Wine Club 42: Thank You, Martha Stewart

Date: April 21st, 2013
Host: Christine
Served: Chile-Citrus Turkey Breast, tropical fruit and pastries
Bonus Bottle (from the Host's personal inventory): Evodia Garnacha

Fizz 56 Sparkling Red NV (Piemonte, Italy) Brachetto Spumante, 7% alcohol, $13 at Discount Liquor- Manitowoc

Christine says (17): Beautiful strawberry color. Smelled like vanilla and cherries; tasted of strawberries, cherries and ripe red apples, with a nice acidity to boot. Great aperitif wine. Cleanses the palate and leaves you wanting more of everything! Yum. It was great with the tacos.

Andrea says (17.5): This wine looked great in the glass and tasted even better. A nice cranberry/strawberry color with lots of bubbles! My first sniff was just a nose full of bubbles, but then I could smell vanilla, cherry, and red apple. It had a very crisp, palette cleansing characteristic. Just the right amount of acidity, tartness and sweetness. Tasted like strawberry, cherry pie, and crisp juicy apples. Great with the tacos and the dessert! Definitely a winner.

Kim says (17): Apparently, I thought this wine had a "pretty sparkle, strawberry color and smells like dessert!" But in an attempt to redeem myself from my Malibu Barbie moment, I also noted that while fruity, the taste was not overly sweet, just like red berries and went very well with Christine's delicious turkey tacos! Surprisingly, it also went amazingly well with the sugared elephant ear.



Lulu B Moscato NV (Spain) 10.5% alcohol, $6 on sale at Discount Liquor- Manitowoc


Christine says (18.5): Deep golden yellow. Floral smells, plus sweet-tart candies, orange creamsicles and peppercorns. Andrea mentioned soy sauce, and though I could smell it there somewhere, I didn't find it objectionable. The wine had a rich, full body. It tasted like orange and peppercorns, with a medium-long finish. I liked it! Though it seemed to bring out too much onion taste in the tacos.

Andrea says (14.5): I've never met a Moscato that I didn't like. Wine that tastes like candy is my "cup of tea." This wine did taste like candy! Sweet, with pear, fruit cocktail, grape, and banana flavors and had good body for a Moscato. However, I really couldn't get over the smell. All I could smell was plastic and the over whelming scent of soy sauce. I wanted desperately to experience all the smells that Christine and Kim were naming but couldn't for the life of me. Still, I would drink this again and it also went well with the tacos and the dessert.

Kim says (17.5): A nice, warm color... my first smell came up with apples and then dusty, plastic strawberries and cinnamon sugar. Great body, silky texture, sweet but not overwhelming. I am usually disappointed by Moscato but not this one, and this selection also went amazingly well with the turkey tacos.



Evodia Garnacha 2011 (Calatayud, Spain) 15% alcohol, $9 at Discount Liquor-Milwaukee

Christine says (14): Lipstick red and blue-violet. Smelled like red berries, tobacco, raspberries, orange oil and just brambly overall. High alcohol taste, and some raspberries. I loved the Evodia 2010, but this one was just OK and not nearly as fruity.

Andrea says (16.5): Back to 15% alcohol. No more of that sissy 7% and 10.5% stuff. Time to drink like we mean it! This was a nice raspberry/fushia color, very transparent. Smelled like raspberry, vanilla, grape, alcohol and vinegar (but not in a bad way). At first I could mostly taste alcohol and tannins, but eventually berries and jam too. A good wine but not the best vintage.

Kim says (11.5): Sigh. I think my love affair with Spanish wines might be coming to an end. Although in defense of this wine, Christine said the previous year's vintage was much better. Anyway, this smelled like brass polish, campfire and alcohol (and had the legs to prove it). Tasted like jam and something sharp... not black pepper but not nutmeg, either... uh oh, another mystery smell to try and pin down!
 

I made tacos like they did on MarthaStewart.com with lettuce, cilantro, onion, cooked corn on the cob, avocado and queso fresco. I rubbed the chile mixture over and under the skin and marinated the turkey overnight. I saved some chile mixture on the side to serve with. Next time, I'll use only 1/2 onion. Otherwise, no changes!











 

Papaya, guava, elephant ear and a giant pastry cream-filled doughnut from Cermak's Fresh Market. The papaya had a surprisingly musty taste. I was glad to taste the guava...it was the mysterious X-factor I've tasted sometimes in white wine, but I wasn't quite sure what it was.

Andrea: Great food! Beautiful photos! Plus one cute kitty!

Wine Club 41½: Just an excuse to drink wine and go hot-tubbing

Date: April 19th, 2013
Host: Christine
Served: Pizza

Palazzone Rubbio Red Blend 2011 (Umbria, Italy) 60% Sangiovese + 20% Cabernet Sauvignon + 20% Merlot, 14% alcohol, $10ish at Waterford Wine

Christine says (14.5): Big miniscus. Lots of fuchsia, berry; intense color. It smelled like roses to me, and berries. It tasted tight, like a rubber band, so I decided to try aerating it. I poured each person's glass of wine several times back and forth into an empty glass to quickly expose our wine to more air. Then I poured the rest of the bottle into a decanter with a looooong, slow pour. The wine did taste a bit more opened up after that. I could taste more berries as well as wintergreen.

Andrea says (17.5): This was a really fun night that started with wine tasting at Waterford and ended with wine in the hot tub! We had this Rubbio with the pizza and they went really well together. It was a nice dark, burgundy color. Even though it was high in alcohol, I didn't smell it right away, which is unusual for me. I thought it smelled fruity, like raspberry and jam. After it was decanted I could smell the alcohol, and maybe some strawberry. It tasted fruity, like strawberry, a little earthy, and maybe a little salty? But overall I really liked it and had a great night overall!

Kim says (14): The color was dark and thick with a raspberry miniscus. Smelled of wet leaves, tires and underneath, faintly of cocoa. This wine tasted like... well, nothing. (Silence. Birds chirping. Turtle crosses the road). And then Christine aerated the wine. What a difference! No more tires, smelled like straight-up chocolate, figs and jam. I couldn't wait to try it with the sausage & pepperoni pizza and indeed... a fantastic match!

I bought an awesome pizza from the deli at Metro Market. Then we went and sat in the hot tub, which was a lot of fun. A relaxing end to the workweek!

Wine Club 41: The Princess and the Wolf

Date: April 10th, 2013
Host: Andrea
Served: Chicken Parmesan meatballs, salad, bread sticks, dessert

Principessa Gavia Gavi 2010 (Gavi, Italy) Cortese grape, 12.5% alcohol, $13.99 at Otto's Wine Cask

Andrea says (18.5): A nice pale gold, champagne color. Had a sweet, perfume, floral smell. Very buttery smelling, pear and citrus. It had good body and a long finish. Tasted like grapefruit and lemon. An excellent wine that didn't clash with the pasta.

Christine says (17): Light lemon color; pretty. Smells buttery or creamy, and citrus. Big body! Citrusy taste, very long finish. Both wines were good with the food. Though I scored this wine a bit higher, I preferred the red with the meatballs.

Kim says (18.5): Andrea told me what we were having for dinner so I could select the wine and I was torn between red or white... so I opted for one of each! I wanted to find a white that had a big enough personality to stand up to this meal and this little princess did not disappoint. Pale lemon in color and smelled like rich, creamy cheesecake with a light citrus twist. I was pleased at the taste- not sweet but bright. Think of lemon cheesecake... silky, full body and had citrus on the finish, too, which was nice and long. This wine was well-suited to the meal but neither one enhanced the other (although they didn't insult each other, either)... I liked this wine much better but thought the red was a better pairing.



The Wolftrap 2011 (South Africa) 65% Syrah + 32% Mourvèdre + 3% Viognier, 14.5% alcohol, $9.99 at Waterford

Andrea says (15): This was an interesting red blend that included Viognier? Sounded intriguing. It was a ruby/brick color with clear edges. It smelled like alcohol, smoke and must, but also like jam and berries. I thought the taste was tart like berries, very smokey and quite tannic. Had a bit of a bite to it.

Christine says (16.5): Wine color (how about that?), with visible alcohol floating on top. Smelled of jam and dried strawberries, berries and slight tobacco. It kind of stung the tip of my tongue (was that the alcohol?). Berry taste, plus alcohol. Good straightforward wine.

Kim says (13): I was fascinated by the concept of a red and white blend... the surprising introduction of Viognier piqued my interest. But we tipped our glasses back and met a simple, straightforward, shoot-from-the-hip kind of wine... no tricks and not complicated. So while this wine could be considered standard and unexciting, I also enjoyed reading the legend of the Wolf, whose history is rooted in mysticism and lore. Take a sip and wonder...

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

The meal Andrea created was excellent... I am definitely adding this one to my own list! And the dessert... well, how can you go wrong with fruit and chocolate?

♥ Wine Club 14: Conquista Malbec, Elderton Shiraz

Date: May 31st, 2012
Host: Andrea
Served: Chicken Enchiladas, Rice and Beans, Gelato

Conquista Malbec 2010 (Argentina) 13% alcohol, $5.99 at Otto's Wine Cask

Andrea says (16): I enjoyed this Malbec. It was very smooth, dark and rich. It had very noticeable legs indicating high alcohol content. It smelled and tasted like raspberries.

Kim says (14): Well, this was a technically strong wine with the exception of Aroma and Bouquet, although I have come to the conclusion that is not necessarily the wine's fault. I seem to have difficulty discerning particular aromas... case in point, I apparently smelled "berries" with this Malbec.

Christine says (15): Deep dark claret; looked like a young wine. Lots of legs. Smelled like cherries and raspberries. Medium-dry taste; pleasant; not too fruity. Short finish, but good. A nice and simple wine...I liked it with the chips and salsa we had before dinner.

♥ Elderton Shiraz 2005 (Barossa Valley, Australia) $24.99 on sale at Otto's Wine Cask
 ♥ Love love love ♥ : This wine scored 18 or higher with each of us.

Andrea says (19.5): This wine was delicious and technically superior! The color was a pretty, dark red/brown. The only half point that I took off was in the "overall" column. The bouquet was fantastic! I could smell and taste mostly strawberry and chocolate. I think this would be great with dessert, and went well with the gelato.

Kim says (18.5): These are the first wines I've scored using the third version of our rating form and what great timing! Smelled faintly musty (not in a bad way) and for lack of a better word, deep, pleasant and of general spices. Amazing body... I had to resist the urge to actually chew it! Thoroughly enjoyed this wine and am glad that the very helpful woman at Otto's laid her hand on the bottle, said something along the lines of, "Now this bad boy..." and highly recommended it. Too bad it was the last one. Well worth the price!

Christine says (20): Very dark brick color. Awesome smell! It reminded me of Amarone. I picked out chocolate, oak, tobacco and dried strawberries in the bouquet. Taste was ripe dried strawberries; smoky; complex and good, with a long finish. This impressive wine was amazing with the enchiladas. I also thought it would be great with chili-rubbed steak, lasagna, bacon, blue cheese, figs and more. If only the budget allowed, I'd find a lot to eat with this winner!


I made the enchiladas from Tyler Florence's recipe from Food Network.com. They went over very well, and went well with the Gelato from Paciugo at the Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa.

★ Wine Club 40: California Chardonnays

Date: April 2nd, 2013
Host: Kim
Served: Chicken rolls, roasted vegetables, oranges with rosemary-infused honey

Hahn Estates Chardonnay 2006 (Monterey County, CA, USA), 14% alcohol, $10 at Discount Liqour

Kim says (13.5): A beautiful color, like polished brass by candle light. I smelled wood... just raw, naked wood; and a hint of general spices. When I swirled my glass, this wine instantly brightened up... it was so extreme that there was something that stung my eyes and palate. Possibly the alcohol? But there was also something sweet, making the tart finish a bit of a surprise.

Andrea says (15): A pretty golden color, looked like honey. The smell was crisp and tart. A smelled apple, pear and honey, and a slightly oaky smell. The first taste was surprisingly oaky, with an apple/pear taste in the middle, and tart, dry finish that tasted mostly of alcohol. Not as sweet as it smelled. But I still liked it. I would drink it again. It went well with the meal, but clashed with the dessert.

Christine says (16.5): Deep and intense gold color. Smelled like honey, pear and oak. It was more tart than expected, but was well-balanced. The wine had nice underpinnings of spices and a medium to long finish. Not much of any specific taste except oak. Versatile wine that was good with the fresh-tasting veggies (summer squash, leeks and mint).



★ BearBoat Chardonnay 2010 (Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, CA, USA), 13.5% alcohol, $10 on sale from $15 at Discount Liquor

Kim says (18): Identical in color to the Hahn... I think I've decided that Chardonnays are the prettiest wine! I smelled tropical, fleshy fruit- like mangoes. Swirled the glass and wow! Again, this wine really brightened up. The change was extremely dramatic and instantly brought grass, spring rain, and apple blossoms to mind. Great body but I was not crazy about the taste (oaky?) and while I thought this wine was well-balanced, the long, complex finish actually made me pucker (which I liked). I am very surprised by my score... 18 seems high given how I feel about this wine. But it's simply a technically superior wine... the two missed points were in a subjective category. It paired very well with the roasted veggies and chicken but blech! with the dessert.

Andrea says (17.5): This wine was also a golden color, almost the same as the Hahn, maybe a little more goldenrod. The smell was delicious, very sweet! Banana and pear at first, then citrus, honey, and floral. It had a buttery texture, very smooth and clean. Taste was citrus-y like pineapple and a little smoky. I approve! 

Christine says (19): Deep honey gold color with clear edges. Smelled very much like honey, plus orange, pineapple and floral. Kim picked up apple blossoms, which I think is a perfect description. The aroma was wonderful. Oak taste, nice structure, long finish. Elegant style of Chardonnay. I only docked it a half-point each for bouquet and overall likeability: it did well in these categories but wasn't exceptional. We liked it better than Hahn with the Neufchâtel-stuffed chicken rolls. It would also be good with cream sauce or smoked cheese.

Chicken Rolls

6 oz block Neufchâtel cheese (I use the easy-to-find, domestic/US Neufchâtel, not the true Neufchâtel from France)

1 green onion, chopped

2 T melted butter

2 C cooked chicken breast, bite sized (I used shredded rotisserie chicken this time)

2 packages crescent rolls (8 crescents each)

Mix together the cheese, onion and chicken. To form each chicken roll, leave two crescents together to form a square, add a dollop of the chicken mixture and fold the dough over. Turn right side up and be sure to pinch closed the seam on top. Dip the top in melted butter and roll in bread crumbs, sesame seeds or crushed croutons. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with vegetable oil and cook at 350° for 20 min or until browned. Depending on how much you stuff them, this recipe will make 6-8 chicken rolls.

I wanted every other dish to be nice and light so I opted for Roasted Zucchini and Summer Squash with Mint for the side (Weeknights with Giada), and Food & Wine's Oranges with Rosemary-Infused Honey for dessert (and wound up adding a pinch of cayenne to the honey).