Month: April 2017

Hi All. I hope you have had a great weekend and survived whatever weather you encountered. I think this particular wine is fitting given it is made up of four different grapes. This represents the four different weather patterns you might see in a given day in Texas. The 2013 Ferrari-Carano Siena Sonoma County Red Wine was a suggestion from my friend, Stayce.  It is a blend of Sangiovese, Malbec, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The label states you will encounter hints of cherry and cola. I did taste the cherry and, yes, a slight hint of cola. I even caught an essence of spice – maybe cinnamon or nutmeg. I liked this wine because the cherry wasn’t too fruitful. I know I might have thrown you off with the cola reference, but it is very faint and blends nicely. Think Slurpee, only better and with antioxidants. I don’t know that it would stand up very well to steak or a heartier meal, but is just a good red drinking wine. You can find it at most grocery stores for around $19 to $20 per bottle. Enjoy your week!

Hi All! I hope you have had an excellent week and weekend. I’m going to step out from blogging about drinking wine. I’m going to blog about growing the grapes that make the wine. My friends, Danna and John, started a vineyard in Anna, Texas. John and Danna have taken courses and done a lot of study on growing grapes. They also had their soil tested to ensure it could grow grapes. They planted 408 Syrah grapevines and I had the opportunity to help plant over Easter weekend. We planted each grapevine into 18 inch pre-dug holes and then slowly pulled them to the surface so the roots could then point downward. It was a time-consuming effort for sure and one that takes a lot of patience. I barely have enough patience to let a wine decant, so this was a struggle. However, I had a good time planting with some very good people. I even encountered a small tarantula and only uttered a mild expletive or two as I used my NFL draft-worthy quickness to jump out of the way. My speed and agility are only at that level in the midst of a large arachnid presence or in the midst of pouring a great wine. I can’t wait for when those grapevines produce their first harvest. I’ll keep you all posted on the progress. I look forward to it and wish the best of luck to Danna and John of Sister Grove Winery!

Hi All! One more day until the weekend and a great couple of days of sunshine here in D/FW. I was trolling the wine aisle at Kroger (don’t judge) and came upon the  2015 Thor’s Well Devil’s Churn Pinot Noir from Oregon. The winery was named after Thor’s Well, which is a part of Cape Perpetua, a headland that extends out into the Pacific Ocean. It is located off of Oregon’s coast. Jets of water are forced into the air from the power of the ocean tide and waves at Thor’s Well. That was enough back story for me to buy this wine. Thor’s Well is one of God’s natural gifts and is really exciting to see (at least on video). Thor’s Well, the Pinot Noir, is not so exciting to taste. You smell notes of a berry jam, but that doesn’t really depict the taste. There was a slight sulfur and mineral taste to this wine and then…not a lot after that. I tried it with salty, rich, sweet and even mild foods, but nothing really worked. I was somewhat disappointed by this wine after having witnessed a video of its namesake. Perhaps the name should be Thor’s Shallow Ditch because it didn’t have a lot of depth. I would recommend going to see Thor’s Well, but not sure I’d recommend drinking Thor’s Well wine. If you are interested, you can find it for approximately $17 per bottle. Have a great rest of the week and weekend!

http://www.amazingplacesonearth.com/thors-well-usa/