Wine Club 69

Date: May 2nd, 2015
Host: Christine
Served: carrot and parsnip soup, fig and red onion pizza, rhubarb crisp
Bonus bottles!

Six Hats Shiraz 2013 (South Africa) 14.5% alcohol

Andrea says (18): Nearly opaque, dark purple with long legs. Smelled great! Earthy and fruity. Tobacco, brown sugar and floral with fig, cherry and grape. A sweet surprise! Nice tannins, very smooth. Juicy and jammy with slight acid streak. A winner for me.



















Juan Gil Red Wine 2011 (Jumilla, Spain) 15% alcohol

Andrea says (14): More transparent than the Six Hats but still thick. Dark brick red  with long legs. Had a strawberry, brown sugar smell with some herbal notes. Mint or eucalyptus. The taste was sweet. Light tannins and a little thin. Sort of tasted like cloves. Great with the soup! Probably deserved a better score than I gave it.

Andrea says: Thanks Christine for the adorable measuring cups!

 

           Dessert...                                                            and the aftermath...

     Andrea says: I literally hiked to the top of Mount Vesuvius for this bonus bottle!    
Bonus bottles... and lots of 'em!

Wine Club 66: Slow Cooker & Bread Machine

Date: September 12, 2014
Host: Christine
Served:

Green Fin White Table Wine 2011 (CA, USA) 11% alcohol, $5 at Trader Joe's

Christine says (12): comments pending

Kim says (14.5):Wonderful smell of pear, fruit, floral... specifically lilacs and other purple flowers (maybe freesia or hosta). Surprised by the contrast in taste... slightly tart, and lacked complexity on the finish.

Andrea says (17): Golden yellow color. Smelled nice! Like honey, lemon, clover and floral. I liked the taste but could only really place honey as a flavor. Nice body, nice tartness, nice acid. An overall winner. I'd definitely drink this again.









Small Vineyards Discovery Chianti 2010 (Italy) 12.5 % alcohol, $10 on sale at Waterford
75% Sangiovese

Christine says (8): comments pending

Kim says (12.5): Aroma of vanilla and spice, faint rot when I swirled (but I didn't make a note of whether this was good or bad... for instance, could have just been the smell of wet leaves in the fall). But I have the feeling since I didn't expand on my thought, that it was bad rot.. I did penalize the finish a bit because it lacked complexity... finish was long due to acid.

Andrea says (12): Blood red color. Smelled earthy and dusty. I got a little brown sugar, bacon, and currant. I tasted pie cherries and cranberry. Sort of tart. Thin bodied, not my favorite.

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!

Estancia Pinot Grigio 2011 (CA, USA) 13% alcohol, $10 at Otto's Wine and Spirits

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 Spirits

Christine 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!

Elk Cove Pinot Gris 2012 (Willamette Valley, WA) 12% alcohol, $14 at Discount Liquor

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 Company

Christine 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!

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!





 

Hard at work. We are so studious!



  

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 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.

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.