardiac Hill Pinot Noir was a bit of a disappointment after learning about how and where it's planted (the steepest block in the vineyard). Perhaps with a few more years of vine development, this one will show better. The 2009 Barberra Walla Walla (locally produced in an Italian style with grapes from central Washington) was very nice, with hints of smoke. We bought a bottle of this. The 2008 Pinot Noir Port was very good, and would really highlight a rich, chocolate dessert. We bought a bottle of this. At $12/bottle, I also had to inquire about the Quad Rose. As a good brunch wine offering, we bought one bottle.

Our final stop of the day was Patton Valley Vineyard. We had been here before ~ in 2009. One new feature to the tasting room since then, and much appreciated, was the barrel at the back covered in wine glasses with sealed scents for the sniffing and/or guessing. We were the only ones there, so it was great fun to scoot back and forth between each tasting and the scents it supposedly contained. Our server (Danielle, I think) was super-nice and engaging. The real standout in the tasting was the 2009 Red Mountain Syrah. (The pinots were a bit light for us). The syrah was rich, had beautiful inky color, a nice jammy flavor and full mouth feel. Yum. We bought several bottles.

All in all, a great day. No rain, no crowds, great wines. Each stop was worthwhile!