Daze Of Wine

Make New Friends But Keep The Old

2009-08-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

In keeping with my old brownie song, I love making new friends but also love to visit with long time friends. This last week I opened on of my Armida 2006 One Oak Vineyard Zinfandels. It just gets better. I savored it over a couple days and wish I still had more. Oh, I do! Yay.

Today, I'm working on a new Viognier we bought earlier this year from Demetria. This is one of the few wineries I've been to that I truly loved every wine they served us. And the Viognier isn't disappointing me today.

Two New Wines

2009-07-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

This week I've opened a couple of wines from a new winery we discovered last time I visited Santa Barbara. Actually, two, two, two vineyards in one.

The first is a Cabernet Sauvignon from Star Lane Vineyard. I have to confess, it is unlikely I would have purchased this wine if we hadn't gotten the inter winery discount. Not that is isn't yummy.

The second is a very mellow Chardonnay from Dierberg. This one I accompanied with some scallops sauteed in butter with the same wine. Very drinkable. And it made the scallops.

Thumbprint

2009-07-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I opened one of the Thumbprint viogniers I pick up last time we were in Healdsburg I really like this viognier and if I were better at describing flavors I'd tell you about it. For me it has a nice citrus background and smooth taste. I used it the other night in this yummy pasta and, of course, had some with my meal.

Cooking With Wine

2009-07-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

When I made this casserole the other night. I added some nice Barbera from Tre Anelli. This tasting room nestled in Los Olivos has some very nice reds, like the Barbera I used. I also picked up a nice Grenache from them. Somewhere I read/heard that Grenache is the new Pinot Noir; a new favorite of the masses. I've also read you should never use wine in cooking that you wouldn't drink. I followed that rule and I had a glass of the same wine with my meal. Delicious!

I'll Be Back

2009-06-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

Though I really do enjoy wine, I've discovered I can't really drink enough to post very often. And I only take about 3 wine trips each year so that won't fill up a blog. I'm going to step back and decided what to do with this site. I may use it to point out experts who are able to drink much more than I can. I've also thought about cooking with wine. So hang in there, and I'll be back.

New Glasses

2009-04-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at Target I bought these and these. I already love them. Some people believe buying these is like buying boxed wines. They want to use the traditional wine stem glasses and say these glasses are unacceptable. Some say that putting white wine in the stemless glass means you'll warm the glass with your hand. You don't have to cup the glass in your hand; you hold the glass mid way and above the level of wine.

I like these glasses because they are nice and steady so I won't be knocking them over and breaking them. And I can carefully stack them in the cupboard. And they are beautiful too.

And, oh yeah, they are on sale at Target.

UPDATED: In researching a comment on the type of glasses, I also found this:

Stemmed wine glasses are mostly a French invention. The US and some parts of Europe use stemmed glasses, but many European countries such as Italy, Spain, and Greece drink wine from solid bottom glasses resembling what we in the US call juice glasses.
The stemmed glasses don't really mean anything unless you are a truly dedicated wine lover. Most people cannot tell what a wine is like any better from a stemmed glass or a solid bottom glass. source: What are the different types of wine glasses?

El Dorado Passport

2009-03-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

Just back from our annual El Dorado Passport trip where we visit 12-14 wineries in 2 days and enjoy wine and food pairings. Tonight I'm home again enjoying a David Girard 2006 Syrah which is quite tasty. According to the winery: "Aromas of big, rich raspberries, blackberries and chocolate are accented by smokiness and spice. Flavors of dark cherry and chocolate develop and are framed by fine tannins that take wine through the finish. The Syrah has been aged for 18 months in 30% new French oak. " To me that translate to smooth, full bodied, with not too much tannin. At $32 is it a little out of my normal price range but since our group was buying cases, I got it for $25. Still high, I know but worth it a few times a year.

Another Value Cab

2009-03-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

This week I bought another under $10 wine from Trader Joe's. This time it was a Gnarly Head 2006 Cabernet. It was bold and, as the winery claims, had nice berry, current flavors. I can't speak for the "hints of violets, earth, cloves and bay leaf" so I'll just say I liked it.

Great Value

2009-03-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

I'm loving the Stonehedge Reserve Petite Syrah which I found at Trader Joe's for $9.99. It is rich and full bodied with just the right amount of fruity goodness. I will definitely stock up.

Flights of Fancy

2009-02-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

P.F. Chang's has a new wine flight offering. Order a flight of any 3 wines on the wine list for $10.00. As our server pointed out, you can order 3 of the most expensive wines and get 2.5 oz of each one. Since a glass of wine is typically 6oz, you're getting a great deal AND you get to try several wines.

Last night I got the Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc, La Crema Pinot Noir and Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Let It Rest

2009-01-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

I've come to accept that I probably won't post here on a regular daily or even a weekly basis. I just don't drink enough wine. I love wine and I love to discuss wine, but unless I start opening a bottle or two every day, I just won't have enough to say. So come back now and again. I'm going to aim for posting at least three or four times a month.

Today's lesson: I've learned recently that sometimes I should refrain from judging a wine until it has been allowed to sit for a bit. Especially with Viognier, I've noticed that the first sip might be disappointing but if I let the open bottle sit for 15 minutes, I like it much better. Yesterday I opened a Stonehedge Reserver Old Vine Zin and I wasn't too pleased with it. It was way too sweet. I drank one glass and then re-corked the bottle. Tonight I poured another glass and steeled myself to pour the bottle out if it was too sweet. Surprisingly it seems to have improved greatly and so I'll finish the bottle.d

Two Greats

2009-01-01T20:08:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays I opened two great wines.

Armida 2006 One Oak Vineyard Zinfandel. We bought this wine two years ago as a future. I'm not an expert at predicting if wine will be drinkable but I've found that if the wine tastes great in the barrel it will probably taste even better in the bottle. That is definitely true with this Zin. I loved it at first taste and when I opened it last week, it was absolutely perfect.

Tre Anelli 2006 Sangiovese. We picked this up on my last trip to Los Olivos near Deb's house. I love the robust flavor of Sangiovese, especially with pasta and marinara or with pizza. But it's also good with some dark chocolate after dinner.

Wine Picks from Wall Street Journal

2008-12-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some wine recommendations from the Wall Street Journal. For those of you with the means and inclination to spend $2,000 on wine, let me know what you think of the Chateau Latour 2005. For a special occassion, I might up to $40 on something I really, really, really enjoy but $2K is a bit steep for me.

Mixing It Up

2008-11-30T20:52:00.000-08:00

I've heard of people having wine mixing parties where the participants create their own wine by mixing different varietals together. Tonight I mixed together two reds that I had been disappointed in individually. One was a little too acidic for me and the other was too fruity. I used about 2 to 1 acidic to sweet and the result was smooth and very pleasing. I don't know that I'd buy the same wines in order to make my mix again, but it gave me confidence to try again using other wines. The only problem with mixing wines is that I'll end up opening at least two bottles and then I'll have to drink it before it goes bad.

Woop Woop

2008-11-26T09:40:00.000-08:00

I know I neglect this blog terribly but keep coming back and I'll do better.

We saw the Woop Woop wine in the store yesterday. We didn't buy any but Debra loves the name and so I'm sure she'll probably give it a try. The one review I found for the Shiraz says "above average." It sure pays to have an interesting name. Without the name, this wine might never have been noticed by us.

Bad Wine

2008-11-11T20:49:00.000-08:00

On my last post, JennySmith posed an interesting question. She wanted to know if I ever find wines I don't like. I have only been posting about wines I like. I have brought home wines that I wouldn't buy again but I haven't posted about them. I suppose I thought people would not be interested in the wines I don't like. However, I suppose, if you like some of the same wines I like, you might find you dislike the same wines I dislike. So next time I discover a wine I don't like, I'll make sure to post about it.

Zin From TJ's

2008-11-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

A while back I posted about the Petit Verdot at Trader Joe's which I did enjoy. As Jason pointed out, it disappeared quickly from stores. Today, when I visited TJ's there was no more to be found. Interestingly enough the wine guy's name at my TJ's is Jason. He told me that if I liked that Petit Verdot, he thought I'd like the Trader Joe's Reserve Zinfandel. It is the white label bottle which Jason said are TJ's Reserve wines. Like the Petit, this was $10 (really 9.99). At first sip I wasn't sure I liked it; it was a little too much tannin for me. But it grew on me as I sipped it while sitting and watching The Da Vinci Code. I think a bold red is the perfect wine for the movie.

Election Night Wine

2008-11-04T17:02:00.000-08:00

I've opened a 2005 Consilience Cuvee Mambo for election night as I wait for results to come in. This is a Syrah blend that we picked up a few weeks back. I chose it for tonight to symbolize how our great diverse country can come together to make a wonderful, full bodied blend.

Amplexus

2008-11-02T13:13:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big sparkling wine fan but I do like the Amplexus from Toad Hollow Vineyards. I opened a bottle a couple of days ago and I'm finishing it off right now. It isn't TOO anything. Not too bubbly and not too sweet. I enjoy it with Sunday brunch.

Back To The Future

2008-10-29T20:08:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I went back to Los Olivos to pick up some of my favorite wines. Pretty much the same wineries I posted about here. I haven't opened any of them yet, but I'll fill you in as I do. Some great Viognier and various reds.

Trader Joe's Petit Verdot

2008-10-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today I stopped at Trader Joe's to pick up a few snacks for my next road trip. I walked through the wine aisle to browse. The wine guy was just getting ready to set up for some wine tasting but my BNFC and I didn't have time to hang around. I asked him he thought was nice red for the afternoon. He suggested Trader Joe's Reserve Petit Verdot 2006 from Paso Robles. He said he loves it. I wanted something red but a little softer than Cabernet Sauvignon and he said this would fit the bill.

I uncorked it late this afternoon and so far I'm loving it. At 9.99 it's a little pricey for my brother and Jason but it's well worth the dime.

Ventana Chard

2008-10-16T20:46:00.001-07:00

I wasn't looking for wines, I was just shopping for dinner when I saw that my Whole Foods had a tasting in progress. I tried the only white, the Ventana 2005 Chardonnay. It was quite tasty - fruity and not too acidic. So I bought a bottle and I'm enjoying it right nos.

Stealing From Jason

2008-10-15T21:15:00.001-07:00

It's been way too long since my last post. I haven't been drinking much wine lately so don't have a lot to recommend. To make up for it here are Jason's latest top 10 Trader Joe's pics. I definitely agree with him on the Geyser Peak Sav Blanc. Yum. Of course Trader Joe's is a great place to get some really nice wines for really decent prices.

Choose Your Lipstick

2008-10-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

via Fritinancy on twitter - Lipstick On A Pig wine. I'll take the blue label, please.

Wine and Cheese

2008-09-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for some cheese to go with that wine, try some Cowgirl Creamery Cheese. I first read about this company in an article about 10 great small towns. Then, coincidentally, a few days later, one of our local stores, Valley Cheese and Wine, had a wine and cheese tasting where they featured Cowgirl Creamery cheese. I couldn't pick a favorite and had to bring home several. Whether your a fan of brie like soft cheeses or harder cheddars, you'll love these.

Make Your Own

2008-09-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

I saw an article about a Las Vegas company, Grape Expectations, where you can make your own wine with the help of the proprietors. You pick the varietals, they buy them and then help you crush grapes and make your wine. Sounds like fun. The price to make 125 bottles is $1200 or just under $10 per bottle. Now I just need to find a few friends who will think it is fun to split the cost.

Wine In A Box

2008-09-15T18:36:00.001-07:00

Today I picked up a box of Fish Eye Cabernet Sauvignon. It's kind of tasty. Looking at snooth, it looks like it's about $7 for a bottle. My box for $14 is about 4 boxes or 50% savings. The box says the life after opening is 6 weeks. It should last me about 3 weeks. :-)

New Friends

2008-09-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for inexpensive good tasting wines to have around the house. This weekend I found two nice wines at my local Trader Joe's. The first is Santa Barbara Landing Chardonnay which is light and flavorful and good with my salmon salad. The second is Trader Joe's Coastal Cabernet Sauvignon, not overwhelming and a great match for my spicy marinara.

Old Friends

2008-08-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'm sipping on one of my favorite at home wines - a nice Sauvignon Blanc from Santa Barbara Winery. This white wine is easy to drink, has just a little bit of grassiness but not too much bite. I like having it around to pull out whenever I'd like a glass of wine after work.

Wine In A Box

2008-08-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

via freakgirl here's an article on wine in a box. Good for the environment, bad for the ambiance.

Pinot Daze

2008-08-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of California Pinots rated by Vinography. Next year, I'd like to go to Pinot Days in San Francisco.

Pinot Noir is one of my favorite varietals. Some of my favorites include David Bruce, Hanna, Cuvaison, and Saintsbury. And I liked Pinots even before Sideways came out and everyone jumped on the Pinot bandwagon.

Narrow Gate

2008-08-05T20:11:00.001-07:00

Narrow Gate Vineyards makes one of my top 3 favorite Viogniers. The Viognier Roussanne is just perfect. Not too sweet, just a touch citrus and SO smooth. At $20 a bottle it is a bargain. Next time I'm in El Dorado County I think I'll buy a whole case. Last time I picked up 1/2 case and I'm finishing off the last of it tonight. I have 9 more months before I go back. Perhaps I should consider shipping.

Wine Twitter

2008-08-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

I'm now following three wine tweeters on Twitter. I don't tweet a lot myself but I do enjoy the short bursts from others. The wine people typically send out opinions on wine or respond to other tweeters about various wines. Since I don't think many of you use Twitter - or if you do, you're hiding from me - I'm posting the winos' URL and you can investigate for yourselves. They are

Wine Enthusiast
Phillip James from Snooth
WineTweets

I have Snooth over there on the sidebar for searches which I do enjoy. I want to spend more time building up my reviews but haven't had the time. I haven't spent a lot of time on Wine Enthusiast but it looks interesting. The WineTweet site is just a list of the tweets so you can read them even if you don't use Twitter.

Hess

2008-07-28T18:51:00.001-07:00

I bought a nice chard tonight at my local grocery store. Hess 2006 Chardonay Monteray. Light and smooth. I had it with my leftover seafood gumbo on rice. It was perfect. Snooth rating is 3.0 which to me is a drinkable wine for the price.

Breathe!

2008-07-22T18:23:00.001-07:00

I bought this wine aerator on my last Napa wine trip. I think it works just as advertised and really boosts the flavor of the wine. When I bought it, there were four of us tasting. The two men noticed a difference but didn't like the aerated wine. I liked the change and the other woman didn't really notice any difference. My daughter, who has a great palate, wasn't with us when I bought the aerator but I brought it with me on a trip to her house and let her use it. She noticed the difference and liked the aerated wine best. So, you might not want to rush out and buy one, but next time you're at a winery see if they've got one and will demonstrate. We only tested in on reds on our trip but I've found I enjoy the improvement in whites as well.

Chianti

2008-07-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

I knew about Chianti before I knew about wine or alcohol. When we were small, our mom used to take us to a little hole in the wall Italian restaurant in L.A. called Chi Chi's. If it still exists, Google doesn't know about it. It had the requisite red checked table cloths and every table had a candle holder made with an empty Chianti bottle. Multi colored candles had been stuck in the neck of the bottle and, as they burned, wax dripped down the neck of the bottle. My brother and I were much more concerned with the spaghetti than the table decorations and my mom never ordered Chianti with her meal so I didn't associate the bottles with any liquid. Just fire.

Now I love Chianti. It's a great robust red wine and you can usually find a nice, full bodied Chianti for a nice, low price. I also really like Sangiovese which is the varietal that contributes heavily to Chianti.

In some ways sangiovese is to Chianti as cabernet sauvignon is to Bordeaux. Both form the base of wines normally blended with other varietals and both by themselves share a certain distinctive elegance and complexity, when well-made.

via

Sangiovese or Chianti are the perfect accompaniment to spicy, red sauce pasta! Or chocolate. Or both.

Wine Cooler

2008-07-12T06:41:00.000-07:00

When I got my new refrigeratorl I decided I should also have a wine cooler. Now I have a cute little 30 bottle cooler. The box says it can hold 36 bottles but they must be referring to those thinner dessert wine bottles because I have 29 bottles in there and can't fit one more. Two hare fatter champagne bottles so I might get 30 bottles in there eventually. Or, if I become a dessert wine aficionado, 36.

I'm glad to have the cooler, not only because I can have several white wines ready to go without filling my refrigerator up, but also because I can now leave the house without worrying that the air conditioning might go out. If the A/C is out during the summer the heat inside can get up to 90+ degrees and that might be the end of my red wines.

I understand the power might but it will probably kick back in before the house gets to 90 degrees and, even if it doesn't, the cooler will give some wiggle room - but not enough for extra bottles of wine. :-)

Cheap Cabernets

2008-07-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Several posts back, verbatim linked to a list of cheap Cabernets. I tried the Smoking Loon and the Ravenswood (both found at Trader Joe's) and liked both of them well enough but wasn't dazzled. I'll keep working on the list and hope to find a good house cab. I'll let you know how it goes.

Zintastic!

2008-07-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

I opened up one of my Armida 2005 Maple Zins tonight. I wish I was better at describing wines but I'm not so I'll rely on the website description which fits perfectly: "This is a big rich Zinfandel, characteristic of Dry Creek Valley with its earthy, almost dusty nose, with a touch of spice. The wine is balanced with dark cherry and ripe berry fruit that pops out of the glass. The mouth-feel is enhanced by allspice and vanilla notes, with a big, sweet, round velvety finish." So true. According to the Arimida website, it has sold out so you won't be able to get any. But if you're ever at my house, ask if I have any left. I'll be happy to share. And you'll love it.

New Favorite

2008-06-30T20:39:00.001-07:00

A few months back I visited Santa Barbara and spent a day wine tasting with Deb. We had lunch in Los Olivos and then did some wine tasting. I recently opened a couple of the bottles we got at Andrew Murray Vineyards. They were even better than I remembered. In particular, I like the 2006 Viognier and the 2005 Esperance. I've decided we didn't buy enough! I will be going back soon, I hope.

Write Trader Joe's

2008-06-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

JennySmith sent me this link today. I'd heard about this woman's death on NPR but didn't realize at the time that the farm she was working at has a connection with Trader Joe's. You may know TJ's is one of my favorite stores. And they usually are good corporate citizens. So I'm sure letters from customers will get attention. Write today and tell TJ's to make sure their suppliers have proper working enviroments.

Food and Wine Pairing

2008-06-23T18:05:00.001-07:00

Snooth Blog has a nice article about food and wine pairings and it was helpful to me. I hadn't thought of a Sauvignon Blanc or Sancerre being "racy" but I appreciated the tip that they work well with salty foods. I agree that spicy Mexican or Italian food can use a strong, bold wine but I can also see having a crisp, cold, more mild white with them in the same way I like a nice bland cream cheese with smoked salmon - but like some snappy capers too. The article isn't snooty and the writer encourages you to make your own choices. I'll give it 2 1/2 wine glass rating.

Pahrumphh!

2008-06-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

I've known of the existence of the Pahrump Valley Winery for some time but have never really taken it seriously. Off and on, I've thought about going out there to check it out but just never gotten around to it. Finally, my friend Scott and I decided it was time to take the trip and check the place out. Pahrump is about an hour outside of Las Vegas. The land of double wides and brothels. I pretty much expected to sip some rotgut in a shed somewhere in the desert just to make sure I didn't die of thirst.

Boy,was I surprised.

The winery is a bright diamond in the desert. The staff is extraordinarily nice and the wine was quite tasty. I have to say I really didn't enjoy the Pinot Noir or the Burgundy but I liked the Chardonnay, the Pinot Gris, the Syrah, the Cabernet and the Cream Sherry. I bought a case. And the prices are quite palatable as well.

After our wine tasting we had lunch at the restaurant, Symphony's. The lobster bisque was delicious and the apple salad was delightful. We shared a bottle of the Peak White which is nice and crisp. The restaurant is small with windows all around. The service is excellent and the prices are reasonable. i will be going back soon.

I'd recommend a trip out the the winery to anyone, local or tourist.
Type rest of the post here

Nothing Here

2008-06-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

If you previously dropped by and there was political commentary, just pretend I'd had too much wine and couldn't tell one blog from another. This blog has a new blog about my visit to our Southern Nevada winery coming soon.

Snooth

2008-06-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what a 'snooth' is but the site has a nice search utility to look for wines. You don't have to register unless you decide to buy. You can type something in the search bar and you can also filter your search with the sliders on the left side. Search by price, varietal, region or merchant. I was looking for some cheap pinots. I found several in the $10 range. I'm a little disappointed in the ratings only because there aren't a lot. I really like the huge selection though and it is fun looking around and reading about the wines.

To be honest, my favorite part is changing the sliders and seeing the results. :-)

UPDATED: To reflect the comment by Philip James (from Snooth, I think!) who says you don't even have to register to buy wine. Now, that's cool! Also, if you go to the "About Us" which I should have done before, you'll learn all about the name.

Wine Woot

2008-06-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

It you're a techy, you probably know about woot where tech deals happen every day. But do you winies know about wine woot where there is a new wine deal every week? This is not cheap wine, it is usually a good deal on pricey wine or a reasonable price for hard to obtain wine.

Pricey Wine

2008-06-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

It is hard for me to justify spending more that $20 on a bottle of wine. There are so many wines I like that don't cost that much, so I cringe at the expense. BUT..there are some winery where the wine is just so good that I don't mind spending extra. Armida, Artiste, and Hanna to name a few.

This year on our annual Passport trip to El Dorado, I found a great Viognier that I almost didn't buy. The retail price was $38 and so I initially said, no way. But then our group bought so much wine that I could buy at $28 a bottle and I caved. It was worth it. This Viognier from Madrona is just delicious. It is smooth and fruity but not too sweet. I'd point you to a link to buy it but they don't have it on the wine list. It may be you have to go to the winery to get it. When we tasted it, the wine maker told us he doesn't typically like Viognier and so this one is special. And it really is. I wish now I'd bought more.
>

What Color Is Your Wine?

2008-06-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

If you asked me what color wine comes in, I'd probably say "white, red and sometimes pink." But wine has lots of different colors. To avoid plagiarizing, I'll just link you over here. The wine I'm drinking tonight, Sangiovese from Jodar, is definitely reddish-orange, which I never would have noticed if I hadn't held it up against a white background as the web page describes. The white background of my Blogger editing page makes an excellent background for checking out the color of my wine.

Oh, and, BTW, regardless of the color, this Sangiovese tastes great.

Cheap Wine

2008-05-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

Once I decided there were white wines I like, I decided I should definitely find cheap whites I like. Trader Joe's is always good for cheap wine. By cheap I mean under $8. Once you hit $10, that's starting to get pricey.

Today I got a bottle of Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc. It was $6.99 It was light and a little sweet. According to the winemaker, it is "crisp and clean with bright grapefruit notes balanced by tropical fruit and a hint of herbaceousness. The nose is filled with aromas of green apple, kiwi, lime, and peach highlighted by notes of green bell pepper. The mouth is very juicy... " I never come up with all those comparisons but I know it went pretty well with my yummy smoked salmon rollup.

My Search For White Wine

2008-05-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

For white wine that I like, that is.

About 10 years ago, I rediscovered my aunt. I should say, my daughter discovered her but I benefited because my aunt and I renewed our friendship at the same time. Somewhere along the line, I informed Mary that I enjoyed a glass of red wine now and then but I wasn't a big fan of white wine. She thought I just hadn't found the right wine and decided to help me find my favorite white. She took me on a two day wine trip through Napa-Sonoma, determined to locate a white wine I liked.

I can't tell you how many wineries we visited and I can't even name many of them. I tasted a lot of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc that day. I didn't like any of the Sauvignon Blanc and I only liked a few of the chards. One Chardonnay I liked was the Rombauer Chard. To my taste it was 'softer' than others. I also didn't enjoy the Reisling or the Pinot Grigio.

I don't remember the winery we were at where they served me a Viognier. It was love at first taste. From then on, we asked for Viognier at every winery we went to. There weren't many, but I liked them all.

As it turns out, there just weren't a lot of Viogniers in the Sonoma-Napa area. The Viognier varietal is difficult and has only become really popular in California in the past decade or so. There are currently more wineries with Viogniers in Central California and, as I discovered lately, in the Santa Barbara region. But I'm seeing it more often in Northern California as well.

Since that trip 10 years ago, I've learned to like other whites besides my Viognier. More on that later.

"The distinctive aroma of peaches, apricots, and violets is a hallmark of Viognier. Its highly aromatic nose is complemented by moderate acidity and flavors of peaches and minerals in the mouth." via

Robert Mondavi

2008-05-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

"The son of Italian immigrants, Mondavi founded a winery bearing his name in Napa Valley in 1966 and went on to become one of the most prominent figures of the US wine industry, making famed Cabernets and Chardonnays"

Jenny mentioned Mondavi in the comments and I did see the news about his death. I'm not a big Mondavi fan or detractor. I don't think I've ever been to a Mondavi winery. He was obviously very respected. There is a tribute album for him here. You can read about his life here. Reading it, I learned Mondavi was responsible for creating the term Fume Blanc which is just another name for Savignon Blanc. My favorite Fume Blanc is not Mondavi, however, it is Ferraro-Cerrano.

Maybe this weekend, I'll pick up a couple Mondavi wines and make a toast to Robert.

Put A Cork In It

2008-05-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

On my latest wine trip in Santa Barbara, we bought several bottles of 'fine' wine with screw caps. I encountered a screw cap wine at a restaurant about 4 years ago and we joked with the server about how funny it is to get wine in a nice restaurant and then have the server unscrew the cap. Some people miss the cork. I do not. I like being able to easily cap the bottle after pouring. I like not having to battle with the corkscrew to open wine. And I like not struggling to get the cork back in the bottle. I don't think I have ever been seduced by the romance of cork removal and cork smelling. So screw caps don't bother me at all. I won't even miss saving the corks since I already have my bulletin board made from my corks.

So, will you miss the cork?

Wine Spectator

2008-05-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

There's at least one thing I can say about the Wine Spectator magazine; it is certainly BIG. At 10"x13", it qualifies for the biggest magazine on my coffee table. Of course if the Whole Earth Catalog were still around, it would give WS a run for its money in the size department.

I started receiving the Wine Spectator when my aunt signed me up for a free subscription. I haven't had a lot of time to peruse it, but I don't mind that she signed me up; I'm hoping it will give me some lessons in talking about wine. Then I will be able to use sentences like "Polished and focused, with a core of currant, fig, cedar and coffee notes that stays streamlined through the full-bodied finish" instead of "I like it!"

Glancing through this month's magazine, I see that of the California wineries mentioned, I've been to one. Since I've been to many California wineries over the past 6 years, I'm not sure it that says more about me or more about the magazine. Maybe more about how well the magazine and I are matched - or not. I also noticed that it's hard to find wine priced under $20 a bottle in their lists of recommendations.

So we'll see. One of these days, I'll sit down and browse through the other 4 or 5 issues I have and see it we'll become good friends or not.

Wine Racks Are Expensive

2008-05-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

I have about 3 or 4 cases of wine here at the house and many bottles sit in the cases I brought them home in. I have a couple small wine racks that I've picked up over the years that don't hold enough bottles and so I've decided to buy a wine rack that will hold my wine and grow to accommodate more wine.

But wine racks are expensive! See here at Pottery Barn I can get one 12 bottle unit for $70. Sure, they look nice stacked to hold 72 bottles but that will cost $420 if I've done the math correctly. If I already have 36 bottles I might as well invest in a rack to hold at least twice that much.

Target has a $40 rack that hold 20 bottles, so that certainly is cheaper but I'm not in love with the look. The Shoetree store has converted shoe racks to wine racks, I think, and are offering 2 racks that hold 6 bottles each for the price of $25. I'll pass. This one only holds 16 bottles but includes a drawer for your cork screw, holders for your glasses and a table top to set the open bottle on.

I know I do need a wine rack. As I collect more bottles that I'll want to save for awhile, I need a place to keep them. And I'll probably end up with a wine cooler too one of these days. But if you think wine racks are expensive, wait until I shop for the cooler!