Wine Club 61: Pork, Bacon & Bonuses!

Date: January 25th, 2014
Host: Kim
Served: Honey-Soy-Roasted Pork, Quinoa and Bacon Salad, green beans with toasted almonds
Bonus bottles: a trio of Italian reds from Waterford Wine Company

La Granja 360 Cava Brut NV (Spain) 70% Xarello + 30% Parellada, 11.5% alcohol, $6 at Trader Joe's

Kim says (17): What hit me right away was the strong aroma of pear and honey, as well as something else that was familiar to me... something I'd come across in another varietal but can't quite put a finger on. I'll figure it out eventually! Anyway, really enjoyed this... light and fun. Definitely stopping by Trader Joe's to pick up a bottle (or two)!

Christine says (16.5): Very pale lemon color. Smelled like lemon and pear. Kim also picked up honey and Andrea, green apples, and I agreed. Nice palate-cleansing bubbles, medium finish with minerals. It was good with the meal and stood up well to the flavorful, slightly sweet pork. This wine had a good quality-to-price ratio (QPR).

Andrea says (14.5): A nice frizzante Cava with a very light, clear color. It smelled crisp and clean, green apple, apricot, and honey. Nice mouth feel. Light, tart, slight mineral taste. Bubbles all the way across the tongue. I could really taste the green apple and honey. Good with pairing with the honey in the pork.

Contadino Pinot Grigio 2012 (Italy) 12% alcohol, $5 at Trader Joe's

Kim says (11): At first I picked up English toffee. Upon my next smell, musty basement. Next smell, I detected apple peels. Next time... well, you get the idea. Each time, the smell had morphed into something drastically different. What I found interesting was that these aromas were not layered... I did not smell them all at once, like English toffee and a hint of musty basement underneath. The smells were singular and separate... and I am glad I missed the paint thinner that Christine smelled!

Christine says (8.5): Lots of small bubbles in this wine--looked like fun! Very, very pale, like water. Smelled like paint thinner: ick! In the crazy glass, I also smelled white grapes. The taste was nice, had a light body, tasted like green apples and the oil from lemon peel. The meal overwhelmed it. And the smell was unforgivable.

Andrea says (16.5): I really liked this wine! Also a very clear wine, pale lemon in color. Very fragrant - vanilla, floral, grape. Yes, I could also smell the chemical-paint thinner smell, but I didn't find it overwhelming. Mostly I smelled cream soda and powdered sugar. Light flavor, but again, I liked it - honey, white grape, lemon and pineapple with a little bit of mineral flavor. 

I had never done a roast before but my friend Robert does pork roasts regularly so he kindly came over and we did a practice run. The finished product was very dry, which we both agreed was the fault of the specific piece of meat I had selected. As a result, I wanted to make sure there was plenty of gravy or sauce to accompany the pork roast when I hosted Wine Club, and I came across this recipe from Food & Wine magazine. Since there were several variables between the recipe and what I would actually be serving, I partially incorporated Robert's instructions and the finished product was (I believe) fabulous!
     • Used loin roast rather than shoulder roast
     • Skipped the braised veggies
     • I placed the roasting pan on the 2nd rack from the bottom, and did use the rack that it came with
     • Roasted at 350°F for 20 minutes per pound until thermometer read 160°F
     • In my paranoia, I made double the basting glaze
     • Whole Foods does carry veal demiglace but they happened to be out of stock. Both Sendik's and The Fresh Market also carry it (although it is made from veal+beef stock)

Christine says: I scored some fun, highly drinkable Italian reds at a recent Waterford staff training, and they came along to Wine Club. The highlight was the Sagrantino, an inky-black red that leans pricey because the very small grapes are difficult to harvest. So yum. I was doing a financial fast at the time, and the Trader Joe's wines were ones I already had at home. I felt good being able to up my game by bringing along these wines!

Wine Club 60: Asia Tour

Date: December 15th, 2013
Host: Christine
Served: Lumpia, edamame, Vegetable Moo Shu Wraps, toffee ice cream bombe


Bella Sera Pinot Grigio 2011 (Veneto, Italy) 12% alcohol, $8 at Pick 'n Save

Christine says (12): Translucent, very pale lemon. Apricot, floral, honey bouquet. Tart! Lemon taste. Less sweet than expected (and I didn't expect much). Some grassy/herbal notes. Shorter finish.

Andrea says (17): Lemon yellow and  very clear, frizzante. Smelled like crisp apple, citrus, floral and mineral. The flavor I observed most strongly was honey! Some lemon and green apple flavors. Sweet and mild taste, tart on the mid palette. A good everyday wine. 

Kim says (18): Really liked this wine! Smelled like red apples and powdered sugar. Did not taste overly sweet and I am surprised to say... while I thought this wine was well-balanced and the sugar was correct, I think I may have liked it even more if it was a tiny bit sweeter. Not a long or complex finish... I think mostly just acid. The missed points were for body (partial- slightly thin), acid (partial- slightly high) and finish. Andrea is right... pleasing and versatile enough to be an everyday wine!


Don Miguel Gascón Malbec 2010 (Mendoza, Argentina) 13.9% alcohol, $12.50 at Pick 'n Save

Christine says (15.5): Garnet color, but looked a bit cloudy, too. Smelled of strawberry seeds and fruit roll-ups. Mmm! Yum taste. Wintergreen, cedar, leather, blackberry. Kim and Andrea said they smelled cocoa, and I could, too, after whiffing some from the pantry. It had a dusty, powdery cocoa aroma. This wine was good with the Filipino egg rolls, which were filled mostly with sweet potatoes.

Andrea says (16): A bloody, brick red color. Fairly opaque with long legs. Had an earthy smell, plus chocolate, mocha, raspberry, blackberry and minerals. Strong tannins on the tongue. Tart and tasted like berries. Good with the egg rolls.

Kim says (16): Very dark color but surprisingly bright edges... maybe an effect of the cloudiness Christine mentioned. Smelled of black pepper, earth, minerals and wet rocks. I did enjoy this wine but the combination of high tannins and acid put it a bit off balance and detracted from the appeal. But yes, as we all agreed... very good with the egg rolls!





 

Hard at work. We are so studious!



  

Wine Club 24: Aires Andinos Chardonnay, Santa Helena Pinot Noir

Date: September 27th, 2012
Host: Christine
Served: smoked gouda & pine nut crescents, Beemster cheese and crackers, Buffalo chicken salad, key lime pie
Bonus bottle: Nachtgold Eiswein

Aires Andinos Chardonnay 2011 (Mendoza, Argentina) 13% alcohol, $7

Christine says (14.5): Pale straw with cool slate edges. Warm fruit aroma, like pears. Perfumed scent. Tart up front. Tannic, oaky taste, especially in the finish. Felt very slightly frizzante. I liked it.

Andrea says (16.5): A light golden color. The smell was musty, with tart green apple, cherry, pear and a little bit like feet. The taste was sweet at first, then tart and oaky. A good everyday wine, especially for the price.

Kim says (16): Well, these wines were scored using one of our previous rating systems, meaning it was a bit more technical and allowed less points in the subjective categories so take this for what you will! Nonetheless, I felt this Chardonnay suffered in aroma and bouquet (big surprise!) because it made me think of... well, musty cucumbers. Even the after taste was a bit sour (maybe the tartness that Andrea mentioned). But Christine's cheesy crescent rolls and buffalo chicken salad made it all okay... I had to ask her for the recipe for both. Yum!


Santa Helena Gran Reserva Pinot Noir 2009 (Central Valley, Chile) 14.5% alcohol, $10

Christine says (11): Blood color/claret; thin and clear. Smelled like strawberry jam, earthy rot, mold?, and green herbs like tarragon and mint. Alcohol taste, burning tires, weeds, wintergreen.

Andrea says (14.5): The color was blood red, but light and clear. My first smell all I could come up with was alcohol. After swirling I could smell a lot more: cranberry, jam, strawberry, mint, licorice, mold and earth. It tasted of jam and rhubarb. Tart and smokey, but the alcohol flavor was a bit overwhelming. 

Kim says (10): I'd like to say I tried to give this wine the benefit of the doubt because in the past, all three of us have been able to forgive the smell of cat pee, sweat, barnyard funk and feet. But when you come across a wine that brings to mind pungent black fuzzy mold, it's a bit of a challenge. Appearance? Thin and watery, and tasted a bit like lemon juice.

Nachtgold Eiswein NV (Rheinhessen, Germany) 10.5% alcohol, $19/500mL

Christine says (17.5): Very dark honey, almost amber, color. Smelled like honey, pears, herbs, grass and strawberry shortcake. Tasted very much like honey, as well as vanilla and apricots. Short-to-medium finish.

Andrea says (17): Dark amber-orange color. The first smell I wrote down was strawberry, which seems surprising for an Eiswein. But I also smelled honey, cake and vanilla. The strongest flavor was the honey, it tasted just how it smelled, vanilla, strawberry, and cake. A delicious dessert wine. Great with the key lime pie. 

Kim says (16): Beautiful and understated elegance... warm, amber, sparkled (but not frizzante), tasted of honey and apricots. For a person that doesn't care for ice wine, I very much enjoyed this!

Wine Club 59: Blau vs. Blau

Date: November 22nd, 2013
Host: Andrea
Served: steak chili, grilled 3-cheese sandwiches
Bonus bottle (from the host's personal inventory): J.W. Morris Gewurtzraminer 
Bonus bottle (provided by Kim because this year's Beaujolais Nouveau just hit the shelves yesterday): Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais Nouveau 2013

Blau #1

We had previously tried the Blau Red Blend 2010 and enjoyed it so much (scored a ♥ love love love!) that we decided to try the oaked version from the same vintage, side by side. While possibly not a true comparison as the proportion of grapes is markedly different (the unoaked Blau was 50% Syrah, 25% Mazuelo, 25% Garnacha blend), it was an interesting battle nonetheless.

Andrea says: Nice body, tart and fruity, good acid level. I loved both Blau Blends and even though I scored the new one slightly lower that the first one, I think I liked the new "oaked" one better.

Eye-catching labels

Christine says: Very berry. More acid than I remembered. Part of me wonders if this bottle suffered some temperature abuse? Because I adored this the first time around, giving it a perfect score. This time, I only gave Blau #2 a 14.5, but I wound up preferring it over Blau #1. Though Blau #2 did go best with the meal.

Kim says: I have to agree with Christine. I keep the cooler for my reds at 65° so I know it didn't suffer in my care... it must have been beforehand. This particular bottle of wine had higher acidity than I like. We thought maybe it just needed time to breath but several hours later, there was no improvement.

Blau #2

Can Blau Red Blend 2010 (Spain), 40% Mazuelo + 40% Syrah + 20% Garnacha,  14.5% alcohol, $17 at Otto's

Andrea says (19): Ruby red color. Smelled like cocoa, red berries, perfume, as well as dirt and alcohol smells (that sounds bad, but I liked the smell). Nice taste, rich and smooth. Tasted like blackberry and raspberry. Nice tannins. This Blau was lighter in acid when compared back-to-back, which I thought improved it. I think the oaked Blau had a richer, darker flavor.

Christine says (14.5): More intense, deep ruby color and less translucent than the first Blau. Plush smell! Violets, orange peel and very slight cherries. Blackberry taste, nice green stemminess, some acid in a finish that wasn't great. It smelled good, though it was hard to ID many flavors. A little thin and light up front, and too much acid in the mid-palate and end. But it was SO GOOD with the chili. Win!

Kim says (16): Much preferred this one over the unoaked version but that opinion is specific to this bottle. And mark the history books... for once, I gave this wine full points for bouquet! Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black licorice. Smelled so good- deep and calming. Fantastic finish, nice and long with strong tannins. My suspicion that this would be a good match for the chili proved right on, especially since Andrea used such flavorful meat in her version!

Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais Nouveau 2013 (France), 12.5% alcohol, $12 at Otto's

Andrea says (16): I think I maybe wanted to like this Beaujolais more than I actually did, and I probably inflated the score more than it deserved. It was a pretty ruby/garnet/fushia color. I really liked the aroma - floral, vanilla, almond and cake! Tasted like berries, chocolate, licorice, floral, banana. Medium tannins

Christine says (12.5): Very pretty, light clear raspberry color. Aroma of red berry and floral. Light, slight banana flavor, short finish. Although I liked it better than the Duboeuf we had in February, I rated this one lower (Duboeuf got a 13.5). I guess my scoring is getting tougher. I also think my curiosity for Beaujolais Nouveau has fully run its course.

Kim says (9): Not impressed.Very festive color (of course), and the initial smell brought something familiar and yummy to mind but I couldn't put my finger on it. However it made me pucker as if I had just sucked on a lemon, and I only allowed it 1 point in Appeal simply because it was so pretty.

Christine says: The most amazing grilled cheese I've ever had. On Texas toast to hold all the cheese!

Mom's Chili:

4 T. Oil                                        2 - 15oz Cans Pinto Beans
2 Large Onions                            2 - 16oz Cans Baked Beans
4 Cloves Garlic (minced)              6T. Chili Powder
4 lbs Lean Stew Beef (cubed)       3t.  Cumin
3 lbs Pork Sausage                     1T. Oregano
2 - 16oz Cans Diced Tomatoes     2t.  Salt
2 - 6oz Cans Tomato Paste          2t.  Sugar
2 - 150z Cans Kidney Beans        2T. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

In your largest soup pot heat the oil, saute onions and garlic until soft. Add beef and sausage, cook until brown - drain. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, dry ingredients and baked beans. Simmer partially covered for 2 hours (add water if too dry). Add pinto beans and kidney beans (I don't drain any of the cans). Cook 30 minutes longer. I only made half of the recipe and still had leftovers for weeks. Freezes well. 

Giant Grilled Cheese:

Texas Toast
Butter
Sharp Cheddar
Havarti
Muenster

I cook these with the lid on the pan, trap in the heat to melt the cheese.

The last of J.W. Morris.
Sad face!

Andrea says: The end of J.W. Morris Gewurtztraminer! No longer in production and this was my last bottle. We loved it the first time around, still good the last time around.

Wine Club 58: Argentina & A Happy Accident

Date: November 14th, 2013
Host: Kim
Served: Cheesy rye toasts appetizer, grilled flank steak with chimichurri, chickpea salad with parmesan and herbs, grilled scallions

Terra Rosa Malbec 2010 (Mendoza, Argentina) 14.5% alcohol, $12 at Waterford

Kim says (19): Skip the bleu cheese crust or bearnaise sauce... do it the Argentinian way and top your steak with chimichurri, a sauce basically consisting of olive oil, vinegar and parsley. Add in whatever herbs might strike your fancy (garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, a spritz of lime juice) and you have a light and healthy alternative! And Christine really set the stage with this wine, which went great with the meal- a very deep color with vibrant edges. Aroma of jam but not sweet... maybe cranberries and cinnamon? Slightly thin body but perfect tannins! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

Christine says (16.5): Very deep purple color. Smelled like peppercorns, jammy fruit, blueberry poptart. Taste of acid, tannins, sous bois and black fruit. Medium-long finish. Still, tasted a bit thin and you definitely get the alcohol. I liked it better than the 2011 TintoNegro I brought last time.

Andrea says (17): A dark burgandy color, almost opaque but more clear on the edges. Smelled of blackberry, cherry, chocolate, brown sugar and alcohol when it was swirled. The first thing I noticed about the wine was the tannins. It really coated my tongue and stuck to my palette. It had nice acid and was more tart than I had expected from the smell.  Very rich flavor, with blackberry and cranberry flavors. Good, I would drink it again. I liked it with the steak.


Domaine Jean Royer Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2011 (France) 15.5% alcohol, $27 on sale at Waterford

Kim says (17): Christine calls her reaction, "initial shock." If I were her, I think I would have cried. Upon finding out that she had accidentally uncorked a $40+ bottle of wine that she was very much looking forward to trying several years from now, she quickly recovered and we were all able to benefit from the mix up. This wine was a very elegant color, smelled of cocoa and had a complex finish... but that might have just been alcohol. Both of these wines went great with the steak!

Christine says (18.5): After I got over the initial shock that when I stopped at home to pick up wine for Kim's, I had grabbed this wine instead of the less-expensive Côtes du Rhône I'd planned to bring, it was time to just relax and enjoy it. The wine was ruby, with garnet edges. Smelled like fruit: cherry, raspberry, plus cocoa and cedary spice. A warm smell. Big taste! Well balanced, evergreeny (like wintergreen) and a long finish with fruit in the finish. It was really good. I probably would've shared the bottle with my same BFFs anyhow...I just planned to do it in about 3 years. Luckily, Waterford still had the wine on sale, so I was able to buy a replacement. It was very good with the meal: will definitely serve the second bottle with steak.

Andrea says (18): Poor Christine, I was sick when she realized she'd grabbed the wrong wine. But the wine was delicious and went great with the steak. I was glad to hear she was able to procure another bottle. This wine had more of a brick red or blood color, and more transparent than the first wine. The smell was very rich and subtle - Chocolate, dusty, minerals and anise. After swirled I could smell alcohol, licorice, raspberry and jam. The first thing I noticed when I tasted it was the nice body. Smooth, rich, sweeter than expected, tasted like strawberry! Again, great with the steak.

Wine Club 31 (say goodbye to 2012): Mission Point Pinot Noir, Araldica Albera Barbera d'Asti

Date: December 31st, 2012
Host: Kim
Served: veggies, dips, cheese and crackers, sloppy joes
Bonus bottles: a French sparkler (thanks, Christine!) and tequila margaritas

Mission Point Pinot Noir 2011 (CA, USA), 13.8% alcohol, $9ish? at Trader Joe's

Kim says (12): Well, my notes say that I thought this wine was "thin in color." I think I probably meant that it was fairly translucent, which I usually don't comment on unless it's extreme (very translucent like the Domaine de la Terrière Beaujolais, as pictured here; or so dark that it seems to suck in the light around it, like the Terre des Chardons Marginal, mentioned here). Also noteworthy was the distinct aroma of pepper, mint and blackberries which is so interesting that I would like to try this wine again. 

Andrea says (15.5): A nice ruby color with pale edges. Smelled like raspberry, blackberry, cranberry, strawberry, plus black pepper and brown sugar. Tasted nice with good body. Jammy with grass and mint flavors. I would drink it again. 

Christine says (14): Looked thin; pale ruby. Jammy, raspberry, blueberry, brown sugar, and slightly peppery vanilla. Tasted like jam, and then minty in the mid-palate and finish. I got it for free at my company holiday party. So the price was right, but the wine was just barely OK.

Araldica Albera Barbera d'Asti 2009 (Italy), 14.5% alcohol, $14 at Whole Foods

Kim says (14): Athough I apparently thought this wine smelled like asphalt & honey and tasted like dead leaves, I found it to be appealing and overall felt it was good. It seemed to suffer in the categories of bouquet and color but was well-balanced and had a nice finish.

Andrea says (15.5): Pretty raspberry, fushia color. Smelled a little bit like rubber, but then blackberry, mint, jam and vanilla. Tasted smokey with a tart jammy taste. Good body and tannins. I liked it a lot.

Christine says (13): Dark, intense purple. Smelled like tires, burning rubber, some mint, vanilla, very slight honey. Full-bodied taste, with tobacco, mint and jam flavors. Not a complex taste. Earth and alcohol finish.

   

Christine says: Kim made an awesome spread filled with the party foods I absolutely love! Lots of good munching here.

Happy New Year! Cheers to 2013!

Wine Club 57: November Means Turkey

Date: November 1st, 2013
Host: Christine
Served: Sweet Potato Tartlets, Pecan Turkey Cutlets with Dilled Carrots, Herb Biscuit Loaf
Bonus bottles (from the host's personal inventory): Dupeuble Beaujolais Blanc 2011, Jason Stephens Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Edmond Cornu Bourgogne Les Barrigards 2012

Don Rodolfo Moscato 2011 (Mendoza, Argentina) 11% alcohol, $9 at Woodman's-Oak Creek

Christine says (15.5):  Pale light straw color, frizzante. Smelled like peaches and white flowers. Yummy. Sweet taste, not complex, bubbly, fruity and fun. Nice finish that included a citrusy pineapple tang.

Andrea says (14): Pale lemon color, plus frizzante. Nice aroma, but not too strong. smelled like honey, lemon, apricot and a little mineral. Taste was sweet but thin body for my liking. Honey, fruity, and vanilla flavors. Reminded me of cream soda. Went very well with the appetizers. 

Kim says (17.5): Looked frizzante on the pour, smelled like pear, honey and vanilla. Had a buttery texture and happily was frizzante (smiley face + unicorn)! Had a nice spark of acid which was very appealing. On the sweet side but after all, it is a Moscato (which I had to keep reminding myself so that I didn't penalize it for being too high in sugar, too low on tannins, etc). On the rare occasion that I am in the mood for a Moscato, this Don Rodolfo is everything I hope for!


Apothic White 2010 (CA, USA) Chardonnay + Riesling + Moscato, 12% alcohol, $9 at Woodman's-Oak Creek

Christine says (14.5): Medium to intense gold color. Num num smell! Prunes (in a good way), peaches, mango. Ripe, sweet smell. Expansive mid-palate, not as sweet as expected; some deep low note (of oak?) that I wasn't crazy about. I wished it tasted as fruity as it smelled.

Andrea says (18.5): I was a huge fan of the Apothic Red Blend so I just had to try the White Blend. It was a golden yellow color, it had a few little bubbles but was visibly viscous. It had a buttery, apricot scent. There was an aroma that was hard for me to place. Something over-ripe, sweet and fruity? Maybe mango? Taste was smooth, sweet, nice body, small tart bite to it. This wine had all of the things that I thought the other wine was lacking which maybe made my score a little unevenly weighted. It went well with the turkey. 

Kim says (11): Well, for those of you that follow our ventures regularly, this will not surprise you: something is wrong with my smeller! I almost never give a wine all 3 points in the category of bouquet. In fact, if I rate a wine the nearly perfect score of 19, chances are that missing point is in bouquet (sad but true... and it's not the wine's fault). Funny thing is, I actually have a very strong sense of smell... more than one person has remarked on it (usually accompanied by some sort of reference to a bloodhound). Apparently, my sense of smell is strong but not discerning! Anyway, back on topic...
Apothic White. You know those air fresheners labeled something like Rain Forest or Tropical Breeze? That's what this smelled like to me. And I think I just noticed... interestingly enough, the things I smell, Andrea tastes. It's happened more than once but this time, I thought I got a hint of grapefruit and Andrea mentioned a tart bite upon tasting. I think there was also something vaguely... musty? And I originally docked this wine on body, making a note that I thought it was thinner than water. But I later amended that score because I think it only suffered by comparison to the Moscato. I wound up giving it full points in the category of body.

I nuked the sweet potato to save time over boiling it, then mashed it up coarse and stirred in pecans and mini marshmallows. These were good little tarts and not too sweet. I was running behind with the meal and put Kim and Andrea to work right away. Andrea made the yummy biscuit bread, and Kim quickly peeled and chopped a million carrots.

Bonus bottle bonanza! Courtesy of Waterford Wine Company.