by Christine | Wine Friday
In these days of high unemployment and global financial crisis, it’s nice to relax with a bottle of wine that doesn’t break your pocketbook. I’m here to sort out the memorable from the truly awful, and each bottle is under $10.
So, last weekend, while the hubby was away auditioning for the Utah Shakespeare Festival and one Young Man was off to spend the night prior to a day of LARPing and the other furiously writing for his critique group, I decided to try some wines I hadn’t tried yet. Three days, three bottles. What could possibly go wrong?
Friday, I started with Jargon Pinot Noir 2009, St. Helena, California Alcohol 13.5% by volume $8.99 at Vons
On the Label: “We can go on and on and tell you about our Terroir (it’s incredible) and about the quality of our PINOT NOIR fruit (it’s awesome), but we won’t. We let our Pinot Noir speak for itself. So cut through all the complicated wine speak and enjoy…JUST GOOD WINE.”
My Take: It has a fun label. It has a screw top. It’s a Pinot Noir. What’s not to like? There’s a lovely feel to this wine in my mouth – it’s got some cherry in it, some of the pepper I like, it’s not meek but it’s not a big, huge, bold wine either (because, you know, Pinot just isn’t that way). It’s a great kick-off-your-shoes, hi-honey-I’m-home, and TGIF wine. I had to really pace myself and only drink two glasses of it on Friday night. Not sure what I made to go with it … I do remember that I ate alone, which gave me visions of an empty nest. Interesting…
My Rating: ~ Very Drinkable ~
Now, on to Saturday.
Cline Zinfandel 2010 California Alcohol 14% by volume $9.99 at Vons on Sale
On the Label: “CLINE Family owned and operated since 1982. From meticulous farming to master winemaking, we still do it all the old fashioned way and it shows. Bright, jammy cherry, dark berry fruit and spice with a touch of warm vanilla define this complex yet approachable Cline Zin. Supple tannins and a smooth finish lend structure and ageability. Try with grilled steak, chili con carne or spaghetti and red sauce.”
My Take: I was perfectly prepared to love this wine, so imagine my surprise when, serving it with garlic chicken, it left me…wanting. I didn’t taste the bright cherry or the spice…I tasted minerals. Heavy minerals that left a heavy taste in my mouth. Maybe it was the high alcohol content?
I duly drank my first glass, and then switched back to the Jargon from the night before. Ahhhh….much better. Also better was the company at dinner – I wasn’t completely alone. However, when the boys and I eat sans their papa, we tend to read at dinner…all three of us reading a different, yet very thick novel of some sort or another. I always shed a tiny tear of pride at those meals…
My Take ~ Drinkable, if you like the minerally taste. ~ I don’t know. Maybe it needs more time – it WAS a 2010. But if it needs more time, why is it on the shelves now? I can only roll my eyes…
Which brings me to Sunday…
Concannon Central Coast Pinot Noir Established 1883 in the Livermore Valley Alcohol 13.5% by volume $9.99 at Vons.
On the Label: “Roots. Rocks. Intrigue. Since 1883, Concannon Vineyard has been handcrafting fine varietal wines from grapes grown along the Central Coast of California, a diverse region that stretches north from Santa Barbara to the San Francisco Bay. We carefully select the most ideal vineyards for growing each varietal and craft this expressive fruit into superb wines.
Our medium-bodied Pinot Noir is bursting with aromas of violet, cherry, earth and spice with an elegant and supple finish. Enjoy our Selected Vineyards Pinot Noir with dishes like herb-crusted lamb chops or plank-grilled salmon.”
My Take: Prior to starting dinner, I didn’t really want to open this bottle so I had a small glass of the Cline Zinfandel. And as soon as I was done with that, I opened the Concannon with a sigh of relief.
It smells lovely in the glass. It bursts on the tongue with bright flavors and a mellowness that allows you to relax – this is not a demanding wine, but rather a pleasure wine, asking only that you enjoy it. I’m thinking now that maybe all Pinot Noirs are of this variety – undemanding of the consumer. But I digress…
Again, a reading dinner, this time with a fall veggie mix and whole-wheat pasta with fresh parmesan on top and – of course – garlic bread, made the Sicilian way. Which is…toast a baguette sliced in half until well toasted, then rub a large clove of garlic into the toasted side. The garlic kind of melts into the bread. Top it off with a sprinkling of olive oil (and pepper if you desire, which I do!), and you’ve got a feast fit for a king, even if you’re just serving the garlic bread and the wine. And the wine? Mmmmm.
My Rating: ~ Very Drinkable ~ But of these three, the Jargon is my hands-down favorite.
So, I survived my weekend alone. And on Monday, the hubby very kindly finished up all my open bottles – even the Cline. After all, he’d been in Mormon Country for the past three days.
Now…Tomorrow, the lovely New Day Job is letting me off half a day early to drive up to Paso Robles for Wine Release Weekend. Three girls on the open road, ready to taste wine. I promise I’ll bring my notepad…
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As usual, this is just my honest opinion and depend upon my mood, the weather, and whether there’s a full moon or not. Your taste buds will differ.
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul is available for the Kindle and the Nook, not to mention in paperback!! Get your copy today!
by Christine | Wine Friday
In these days of high unemployment and global financial crisis, it’s nice to relax with a bottle of wine that doesn’t break your pocketbook. I’m here to sort out the memorable from the truly awful, and each bottle is under $10. Please note, however, that the prices I quote are what I paid at my local store; your pricing will probably differ.
Stonehedge Reserve Petite Syrah, 2007 Special Vineyard Select – Alcohol 14.5% by volume. Cellars located in Arroyo Grande, California. $9.99 at Vons.
The label was uninformative, but a couple of wine sites – the Vino File particularly – had the scoop I needed. Surprisingly, the website for Stonehedge didn’t show the Reserve Petite Syrah 2007 at all.
This Wine Judging site gave it a gold medal. Another site I didn’t bookmark said the $10 price was about right for the quality. So there you go…
My Take: It had a nice juiciness, plus a zing of pepper that I love. If you’re a SWEET red wine drinker, this is not the wine for you. If you like medium-sized reds with a bit of a bite, you would probably like this. Plus, if you give it as a gift, the whole “Reserve” on the label makes it look more expensive than it is – and the taste doesn’t detract from the label. A win-win!
My Rating: ~ Drinkable ~ I guess I’m getting picky as I taste. I’ve got a few favorites, and this, sad to say, didn’t make my “I’d buy it again” list. But that doesn’t detract from it’s tastiness!
Bear Flag California Smooth Wine Blend Modesto, California Alcohol 12% by
volume Blend of Tempranillo, Touriga, Zinfandel and Alicante Bouschet (I know – don’t know a couple of these, either!!!) $6.99 at Vons.
On the Label: It’s wild. Check out the website. The label, plus it’s low price, is why I picked it up.
Characterized as closer to the “sweet” scale, this is a “sweet” red that I enjoyed. In fact, I was surprised to see they characterized it as such. It was an easy-sipper and went very well with the clean-out-the-veggie-bin soup I made yesterday.
Easy. Not a big wine; if I had to put only one varietal to it, I’d put it close to a Merlot. The label is cool, and they have other blends I’m hoping Vons will carry so I can try them out.
My Rating: ~ Drinkable ~ Again, it wasn’t a breathless wine – but it’s a solid choice for that rushed evening when you’re really looking to sip something as you make those burgers. Or chicken patties. I will say you won’t regret it!
As usual, this is just my honest opinion and will depend upon my mood, the meal I just ate, and what cycle the moon is in. Your taste buds will differ.
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul is available for the Kindle and the Nook! Have you read it yet?
by Christine | Cooking
When the world is in an uproar, there’s something about cooking that, for me, is comforting. Even better is when the recipe takes simple ingredients and a bit of work – chopping, stirring, cooking time over an hour or so. This past weekend I indulged and cooked two fairly simple dishes that took some time.
On Saturday, I was scrolling for “healthy vegetable recipes”, and came across one for Mushroom Sugo over at Simply Recipes. Intrigued, I looked further, and they had me at the first sentence…”The onions cook for a long time…” bingo. Just what I was looking for.
(Doesn’t this look yummy? And it’s NOT a beef dish!)
Scanning the ingredients – dried porcini mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, a bunch of other fresh herbs, wine, etc – I could almost smell the rich scent in my kitchen. So when it came time to head off to the store to buy my new dishwasher, I took the recipe with us.
Unfortunately, the dishwasher drama took longer than I thought it would. Then finding Porcini mushrooms was another epic drama – three stores. THREE. In Southern California, no less.
But finally, I got home with everything I needed, and I began chopping. Whoops, change that to mincing, which takes four times as long as chopping. Half way through the forest of vegetables I had to mince, I was now thoroughly irritated with myself and everyone around me (except the cat). I had envisioned starting the dish around two in the afternoon, never mind the fact that we didn’t even set out to shop until 3:30p. Mincing onions that needed to cook for 40 minutes at 6:30p wasn’t my idea of a good time.
Anyway – the onions eventually turned a deep goldeny brown color, all the other vegetables were minced in good order, everything got put into the pot at the appropriate time, and finally – finally! – I was able to sit back, exhausted, and enjoy the scents wafting from the covered pot on the stove. It needed to simmer for 90 minutes.
What I received, as a thank you for all that chopping? A wonderful, thick, gravy-like bit of vegetable nirvana. I served it over rotini and backed it with a terrific Zinfandel, but it would be fabulous on top of a broiled chicken breast, or as a sauce on mashed potatoes. The porcini liquid (from soaking the mushrooms) added a richness usually found in beef dishes, and the flavor from all those onions, carrots, celery and garlic melded with the mushrooms to make a winter night glow. I definitely give this recipe a “You Gotta Try It!”
On Sunday, I made Braised Root Vegetables and Cabbage with Fall Fruit – wanting to stay in that hearty-but-healthy mode – from Food & Wine’s website. A medley of onions, carrots, radishes, turnips, Savoy cabbage, apples and pears, it was surprisingly mellow and tasty, and nothing needed to be minced – so it was quick to chop those vegetables, too. Ten minutes on the stove top and half an hour in the oven, and it was a fabulous complement to our steak dinner. On Monday night, it did double duty – heated up, it went great over pasta with a sprinkling of fresh parmesan cheese. This recipe, too, gets a “You Gotta Try It!”
So there you go – two hearty vegetable recipes. I swore the next time I made the Mushroom Sugo, I’d make a triple batch, teach the teens how to mince, and then freeze most of it for heating up in the depths of deadlines – but that would also mean getting a bigger refrigerator/freezer. Which is a different posting, all together. Until next time, here’s to eating healthy and drinking responsibly!
The Autumnal Equinox comes September 23rd – it’s time to get ready.
~ Demon Soul is available for the Kindle and the Nook! Get your copy today!~
by Christine | Wine Friday
I’ve been so busy writing and working that I’ve got nothing for the blog today (hangs head in shame). So I’m riffing on wine below, while in a complete brain stupor from too much learning of Quick Books at work and too much editing at home. Enjoy!
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Wine. It’s been used as a vehicle for poison – remember all those scenes with the wine glasses switching places? It’s been used as a way to impress (“I’ll have the Chateau LaFitte Rothschild ’64, my man”) and as a way to get a young, lissome teenager easily drunk (Boone’s Farm, anyone?).
When I was younger, red wine, red meat and garlic bread would ease my monthly cramps and put me in a happy place. (Actually, now that I think about it, those three ALWAYS put me in my happy place, lol.) When it’s cold outside, I love a big bottle of red wine to warm me up. Mulled wine is not out of place when it’s snowing or sleeting or even raining outside, no matter where you are in relation to sea level. But … moving on.
As you know, I’m all for the inexpensive, yet tasty, bottle of wine. So what do I do when a respected and revered person gives me a bottle that easily costs – oh, say, six to ten bottles that I normally buy? And is sincerely interested in my opinion?
One genuflects, of course, and with all appreciation. The bottle is resting in my tiny wine cellar *koff koff* and I shall enjoy it this Saturday night, with an appropriate meal around it. Word has it on the internet that it benefits from an hour’s worth of aging. I think I can bring myself to allow it to age that long…but maybe not before taking a tiny sip.
Hopefully I can wrench myself away from editing on Sunday and can find the time to spill the beans on this wine. I’m really looking forward to it – I hope I love it!
Now, the weather is cooling down but the politics are heating up. What to drink while you’re avoiding all the debates, caucuses, rants and missteps leading up to the next election? Why, the 7 Deadly Zins, of course! (Whosoever amongst you be without sin, throw the first stone…man, I so wish ALL our politicians were compelled to follow that! I’m just so tired of rhetoric. What to watch on TV is another post, entirely!)
(By the way, did you get it? Zins? Sins? Politicians? Sorry…I crack myself up…) Anyway, I couldn’t let this post go without at least one wine mention. This unfortunately ISN’T under $10 – according to the sites I checked online, it’s running about $16 – but it’s a good, solid Zinfandel that will go well with any big, hearty meal you’re planning – especially as the weather turns again and grows cooler. And let’s face it – when politics heats up, we all need a little something special to keep our ears deaf to the noise. I truly believe 7 Deadly Zins is that special wine.
However, since I don’t have it in front of me and cannot in good conscience give it any sort of rating, I’ll merely say here that I’ve bought it in the past and I’ve enjoyed it.
And now my ducks, I must get my beauty sleep. Morning and rehab come all too quickly for my taste – but hopefully, in the afternoon, I’ll get the pesky boot off (remember it? No? Here’s a picture…) and I can start, slowly, reminding my body what it’s like to walk evenly on two feet. I was so hoping to just jump back into 
getting into shape – ah, not so. There’s this whole “getting your body used to having two good legs” thingie that my therapist is also helping me with, bless her heart.
Hopefully the change of topic so often didn’t give you whiplash…so, onward. Go forth and drink the fermented grapes, and let me know what you’ve discovered!
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul is available for the Kindle and the Nook! Have you read it yet? Go buy it now, lol!
by Christine | Wine Friday
In these days of high unemployment and global financial crisis, it’s nice to relax with a bottle of wine that doesn’t break your pocketbook. I’m here to sort out the memorable from the truly awful, and each bottle is under $10.
~ ~ ~
My head is still spinning from the work-week (I’m EMPLOYED! YAY!), so I’m dipping into the wine archives (my little black book, where I put down my impressions of wine and etcetera) that I haven’t already written about. It’s a bit of a grab bag – I’m never sure what I’ll find in the depths of the book, but I guarantee it’ll be interesting.
Folie a Deux Zinfandel, 2008 Amador County Regularly $16.99, on sale at Vons for $9.99. Alcohol 14.5% by volume…website here.
On the Label: “Soft and smooth, this Zinfandel offers aromas of plum and cherry with just a hint of pepper and spice. This wine is an ideal pour with almost any meat entree, from haute cuisine to barbecue.”
First taste: Oh yeah, bay-bee! Spot on to the label. It’s got a BIG alcohol content though, so be careful! The plum, cherry, pepper and spice are all there, and it’s got that big flavor that I love. I served this with a thick vegetable/chicken stew Italian-style with tons of added garlic. Plus some rosemary bread. The wine paired perfectly with the meal, and it was a wonderful, congenial, warming evening.
My Rating: ~Stay away! This is MY wine, you slut!~
Folie a Deux also has the Menage label, which are blended wines. I remember being enthralled with a couple of their white wine blends, but it’s been awhile so I really must do another tasting, yes? Hmmm…
Triada Malbec 2010 Wine of Argentina / La Rioja Two bottles for $10 at
Walgreens, Scottsdale, Arizona ~ 12.5% alcohol by volume ~ screwtop (That was in June – don’t know if the wine is still available at that price.)
The label: “Medium bodied, juicy red with soft red fruit aromas and flavors. Delicious glass of smooth juicy pleasure. This wine is best served at 65 degrees F. Once opened, it will remain in good condition for up to two days if resealed and stored in a cool place.”
Okay. We were in Arizona to see family, and whenever my brother-in-law and I get together, we like drinking wine. Whatever time of day it may happen to be. He’d seen this wine advertised and chilled it – way below 65 degrees F, but you know? The wine NEEDED to be chilled.
That said, it was as claimed – a juicy pleasure. Not something I’d reach for if I had another choice, but on a HOT day in Scottsdale in June, with all the stresses that accompany seeing elderly family members, that wine hit the spot. I won’t deny that my pleasure in the wine had everything to do with Dave (the BIL).
My Rating ~ Drinkable ~ especially when chilled.
It does, however, bring up a point. You never know where you’ll find a good bottle of wine (okay, a DRINKABLE bottle of wine) for a very good price. And every now and then, especially when the heat kicks your ass, chilling that bottle of red can be a wonderful thing (especially if it’s an inexpensive bottle). So keep your eyes open, and check out the drug store, the dollar store, and other stores that just may have something drinkable around for a price that won’t make your wallet weep.
As usual, this is just my honest opinion and depend upon my mood, the weather, and what cycle the moon is in. Your taste buds will differ.
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul is available for the Kindle and the Nook! Have you read it yet?
