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Hi All. I hope you’ve had a fantastic week and that your Valentines Day was spent with a person or people you love. Today is National Drink Wine Day! I thought that was every day that ended in “y”, but if we must drink it today then I will. I’m all about old and new traditions. The website is nationaldrinkwineday.org for reference. Let’s try a 2014 Chateau St. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon to celebrate. The nose was fruit forward so I was concerned it would taste too fruity. It really had a nice blend of currant and maybe plum against a slight cocoa taste. It was a medium Cab and lingered just a little on the tongue. I tried it with spaghetti and meatballs and it stood up pretty well. It wasn’t very oaky, so if you’re looking for a medium Cab then this would be a good choice. You can find it at most grocery stores for around $14.00 per bottle. Enjoy National Drink Wine Day…I will.

http://nationaldrinkwineday.org/

Hi All. I hope you’ve had a fantastic week. There is a saying that I appreciate and sometimes need to remind myself to live by. The saying is “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”. You’re wondering if I’m about to get real here. I’m not. I’m bringing it all back to wine. I decided to step out of the norm and purchase a box wine. That’s right…I did not purchase wine in a glass bottle with a cork or even screw cap. I bought a carton of 2015 Black Box Chardonnay. Yes, it is very different to use the word “carton” when referring to the receptacle of my wine product. This particular Chardonnay had hints of melon and mango. It was a light to medium Chardonnay. Black Box’s description said that it had a long finish and had hints of oak. It didn’t have a long finish and just a very slight hint of oak, so I don’t really agree with their assessment there. I did try it with chicken, cheese and bread. It will need to be paired with milder items as it didn’t stand up well to a sharp or rich food. This is a pretty good Chardonnay if you’re just looking to drink a glass of it on its own or pair it with lighter foods. I compared it to a Kendall Jackson Chardonnay and, honestly, prefer the Kendall Jackson. However, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Court was in session and Judge Mental was presiding, but overall the defendant made a good case. You can find Black Box in most grocery stores. This was the 500ml box which is a three glass serving (or two-ish glasses if you’re me) and was $4.00. Have a great weekend!

Hello All – I hope everyone has had a great week. I’m reviewing the 2014 Terrazas Malbec. This is an Argentinian wine from the Las Compuertas and Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley in the Andes mountain range area. This has a very peppery start with a medium finish. This wine was fermented in oak barrels and you do taste a hint of that. The description says it is a velvety finish and I would agree. It goes well with sharp cheddar cheese, spicy foods and rich meats. Terrazas does not go well with Snickerdoodle cookies, but that was a wayward entry. My experiments are not always in a controlled setting. I enjoyed this wine and would recommend it. You can find in most grocery stores for around $20 per bottle. Enjoy the Super Bowl – or at least the food, commercials, and parties. Have a great weekend!

 

Hi All. I hope you have had a great week. We’re going into the weekend and Inauguration Day. That’s all I’m going to say about that. The most dramatic debate on this blog should be white or red. My sister, Jenna, suggested I try The Federalist. This is their 2014 vintage. The Federalist is a Red Blend made up of Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Not only is it a variety of varietals, it is a blend of grapes from Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties in California. I think The Federalist is an appropriate name – it brings it all together under one nation…er…cork. I smelled earthy undertones like mushrooms and a slight tobacco essence. Right now, you’re questioning my judgment, but I’m getting there. I also tasted dark cherry and plum with a slight essence of nutmeg. It ended in a slight hint of cocoa. This tapestry of wine tastes represents America! Cue patriotic music. It pairs well with smoked gouda and mild to medium cheeses as well with chicken or meat. It didn’t pair well with sharper cheeses. I enjoyed this wine and thank my sister for introducing me to it. You can find it in grocery stores or at Total Wines for about $16 per bottle. Have a great weekend!

Hi All. I hope you all had a great weekend. I myself am blue…and green with envy at the same time. Good Cowboys/Packers game though. Today’s wine review has me going back to my agricultural roots. I am on fire with the play on words today. I tried the 2016 Governors Bay Sauvignon Blanc. It is from New Zealand where they can make some great wines. I do not drink a lot of Sauvignon Blancs as they are usually too light. This was interesting. I smelled hints of celery and fresh-growing tomatoes (I know..kinda weird). I then tasted grass and hay with just a slight essence of that melon and a pungency. I felt one with the earth in drinking this wine but not sure that I wanted to. Call me a Hayseed from Lubbock, but I was not a fan of this $14ish bottle of wine. On that pungent and earthy note, have a good week.

Hi All. It has been a good week, but really cold after being 70 degrees earlier this week. That brings me to my next wine. It is the 2014 Sterling Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. You are probably wondering how that weather to wine transition really worked…yeah it didn’t other than the fact that I drink more red wine in the winter. Sterling Cabernet is a consistent wine. It is a relatively bold Cabernet with a long finish, but isn’t so tannin rich that it leaves weight on your tongue. It has slight plum and, to me, tobacco undertones, but it works well in this wine. I’m not sure if what I just wrote is worthy of Wine Spectator or a Craig’s List ad, but I think it’s brilliant. This is a pretty good Cabernet and would recommend it. You can find it at most grocery stores for around $12-$13 per bottle. Have a great week and weekend. Stay warm!

Hi All – It’s been a while, but I’m back. We’re coming upon the New Year and I’m looking forward to it. I have a few reasons to celebrate as my mom is getting healthier and I have great family and friends. I’m blessed. I thought this would be an ideal time to review some sparkling wines. Note that these are not champagnes as they are not from grapes in the Champagne region of France. That is a distinction here. I tried three different sparkling wines in order to compare tastes. The first was Martini and Rossi Asti Spumante. This is a sweet sparkling wine made from Italian Moscato grapes. It is along the lines of a Moscato’s sweetness with some hint of pear. It wasn’t my cup of tea, but for those who do like a sweeter sparkling wine, you’d enjoy it. You can find it in many grocery stores for around $12.00 per bottle. The second was Korbel Brut California Champagne (they named champagne, I didn’t). Brut is, by its name, a dry sparkling wine. This was very dry – even more than I’d thought. The description states it has flavors of light citrus and baked apple, but I didn’t taste that at all. In fact, I didn’t taste much of anything even after pairing with raspberries and cheese. This might be a good sparkling wine for use in Mimosas or, even better, Bellini’s, because it was so dry. However, it wasn’t my cup of tea either. I’m beginning to sound like Goldilocks here. You can find it in most grocery stores for around $13.00 per bottle. The third, and final, sparkling wine was Mumm Napa Brut Prestige. This was just right…for me. It is a Brut, but was not nearly as dry as Korbel. It had just a slight sweetness to it and flavors of apple, melon and maybe even pear. I did enjoy this one. You can find it in most grocery stores for $20.00 or so. For those of you expecting a review of Cristal or Dom Perignon, you’ll have to see what Kim Kardashian puts out on Twitter for a review. Her bank account, along with some of her other assets, is much larger than mine. On that note, have a great, safe New Year’s. Wishing you all a great 2017!

Hi All. I hope you have kept warm this week! I tend to drink more red wine in colder weather. I decided to try a 2014 Argyle Pinot Noir. It is from the Willamette Valley area in Oregon where they are known to grow some great Pinot Noir. It is a light, red wine in color and in taste. It doesn’t have that peppery Pinot taste like others do. It isn’t bold, but rather smooth, perhaps silky, as it advertises. It has black cherry tones to it. The description says it builds intensity on the back end, but I didn’t get that. Argyle is the most appropriate name for it. It reminds me of a conservative pair of argyle socks. The socks complement the outfit well, but you don’t remember them in particular. This wine would be a good red if you are new to reds. It isn’t a sharp or bold red, but a nice introduction red. Enjoy it with some lighter cheeses, nuts and meats. You can find it at Total Wines and some grocery stores for around $20 per bottle. Whatever you do this weekend, stay warm and enjoy it!

 

Hi All. I hope it has been a good week for you. I spent the earlier part of the week eating leftovers, feeling guilty, and then eating more leftovers to make myself feel better. I figured I’d go with a lighter wine this week, so picked a mild white wine. This wine doesn’t have fewer calories or sugars, but it looks lighter so I feel better about the decision. I tried a 2015 Martin Ray Russian River Valley Chardonnay. It is a lighter Chardonnay and is not really oaky. It has light melon, kiwi and peach tones to it. It has a slight acidity too it as well. That acidity translates to me as a slight effervescence. It is almost like a sparkling wine, but very faint. That’s just me. Note that I’ve overdosed on Thanksgiving leftovers, so not sure I’m qualified to blog about wine this week. I should have made this a blog about pie as I’m an expert on that now. Nonetheless, this 2015 Martin Ray is a good Chardonnay if you don’t like a heavy Chardonnay. It is refreshing. You can find it at Total Wines for around $10 per bottle. Have a great weekend!

Hi All. We have a great week for giving thanks. I wanted to provide a few picks from previous postings plus an extra or two in case you needed to pick up a great white or red at the grocery store in a mad rush to cook Thanksgiving dinner or get to your family’s or friend’s houses.

Chardonnay: I’m a fan of Chardonnay as a white wine for Thanksgiving primarily due to the stronger tastes of the main course and sides and the need to pair the meal appropriately. You can find a Harken Chardonnay at Market Street for around $15 per bottle. It has a slight oakiness, but does have some solid buttery notes. A slightly more expensive choice would be the 2014 Sonoma Cutrer at $20 per bottle – you can find that in most grocery stores. It is slightly oakier and stronger, so would also do well against a sharper meal. If all else fails, Kendall Jackson Chardonnay (not the Reserve though – not worth the higher price) is, and always has been, a great staple at around $11 per bottle. If I ever had a child, I might name them Kendall or Jackson. I most likely wouldn’t name them Chardonnay.