Date: May 16th, 2012
Host: Christine
Served:
Kris Pinot Grigio 2010. 12.5% alcohol, $11.99
Andrea says (17.5): Smelled of pear and lemon. Tasted like honey and apple. Definitely a good one. I'd drink this again.
Root 1 Sauvignon Blanc 2010. 13% alcohol, $10.99
Andrea says (13): Smelled kind of bad, sulfur, feet and salon chemicals. Tasted a little like apple. Certainly not one of my favorites.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Wine Club 29: Dry Creek Fumé Blanc, Sandeman Sherry Don Fino
Date: November 28th, 2012
Host: Andrea
Served: Cilantro lime chicken
Pics are on Andrea's camera.
Sorry, they're not, I did have stir fry pics.
Host: Andrea
Served: Cilantro lime chicken
Pics are on Andrea's camera.
Sorry, they're not, I did have stir fry pics.
Wine Club 19: Colonia las Liebres Red Blend, Albera Barbera di Asti
Date: August 15th, 2012
Host: Kim
Colonia Las Liebres Red blend 2011 (Argentina) 13.9% alcohol, $11
Andrea says (17): Cranberry color. Smelled like spices, vanilla and pepper, also blackberry and chocolate. The taste was tart, and had a blackberry flavor. I like it.
Araldica Albera Barbera 2008 (Italy) 14% alcohol, $14
Andrea says (16): A bloody, brownish color. Smelled very pungent, a musty, earthy, alcohol smell. Tasted spices, very grapey.
Host: Kim
Colonia Las Liebres Red blend 2011 (Argentina) 13.9% alcohol, $11
Andrea says (17): Cranberry color. Smelled like spices, vanilla and pepper, also blackberry and chocolate. The taste was tart, and had a blackberry flavor. I like it.
Araldica Albera Barbera 2008 (Italy) 14% alcohol, $14
Andrea says (16): A bloody, brownish color. Smelled very pungent, a musty, earthy, alcohol smell. Tasted spices, very grapey.
Wine Club 32: Alamos Malbec, Luzon... um, varietal unknown.
Date: January 10th, 2013
Host: Andrea
Served: "Made Up" Stir Fry, Fortune Cookies
Alamos Mendoza Malbec 2011 (Argentina) 13.7% alcohol, $17
Host: Andrea
Served: "Made Up" Stir Fry, Fortune Cookies
Alamos Mendoza Malbec 2011 (Argentina) 13.7% alcohol, $17
Andrea says (17.5): A pretty fushia-burgandy color that smelled like raspberry, strawberry and cranberry, yet also smokey. Very jammy with tobacco notes. Very smooth mouth feel, good body, tasted like strawberry jam. I like this very much.
Luzon Red Blend 2010 (Jumilla, Spain) 14% alcohol, $9
Andrea says (13.5): Ruby colored, more red than pink. The wine had a musty, earthy, smokey smell. Almost smelled like suede. Also some strawberry and vanilla aromas. The taste was fairly tart, cranberry and strawberry. I marked this down in the sugar, balance and overall catagories. I liked the Malbec better.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Wine Club 62: A Story in Progress
Date: February 8th, 2014
Host: Christine
Served: butternut squash flatbread, Italian wedding soup, cheeses with kumquat & fig compote
Bonus bottles: Elk Cove Pinot Gris 2011, Lustau East India Solera Sherry
This picture graced the front page of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel!
Christine says (15.5): Very pale; water-like edges. Fresh spring air and lemon aroma. A big low note in the taste and some grassiness. I liked it better with the meal than the Pinot Gris.
Andrea says (17): A pretty champagne colored wine with a bit of a funky aroma. Stinky feet and mineral but also floral, pear, citrus and honey notes. I liked the taste. Honey with a tart acid streak. A little bit of an iron/blood/mineral taste but I also got the herbal grassiness that Christine noted. Overall a very nice wine that went well with the meal.
Kim says (17): Slightly warmer in color than the Elk Cove Pinot Gris, with good aroma and appeal. I enjoyed this wine and feel this was a fair score and although this was a better match with the food, I think the Pinot Gris was better overall.
Santa Cristina red wine 2011 (Toscana, Italy) 13.5% alcohol, $12 at Otto's Wine and SpiritsChristine says (19.5): Pretty! Intense and bright ruby. Violets, very slight wintergreen, peppercorns and black and red fruit (blackberries and cherries) on the nose. Medium body, earthy flavor, not as fruity as expected. Excellent with the soup.
Andrea says (14): A burgundy/brick red. Smelled like berries, pepper, earth, minerals, anise, chemicals and a little like tobacco.
Nice smoky and floral flavors. Lots of berry flavors, high tannins.
Kim says (11): I think I wasn't able to get over the initial smell of adhesive... like Elmer's glue. Then there was black licorice, wet leaves, cherries and damp wood chips. I penalized this wine for thin body, high sugar and the finish was lacking in complexity (all tannins). We have discussed this before... maybe the person that brings the wine is the most critical of it. This wine was to be paired with Christine's Italian wedding soup so I intended to get a light, northern Italian red (perhaps a Barbera) but got stuck on this instead. Very pleased that everyone else enjoyed it!
Christine says (14.5): Light pale lemon. Smelled of pears, vanilla and sugar. Lemon-lime taste with earthy notes. Medium finish. Kind of a yawn.
Andrea says (17.5): Very clear, slightly green color. I loved the aroma. Pear, honey, floral, vanilla and cream soda, yum. Nice acid, tart. Honey and citrus flavors. I really liked this one.
Kim says (19): Pale in color and aroma of orange zest and something herbal... possibly rosemary. Good wine but I thought the Pinot Grigio was a better match with the flatbread. I wound up scoring this wine very high but even made a note that it might be undeserved, with its only missing point being in a subjective category.
Lustau East India Solera Sherry NV (Spain) 20% alcohol, $20 at Waterford Wine CompanyChristine says: No need to rate this wine: We already knew we loved it! We first had the sherry in October at a Waterford wine tasting before dinner at Kim's. We liked it so much we all ordered some and brought it camping with us later that week!
Andrea says: Yummy... This sherry is always a hit with us!
Kim says: Yum. Enough said. And I am sad because I think I only have one bottle of this baby left...
Soup, kumquat & fig compote, and my favorite cookies from Sciortino's. Camera-shy: butternut squash flatbread. You can see it on the wooden tray below, where Journal Sentinel photographer Michael Sears is taking pictures of our event! After Mike left, we devoured the flatbread before Kim could take a picture.
Christine and Mike after the photo shoot!
Working hard to make the compote just so.
The reason Kim is still the best photographer.
She documents everything about our get-togethers, including these little kumquats. They were a sweet surprise and her first time having them!
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
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!
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'sKim 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'sKim 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)
Monday, January 20, 2014
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!
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 SaveChristine 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 SaveChristine 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!
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