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 45: Hogue Gewürztraminer, Alìsia Pinot Grigio

Date: May 23rd, 2013
Host: Christine
Served: Caprese alla Rukavena platter and spinach gnocchi
Bonus bottles (from the host's personal inventory): Pinot Noir, Syrah x2

Hogue Gewürtraminer 2010 (Columbia Valley, WA, USA) 13.5% alcohol, $10 at Discount Liquor- Manitowoc

Christine says (14): Light but rich golden color. Smelled like minerals and pears. Honeyed pear taste, with a nice streak of acid. Some oaky tannins. As the wine opened up, I also tasted peaches.

Andrea says (15.5): A clear, golden, lemon color. I loved the smell! Sweet, like pear and floral. The first taste was mild, even a little weak, but I could taste pear and fruit cocktail. The flavor increased and I could taste sour apple, honey, and oak, nice acidity with a tart twist. I would drink it again. Good with the gnocchi.

Kim says (18.5): Pale lemon with a hint of grassy green, and aroma of pears that was so intense, I couldn't smell anything else. Mmm! Happily, this wine also tasted like pears and honey, and had a slight bitterness on the finish, (maybe the acid that Christine mentioned), which I liked.

Alìsia Pinot Grigio 2011 (delle Venezie, Italy) 12.5% alcohol, $10 at Discount Liquor- Manitowoc

Christine says (14): Light, bright lemon color. Slight musty smell and not much else, though it wasn't objectionable. Light body, slight tartness and a surprisingly long finish. I tasted green apples, lemon, a little fresh green grass and celery. I loved it with the cheese-stuffed eggplant rollatini. Though I liked both wines with the gnocchi, I think this one had a slight edge.

Andrea says (14.5): Clear lime-green color in a uniquely shaped bottle. It had an interesting smell - sweet - pear, lemon, grapefruit and .... bubble gum? Also a little bit stinky. Light, fresh taste like lemon and green apple. Also went well with the food. 

Kim says (10): Pale in color . Smelled like wet, musty rocks and grass in the summer. So faint... I got my nose very close to the surface and had the vague impression of turpentine... and then plastic. Taste was surprisingly tart.

 
I sure must have been craving cheese! I picked up some Italian fontina, a Caprese salad and a loaded-with-cheese eggplant rollatini from Glorioso's. I also had Asiago focaccia lying around, so we ate that, too. I loaded the Caprese w/ lots of added tomatoes to make the platter a little more virtuous. The gnocchi was easy, affordable and delicious.

We shared some yummy bonus wines from Waterford. A big black-fruited Dierberg Pinot Noir 2009 (Santa Rita Hills, CA, USA) $42.  Pronounced berries, very complex, incredibly fruity. I fell in love with this wine at first sip.

We also had a mini trans-Atlantic Battle Syrah, featuring Cuilleron Syrah 2011 (Chavanay, France) $19; and Domaine des Mondes 2008 (Santa Barbara, CA, USA) $30. The American was very good with the dark chocolate truffles we had for dessert. But overall, I preferred the restrained style of the French wine.

Wine Club 27: Blue Fin Viognier, Panilonco Carmenère Reserve

Date: October 31st, 2012
Host: Christine
Served: Beemster cheese, easy meatless manicotti, pear cranberry crisp


Blue Fin Viognier 2011 (CA, USA) 12.5% alcohol, $7 at Trader Joe's

Christine says (17): Pale honey with slate edges. Smelled of apricot, floral, honey, light must, lemon and honeydew: a light and clean smell. Pear taste with a honey finish. Medium body, not as bright-tasting as expected.

Andrea says (17): This wine was a pale, golden color. The smell was great, I gave it full points for aroma and bouquet. I had a long list of scents for this Viognier: pear, honeydew, bubble gum, honey, apricot, pineapple, and lemon. My first taste was of alcohol, then lemon and pear. This had a light, bright floral taste. Good buy for $7.00!

Kim says (18): Wow... great bouquet on this one! I picked up dust, citrusy melon, honeydew, roses, fresh-cut grass and if possible, it actually smelled rich and smooth. The taste was surprising... contrary to what it smelled like, this Viognier tasted of minerals and lemon, bright and clean.


Panilonco Carmenère Reserve 2011 (Colchagua Valley, Chile) 13.5% alcohol, $7 at Trader Joe's

Christine says (18): Very dark intense red; a lot of legs. Bouquet was of vanilla, raspberries and cherries. Tobacco and berry flavor, smooth, with a long finish from the alcohol. Slightly tart and bitter mid-palate, like plum skins. Super for the price.

Andrea says (18.5): I really loved this wine! I thought it went great with Christine's manicotti. Yum! A nice ruby, cherry color that was rich and thick. The smell was musty and smokey, but then smelled like spices, blackberry, raspberry, vanilla and grape. The taste was fruity and jammy, blackberry flavor. Delicious! I would get this again to have with tomato based Italian food, very good together.

Kim says (12): Hmm... well, my comments were kind of all over the place on this one. Apparently, the overriding aroma was berries (I wrote "cranberry-raspberry-cherry-blueberry some berry that's juicy with a skin that says POP")! Also smelled a bit of must and overall, felt this wine was a bit anti-climactic and tame.

I used fresh spinach and regular reduced-fat cheese in the manicotti. I used dried cranberries in the crisp. Otherwise, no changes!

Wine Club 10: J.W. Morris Gewürztraminer, Honey Moon Viognier

Date: May 2nd, 2012
Host: Kim
Served: Stuffed Cheese Bread, Quinoa Salad


J.W. Morris Gewürztraminer 2011 (CA, USA), 12.5% alcohol, $4.99 at Trader Joe's

Kim says (20): Well, we drank our way through nine wine clubs before finally coming across a bottle that I felt deserved a perfect score. It hit every single category exactly right, and it would be four months before another perfect 20 landed on my score sheet... loved this one! If Beaujolais was my gateway red, than Gewürztraminer was definitely my gateway white and though I had recently been moving away (unintentionally) from this wonderfully aromatic wine, I am more than pleased to rediscover it.

Andrea says (18): This is a great wine for a great price! Sweet and tart, very tasty. I remember us comparing the taste to the juice in a can of fruit cocktail. I only docked it for having a shorter finish and milder bouquet. I revisit this wine often. I think it goes well with everything.

Christine says (15): I really liked this wine, especially when you factor in the $5 price tag. Very pale blond straw color with clear edges. Pleasing, but subtle, bouquet of peaches. Sweet taste, with a nice tartness mid-palate that kept it from being cloying. Tasted like peaches, fruit cocktail and petroleum. Short finish. Would be super for parties.

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Honey Moon Viognier 2010, (CA, USA), 13.5% alcohol, $7.99 at Trader Joe's

Kim says (11): Maybe this one suffered in the shadow of the Gewürtztraminer, or maybe it was the hype... I am a fan of Viognier (Cono Sur makes an excellent one hailing from Chile and it is hands down my favorite every day white). Whatever the reason, I rarely give out this many zeros but Body and Balance both suffered and most telling... Appeal (dislike) and Overall Opinion (lacking). So this was no honeymoon and took hard hits in both objective and subjective categories.

Andrea says (11): I didn't write many comments for this wine. Only that it smelled better than it tasted. I docked it in most categories and was pretty disappointed in it. For a date this early an 11 is really low. I may even score it lower if I tried it now.

Christine says (8): Pale greenish yellow, with some gold. Smelled mostly of cat urine, with some floral. Surprisingly round! Still, it had only slight flavor, and I could only detect minerals. The worst score I have given a wine (so far).


Quinoa  and Mushroom Salad

1 C dry quinoa                                                 8 1/2 oz artichoke hearts
2 t olive oil                                                      1 carton cherry tomatoes, halved
8 oz sliced mushrooms                                   1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/8 t salt                                                        1/4 C chopped fresh basil (or more to taste)
1/8 t black pepper                                           2 T lime juice
1 avocado, sliced                                            4 oz green chili peppers

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender.
4. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
5. Stir in mushrooms and quinoa.
6. Serve.

Wine Club 23: Cavit Moscato & Pinterest Pizza

Date: September 20th, 2012
Host: Andrea
Served: Meatballs, Spinach Artichoke Alfredo Pizza, Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

Sierra Cantabria Rioja; Cavit Moscato

Cavit Moscato 2010 (Provincia di Pavia, Italy), 7% alcohol, $8 at Otto's Wine & Spirits

Andrea says (16): This wine was a very transparent, light gold color and smelled of green apple, minerals, and apricot. The taste was delicious! Frizzante yet very smooth, tasted like honey, peach and cherry. For me, it needed a stronger bouquet and a longer finish to have gotten an even higher score, but 16 is very strong. It went GREAT with the creamy sauce, cheese, spinach, and artichoke in the pizza. This was an interesting meal because I made 2 recipes that I found on Pinterest.com. Pinterest was my new addiction this Fall. It is a fantastic way to organize your ideas, recipes, really anything that 'floats your boat.'

Kim says (15): This is what I mean by fearless... Andrea created a truly great meal from multiple recipes she's never tried before and tweaked them on the fly. Impressive! Would you do that for your dinner party or do you stick to the tried and true? Anyway, I really liked this wine and gave it the highest number of points possible in the "overall opinion" category, which is three. But it also took a hit for bouquet as it was so vague... fruity or floral or... something. Slight musty undertone but excellent flavor of perfectly ripe peaches.

Christine says (15): Lots of  big bubbles. Pale gold. Minerals, apricot, petroleum nose. Yum! Pronounced honey taste, plus peaches, apricots and a hint of tart cherries mid- to back-palate. Fun and good.


Sierra Cantabria Rioja 2009 (Spain), 13.5% alcohol, $12 at Otto's Wine & Spirits

Andrea says (13): This wine has a burgundy/raspberry color. I thought it had a distinct bouquet. First I could smell the warm, alcohol scent, followed by a strawberry, brown sugar and tomato smell. The taste was where I marked this wine down the most. I thought the body was thin. It was too tannic for me, and I mostly tasted the alcohol. Don't get me wrong, I still drank my share, and I remember it being ok with the food (best with the meatball).

Kim says (11.5): I am usually a fan of Spanish wines so I was excited to try this one. Unfortunately, it suffered in the categories of aroma, bouquet, balance and appeal. I thought this wine was a bit of a bully for a Rioja, which probably means that I detected too much of that aggressive, black-pepper-but-not-black-pepper aspect, which we have figured out is actually nutmeg.

Christine says (10): Smelled like alcohol and strawberries; I did also detect brown sugar after Andrea pointed it out. The wine tasted thin, with lots of tannins; it had a long finish that was mostly alcohol. It reminded me of Chianti, which I usually avoid.

The Spinach Artichoke Alfredo Pizza was a BIG HIT! We all loved it. I followed the recipe from The Two Bite Club almost to a "T." I did add oregano to the sauce, because what's a pizza without oregano?

The Caramel Apple Cider Cookies were also very good, but very sweet. A great recipe for the Fall. This recipe was pinned from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Wine Club 33: Wisconsin Wine, Winter Squash Lasagna

Date: January 18th, 2013
Host: Christine
Served: Chop block bread, Butternut Squash Lasagna, Dijon-Walnut Spinach Salad, blondies
Bonus bottle (from the host's personal inventory): 2011 Rosemount Traminer Riesling

Domaine de la Terrière Beaujolais; Wollersheim Prairie Fumé

Wollersheim Prairie Fumé 2011 (Prairie du Sac, WI, USA), seyval blanc grape. 10% alcohol, $9.00

Christine says (16.5): Very pale, with slate edges. Pears, grassiness, lime and green apple in the bouquet. Taste was surprisingly honeyed, with a rich mouthfeel. This would be great with a variety of foods! Andrea said this is Wollersheim's most popular wine, and I can see why. 

Kim says (16): an odd, pale silver color... almost clear. While my olfactory perception is not half as discerning as Christine or Andrea’s, I could smell pear, grass, honey and lemon (usually I am the one that just smells “dirt” or “fruit”). Based on just the taste, I would say this wine has good appeal and paired well with the bread.

Andrea says (18.5): I really enjoyed this wine! The bouquet was awesome, and it really tasted like it smelled. Tart at first, like lime and green apple but also like honey, pear, and apricot. Great with the bread!

Domaine de la Terrière Beaujolais 2011 (France). 12% alcohol, $12.00

Christine says (15.5): Hmmm. This wine really had me stumped from the outset. It smelled like vanilla and pop tarts to me (sweet and toasty, with sugar icing). Maybe like a glazed doughnut, too. It tasted like red berries and cherries, and had a long, lingering finish. Did I also taste woodsy/wet leaves/smokiness? Yes, but I'm not sure which one. This was not your typical Beaujolais. Too many surprises! Also check out how translucent this wine was...it almost looked like colored water!

Kim says (11.5): my own score surprises me because I have a bit of a soft spot for Beaujolais. It was the first varietal that I came across that I consistently liked... steady and dependable. As Christine says, Beaujolais is a good “gateway” wine! While this particular Beaujolais scored well in the categories of tannin, acid, finish and body (interesting, given its extreme translucence), I thought it came up short in aroma and appeal. And I smelled something I never detected in a wine before... while I like the smell of a campfire, this just made me think of wet ash in the fire pit after it had been pouring rain all night. That being said, funny thing is throughout our entire meal, my glass of Beaujolais is the one I kept reaching for as it paired extremely well with Christine's amazing lasagna!

Andrea says (13): I was surprised by my score as well, I'm usually a fan of Beaujolais. The color was nice but surprisingly transparent for Beaujolais. For me, the down side was the aroma, which is how I best experience wine. All I could seem to smell was alcohol, dirt, and some how fish? The taste was nice, raspberry, cherry, and smokey. I thought it went best with the salad which had cranberry and toasted pecans, yum! I gave it a good score, but not my usually great score.

My riff on the lasagna from Vegetarian Times was a success! I decreased the squash, used cooked lasagna noodles, and added mozzarella, eggs and herbs.

1 medium butternut squash (3 pounds)
8  lasagna noodles
2 eggs

15 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried rubbed sage
1/4 tsp. each dried basil and chervil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese



1. Cut squash in half, seed, prick skin with a knife and roast at 350 in 1/4 inch of water for 1 hour or until tender. Cool.

2. Boil lasagna noodles and drain.
3. Combine 1 egg, ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a bowl.
4. Scoop squash pulp into a second bowl and beat until smooth. Add 1 egg, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and the herbs; mix well.
5. Spread 1/2 cup squash mixture into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Top with two noodles (having cut one noodle in half to make a single layer three noodles wide). Top with half of the remaining squash mixture.
6. Layer with two more noodles, half of the ricotta mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella, two noodles, remaining squash, remaining noodles and remaining cheeses (ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella).
7. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 35-40 minutes longer or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

                                                                  

Awww...Valentine blondies

Sun-dried tomato chop block bread

Pretty keeps us all in check!