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.
Showing posts with label Appetizer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Appetizer. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Monday, December 9, 2013
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.
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 WaterfordKim 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.
Saturday, November 16, 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.
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 CreekChristine 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 CreekChristine 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.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Wine Club 21: Supersize. Sterling Zinfandel, Chateau Ste. Michelle Syrah
Date: September 8th, 2012
Host: Christine
Served: pizza pinwheels, pizza burgers, green bean-mozzarella salad, grilled oranges with raspberry sauce and ice cream
Bonus bottles (from the host's personal inventory): sangria, J.W. Morris Riesling, Cupcake Red Velvet, Cupcake Moscato d'Asti
This was a special "Goodbye, Summer" wine club on Labor Day weekend. My sister Donna was in town as we'd gone to see The Boss at Wrigley Field the night before. It was a beautiful but cool and windy day. So, in the interests of protecting our forms from the wind and in preserving wine club as we came to know and love it, we kicked off the day indoors with two wines Andrea brought and some hot pizza pinwheels.
Christine says (16): Blood red color with darker edges. Lots of legs! Smelled like raspberry preserves and strawberry jam, with taste being the same. It was slightly tart up-front, so I docked it on acid. Still, a big berry taste to this wine. I liked it.
Andrea says (18.5): I really enjoyed this wine to start off a great Labor Day party. It had a dark red color. Smelled very fruity! Strawberry, plum, and raspberry. It had a very concentrated, jammy scent. The taste was also quite jammy and tart, tasted like strawberry. Nice tannins, good finish, delicious!
Kim says (18): I thoroughly enjoyed this wine! I've never paid attention to Zinfandel before but I plan on rectifying that. Smelled of plum, deep spices and was somehow masculine, while the flavor was bold, black pepper and unapologetic. Definitely worth revisiting!
Chateau Ste. Michelle Syrah 2007 (Columbia Valley, WA, USA) 13.5% alcohol, $9
Christine says (16): Dark maroon; looked like grape juice. The bouquet was berry and definite grapes, plus other sweet fruits (not sure what) and slight earthiness. Taste was grapey, with plums and cherry pits. Longer finish.
Andrea says (15): This wine had a dark, purple and opaque color. The flavor that I could most smell and taste was grape! I docked the wine in aroma, bouquet and appeal. But overall, I liked this wine. I think it went well with the pizza wheels and would work well with other foods too.
Andrea says (15): This wine had a dark, purple and opaque color. The flavor that I could most smell and taste was grape! I docked the wine in aroma, bouquet and appeal. But overall, I liked this wine. I think it went well with the pizza wheels and would work well with other foods too.
Kim says (12): Yikes! It's possible that this wine suffered in the shadow of the Zinfandel... it scored exactly one point in every single category, meaning it was (amongst other things) slight, normal, ordinary and average. Dark purple in color and tasted of grape juice.
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| Chilling out. |
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| Donna, Christine and Andrea. |
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| Kites flying high over Veteran's Park. |
Next up, phase 2. We moved the party outside for a meal on the grill, with a batch of sangria to keep us company!
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| Viva Sangria! |
Makes 1 gallon.
2 bottles inexpensive white merlot (such as Sutter Home), chilled
3 cups lemonade (such as Minute Maid), chilled
1-1/2 cups Triple Sec, chilled
2 tangelos or oranges, halved and sliced
1 lemon, halved and sliced
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 liter sparkling berry lemonade (such as Trader Joe’s), chilled
2 cups frozen raspberries
Combine the wine, lemonade, Triple Sec, tangelos, lemon and strawberries in a large container, or divide between two 2-qt. pitchers with lids. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Just before serving, stir in the sparkling lemonade and raspberries. Oh my, is that good!
Note: Bring a ladle so you can serve it up with plenty of fruit in each glass.
Womanning the grill. Pepperoni on the burgers, soon to be covered in melty cheese. The tasty results!
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| Grilled oranges with raspberry sauce and ice cream. Oh, yeah! |
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Sisters. |
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| The schooner Denis Sullivan on Lake Michigan. |
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| A rare sighting of our talented photographer! |
Time for Phase 3: to hit the pool and hot tub, enjoy some bonus bottles (and bonus berries), thank Pretty Cat for her hospitality, and break out some pizzas. What a wonderful day!
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| Honorary wine club member. Her signature purple ribbon. |
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| Popping some moscato to enjoy in the hot tub. Frozen strawberry bonus! |
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| Back upstairs. Bonus time. |
Christine says (10) : I score this day a perfect 10. It was filled with food, wine, friendship and fun! A good sendoff to summer.
Andrea says: What a great day! The pizza burgers, salad and dessert were great! The sangria was phenomenal! I've got to make that this summer. We had so much fun! Our longest, and most fun packed wine club yet!
Kim says (10): An amazing time! We started at 11am and went into the wee hours of the morning but it was so full of food, fun, wine and laughter that 15+ hours flew by in a flash!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Wine Club 43: Hahn GSM 2011 & Caesar Salad Toast
Date: April 26th, 2013
Host: Kim
Served: Shredded Caesar Salad on Toasts, Hungarian Goulash
Domaine Robert Chevillon 2008 (Bourgogne Passetoutgrain, France), Pinot Noir + Gamay + other grapes, 12.5% alcohol, $13 on sale at Waterford
Kim says (14): Festive color and fairly translucent. Smelled like grape juice... mmm! But swirl at your own risk! I don't mind the "wet leaves in autumn" rot but swirling this wine brought out horrible decay and death rot smells. Very thin body and very high acid but overall impression of fruit. Appeal? I liked it.
Andrea says (13.5): Brick red in color, transparent edges but opaque in the center. My first smells I could pick up raspberry, jam, brown sugar, it smelled rich and smooth and I didn't smell alcohol. After giving the glass a good swirl I could smell the earthy stink that Kim was talking about. To me it smelled like bad breath, gingivitis. Definitely better before I swirled it... The taste was tart and fruity like cranberry and pomegranate with kind of a minty, or chemical note? I thought it was thin in body and high in tannins. It went ok with the goulash, clashed with the salad.
Christine says (13): Reddish, somewhat murky appearance (thick-looking, like the Marginal we recently had, but not as thick. The Marginal looked like blood). It smelled rich, with red fruit, vanilla, peppercorns and earthy, slightly sweet beets. It was surprisingly tart! Thin body. Bracing for a Burgundy. Andrea picked up on pomegranate, and I agreed. Going back after tasting the other wine and enjoying some dinner, I also picked up on green pepper. Note: I didn't realize until later that Passetoutgrains is actually a blend of Pinot Noir, Gamay and other grapes...so of course it wasn't the elegant, graceful Burgundy I was expecting!
Hahn Winery GSM 2011 (Central Coast, CA, USA) 59% Grenache + 37% Syrah + 4% Mouvèdre, 14.5% alcohol, $10 at Discount Liquor
Kim says (15): Even more festive color, deeper and less translucent. Smelled like strawberry flavoring... strawberry Runts? Nice silky body and tannins were pleasantly strong. This went amazingly well with the shredded Caesar salad and Andrea's right... this seems like a very versatile wine. So while it may have suffered a bit in the technical categories, it shined in the subjective categories. I would definitely buy and serve this Hahn again!
Andrea says (18): Another Hahn wine I really liked, mark it as a win! A berry, fushia color, dark and opaque. I had the crazy glass this night that always make the wine smell different than it does in any other glass. Before swirling I really smelled licorice, somehow both red and black licorice, and some berry smell. After swirling it smelled a little like chemicals and plastic, smokey, but still kind of fruity. Tasted very smokey and earthy, sweet and strawberry. Well balanced, good body, nice tannins. Really good with the salad! I preferred this one with the goulash too.
Christine says (16): Intense deep berry magenta color. Smelled like Windex and crayons! After swirling, I could also smell "strawberries" ... as in strawberry roll-ups or strawberry flavoring. The wine was pretty tannic, but the tannins were nice. Good body. Smoky taste. Would be versatile with a lot of foods. Incredible amount of sediment (see the photo, left). Sugary sediment that dissolves between the fingers. Is it due to the wine's high sugar content? Because even though it's super-high in alcohol, the wine was still very fruity. Definitely a buy-again at $10. It was amazing with the garlicky Caesar salad appetizers. I think this was my favorite pairing so far!
I thoroughly enjoyed the Shredded Caesar Salad on Toasts although I might go a little light on the lemon juice next time... a definite keeper! On the other hand, the recipe for the goulash was promptly tossed in the recycle bin. If I wanted to serve an anti-climactic beef stew tonight, that's what I would have made.
Host: Kim
Served: Shredded Caesar Salad on Toasts, Hungarian Goulash
Domaine Robert Chevillon 2008 (Bourgogne Passetoutgrain, France), Pinot Noir + Gamay + other grapes, 12.5% alcohol, $13 on sale at WaterfordKim says (14): Festive color and fairly translucent. Smelled like grape juice... mmm! But swirl at your own risk! I don't mind the "wet leaves in autumn" rot but swirling this wine brought out horrible decay and death rot smells. Very thin body and very high acid but overall impression of fruit. Appeal? I liked it.
Andrea says (13.5): Brick red in color, transparent edges but opaque in the center. My first smells I could pick up raspberry, jam, brown sugar, it smelled rich and smooth and I didn't smell alcohol. After giving the glass a good swirl I could smell the earthy stink that Kim was talking about. To me it smelled like bad breath, gingivitis. Definitely better before I swirled it... The taste was tart and fruity like cranberry and pomegranate with kind of a minty, or chemical note? I thought it was thin in body and high in tannins. It went ok with the goulash, clashed with the salad.
Christine says (13): Reddish, somewhat murky appearance (thick-looking, like the Marginal we recently had, but not as thick. The Marginal looked like blood). It smelled rich, with red fruit, vanilla, peppercorns and earthy, slightly sweet beets. It was surprisingly tart! Thin body. Bracing for a Burgundy. Andrea picked up on pomegranate, and I agreed. Going back after tasting the other wine and enjoying some dinner, I also picked up on green pepper. Note: I didn't realize until later that Passetoutgrains is actually a blend of Pinot Noir, Gamay and other grapes...so of course it wasn't the elegant, graceful Burgundy I was expecting!
Hahn Winery GSM 2011 (Central Coast, CA, USA) 59% Grenache + 37% Syrah + 4% Mouvèdre, 14.5% alcohol, $10 at Discount LiquorKim says (15): Even more festive color, deeper and less translucent. Smelled like strawberry flavoring... strawberry Runts? Nice silky body and tannins were pleasantly strong. This went amazingly well with the shredded Caesar salad and Andrea's right... this seems like a very versatile wine. So while it may have suffered a bit in the technical categories, it shined in the subjective categories. I would definitely buy and serve this Hahn again!
Andrea says (18): Another Hahn wine I really liked, mark it as a win! A berry, fushia color, dark and opaque. I had the crazy glass this night that always make the wine smell different than it does in any other glass. Before swirling I really smelled licorice, somehow both red and black licorice, and some berry smell. After swirling it smelled a little like chemicals and plastic, smokey, but still kind of fruity. Tasted very smokey and earthy, sweet and strawberry. Well balanced, good body, nice tannins. Really good with the salad! I preferred this one with the goulash too.
Christine says (16): Intense deep berry magenta color. Smelled like Windex and crayons! After swirling, I could also smell "strawberries" ... as in strawberry roll-ups or strawberry flavoring. The wine was pretty tannic, but the tannins were nice. Good body. Smoky taste. Would be versatile with a lot of foods. Incredible amount of sediment (see the photo, left). Sugary sediment that dissolves between the fingers. Is it due to the wine's high sugar content? Because even though it's super-high in alcohol, the wine was still very fruity. Definitely a buy-again at $10. It was amazing with the garlicky Caesar salad appetizers. I think this was my favorite pairing so far!
I thoroughly enjoyed the Shredded Caesar Salad on Toasts although I might go a little light on the lemon juice next time... a definite keeper! On the other hand, the recipe for the goulash was promptly tossed in the recycle bin. If I wanted to serve an anti-climactic beef stew tonight, that's what I would have made.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Wine Club 34: Battle Chardonnay and bonus books
Date: January 26th, 2013
Host: Kim
Served: Charcuterie Cones, Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake
Bonus bottles (from the Host's personal inventory): Three Lakes Winery Old Glory, Simon Creek Chocolate Port
Bonus books: some miscellaneous cookbooks free from Christine's work, including a food-and-wine pairing course that inspired today's selections
Leese-Fitch Chardonnay 2011 (Napa, CA, USA), 13.5% alcohol, $10 at Metro Market
Kim says (15): I'm not sure if a wine can smell smooth but this one did! Smooth, sweet and floral, like apple blossoms. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste of tart green apples.
Andrea says (15): This Chardonnay was a pale golden color with clear edges. I loved the bouquet - pear, honey, apricot, peach and a little floral. The taste was drier than the smell had suggested, I thought it would be sweeter. But I thought it went well with Kim's pasta and tasted of honey and apple.
Christine says (14.5): I was excited to try this wine, since we had all liked the Leese-Fitch Cabernet when we met the first time, nearly a year ago. I smelled peaches and honey in a nice bouquet. The wine was surprisingly dry and tasted of apples. I thought it was a bit oaky and could've had a bit more finesse. It was good, though, and on the dry side, as the guy who helped me at the store had promised.
Beaulieu Vineyard Chardonnay 2008 (Carneros, Napa Valley, CA, USA), 14.5% alcohol, $21 at Metro Market
Kim says (12.5): A deep, vibrant gold, this Chardonnay smelled like... well, alcohol. And hiding beneath that was the faint smell of peaches. I feel that 12.5 isn't a fair score (I liked it much better than that) but that's the way the points fell... color, bouquet, sugar and finish were all missed opportunities. But the really exciting thing is that thanks to this wine, a mystery has been solved! When tasting a wine (until now, it has always been a red), I have occasionally come across something that smells almost like black pepper but not quite. Something earthy, aggressive and masculine; not hot spicy but spice spicy. As I struggled to describe it, Andrea came up with a perfect word for it- something with bite. After scoring this wine, we read the label and found a likely suspect listed in the description. Just to make sure, we grabbed it off of my spice rack, crushed the grounds to release the smell and stuck our nose in it. Sure enough: nutmeg!
Andrea says (15.5): I think that the best word to describe this wine was "smooth." The color was a rich, deep gold. The first thing I smelled was also alcohol and the peppery bite that Kim described. Eventually I could make out a sweeter, tropical smell, maybe mango, apricot or pineapple? The mouth feel was rich smooth and mild. I could taste honey and vanilla but very subtle, no distinct flavors to jump out at you. I think this wine would go great with most meals, very complimentary.
Christine says (16): Most striking thing about the wine was its very intense and deep gold color. I could only detect alcohol in the bouquet. And though the wine smelled and tasted good, it was hard to identify any one thing (slight taste of honey and pear). This was a bit more $$ than we usually have, and I do think the wine tasted expensive (at least in relative terms). But I'd contribute that to its rich, full mouthfeel rather than typical characteristics like aroma and flavor profile. I preferred it over the Leese-Fitch Chardonnay with both the yummy Soppressata appetizers (stuffed with radicchio and pepperoncini...bold flavors) and the creamy chicken pasta. Our nutmeg experiment was interesting...subtle, but definitely there.
Simon Creek Chocolate Port (Madera, CA, USA), 19% alcohol, $16/500mL at Simon Creek Winery
Kim says (17): I came across this wine at a tasting and liked it enough to buy it but I had forgotten how gosh darn good it is! Given its high alcohol content, I was surprised that all I could smell was chocolate. Not sickly-sweet... a port with a nice long finish and exceptional appeal. Limited application yes, but excellent for what it's supposed to be!
Andrea says (17): Kim was nice enough to let us indulge her chocolate port, and I am a sucker for the sweet stuff. It was thick and dark purple. Completely opaque in the center with fushia edges. I could smell chocolate, alcohol and Tootsie Roll. The taste was delicious - strawberry, raspberry, chocolate, vanilla and a cream soda/root beer flavor. I was a fan!
Christine says (17): Velvety brown; rich chocolatey smell; aroma of Tootsie Pops and definitely cream soda, a scent that Andrea keyed in on. What else can I say? I like all those things, so found this port super-yummy. I'd have this for dessert all by itself (in fact, that's just what we did!).
Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake, serves 6-8
8 oz bow tie pasta
1 small onion
1 T butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 C milk
1 t dried Italian seasoning
1/2 t salt
1/4 t crushed red pepper (optional)
2 C cooked, chopped chicken
2 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8oz)
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 C bread crumbs
1/2 t paprika
1 T butter, melted
1. Cook pasta, drain.
2. Cook onion in 1 T butter over medium heat about 5 min or until tender. Remove from heat, set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, seasoning, salt, crushed red pepper.
4. Stir in the chicken, shredded cheese, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, half the Parmesan, cooked pasta and onion.
5. Transfer to a 3-qt rectangular baking dish and bake covered for 20min at 350°.
6. In a small bowl, combine remaining Parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika and melted butter. Sprinkle over pasta.
7. Bake uncovered 10 more minutes or until golden.
Host: Kim
Served: Charcuterie Cones, Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake
Bonus bottles (from the Host's personal inventory): Three Lakes Winery Old Glory, Simon Creek Chocolate Port
Bonus books: some miscellaneous cookbooks free from Christine's work, including a food-and-wine pairing course that inspired today's selections
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| Leese-Fitch Chardonnay |
Kim says (15): I'm not sure if a wine can smell smooth but this one did! Smooth, sweet and floral, like apple blossoms. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste of tart green apples.
Andrea says (15): This Chardonnay was a pale golden color with clear edges. I loved the bouquet - pear, honey, apricot, peach and a little floral. The taste was drier than the smell had suggested, I thought it would be sweeter. But I thought it went well with Kim's pasta and tasted of honey and apple.
Christine says (14.5): I was excited to try this wine, since we had all liked the Leese-Fitch Cabernet when we met the first time, nearly a year ago. I smelled peaches and honey in a nice bouquet. The wine was surprisingly dry and tasted of apples. I thought it was a bit oaky and could've had a bit more finesse. It was good, though, and on the dry side, as the guy who helped me at the store had promised.
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| Beaulieu Vineyard Chardonnay |
Kim says (12.5): A deep, vibrant gold, this Chardonnay smelled like... well, alcohol. And hiding beneath that was the faint smell of peaches. I feel that 12.5 isn't a fair score (I liked it much better than that) but that's the way the points fell... color, bouquet, sugar and finish were all missed opportunities. But the really exciting thing is that thanks to this wine, a mystery has been solved! When tasting a wine (until now, it has always been a red), I have occasionally come across something that smells almost like black pepper but not quite. Something earthy, aggressive and masculine; not hot spicy but spice spicy. As I struggled to describe it, Andrea came up with a perfect word for it- something with bite. After scoring this wine, we read the label and found a likely suspect listed in the description. Just to make sure, we grabbed it off of my spice rack, crushed the grounds to release the smell and stuck our nose in it. Sure enough: nutmeg!
Andrea says (15.5): I think that the best word to describe this wine was "smooth." The color was a rich, deep gold. The first thing I smelled was also alcohol and the peppery bite that Kim described. Eventually I could make out a sweeter, tropical smell, maybe mango, apricot or pineapple? The mouth feel was rich smooth and mild. I could taste honey and vanilla but very subtle, no distinct flavors to jump out at you. I think this wine would go great with most meals, very complimentary.
Christine says (16): Most striking thing about the wine was its very intense and deep gold color. I could only detect alcohol in the bouquet. And though the wine smelled and tasted good, it was hard to identify any one thing (slight taste of honey and pear). This was a bit more $$ than we usually have, and I do think the wine tasted expensive (at least in relative terms). But I'd contribute that to its rich, full mouthfeel rather than typical characteristics like aroma and flavor profile. I preferred it over the Leese-Fitch Chardonnay with both the yummy Soppressata appetizers (stuffed with radicchio and pepperoncini...bold flavors) and the creamy chicken pasta. Our nutmeg experiment was interesting...subtle, but definitely there.
 |
| Simon Creek Chocolate Port and a chilled glass of Old Glory |
Kim says (17): I came across this wine at a tasting and liked it enough to buy it but I had forgotten how gosh darn good it is! Given its high alcohol content, I was surprised that all I could smell was chocolate. Not sickly-sweet... a port with a nice long finish and exceptional appeal. Limited application yes, but excellent for what it's supposed to be!
Andrea says (17): Kim was nice enough to let us indulge her chocolate port, and I am a sucker for the sweet stuff. It was thick and dark purple. Completely opaque in the center with fushia edges. I could smell chocolate, alcohol and Tootsie Roll. The taste was delicious - strawberry, raspberry, chocolate, vanilla and a cream soda/root beer flavor. I was a fan!
Christine says (17): Velvety brown; rich chocolatey smell; aroma of Tootsie Pops and definitely cream soda, a scent that Andrea keyed in on. What else can I say? I like all those things, so found this port super-yummy. I'd have this for dessert all by itself (in fact, that's just what we did!).
Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake, serves 6-88 oz bow tie pasta
1 small onion
1 T butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 C milk
1 t dried Italian seasoning
1/2 t salt
1/4 t crushed red pepper (optional)
2 C cooked, chopped chicken
2 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8oz)
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 C bread crumbs
1/2 t paprika
1 T butter, melted
1. Cook pasta, drain.
2. Cook onion in 1 T butter over medium heat about 5 min or until tender. Remove from heat, set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, seasoning, salt, crushed red pepper.
4. Stir in the chicken, shredded cheese, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, half the Parmesan, cooked pasta and onion.
5. Transfer to a 3-qt rectangular baking dish and bake covered for 20min at 350°.
6. In a small bowl, combine remaining Parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika and melted butter. Sprinkle over pasta.
7. Bake uncovered 10 more minutes or until golden.
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