Pajarito

It's been a while since I blogged about wine. I like to think it was winter blues and a combination of drinking vodka dirty martinis and Prosecco/St. Germaine cocktails. However, now I'm getting back in touch with the beverage I can have every day of the week.

So I got back into the swing of things with a Chilean wine called Batitu Merlot 2008. Apparently Batitu is named after a charming bird, however is that even a legitimate bird? Anyways, it is a medium bodied wine with aromas and flavors of ripe berries. It paired nicely with the meal I made that evening, consisting of chicken cutlets with lemon and pepper marinade, couscous with Parmesan cheese and a mesclun salad. It was also $6, so perfect frugal prices for this recession that still lingers.

Happy 2010!

It's a new year, however this post is dedicated to a wine I got as a Christmas gift gift from my boss. I don't really know why I saved it for so long - actually I do. From about Thanksgiving to the New Year, there were quite a few parties to attend. I barely had alone time in my apartment to type on my laptop at night, like I'm currently doing. Also, I was trying to not gain too many pounds from the excess of food and drinks I imbibed over the 6 week span. I'm digressing...back to the topic at hand - WINE!

So my lovely boss Mr. E got his staff a bottle of white and a bottle of red. I wasn't a fan of the white, so I'm moving on to the red wine which is very pleasing. Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Combier 2007, a Syrah blend from Northern Rhone, sells for about $30. This deep ruby, medium-bodied wine is quite enjoyable. There are hints of raspberry and pepper. It has an interesting mineral finish to it, which I believe is due to the stainless steel barrels that are used during the wine making process.

I'm not a huge French wine fan, but I give this my seal of approval. It would probably balance out a hearty meal, however I'm a full-bodied wine fan. Before I stop writing - a shout out to David E who I hope will get inspired this year and try more wine (when he's actually at the legal age to purchase it all by himself) ;)

Yalumba!

I might have discovered a new favorite Aussie winery. I'm still loyal to Banrock Station, even though the wine shops I go to now no longer keep their Shiraz in stock. Perhaps this was necessary for me to discover the Yalumba, Australia's oldest family owned winery dating back to 1849. I chose their 2007 Shiraz Viognier blend. This medium bodied wine has aromas of violets and blueberries, with hints of ground spices, lots of red berry fruits and supple tannins - a nice balance. My issue with most Shiraz is that it borderlines on full bodied and it's just an overpowering of sweetness. The addition of the Viognier -a white wine grape - makes this wine go down smoothly. I give it my seal of approval!

En Mi Casa

So you'd think after a gluttonous T-day, I'd reel it in and not eat out or drink. HA - that did not occur.

After keeping myself occupied with house repairs all Saturday, I decided to treat myself to a nice dinner from Eli's and Eli's Wine Shop. I selected a potluck of cuisine from the cold food bar including cous cous salad with feta cheese, chicken salad with mayo, red onion and dill, tomato salad and some random pasta (I said it was a potluck). So I wanted to pair this plethora of cuisine with a glass or two of wine. I decided to try Bib Graetz's Casamatta Toscana 2008. It cost $13 more or less, and it went with my delicious meal. Casamatta means crazy house, and clearly my cuisine could be described as the selections of a kook (I like to think I had no clue what I wanted for dinner and just picked things that looked tasty.)

The red wine is a Sangiovese blend that's smooth and rich. You can taste the red currant and strawberries. However it's a little too weak for my liking, aka now that I'm currently drinking it not paired with food I don't enjoy it as much as I did with my crazy Saturday dinner.

Snap Decision

I've been slacking lately, and am still having issues trying to write up this review. I went my usual wine shop near the 77th ST 6 train. There were red bottles on display with an orange label and a red dragon. Diageo is the distiller of 2007 Snap Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon, which has oak, blackberry and chocolate flavors. I think when I first opened the bottle I didn't let it air sufficiently. It was too sweet for my taste and it didn't really hit the spot with my whole wheat pasta. However when I had it tonight (3 days later), it tasted a less sweet and it kinda worked with my Japanese dinner of crunchy spicy tuna roll and steamed shrimp dumplings (forget the Japanese name). The bottle costs about $8. While I'm not sure if I'd buy it again, it wasn't the end of the world. It does question my selection abilities - I may need to stop looking at the pretty labels.

Cannonball!!!!!!!!!!

I did something I never thought I'd do again. There is this wine shop right by the H&H Bagels that I have avoided for over a year. Basically it's a family owned booze store and because I chatted up the eldest son at the place one time, he started asking my former roommate about me. It was just uncomfortable and I would just avoid looking into the place whenever I'd walk by it.

However, the other day I was running around. All I wanted was a nice bottle of red now that the weather is getting chillier. So I took the plunge and I walked into the store. I think since the father of the family was working at the store today, the son didn't catch me up. Anyways enough back story...

I decided to try a cab sauv from a California Winery, Cannonball. Now normally whenever I read the back of the label, I'm like I can't taste the chocolate you're talking about. With this bottle, I could totally taste the chocolate, as well as the hints of oak and strong berry flavors. It was bold, intense and went down smoothly. And with 13.7% alcohol by volume, you just might feel like doing a cannonball into a pool or lake.

Proven Wrong

This blog post is dedicated to Ma-Bridges, Miko Chan and Bella, who have forever been telling me that Rose is a good wine.

I have never been a fan of the stuff. I've been repulsed by it in the past. Also, after reading about fake roses (mixing red and white wine together), it turned me off completely. Bella was a fan of a rose she bought at the Trader Joe's wine shop, but that $6 bottle didn't do it for me at all. It taseted like a cheap diluted wine with a splash of red dye (sorry Bella).

Given my reservations, I don't know what compelled me to buy a bottle. I guess I had a glimmer of hope that there had to be a decent tasting Rose. My true love is a glass of red (Cab Sauv, Syrah or Malbec). However, in this heat there is no way I am drinking that. So I went to my local wine shop and I saw a Bordeaux Rose called Chateau La Mouliniere on display and I asked one of the store clerks whether it was decent. He told me it was and that all I needed to do was put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill it and that it would be great.

I kept it in the fridge longer and I have to say I liked the wine. It was berry filled, with hints of strawberries and raspberries. It was also crisp and refreshing. Now I don't plan to start buying Roses all the time, however I will not dismiss them completely in the summer when I want to drink wine.

So there ladies -- you have proven me wrong, and I'll bite my tongue now. :p