It's the most wonderful time of the year...

I am so excited for Christmas.  I love this holiday.  My best memories from my childhood are all centered around Christmas Eve at Gram and Pap O'Rourke's.  Gram made her famous sauerkraut balls, crabbies, and cookies with the Hershey's kisses.  Pap wore his Christmas socks and passed out the gifts.  Those were some of the best family gatherings.

This year we will be celebrating at our own home with our little family.  We have started some of our own traditions that I hope one day my boys will look back on as some of their favorite times.

This past week I have had some amazing wines.  Let's start with Marchigue Carmenere Reserva 2012 from Chile.  I had tried my very first Carmenere a few weeks ago and really liked the flavor.  This wine hails from the Colchuga Valley which is home to the Chilean "cowboy".  I am a sucker for a cool label and the wild hare on the front of this one had me.  I have to say this might be my new favorite from Trader Joe's.  There are so many
I have yet to try...each time I try a new one I am impressed.  There are a few others shown that I have yet to try, but we still have a few days left in the year.  Highly recommend this one...again, $8.99 for the bottle.


I had to go back to my wine expert on the side for some additional recommendations for the week.  Let's just say that I was highly impressed with both bottles that I bought and neither was over $10.  With wine prices like this, you can afford to stock up and save for a rainy day.

Again, the bottles were so pretty!  Honora Vera 2011 Garnacha from Spain.  This is a wonderful spicy/fruity medium-intensity wine that truly blew me away based on its price.  http://www.wine.com/v6/Bodegas-Ateca-Honoro-Vera-Garnacha-2011/wine/120398/detail.aspx  This wine is from the Bodegas Ateca Winery and apparently there are plenty of other varieties that I must try in their repertoire. This would be a perfect wine to have on hand over the holiday's.

The second selection is Blau 2012.  This is another beauty from Spain which is a combination of Grenache Noir, Samso, and Syrah.  Great combination.  Great taste.  From the Can Blau Winery, which is a small family owned winery in Montsant known for their high quality wines.  And again...value priced.  I need to give credit where credit is due and that Cramer for these wonderful options.  I have 2 more on my list from Cramer that I have to pick up as soon as possible.  http://www.enterwine.com/blau-2012

It's definitely the most wonderful time of the year.  Only two days left until Christmas.  Wishing you the Merriest of Christmases!  I hope your stocking is stuffed with everything you want.  Of course, that is assuming you have been good this year...

Wine Gifts

So what do you get for the wine-lover in your life for Christmas?  I have actually come across some really great ideas over the past few weeks that I will share with you.  I know you are getting down to the wire, but you might still have time to check some of these out and purchase in time for Christmas!

1.  I actually purchased this little number for myself because I HAD to have it. But I know you know someone that this will really speak to as well.  I feel great every single time I put this bad boy on.  And 99% of the time, the wine I am drinking is making me awesome.  (In my own little world).

http://chrisstuff.com/hot-stuff/awesome-t-shirt.html

2.  Wine cork jewelry.  OK, I have to admit I didn't even know this stuff existed.  But Pinterest opened my eyes.  To A LOT.  There are some really great items out here...If I was the least bit creative I would attempt to try some of these on my own.  But I can already hear the comments now..."how much did you have before you started this project?"  So let's just say I will leave the craftiness to the professionals.
http://www.pinterest.com/debjfields/wine-cork-jewelry/

3.  Wine cork cork boards:  OK, I have to admit, even thought I am not crafty, this one I think I can handle.  As a matter of fact, if I do not get this for Christmas or my birthday, I am going to buy myself one.  I have actually seen some of the finished products of others who have done this and they look great!!!  (hint hint...If you see Mark, give him this link).
http://www.wineenthusiast.com/wine-cork-board-kit.asp

4.  Wine refrigerator.  A must have.  (I don't have one).  Perfect temperature for your wine at all times?  Who doesn't need this???  I did toss this hint to Mark, but I am not sure if he caught it.
http://www.wineenthusiast.com/storage/wine-refrigerators/

5.  Wine!  Duh!  Find a special one that you like and share it with your wine loving friend.  It is always great to discover a new wine and I love when I get recommendations from others.  I just picked up 3 bottles last night based on recommendation from my favorite wine snob, Cramer.  He has provided me with some really great picks over the past few months and I am very eager to test out these latest and share the findings with you.

I will post later this week on the absolutely great wines I discovered and have been enjoying this week...until then...

Cheers!

Circulation

For the past several weeks I have been having issues with my fingers tingling post-run.  It doesn't necessarily have to be freezing for this to occur.  It happens sometimes after my Pure Barre classes and those are done in very hot rooms.  Its annoying.  Poor circulation?  What if I drop my wine glass?

I have had a busy few days with getting ready for the holiday's.  I am not one who LOVES to wrap presents so in order to partake in that chore, it involves a bottle of something to keep me entertained.  So I have tried a few new ones over the past week and stuck with some goodies that I have mentioned before.  I also had a delicious massage to get me ready for a full weekend of basketball and other mom stuff.  I need my relaxation in many forms.

It is winter time, so I generally tend to stick with reds...but I had bought a bottle of Michel Leon Gewurtraminer at Trader Joe's after my pleasant experience over Thanksgiving with this type and had yet to try in out.  I like the Gewurtraminer's, but it's a bit too sweet for me to drink too often.  The funny thing is, I gave it to Mark to try and he actually liked this one.  Don't get me wrong...this is a very very good wine if you are up for the type.  It would have worked better for me on a warmer day, if that makes sense.  I will definitely continue to explore the Gewurtraminer type because its so different from what I am used to and I am enjoying branching out.  Plus, you can't go wrong with a TJ bottle under $10!

I scored a bottle of Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles:  http://estanciawines.com/artisan-wines/estate/cabernet-sauvignon/  A mere $16 retail and I enjoyed this.  This is a California Cabernet and while not overly rich, has a good taste.  Not too heavy.

I also finally tried the bottle of Triptych White blend that I had been given a while back.  I have to be honest...I am not sure if it was merely because I was not in the white wine mood, but I did not like this blend at all.  Maybe I need to give it another shot this spring or summer.  http://www.brokenearthwinery.com/index.cfm?method=products.productDrilldown&productid=0d8c83a4-edd4-4649-c676-fbe835db0a18&pageID=153138c1-fdaa-db6f-4e87-fa8a8e7a4618&sortBy=DisplayOrder&  I think the problem for me is that I am not a huge Chardonnay fan, and that flavor came through in this blend a bit too much for me.  I will try again at a later date to see if my mind changes.

I did enjoy some of my standard favorites.  I scored one more bottle of Cade Cabernet Sauvignon and finished that off after a rainy afternoon of relaxation and wrapping more presents.  I also finished off my favorite Trader Joe's Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Republic.  Again, if you have not tried this one, treat yourself for a mere $8.

Drink the Wine and Save the Water

I love music.  I loved music before I loved wine.  I can remember using a tape recorder and holding it close to the radio so that I could tape my favorite songs and trying to stop the recording before the DJ burst in for his spiel.  OK, so I am telling on my age.  I remember how amazing it was when they created the tape recorders that were built in to the radio so that you didn't have to make everyone be quiet while you were recording...you could actually TALK while recording a song.

One of the best lines ever in a song is "drink the wine and save the water..."  Anyone know where that comes from.  Popular group, obscure song.  It is called Still Remains by Stone Temple Pilots.  Listen to it.  Don't save things for something that may never happen...or not do something because the timing isn't quite right...drink the wine...save the water.

I had quite a week.  Leak in the ceiling, washing machine broken beyond repair, and just your regular everyday other "stuff".  I also had some great things happen.  Saturday I came in second overall female at my 5K on a very humid, rainy day.  I had a great dinner party with my Strictly Running Racing Team Ladies.  And I nailed my workout this morning.  So I'll take the good with the bad.

I will be the first to admit that I am very, very lucky to have the job that I do.  I have been able to taste some really great wines over the past several years.  This one may be one of the best.  I just so happened to be back in the warehouse "shopping" the breakage and came across this little number.  Cade Napa Cuvee, Cabernet Sauvignon.  Holy Mother of God.  http://store.cadewinery.com/SHOP.AMS?LEVEL=BOT

This is a $60 retail bottle of wine.  I cannot tell you how absolutely delicious this was.  It was worth my Friday night off to wait for this little gem.  If you get the chance to try this, please do.  I will be on the lookout for more of this in the back.  If I find some more maybe I will invite some of you over for a tasting.  (If you share my blog!!!)

So, Sunday came and how could I possibly follow up the Cade?  I had been recommended a bottle by my friend Michelle at work.  A red blend called Triptych.  http://www.brokenearthwinery.com/Wines/Triptych

This is a wine from Broken Earth Winery out of California.  The retail value is $15.  There is both a red and a white blend of Triptych.  I do have a bottle of the white at home that I have yet to try.  This was a nice blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Petite Sirah.  Would go with just about anything.  I am looking forward to tasting the white blend to see how that one is!

One more surprise for you.  Monday night was our SR Ladies night out at Pawley's Front Porch.  For those of you that have been there, you will understand this is a place to get a beer...not wine.  I have to just tell you that I was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful beer I had.  RJ Rockers First Snow.  A very good Holiday beer.  I am not in to very hoppy beers, so this was right down my alley.  Very enjoyable.  So a little beer bonus for you today!  

Cheers!

Parasaurolophus

I am a dinosaur genius.  I use this knowledge to impress all of the kids at Chase's school.  And it works.  The Gravitholus had a very think skull and used it to fight against other Gravitholus' in a show of power.  I guess kind of like lion's defending their pride.  The Euoplocephalus had a really cool clubbed tail that he used to fight off other dino's.  My favorites, though, are the Parasaurolophus and the Stenonychosaurus.  Why?  Because I can say them and sound really smart and impress 3 year olds.  The Parasaurolophus had a horn on his head that was used to communicate with other Parasaurolophus buddies.  Its a skill that comes in handy at the most random of times.

One day, like my dinosaur genius, I hope to be a wine genius.  This may take a little longer.  I am willing to put in the time though.  I just got one of my early Christmas presents to myself in the mail.  I think it will help in my work to become better.

So what have I gotten in to this week so far?  I am happy to report that I tried a new to me Cabernet Sauvignon:  Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (2011).  This is a Napa Valley wine and I must say it was very good.  Very smooth.  http://www.mtveeder.com/index.cfm?method=products.productDrilldown&productID=3fbf81db-ad8d-0303-e603-400f2665d5be&originalMarketingURL=product/2011-Mount-Veeder-Cabernet-Sauvignon
Little did I know until researching this wine that it is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 2% Pinot Verdot, 1% Malbec, and 1% Syrah.  This went great with my margarita pizza I selected for dinner after a very rough day.  It's listed at $40/bottle, but you can find this in the $30 range by shopping around.  I would highly recommend this bottle and will definitely be looking for more "gifts" of this kind from work.

Tomorrow is race day, so tonight I will not partake in wine festivities.  Be sure to stop back early next week to find out about the weekend wine fun that I am sure to have!

Back to Life, Back to Reality

Its always a little bit of a let down going back to work after a long Holiday weekend.  I actually had one of the nicest low-key Thanksgiving's this year.  Sunday was a great day for me.  I had a gorgeous 13 mile run with my friend Jen...her final long run pre-marathon.  Sunday night was our get back to reality check.  Patrick came home from his excursions and we had his belated birthday dinner that he specifically requested.  Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.  I compromised and used turkey, since we had left overs!  It was a hit.  I opted to open a bottle of Sauvignon Republic, a glorious Sauvignon Blanc from my faithful Trader Joe's.  This is another New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that I am partial to.  For some reason I enjoy the extra crisp finish of this areas wines.  If you enjoy Kim Crawford, you will enjoy this.  I stock up on this shit when it is on sale at Trader Joe's because it is not going to go to waste.  I think this was the last bottle in my stash though...

Monday we all had to head back to work and school.  We were all dragging.  I did a very short run knowing I was headed to stretch out at Pure Barre later that afternoon.  I had picked up a new bottle of Pinot Noir over the weekend from Trader Joe's that I had heard about.  Cosmia.  I have to say that although this was a decent Pinot Noir...I did not enjoy it nearly as much as their Mission Point.  I wouldn't turn away a glass if it was handed to me, but I will most likely not purchase another one of that label.  Just not enough umph for me.  Pretty bottle though.

My Tuesday was CHAOS.  I had a very rough morning.  I had low air in my tire again (I swear someone is stalking me and doing this on purpose...), I had to go back to the house twice before actually making my way to work, and once I arrived at school I found out that that very afternoon parent-teacher conferences were being held.  I blurted out a few expletives, and was corrected at the inability to be a "son" of a bitch by my 3 year old since I was a girl.  (He is a genius!!!) I knew when I got home I wanted something good.  I didn't want to worry about testing something out, so I went for one of my old standby's that I have already talked with you about here:  Dearly Beloved Red Blend.  It made the evening a little more bearable.

So...next blog I promise to try some new vino.  Enjoy the rest of the week!!!