Naked Chardonnay for Wine Blogging Wednesday

O.K. so we're a day behind... did you read the last post about being on vacation? Anyhow, we did taste a Naked Chardonnay for Wine Blogging Wednesday and even though it's Thursday, we can't be left behind, can we?

Stats: Novellum 2004 Chardonnay Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes, imported by Eric Solomon/ Europesn Cellars.

We went to France in the region of Languedoc for a country wine (Vin de Pays) and spent a whopping $5 on this $10 wine because we have a store near us closing down. SCORE! This unoaked Chardonnay was definitely higher in acid than a typical Chardonnay, even one from France. It had a distinct nose with scents of stone, banana, burnt sugar, walnut and citrus. The finish was not long but was a nice crisp white wine with a beautiful golden Chardonnay hue. Serve it up with some spicy Thai food and you've got a bargain of an afternoon wine on your hands.

By the way, did you notice the Americanized label with the varietal listed instead of the region? It took us a couple of takes to really understand how European wines are adjusting to the times eh?

Check out all the wine recaps at Lenndevours!

Wine in Colorado

Did everyone miss us? Darcy and I both went on vacation at the same time. Darcy went out to Key West, Florida to visit her brother and family and I went to Denver, Colorado to take the kids to see my mom. My mother and her husband don't really drink so I was considering myself on sabbatical. Funny thing is that I just could not take a complete wine break.

It was an odd thing to be driving away from the Georgetown Loop Railroad and run into a winery. Yep. Middle of Colorado and not a vine to be seen and on the side of the road was a charming little winery called Canyon Wind Cellars.

Turns out the vineyards are 200 miles away in Palisade, Colorado along the north bank of the Colorado River at 4,710 feet in elevation. Their mantra, from wine maker Robert Pepi is "Taste what world class winemaking does for the wonderful grapes of Western Colorado."

O.K.. Four free tasting - how can I not? They offered the usual suspects with a couple of twists I found enjoyable. Of course there was a Rose since it is so hot right now. It was more of an American Rose tending more on the sweet side of blush. Their Chardonnay was twist one. There were two Chards: one oak and one not. Twist two was the wine I bought: 2005 Petit Verdot. It was such a little seen varietal that the uniqueness of it drew me to want to pack it up in my suitcase (which may be why they searched it and then lost it for a few hours, delivering it to my home unscathed at midnight).

This wine has some weight and structure to it for sure. According to their descriptors... “…a dark, rich wine with exceptionally deep color, great weight and structure. Aromas and flavors of violets, dark berries, and black cherries abound with a hint of bacon. Enjoy with hearty game or spicy Cajun food!”

Bacon? mmmmmmmmmm. Actually I did detect a leathery smell and flavor, perhaps tanned bacon? Anyhow, I'll be letting this one sit of a couple of years to tame it down and let some of the flavors mature. It will remind me of a Colorado winter because it's not one I'm going to be drinking in the middle of summer for sure!

My mother bought the Rose, but since White Zinfandel is her favorite wine it was not shocking. Please don't get me started.

So next time you're in Colorado I would encourage to you to stop in at one of their two locations. Their web site is http://www.canyonwindcellars.com.

Happy tasting!

Wine for the Pairing Impaired

So at the end of the day, I am working out the kinks with a nice glass of wine and my laptop and decide my brain needed a break (the wine helped in the decision making process) so I started Stumbling!

Before you start judging me (it was only 1 glass), I don' t mean tripping and falling. I mean I have an application on my computer called Stumble! (http://www.stumbleupon.com). It's a great tool for rating sites and it learns from what about my interests are and picks out random pages it thinks I might be interested in. Think of it as the automated features found in TiVo except for web pages. When I need a brain break or I'm doing research, it's fun to see where it takes me.

Long story short, the first two Stumbles brought me to great wine blogs I hadn't read before. Then on the third try I got confused so I stopped to write this. What I found is a series of wines made to perfectly pair with typical American food fares. This bottle is 'Wine That Loves Roasted Chicken' and was on a website with some very well thought out food pairing notes for each of the wines. The wines included perfect pairings for (or Wine That Loves...) Roasted Chicken, Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Pizza, Grilled Steak and Grilled Salmon.

Brilliant marketing really, beautiful bottle, great writing on the site, although I was disappointed that the varietals used in each of the wines were lacking. I'm not sure it was on purpose but I'm thinking that based on the branding they are doing, it was.

Now, I'm sure this will create some knee jerk reactions. Please share your thoughts on this one. My brain is having a wrestling match between the wine snob, the admirer of good ideas and the instant gratification American. Who do you think wins this fight?

For their site, go to www.winethatloves.com.

Sauvignon Blanc Quick Tasting Tips

Sauvignon Blanc is all about clarity of flavor but don't go into it thinking this is a mild mannered white wine. Look for the following when tasting and smelling this varietal:

Melon Kiwi Pear Asparagus Fig Smoke

Hay Gunflint Grass Bell Pepper Gooseberry

Green Tea Musk Herbs Lemon Cat Pee Grapefruit

Wine to Buy from Chile

With wine from Chile, there is no real way to tell from the bottles what wine is quality and what wine is not. You could look to sources like the wine magazines but that takes a lot of time and effort. Well worth it if you like reading the rest of the magazine as well.

Our recommendation for quick and easy? Go to http://www.winesofchile.org/ where they have a list of winners from their competition in January. It also has some fun events that are worth reading.

Interesting tidbit to make you sound REALLY smart, the winner this year was actually a Sauvignon Blanc, the first white wine to ever win this award.

Wino to Go (Wine Wino)

Holiday parties are on… don’t forget to bring a hostess gift!! That’s right. Ms. (or Mr.) Manners says so! We’ve picked a few well rated wines which won’t break the bank to go on your list of quick grabs sure to impress. Our favorite store is of course Cost Plus for their array of international wines and inexpensive pricing (and some bottles just look impressive). But, for most, this list of wines should fit the bill no matter what your host or hostess is planning for the evening…

Have a Happy and Safe Holiday Season… and by the way, have you bought your friends and family their gifts yet? Why not buy them a Wino Club kit? It’s the perfect gift that will give back to you assuming they invite you to join their party. Go to www.thewinoclub.com for more information...

Sincerely,
Darcy & Stacy

WHITES

Beauregard 2004 Trout Gulch Vineyard Chardonnay $25 RATED 89 Volume and roundness with classic oak flavors to smooth out the edges. Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

Meridian 2005 Chardonnay $10 RATED 87 Hero on a budget… a smartly styled coastal chardonnay with a crisp cool flavor from the Santa Barbara County. Paso Robles, CA

Peay 2004 Viognier $34 RATED 94 Made by a woman vintner, this wine is fermented in 5 year old French oak and is a beautiful wine with loquat and litchi flavors. Sonoma Coast Annapolis, CA

Hall 2005 Sauvignon Blanc $20 RATED 90 Acidic dryness with a tart lime and green apple crispness. This has no oak at all, making it a classy sipper. Napa Valley, CA

Santa Barbara Winery 2001 Lafond Vineyard Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc $16 RATED 95 This is a very sweet wine… perhaps for a cookie exchange? Just a thought. This is described as an apricot-infused crème brulee (yum). Santa Ynez Valley, CA

REDS

Orogeny – 2004 Green Valley Pinot Noir for $30 RATED 94 It’s a great deal on a thoroughly enjoyable Pinot with a great rating You’d better like your host to bring this one. Delfina, Orogeny, Santa Rosa, CA

Rodney Strong 2004 Pinot Noir $19 RATED 88 Easy to find and not expensive… it’s a smooth sensuous wine with a dry silky texture. Russian River Valley, CA

Ballentine 2002 Pocai Vineyard Merlot $22 RATED 92 Clean, sweet and savory with delicate strawberry flavors. Napa Valley, CA

Steltzner 2003 Claret $18 RATED 90 Based on a Cabernet Sauvignon, this Bordeaux style blend is a great price for a Napa Cab of this quality. Napa Valley, CA

Alexander Valley Vineyards 2003 Redemption Zin Zinfandel $25 RATED 92 Give this biggie some time to breathe and you’ll be smacking up some beautiful fruity flavors inside this rich wine. Dry Creek Valley, CA