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Marshall Family Wines 2006 Barry's Blend California Pinot Noir
2008-01-08 16:50:00
The Marshall Family Wines 2006 Barry's Blend California Pinot Noir is made from grapes from Russian River Valley and Mendocino, and was aged in French oak prior to bottling.The color in the glass is dark ruby red and slightly cloudy. The nose shows dusty berries of cherry and raspberry, earth, and floral notes. On the palate medium to full bodied, with a meaty quality, cherry, dark raspberry, earthiness, and spice. Good acidity and young, green tannins on the relatively long finish. This Pinot Noir can be found at Wine-Searcher.com from $19.95 or at the winery's website for $25. This pinot has a slightly different style than I prefer. The more fruit forward tend to be my favorites but this was certainly not a bad bottle at all. For $20 I would say it's a good value, although I would most likely pick another bottle for that price range.Vote for my blog here and help me reach top 10 on The Blog Top!

Pisoni Vineyards and Winery 2004 Estate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
2008-01-06 00:17:00
Last night we opened a bottle with dinner that I had very high expectations of. I have had several vintages of the Pisoni Vineyards and Winery Estate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir before, and they have always been great. I assumed and hoped that the 2004 wouldn't let me down either.The color in the glass is a vivid deep garnet. The nose exudes black cherry, dark raspberry, notes of blackberry, sweet violet, and a touch of tobacco (?).On the palate big, broad fruit and berries with ripe cherry, dark raspberry, vanilla, an earthy touch, and slight tart fruit at the finish. The acidity is plentiful and the tannins integrated with a young edge to them. This wine has a great backbone and complexity, and I wish I had another bottle to open up in a year or two to see how it develops.As you understand this wine did not disappoint me what so ever and I would say that this is one of the more complex vintages of this wine. The earlier ones that I have had have been even more ripe, lush and...

Trecini 2005 Vicini Vineyard Russian River Valley Sonoma County Merlot
2007-12-28 23:20:00
It is not very often that I buy a Merlot but when I saw the Trecini 2005 Vicini Vineyard Russian River Valley Merlot as a half bottle I had to give it a try.Trecini Cellars was founded in 1999 by John and Cathy Vicini and their son David. Originally from Tuscany, Italy, John comes from a long tradition of wine, actually around 150 years. In 1994 the family started growing grapes in Russian River Valley and after that it was only a natural step for them to start their own winery. They are offering five varietals at this point, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Merlot Rose, Zinfandel, and Syrah.This Merlot shows an intense ruby red color in the glass.The nose offers ripe red fruit, herbal notes and rather heavy vanilla with creme brulee character.On the palate, bright fruit with slight tartness, black cherry, boysenberry, plum, and vanilla. The long finish has plentiful fruit, decent acidity, and round, soft tannins with an ever so light green edge at the finish.I was pleasantly surprised by t...
More About: Sonoma County

A Swedish Christmas Eve in America
2007-12-28 02:08:00
Spending Christmas in the States this year I asked my husband if he wanted a Swedish or America n Christmas. He responded without hesitation -A Swedish Christmas! That meant that I cooked and served up the traditional Julbord, the Swedish Christmas Smorgasbord, at Christmas Eve . Since there is just to much food involved for two persons to even come close to finish, I invited our good friends and neighbors to join us.I thought I would share a photo with you of what the Julbord looked like this year.The Julbord is a buffet with traditional Swedish food like pickled English cucumber, sausage, deviled eggs, cold smoked salmon with dilled creme fraiche, oven baked omelet with mushroom sauce, Swedish meatballs, mustard glazed ham, creamed spinach, potato au gratin (usually you julienne the potato and add anchovies to make Janson's Temptation, but I knew that would be a slightly odd one for our guests so I opted for a simpler, more familiar version, a potato au gratin with thyme, Parmesan ...
More About: Sweden

August West 2005 Rosella's Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
2007-12-24 02:00:00
We ordered half a case of the August West 2005 Rosella's Vineyard , Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir after a restaurant visit this summer and having a bottle with dinner. We are now down to our last bottle and I thought I better review it before it is all gone!It has a beautiful dark, clear, ruby red color in the glass. The lush nose reveals raspberry, ripe cherry, sweet vanilla, and notes of herbs. The palate follows with black raspberry, cherry and spice. The fruit carries nicely all the way through the long finish, with a hint of red liquorice at the very end. The acidity is sufficient, and the tannins are well integrated and matches the ripe fruit nicely. Medium to full bodied, this wine is sure to not disappoint. We have not been as you can see, with only one out of six bottles remaining, although I planned to cellar a few... Oh well, very enjoyable right now.Find it at WineZap.com from $45.Vote for my blog here and help me reach top 10 on The Blog Top!

Jayson 2003 Napa Valley Red Wine
2007-12-21 06:26:00
A short review on a wine we had with dinner tonight.Jayson 2003 Napa Valley Red Wine is produced by Pahlmeyer, and is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec. It is made from the grapes/juice that is left over after producing the "big brother wine", Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red.The wine is dark ruby red in the glass. The nose shows black cherry, plum, blackberry, and vanilla. The palate follows in it's path with black berries, oaky vanilla, and relatively smooth tannins that however shows notes of green wood. The nose is a step above the palate, which is a little thinner in the fruit at the finish then you are lead to believe.Find this wine at Wine-Searcher.com from $ 59.99. For the price it is a pretty decent bottle, but there are certainly better wines in that price range out there.Vote for my blog here and help me reach top 10 on The Blog Top!
More About: Blend , Red Wine

Robert Craig 2002 Mt. Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2007-12-18 05:45:00
I went over to my neighbors last night to give them some homemade Christmas treats and I got a treat right back in form of a glass of Robert Craig 2002 Mt. Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon .I have had the Robert Craig Affinity (their Bordeaux blend) at several occasions before and always enjoyed it, but this wine was definitely a notch up.The color in the glass is a deep red garnet color. Big ripe berries, black cherry and black currant meets you at the nose with oak and vanilla notes. The palate is equally lush with dark berries, black currant, and a long finish with violet candy, black liquorice notes, and supple, well integrated tannins with matching acidity.This was a really good glass of wine and as soon as I finished my glass I wished I had a bottle waiting at home. The quality of the wine very much matches the price tag; available from $60 at Wine-Searcher.com. I would happily spend my money on this wine any day.Vote for my blog here and help me reach top 10 on The Blog Top!

Barham Mendelsohn 2003 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
2007-12-17 02:26:00
This wine is made by winemaker Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat. His only bottling from Russian River Valley. 800 cases produced.It shows a medium dark ruby color in the glass with medium dark berries, floral perfume, tea notes, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla oak on the nose. The palate shows young red fruit/berries, tart red currant, earthy spice, and a hint of black liquorice (?) and minerals at the very finish.This medium bodied wine has good acidity but slightly harsh, still green tannins that shows on the the full length of the palate. The nose unfortunately promises more fruit than the palate carries.Nice effort but, to me, not worth the $35 I paid for it. At $20 I could have seen it as a good value. The tannins and the tartness of the fruit did not quite fit my palate. It might however be the perfect match for someone else... I would love to hear your opinion if you have had it, and agree or disagree.If you are interested in giving it a try it can be found at Winerz.com for $28.8...
More About: Pinot Noir , Noir , Russian River Valley

Valhalla Cellars 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2007-12-14 03:14:00
I could not resist picking up a bottle of Valhalla Cellars 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon when I saw it on the shelf in the local grocery store. Being from Sweden with our heritage of Norse Gods and Valhalla I just had to try this wine that I had never heard of before. I just loved the label with the viking ship!Valhalla Cellars was founded in 2001 by Todd Martin and Madeleine Beeler Warner, both of Scandinavian decent. Therefore the name of their label. They are small producers that buy grapes from top vineyards in areas that produce the best quality grapes for the wine they intend to produce.This wine was fermented in open top fermenters with the cap punched down 3 times daily. It was then aged for 21 months in 60% new and 40% two year old French Oak. Only 70 cases produced.The wine has a very dark dense ruby color in the glass with slight cloudiness. Red cherry, dark red currant, liquorice and vanilla meets you on the nose. It is relatively smooth on the palate with red frui...
More About: Napa Valley

CraftSteak at MGM Grand Las Vegas
2007-12-10 01:00:00
While in New York earlier this year we dined at Tom Colicchio's CraftSteak. My husband loved the meal and I thought it was very good as well, and when given the opportunity to dine at CraftSteak in Las Vegas we had to try out this "sibling restaurant". The restaurant is located next door to Emeril's, Fiamma and other fine dining restaurants at the MGM Grand . The space is contemporary and has a sleek, clean look with dark wood, leather, stainless steel, warm colors at the walls, and a large bar at the entrance.As a party of six we got seated promptly at arrival. We all started of by sharing some starters as the portions are huge and more than enough for two. I had the Roasted Baby Beets, red and pink beets slowly rated in the oven and served over a few micro greens. Simple, flavorful and delicious. I also tasted the Arugula Salad tossed in a simple vinaigrette. Fresh and light. The third couple had the Romaine Hearts "Caesar" and gave it thumbs up.For entree I choose the Rack of La...
More About: Restaurant , Santa Rita Hills

Wine.com lets public choose its top 100 list
2007-12-07 19:06:00
The following article was published in the Sacramento Business Journal. The subject is about the top 100 list from Wine .com. Based entirely on quantities sold it is an interesting approach to having the public rate wines...Read and judge for yourself.Wine.com lets public choose its top 100 listSacramento Business Journal - by Chris Rauber San Francisco Business TimesTaking after the popular "American Idol" TV show, Wine.com unveiled its Wine.com 100 on Wednesday, touting it as "the industry's first top 100 list based entirely on customer preferences."The top 100 list reflects the top 2 percent of wines sold nationally on Wine.com during 2007, based on unit volume, according to the San Francisco-based company, which bills itself as the nation's top online wine retailer."We wanted our first-ever top 100 list to be unique," Rich Bergsund, Wine.com's CEO, said in the Dec. 5 statement. "Many publications rank wines based on the opinions of their wine critics. We wanted our customers t...
More About: Public , List , Choose

Vino Volo and Caymus Vineyards 2005 Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
2007-12-06 02:39:00
Going to Las Vegas last weekend our flight out of Sacramento was delayed for 4 hours, which gave us plenty of time to kill in the airport's wine bar, Vino Volo. Vino Volo is a chain of airport wine bars with five current locations; Seattle, Sacramento, Washington DC, Baltimore and New York, and with plans to expand and open many more locations in the upcoming year.Having the option to visit Vino Volo made me very excited as airport food and drinks, in general, gives me the shivers... Vino Volo adds a touch of sophistication with good quality wine by flight, glass or bottle. Small plates are also served. We tried the cheese plate, chicken panini and the New York skewers with mashed potatoes and peas. All a step above all other airport food I have ever had. I started of with the Pinot Noir wine flight featuring a California pinot from the Molnar Family 2005 Poseidon's Vineyard, from France the Louis Latour 2002 VOLNAY, and from New Zealand the Nevis Bluff 2003 Pinot Noir. A nice fli...
More About: Cabernet Sauvignon , Vineyards , Special

Vosges Chocolate Truffles
2007-12-04 04:29:00
I just got back after a weekend in Las Vegas with to much good food and wine. Trust me, you will hear all about it later, but today I thought I would start with telling you about the truffles I got from Vosges Chocolate .Vosges Chocolate is located in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and has a very chic, modern decor, and beautiful display of their chocolates.I picked out four of their truffles to enjoy later. They were put in a classy box that got a bow around it.Balsamico is a dark chocolate truffle flavored with a 12 year old Modena balsamic vinegar. The notes of the vinegar is pleasantly intense and measures up really nice to the dark chocolate. It is topped with chopped hazelnuts for a nice crunch and contrast of texture.Red Fire has a nice spicy kick from Ancho chili and subtle notes of cinnamon. The heat is perfectly balanced with the dark chocolate. Sprinkled with red chili powder it looks like it tastes.Black Pearl is a dark chocolate truffle flavored with ginger, wasabi and topp...
More About: Truffles

The Candy House of Davis, Davis CA
2007-11-29 05:10:00
My friend brought me some truffles from The Candy House of Davis , after a visit there, knowing I am a chocoholic.After eating them (all of them in one evening...) I thought I would share my thoughts with you in case you ever run into them.All the truffles are pyramid shaped and handmade. They also make supposedly amazing fudge, that I have yet to try.I started with biting into the Amaretto Truffle that has a pleasant mellow almond/nutty flavor. As I am usually not overly thrilled with liquor added to my chocolates I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle flavors, and the lack of alcohol "flavor".The Kahlua Truffle has a mild coffee flavor with a texture falling right in between a soft caramel and truffle. Covered in dark chocolate.Black and White was my next victim. White chocolate filled with a dark chocolate sticky ganache, with a slight hint of mint. Very nice.Praline was just that. A milk and white chocolate shell filled with semi firm, sugary, sweet caramel/praline. A touch to ...
More About: Chocolate , Avis

Three reds...
2007-11-19 05:30:00
The other night we had neighbors over for a glass, or two (or three) of wine. I took some brief note that I thought I would share with you...We started of with the Alexander Valley Vineyards 2003 Alexander Valley Syrah . A slightly cloudy and dark red/purple wine. On the nose bright black cherry, blueberry and vanilla. The palate showed raspberry, blueberry, ripe cherry and oak. We all thought this medium to full bodied wine was enjoyable on its own, with integrated firm tannins and long fruity finish.Find it from $14.99 at Wine-Searcher.com Next up a bottle that our friends brought, Summers Winery 2004 Villa Andriana Vineyard Napa Valley Charbono. It is not very often you see a 100% Charbono and I was very excited to try this wine. The color in the glass was extremely dense purple/black color. On the nose first perfume with violet and rose. Then dark cherry, blackberry and a touch of creme brulee at the end of the nose.Palate was lively with ripe, dense fruit and soft tannins with a...
More About: Italy , Reds , Barbera

Achaval Ferrer 2006 Mendoza Malbec
2007-11-13 04:31:00
Achaval Ferrer was founded in 1998 and is located in the province of Mendoza , Argentina , at the foot of the Andes mountain range. The area's desert-like conditions are perfect for growing Malbec , giving low yields, poor and well drained soils, and warm days with cold nights, which concentrates and gives depth to the final wine.Roberto Cipresso is the winemaker and he also owns a winery in Montalcino, Tuscany.Achaval Ferrer 2006 Mendoza Malbec has a beautiful, dense, dark purple color. Heavy dark cherry, blackberry, blueberry, lingonberry, and vanilla greats you on the nose.Tasting the wine it shows big, ripe, dark fruit with blackberry, sour cherry, plum, and touch of smoke at the finish.This wine is big, pleasant, and a great wine for a cold night in the fall. Don't expect great things but certainly good. Serve it with a hearty stew and light the fire place...I found this wine at Costco for $16.99 and thought I would give it a try. I am glad I did. I would describe this wine as s...

Stags' Leap Winery 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2007-11-11 03:58:00
Stag's Leap Winery is located in the heart of Stags' Leap District, Napa Valley , on a 240 acre estate. Founded in 1893 it has a rich history. Read more about it at the winery's web site.The grapes for Stags' Leap 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was handpicked and fermented in small lots in a combination of open and closed top frementers. During frementation it received frequent punch downs. Thereafter it was aged in 50% new and 50% used French oak for 24 months. 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot was added for structure and depth.In the glass this wine has a dark, dense ruby color.The nose is heavy and earthy with dark plum, cherry, and coffee. Notes of cloves and vanilla enters at the end.The palate displays dusty fruit of plum, dark cherry, and black currant, with earth, spice and a hint of coffee. The tannins are course and firm in moderate amount, and the acidity plentiful.This wine showed the heavy and earthy qualities Cabernet Sauvignon can display. We enjoyed it although...

Robert Craig 2003 Central Coast Syrah
2007-11-08 05:05:00
Robert Craig 2003 Central Coast Syrah is made from fruit from vineyards in Los Olivos, Santa Ynez Valley, and Paso Robles.It shows a vivid clear, dark garnet color in the glass. Lifting the glass to my nose black currant, dark cherry, dark raspberry, black licorice and a hint of smoked meat and vanilla meets me. On the palate an array of big ripe, and at the same time slightly earthy, fruit and berries with dark cherry, blackberry, with peppery notes, displays. The tannins are big and soft in this medium to full bodied wine.I enjoyed this wine. It has a lot of nuances and is big and bold at the same time as it has some finesse. For the price it is a good choice.The original price at the winery was $30. I found it at the local grocery store at sale for only $ 20. Vote for my blog here and help me reach top 10 on The Blog Top!
More About: Robert

Zaca Mesa 2004 Z Cuvee Santa Ynez Valley Red Wine
2007-11-06 03:53:00
Zaca Mesa Wine ry is located in Santa Ynez Valley on an 750 acre estate whereof 244 acres are planted vineyard. The winery was founded in 1972 and was one of the first in Santa Ynez Valley since the prohibition ended. It was originally planted with varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah , Chardonnay, Zinfandel, etc. In the early 1990's it was determined that Rhone varietals such as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre , Viognier, and Roussanne grew best on the site, and it was decided that these were the varietals the winery would focus on. Since 2002 an additional 100 acres have been replanted with new clones of Rhone varietals.All grapes used in their wine is grown on their property with sustainable wine growing as the goal.An interesting trivia is that their Syrah was served in the White House by President Clinton to the French President Chirac.The Zaca Mesa 2004 Z Cuvee Santa Ynez Valley Red Wine is a Chateauneuf-du-Pape style blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and Cinsaut. Th...

Chateau St Jean 1996 Sonoma County Reserve Merlot
2007-11-02 03:07:00
Today I am doing a quick review of a wine we had a couple of nights ago with good friends. We bought this bottle at the winery as a library wine, I would guess about 5 years ago. This was our only bottle, and this is the first time we have tasted this wine (they did not pour it at the winery when we purchased it). 400 cases was made.Chateau St Jean 1996 Sonoma County Reserve Merlot has a dark ruby red/brick color in the glass. The nose displays surprisingly concentrated fruit with dark cherry, plum, slight notes of raisin, and soft vanilla. On the palate, plum, cherry, and dark raspberry with an earthy note. The tannins are moderate and silky, but still with an edge, in this medium to fullbodied wine.My impression of this wine is close to what I had expected. With a little bit more fruit/berries then I thought would still remain (which is a good thing), this was certainly a very good, but not a great wine.For the price you can find better wine but I would not rule this one out if yo...

Paul Martin's American Bistro Grand Opening
2007-10-31 00:31:00
As we had a good friend in town last night we decided to take him to Paul Martin's American Bistro where we went for the soft opening last Friday (read my review here). This was their first night open to the public and we thought it would be a great opportunity to try out the dinner menu.We originally had reservations for 7:15 pm, and because we were awaiting a third party we had to change the time. Though they were booked up, the staff was very accomodating to our needs and demonstrated first rate service.At arrival we sat down in the bar while waiting for our friend to arrive. I was very pleased to see that they had quite a few wines by the glass and not afraid to put some more pricey wines in that category as well. We ordered the Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($19), as we had this a while back and really enjoyed it (read my review here). A new bottle was opened for us, and we were not disappointed by our choice. The wine list over all has a relatively small sel...
More About: Restaurant , Opening , Grand

Paul Martin's American Bistro, Roseville
2007-10-29 02:19:00
Paul Martin?s American Bistro is having its grand opening tomorrow, Monday, at Eureka Rd in Roseville . I got a preview and tasted their food at the soft opening Friday at lunch with my husband and a friend.The restaurant is a joint venture by Brian Bennett and Paul Flemming. Executive chef is Peter Serantoni and the Day-to-Day Head Chef is Scott Rose that has previously been at Spataro Restaurant and Bar, and Paragary's Bar and Oven, among others. The menu concentrates on ingredient sourced from local farmers/producers.The restaurant has a modern, sleek decor with brick walls and a lot of wood. The large bar covers a full wall of the restaurant and serves up a long list of specialty drinks made with their own fruit infused vodkas, and more.We were seated promptly and ordered a bottle of ZD 2006 Chardonnay (a wine we have enjoyed many times), and were served bread and butter. The butter is hand churned in the restaurant from organic cream. Although there was a wide array of great lo...
More About: Paul

Vino Noceto 2004 Shenandoah Valley Sangiovese
2007-10-25 04:20:00
Vino Noceto, a small family run winery in Amador County, was founded in 1987 by Suzy and Jim Gullet. They concentrate on the Italian varieties Sangiovese , Barbera and Muscato Bianco. They also grow Zinfandel which the area is known for.I picked up a 375 ml bottle of the Vino Noceto 2004 Shenandoah Valley Sangiovese the other day at our grocery store, and tonight we are giving it a try.The wine shows a bright ruby red color in the glass with a slight dark pink hue.The nose gives of aromas of dark cherry, rose hip fruit, sweet vanilla and black tea. In the mouth notes of cherry, cranberry, spice, earth, and a touch of pencil lead at the very finish. The acidity is relatively high and the tannins slightly tart.This wine has good balance, is very approachable at this point in time, and a really nice wine with food (I can definitely see it with spaghetti and meatballs...) or enjoyed on it's own. For $12.99 at Wine-Searcher.com and WineZap.com it is a really good deal. I really like the ...
More About: Vino , No No

Cosentino 2002 M.Coz Napa Valley Meritage
2007-10-22 03:00:00
This is a bottle that we got a couple of years back in our wine club member shipment from Cosentino Winery. Tonight it was time to pop it open to go with a nice Filet Mignon.This is a unfined and unfiltered wine made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It has an extremely dark, dense garnet color in the glass. The nose reveals dark cherry, blackberry, black currant, and vanilla. The wine is equally concentrated in fruit and berries on the palate with black cherry, blackberry, plum and black currant with some dusty earth. The tannins are plentiful and very firm. The finish is relatively long with fruit, earthiness and with a slight heat from the relatively high alcohol level (14.6%).This is all over a very intense, although not overly ripe, wine on both nose and palate. With the firm tannins this makes for a young 2002 that I wish I would have kept my hands off another couple of years, at least... Not to say it's not a really enjoyable wine at this point in time, but...
More About: Meritage , Blend , Valley , Napa , Napa Valley

Bargetto 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir
2007-10-19 04:14:00
In 1918 immigrant brother, Phillip and John Bargetto, from Castelnouvo Don Bosco in Piedmont, Italy, purchased the land in the Santa Cruz Mountains where Bargotto Winery was founded. During the prohibition (1919-1933) they made wine for family and friends, and in 1933 they started to sell it to the public. Two generations later the winery is still in the family...The Bargetto 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir has a clear, ruby red color in the glass. The nose is dominated by cherry, dark raspberry and perfume aromas. It is vivid, but with a light touch to it, on the palate with bing cherry, plum, raspberry and a fruity finish with pencil lead at the very end. The oak is present but far from overwhelming, the acidity is plentiful and the tannins are slightly "tart" but still silky.I found this wine at BevMo on sale for $19.99 (regular price $25.99). If you can't find it there check out MissionLiqour.com wher you can find it from $19.98.Vote for my blog here and help me reach top ...

ZD 2005 Carneros Pinot Noir
2007-10-15 03:59:00
I am finally back after having had family in town for the two last weeks with a lot of traveling (and no blogging). Thank you for being patient...Tonight we opened the ZD 2005 Carneros Pinot Noir with dinner. It is made from fruit sourced from two vineyards in Carneros. After crush it was fermented in small open top fermenters with hand punchdowns every six hours, then aged for 10 months in French Oak barrels.This wine shows a dark ruby red, clear color in the glass. The nose is lush but still elegant with ripe red cherry, rose, vanilla and a slight hint of thyme. In the mouth it expresses red cherry, dark raspberry, dust and smokey oak. The tannins are soft in this medium bodied wine with a moderate finish, that could use a little bit more punch.At first I was slightly disappointed at the very restrained fruit but as I let it open up about 30 min the more lush, ripe berries emerged and made this elegant wine quite enjoyable. After an additional 30 min it was even more fruit forward...

Bonaccorsi 2003 Fiddlestix Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
2007-09-30 04:47:00
Saturday night and we are revisiting an old friend of ours, the Bonaccorsi 2003 Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills. I had this bottle for the first time in Dec-06 in Las Vegas (after which I had to get some for home), could not wait and opened one in January this year. Time for a new taste tonight, and then there is only one bottle left in my stack for future enjoyment.The color in the glass is a dark ruby red with a slight purple shade. The nose is still bursting of bright fruit and berries, with dark cherries, dark raspberry, plum and for the first time I am noticing an herbaceous note. On the palate the dark cherry rules again with dark raspberry, and oak notes. The acidity is mouth watering and the tannins are well integrated and have mellowed down a bit from last time I had this wine, at that point I remember them being firm with an edge. The edge is gone...Hard to get a hold of I found just a fews site online where you can order it, Wine-Searcher.com for $54....
More About: Santa Rita Hills

WhiteHaven 2006 Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
2007-09-29 02:12:00
Before summer comes to an end it's time to try a couple of more Sauvignon Blanc . Last night we opened a WhiteHaven 2006 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand . I have enjoyed several great Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough this summer and this was a new arrival on the shelf in my grocery store that I had try.Greg and Susan White, and wine maker Simon Waghorn, established the winery in 1994. The production in 1995 was 5000 cases and next years production, 2008, is estimated to 200,000 cases so this is a winery that have grown quite a bit over the years.The wine has a clear, very light straw color in the glass. The nose is vibrant of citrus, under ripe white peach, and hints of grass. The palate is equally pungent with apple, citrus and kiwi, with really nice acidity. This is a dry and very refreshing wine but intense and bright on the nose and in flavors. If you like more austere whites with more emphasise on the mineral component my guess is that this is not so much for you.I ...

Lucia 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
2007-09-27 04:23:00
This is a favorite of mine year after year along with the on-step-up Lucia , Gary's Vineyard. During my Santa Barbara trip last week I found a 375 ml bottle in a local grocery store and was very excited to find a good half bottle for once...The Lucia 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir is primarily made from grapes from Pisoni Vineyards and Gary's Vineyard. Wine maker Jeff Pisoni uses classic Burgundian wine making methods such as fruit sorting, gravity feeding, hand punch downs during fermentation, and ageing in French oak. 850 cases made.In the glass it has a clear, dark ruby red color. The nose displays loads of ripe raspberry, red cherry, lingonberry, floral, and sweet tobacco at the end. Tasting it, the raspberry pops in your mouth again, with red currant, hint of fresh herbs, oak, and soft, ripe tannins. The good acidity dominates the finish with some cherry.This wine is ripe and fruity but still clean and towards the more elegant style. After my first sip of this wine, tha...

Mesa Grill, New york
2007-09-25 05:17:00
After some interruptions I am moving back to our New York trip.Enjoying Bobby Flay's cooking at the Food Network it was time to visit one of his restaurants. He has quite a few places in New York and we narrowed it down and decided to go to Mesa Grill because of the heavily south western influenced cuisine.After being seated promptly we ordered drinks. My margarita was surprisingly average and really stiff, my husband's Mesa Fresca on the other hand was a big it. A very refreshing tequila drink with grape and lime juice and a splash of soda. Only last week I watched Boy Meets Grill at the Food Network to see Bobby Flay mix it up. I was very excited to get the recipe... Check it out here.On to the first course. My husband had the Baby Romaine Salad with Chorizo and Cotija Cheese in a Roasted Garlic Dressing. He loved this relatively light dish with bold, spicy flavor from the excellent chorizo mellowed by the semi soft, milder Cotija cheese. I had the Shrimp and Grouper Ceviche wit...
More About: Travel , Restaurant , New-York