Wine Club 47: Goodbye, Old Apartment

Date: June 12th, 2013
Host: Andrea
Served: eggrolls, crab rangoon, orange chicken, cupcakes
Bonus bottle (from the host's personal inventory): 2008 Erbalucede di Caluso

Domaine de la Janasse Viognier 2010 (Principauté d'Orange, France) 14% alcohol,  $15 at Waterford

Andrea says (17.5): Temperature really made a difference with this wine. At first we drank it very chilled. I could smell green apple and minerals. I could hardly place any flavors at that temperature but it was definitely smooth, tart, good body and nice tannins. After the wine warmed up to room temperature I could smell honey, pear, and slate. Went well with the orange chicken and egg rolls. 

Christine says (15.5): Light pale lemon color. Subtle smell of minerals, slight honey and slight oak. Surprisingly full-bodied. Tasted minerals, toast and oddly enough, peanut butter. Longer finsh that tasted like popcorn. I think it would be good w/ peanut butter/Thai foods. And I liked it with the chocolate peanut butter cupcake.

Kim says (15): Alright... I am going to list off what I smelled and it probably sounds bad but it wasn't! I did not dislike the aroma of this wine that smelled of wet slate, sweet (but not floral or fruity sweet), undertone of B.O. funk and very faint blue-green bread mold. Maybe like Christine and Andrea, I just needed to give this wine a chance to warm up and relax a bit. But the predominant aroma was wet slate and I thought it would have gone extremely well with Andrea's orange chicken. It ended up being a fair match but not great.

Tisdale Cabernet Sauvignon NV (CA, USA) 12% alcohol, $4 at Otto's

Andrea says (14): Surprisingly clear for a Cab. Sauv. but a nice ruby color. The smell was fruity, smokey, alcohol, and bacon? The taste was very berry! Strawberry and jam flavors. Really didn't have any characteristics of a Cabernet Sauvignon, but I liked it. I enjoyed this one with the cupcakes. 

Christine says (8.5): Pale raspberry color, almost translucent. Black and red fruit, and violets in the nose. Smelled and tasted soft and fruity. Thin body. Streak of acid. It was just okay, not like a Cabernet Sauvignon. Though I preferred it with the yummy, slightly sweet orange chicken.

Kim says (15): I know, I know... pairing a big bad cab with chicken? Gasp! Oh, the horror! But seriously, nothing on the wine store shelves was calling to me until this one caught my eye. We'd had a Tisdale before and I thought I remembered liking it (although after 122 bottles of wine to date, they do blur a little bit... hence, this diary) and I figured sweet, salty, acidic oranges might just be able to hold their own with a cab... chicken or not! Well, this one hails from California (and I think CA does the big, bold, sassy reds particularly well) but was quite a shocker. Didn't look like a cab (fairly thin and translucent), didn't smell like a cab (vinegar and canned cranberries), didn't taste like a cab (very fruit forward) but I think the sharp departure made it unique- more drinkable, versatile. Plus... a big win with the chicken!
 

Andrea hosts her final wine club in the old apartment.

Chocolate Peanut Butter

Orange Cream

Champagne Pear

Cupcake trio... yum!





Wine Club 46: Mas des Bressades Rosé, Grand Claret Red Bordeaux

Date: May 30th, 2013
Host: Kim
Served: pulled pork sandwiches, potato chips, fruit salad, caramel with sea salt ice cream bars
Bonus bottle (from the host's personal inventory): Chateau Thivin Côte de Brouilly 2010 (Beaujolais, France)

Mas des Bressades Rosé 2012 (Costières de Nîmes, France) 50% Grenache + 30% Syrah + 20% Cinsault, 13.5% alcohol, $11 on sale at Whole Foods

Kim says (9.5): Huh. For the score, you'd assume there was something bad about this wine but that was not the case... simply a matter of being average. First impression was the aroma of wet adhesive, like when you first lick an envelope but only for a second. And then musty, maraschino cherries. The taste? Uhh... nothing. Nada. Observe a sad moment of silence. Interestingly enough, while there was no flavor and the sides of my tongue (tannins), front (sugar) and back (acid) were quite bored, this wine was all mid-palate!

Andrea says (13): Pretty color, like watermelon or strawberry candy. Nice smell of pear and strawberry, honey and maybe bubble gum (but that could just be because of the color). Taste was not strong and hard to pick out predominant flavors, maybe some honey. Nice acid, slightly tart. Was just ok with the pork, but very good with the fruit salad.

Christine says (14): True to my word, I jumped at the chance to try a Costières de Nîmes again, even though we all got a laugh out of the Terre des Chardons Marginal. Besides, I'm a sucker for rosé and I couldn't resist this one's pretty pale watermelon color. It smelled like strawberries and minerals, with a sweet, slight whiff of granulated sugar. For taste, I got alcohol, a nice streak of acidity, and not as much fruit as expected. Plus a medium-long finish that tasted like twigs...a bit like a rose bush. I only found the wine average to good. Not special, and no great shakes with the picnicky food that Kim prepared.


Grand Claret Red Bordeaux 2011 (Côtes de Bordeaux, France) 13.5% alcohol, $11 on sale at Whole Foods

Kim says (13.5): I did make note that my allergies were bothering me today, which might explain the 5-ish point discrepancy between the three of us for both wines! At any rate, I liked the color- vibrant edges and surprisingly translucent. I couldn't pick out any particular aroma in this one except possibly coffee. This Bordeaux was the opposite of the Rosé... very good aroma and I enjoyed the taste but the extremely high tannins wrecked it for me... almost sticky.

Andrea says (17): I really liked this wine! A nice burgandy color with hints of violet and a clear edge. Very berry smell! Lots of different aromas: smokey, coffee, licorice, current, raisin, and red apple peel. The taste was a little thin, high alcohol but nice tannins. Tasted like berry and raisin. Christine mentioned plum which I think nailed the flavor. I liked the Beaujolis best with the pulled pork, but this was also very good.

Christine says (18.5): I was seduced by the sign in-store that described this wine, even though I thought the label had a lot of puffery (like putting "Grand" in the title to make it feel, well, a whole lot grander than an $11 Bordeaux). I was not disappointed! The wine was burgundy, with clear edges. It had lots of red and black berries in the bouquet, plus chocolate, a soft and fresh green stemminess, and plums and violets, too. Andrea smelled red apple peel, which I could also detect. Nice plummy taste, a little thin, herbaceous finish. I liked!


Christine and I opened a 2010 Beaujolais while Andrea battled the traffic... fortunately, she arrived on time and we were able to share the bottle together!


For whatever reason, I was actually nervous about this meal... I think it was because I'd never used a slow cooker before. But it turned out great and with only three ingredients, this recipe is a definite keeper! Next time I will use bone-in pork shoulder, be sure to use enough root beer to cover the meat and shorten the cooking time to six hours. Also noteworthy... the pretzel buns, Sweet Baby Ray's and creamy coleslaw (rather than the oil and vinegar version) was a winning combination. In an attempt to have something healthy on our plate, the fruit salad was an easy addition... I tossed in some blueberries for contrast.

The potato chips go in the sandwich, of course!



Christine says: One helluva sandwich. Amazing on the pretzel bun with chips and creamy coleslaw. I felt like I died and went to heaven! Wonderful Kim gave us take-home packs to enjoy the leftovers for lunch. Oh, yeah! Beautiful w/ the Beaujolais bonus. My favorite wine club dinner yet!

Wine Club 45: Hogue Gewürztraminer, Alìsia Pinot Grigio

Date: May 23rd, 2013
Host: Christine
Served: Caprese alla Rukavena platter and spinach gnocchi
Bonus bottles (from the host's personal inventory): Pinot Noir, Syrah x2

Hogue Gewürtraminer 2010 (Columbia Valley, WA, USA) 13.5% alcohol, $10 at Discount Liquor- Manitowoc

Christine says (14): Light but rich golden color. Smelled like minerals and pears. Honeyed pear taste, with a nice streak of acid. Some oaky tannins. As the wine opened up, I also tasted peaches.

Andrea says (15.5): A clear, golden, lemon color. I loved the smell! Sweet, like pear and floral. The first taste was mild, even a little weak, but I could taste pear and fruit cocktail. The flavor increased and I could taste sour apple, honey, and oak, nice acidity with a tart twist. I would drink it again. Good with the gnocchi.

Kim says (18.5): Pale lemon with a hint of grassy green, and aroma of pears that was so intense, I couldn't smell anything else. Mmm! Happily, this wine also tasted like pears and honey, and had a slight bitterness on the finish, (maybe the acid that Christine mentioned), which I liked.

Alìsia Pinot Grigio 2011 (delle Venezie, Italy) 12.5% alcohol, $10 at Discount Liquor- Manitowoc

Christine says (14): Light, bright lemon color. Slight musty smell and not much else, though it wasn't objectionable. Light body, slight tartness and a surprisingly long finish. I tasted green apples, lemon, a little fresh green grass and celery. I loved it with the cheese-stuffed eggplant rollatini. Though I liked both wines with the gnocchi, I think this one had a slight edge.

Andrea says (14.5): Clear lime-green color in a uniquely shaped bottle. It had an interesting smell - sweet - pear, lemon, grapefruit and .... bubble gum? Also a little bit stinky. Light, fresh taste like lemon and green apple. Also went well with the food. 

Kim says (10): Pale in color . Smelled like wet, musty rocks and grass in the summer. So faint... I got my nose very close to the surface and had the vague impression of turpentine... and then plastic. Taste was surprisingly tart.

 
I sure must have been craving cheese! I picked up some Italian fontina, a Caprese salad and a loaded-with-cheese eggplant rollatini from Glorioso's. I also had Asiago focaccia lying around, so we ate that, too. I loaded the Caprese w/ lots of added tomatoes to make the platter a little more virtuous. The gnocchi was easy, affordable and delicious.

We shared some yummy bonus wines from Waterford. A big black-fruited Dierberg Pinot Noir 2009 (Santa Rita Hills, CA, USA) $42.  Pronounced berries, very complex, incredibly fruity. I fell in love with this wine at first sip.

We also had a mini trans-Atlantic Battle Syrah, featuring Cuilleron Syrah 2011 (Chavanay, France) $19; and Domaine des Mondes 2008 (Santa Barbara, CA, USA) $30. The American was very good with the dark chocolate truffles we had for dessert. But overall, I preferred the restrained style of the French wine.

Wine Club 9: Ménage à Trois White, Schmitt Söhne Riesling Auslese

Date: April 18th, 2012
Host: Christine
Served: Brie cheese, white pizza, eclairs and cookies

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Ménage à Trois White Blend 2010 (CA, USA) Chardonnay + Moscato + Chenin Blanc, 13.5% alcohol, $9

Christine says (14): Pale, with grayish edges. Thin appearance. Sweet floral overtones, grassy. Smelled like summer! And a little cat urine, too. The taste was complex, more tart than expected, and with oak. I liked the wine and thought it would be versatile with food.

Andrea says (14): This was a good wine, but not spectacular. I think I was expecting more because I had so enjoyed the Menage a Trois Red Blend. This was sweet and tart. Good aroma and bouquet, I gave it medium point value for each. I also marked it down in body, balance, and finish. I gave this wine a "middle of the road" score in most categories. But I would drink it again, it would be good with certain meals.

Kim says (12): I've had the red and very much enjoyed it (although maybe that had to do with the fact that I suddenly found myself in Denver, at elevation 5280 and very happy with my 2nd glass of Ménage à Trois)... anyway, I did enjoy this and think that 12 is an unfair score, since I would be pleased to both drink and serve this wine again.

Schmitt Söhne Riesling Auslese 2010  

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(Mosel, Germany) 8% alcohol, $13

 Christine says (16): Rich appearance, pale golden straw color. Slight floral and watermelon aroma: very subtle smell. The taste was yummy. Sweet, but with brightness, honey and nice shots of tartness. Tasted grapey, like ripe green grapes. And a long finish to boot. Nice wine.

Andrea says (17): I really enjoyed this wine! German Auslese Rieslings are known for their sweetness. The grapes are pick later in the harvest to let them sweeten on the vine. So they are sweeter than a Riesling but not as sweet as an Eis Wine. I liked the smell, sweet and floral. The taste was sweet, bright and a little tart. Even though I didn't make this note, I bet it was good with the pizza.

Kim says (18): Oh! Cute little Grandpa in the lederhosen! Anyway, I wasn't able to discern anything specific in the bouquet but this wine was rich and creamy; and tasted of watermelon and butter. Yum!