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 55: Spain and Peru in one night

Date: October 2nd, 2013
Host: Kim
Served: Lomo Saltado

TintoNegro Malbec 2011 (Mendoza, Argentina) 14% alcohol, $10 at Waterford

Kim says (14.5): After the fantastic tasting at Waterford, we came back to my place and it was a mad dash to throw dinner together. How appropriate... a night of Spanish wines and we start dinner at 8pm! Fortunately this meal (a spin on the traditional Peruvian lomo saltado) lent itself to exactly that... quick and easy throw-together! This Malbec was enjoyable... I liked the aroma and felt it was appealing but found it to be slightly off-balance with a thin body and overly strong tannins.

Christine says (15.5): Intense burgundy color, living up to Malbec's "black wine" reputation. Tobacco, red fruit, some mint and maybe dried strawberries in the bouquet. Subtle smell. It also had a hint of tires, which went away. Big body, round, good tannic grip, medium-long finish with herbal notes. Could taste the alcohol. Going back, I also smelled tomato stems. Sadly, it clashed with the meal. The cumin and other spices in the beef made this wine feel a little bit dirty. I had a glass the following night, and it definitely benefited from being open a longer time.

Andrea says (12): Dark and nearly opaque burgandy color, bright pink around the edges. Very light aroma. Mild fruity aroma. Jammy, with raspberry and yeasty notes. After sitting for a while, the wine developed a plastic, dirt, asphalt, rubber smell that really put me off. The taste was mostly of alcohol and some berry flavors. I think that my low score was mostly the result of asphalt stink. The food was terrific, but this wine didn't compliment it very well.


Cline Zinfandel 2012 (Lodi, CA, USA) 14% alcohol, $10 at Waterford

Kim says (16): Mmm! Although this wine was also a little thin, I felt it was well balanced... and it happened to be a better match with the meal. I very much enjoyed this (thank you, Christine- for leaving the bottle)!

Christine says (15.5): Pretty ruby color. Strawberries and some stemminess, with a hint of orange. Nice round, fruity flavor, herbally cedar taste, definite blueberries and some red fruit. Yum! Shorter finish. Very good with the meal; would also be good with chili.

Andrea says (17): Burgandy, fushia color. Smelled great! Vanilla, cake, sweet jam, and citrus. Smooth and sweet on the tongue. Spicy taste, a little pepper flavor. Blueberry and still a little bit of cake flavor. Very good with the steak.

Christine says: What an awesome meal. And we were hungry, getting a late start due to a wine tasting we got to attend at Waterford Wine Company. We were treated to a tour of Spain. Highlights to me were (the runaway favorite) a 1970 Rioja that's older than all of us, and the much more affordable and totally awesome Lusteau sherry. Damn good stuff. No one escaped without ordering at least one bottle! The tasting was educational, funny and fun. The only bad part was having to drink $10 wine with our dinner after being spoiled on these:

Heredia Vina Cubillo Riserva Rioja $21.99
Hacienda Monasterio Ribera del Duero $49.99
Condes de Albarei Albarino $12.99
1970 Valdemar Gran Reserva Rioja $189.99
Nit de Nin Priorat $89.99
Recaredo Brut Nature Cava $34.99
Juan Gil Monastrell Jumilla $16.99
Navaherreros Granacha de Bernabeleva La Mancha $22.99
1998 Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva Blanco Rioja $38.99
Lustau East India Solera Sherry $19.99

Wine Club 50: We Are Golden

Date: July 20th, 2013
Host: Andrea at the lake house
Served: Buffalo turkey burgers, salad, brownies

Toad Hollow Unoaked Chardonnay 2011 (Mendocino County, CA, USA) 13.9% alcohol, $10 at Otto's

Andrea says (16): I really liked the image on this wine bottle. It reminded me of the illustrations from "The Wind and the Willows" book that I had when I was a kid. The wine was a pale lime color and very clear. The smell was of tart, green apple, with musty, mineral scents. The taste was tart, high in acid, but I liked it.

Christine says (16): Very light pale lemon color with green hints. Good, strong and distinct bouquet: I smelled grassiness, peaches and minerals. Tasted like peaches and minerals, with some creaminess from the lees (or so I'd guess). Medium body and finish. Kinda lacking mid-palate, and it stung the tip of my tongue. Still, I liked the wine and would definitely buy it.

Kim says (14): Not the rich, warm color of a Chardonnay- more like a cool, pale Sauvignon Blanc. But like Christine said... this one is unoaked. Almost a greenish cast and smelled vaguely of honey. Slightly on the thin side for body and I docked it half a point for high acid.

Apothic Red Winemaker's Blend 2011 (CA, USA) Zinfandel + Merlot + Syrah + Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% alcohol, $9 at Otto's

Andrea says (20): I LOVED this wine! I'm usually not the one to give a wine a shockingly different score from Kim and Christine, but I could find no faults! Nice ruby, fushia color. The smell was fantastic! I could smell chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, cherry, brown sugar and pomegranite. It was like drinking berry pie! Raspberry, strawberry and chocolate flavors. Very jammy. Reminded me a lot of the Honey Badger. Delicious.

Christine says (12): Burgundy color, but translucent. Smelled like vanilla and cream soda.  Kim picked up on brown sugar in the bouquet, which I think was spot-on. Taste was thin, with a light body. Short finish. Just OK to me.

Kim says (13): Aroma of chalk and vinegar at first but after swirling, brown sugar. Taste? Meh. Thin body, slightly off on balance, finish was all tannins. I felt ambivalent about this wine and scored it average overall.

Andrea says:  Tons of fun. A great weekend away with friends! A super way to celebrate our 50th Wine Club!

Christine says: Awesome lake house. Beautiful surroundings. Fabulous cocktails. Peace and quiet! Incredible dinner. Fun games. Tasty breakfast. Hot sauna. Delightful getaway!

 Kim says: First order of business upon arrival? Gin and tonics, of course!

Andrea gets settled in and fires up the grill... amazing turkey burgers with bleu cheese, shredded carrots and buffalo sauce on biscuits. Yum!

Wine Club 48: Beef on the Grill

Date: June 26th, 2013
Host: Christine
Served: Gouda and crackers, beef tenderloin, potatoes, salad with grilled veggies, chocolate orange cheesecakes

Grifone Primitivo Zinfandel 2010 (Puglia, Italy) 13% alcohol, $8 at Trader Joe's

Christine says (16): Ruby claret color. It smelled very red, with aromas of raspberry, currant and cherry tobacco. Tasted like cherries; lighter body. Some tobacco notes. Pretty good!

Kim says (17): The wonderful aroma of nice tart cherries that smelled like mash... fermented. Very intense. Yum! And it tasted just like it smelled. Not as "sturdy" as I was expecting for a Zin but very good... although I think I may have liked 7 Deadly Zins a bit better (can't truly compare as we were using a different version of our score sheet at that time).

Andrea says (16): Dark ruby red and a little transparent. Loved the smell! Scent of berries, grape, cranberry and currant. Taste was nice. High tannins but nice and not overpowering. Tasted like cherry and grape. Nice with Christine's delicious tenderloin!



Blue Fin Petite Sirah 2011 (CA, USA) 12.5% alcohol, $5 at Trader Joe's

Christine says (17.5): Wow! Plummy garnet/purple color. Cassis smell, and blackberries, black currants and dried strawberries. Thin body. Tannic grip that was nice and palate-cleansing. Food-friendly! It was good with the Gouda. The wine tasted like figs as it opened up more. Super for the price.

Kim says (15): Smelled of grape jam, strawberries, very berry but not too sweet. Very tannic... I found that slightly distracting. Gold Star with Christine's incredible tenderloin!

Andrea says (16.5): Interesting color, more of a purple, even hints of blue. Looked like blueberry pie. Fruity smell, blueberry, blackberry and raisin. Nice taste! I liked the tannins and the body. sort of a nice tangy taste on the back of the tongue. Also went well with the meal.

I rubbed the beef with the garlic, herb and oil mixture and let it marinate overnight. I salted it just a while before putting it on the grill.

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.

 

Sterling Vintner's Collection Zinfandel 2008 (Central Coast, CA, USA) 13.5% alcohol, $11

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.

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.

Chilling out.

Donna, Christine and Andrea.

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!



Viva Sangria!

Berry Lemonade 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!

Grilled oranges with raspberry sauce
and ice cream. Oh, yeah!

Sisters.

The schooner Denis Sullivan
on Lake Michigan.

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!

Honorary wine club member. Her
signature purple ribbon.

Popping some moscato to
enjoy in the hot tub.
Frozen strawberry bonus!

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!