Neat Thoughts About Food, Wine, Travel & More
I sampled this wine at the New York Wine Expo last week and the first sniff of this Old Vine Zinfandel screamed – BACON! Simply a delicious Zin with all a Zin should be – big, bold, chewy, peppery, licorice-laced and in this case, smoky. At this price point and from a solid winery like Rutherford Wine Company, buy a case and cellar it for a few years.
Pairings: Grilled lamb, BBQ ribs.
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): Zinfandel
Region: Central Valley, CA, USA
Price: $12
Golden in the glass, this Finger Lakes dessert wine is simply outstanding. The nose is sweet with honey and Meyer lemons. The honey continues in the mouth, in a non-cloying way, with a nice balance of sweetness and alcohol laced with notes of Asian pear.
Not many American dessert wines are better than this little number.
92 Points – Wine Spectator.
Pairings: Cheese course, stone fruit cobbler, custard-based desserts.
Style: Dessert Wine
Grape Type(s): Riesling
Region: Finger Lakes, NY, USA
Price: $52
Opaque and deep red in the glass, this big-bodied California Cabernet Sauvignon offers dark Bing cherry and mocha aromas and a big, rich mouthful of ripe dark berries with toasty, oaky notes. The finish goes on forever with a bit of cracked pepper that lingers on the tongue.
Just a delicious wine.
Pairings: Short ribs, grilled beef or lamb.
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Napa Valley, California, USA
Price: $50
I had the pleasure to sip this really interesting wine alongside a grilled rib eye steak and absolutely loved it. The combination of lightly oaky, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the big bold flavors of Zin and the dark, ripe fruity, round flavors of Syrah and Petite Syrah produce a wine that satisfied my love for a big, beefy wine while showing finesse and elegance.
Chief Winemaker, Philip Laffer, says in a statement that “With DEADBOLT, we have created a richly flavored and approachable red wine which is quintessentially Californian. We are delighted with the final outcome”. Indeed he should be.
The wine is available is a limited number of states (California, Nevada, Illinois, Massachusetts and Colorado).
Pairings: Grilled beef or lamb, white cheddar macaroni and cheese.
Style: Red Wine.
Grape Type(s): Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Petite Syrah and Syrah blend.
Region: California, USA.
Price: $15.99.
This wine was provided to me for sampling and I am adding to my repertoire as it is truly enjoyable.
What a fun wine. Sampled it as a dessert pairing at The Ryland Inn with chocolate cake and really enjoyed the true ‘grapy’ flavors. Unctuous yet not syrupy, this 100% Muscat dessert wine isn’t overly-sweet, offers nice chocolaty and exotic spices notes and has a nice level of acidity.
Pairings: Chocolate anything.
Style: Dessert Wine
Grape Type(s): Muscat
Region: Napa, California, USA
Price: $25
I participated in a virtual tasting last night hosted by Jeff Gordon Cellars featuring its Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah blend named Joie De Vivre. For those of you who have not taken part in a social media wine tasting, this is what it entails:
Back to the wine. The Cabernet is from Corbett Vineyards Spring Mountain, the Merlot from Solari Vineyard Calistoga and the Syrah from Page Nord Vineyard Yountville. Only 254 cases were produced, so get your thirsty hands on a bottle if you want to try it.
In the glass, it is dark purple and has me decanting half the bottle for later comparison. The nose is intense with aromas of ripe raspberry and juicy cherry exploding out of the glass. Ripe cherry, juicy stone fruit and dark berries flavors with a spice and smokey finish. The decanted wine has a lovely earthy flavor and the young tannins round up for a smooth mouthful.
Pairings: Grilled beef, cured meats and cheese platter, pasta with red sauce.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah blend
Region: Napa Valley, California, USA
Price: $61
I am grateful to have been invited to sample this celebrity wine that, as seldom happens, turns out to be quite great.
For additional information about Jeff Gordon Cellars and its wines, visit: www.jeffgordonwine.com.
Cheers, Veronique
This wine was provided to me for sampling and I am adding to my repertoire as it is truly enjoyable.
Brilliant cherry color in the glass. Big bright nose of ripe red berries. This medium-bodied Carneros Pinot Noir is classic California Pinot. Cherry and red berries explode out of the glass. Earthy, mushroom notes that linger on the finish. Velvety in the mouth. Just a really nice 100% organic Pinot, especially at this price point.
Pairings: Duck, beef, lamb, roast chicken.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir
Region: Carneros, California, USA
Price: $40
Viscous inky purple in the glass – just really pretty. Big, bold dark berry aromas jumping out of the glass. In the mouth, this Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is jammy with intense blackberry / grape flavors and black licorice and mocha notes. Pleasant dry, tannic finish. Dinner in a glass.
94 Points – Robert Parker.
Pairings: Beef. Cheese fondue.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA
Price: $70
The 2009 Ravines Wine Cellars Pinot Noir is a beautiful ruby in the glass. The nose is of red berries and cherries. In the mouth, the ripe cherries continue with some earthy, smoky notes with underlying oak from the French oak barrels the wine sees. Soft tannins and pleasant velvety texture. Very Burgundian in style.
Not sure there are American Pinot Noirs, outside of some Russian River wines, that are better than this little gem.
Pairings: Salmon, pork, roast chicken or duck. Very food-friendly wine.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir
Region: Finger Lakes, NY, USA
Price: $23
I sampled this wine with rare duck breast a few weeks back and really enjoyed it.
The 2010 Hahn Winery Pinot Noir Monterey offers a big noseful of ripe raspberries and cherries that I enjoy, a lot. In the mouth, it is rich with raspberry preserves jammy with undertones of pumpkin pie spice. The finish is medium in length with oaky notes.
Pairings: Grilled chicken. Pan-seared salmon or duck. Wild mushroom risotto.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Pinot Noir
Region: Monterey, California, USA
Price: $14
This wine was provided to me for sampling and I am adding to my repertoire as it is truly enjoyable.
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