Wannabe Wino

I think I may have mentioned that we went to visit my parents recently. And while there, it just so happened that we have been married for 6 months. My parents, unbeknownst to us, had actually taken the top layer of our wedding cake home with them and frozen it for us, but had no idea how to get it to VA without it defrosting at least a bit on the trip. I decided that since we were there and it had been exactly 6 months, why not just eat it then? So we did, and then my mom packed the rest of the now defrosted cake in cooler for us and we took it home to finish it. Now, surprisingly, 6 month old wedding cake didn't actually taste too bad, though I can't honestly say how it compared to being fresh since I think I got the bite Matt fed to me and that was it.

At home we chose to open some bubbly to finish up the last bit of cake. And what did I have in the house, but a bottle the "could've been a contender" for my very first WBW, "Sparkling Wines." I actually did purchase it then, with the idea that it would be my entry, but decided against it at the time. The bottle is a Toso Brut from Mendoza Argentina. It cost me $10 for this and a split in a gift package at World Market.

It worked well with our cake, which Matt served with some fresh strawberries I had chopped earlier in the day. On the nose, this one is all yeast and a little toast. In the glass, it is very very fizzy. In the mouth, this is a dry wine, with no discernible fruit flavors, but more yeast and a nice bubbly feel. Overall, I would have rated this a "party sparkler" for the WBW, given the wallet friendly price and overall quality.

Cheers! And wow, 6 months went by so fast!

We are still celebrating. And probably will be for a while, and then again when we close and move in to our new house. I love even saying it, yay, a house!! And then celebrating some more in May when through an enormous housewarming party. Any readers/winebloggers in the area who want to come celebrate? I don't think we'll be serving Cristal, but it will fun!

Anyway, we celebrated a bit more on Saturday and had a another bottle of Korbel, this time a Moscato Frizzante. This bottle is only available in the tasting room and through the Korbel wine club, and I think it cost us around $15. I know it was Matt's favorite wine of our tasting.

In aroma and flavor, this was much like a Moscato d'Asti. On the nose it was floral and sweet. In the mouth, there were pears, apples and peaches. It's a sweet bubbly, one I will like to consume on our new patio come summertime! The wine in the glass displayed a tiny little bead, itty bitty bubbles that carried over into the mouth. While sweet, the structure of this wine is very well done and it would make an excellent apertif.

However, I think that this is a decent bottle of sparkling wine for the price. I understand that Korbel gets the brush off from many wine lovers, and that's fine, but I've never been a fashionable person myself, so when I'm looking for a bottle of sparkling wine that is very inexpensive and I know will deliver a reliable flavor, this is what I go for. Since we are celebrating our house and our "champagne" tastes are going to have to shrink in cost from the Roederer we love, we had a bottle of this Korbel Blanc de Noir. We picked this bottle up for around $8 at Korbel Cellars last summer.

In the glass, the color is of toasted almonds. It has a tiny bead and lots of them, I'm not sure my photography skills are quite good enough to pick them up. When I poured it at first there was a lot of foam in the glass.

On the nose, there were peaches and a slight yeasty quality. In the mouth, dry strawberries and rapsberries. It's a crisp sparkler with good bubbles on the palate. Overall, it's quick and easy and consistent in flavor and what you expect of it. Simple and fun, and does not disappoint for the price.

Last night we opened the last bottle from my most recent quest for everyday wine at the Curious Grape. This was a 2006 Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc. I picked it up for $10.99, it's 12.5% alcohol by volume and had a real cork closure.

My kind of Sauvignon Blanc! Big ol' grapefruit and nothing much else, but that's okay with me. I love the crisp citrus flavors of this style of Sauvignon Blanc. The grapefruit was all over the nose and in the mouth of this wine.

I served this with ham, cheese and pineapple omlettes last night. It was actually a really good match. Although this wine was fairly simple, it was a great and inexpensive everyday wine and I'd definitely get it again.

Sunday night we drank this bottle of 2005 Milton Park Chardonnay from South Australia. We actually went to a Superbowl party but peaced out at half-time mainly cause I was having an allergic reaction to the place we were. By the time we got home I was all better and we decided to watch the rest of the game and drink a bottle of wine. I picked this bottle up for $8.99 at the Curious Grape. It had a screw cap and is 13.5% alcohol by volume.

On the nose of this botttle I found an herbal scent with wafts of vanilla coming out of the glass plus oak and just teensy bit of butter.

In the mouth, there were spices, a little lemon and a bit of peach. It had a fairly long finish. Overall, a very drinkable everyday wine, especially for the price!

After falling off my quest for everyday wine, yesterday found me back at the Curious Grape, mainly to get a present for a friend, but also to pick up a few bottles for us (really, can any of you walk in the wine store to get one thing for a friend and not get at least a bottle for yourself??).

Last night we had this bottle of 2005 Pinot Bianco from Alois Lageder. It hails from the Alto Adige area of Italy, is 12.5% alcohol by volume, cost $10.99 and had a real cork closure. I paired it with the last of the Zuppa Toscana, not the best pair, but eh, I really wanted a white one last night.

On the nose I found minerals and just a hint of apple, with prehaps the tiniest bit of grass showing through. In the mouth there were sweet apples and white grapes. The finish just keeps going, easily for a minute or more, the taste just lasts and lasts. The wine was smooth and full in the mouth and very easy to drink. I think this one was an excellent value for money.

Last night's wine was all about the pine! The bottle was a 2004 Quivira Fig Tree Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. Weighs in at 13.8% alcohol by volume (thankfully less than the night before!), cost us $13.60, though I found it online for $11.99, and had a real cork closure. I served it with chicken roll-ups, cream sauce, broccoli and white rice. I thought a crisp Sauvignon Blanc would be a good match for the creamy, cheesy chicken dish. I thought it turned out well, with the acidity cutting through the creaminess and cleansing the palate.

Thie one was full of pine on the nose, with some lemon (but not smelling like pinesol, I promise!). Citrus flavors were in the mouth, with crisp apples and a little bit of a creamy melon flavor at the end.

Overall, the wine had good acidity and structure holding it together which balanced well with the fruit flavors. It's not terribly complex, but is easy to drink and was a pleasant match with dinner. And if you can find for around $12, I think it's an excellent deal and would easily be something we could use as an everyday wine. It was especially nice to see a wine under 14% alcohol by volume!

Matt accidentally opened the botttle in our wine fridge that holds a liter of wine. Generally I don't like to drink that much on a work night, but it's open and I don't have a cool wine preservation system (birthday gift perhaps) like huevos con vino so I guess we were stuck consuming it last night.

A 2004 Muller-Thurgau Halbtrocken from Germany. Screw-cap, cost $10.99 at the Curious Grape and is 12.5% alcohol by volume. This was a light, floral wine, with just a hint of citrus. I got mostly flowers, both on the nose and in the mouth. It's simply a very easy, not fancy or deep white table wine.

I served it with green beans, lemon-herb chicken and herbed fried potatoes. It was a decent match and it wasn't long before the bottle was gone, despite it being larger than normal.

Overall, simple, easy to drink, light table wine.

A bottle of Adega de Pegoes 2005 Vihno Blanco, purchased at the Curious Grape for $6.99 while seraching for everyday wines. 12% alcohol by volume and had a real cork closure.

The nose of this bottle had a lot of promise. It was very floral and had a huge aroma. It was also very fruity on the nose, with pears, peaches and melons showing through. I also thought I got a whiff of the muscat grape.

What a disappointment in the mouth. There was no delivery on the flavors in the nose. It was simply flat, lacking any real flavor. It tasted like sweet water. Surprising, it got a little better when I ate some chocolate with it, but not enough to make me run out and get another bottle. I will keep looking for my everyday wine, this one was all show and no action.

My little notebook of wine tastings got left in the car when we were out buying wine on Saturday, so I'm a touch late with my Thursday night wine review. Today you get a picture of both the wine and the dinner, mainly because I'm extrememly proud of my pizza making skills, and two, to show my friends and family that I can cook (see, homemade crust and all!).

Normally I would pair a red with our pizza and I had a bottle of zinfandel inthe wine fridge that I had intended to serve with bbq pulled pork I made the other night. However, my heartburn was still raging and for some reason, although I know no alcohol is good for it, I thought perhaps a white might hurt less than a red? No real logic there, but in anycase...

The bottle was a 2005 Domaine Jouclary Sauvignon. Picked it up at Arrowine for $7.99 in our quest for everyday wine. It had a synthetic cork and weighs in 13% alcohol by volume. Melon on the nose, with a slight acidic note. In the mouth there was melon, lemon and a creamy feel. I almost want to say there was just a touch of a butterscotch taste in there. It was interesting for a $7.99 bottle of wine, I'd try it again.

No, not really, but last night Matt decided he would rather have a beer than a glass of wine, so I was forced to taste on my own. (See his beer lurking in the background of my picture?) Until he changed his mind later and helped me finish off the bottle.

Picked this bottle up at Arrowine when we were over tasting the other night. $6.99, screw cap closure, 11.5% alcohol by volume. I served it with rosemary marinated pork chops, more purple mashed potatoes (I'm telling you Brent, you should try them, they're tasty) and steamed brocolli.

The wine is a 2005 Colombelle Vin De Pays Des Cotes De Gascogne. Apparently it's the week for $6.99 wines from this region in France as we tasted another one here on Saturday. However, last night's bottle was just Colombard and Ugni Blanc grapes, whereas Saturday's also had some Gros Manseng grapes.

This bottle was similar to the one from the other night, though it seemed to have more Sauvignon Blanc characteristics. There was citrus and grass on the nose. The flavors were bright and crisp in the mouth with a bit of minerality. Overall, a very simple wine, but easily drinkable at the price point. Plus, I'm a sucker for purple labels. Another bottle bought in pursuit of the everyday wine.

Tu necesitas beber esto vino si quieres vino blanco y barato. Sorry, got a little carried away with my Spanish there. Our second bottle of the evening last night was this little gem, Obvio, Vino Torrontes 2005 from Argentina. Synthetic cork, 13.5% alcohol by volume and cost me $9.99 at the Curious Grape. For those who don't speak Spanish, Obvio means obvious, so my title today is "It's obvious!" and the first sentence says "You need to drink this wine wine if you want white and inexpensive wine.

I almost titled this post "Deja vu" because I swear I've had this wine, or something quite like it in the past, yet I can't place when or where. Whatever the case may be, it's yummy. This is a light and simple wine, very floral on the nose. My notes say: topical fruits in the mouth, good acid holding it together. Easy to drink and I lurve it(apologies for the spelling, just a small joke among friends). Great value for the price and an interesting grape.

For the second time this week, I was sent scurrying off to learn about this grape in my Oxford Companion to Wine, and since I'm trying to increase my knowledge, I'll bore you with what I learned too. As usual, Jancis Robinson is both helpful and informative as I find that the Torrentes grape is parented from the Muscat of Alexandria grape. And I think that's where the deja vu came in, it is slightly muscat-like, but has just enough different characteristics that it didn't come to mind immediately.

Last night we drank this bottle of Paringa 2004 Chardonnay/Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc. It ran me $9.99 at the Curious Grape, is 13% alcohol by volume, had a real cork closure and comes to us from South Australia. This is another bottle bought in my pursuit of the everyday wine.

In my opinion this wine doesn't know which of these grapes it wants to be and the blend didn't work for me. It's composed of 47% Chardonnay, 38% Semillon and 15% Sauvignon. The nose is oaky and a little buttery, but the Sauvignon Blanc gives it subdued citrus in the mouth with a bit of grass and mineral. The combination just seemed odd and contrived.

In the mouth, it felt oily and had a long, not altogether pleasant finish. Maybe if it had been a little colder, but our wine fridge seems to have decided it wants to stay at one temp and no amount of fiddling on my part is changing its mind. I wouldn't buy this bottle again, it's NMS.

I picked this bottle up for $6.99 at the Curious Grape on my excursion for everyday wines on Thursday. The full title includes Vin de Pays des Cotes de Gascogne. Closed with a synthetic cork, it weighs in at 12% alcohol by volume and is composed of 75% Colombard, 15% Ugni Blanc and 10% Gros Manseng.

For the price, the wine makes a pretty tasty white table wine. It reminded me of a slightly odd cross between a sauvignon blanc and a riesling. Light and floral on the nose, but with the citrus and acidity of a sauvignon blanc in the mouth. I thought the structure was well done and would definetly recommend this at the $6.99 price tag.

No, just kidding. I have no idea how long I've been searching for something I can drink inexpensively as an everyday table wine. At times, I find something I really enjoy, but then eventually get bored with, or simply want to try something new. I find it's great to have some fall backs for a Tuesday night that you know will be decent, are well priced and will work with your food, but at the same time, I'm always itching to try something new.

Which brings me to tonight's wine. I picked it up today at the Curious Grape for $10.99. It had a real cork closure, is from Sicily and is 12% alcohol by volume. The bottle is an Alcesti 2005 Grecanico. I had to bust out my Oxford Companion to Wine to get some info about this grape as I have never had it nor heard of it before today. Jancis Robinson writes "Sicilian white grape variety whose total vineyard area increased from less than 3,000 ha in 1980 to 5,172 ha/13,100 acres in 2000. The name suggests Greek origins and the wines currently made may not be maximizing its full aromatic, rather sauvignon blanc-like potential." Okay, that helps, but doesn't give me any idea of what I should really expect from this wine.

So here are my opinions. Have you ever been to an orchard when the apples are just past their peak in the sun? Or where they are crushing apples to make cider? That's what the nose of this wine reminded me of. Also, with an odd little hint of pine. In the mouth, it's tart apple with a little citrus zing on the end. Crisp, and it matched well with the Asian Basa filet I sauteed lightly in butter, salt and pepper and our purple mashed potatoes (thought of you Brent when I made these tonight!). I think I will have to buy another bottle of this varietal from another producer so I will have something to compare it to, as I had absolutely no expectations going into this wine.

I spent a good part of the afternoon nosing around the Curious Grape today. Although it's winter and the more likely choice for wine is a nice heart-warming red, we still like to drink the occassional white, especially on nights where I serve light seafood dishes. And, sadly, we have almost run the course of white wines purchased on our Sonoma trip. I ended up purchasing seven bottles for around $78, not a bad deal. They range from $6.99 to $21.99 and all but one were purchased in my pursuit of everyday wine.

Additionally, I was searching for my entry for WBW #29. Keeping in mind my indecisiveness over which bottle of sparkling wine to review for the previous WBW, I didn't want to get caught in the same trap this time. So I figured I would poke around the wine shop and see if I could find anything on my own before asking the salespeople for a recommendation. Sadly, it appears that vineyards don't seem to proclaim on their bottles that they are biodynamically produced, at least none of the bottles I looked at did. I found myself cursing the fact that I hadn't thought to print out the list of producers over at Fork and Bottle. If you have yet to purchase your bottle and you are unfamiliar with biodynamic wine like me, I definetly suggest bringing a list!

When I asked the clerk for help, she couldn't immediately point me to one. She showed me a few she thought were biodynamic wines, but couldn't confirm for sure. Even though she was incredibly busy (they were setting up for a champagne tasting in light of the impending arrival of New Year's Eve) she took the time to look at their inventory log on the computer and point me to some that most definetly were biodynamic wines. And so I am now the owner of what I think is my first ever bottle of biodynamic wine.

I must admit I am still a little skeptical. Plus, it was a little pricier than I am normally willing to spend on something I haven't tested. But, I'll try anything once. So come January 17th, we shall see!

We visited my FIL's family over the Christmas holiday out in Oklahoma City. Much fun and good food was had by all. We've made it home, full of Christmas cheer, but spent for this year. Too bad New Year's is this weekend, I could use a weekend off!

Several bottles of wine were consumed over the course of the weekend, including a 2005 McManis Family Vineyards Viognier. The botle is from California, 13.5% alcohol by volume, has a real cork closure and can be found here for just $9.98. At the price, this is a great wine. It would be perfect for an everyday bottle and worked really well as something to drink as we were all waiting to go the Hornets-Spurs game on Saturday!

I got peach and a bit of melon on the nose. The wine was very floral with touches of honey in the mouth. Smooth, with just a little citrus on the finish. This was an easy and fun wine to drink.

Apparently we were destined to drink wines that showed lots of citrus flavors this weekend! I'm feeling much better today, so onward with the wine tasting.

Tonight's dinner was leftover Chinese and I thought I'd give it another shot with pairing a white wine. The choice? Another from the 6 we bought from Unwined in our quest for everyday wines, also suggested by the helpful associate. Here, a West Brook Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Screw-cap, 13% alcohol by volume and cost us $13.99. I gather it's a small family vineyard that wins many New Zealand wine awards, among others.

Grapefruit, lime, lemon. Mostly grapefruit upon sniffing it, but all kinds of citrus in the taste. Very crisp and a long, lingering finish in the mouth. Acidic. An excellent match with the Chinese. For the price, I loved it. Sadly, my husband poured himself the last glass and then said, oops, sorry honey.

I'm not feeling at the top of my game today, so instead of breaking into an expensive bottle, we decided to continue into our stash of "quest for everyday wine" bottles. I also didn't feel like cooking so we ordered in some Chinese food from a local place we hadn't tried before. Very tasty food and we will order again (I love free delivery).

The wine was a 2005 Vinum Cellars Chard-No-Way Chenin Blanc from Wilson Vineyards. Clarksburg, CA. Another screw-cap, but thankfully easier to open than the last two. 13% alcohol by volume and cost us $11.99 at Unwined.

Holy lime Batman! I taste tons of lime and the nose of the wine on being poured knocked me back with the citrus. A very dry Chenin Blanc, with a very acidic finish. But lime all the way. Interesting choice with the Chinese, I'd probably stick with a white, but probably not this one the next time we had Chinese, the match wasn't quite right.

It was easy to drink and for $11.99 I think I'll try another bottle when I'm feeling better and maybe I'll get something other than lime, but then again, my husband agrees with me on the lime/citrusy assessment, but says he thinks he might taste a hint of green apple as well.

The dinner was a lemon-herb chicken sauteed in fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil that we got at Hop Kiln Winery and I am sad to say is now an empty bottle, and fresh rosemary. Green beans and biscuits with honey (yes, Pillsbury, I can't do everything yet!).

I normally think of white when I make poultry. Though I have heard the pinot noir is excellent for turkey and I will be offering a bottle on my Thanksgiving menu (more on T-day choices later). I decided to go with my first thought and pick a white. Since it was a really light sauce on the chicken and lemony, I decided a riesling would be a fair match.

This riesling came from our search for everyday wine. It's a 2005 Matheus Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett. German if you couldn't tell. Most of what I can find about this wine online is written in German, which isn't much help to me. We paid $14.99 for this bottle, but I found it for $12.95 here

Screw-cap closure, 10.5% alcohol by volume. A nice light wine for a nice light meal. However, the screw-cap was nearly impossible to open. We had to use a knife to cut around it in order to remove it. I smelled mostly honey flavors when I poured this bottle. Tasted like honey as well, with just a slight citrus/acidic note. It paired excellently with the lemon chicken and was very tasty to finish up after dinner.

Well done to the sales people at Unwined for selecting this for us. At the price and with these flavors, which my husband really loved, it will make a regular appearance at our table. Also, the low alcohol content makes this perfect in my opinion for a weekday wine....I can enjoy it and not worry about feeling any ill-effects.