by Christine | Wine Friday
I like being a positive person. I don’t like saying bad things about people, but I can get riled up and curse with the best of them. But when it comes to wine, I give it to you straight. After all, who’s got the money to waste on bad wine? Not me! So here we go…some uh-oh reds.
Jenica Peak Pinot Noir 2008 Coastal Series Jenica Peak Vineyards, Graton, California Alcohol 12.5% by volume. Under $10 at Vons (sorry – don’t remember the exact amount!)
On the Label: “Expressing California’s penchant for fine ingredients and abundant flavors, Jenica Peak brings forth esteemed wines from our coastal vineyards. Harvesting in cool, Coastal conditions for optimum flavor, we produce wines of pure varietal character. Jenica Peak. Capture the essence of California in each savory sip.
“Aromas of Bing cherries and Italian plums are brought to the nose of this outstanding wine. Soft tannins provide a gentle backbone to the rich and elegant fruit. Pair this wine with roast quail and fingerling potatoes.”
My Take: Um. Roast quail? Seriously?? Do normal lower middle class people roast quail for their Sunday supper? Sheesh! Okay. You all know that I’m not one for chatty labels. Let’s just say that I’m glad I didn’t read that label in the store – I probably wouldn’t have bought the wine. (QUAIL?!! Seriously!)
That said, this was an inoffensive wine. Absolutely drinkable, and needed a bit of chilling in the fridge to be honest. To the hubby’s taste buds, it was a bland wine, and absolutely nothing to write home about, even for a 2008. I liked it more than that. And if you go to their website, it shows that this wine had won some awards. Maybe it was better a year ago? Not sure.
My Rating: ~ Drinkable ~ but nothing to get really excited about.
Small Wonders Paso Robles Zinfandel 2010 Small Wonders Wines, Graton, California – Alcohol 13% by volume. $7.88 at Fresh & Easy
On the Label: “Industrious winemaker and esteemed connoisseur Richard Mansfield tirelessly searches all of the tiny, tucked-away niches of the world for our hand-selected small lot wines. He has expertly blended and hand picked our Small Wonders wines to provoke admiration and marvel for the appellations from which they hail. Indulge your senses while sipping Small Wonders for the best offerings come in the smallest packages.
“Aromas of brilliant dark cherry and ripe raspberry envelop subtle nuances of earthy wild mountain herb. A bright acidity is the perfect accent to lusciously rich flavors for a magnificent Zinfandel sure to please your palate. Enjoy alongside roast leg of lamb sauced with a cherry reduction and paired with roasted root vegetables.”
My Take: Well, damn. We’ve gone from quail to lamb! Sigh. But enough about the ill-advised verbiage on the label…what did the wine taste like?
I wanted to like this wine. I really, really did – inexpensive, it was a Pinot Noir (one of my faves), and it has a terrific front-of-label look – plus, hello. Paso Robles. But…it committed the worst sin of any wine. It had a thick, raisiny taste – not what you want your wine to taste like. My hubby really didn’t like this wine – he switched to beer at dinner time. And while I won’t say I hated it, I sure as heck won’t rush out to buy another bottle any time soon. I always thought the raisiny taste came from a wine on its way out – but this is a 2010, so…fairly newly released. I can’t imagine it’ll get any better, but I’ve been wrong before. We did finish the bottle, however; so it must not have been a “bad” wine.
After checking out the website, it looks like 2010 is the first vintage, which makes me feel better. I’ll be watching this company and see how they do in the future. In the meantime, maybe there’s a white that is more suited to my tastes…I’ll check it out.
My Take: ~ Drinkable – Barely ~
Our Daily Red – 2009 California Table Wine ORGANIC – No Sulfites Detected Organic since 1989 Alcohol 12.5% by volume $5.99 at Fresh & Easy
On the Label: “Vinted and bottled by Our Daily Red American Canyon, CA Certified 
Organic by: California Certified Organic Farmers. Vegan friendly.”
My Take: Well, the label has that famous picture of the two hands reaching out to touch each other (Sistine Chapel), only one of the hands has a glass of wine in it. I had high hopes for this wine, since it was labeled organic and had no sulfites.
However – this wine was bad. Hubby refused flat out to drink it (I opened a bottle of Smoking Loon Pinot Noir for him). As I was cooking, I didn’t mind it so much, but we barely cracked the bottle.
The next night I went to pour myself some to sip while I cooked, and low and behold – the wine was nasty. It had been properly stored; most wines will keep at least 36 hours when taken care of after opening – but this wine? Bad. Pure and simple. I poured it down the drain (and I can drink almost anything!).
My Take: ~ Undrinkable ~ Please, don’t waste your money!
by Christine | Wine Friday
Everyone I know has a budget that’s shrinking. Even at Chez Christine’s, our dollar doesn’t stretch as far as I wish it would. I won’t buy wine before I buy food, but I AM being even more careful than I used to be in putting my money down for a bottle of vino.
Today I’ve got three white wines that are really tasty. With the southern California weather warming up, then cooling down, you never know when it’ll be the right time for a white. I’ve had all of these in the past week or so.
Fetzer Valley Oaks Pinot Grigio 2010 Mendocino, California – Alcohol 12.5% by volume – $5.99 at Vons on sale
On the Label: “Pioneers in Sustainability. Established in 1968. 14% less carbon emissions. The Earth Friendly Winery. Crowd pleaser. Whether you say Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio, which are synonyms, I try and make this wine in a modern style that will please the gathered crowd. This wine is lightly floral and an easy drinking wine. The wine shows aromas of fig, melon, and flavors of Honeydew melons and Granny Smith apples and is a good drink with pleasant racy bright acidity. A versatile wine that pairs well with many salads and lighter fare. I love to serve it with appetizers when I have house guests over.”
“Fetzer now uses lighter glass bottles, runs the winery from mostly green energy, recycles, the list goes on…enhancing our heritage of sustainability.”
My Take: From working with hydrogeologists, I’ve learned to be wary of any winery that calls itself “sustainable”. (Apparently its a huge buzz word in the industry but no one really knows what that means, the above list notwithstanding.) However, this wine is a good wine (chatty label aside). Its bright, crisp, clean and perfect with appetizers, or just to sip after a hard day’s work. Plus – cheap!
My Rating: ~ Drinkable ~ At this price, if you can, pick up a half-case so you’re ready for the hot weather to come. It’s a 2010, so it’ll last in the bottle for at least a year.
Blackstone Winemaker’s Select Chardonnay 2010 Monterey County, California 
2010 – Alcohol 13.5% by volume. $7.99 at Vons on Sale.
On the Label: Our Blackstone Chardonnay is sourced from California’s finest grape growing regions, with a focus on Monterey County. This wine offers luscious tropical fruit flavors complemented with light spice and toasted vanilla characteristics.
My Take: I like this wine. I fell in love with it when we were in Monterey this past March/April; we drank this wine while eating the best clam chowder in town, while watching the seals on the beach. Probably the best beach-side meal I’ve ever eaten…the wine was clean, crisp, cold, and probably a 2009; but good news. The 2010 is just as good – it’s a solid performer and one of my go-to wineries for Chardonnay. Not overly oaky, but not too steely either – a good balance between the old and the new style Chard. It’s also hard to find anything other than the 2010s out right now. They’re flooding the market as they usually do when the calendar flips to a new year. If you can find the older bottles, buy them first.
My Rating: ~ Very Drinkable ~ And at this price, you can afford a couple bottles – or more! (Do take advantage of the six bottle, 10% on top of the sale price discounts that most grocery stores have!)
Newman’s Own Chardonnay 2008 California Alcohol 13.5% by volume. Vinted and bottled by Rebel Wine, St. Helena, Napa County, California Exclusively for Newman’s Own, Inc. $8.99 on sale at Albertson’s.
On the Label: “The Legend: From the mountains to the bay, we searched for the perfect Chardonnay. We thought we found one at Hollywood and Vine but it turned out to be apple juice – not even wine. We were just about ready to give up the hunt when Wee Willie Wine, a cute winged runt said, ‘Since you’re the guys who give all your profits away, I’ll take you to my secret Chardonnay.’ And so here from the hilltops where Wee Willie trods is a Chardonnay that is truly a gift from the Gods.
” Newman’s Own Foundation continues Paul Newman’s commitment to donate all royalties and after tax profits from this product for educational and charitable purposes. Paul Newman and the Newman’s Own Foundation have given over $250 Million to thousands of charities since 1982.”
My Take: (Yes, I know, that’s a bottle of cabernet over there. I couldn’t find a picture of the Chardonnay.) I was quite surprised to see a Newman’s Own wine last week as we perused the Albertson’s after a three mile jog-walk (not our usual grocery store). As the wine was priced under $10, I grabbed it and after a thorough chilling, we had it with dinner that night. Tasty, easy going, fine for sipping. It handled the roast chicken but would have handled a chowder, a pork dish, anything really. It was an easy-drinking wine – and with the knowledge that the profit goes to charity, it also makes it an easy-to-buy wine. And as a 2008, if you can find it in your local store, grab it. Drink it by July. It may keep longer, but whites generally don’t lay down as well as reds so drink those 2008s up!
My Rating: ~ Very Drinkable ~ Plus you get the high of having donated to charity. It’s a win/win!
Well, there you go, the first wine blog of 2012. Remember this is my opinion based upon my taste buds, the cycle of the moon, and how many hours of writing I’ve gotten in this week. Your tastes will vary!
~If you liked this post, or any of my posts, I’d appreciate it if you’d become a blog subscriber! But hey, no guilt. I’m glad to see you whenever you drop by!~
Have you read DEMON SOUL yet?
by Christine | Life, Observations
Happy Day 1 of 2012!
I’m not one for goals. I don’t do resolutions anymore. Why? I don’t want to feel like an abject failure when I look back, 12 months from now, to see my goals and resolutions as I had originally set them, not yet crossed-off my list.
I much prefer looking forward. So in that frame of mind, here’s what I’m looking forward to for 2012.
I look forward to an active, healthy life and lifestyle. I look forward to writing, and publishing several books. I look forward to hearing the plays I wrote read aloud this year.
I look forward to meeting new people and making new friends, whether in person or online; for I firmly believe you can never have too many friends. I look forward to opportunities to expand my knowledge – of myself, of writing, of the mysteries in the world.
I look forward to celebrating my friends’ successes and to watching my sons spread their wings. I look forward to laughing, and reading, and watching the fire in my hearth. I look forward to another year of a deepening love, one I couldn’t have imagined 35 years ago.
And I’m really looking forward to dealing with whatever life decides to dish out to me this year. Now, to begin my year on a solid note, I shall go for a jog. And when I return, I shall make healthy pancakes for the family.
Happy New Year. Sending much love and many hugs from my home to yours. What are you looking forward to this year?
by Christine | Cooking
On the surface of things, Smashed Potatoes and Decadent Hot Chocolate don’t seem to have much in common. But if you delve a little deeper, you’ll find the connection.
Both mashed potatoes and hot chocolate can be made via the instant, just-add-water type. Which isn’t bad if, say, you’re camping. They can both be quite tasty, depending.
But when made from scratch, when you put the time in, so to speak, you come out with something indescribably delicious. A crispy, buttery-fluffy potato, and a rich, dark chocolate drink that is akin to what they must serve in Heaven. (Or at least in some nifty Paris bistros!)
SMASHED POTATOES
If you need a side dish that is a step above ordinary, this is it. Hearty, filling, and a taste
Yukon Gold Potatoes
treat, it all starts, of course, with the potato itself. I use fresh, hard, baby yellow potatoes, or baby reds if I’m in that mood. They both work. Slightly bigger than the baby potatoes work as well; you just need to cut them a bit smaller. I’ve never used russets or baking potatoes for this; I assume if you peel them and chop them into similar-sized chunks, they’d work fine.
Ingredients: Baby potatoes, butter, sea salt (or Kosher salt)
Kitchen ware needed: One sauce pan, one baking pan with sides (either a jelly roll pan or a 9 x 13 pan), and one slightly smaller pan of the same type (or a cast iron skillet).
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Scrub the potatoes well. If they are true babies, cut them in half. If they’re a little bigger, cut them in quarters. Your goal is to get them all about the same size so they cook evenly. Put them in the saucepan, fill with water, and boil until they are fork-tender about 10 – 15 minutes. Drain.
Put potatoes, still steaming, into the jelly roll pan. Crowd them together in the center of the pan, as much as possible, so they’re all touching. Take your slightly smaller pan (or your cast iron pan – anything heavy that you can put your hands into) and make sure the bottom of the pan is clean – you might even want to lightly spray it with cooking spray. Set the second pan on top of the first pan (I put the pan with the potatoes on the floor) and, with all your weight, press down on the second pan so it “smashes” the potatoes to about half to 3/4 of an inch thick. Spread butter on top of the potatoes; sprinkle with sea salt or Kosher salt. Put in oven for 20-25 minutes. If your potatoes are done before the rest of the meal is done, just turn off the oven and keep the door closed. The potatoes will crisp more while you finish up.
Is this calorie-free? No. More butter makes it taste better. But it’s a fabulous side dish that you can wow your friends with. To make it fancier, sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley on top. Serve directly from the oven to your guest’s plates. They will thank you for it.
thanks to dancingbranflakes.blogspot.com for the photo!
Decadent Hot Chocolate
Perfect for the Holidays, or any day where it’s chilly outside, the powdered stuff will get you by. It’ll do in a pinch. But when you want to see how it feels to be Royalty, have your kitchen slave whip you up some of this bundle of delicious goodness, and you’ll feel your holiday stress melt away.
Ingredients: 1 cup high quality 60% cacao chocolate (I use Ghiradelli – but regular choc chips are fine) 4 cups milk, 3 Tlb powdered baking cocoa, 3 Tlb white sugar, 1 cup heavy whipping cream.
Put chocolate in a pan, and add just enough milk from your 4 cups to float the chips a bit. Heat until chocolate is melted through, stirring the entire time. Once melted, add the rest of the milk a little at a time, keeping the heat on medium (don’t boil!). Then add the powdered cocoa, one Tlb at a time, whisking it in. Do the same with the white sugar. Once that is incorporated, slowly add the 1 cup heavy whipping cream, stirring the entire time. Continue to stir until the chocolate is hot again. Then drink and be glad you are human!
This goes beyond mere hot chocolate. This will put you into Holiday Nirvana. Turn the Christmas lights on, put the carols on, and get the wrapping paper out – no chore is too much to handle when you’ve got a cup of Decadent Hot Chocolate by your side!
Again, not calorie-free. But sometimes, during the crazed holiday season, we need to treat ourselves. It is seriously rich – maybe start with a small espresso-sized cup. It also is a fabulous addition to coffee – say, half chocolate and half coffee. It also goes really well with cinnamon cookies that my hubby made – pure heaven! (But that’s another post!)
I hope you enjoy. To see the original post, and how we came to steal this recipe, please hop here…
Coming up: This Friday, I talk about affordable wines. More reds – three really good ones, and a chameleon wine…see you then!
Demon Soul is available for the Kindle and the Nook, as well as in paperback! It makes a great Christmas present, lol!
by Christine | Writing
I can’t do NaNoWriMo this year. That’s National Novel Writing Month, for the unenlightened. It’s not that I don’t want to, because I do. But I’m on deadline (one I’ve made for myself) and I am still getting used to writing around a full time job.
Every writer’s loop I’m on, though, is pushing it. “Who’s doing NaNo? What’s your NaNo name? Let’s start a support loop!” The push is from ALL the writer’s groups. Not that anyone denigrates those of us who don’t do it; but it seems like EVERY writer’s loop I’m on, there’s someone putting together a NaNo support loop. Even my publisher has a NaNo loop. But the peer pressure to join the support loops? AMAZING.
If I WERE to do NaNo this year, I could technically join nine NaNo loops; I’d spend more time reading messages from the support teams than I would spend writing. Um, what’s the purpose again? I know, not every writer belongs to nine groups – some only belong to seven. Or maybe a conservative four. Still…I miss the “olden days” of NaNo. Back when only four or five thousand people were doing it.
When I first did Nano, waaaay back in 2003, the only people I knew who were doing it was my best writing buddy Jenn Reese and a couple writers I knew in Texas. It was a mostly solitary endeavor, with the exception of delightful posts from Chris Baty and the NaNo organizers; and I can truly say that my work was a vomit draft, with “no plot, no problem” my mantra. However, I couldn’t fix those 54,000 words to save my life. The book still lurks on my hard drive, waiting to pounce on me when I don’t have anything else to write about. Luckily, that hasn’t been an issue.
I next completed NaNo in 2008, along with my two teenaged sons and my husband. There were more people doing NaNo, but I focused on my own, internal support group. We all finished; we all rejoiced. That book is in much better shape, but because of the books I’ve written in front of it, it will now most likely be mostly scrapped – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ll be able to save bits and pieces, just not the whole plot. *wince*.
The good to come out of this go-round of NaNo? My eldest son is taking writing classes in college and really enjoying them; and my youngest is doing NaNo again this year, only this time he’s writing in French. (Yes – in FRENCH. I have strange and wonderful kids.)
So all you NaNo-ers out there, I applaud you. I hope you’re plotting and planning, and that your novel-to-be has some sort of structure before you start (though technically that’s against the spirit of NaNo – or it used to be, anyway). I shall plug away at my novel rewrites and continue my blogging, and not miss the STRESS of NaNo at all. I can stress myself out just fine, thanks.
Maybe next year I will have the freedom to do NaNo again. But for now, I’ll cheer all of you NaNo-ers on from the sidelines – when I’m not busy writing.
On the Label: “Expressing California’s penchant for fine ingredients and abundant flavors, Jenica Peak brings forth esteemed wines from our coastal vineyards. Harvesting in cool, Coastal conditions for optimum flavor, we produce wines of pure varietal character. Jenica Peak. Capture the essence of California in each savory sip.
