Norman

After our tasting at Opolo, we headed to Norman Vineyards where our friend Wally must have looked like a giant hunk of flounder because the winery cat fell in love with him. You can see her adoring gaze. She walked around him and rubbed against him.
Anyway, the wines? Yes. 

Norman is known for their "big" wines, bold and fruity reds, especially their "Monster" Zinfandel. Wine Snob Hubby is a big fan and he said the wines lived up to his expectations.
I enjoyed the Nonsense White. It was light, which is what I look for in a summer white.

Opolo

We took a trip to the California Central Coast recently and our first stop was Opolo Vineyards. I knew Wine Snob Hubby enjoyed their zinfandel and I'd been told that we'd visited the tasting room before but I couldn't remember it. Thankfully, as soon as I saw the building I remembered being there. Whew!
We had a great server at the tasting room bar. She was fun and she knew her wine. We ended up joining their club. Last night we opened the first of our membership wines, an Albarino, and shared it with friends.

It's a crisp white, somewhere between a sauvignon blanc and a chardonnay. The official description says, "Delicate floral aromas on the nose bring to mind dew covered wildflowers combines with sweeter notes of peaches and apricots. Light acidity and a subtle effervescence on the finish give this wine a freshness that pairs perfectly with grilled seafood and lighter aperitifs."

I found "dew covered wildflowers" to be a bit of a stretch but I did taste the peach freshness and enjoyed it as much as an after dinner drink as an aperitif.

Girls Trip

     Last week I was blessed to go on a getaway with four girlfriends. We went to a condo in a resort town and had a spa day at a local hotel. It was amazing.

Click here to see pictures of the spa. Ah. May. Zing.

Anyway, we also each brought 1-3 bottles of wine to share.

The birthday girl brought this white blend, kitchen sink.

I really enjoyed it. We had it by itself, so there was no cheese to elevate the taste and no food to enhance.

Turns out, the kitchen sink can stand on its own just fine.

I really enjoyed the light and crisp flavor. There was citrus with a hint of something … maybe grassy? Obviously, I need to update my wine tasting vocabulary. But, in the meantime, I’ll be keeping my eyes open for more kitchen sink. I went to my local BevMo but couldn’t find it. They were pretty busy, so next time I’m in, I’ll ask someone.

It’s definitely worth another taste. I’ll give the red a try too.

Black Box Chardonnay

We were invited to a friend’s home the other night for elk burgers.

They were delicious. Pink and tender and juicy. Not beef, but very good. Not wild and “gamy,” just an excellent burger.

We’d brought a bottle of Cupcake Chardonnay, but our hostess had some Black Box Chardonnay ready to pour.

I was impressed. I had a glass with the chips and salsa and it went really well with the nutty flavors of the chips and it seemed to even out the salsa’s heat. I tasted citrus and maybe a hint of pineapple. Then we moved on to grilled veggies. I lost the citrus and pineapple flavors, but the wine stayed smooth. It never felt harsh on my palate. It didn’t have much left to stand up against the elk with. It didn’t detract from the burger, but it didn’t bring anything to the party either.

All in all, I’d have it again. I’d serve it with appetizers and a salad course, then move on to something else for the entrée. Although I’d like to have this again with chicken to see how it handles itself with poultry. Maybe the elk was just too much to face. I know how it feels. I’ve been wrestling with computer issues all day.

In fact, I should go find a glass of something and quit wrestling and call it a day. Much like the wine did when faced with a juicy elk burger.

Monkey Bay

 

When I couldn’t find Pidgin Bay or Kono Sauvignon Blanc, I tried the Monkey Bay.

It was just okay.

It didn’t have the slight effervescence of the Kono. It did have the light and crisp notes I like in a Sauvignon Blanc, but it wasn’t quite there.

I’d have it again, but only if there was no Kono. Which I hope will never happen again. I’ll be stocking up when I see it at Trader Joe’s again.

Seaching for New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs

I went back to Trader Joes for more of that lovely Kono.

Yep. Gone. The tag was on the shelf but that was it.

I headed to BevMo.

No Kono.

I bought a Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc.

I’ll let you know…

Beringer: Gateway Wine

Beringer White Zinfandel was my gateway wine. It’s all I drank. For years. I didn’t matter the menu, if the entrée was chicken or beef or elk. If I had a glass of wine, it was Beringer’s White Zin.

I’ve come a little way since then.

   I still prefer light and fruity to musty. But the white zin has gotten too sweet for my palate.

   Someone, I’m not sure if it was me or Wine Snob Hubby, had put a bottle of Beringer Chardonnay in the wine fridge and it migrated to the big girl fridge. I opened it last night.

    I’d been gone all day, driving to the coast and back, to visit a friend. I got home to a house without electricity. The outside temperature was 101. Panic ensued. What if the power didn’t come back? I’d have to take the dog and the cat and find shelter elsewhere.

I poured a glass of wine while I waited and considered my options.

I wasn’t hungry so I had glass number one by itself.

I’m a big chardonnay fan so I have to say I was disappointed with the Beringer Chardonnay. It was harsh, almost astringent along the sides of my tongue.

The power came back on. The A/C clicked on. I had a glass of wine. Life was good once more.

I decided to try the chardonnay with food. I heated up some leftover rice pilaf and tried again.

The food did cut the acidity, but it still felt and tasted too harsh.

I’ll try another glass tonight. We’re having lamb, so stay tuned!

Salmon Eating in the South Land*

 

* as opposed to Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

We were invited to a delightful dinner party last weekend in Southern California.

On the menu:

• Grilled Salmon
• Brown and wild rice pilaf
• Award winning Bleu cheese coleslaw

The foodies and … winies? (that doesn’t sound right, but it’s better than winers and winos, I guess) pronounced the above three bottles the proper pairings. Pinot noir is often excellent with salmon and both the Zinnia and Le Cuvier pinots were very good, but the Le Cuvier was the winner with smooth flavors that enhanced the smoked butteriness of the salmon and the rice. The Thacher blend, Controlled Chaos, was also praised as an excellent blend that paired nicely with the nuttiness of the pilaf.

We’ve visited the Le Cuvier winery in Paso Robles and loved the wines. We were there on a special weekend and they offered several pairings with food from local restaurants. The matings were excellent and we still talk about them, two and a half years later. We didn’t buy any wine though, because, as good as they were, they seemed overpriced. I understand the Le Cuvier tasting room has moved closer to Paso and we’re planning a trip in that direction in about six weeks. I’d like to stop by and see the new place. I don’t expect the prices to have come down but I would like to see if the wines are as good as we remember.

I'm Baaaack!

Bet you thought I'd died. Or at least was passed out under an azalea bush.

Nope.

Just busy with life and writing and kids and grandkids and lots of projects that I've come to realize will never be finished.

So, I'm planning to post here at least once a week.

My husband is getting ready to retire and he plans to pursue his food and wine hobbies more industriously. Which means more tastings for me and more wines to write about and more blog posts. I think it's called a win/win.

We had a very busy weekend. We had dinner with friends both Saturday and Sunday evenings.

When we were buying wine a few weeks ago, I had a hankering for Pacific Rim Dry Riesling. Of course Trader Joes didn't have it. The gal in the wine department was sure I wanted a Riesling and she kept pointing at wines she thought were contenders for a good "dryish" Riesling. I let her persuade me to try an Austrian bottle.

Thumbs Down.

Too sweet. Not a dry Riesling at all. (I didn't save the label or the bottle or anything, so I'm doomed to buy it again, try it, do a palm-to-forehead slap, say, "That's the one I didn't like!" When I do, I'll pass on the name).

Her second recommendation was much better.

She asked if I like New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. I forgot about the Pidgin Bay in one my earlier posts and I mentioned Kim Crawford. She recommended Kono. 

It was delightful. Crisp, refreshing, but not tongue-puckering dry. I would definitely buy it again. I don't remember the price, but it was at TJ's and not expensive. The clerk mentioned that it was cheaper than the Kim Crawford.

I will buy it again, but I will also keep my eyes open for the Pidgin Bay I reviewed a while back. I love to do a comparison between them.

Pinot Noir Tasting

We did another blind tasting with some friends over cheese and crackers.

This time: Pinot Noir

#1-- La Crema 2008 -- Lots of berry flavors. Young. Will be nice in a couple more years. We've never met a La Crema we didn't like. Never. Ever. This one is promising and looks to be up to their usual excellent standards.

#2 -- Coppola 2008 -- Young. No nose. But lots of full berry flavors. This was the favorite and the first emptied.

#3 --Isley Valley 2008 -- Blah. No one thought much of it.

Random Notes

I have not been faithful about posting as often as I should to get these thoughts down while they're still fresh.
So I'm left with some random notes I made.
Here are a few:
Redwood Canyon Chardonnay - I am a Chardonnay lover, so you have to keep that in mind. This had a strong citrus finish and I prefer citrus in my Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. I like my Chardonnays buttery and oaky.
I looked for a link and it appears Redwood Canyon is the unacknowledged half-sibling from Frei Brothers. I'd skip this one and the only other mention I found online agreed with me. Strongly.

Page Hill Cabernet Sauvignon - This must also be some big winery's illegitamate offspring because I can't find any information. I do tend to buy cheap wines and that's probably why. I felt this one was a bit thin on the palate, but it had rich berry flavors. It really came alive when it was paired with red meat. Wine Snob Hubby loved it and he wants to buy more, but since we don't remember where we got it and can't find any info online, I guess we're out of luck.

Villa Sonia Pinot Grigio - I found it crisp and refreshing but again, I can't find where to buy it or where it came from. I buy most of my cheap wine at Trader Joes, so that's a likely place to look for it again.

Sauvignon Blanc Tasting

While having appetizers with friends recently, Wine Snob Friend Tom pulled out three Sauvignon Blancs and we did a tasting. All three were New Zealand wines. The tasting was blind.

The comments are from all of us.

#1 -- Pidgin Bay, 2009. I liked this one a lot. It had a sparkly beginning on the tongue, almost like a sparkling wine or Champagne. Strong citrus notes on the finish. (This is what I wrote down but I can't find a link or any winery in NZ named Pidgin Bay, so either I wrote it down wrong or I'm keeping the buying info to myself).

#2 --King Shag. No one cared much for this one. It had little flavor, little interest, and was met with shrugs.

#3 -- Kim Crawford, Marlborough New Zealand. Very nice. Almost the opposite of the Pidgin Bay. With the Crawford, the citrus flavors were up front and the sparkling texture was saved for the finish.

WSFT (Wine Snob Friend Tom) commented about a really nice New Zealand wine he'd been told about. Cloudy Bay. He did not offer us any. He did not offer to find it for us. He merely teased with it. I'll keep a look out for it and try to get a bottle to taste.

Salmon and Pinot Noir

Okay, I can't talk about the salmon because it's part of a supersecret throwdown.

But.

I was in Total Wine a few weeks ago, browsing the Pinot Noirs for something to go with salmon. I was really hoping a bottle would jump off the shelf into my basket and announce, "Ta Da! I'm the one you're looking for!"

Alas.

Finally, an employee happened narby and asked if he could help. I told him what I wanted and he grabbed a bottle.

"Here. I was coming to get one to take home. We're having salmon tonight and the price just dropped $4 on this."

He handed me Maple Ridge Pinot Noir.

That was good enough for me.

We had it a few days ago.

I tasted berries.

I thought it went wonderfully with the salmon. I tried a swallow after salad and side dishes and it was a bit dry and harsh on the sides of my tongue. But with the salmon, it simply melted.

Very nice.

Edging Out the Favorite?

I ventured in Total Wine by myself last week. I knew I wanted a couple bottles of my current fave, the Pacific Rim Dry Riesling. But I got sidetracked and decided to try a new one.

I chose Chateau Ste. Michelle's Dry Riesling.

I brought it home and Wine Snob Hubby said he'd just read an article about how well dry Riesling goes with blue cheese. We had a tub of crumbles, so we popped the cork and cracked the tub and sat at the table.

At the first sip, I thought, This is going to be good. I tasted citrus with a bare hint of honey on the finish.

The cheese softened the citrus and made the wine spread across my tongue more softly.

As we sipped and chatted and tasted, WSH commented that we've had a few wines from Ste. Michelle before and they haven't disappointed. I took that to mean he approved also and we should look for the appellation a little more often in our shopping excursions.

I concur on that conclusion.

Summer Wines, Part 2

In my quest to find a good summer red to recommend, I've talked with many wine snob friends and there is no consensus, so I think the answer is there isn't one.

Most everyone ended up recommending either a light blend or a blush.

Birdstone Winery had an outstanding Grenache a few years ago, but even though I regularly ask for it and they keep saying it's coming back, sadly, it has yet to make an appearance.

The Menage a Trois wines are exellent blends and the blush is light but fruity, perfect for a summer salad.

The first wine I ever really enjoyed was Beringer's White Zinfandel. The strawberry and other fruit flavors combined with the light crispness on the tongue made it the perfect "gateway" wine into learning how to discern flavors. While I've since expanded my palate somewhat, there are days, particularly in July and August when the only that really appeals to me is a Beringer's White Zin. It's reliable and consistent. I know what I'm getting when we uncork the bottle.

I hope you enjoy!

Summer Reds

Since I'm not a big red wine drinker, I've been taking a survey of friends and dining companions for suggestions for a light "summer" red wine.

We had some salmon a few nights ago and friends brought the wine. One was a Waltzing Bear Wines, Gary's Vineyard Pinot Noir. It had some yummy berry flavors with a light and dry finish.

The wine went nicely with the salmon and it was generally agreed that the wine met the requirements for a summer quaff.

Enjoy!

A Surprise Pairing

Last night we made a friend's chicken ciabatta sandwich with super secret sauce. I played with some ingredients and I think I've replicated the sauce pretty well.

TB's Super Secret Chicken Ciabattas (I don't know whether to give our friend public recognition for the recipe or keep the recipe creator secret since they may not want their super secret and yummy concoction on the world wide web.)

Ciabatta rolls, split, brushed with olive oil and lightly sprinkled with sea salt and grilled until toasted.
Chicken breast, grilled then topped with smoked gouda slices. Let the cheese droop and melt a little.
Red bell peppers, roasted til the skin is black, then peeled, seeded, and halved.
Super secret sauce - mix a chipotle marinade or dressing with either ranch dressing or sour cream until you have a pink and creamy sauce.

Spread the sauce on the ciabatta. Layer the chicken, peppers, and bread.

We hadn't thought about a pairing and just poured a red that was already open.

Guenoc 2007 Victorian Claret went amazingly well with the sandwich. The wine had incredible legs in the glass and a rich ruby color. The flavors of berries complemented the smokiness of the chicken and cheese.

This pairing is a complete serendipity and one of the best.

Summer Wines

I'm pretty much a white wine drinker. I think I've established that already. And I prefer Chardonnays.

I've heard people talk about a "summer wine," and frankly, dismissed it. I figured I like what I like and I know what I like and what I like is Chardonnays.

The weather warmed up (finally - I think this was the longest winter on record in the Central Valley), and one day Wine Snob Hubby and I finished the day with a glass of wine on the back patio. I think the mercury had reached into the 90s for the first time.

I sipped my Chardonnay, eager for its refreshment. And ... nothing. It sat on my palate and refused to do anything for me.

The next night, just for a change, WSH pulled out a Pinot Grigio. "Let's try this, it's a little lighter."

Ahhh. It was light and crisp and a perfect complement to the warm day.

Unfortunately, I forgot to check the label so I don't know what it was.

I won't make that mistake twice.

And now I have a summer wine to enjoy.

Zin or Cab?

We had some amazing BBQ over the weekend.

It came from Robin's Wood Fire BBQ & Grill in Pasadena, California. We used to eat there when it was a nice casual place for lunch or dinner. We didn't know they changed the menu to all BBQ.

We ordered the garbage can lid dinner with chicken, hot links (careful, the heat sneaks up when your back is turned), beef ribs, tri tip, and short ribs. We added a rack of baby backs too, since there were five us eating out of the trough. Er, I mean from the lid.

Anyway, Wine Snob Hubby and his friend considered carefully what to offer us neophytes.

The choices: Brazin, an old vine Zinfandel from Brazin Cellars out of Manteca, CA.
Beaucanon Cabernet

The Brazin was known and loved and chosen because of that. The Cab was chosen because WSH and friend took a field trip to the Tustin outpost of the mother ship, also known as Total Wine. WSH asked for suggestions and an employee suggested the Beaucanon.

I just looked at the Beaucanon website and I'm sorry I can't tell if it was a Cab Franc or what vintage. I'll have to check with WSH and get back to you on that.

Anyway, I tasted both with the baked beans and meat. The Brazin was good, but fell a bit flat. The Beaucanon definitely stood up to the BBQ sauce and meats. I tasted blackberries and it finished well along the sides of my tongue.

Which goes to show that sometimes a tried and true favorite should be given a night off so a new friend can have the opportunity to shine.

Whining about Wine

Time has flown and I can't believe I didn't write any more about the weekend.

The next day, we started at 10:00 am at Adelaida Cellars. Their grounds are lovely, as is the tasting room. Since we were a large group of 10 (and a loud group), we were taken into the back, into the racking room (I think that's the word for it... or cellar, or where the barrels were stacked).

Anyway, most of the Paso Robles wineries we visited only offered one, or at the most two, white wines, so I tried to pay particular attention to those.

I failed miserably. I didn't want to take obvious notes but I should have.

At Adelaida, I know I tasted the Vigonier. I tasted pineapple and maybe some citrus.

I didn't care for the reds and after the second one, I went to stretch out my back by leaning against a door jamb.

Next: Justin.