Holiday Wines

Most of the wines that I had during these holidays were repeats. And, I still like them. Here is the list.

1. 2006 Villa Antinori Toscana (Italy)
2. 2009 Montgras Reserva Carménère (Colchagua Valley, Chile)
3. 2007 Ortman Family Vineyards Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, OR, USA)
4. 2009 Rabbit Ridge Vineyards Allure de Robles (Paso Robles, CA)
5. 2006 Las Rocas, Calatayud Garnacha (Spain)
6. 2009 Petraio Nero d'Avola

I also imbibed the following new wines.

1. 2006 Windsor Sonoma Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, CA, USA) - Unlike other Zins that I have tried, this was not a fruit bomb. Pleasant berry aromas on the nose and quite smooth. I am still trying to get Zins.
2. Roux de Beauces Grande Reserve Champagne (France) - We cracked this open just as the new year (2011) set in. Smooth with balanced acidity and good bubbles - we liked it. Looking forward to an occasion when I can open the other bottle I have.

For the new year's eve, we went for an eight course (each course paired with a different wine) dinner offered by Executive Chef Vytauras Sasnaukas (a personal friend and one of our wine club member) at Americano. The dinner was absolutely delicious and a flavor-poluzza. Vy had worked wonders with these unique ingredients. Top notch. I highly recommend this restaurant and chef.

Wines and Steakhouses

This past week has been a week of steakhouses. I went with bunch of co-workers to two highly rated steakhouses in Indianapolis - Eddie Merlot's and St. Elmo's. Eddie Merlot is an upscale steakhouse with a great decor and ambiance, very attentive service and great food with great presentation. St. Elmo's apparently is an Indy institution in downtown - established in 1902, it is currently housed in an old downtown building with retro signage and ambiance, crowded and noisy dining halls leading to what I considered not so attentive service, good food with presentation that left a lot to be desired. Of course, being a modernist, I preferred Eddie Merlot's.

Of course, we had some good wine at these steakhouses.

1. 2006 Villa Antinori Toscana (Italy) - My first super tuscan and I liked it. This wine is a blend of Sangiovese (55%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Merlot (15%), and Syrah (5%) and is aged in French, American and Hungarian oak. Full-bodied, Blackberry on the nose with a very soft, velvety palette.
2. 2006 J. Vidal-Fleury Côtes du Rhône (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France) - Decent Côtes du Rhône with red fruits on the nose and a smooth palette and a short finish.

Besides these two wines, I had the following wines in the homy ambiance of my home-sweet-home.

1. 2009 Hall Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley, CA, USA) - All I can say is, I am still not so sure about this varietal.
2. 2009 Montgras Reserva Carménère (Colchagua Valley, Chile) - Deep purple in color with spicy aroma and soft tannins. Did I mention before - I LOVE Carménère

Another week in the journey

Here are the wines that I had last week. Nothing noteworthy except for the pleasure of drinking wine in good company.

1. 2007 Murrieta's Well Red Meritage (Livermore Valley, CA, USA) - A Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Quite Good.
2. 2006 Argyle Winery Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, OR, USA) - A decent Pinot
3. Andretti Winery Merlot (Napa Valley, CA, USA) - Very smooth and balanced
4. Ventosa Vineyards Saggio Series V (Finger Lakes, NY, USA) - A blend of 40% Finger Lakes Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Long Island Merlot, 20% Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc, and 5% Finger Lakes Syrah; IMHO an average wine with nice nose and an average palette and finish.

A Week in wines ...

This past week, I had the following wines:

1. 2008 Raven's Glenn Winery Chardonnay (Central Ohio, USA) - Oak and tropical fruits on the nose with a dry palette and balanced acidity
2. 2009 Rabbit Ridge Vineyards Allure de Robles (Paso Robles, CA) - a cheap Cotes du Rhone style wine from California; Quite good I must say
3. Cherry Hill Winery Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, OR, USA) - A fantastic Pinot. I consider this second best after Domaine Serene
4. Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, OR, USA) - Quite expensive but I did not think much of it; May be it needed to breathe a bit. I will have to give it another try but I am not sure I want to pay for it dearly the next time
5. Andretti Winery Merlot (Napa Valley, CA, USA) - Very smooth and balanced

Bordeaux Varietal Blind Tasting

This past Sunday, the wine club gathered for yet another tasting of wines and related pontification. The topic of the night was Bordeaux Varietals. Here are our notes and pontifications from the blind tasting. It was a fun night with some great wines.

Back after a two months hiatus ...

It has been almost two months since my last post. Its been quite hectic with a job change, son's fifth birthday and now the holidays. I had to take a hiatus from blogging. But, by no means, it was a hiatus from wines. I tasted a lot of wines during this period. Some of the ones I remember are listed below with whatever I remember about them.

1. 2007 Six Mile Creek Vineyard Quintessence (Finger Lakes, Ithaca, NY, USA) - a Bordeaux style blend with dark fruit and a bell peppery nose; Quite Good.
2. Ventosa Vineyards Vino Rosso (Finger Lakes, NY, USA) - A nice blend of Lemberger (53%), Merlot (32%), and Cabernet Franc (15%).
3. 2006 Atwater Estate Vineyards Cabernet Franc (Finger Lakes, NY, USA)
4. Buttonwood Grove Winery Diva Sparkling wine (Finger Lakes, NY, USA)
5. Viña MontGras Carmenère Reserva, Chile - Lost Bordeaux varietal with an amazing survival story; Amazing aroma with black pepper on the nose and a soft, silky texture; I absolutely love it and will buy more.
6. 2009 Charles Smith Wines Kung Fu Girl Riesling (Columbia Valley, Mattawa, WA, USA)
7. 2008 Trevor Jones Boots Shiraz (BarossaValley, Australia) - I still do not like Shiraz and I do not understand what the fuss is all about the Trevor Jones name.
8. 2009 Del Rio Vineyards Rose Jolee Early Muscat (Rogue Valley, OR) - Extremely aromatic with Rose and Peaches on the nose; tangy, a bit sweet on the palette; overall delicious; goes very well with spicy food.
9. 2007 Selbach-Oster Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Germany - Crisp and Dry
10. 2007 Ortman Family Vineyards Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, OR, USA) - Quite Good. And, with the attractive price that it is going for at Mustard Seed Market, I am buying some more.
11. 2007 Erath Winery Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, OR, USA) - Very Good.
12. Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, OR, USA) - Very Good as well.
13. 2006 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, OR, USA) - This is the BEST. I seem to have found the best Pinot. Amazingly balanced palette and aroma. I just loved it.

 I also tried a great Spanish Garnacha but do not remember its label.

I did miss a Zin tasting of our club. Here are the notes from that wine tasting.

On a separate note, I did go to a local Beer Tasting. I love beer but did not come across anything extraordinary at this tasting.

I Love Bourbon too

I know this is my wine blog. But, on my visit to Louisville, I fell in love with Bourbon. I had to dedicate at least one entry to the bourbons. On the Urban Bourbon Trail in Louisville, I tried the following fine bourbons.

1. Maker's Mark
2. Woodford Reserve - I just loved it; I think its the best
3. Knob Creek
4. Booker's - 127 Proof; Pure alcohol with a great nose
5. Baker's

Ahh... the smoky, oaky nose of the perfect bourbon - there's nothing like it.

Return to Pinot Noirs

On a trip (conference) to Louisville, yesterday night I ordered a glass of 2008 MacMurray Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. And, boy, it was good. Looks like I am getting a hang of Pinots after all. Black Cherry and slight Oak on the nose with a smooth, dry, oaky palette and amazing finish. mmm...

Encouraged by a good Pinot Noir experience, I ordered a glass of Castle Rock Pinot Noir at the dinner the next night. This one was good too. Black Cherry on the nose with a smooth, dry finish.

Then I tried the Fetzer Pinot Noir Napa Valley at the Fusion 10 Reception today. It was bad; nothing like a Pinot. Bummed by this experience I switched to Corona. Later, at the drinks and dessert social, I tried a glass of Canvas Merlot (CA, USA). Dark fruit with slight oak on the nose with a long dry finish. Quite Good.

On my last night in Louisville, I ordered the 2008 DeLoach Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Dark Cherry on the nose with a smooth finish. I loved it; not as much as the MacMurray Ranch.

Celebration!!!

In our family, Celebration = Sparkling. Last night, we celebrated by opening the Belhurst Naturel Sparkling Wine. Citrus, ample bubbles and balanced acidity - Pretty Good overall.

Weekend Wines

This weekend, we had the following wines:

2008 Knapp Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Finger Lakes, NY, USA) - Oaky with a long dry finish - What's not to like?

2007 Tangent Winery Ecclestone (CA, USA) - A seemingly kitchen sink blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Riesling, Albarino and Muscat Canelli with a citrus nose and balanced acidity. Quite refreshing ...

Wines at the Grovewood Tavern

Yesterday, we visited the Grovewood Tavern on our way to the Cleveland Indians Ball Game. Located in the inner city neighborhood, this restaurant boasts a great wine list, great food made from local ingredients and very courteous and attentive service. Street side parking and ambiance created by Christmas Lights might be the only things that some may not like.

We tried the following wines during the course of our dinner.

1. 2009 Cave de Pomerols Picpoul de Pinet (Languedoc, France) - 100% Picpoul aka Folle Blanche. Quite aromatic - fruity, crisp, refreshing
2. 2008 Ciconia Alentejano Tinto (Portugal) - A delicious blend of Touriga Nacional, Syrah and Aragones.
3. 2008 Zig Zag Zin (Mendocino, CA, USA) - My first serious Zin and I must say I liked it. Full bodied with dry finish.
4. 2009 Campuget Tradition Rose (France) - Very crisp and refreshing; loved the color

Ohio Wines, or are they???

Last weekend, we bought a couple of bottles from a few Ohio wineries on our way to Columbus. We have tried the following so far:

• Raven's Glen Winery Winemaker's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Fruity & Oaky on the nose with balanced acidity and dry finish on the palette; Quite Good, I must say
• Yellow Butterfly Winery Senorita - Fruity on the nose with balanced acidity and sweetness on the palette; not so dry; I liked it

Both of these wines are not estate grown and that explains the nicety of the wines. I am guessing that these are made in CA or OR wines with a local winery label or made by a good vintner from CA or OR grapes.

Ohio Wine Trail - Good Scenery, Wine not so much

This Labor Day weekend, we are visiting our friend in Columbus, OH. Instead of taking the usual, straight yet boring route (I-71), we decided to take the more scenic route thru eight Ohio wineries (see picture). Living in Ohio for the past thirteen years and having visited many other Lake Erie wineries, we did not expect great wines; just the rural scenery and an opportunity to socialize with some new folks. And, that is what we got. Here is the list of wineries, we visited along with our notes and ratings.

B. School House Winery - Small, boutique winery in a 123 year old school nestled in the rolling hills and corn fields of the Ohio's Amish country; More of a local watering hole; Below Average wine (None Estate Grown)

C. Silver Moon Winery - Small winery, part of the Ohio Amish Country Wine trail; Very dry service; Below Average wine (None Estate Grown)

D. Rainbow Hills Vineyards - Vineyards and Winery tucked in the beautiful Applachian foothills; Vintner, a 73 year old man who has been at wine making in this region for over 22 years, was a pleasure to talk to; a small bed & breakfast on the property; many decks each with a great view of the hillside for the pleasure of the visitors; Average wines - lot of mineral content (on the nose as well as the palette) in the estate grown wines as is usual in this part of Ohio

E. Yellow Butterfly Winery - A brand new winery (opened just 12 weeks ago) started by the former mayor of Cleveland, Michael White; Scenery comprised of beautiful rolling hills; restaurant open for dinner on weekends; Belo Average wines (None Estate Grown)

F. Raven's Glen Winery & Restaurant - Large winery (compared to the others on this trip) on the banks of Tuscarawas river; Easiest access of all the wineries visited on this trip; Large selection of wines - estate grown and otherwise; Average wines - some of the non-estate grown wines were quite good (Winemaker's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon); Nice restaurant with a view of the river (we had lunch here)

G. Shawnee Springs Wimery - Small boutique winery nestled in the hills; Below Average wines

H. Heritage Vineyards - Small family-owned boutique winery with a selection of wines - estate grown and otherwise; Below Average wines - lot of mineral on the nose as well as the palette

I. The Winery at Otter Creek - Small winery with a nice tasting room and a deck with a beautiful view of vineyards and a pond; Quite popular it seems (crowd of picnickers); Below Average wines

The Wine Club - Syrah / Shiraz tasting

Last week, a colleague introduced me to a local wine club of a few wine loving guys. These guys get together once every month, taste couple bottles of a pre-decided varietal, document their ratings and notes and above all have fun. This past Sunday, we had the third tasting of the club (my first) and we tasted the following Syrah / Shiraz from various regions of the world.

1. 2007 Juno Wine Company Shiraz - South Africa, Western Cape
2. 2001 Arrowood Syrah Saralee's Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
3. 2003 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
4. 2008 Mollydooker Shiraz The Boxer - Australia, South Australia, McLaren Vale / Padthaway
5. 2008 Pure Love Wines Shiraz Layer Cake - Australia, South Australia
6. 2006 Ramey Syrah Shanel Vineyard Sonoma Coast

Our tasting notes and ratings can be accessed thru this link.

Overall, this was fun. May be too much fun. Come to think of it, I tried nine wines this weekend. But, who's counting?

Effervescent Rosso

At this weekend's tasting at Mustard Seed Market, we tasted the 2009 Villa M Rosso - an extremely refreshing Brachetto by Villa M, La Morra, Italy. Extremely fruity on the nose and deliciously sweet on the palette with a refreshing tingle from start to finish, this is an excellent wine for summer - with or without food. Drink chilled as is or checkout the Villa M website  for some delicious cocktail recipes. If you have it with food, pair it with spicy asian / indian cuisine. We cooked spicy chicken curry and rice to go with it. This was amongst the most satisfying and refreshing meals that I have ever had. I think it will be good as a dessert wine as well. Definitely recommend it.

There is always the first time ...

If you follow this blog, you probably already know that I am mostly into full-bodied dry reds. But, recently I decided to expand my horizons and dabble a bit into whites. What the heck? Its Summer...

Last weekend, I bought my first Sauvignon Blanc - 2009 Rayun Sauvignon Blanc by V.T.S.A Geo Wines, Santiago, Chile. Citrus notes, a little pineapple, on the nose with a dry and mildly acidic palette. On the whole, an average wine.

I guess I will have to find a really good Sauvignon Blanc from Loire Valley to find out what this varietal is all about.

Cotes du Rhone - California Style

Last night, we opened the 2009 Allure de Robles from Rabbit Ridge Vineyards, Paso Robles, CA - a cheap Cotes du Rhone style blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre varietals. Quite good, I must say. Rich red fruit on the nose and smooth on the palette with just a slight bitterness at the very end. At a price of $8.99, its no wonder that this wine became quite popular. The slight bitterness at the very end is the only part I did not like about the wine. I would definitely drink it again. So, I bought another bottle today.

Cheap, and Good???

Mustard Seed Market in Solon, OH offers wine tastings every Saturday. This weekend, we tasted the 2009 Petraio Nero d'Avola - a Sicilian wine. Jammy with fruit notes on the nose and gentle acidity - this turned out to be a good wine. And, the price of $5.99 was irresistible so we loaded up the cart with five bottles of Petraio along with seven other bottles of red and white to complete the case. This evening, I opened the first of the five bottles, patiently decanted it (I know decanting a $6 wine seems over the top but I just wanted to try decanting for the first time) and have been sipping it for the past couple hours. Let me tell you Cheap AND Good does exist in the world of wine.

Pretty Name, Dull Wine

We had company yesterday. Not sure of their drink preferences, I had not given much thought to the wine that we were going to offer. When asked, they told me they preferred white. The only white that I had in the chiller was 2009 Mystique de Robles from Rabbit Ridge Vineyards, Paso Robles, CA - a cheap Rhone style blend of Grenache Blanc and Viognier from California that we had just bought from a local grocery store to try. The wine was dull both on the nose as well as the palette. I am not sure what the guests thought but could guess from the fact that they did not finish the glass. Enough said ...

What a Conundrum?

Warm Summer Evening... What should we have - Chilled, Fruity, Floral White Wine or Full-bodied, Oaky Red? That is the Conundrum.

Well... we chose to solve the Conundrum with a Conundrum - 2008 Conundrum from Conundrum Wines in Rutherford, CA. Its a proprietary blend of white wines - very fruity, very floral and quite dry. We paired it with home made sprout salad - home made sprouts, home grown cucumbers, tomatoes and basil, salt and pepper. We also had warm bread with EVOO.

Spicy Red Eft

Red Eft is an interesting blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Noiret from the Red Newt Cellars in Finger Lakes (Seneca Lake), NY. It seems as though it is a kitchen sink blend but it is quite a good wine. Spicy on the nose, fruity and smooth on the palette. The spiciness comes from the Noiret grape, a hybrid grape variety developed and named by Cornell University researchers.
I was going thru my collection from Finger Lakes from the recent trip in June when I found this bottle. I opened it yesterday and can't wait to finish it today. mmm...

The Circular Dining Room @ Hotel Hershey, Hershey, PA

Last week, we took our soon to Hershey Park for his Summer Vacation. After two days of Roller Coaster fun at the Park and Hershey Chocolate World, we sat down for a nice, fancy dinner at the Circular Dining Room in Hotel Hershey. Its an upscale restaurant with great ambiance, courteous and very attentive service and great food. Surprisingly, the prices are quite affordable. The resident sommelier, Raymond, who manages a wine cellar with about 7,000 bottles of wine, recommended that we try Gigondas. The sommelier explained that Gigondas wines are typically a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre varietals, all grown in Southern Rhone Valley in France. So we tried the 2007 Les Trois Couronnes Gigondas. It was being offered at $62 for the bottle at the restaurant; quite a deal when my "GetMeVino! Lite" app on my Palm Pre is showing a retail price of $30. The wine was rich, full bodied red with great aroma and quite smooth on the palette. Wifey had only half a glass; I drank the rest and rest is history.

I still think that the other Syrah - Grenache blend that I had last year was better. Paul Jaboulet Aine Parallele 45 Cotes du Rhone. That reminds me that I still have one bottle left.

Sparkling...

@ a kiddie vacation in Hershey, PA. Had Sparkling from Glenora in Finger Lakes, NY - Just OK Poor in Aroma, Good Bubbles, Appreciate the dryness.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Reunion with Cabernets

Tired of exploring other varietals, I finally returned back to my favorites - Cabernets. On Saturday, August 7th, opened the 2006 Belhurst Cabernet Sauvignon from Finger Lakes, NY region. mmm.... Got my aroma fix - Oak and Green Peppers. Very smooth on the palette as well. I was so starved of Bordeaux varietal that I pretty much drank the whole bottle, all by myself. mmm...

Ahh!!! Friday

Ahh!!! Friday.

Just opened 2009 Porta Sole Sangiovese. Don't care for the aroma but feels good on the palette. I am not a Sangiovese fan but this one is OK.

Home made pizza is in the oven along with some samosas. Now need a good flick.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

James' Place

Yesterday (Wednesday, August 4, 2010), we went to James' Place, a cozy little wine bar in Aurora, OH and tried the following wines:

1. 2008 Jessie's Grove Zinfandel Earth Zin & Fire
2. 2002 Mercurey Pinot Noir (Bourgogne / Burgundy)

While the Zin came in an interesting bottle, very creative label, the wine was so so. My comment could be attributed to my lack of experience with this varietal. I am not into Zins - do not like the aroma or the taste. At least not yet.

Even though I was done with Pinots for now, how did I end up with another burgundy? I initially ordered an Alsace from the wine list but they did not have it. Then I ordered a Rhone and they did not have it either. Tired of rejections, I asked the bartender to bring me whatever he fancied and he brought me the burgundy even though he had heard the story of my failed experiment with Pinots. I am still wondering why I left him a hefty tip. May be I had a little bit too much fun with wines.

So, what did I think of this burgundy? Still not there with Pinots - did not enjoy the aroma or the taste. This time I am seriously done with Pinots for a while. Even an inattentive bartender will not be able to sell me another bottle of Pinot for a while.

To clear my palette, I finally ordered a glass of some cabernet - can't remember the label. Yes, I was in the zone. Obviously, I have no further comments on the cabernet.

Experiment with Pinot Noirs

As I mentioned earlier, I am a sucker for full-bodied dry reds - mostly Bordeaux style - Cabernets and Merlots. Recently, at the behest of a friend, who by the way is a connoisseur, I started experimenting with Pinot Noirs. He suggested that I try Pinots from Oregon and Burgundy to develop an appreciation for this grape. So far, I have tried a few Oregon Pinots and a couple of Burgundys but I am still not there. I found the one from Eola Hills Winery, Willamette Valley, OR to be the best. My problem with Pinots is related to aroma - I do not find them as aromatic. And, Burgundys did not fix the aroma issue either. May be I am not trying the right one. Any suggestions???

Hello World!!!

Hello!!! I love wine. I am a wine amateur; not a connoisseur yet. I just love the aroma and taste of wines; I have no ability to discern various tasting notes or appreciate other subtelities of wine. At least, not yet.

I am mostly into dry reds (mostly Bordeaux style reds) but will not pass a glass of chilled, aromatic white wine on a warm summer day.

I love wine tastings. If I had my way, all my vacations would be spent in some wine country touring wineries and tasting their offerings. So far, I have been to wineries in Napa Valley, CA, Reims, France (Champagne), Finger Lakes, NY, Traverse City, MI, Niagara-on-the-lake, Canada, and Lake Eire wineries in OH. I collect logo glasses from different wineries and have a decent collection of about 60 logo glasses.

I started this blog to document my journey thru the wonderful world of wines.