by Christine | Wine Friday
Today I’m highlighting some wines I bought while in Tehachapi in December. These are not under-$10 wines, but deserve a spot on the blog. You can find my post about my trip here. I love the town so much, I’m actually setting my latest novel there, so I’ll definitely have to go back for more research, right?
Bob and Patty Souza, Proprietors of the Souza Family Vineyard
But back to the wine! For more information on the Souza Family Vineyard, please go here. Bob and Patty have a Cinderella story that many people envy! They grow Zinfandel grapes that have produced award-winning wines.
Quattro Stagioni Estate Primitivo 2007 Alcohol 13.1% by Volume; $25 per bottle at the Vineyard
On the Label: The rolling hills of Cummings Valley, Tehachapi, is known as “The Land of 4 Seasons”, where cattle & horse ranches abound. It is here on the site of the historic Elijah Stowell estate, est. 1888, where ideal conditions have brought forth in its grapes a unique flavor of spices, fruitiness, licorice and a hint of pepper. The Souza Family Vineyard has produced a rich, full-bodied wine of exceptional character. Enjoy with beef, veal, pork and pasta. The end of a perfect day begins with primitivo. From our family to yours…”abbondanza fortuna”!!!
My Take: The 2007 was their first “produced” wine (I’m guessing they had some earlier wine that they didn’t release. Just guessing, though!) This wine was a bit of a disappointment, mainly because I think it had started to turn. It had a slight raisiny flavor which is not my favorite; and I wanted more pepper than I was tasting. But that’s me. As it aired, it mellowed out and got tastier.
My Rating: ~ Drinkable ~ And I’m sure it was VERY drinkable even a year or two ago.
Tehachapi Wine & Cattle Company Estate Primitivo 2009 Alcohol 14.1% by Volume; $25 per bottle at
the Vineyard
My Take: The label is the same, so I won’t repeat it. However – THIS wine is what I had been expecting. Big, bold, peppery, juicy without a hint of the dreaded raisiny taste. I loved this wine and if I could do it over again, I’d have bought two of them. The next time I go, I think I’ll do a vertical tasting and see how the wine has changed over the years. It’s nice to not be distracted by other varietals when going to a tasting room!
My Rating: ~ Stay away! This is MY wine, you Slut! And much deserved!
Thanks, Bob and Patty. I look forward to barging in visiting with you on my next weekend trip up to Tehachapi. Oh, and I’d LOVE to spend a day stalking you at the vineyard with you!
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, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
~oOo~
My Rating System: Undrinkable, Barely Drinkable, Drinkable, Very Drinkable, and the ever popular Stay away! This is MY wine, you slut!
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 memorablefrom the truly awful, and each bottle is under $10 unless noted otherwise.
I came across a couple of bottles of Lambrusco a while ago, and while I don’t remember where I got them or how much I paid for them, I do remember thinking they were under $10 and, therefore, perfect fodder for the blog. (Lambrusco, just so you know, is a soft wine whether red or white – and it has a very slight effervescence to it.) So without further ado, here you go…Lambrusco.
Lambrusco Dell’Emilia Bianco Dolce White Lambrusco Le Grotte; Product of Italy. Alcohol 8% by Volume.
On the Label: “Lambrusco is one of the best selling wines in the world. It is a unique product. White Lambrusco, fruity and fresh, obtained through the white vinification of Lambrusco grapes and the natural fermentation process, this wine comes from one of the oldest grape varieties grown in “Emilia Romagna”, the gourmet region of Italy. Lambrusco Bianco Le Grotte is a soft white wine, light and refreshing and ideal for any occasion. Lambrusco should be served well chilled and refrigerated after opening.”
My Take: Seriously? Okay, at first I was charmed with the idea of getting two bottles of Lambrusco, one white, one red. Because one of the first places Hubby took me to dinner was at The Old Spaghetti Factory in San Diego, and he always ordered a bottle of Lambrusco just to watch the waiters tug at the cork, since it was like a Champagne cork, only not as well-behaved. Which means it takes some serious muscle. But…this wine didn’t live up to my hopes. It had a flavor somewhere between aluminum and sour, unripe grapefruit. It wasn’t bad enough for both of us to agree to pour it down the drain, but I couldn’t drink it. Hubby did. I just sipped, shuddered, and turned to whatever else we had open.
My Rating: ~ Undrinkable ~ As you probably suspected. I can’t think of anyone who would like this wine, as it had a tinny, gag-inducing (in me, not the hubs) flavor that was hard to get rid of. Buy at your own risk.
Reggiano Lambrusco Rosso Dolce Consorzio Vini Reggiani – Reggio Emilia, Product
of Italy Alcohol 8.5% by Volume
On the Label: Lambrusco is one of the best selling wines in the world. It is a unique product, slightly soft red wine, fruity and fresh. Obtained througha natural and traditional fermentation process, Lambrusco is one of the oldest grape varieties, grown in “Emilia Romagna”, the gourmet region of Italy. Lambrusco “Le Grotte” is a ruby red wine, with violet scents. The bouquet is delicate and intense, with notes of fresh strawberries, cherries and raspberries. Lambrusco is a pleasant, well balanced refreshing wine. It is an ideal wine for parties, barbecues or even Italian Pizza. Lambrusco should be served well chilled and refrigerated after opening.”
My Take: Okay. So, my experience with Lambrusco, until this tasting, was with Reunite Lambrusco. (Remember the tag line, “Reunite on ice, that’s nice”? Pronounced ReeYouNeeTee, btw.) Anyway, Reunite Lambrusco is better. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t relieved when THIS wine proved to be adequate to the dinner I had planned – one of sausage, veggies and a side of pasta. It wasn’t a wine I was willing to pour down the drain – a total relief after the white.
My Rating: ~ Drinkable ~ But if you want to try a slightly sparkling red wine, I highly suggest you try the Reunite Lambrusco.
Don’t let my experience with Lambrusco put you off the wine, however. There are also Secco Lambruscos – dry ones – that might be better in both the red and white versions. If you find one, let me know, okay?
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, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
My Rating System: Undrinkable, Barely Drinkable, Drinkable, Very Drinkable, and the ever popular Stay away! This is MY wine, you slut!
by Christine | Publishing
Hi everyone! Today I have my friend, Adriana Ryan, with her cover reveal. See, and be awed! Didn’t cover artist James Helps do a fantastic job? Read on, and ask her questions!
World of Shell and Bone
By Adriana Ryan
Coming December 7th, 2012
Cover by: James Helps (http://humblenations.com/)
In a world ravaged by a nuclear holocaust, Vika Cannon knows there are no guarantees: no guarantees of safety, no guarantees that your neighbor is not actually a spy for the government, and no guarantees you’ll be allowed to emigrate to a new life in Asia.
New Amana is dying. Food and water are scarce, and people suffering from radiation-caused mutations—the Nukeheads—are the new class of homeless.
Vika has just one purpose: to produce healthy progeny using a Husband assigned by the Match Clinic. Unhealthy children are carted away to Asylums to be experimented on, just as Vika’s little sister Ceres was, eight years ago. Parents incapable of producing healthy progeny are put to death in gas chambers.
When she’s assigned a Husband shortly after her twentieth birthday, Vika expects him to be complacent and obedient. But Shale Underwood has a secret. He is a member of the Radicals, the terrorist group intent on overthrowing the government. And Shale has information about Ceres.
As she learns more about the Rads’s plan, Vika finds herself drawn to Shale in ways she’d never imagined. When freedom calls in the way of a healthy pregnancy, will she betray her government and risk death for Shale and Ceres?
Bio: Adriana Ryan lives and writes in Charleston, SC. She is currently at work on a dystopian and an urban fantasy series. A huge fan of spooky stuff and shoes, she enjoys alternately hitting up the outlet malls and historic graveyards.
Contact her via emailadriana@adrianaryan.com.
Adriana Ryan is a member of the Romance Writer’s Association (RWA).
Contact: Adriana@adrianaryan.com
http://adrianaryan.com
www.facebook.com/authoradrianaryan
www.twitter.com/adrianaryansc
I’ve got a busy weekend, so the Wine Friday post for this week won’t be up until next weekend. Thanks for your patience!
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
by Christine | Wine Friday
Today I’m talking about the Naked Grape wines. Specifically, their Pinot Noir. Again, it’s on special at my local Vons grocery for $5.99 but usually retails for close to $10. They have a gamut of wines, which I’m sure I’ll get to, as long as the price stays below my $10 mark.
By the way – every now and then I will pull out a good to great bottle of wine, either one given to us, drunk with friends, or in our stash from dashing up to wine country. And occasionally I may highlight a $15 bottle of wine – but in this economy and with the current income level of all my friends, I’ll be keeping it mostly under $10.
So, to get back to the Naked Grape. I’m not sure why they came up with this name, unless this is the company that bought the name of Naked Chardonnay from the then Four Vines Winery (now it’s Cypher and they’re located on highway 46 in central California, Paso Robles – not that they’re one of my FAVORITE wineries or anything – ahem). If so, then all right, I understand. At any rate, their label says they are “Vinted and bottled by Grape Valley Wine Company in Modesto, California”. So it sounds like they don’t have their own vineyards but buy grapes and make wine.
Hey, they’re not alone.
Their Pinot Noir, according to the label, is “medium bodied and rich with aromas of black cherry and blueberry”.
Excuse me while I inhale.
Um, I’m getting nothing but cold waftings. Pardon me while I go test the wine that I opened 30 minutes ago rather than the dregs left over from last night’s dinner.
Ahh, that’s better…now as soon as someone can tell me how to get my wine glasses clean WITHOUT the scent of dishwasher soap in it, I’ll be grateful.
Back to the scent of the wine…okay, I admit, I smell fruit. And yes, I know what a blueberry and what a black cherry smells like. This just smells like – fruit. Not even especially grape.
My take on the wine? It’s drinkable. (taking a quick taste…) Yep, drinkable. Not, maybe, as good an all around sipping wine as the Smoking Loon, but definitely drinkable and fine with food (we had it with dinner last night, and since there’s a new bottle open and dinner is in the oven…my guess is we’ll have it with dinner tonight).
So if you’re looking for a wine that doesn’t break the bank, try the Naked Grape Pinot Noir. If you like it enough, it might even make a good bottle to take when you’ve been invited over to a friend’s house for dinner.
At any rate, it couldn’t hurt!
My Rating: The Naked Grape Pinot Noir (not dated) is >Drinkable<
My Rating System:
Undrinkable
Barely Drinkable (best if it’s the second or third bottle of the night)
Drinkable
Very Drinkable
This is MY wine, you slut! Stay away!
the Vineyard