August 2016 -- Spanish Wines!

First things first, apologies for the backlog!  This blogger took a ridiculously long hiatus from the vinosphere thanks to efforts to start a family.  Anywhoooo, we hope to be posting some back dated entries in the coming weeks.  For now, though, on to our August Wine Club notes!

This evening, we enjoyed a few Spanish wines with some unique grapes.  It was about a thousand degrees out, so the few of us who could attend chose chilled or light bodied wines:    

1.   Senda Verde - 11.5%, $16.99, Cork & Fork

Notes:

• Less "crisp" than promised by the sellers
• Somewhat citrus-y
• The label said there were notes of honeydew but we didnt really buy it.  (Plus, when's te last time you had a good, perfectly ripe honeydew?  We submit never.)
• We found the wine to be crisper when colder
• The judges--admittedly tough customers on white wines--gave this wine a 4, 3.2, and 3.75

*This wine featured the treixadura grape from Spain/Portugal.  Delicious!

2.    Gañeta (Rose) - 11%, $16.99, Whole Foods at P Street (ew)

Notes:

• Crisp!
• All Tara ever got was smoke--kind of scotchy, and not in a good way
• Everyone else thought it was delicious (and not smokey at all)
• Regardless, it paired well (and lost all alleged smoke) when paired with food
• Stone fruit notes?
• First impressions included strawberries and rose petals,  Have we mentioned smoke?
• The ratings:  4.5, 3.9, 3.0

3.  Her Essential - 14%, $16.99

Notes:

• The label sparked a conversation about crime shows (FBI Crime Files, Unsolved Mysteries, and Homicide, Life on the Streets, to name a few):

• Although billed by the vendor as being a "lighter red," fuller mouth feel + fuller body and opaque 
• Low tones (blackberry, plum, etc,, maybe a hint of cherry)
• Not as spicy as would expect for a Grenache
• A good summer red
• Fave ratings:  4.5, 4.75, 4.0
• Much as we were creeped out by the fingerprinted label and judgy about the name, it was our favorite by far.   

The spread:

Peach bruschetta:

--crostini

--goat cheese

--peaches

--balsamic vinegar

--fresh basil

Veggie pizza:

--naan

--cream cheese/mayo combo

--improvised ranch seasoning (parsley, garlic salt, green onion, dried mustard, etc.)

--fresh veggies, e.g., broccoli, tomato, red onion, pepper

--shredded cheese

Feta & Watermelon salad (thank you, Jacques Pepin!):

--watermelon

--feta cheese

--fresh mint

--olive oil

--fresh lemon (lime) juice

--Tabasco

--salt and pepper

Added Twists

• WHO WANTS A TATTOO?  Some of us do.  Thanks, Ink Master, for educating us.  Just watch out for tipsy times--no one wants to end up with surprise snakes on their bod.
• Query, how does one get to be a tchotchke hoarder?  The answer:  it's a slippery slope.
• "Festiculous":  super festive, to the tune of decorating one's entire house with seasonal stuff. A versatile term that combines "festive" with either "meticulous" (charitable) or "ridiculous" (mocking).

January 2013 - Blends!

Starting Off with a Bang Blend!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, WINOS!  For our first meeting of 2013, we had a wonderful time with a very new theme.  Blends!   

• Vintage wine blends are different grapes grown in the same vintage, or year.  This may be something as simple as a vintage Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend, or it may be something as complex as blending up to 13 different grapes to create a Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
   
• Non-vintage blends combine grapes grown in different vintages in order to balance flavors, tannins, and other wine characteristics. These wines are typically labeled NV or non-vintage, and there will be no year listed on the label.

Our lovely hostess Terri sent us some wonderful information on blends ahead of time, available here.  A couple tidbits about blends from that article:

1. Some varietals are made for blending.
2. Some are really not!
3. Blending makes wine more complex.

The Spread: 

The Wines:

(As you can tell, this is a hodge-podge-y picture, and doesn't show the wines in the order of tasting.)

Without further ado, the wines:

1.  Essay, Chenin Blanc/Viognier Blend; Whole Foods; $9.99; 13.5%

Rating: 3.79

Nose: absolutely nothing

Taste:

• Citrusy
• Honeysuckle
• Pear
• Pineapple
• Drinkable and smooth
• GREAT after a particularly spicy appetizer

According to the label, this is a "medium-bodied" wine with melon and guava flavors.  The wine should have had "intriguing floral notes," but as noted above, the ladies noted none of this.  We called shenanigans on the label.

The blend was 90% chenin blanc, 10% viognier.

2.  Bridlewood, "Blend 175"; Harris Teeter; $13.99, 12.5%

Rating: 3.5

Nose: cherries

Taste:

• Plums
• Cherries
• Smooth
• Sweet

Oddly, the ladies differed on whether this wine got sweeter, or less sweet, over time.

According to the label, this wine was full of jammy fruits and sweet oak.  Also, this is a "barrel lot blend."  The winemakers took 175 tastes (a likely story--we were not convinced), which is why this wine is called "Blend 175."  

**Here we got into some really interesting, complex conversations.  Impressive, ladies.  The ladies discussed jury duty, past roommates, and resolutions for 2013.  Oh, and another favorite, loving (hating?) it when our mothers are right, esp. on matters of the heart.

3.  Menage a Tois, 2010 California, Zinfandel/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Blend; Safeway; $12.99

Rating: 3.21

Nose: smells like scented candle

Taste:

• Cloves
• Incredibly sweet, like mulled wine
• Tart finish
• Sour cherries

According to the label, this blend should taste of dark berries and pepper.

4.  Cotes-du-Rhone 2010, Pic & Chapoutier; Schneiders; $15; 14%

Rating: 3.58

Nose: [Nothing from the ladies!]

Taste: [Lack of focus means no focus here!]  The ladies did note that they found this wine to be less sweet than the last wine, and smooth. 

What caused this lack of focus you ask?

1. Recomendations for reducing sex drive.
2. Gym locker room etiquette, especially when the gym is in the office building where you work.  
3. Etiquette for inviting individuals into your office space, e.g., behind your desk. 

According to the label, this goes well with guinea fowl.  Alas, we didn't have any guinea fowl. 

5.  Innovacion, Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon; Whole Foods; $10.99; 13%

Taste:

• Bigger than the other wines
• Not sweet 
• Dry, tannic 
• [Illegible word -- looks like "murderous" or "melodramatic."  Either way, sounds fascinating!]

Over all, we found this wine to be easy drinking with a spicy finish.

According to the label, this is a smooth- to medium-bodied wine, with plums and red marmalade.  Red marmalade?  Huh.  This blogger found no information out there on red marmalade unless it was red onion marmalade, and we guarantee there were no onions in this wine.

6.  Project Paso, 2010, "Red Wine Blend" [Unknown price/source]

Nose:

• Earthy
• Fruity
• Cherry
• "Hippy" cherries
• Sharp at the end
• 20 times more smell than any of the other wines

Taste:

• Smoky

**This bottle featured an amazing new twist -- literally.  Meet the Zork STL -- more than just a fun play on "cork," this sucker seems really practical. 

The Winner's Circle:

1. Essay

2. Project Paso

3. Cote-du-Rhone

4. Bridlewood

5. Menage a Trois

6. Innovacion

Added Twists:

• Million Dollar Decorators.  Apparently we all need to get up to speed on this show.  Quotable from Lauren (the lady in the fair isle sweater), "I like the gothic!"

October 2012 - Malbecs!

The Magic of Malbec

 

This month, in honor of the season changing (brrrr) and the need to stay warm, go a little heartier, and spice things up(!), the wine ladies took an evening to honor Malbecs.  With a single grape theme, the ladies tried to tackle differences in taste due to region and vintage rather than varietal.

The Spread:

 **Barely pictured, peeking in from the left, and VERY important.  Lauren brought wings because, according to the experts, Malbecs pair well with wings.  (Good call, thanks experts!) 

And the wines (in order of tasting):

**Note: there's a rogue starter bottle of champagne on the left, and a rogue Heavy Seas 22 oz beer on the end on the right.  The hostess' man came home at the end and opened a bottle to share/taste with the ladies. 

Without further ado, our thoughts on the magic of Malbecs!

1.  Val del Sales, Pays D'OC (France), 2011;  Whole Foods; $8.99; 13.5%.

Rating: 3.958

Nose: 

• Not too strong
• Smells fruity
• Bing cherries

Taste:

• Smooth
• Not tannic or chewy
• Very light for a malbec
• Much more like a pinot noir

As the night wore on, the ladies repeatedly commented on how the Argentinian wines stacked up against this one.  Remarkable how spicy and tannic Argentinian malbecs are compared to this French one.  Or, put another way, this one was unbelievably smooth and light compared to the usual malbec.


2.  Punto Final (Mendozo Region), 2010; Whole Foods; $14.99; 14%

Rating: 3.25

Nose: Spicy!

Taste:

• Cloves, spices
• Mulled wine without the "mull"
• Full in the back of the mouth
• Very different from the first wine

This is where the night began going south (so early!).  Even aided with the super sleek Rabbit technology, due either to a weak cork or the author/hostess’ incompetence, corks started catapulting into the bottle.  Solution?  Using a meat thermometer to keep the cork punched low enough in the bottle to allow us to keep pouring.  Genius!

Ladies: "What temperature is the wine?"
Tara: "Beef Rare, Ham Cooked."

3. Admiral Ferrer, 2010; Alyssa's Sikh (17th and L); $19; 14.5%

Rating: 3.458

Nose: very spicy

Taste:

• Fruitier
• Smoke
• Tart

This wine changed significantly with a little time.  After opening up a bit, the wine was much smoother. 

4.  Portillo 2011, $9.99

Rating: 3.791

Nose: nothing but alcohol

Taste:

• Soft, ripe cheese
• Less spicy than other wines we had tasted
• Closer to the French wine we had tasted

This wine was very dark in color.  According to the label, this wine came from very high altitude valleys, with black fruits, and a rich fruit flavor, velvety, soft on palette.
5.  Trivento; 14%; no place, no $$

Rating: 3.375

Nose:

• Brandy
• Oxyclean

Taste:

• Spicy
• Cherry cordial

According to the label, there was plum and raspberry jam on the nose, and vanilla notes on the palette.  The wine was aged for 6 months in French oak barrels.


6.  Sophenia; Barrel Liquors; $15; 14%

Rating: 3.25

Nose: smells like chardonnay with red food dye

Taste:

• Oaky
• Strong
• Spicy
• The "Chardonnay of Malbecs"

The Winner's Circle:

1.  Val de Sales - the French wine!
2.  Portillo
3.  Admiral Ferrer
4.  Trivento
5.  Punto Final
6.  Sophenia

Added Twists

• Wingos!  Who knew, winos love wings, and boy do they love this place.  Bonus: it delivers!
• Looking for milkshakes and fried chicken?  Look no further than The Satellite Room. A wino favorite. 
• A vocab lesson, wino style!
• Giddyup (noun): beginning, start.  Example: From the giddyup (in lieu of "from the beginning" or "from the get go.")  
• Ho-atus (noun): a hiatus from entertaining many men, i.e., from ho-ing about.  Example: I am taking a ho-atus. 
• Shopping?  Ladies love Piperlime.  But note that apparently women should eliminate approximately 70% of the items currently in their closets.  Hmmm, a dilemma ;) 

Updates Coming Soon!

July 2012 - Sparkling Wines!

Champagne . . . the Champagne of Sparkling Wines?

This unbearably hot month, we're celebrating celebrating refreshing, sparkling wines!  (Great choice by Lauren.)  By way of a quick Wikipedia refresher, here is a brief intro on sparkling wine versus champagne:

• Sparkling Wine: a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy.  The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the methode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved (as in the Charmat process), or as a result of carbon dioxide injection.
• Champagne: sparkling wine specifically produced in the Champagne region of France.

The Spread:

 (Salads and cupcakes and casseroles?  LUCKY LADIES!)

Without further ado, the wines:

1. D.O.C. Treviso (Extra Dry Prosecco); Whole Foods $12.99, ordinarily $15.99; 11%

Rating: 3.14

Nose: peach, citrus, pineapple

Taste: 

• smooth
• some thought this was not that sweet, others thought it was sweeter than champagne/regular sparkling wines

The label advises that there are hints of elderflower on the nose, and tastes of golden apples.  We note that the bottle comes with an informative booklet -- perfect for scrapbooking a special prosecco-fueled event, if that's your cup of tea.  Or wine. 

Here the ladies asked why champagne gets you drunk faster than flat wines or even other alcohol.  Inquiring minds want to know, so we took to the Internets to find out.   Apparently, despite semi-scientific testing, the phenomenon "remains a mystery." 

2.  1+1 = 3.  Cava Brut, Whole Foods $11.99; 11.5%

Rating: 2.25

Nose: Cate pee, licorice; methane, wet wool

Taste: 

• tastes better than smells 
• “there’s not much to say.” 

The ladies thought this might be a good base for champagne-based drinks, like mimosas or bellinis; needs something to overcome.

Here we learned about sit spas.  There are no words. 

3.  Gruet Blanc de Noir, $14.99 at Schneiders, 12%

Rating: 3.12

Nose: not much smell, alcohol, buttery

Taste: 

• smooth
• creamy

This sparkler was made of pinot noir grapes, so it was RED and much fuller bodied.

We got into an amazing conversation here about being young, early/mid- twenties, and, let’s just say, ‘juggling.’  Snippets:

• Regarding sleeping arrangements” I don’t know, I mean I do kexactly know except I don’t remember what was agreed upon."
• “He grabbed my hand and grabbed me and the rest is history.”  (A la Seinfeld: “You ‘yadda yadda’d the best part!’)

4. The Chook Sparkling Shiraz, Raku/Kramerbooks; $19.99 

Rating: 3.58

Nose: Berries, cranberry jam. 

Taste: 

• berries
• fruit.

This is a dark red wine, but to be served cold.

Here we got into an amazing discussion of Army Wives and ass smacking that cannot really be put into print.  Ask the author/note taker, and perhaps ye shall receive. 

5. Orlana Vino Verde, $7.99 Whole Foods; 9% 

Rating: 2.42

Nose: cat pee, “doesn’t smell fab”

Taste: like "soda fritzer" 

We also observed that this wine was not particularly fizzy and looked very light in color compared to the others.  

Terri explained that vino verde is a great summer wine that -- let's be honest -- we could drink all day.  In other words, it's a “low duty” wine.  

Here, the ladies got into QUITE the spirited discussion of whether babysitting across the hall of a condo apartment building with a baby monitor is  appropriate.  The ladies declined to judge the parents ' decision, but rather decided that it was great that the young parents were still “fun parents,” i.e., they went out and left their baby with neighbors.  Ricki offered her services for any future babysitting efforts, noting: “I’m the child whisperer.”

The ladies also made some new friends:

6.  Coppola, Blanc de Blanc, Whole Foods $20.99, 12.0% 

Rating 3.58

Nose: Sweet

Tastes: 

• very bubbly
• drinkable

The presentation of this bottle stole the show.  The presentation looked like an amazing gift all the ladies would be honored to receive.  (Hint, hint to our friendly/accidental readers!) 

Added Twists:

• The definition of tipple: 
• verb: to make a habit of taking (alcoholic drink), esp in small quantities
• noun: alcoholic drink 
• We learned a lot about the meaning of names:
• “Stephanie” means “crowned one” 
• "Ricki"  means strong power peaceful ruler.  The ladies also noted that Ricki is the name of the Bachelorette's daughter. 
• "Julie" is youthful, victorious

The Winner's Circle:

See you next time Winos!