Sterling Vineyards Napa Valley Zinfandel 2007

I am currently drinking the sterling Vineyards Napa Valley Zinfandel

2007 and on the nose:

I am catching huckleberries some vanilla oak components and also nuances of spice along with the tobacco smell from a cigar box. It has a standard Zinfandel nose along with a few more interesting surprises.

While tasty sterling Zinfandel:

I'm enjoying bing and black cherry in the mid palate and it has a long finish with a bit of cigar box and also small amounts of cocoa on the cherry which translated throughout the whole palate. This is a very balanced wine, the alcohol doesn't rear it's ugly head throughout the whole process of drinking such a wine. I say buy it, try it, make your own assumption and get back to me, it's a great entry wine for people starting off in the world of zinfandel. Till then, Happy New Year.

Thanksgiving + Wine = A good time.

So, what's the plan for thanksgiving? Gonna gobble down some of the usual suspects? You know Turkey, maybe a little ham and stuffing? This year please don't allow for your food to go down to the depths of your stomach, lonely, let's fix it up with something. For this post I plan on listing some of the usual dishes that 90 percent of the american people eat on Thanksgiving and pairing it with wine. With each dish, some will be conservative in approach and some will be for a more adventuress sort, you let me know what works for you. Without further ado,

let's start.

Black eyed Peas (or any earthy type vegetable): I'm pretty sure, although palates are different, that most red wines would not suffice when pairing with black-eyed peas. So what I propose is an Albarino from Spain (Salneval 2008, 9.99 at World Markets). It is an earthy but fruity white wine that has the flexibility to hang strong with the earthiness of black eyed peas.

Turkey: 1st pick: Zinfandel (Peachy Canyon 2007, 8.99 at trader joes)- because if you happen to be at a persons house that tends to dry out the meat a bit, the over-ripeness of the fruit in this wine may save the meal. Zinfandel tends to house lush red fruits within every glass sipped upon.

2nd pick Shiraz (Shoofly 2008, 7.99 at world markets)- because like zinfandel, this wine has a lot of red fruit within it's bottles. To be more specific, the reason I said Shiraz and not Syrah is because although Syrah is the actual grape varietal based out of France, Australia has decided to call the Syrah grape Shiraz. And the truth is, I think if you want to enjoy the Syrah grape, at least on Thanksgiving, Australia is the place you want to enjoy it from. Australian Shiraz tends to have heavy fruit throughout the palate, which might do well for those of you who need a wine to pair up nice with a juicy turkey. FYI, stay away from any over 14.0 alcohol, I'm just saying, It could over power the food.

Ham: The truth is, I would be surprised if you could find a white wine that would pair well with Ham, I know there are some out there, but far and few in between. I think a light but fruity Pinot Noir (Trinity Oaks 2009, 9.99 at Bevmo)would work.

Fried Chicken: So there are two ways you could go about this, you could get some oak induced Chardonnay (Markham 2009, 13.99 at Trader Joes), which would be a safe pairing. Or you could go for a more fruity and acidic alternative, Vouvray (Chenin Blanc, La Cheteau 2009, 5.99 at Trader Joes) from the Loire Valley in France.

Shrimp or light fish (especially with a little spiciness): Your best bet is Prosecco (Zonin 6.99 at trader joes) from Italy, It's reasonably priced and has the bubbles to balance out the flavor of fresh seafood.

Dessert (fruit forward vs. Rich and sweet): If your desserts are focused on fruity dishes my best recommendation is a Muscato D'asti out of Italy (Vino Dei Fratelli 2009, 11.99 at Bevmo), it should have enough bubbles to clear your palate before each bite, and also offers fresh fruit to fall in line with the dish you will be scarfing down.

To pair well with a dessert, that is considered more of a sweeter and richer dish, the standard recommendation is a Port (Graham Six Grapes Port 19.99 at World Markets). Which is well and good, but if you have the chance to get your hands on a Ice wine (Jackson - Triggs Vidal, 19.99 at World Markets) or Late Harvest Riesling(Hogue Late harvest Riesling 2009, 8.99 at Bevmo), you may end up being the life of the party.

Other than that, I know it's been a while since I've posted anything, I am sorry, sometimes life just happens and other things sneak into the picture that you didn't expect. Please leave a message if anything I wrote, helped you out. Till then, Peace and Wine for all.

Trewa Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile) 2004

nose:Loads of black wild cherry, hints of licorice, hints of tea and earthiness

taste: Structure-not extremely concentrated, but fruit filled mouth-feel. Long finish, good mid, and decent front end.

Some fruit and other nuances were: Tea, juicy wild cherry,with the earthy tones kickin' in on finish.

Quick post: Flood Plain Proprietary Red Wine 2005

Blend: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. Note: needs to be decanted to taste the pure essence of this wine.

Nose: Black cherry, Blackberries, Blueberries, definitely fruit-forward with hints of mushroom in the mix.

Taste: Blackberries/cherries, round tannins on finish, good initial attack, mid is a little hollow when you pop and pour, but after a couple of hours of being opened, the mid is just as good as the rest of the weight of this wine. The finish is also long and carries with it a hint of pepper to accompany the red fruit.

This is a very good bottle for the price, and if you can find it, try it, and buy a case, Trust me.

Saviours Rock 2008 Durif (Petite Syrah)

This is going to be a quick post. I'm going to start, on certain wines, giving my tasting notes. I'm still going to write bigger posts, but let's just call the smaller ones "on the go, wine tasting notes." So I'm drinking a Durif aka a Petite Syrah:

Nose: Cassis, pepper, hints of beef jerky, raisins, dried cranberries, some minerality, complex.

Taste: Pepper, Rasberry, green broccoli, chocolate on the front, beef jerky and black cherry on the finish, a long finish, and very well made.

You can find this wine at Grocery outlet for 9.99, pick it up if you get a chance and leave a comment.

Class of Wine: Have the Lines Blurred?

So with all the vices in the world that people tend to partake in, there is always the, so-called elite society, in which most opinions of this vice dictates a kind of guide line in which the majority tends to adhere to. Wine isn't any different, and I call this the class society of old world versus new world. Although wine has been made throughout the world for thousands of years, such as in original Greek and European lore as a whole, I think the Classes of wine society is BULL...., you pick what follows. Ok maybe 10 years ago, these class designations had truth in its merits but now, there is so much good wine out there for decent prices, I think it's harder for these vineyards, who were putting out decent wines at astronomical prices to survive in the market we are in today. Now, don't get me wrong, I do understand, vineyards, wine-bars and restaurants, needing to make money in the market we are in today, but what I love about what's happening in wine today, is the fact that the juice has to measure up. In the past, in most vintages, the winery just had to base their pricing on the name of their enterprise and place of origin if they were successful in the past. While there are still some who have that clout, many have been forced to either lower their pricing or actually stand behind their product, sales have shown that there is no longer a choice in the matter.

So let's get down to brass tax in the elite society of the wine industry, we have the royalty, France and Italy. And I must confess I love wines from the old country, for the simple fact that from the time of wines being produced in those areas all the way up till the last 10 years, wines have for the most part sat apart from most wines all over the world. I mean there are other places who have very old vines such as, Spain, Chile, Argentina and parts of Australia, but the consistency of great wines coming from these places were at a minimum. Then after 10 years of the places, considered new world wine producers, stepping up their game, from wine making to distribution of brands throughout the world, we have the collapse of the economy. You may ask how does the collapse of the market effect the wine industry, well in my opinion it nullified it. The collapse of the market allowed Chile and many places previously mentioned in this piece, to showcase that their wines not only rival, but in many cases, surpass the "Old World Wines" at a lower price to your wallet. With these changes the category of good wines has more than doubled, and those brand driven wines who may have made great wines in the past, but make only decent to good wines now, have to reconsider their pricing structures.

Now, don't get me wrong, I will still fork out cash for a great wine, but now as a consumer, I have a choice of paying more for a wine that is double the price of a bottle outside of the old country branded juice, and is equal in taste, but far less in pricing. Knowledge is the key to picking out good to great wines, some brands are not as strong as they once were, so in essence, the lines of class in the wine industry have, in the past, been based on have become blurred. I suggest you as a consumer, to initially drink wines from all over, not just the so called upper "echelon," then remember the wines and where they come from. When you've found a few wines that tickled your taste buds, do your own research, and if that's too big of a task, or you don't have the time in your busy schedule, continue to read blogs and literature like this, let us show you the way. Sorry for the soap box, just had some stuff on my chest, till next time, enjoy wine, food, pleasant company and life, Salut.

Mission Sud Cabernet Sauvignon Vin de Pays d'Oc 2008

Gotta love the french, just when you think that the pendulum has swung, in regards to Cabernet Sauvignon, to California's Napa and Sonoma Valley, they step up to the plate, and say in a reserved definitive tone,"We still got the top spot." So without elaborating anymore, I am drinking tonight the, Mission Sud Cabernet Sauvignon Vin de Pays d'Oc 2008. Now, when purchasing this wine, forgo the idea that this is an old-world type of Cab, this is something different for France's royal Bordeaux line. Getting right into this Cabernet, on the nose, I get chalky black cherries, some spice, hints of mulberry, plum and sweet ginger. On the palate, I get Blackberry and Cranberry, and although the Blackberry dissipates in the mid the cranberry, goes all the way to the finish. The tannins in this wine start in the mid and translate to the finish in a rounder delicate style. I also pick some plum in the front to mid and some hints of cedar on the outside of the mid palate. I believe the wine maker enjoyed making this fun wine, and I definitely enjoyed drinking it, because of it's deliciousness and the smooth finish. You can find this wine at your local Grocery Outlet, check it out and leave a comment.