Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Shannon Ridge

2008
Wrangler Red

Lake County, CA


A wonderful blend of many: Zin, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre and Tempranillo. This was very smooth - creamy for a red. It had slight vanilla and herb flavors with light toasted oak. I really liked this wine. For $10 this was a good deal. It tasted good on its own and accompanied chicken pot pie nicely. In addition, it even tasted good following a bite of SALAD with olive oil and vinegar dressing!!! There was a creamy authentic Feta (my favorite - Mt. Vikos) in the salad and I wonder if it was possibly the cheese that made the wine good even with salad.

So today was one of those quirky days where I was thinking of a memory, which involved a friend and a song, and on the way home, right as I hit the highway and turned on the radio, the song came on. Later tonight I went to a school meeting and that friend was there, even though its been a long time and I don't see much of her around town. We used to dance together years ago at a local bar to a local band. They were a bunch of guys, but they sang a song Michelle and I liked, by a bunch of girls - 4 Non-Blondes. We would dance and sing the song out loud on the dance floor. So tonight's music meanderings are for Michelle:

And I try, oh my God do I try

I try all the time

In this institution

And I pray, oh my God do I pray
I pray every single day For a revolution
And so I cry sometimes when I'm lying in bed

Just to get it all out what's in my head

And I'm, I am feeling a little peculiar

So I wake in the morning and I step outside

And I take deep breath and I get real high

And I scream from the top of my lungs

What's goin'on

4 Non-Blondes, What's Going On

8.o out of 10

$10 / 750 ml. bottle

14.2% alc. by vol.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Santa Rita Reserva



Merlot
2008
Chile

This SUCKED. That is, until I paired it with dinner. I am sorry. It's just not great on its own. The Guy brought it home tonight, excited because it was something different. He said it had rave reviews. I asked if it was the 2008 he was sure had the rave reviews. He wasn't sure. Yup, that's what I was afraid of.

Rather watery, it smells musty at first, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But while I made dinner, I had sips and it was just weak and unflavorful. However, I will say, once dinner was served - "Japanese Steak House-Style Chicken" from one of my favorite cookbooks "High-Flavor Low-Fat Cooking" by Steven Raichlen, the wine was very good. Herbs and Vanilla came out when paired with dinner, and the The Guy asked if there was ginger in our dinner and he was right. He didn't notice the ginger until he drank the wine following a mouthful of chicken. Difficult to rate, this wine was much better with food.

I'm losing patience now
oh leave me alone (oh leave me alone)
stop asking for more
I'm goin' home on my own
oh leave me alone (oh leave me alone)
I'm walking out of the door
I'll make it on my own
leave me alone
leave me alone
leave me alone
JUST leave me alone

Natalie Imbruglia, Leave Me Alone




7.75 out of 10 (as reviewed WITH food)
13.5% alc. by vol.
$10.99 / 750 ml. bottle