Monday, November 7, 2016

Pre-election come back edition

I do not care about the election.  This is an utterly false statement, of course, but I am truly tired of all of the posts and other nonsense that has bombarded my brain over the past several months, that I truly just cannot wait to receive the outcome and move forward.  If  you need some assistance in moving to the same mindset, let me recommend an amazing wine that I had the pleasure of devouring this past weekend.

I had an epic weekend.  I had a glorious run in perfect weather on Saturday morning.  13 miles of pep in my step!  When that happens, you know its going to be a good day.  Little did I know how good, until I opened a bottle of Killibinbin Seduction Cabernet Sauvignon.  I opened the bottle while I was getting ready to go on a date with Jeff.  It's always nice to a have a little pre-drink before your dinner and drinks...right?


This is an amazing Cabernet from Langhorne Creek, in South Australia.  And its really, really good.  Forget the fun and quirky label...while it is what drew me to the bottle, it definitely is what was inside that will bring me back.  From Brothers In Arms, the focus is on full-bodied wines true to the region.  I have to admit this is now one of my new favorites.  I think I purchased this one at Vino Garage off of North Main Street.  I hate to admit, I can't quite remember if that is the case.  But, I will go back and check, because I need a few more bottles of this in my life!  Enjoy!!

Monday, April 25, 2016

Traveling Pants

Having a 14 year old son is tough.  Cheering from the sidelines at his basketball games has taken on a whole new level.  I will be the first to admit I am not the perfect spectator.  I cannot be like Roger Federer's wife in the stands.  Believe me, I wish I could. But that's never going to be me.  I am like Nadal's ENTIRE family at one time during any given situation.

I've been told I can be loud.  I even bought a white noise machine for my office at work just to appease the folks that have to sit near me.  It has helped.  They tolerate me a little more now...

So this past weekend we traveled to Aiken, SC for a little AAU Basketball tournament.  Not a long trek, but we decided to make a weekend out of it.  Friday night I arrived at the AMAZING cottage I found on airbnb.com.  I made my way to the first game of the night at 8:30 and took in what was my first AAU event.

These are 14 year old boys.  Parents are SO not cool.  I got an ear-full once I got my son and his friend in the car after the game.  Mom...quit yelling during the game!  Don't call me "P".  (Patrick is a mouthful when you are excited!!) Don't take any pictures of me!  If you posted any pictures of me,  you better delete them.  Ugh.  Kids.



What's a mom to do???  Have a glass of wine.  The carriage house we stayed in had it all.  A cute little patio off of the front complete with a tiny bistro table for me to relax at and enjoy a glass of red.  Friday night was a late night so I opted for an oldie but goodie in the Trader Joe's Owl's Lair Mendocino County Red Wine.  If you have not picked up this little treasure, you really should!  At $8.99 a bottle you really get a very good wine.  The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.  Made for a very nice evening on the patio.




Saturday morning offered up more instruction from the kids about how/when to cheer and volume levels.  Unfortunately, there was not much to cheer about so I made it off the hook fairly easily.  We were back at the cottage before noon and I decided to do a bit of exploring.  Aiken is a very cute town known for its equestrian history.  I was able to walk from our cottage through the city proper and was able to determine where we would go for dinner later.  Dinner consisted of another new wine find for me.  The Arsonist Red Blend.  As I have mentioned before you put the work spice in the description and I am going to have a hard time passing it up.  A blend of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this blend does bring the spice.  From Matchbook Wine Company located in Zamora, CA, they celebrate varietals that thrive out in the warm Dunnigan Hills climate.  Hmmm.  Definitely worth taking another look!


Looking forward to our next excursion!  Sip on my friends!


Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Insurrection

Shame on me.  I was scolded following my last blog post from some of my work co-horts.  Not because of their lack of like for my selection; but for the mere fact that I had given praise to a label we personally do not distribute.  Hey, I am equal opportunity baby.  If I receive a bottle worthy of a post...you are going to know about it.  That being said, I was presented almost immediately with a bottle that was sure to wow me.  Let's see how it went...



Another cool bottle!  2013 Insurrection, Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon from SE Australia was quite a treat!  Very big, bold flavor of spice and berries with a long, smooth finish.  Oh my, I want another bottle ASAP!  This bottle runs about $17.00 and comes in with a rating of 91 points.  It is also a Gold Medal winner of the World Wine Championships.  This one will be on my go-to list going forward.  Thank you, Mr. Rutledge.

This wine was sourced from cool climate vineyards in two regions in SE Australia:  Padthaway and Langhorne Creek.  In these environments, the grapes need thick skins to withstand extreme temperature swings.  The warm days develop intense aromas and flavors and cool nights maintain the robust character of the grapes.  Insurrection fruit was left on the vine as long as possible to concentrate those flavors.  It was night harvested to maintain freshness and rotary fermented to enhance its power.  It is aged for 9 months in French and American oak to contribute to the spice.  Alcohol logs in at 15.5%...making a very serious statement!

For more information on Insurrection, visit:  www.insurrectionwines.com




Tuesday, January 5, 2016

19 Crimes

I'm a sucker for a cool bottle.  I'm an even bigger sucker for a cool story that goes along with a cool bottle.  19 Crimes is such a find.  And, even better, a great red blend.  The men featured on the wine labels are not those of fiction.  They were flesh and blood!  Criminals, artists and scholars.  In history they share the bond of receiving "punishment by transportation" for violation of one of 19 crimes and becoming the first settlers of a new nation. Thousands of people were exiled from England to Australia during the 18th and 19th Century for these crimes. The first ship of mainly petty theifs and political prisoners arrived to serve their time at this far away penal colony.  These criminals went on to found the first settlement, called Sydney, and then later Adelaide.  About the time that Brittain stopped this practice, vines were planted not far from Adelaide in the Barossa Valley.  Knowing the history, the label of the wine makes more sense, referring to the 19 offenses that got people a one way trip Down Under.   (Check it out...19crimes.com)





I purchased this 2014 Red Blend from my local World Market.  Love the aroma of strong vanilla and spice.  Smooth and deep.  We are looking at a beautiful blend of Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Yummy! Under $10 a bottle for this find.  I have to add this to my new favorites list.

Do yourself a favor and try this one out.  I do not think you will be disappointed if you are a lover of red blends.  Sip on!