Wine Club 64: How Denver Does Mole

Date: July 9th, 2014
Host: Kim
Served: Ann's Chicken Mole

Rosenblum Zinfandel 2011 (Sonoma County, CA, USA) 15.5% alcohol, $14 at Waterford

Kim says (11.5): the term Old Vine can mean different things in different countries. In  France, Germany, Spain... "old vine" has significant meaning. But the United States is a young country so what it means to me is... the winemaker was willing to take a risk by keeping some of the older vines, which produce less fruit and with a nod to history, pedigree and possibly a dash of nostalgia, risk sacrificing profit for sentiment. And while I absolutely support the motive, in this instance I don't think it paid off. Brown sugar on the nose, meh on the palate, and then a rather offensive finish (very tart and acidic). I liked this for the first three seconds.

Andrea says (14): I really liked this wine in spite of my score, I just didn't think that it had many qualities of a Zinfandel, hence the score. It was a dark cranberry color and was somewhat opaque. Smelled like strawberry, current, brown sugar, fig, and cherry. It had a tart aroma with an alcohol burn to it. I really liked the taste. Tart but nice, high acid, good tannins, really coated the palette. I would definitely drink this again.

Christine says (13.5): Garnet color. Floral (roses?), cherry, raspberry aromas. Medium body, surprising amount of acid right up front, brown sugar taste, spices, not much fruit. Going back, vegetal aroma. And fig, like the label said. Tasted just OK--too acidic with the mole.

Shannon Ridge Petite Sirah 2011 (Lake County, CA, USA) 14.5% alcohol, $14 at Waterford

Kim says (14.5): Must have been having a bad glass day... a flawed score from me but very high score from Andrea; and perfect score from Christine! At any rate, I thought this wine was extremely dark in appearance and had a musty odor. Smelled very strongly of dust... maybe my glass? Switched glasses and the dust smell was no longer an issue, smelled of berries. But still penalized for body (thin), tannins (high), acid (high), sugar (low), finish (acidic) and balance. Must have been off my tasting game...could have been a ♥ love love love!

Andrea says (18): I definitely liked this wine. A dark burgundy color, also a little opaque with a brownish tint. The smell was sharp - alcohol, vinegar, pepper, black licorice. The smell was fruitier after I swirled it - some blackberry, vanilla and earth. Great taste, good body, nice tannins, slightly tart but not overwhelming.


Christine says (20): Very deep, intense blue-violet. Yummy smell! Eucalyptus, blackberries, mushrooms, sous bois, very slight clove and raspberry. Mmm! Lush on the palate, nice fruit, great balance. I loved it. Very good with the mole.

Christine says: Kymm made her sister Ann's incredible Chicken Mole! Fabulous.

Wine Club 24: Aires Andinos Chardonnay, Santa Helena Pinot Noir

Date: September 27th, 2012
Host: Christine
Served: smoked gouda & pine nut crescents, Beemster cheese and crackers, Buffalo chicken salad, key lime pie
Bonus bottle: Nachtgold Eiswein

Aires Andinos Chardonnay 2011 (Mendoza, Argentina) 13% alcohol, $7

Christine says (14.5): Pale straw with cool slate edges. Warm fruit aroma, like pears. Perfumed scent. Tart up front. Tannic, oaky taste, especially in the finish. Felt very slightly frizzante. I liked it.

Andrea says (16.5): A light golden color. The smell was musty, with tart green apple, cherry, pear and a little bit like feet. The taste was sweet at first, then tart and oaky. A good everyday wine, especially for the price.

Kim says (16): Well, these wines were scored using one of our previous rating systems, meaning it was a bit more technical and allowed less points in the subjective categories so take this for what you will! Nonetheless, I felt this Chardonnay suffered in aroma and bouquet (big surprise!) because it made me think of... well, musty cucumbers. Even the after taste was a bit sour (maybe the tartness that Andrea mentioned). But Christine's cheesy crescent rolls and buffalo chicken salad made it all okay... I had to ask her for the recipe for both. Yum!


Santa Helena Gran Reserva Pinot Noir 2009 (Central Valley, Chile) 14.5% alcohol, $10

Christine says (11): Blood color/claret; thin and clear. Smelled like strawberry jam, earthy rot, mold?, and green herbs like tarragon and mint. Alcohol taste, burning tires, weeds, wintergreen.

Andrea says (14.5): The color was blood red, but light and clear. My first smell all I could come up with was alcohol. After swirling I could smell a lot more: cranberry, jam, strawberry, mint, licorice, mold and earth. It tasted of jam and rhubarb. Tart and smokey, but the alcohol flavor was a bit overwhelming. 

Kim says (10): I'd like to say I tried to give this wine the benefit of the doubt because in the past, all three of us have been able to forgive the smell of cat pee, sweat, barnyard funk and feet. But when you come across a wine that brings to mind pungent black fuzzy mold, it's a bit of a challenge. Appearance? Thin and watery, and tasted a bit like lemon juice.

Nachtgold Eiswein NV (Rheinhessen, Germany) 10.5% alcohol, $19/500mL

Christine says (17.5): Very dark honey, almost amber, color. Smelled like honey, pears, herbs, grass and strawberry shortcake. Tasted very much like honey, as well as vanilla and apricots. Short-to-medium finish.

Andrea says (17): Dark amber-orange color. The first smell I wrote down was strawberry, which seems surprising for an Eiswein. But I also smelled honey, cake and vanilla. The strongest flavor was the honey, it tasted just how it smelled, vanilla, strawberry, and cake. A delicious dessert wine. Great with the key lime pie. 

Kim says (16): Beautiful and understated elegance... warm, amber, sparkled (but not frizzante), tasted of honey and apricots. For a person that doesn't care for ice wine, I very much enjoyed this!

Wine Club 54: Pretty Cocktails

Date: September 22nd, 2013
Host: Christine
Served: carrot soup, apple cider chicken & potatoes, pineapple upside-down cake
Bonus bottle (from the host's personal inventory): plum wine cocktails

Ménage à Trois Pinot Grigio 2011 (CA, USA) 13.5% alcohol, $7.50 at Woodman's-Appleton

Christine says (14.5): Very, very pale with a hint of lemon color. A strong and good aroma! Lemons, pears and green apple. Big body, strong streak of acidity. Tart green apple finish that was on the short side. We all liked this one better than the White Blend we tried last spring.

Andrea says (17.5): Clear golden color. Wonderful aroma! Floral, peach, honey, pear, and a little lemon. The taste was sweet, like pear and honey. Nice level of acid. Crisp and tangy. Very good, almost a love for me. Great with the meal.

Kim says (17.5): I think the name of this wine is meant to shock and seems a bit gimmick-y but I've had their Folie à Deux; and we've also scored their White Blend (Chardonnay + Moscato + Chenin Blanc) and I enjoyed them both. But it's this Pinot Grigio that impressed me the most... Andrea and I both scored this 17.5... a very serious score! The aroma was outstanding... strong and pleasant but I couldn't quite put a finger on anything except honey, and possibly very faint... green apple. Very pleased that this wine tasted just like it smelled!

Pine Ridge 2012 (CA, USA) 80% Chenin Blanc + 20% Viognier, 12% alcohol, $10 at Woodman's-Appleton

Christine says (18.5): Pale gold. First whiff was of cat urine and pine trunks, but not in a horrible way. Also apricots, flowers and minerals. Yum taste! Tart mid-palate, nice body, taste of apricot, honey, minerals. Sweetness, but with a delightful zing. And after tasting, I didn't smell anything unpleasant in the bouquet. Tart finish. Good with the soup. I liked it!

Andrea says (18.5): Almost exactly the same color as the first wine, clear and golden. A delicious fruity and floral scent... at first. After letting it breathe, it had an earthy, dried-leaf smell. not great, but brought out the mineral smells. When swirled the fruity floral smell came back. Christine mentioned apricot, definitely could smell and taste that. The wine was smooth and sweet, nice thick body, tasted like peach and apricot. Fantastic pairing with the carrot soup!

Kim says (17): Andrea knows us so well... she picked this wine because it's a blend of Chenin Blanc (one of Christine's favorites) and Viognier (one of my favorites)! Both of these wines had such a strong aroma that we could actually smell them immediately upon pouring... from five feet away! I think it was the Pine Ridge that smelled the strongest and the best... of peaches and fruit cocktail. But interestingly enough, in the (less than ten) minutes it took to score the first wine, something happened to this one. The smell turned somehow. Gone was the light, fruity aroma, replaced with the smell of pine sap and wet bark. And while I like those smells, this was not pleasant. Extremely vigorous swirling brought a little bit of the peaches back, but barely. And this wine was full of surprises... it looked frizzante but wasn't; it smelled fruity but was nice and tart; and amazingly enough... was an extremely good match with Christine's delicious carrot soup (which contained leeks, onions and hot sauce)!

Christine says: My goal with this meal was to use up as many vegetables on hand as I could. Check!--though I'm still eating the soup leftovers, which used a staggering 3 pounds of carrots. I doctored this soup to where it would be impossible to provide a recipe. I did document the chicken and spuds, though: It was a winner and one I'd make again. Here goes:

Apple Cider Chicken & Potatoes
1 c. apple cider
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp. wine peppercorn mustard with seeds (I used Mrs. McGarrigle's)
1-1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning

Combine all; save 1/4 cup for the potatoes. Pour the rest into a large resealable plastic bag and add:

4 bone-in chicken breasts

Marinate overnight, turning occasionally. Drain and roast (on a foil-lined pan! for the love goodness, an absolute MUST for next time! makes one hell of a mess!) at 375 degrees until done. Meanwhile, cut up:

1-1/2 pounds red potatoes

Toss on a baking sheet with salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Add the reserved cider mixture; toss to coat. Bake until done, stirring occasionally. Note: I added the potatoes after 25-30 minutes of roasting the chicken. These were enormous chicken breasts, nearly a pound each, and roasted for 50-55 minutes total.

For each plum wine cocktail, I mixed 1-2/3 shots of plum wine with 1-1/3 shots of Pellegrino and 1 shot apple cider. Yummy with the cheater's dessert I bought at Whole Foods.

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 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).

Wine Club 36: Spa Day

Date: February 23rd, 2013
Host: Christine
Served: chips & salsa, slow cooker white chili, glazed roasted pineapple & butter pecan sundaes

Bonus: spa day!



Turning Leaf Riesling

Turning Leaf Sweet Riesling 2011 (CA, USA), 8% alcohol, $6.99 At Otto's

Christine says (8.5): Very pale; almost clear. It smelled like vomit. Yuck! Surprising zing of tartness to this wine, plus flavors of honey and Asian pear. It tasted better as it came up a bit in temperature, but I just couldn't get past the smell. Still, Riesling was a good pick for pairing with white chili. Kim took a gorgeous photo.

Kim says (11): Well, this smelled overwhelmingly of sour, musty vomit. Not sure what else I can say. As Andrea found out, if you swirled really, really hard, you might be lucky enough to get something else. For me, the relief came in the faint aroma of lilac and honey. I also picked up on something that seemed familiar for a Riesling... very far away, the delicious scent of pineapple! Surprisingly (despite the smell of vomit), I enjoyed the taste of this wine- good body, sweet and smooth. But the hard hits in color, aroma, sugar (way high!) and appeal was this wine's death sentence. Zero in all four categories but was a phenomenal match with Christine's hearty white chili!

Andrea Says (12.5): The color of champagne but very pale. At first I could only smell must, feet, and bad breath. However, like Kim said, when I really swirled it, I could smell green apple, floral, and honey. The taste was good if you like sweet wines. Fruit cocktail, pear and honey. Surprisingly it went well with the chili but clashed with the dessert.

Dry Creek Vineyards Fumé Blanc

Dry Creek Vineyards Fumé Blanc 2011 (Sonoma County, CA, USA), 13.5% alcohol, $10.99 at Otto's

Christine says (11.5): Very pale light lemon color. Looked frizzante, but it was not (sad face). Smelled really good, like fresh water/a river, grapefruit peel and slight honey. Very tart on the tip of the tongue; super tannic. Lacked finesse--a lot of edges--high and competing tannins and tartness. Opposite of the other wine: it smelled good and tasted bad. Though we did prefer it with the dessert.

Kim says (11): Extremely pale. A barely discernible cast of cool lemon that at first glance, just looked like water. Wonderful aroma of green apple, granulated sugar and (hard to describe but) your hands right after peeling a grapefruit. Mmm! Really enjoyed the bouquet but then... well, this wine was an outright offense. It tasted too bright, too sharp and was a jumbled, edgy mess of chaos in a glass. Horrible.

Andrea says (12): Almost clear in color. I enjoyed the smell! Floral, honey, citrus and pineapple, with some scents of alcohol and smoke. Did not enjoy the taste, hard to describe. Maybe some slight taste of grapefruit or honey, but almost hurt my tongue with the pile of flavors. It did go well with the dessert though...

I made a 2/3 batch of Slow Cooker White Chili. I soaked the cannellini beans overnight, decreased the cumin to 2 teaspoons and cooked it on high for 8 hours. This smaller batch worked well in my 5-qt. slow cooker. Serve with chips, sour cream and lime.

I made Glazed Roasted Pineapple, using only half of a pineapple, but leaving all the other ingredients at a full 100%. This ensured a good saucy mess! I served it with butter pecan ice cream, which is heaven with caramely pineapple.

Spa Bonus! We were blessed to participate in Spa Day at Church in the City. We were treated to amazing appetizers, cute treats and elegant flavored water served in champagne flutes. Best of all, we received complimentary facials, massages and manicures, as well as an inspiring gospel message to pamper our insides. What a wonderful gift this night was from the ladies at CITC. We felt like princesses!

Feeling beautiful inside and out!

Andrea is treated to a luxurious facial.

Andrea and Christine get manicures.

Next stop: facials for Kim and Christine, a massage for Andrea, then a fun night relaxing at Christine's.





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

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

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 and a chilled glass of Old Glory

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.