Wine Club 51: French Wines, Low Country Grill

 
Date: August 10th, 2013
Host: Christine
Served: Brie and baguette, Low Country Grill, sugar-bomb donut
Bonus bottles (from the host's personal inventory): Tequila! And Parallel 44 Frozen Tundra

Georges Dubœuf Mâcon-Villages 2009 (Burgundy, France) 13% alcohol, $7.50 at Woodman's

Christine says (16): Light gold color. Smelled yeasty, and of bread dough. Mineral taste, peaches, medium body. Very good with the meal.

Kim says (16): At first smelled like raw bread dough but then (sadly) went away; then the aroma of green apples. Thought this wine would be fantastic with the brie but was just average (however, better than the rosé).

Andrea says (16): A nice golden yellow color. I smelled the bread dough too. I could also smell oak and minerals but not very fruity. The body was smooth and full. Nice tartness and acidity. I thought it was tangy and good with the brie and the meal.






Michel Chapoutier Vin de Pays d'Oc Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Rosé 2012 (Languedoc-Roussillon, France) Grenache + Cinsault, 13.5% alcohol, $9.50 at Woodman's


Christine says (17): Beautiful salmon pink color! Smelled and tasted like watermelon, floral and cotton candy, with strawberry hints. I loved it. While both wines were awesome with the meal, this one got a slight edge for being good with the sausage (and so darn pretty). Good summer drinker!

Kim says (14): Smelled exactly like it looks! Like strawberry Starburst, and somehow smelled juicy. Appearance was a beautiful, whimsical color but disappointed with the flavor. If this wine were a person, I would categorize her as beautiful but dumb.

Andrea says (18): This wine was a cute, watermelon pink. Smelled very sweet! Strawberry, floral, and bubble gum. Smooth, good body, and a little tart. Very good with the meal!

 

Kim says: while Christine's repertoire does include professional pastry chef, she is also a crackerjack on the grill! This meal was absolutely incredible... by far, the best grilled corn on the cob I've ever had, and one of my favorite Wine Club meals so far!

Was that a giant piece of mint floating atop Andrea's cantaloupe margarita? Nope: it was a little green bug! She carefully put him on the ground and he seemed OK, if a little drunk. He walked it off. We loved the cute Froot Loop donut, cherry-tasting Frozen Tundra (Green Bay-area) wine, and playing with the calico cat and her purple ribbon.

Wine Club 50: We Are Golden

Date: July 20th, 2013
Host: Andrea at the lake house
Served: Buffalo turkey burgers, salad, brownies

Toad Hollow Unoaked Chardonnay 2011 (Mendocino County, CA, USA) 13.9% alcohol, $10 at Otto's

Andrea says (16): I really liked the image on this wine bottle. It reminded me of the illustrations from "The Wind and the Willows" book that I had when I was a kid. The wine was a pale lime color and very clear. The smell was of tart, green apple, with musty, mineral scents. The taste was tart, high in acid, but I liked it.

Christine says (16): Very light pale lemon color with green hints. Good, strong and distinct bouquet: I smelled grassiness, peaches and minerals. Tasted like peaches and minerals, with some creaminess from the lees (or so I'd guess). Medium body and finish. Kinda lacking mid-palate, and it stung the tip of my tongue. Still, I liked the wine and would definitely buy it.

Kim says (14): Not the rich, warm color of a Chardonnay- more like a cool, pale Sauvignon Blanc. But like Christine said... this one is unoaked. Almost a greenish cast and smelled vaguely of honey. Slightly on the thin side for body and I docked it half a point for high acid.

Apothic Red Winemaker's Blend 2011 (CA, USA) Zinfandel + Merlot + Syrah + Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% alcohol, $9 at Otto's

Andrea says (20): I LOVED this wine! I'm usually not the one to give a wine a shockingly different score from Kim and Christine, but I could find no faults! Nice ruby, fushia color. The smell was fantastic! I could smell chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, cherry, brown sugar and pomegranite. It was like drinking berry pie! Raspberry, strawberry and chocolate flavors. Very jammy. Reminded me a lot of the Honey Badger. Delicious.

Christine says (12): Burgundy color, but translucent. Smelled like vanilla and cream soda.  Kim picked up on brown sugar in the bouquet, which I think was spot-on. Taste was thin, with a light body. Short finish. Just OK to me.

Kim says (13): Aroma of chalk and vinegar at first but after swirling, brown sugar. Taste? Meh. Thin body, slightly off on balance, finish was all tannins. I felt ambivalent about this wine and scored it average overall.

Andrea says:  Tons of fun. A great weekend away with friends! A super way to celebrate our 50th Wine Club!

Christine says: Awesome lake house. Beautiful surroundings. Fabulous cocktails. Peace and quiet! Incredible dinner. Fun games. Tasty breakfast. Hot sauna. Delightful getaway!

 Kim says: First order of business upon arrival? Gin and tonics, of course!

Andrea gets settled in and fires up the grill... amazing turkey burgers with bleu cheese, shredded carrots and buffalo sauce on biscuits. Yum!