2009
The Hamptons, Long Island (must be said with a Thurston Howell, III-type voice Lovey)
This was part of the Thanksgiving Day lineup. I have made it a mission to find something that this accompanies well, though I did use it mostly in cooking. On Thanksgiving, our appetizers were shrimp cocktail, aged upstate NY Cheddar with rosemary crackers, curried cashews, and prosciutto and fontina pinwheels. The Riesling we had accompanied all very well. The Rose was weakened by the other powerhouse flavors. However, I added it to my turkey soup and it tasted good accompanying the soup as well as with risotto and ginger and garlic sauteed chicken breasts that I made for dinner tonight (I did add 1 cup to the risotto). I would have thought the ginger and garlic were too strong of flavors and would have drowned out the wine, but they tasted surprisingly good together.
I was pleasantly shocked by this wine's dryness. I expected it would be weak and sweet, but it had more flavor and punch than I thought it would. Made from Merlot grapes, it was better than I anticipated. It was somewhere between a sauvignon blanc and a light summer chardonnay. It had a light strawberry like flavor with a crisp, almost floral finish. As it states on the bottle, it is better served with "light fare".
Let the angels sing around us
Christmas time is here
Let our children's love surround us
Laughing and filled with cheer
Harry Connick, Jr.
When My Heart Finds Christmas
7.5 out of 10
12% alc. by vol.
$14 / 750 ml. bottle
Showing posts with label Rose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rose. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Sangre de Toro
2007Rose
Spain
I wanted something chilled, but not beer, and I didn't want my usual summer Chardonnay. I was making black bean and guacamole tacos. So I wanted something that could stand up to strong flavors without canceling each other out. I decided on a cheap Spanish Rose.
I brought it home and chilled it and then had a glass while cooking dinner. It was OK. Not bad. Just not great. No knocking off of the socks. As I mashed avocados for my guacamole, I ate a slice of avocado. I then had a sip of the wine, and THEN I smiled. NICE combo. I put sliced fresh hot red peppers in the guacamole and found a sip of the wine really brought out the pepper in the meal as well. Later, way after the tacos, when cleaning up the kitchen, I had a spoonful of organic ground turkey that had been sauteed in olive oil and red onion and had another sip of wine and had another smile. Really good accompaniment.
The really nice part is you get your own little plastic toy BULL (Toro) attached to each bottle of Sangre de Toro! It was like when I was a kid and I chose the box of cereal by the prize inside. Oh, but THIS wine has a bull attached to it! Every girls dream come true.
7.75 out of 10
13% alc. by vol.
$9 / 750 ml. bottle
Monday, July 28, 2008
14-18h Rose
2007
Agiorgitiko
Greece
I once again visited the world of Rose (accent mark necessary but stumps me again). 14-18h was pretty good. I actually liked it. It wasn't sweet. It was dry and flavorful. Reminded me a bit of "Turkey Flat" which is another Rose I like. Though it wasn't heady, like I like my whites and reds (I didn't expect it with a Rose), I enjoyed it with leftover Tortellini Alfredo and fresh, sliced Avocado. And I enjoyed it on it's own. On a hot summer day, this is a refreshing wine to drink, well chilled.
Although, not a strong wine, I found myself affected :) My children have been away having fun at the beach with their grandparents for several days, and I knew I missed them, but I didn't know how much until my little one called me tonight to ask me to say her prayers over the phone and sing "Silent Night" to her (our favorite bedtime song all year round). I answered the phone at 10:00 PM and heard a quiet "Hi Momma" (I LOVE it when she calls me that - normally she calls me "Mom" except when she's really sleepy or just out of sorts). She asked for "prayers and 'Silent Night' ". I choked up halfway through prayers, then again doing the second verse of "Silent Night". I blamed the wine in my mind. :)
7.75 out of 10
12.5% alc. by vol.
$13 / 750 ml. bottle
Agiorgitiko
Greece
I once again visited the world of Rose (accent mark necessary but stumps me again). 14-18h was pretty good. I actually liked it. It wasn't sweet. It was dry and flavorful. Reminded me a bit of "Turkey Flat" which is another Rose I like. Though it wasn't heady, like I like my whites and reds (I didn't expect it with a Rose), I enjoyed it with leftover Tortellini Alfredo and fresh, sliced Avocado. And I enjoyed it on it's own. On a hot summer day, this is a refreshing wine to drink, well chilled.
Although, not a strong wine, I found myself affected :) My children have been away having fun at the beach with their grandparents for several days, and I knew I missed them, but I didn't know how much until my little one called me tonight to ask me to say her prayers over the phone and sing "Silent Night" to her (our favorite bedtime song all year round). I answered the phone at 10:00 PM and heard a quiet "Hi Momma" (I LOVE it when she calls me that - normally she calls me "Mom" except when she's really sleepy or just out of sorts). She asked for "prayers and 'Silent Night' ". I choked up halfway through prayers, then again doing the second verse of "Silent Night". I blamed the wine in my mind. :)
All my bags are packed,
I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin, it's early morn
The taxis waiting, he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could cry.
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go.
Im leavin' on a jet plane
I don't know when Ill be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go.
Peter, Paul, and Mary, Leavin' on a Jet Plane
7.75 out of 10
12.5% alc. by vol.
$13 / 750 ml. bottle
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Les Trois Poules Rose
2005
France
100% Grenache
"Wine brings to light the hidden secrets of the soul, gives being to our hopes, bids the coward flight, drives dull care away, and teaches new means for the accomplishment of our wishes." --- Horace (the leading Roman Lyric-Poet during the time of Augustus)
If "Mr. Pink" (Jeff Morgan, http://www.solorosawines.com/) is out there, I want to give you a heads up that I let the "Patel" family (liquor store owners, wine buyers, operators of http://www.getwines.com/, and Sommelier and Sommelier-in-training) know that I am interested in having them purchase your wines for retail at their local store. I don't know if anything will come of it, but I hope they at least make it possible for me to purchase it from them. (I know I can get it direct from your site, but I thought if I could get others interested, the better for you.)
Tonight I tried "Les Trois Poules" Rose. Slightly sweet strawberry followed by a sudden "disappearance of sweetness" and a light bitter edge. It was fairly good as long as it remained well chilled. I had a glass outside with me as I grilled dinner and the humidity and warmth of the air quickly took the chill away. It had a slight metallic taste at that point.
I grilled pork loin that I had marinated all day in "Bone Suckin' Sauce"
(http://www.bonesuckin.com/). The wine tasted "thin" following a bite of meat. But, it was good again following a bite of my parmesean-encrusted mashed potatoes. It was even better when I added my salsa concoction to my pork. (I chopped up cantaloupe, red onion and fresh mint and let it ferment together awhile and then put it over the barbecued pork.) The wine tasted really good following a bite of the the salsa and pork together.
All that said, it was a better Rose than the Tegernseerhof but not as good as the Turkey Flat. I still need a Rose that rocks my world.
7.25 out of 10
13% alc. by vol.
$13.99 / bottle
http://www.les3poules.com/
France
100% Grenache
"Wine brings to light the hidden secrets of the soul, gives being to our hopes, bids the coward flight, drives dull care away, and teaches new means for the accomplishment of our wishes." --- Horace (the leading Roman Lyric-Poet during the time of Augustus)
If "Mr. Pink" (Jeff Morgan, http://www.solorosawines.com/) is out there, I want to give you a heads up that I let the "Patel" family (liquor store owners, wine buyers, operators of http://www.getwines.com/, and Sommelier and Sommelier-in-training) know that I am interested in having them purchase your wines for retail at their local store. I don't know if anything will come of it, but I hope they at least make it possible for me to purchase it from them. (I know I can get it direct from your site, but I thought if I could get others interested, the better for you.)
Tonight I tried "Les Trois Poules" Rose. Slightly sweet strawberry followed by a sudden "disappearance of sweetness" and a light bitter edge. It was fairly good as long as it remained well chilled. I had a glass outside with me as I grilled dinner and the humidity and warmth of the air quickly took the chill away. It had a slight metallic taste at that point.
I grilled pork loin that I had marinated all day in "Bone Suckin' Sauce"
(http://www.bonesuckin.com/). The wine tasted "thin" following a bite of meat. But, it was good again following a bite of my parmesean-encrusted mashed potatoes. It was even better when I added my salsa concoction to my pork. (I chopped up cantaloupe, red onion and fresh mint and let it ferment together awhile and then put it over the barbecued pork.) The wine tasted really good following a bite of the the salsa and pork together.
All that said, it was a better Rose than the Tegernseerhof but not as good as the Turkey Flat. I still need a Rose that rocks my world.
7.25 out of 10
13% alc. by vol.
$13.99 / bottle
http://www.les3poules.com/
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Yellowtail Chardonnay and (yet another) Turkey Flat Food Pairing
2006
Australia
"I think it is a great error to consider a heavy tax on wines as a tax on luxury. On the contrary, it is a tax on the health of our citizens."
Thomas Jefferson
I thought for sure I had previously reviewed the 2006 Yellowtail Chardonnay. However, I can't find it in my history. I have had this wine previously during the summer and evidently failed to blog it (perhaps a sign in and of itself). Actually, it's not too bad. It is decent for the cost. It exudes one of my favorite flavors: vanilla. Not very oakey. Slightly tropical. It wouldn't be my first choice, but not my last either.
Tonight I made a great salad - it's not that often I can say that. Salads always taste great to me in restaurants, but not necessarily when I make them. I grilled some (organic) chicken and portabella mushrooms. I added them to (organic) baby greens and (organic) Romaine lettuce leaves. I added Kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, (organic) celery, roasted some Pignolia nuts and threw them in, freshly grated Parmesean and topped it all off with Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing (http://www.newmansown.com/).
The Guy hates most olives (definitely black), and garlic too I might add, and being 50% Italian (his sadly orphaned grandfather came to the US from Northern Italy on a ship at the age of like 12 on his own), it is completely devastating for me. I am exactly 50% English (father) and 50% Scottish (mother) and yet I love Italian and Mediterranean recipes and tend to want to make those types of dishes. Anyway, tonight I bought some fabulous Greek olives and, as I laid out all the salad ingredients, The Guy asked me about the olives. I got (slightly) excited and told him that he'd probably actually like those olives. He popped one in his mouth and ran to the bathroom. My middle child and I looked at each other, shook our heads and laughed. I thought he was going to throw up. But he just spit it out in the garbage. Anyway, the ingredients all together were great (minus olives from The Guy's salad).
Now, I find pairing a wine with salad next to impossible and really don't ever intentionally set out to do so. However, tonight I took out the Yellowtail Chardonnay and what was left of my Turkey Flat Rose (see previous blog entry) and compared and contrasted. I was fascinated to find that the Turkey Flat had its distinct flavor right off the bat, but then finished with a blast of total Pignolia nut flavor! The Yellowtail, followed by a well mixed bite of salad, tasted extremely vanilla. Either one was a pretty good accompaniment depending on your personal preference.
I don't recommend either, however, as an accompaniment to an organic frosted Cherry Pomegran pop tart.
7.25 out of 10
$13.99 / 1.5 L bottle
13.5% alc. by vol.
http://www.yellowtailwine.com/
Australia
"I think it is a great error to consider a heavy tax on wines as a tax on luxury. On the contrary, it is a tax on the health of our citizens."
Thomas Jefferson
I thought for sure I had previously reviewed the 2006 Yellowtail Chardonnay. However, I can't find it in my history. I have had this wine previously during the summer and evidently failed to blog it (perhaps a sign in and of itself). Actually, it's not too bad. It is decent for the cost. It exudes one of my favorite flavors: vanilla. Not very oakey. Slightly tropical. It wouldn't be my first choice, but not my last either.
Tonight I made a great salad - it's not that often I can say that. Salads always taste great to me in restaurants, but not necessarily when I make them. I grilled some (organic) chicken and portabella mushrooms. I added them to (organic) baby greens and (organic) Romaine lettuce leaves. I added Kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, (organic) celery, roasted some Pignolia nuts and threw them in, freshly grated Parmesean and topped it all off with Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing (http://www.newmansown.com/).
The Guy hates most olives (definitely black), and garlic too I might add, and being 50% Italian (his sadly orphaned grandfather came to the US from Northern Italy on a ship at the age of like 12 on his own), it is completely devastating for me. I am exactly 50% English (father) and 50% Scottish (mother) and yet I love Italian and Mediterranean recipes and tend to want to make those types of dishes. Anyway, tonight I bought some fabulous Greek olives and, as I laid out all the salad ingredients, The Guy asked me about the olives. I got (slightly) excited and told him that he'd probably actually like those olives. He popped one in his mouth and ran to the bathroom. My middle child and I looked at each other, shook our heads and laughed. I thought he was going to throw up. But he just spit it out in the garbage. Anyway, the ingredients all together were great (minus olives from The Guy's salad).
Now, I find pairing a wine with salad next to impossible and really don't ever intentionally set out to do so. However, tonight I took out the Yellowtail Chardonnay and what was left of my Turkey Flat Rose (see previous blog entry) and compared and contrasted. I was fascinated to find that the Turkey Flat had its distinct flavor right off the bat, but then finished with a blast of total Pignolia nut flavor! The Yellowtail, followed by a well mixed bite of salad, tasted extremely vanilla. Either one was a pretty good accompaniment depending on your personal preference.
I don't recommend either, however, as an accompaniment to an organic frosted Cherry Pomegran pop tart.
7.25 out of 10
$13.99 / 1.5 L bottle
13.5% alc. by vol.
http://www.yellowtailwine.com/
Friday, August 17, 2007
Tegernseerhof Rose
2006
Zweigelt
Austria
Before I review this Rose, I must let Mr. Jeff Morgan, co-owner of Solo-Rosa wines (http://www.solorosawines.com/) know that I appreciate your comments to my post. Thank you for the education. And, no, I unfortunately do not know what it's like to try to make a living as a winemaker, though I would be happy to trade in my crappy job for the opportunity. That said, don't be too hard on me as I was venturing out of the norm to try to overcome my preconceived notions of Rose so I am actually to be commended. I enjoyed the WE article and it was specifically the piece on you and your Solo-Rosa Wines and your Rose Avengers and Producers (http://www.rapwine.com/) that intrigued me enough to venture out. Now that I have two Roses under my belt, I will definiftely look forward to tasting your SoloRosa Syrah Rose even though it is a bit beyond my normal budget. I will make it a once-a-month category purchase.
I will admit that, for me, it is the color that makes it difficult to not pre-judge based on the very few past experiences with (albeit cheap) Rose. I shut my eyes and tried ever so hard to use my other senses when tasting last night's Turkey Flat and tonight's Tegernseerhof. I think I did a fairly good job but I am sure the color still messed me up a bit. I will continue to work on that issue.
Tonight I appreciate last night's Turkey Flat even more. It has a more distinguished flavor than the Tegernseerhof, and a better finish. The Tegernseerhof was much more fruity and light for my taste though I am sure there's a food pairing out there somewhere that it will work well with (I had it with cold Chinese sesame noodles). In hindsight, maybe I was a bit harsh on judging the higher price paid for the Turkey Flat.
I will probably purchase Turkey Flat again as I thought it might accompany grilled salmon well. I will most likely not purchase Tegernseerhof again. I will purchase SoloRosa Syrah Rose Russian River Valley 2006 in the near future and will definintely review it here.
7.0 out of 10
$12.99 / 750 ml
12.5% alc. by vol.
http://www.kwselection.com/
Zweigelt
Austria
Before I review this Rose, I must let Mr. Jeff Morgan, co-owner of Solo-Rosa wines (http://www.solorosawines.com/) know that I appreciate your comments to my post. Thank you for the education. And, no, I unfortunately do not know what it's like to try to make a living as a winemaker, though I would be happy to trade in my crappy job for the opportunity. That said, don't be too hard on me as I was venturing out of the norm to try to overcome my preconceived notions of Rose so I am actually to be commended. I enjoyed the WE article and it was specifically the piece on you and your Solo-Rosa Wines and your Rose Avengers and Producers (http://www.rapwine.com/) that intrigued me enough to venture out. Now that I have two Roses under my belt, I will definiftely look forward to tasting your SoloRosa Syrah Rose even though it is a bit beyond my normal budget. I will make it a once-a-month category purchase.
I will admit that, for me, it is the color that makes it difficult to not pre-judge based on the very few past experiences with (albeit cheap) Rose. I shut my eyes and tried ever so hard to use my other senses when tasting last night's Turkey Flat and tonight's Tegernseerhof. I think I did a fairly good job but I am sure the color still messed me up a bit. I will continue to work on that issue.
Tonight I appreciate last night's Turkey Flat even more. It has a more distinguished flavor than the Tegernseerhof, and a better finish. The Tegernseerhof was much more fruity and light for my taste though I am sure there's a food pairing out there somewhere that it will work well with (I had it with cold Chinese sesame noodles). In hindsight, maybe I was a bit harsh on judging the higher price paid for the Turkey Flat.
I will probably purchase Turkey Flat again as I thought it might accompany grilled salmon well. I will most likely not purchase Tegernseerhof again. I will purchase SoloRosa Syrah Rose Russian River Valley 2006 in the near future and will definintely review it here.
7.0 out of 10
$12.99 / 750 ml
12.5% alc. by vol.
http://www.kwselection.com/
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Turkey Flat Rose ("Roh-zay" - can't do the accent mark!)
2006
Barossa Valley
South Australia
Rose = "roh-zay"
(Review in bold below if you wish to escape the Wine Poet's ramblings)
Sitting out after dark to escape dinner's cooking inferno,
Heat lightning illuminates the twilight pink sky.
Going over all things ever said,
Making miracle wishes on bright stars up high.
Billie Holiday's "Stormy Weather" drifts from the kitchen,
But it's another song continuously running through the head.
Chad Kroeger and Carlos Santana sing,
'Every time I try to talk to you I get tongue tied
Turns out, everything I say to you comes out wrong and I don't know why
So I'll say why don't you and I get together
Take on the world be together forever
Heads we'll win
Tails we'll try again.'
Living off of distraction, it's still been a good day,
Rich's Dairy Farm, Kent Falls, and Turkey Flat Rose.
I never thought I'd see the day when I would actually pay money for a Rose. The July issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine is dedicated to Roses (over 300 are rated and some are surprisingly pricey). I had to give one a try. I was actually looking for 5 particular producers (all California, mostly Paso Robles) and vintages (mostly 2006 as we're talking a young breed), and had to settle for a lesser choice as my local wine shop only had a very small section dedicated to this "new" fancy. I bought the South Australian "Turkey Flat" for $18.99 and bypassed Austria's "Tegernseerhof". When I got home and immediately tore through my WE issue, I discovered both bottles were reviewed with "Tegernseerhof" being a WE rating of "90" and only $12! The "Turkey Flat" received a mere WE rating of "88" and cost me $6 more. (Incidentally, when I spoke to the wine merchant about their small Rose section, she said that they will actually be building on the selection as it's becoming the latest interest).
The Wine Enthusiast article focused on "Jeff Morgan", "Rose Avenger". He runs "SoloRosa" (which means "only pink" in Italia) in Napa Valley, CA and he has written a book entitled Rose, A Guide to the World's Most Versatile Wine. I quote him as follows: " . . .a few of my rose-loving wine colleagues and I also founded the Rose Avengers and Producers (RAP), which is dedicated to 'righting the wrongs' done to dry rose. We've put on "Pink Outs" in New York and San Francisco with as many as 150 winery members pouring their pink wines for sold-out capacity crowds. Anyone can join RAP. It's free, too. For details, go to www.rapwine.com.'
"Turkey Flat" was interesting for me. First, it's color was a "darker" almost flourescent pink. It's bouquet was a little "sweet" for my usual taste, but the finish surprised me. The first sensation I had was of strawberry. It did become less sweet with the finish and was refreshing and slightly dry where I didn't expect it would actually have a finish. It is 64% Grenache, 19% Shiraz, 11% Cabernet, and 6% Dolcetto. I found it light and refreshing alone, delicious with my olive loaf (kalamata, black and green olive wheat bread dipped in olive oil) and non-existant with my dinner. I made a chicken, sun-dried tomato, broccoli and white wine and garlic bowtie pasta. (I actually used my 2006 Drylands Sauvignon Blanc in the dish). Neither the wine or the meal was accentuated by the other. However, the olive flavoring in the bread was greatly enhanced when followed by a sip of the Turkey Flat. And the Turkey Flat was more dry and less sweet following the olive loaf. I have to say I surprisingly enjoyed it - better than the Papio Pinot Grigio.
Bottom Line: It was a refreshing wine on a warm summer's eve, but I wouldn't pay that much for it - should have been more along the lines of $12.99.
7.5 out of 10
12.5% alc. by vol.
$18.99 (Gulp! Yes for a Rose!)
http://www.turkeyflat.com.au/
Barossa Valley
South Australia
Rose = "roh-zay"
(Review in bold below if you wish to escape the Wine Poet's ramblings)
Sitting out after dark to escape dinner's cooking inferno,
Heat lightning illuminates the twilight pink sky.
Going over all things ever said,
Making miracle wishes on bright stars up high.
Billie Holiday's "Stormy Weather" drifts from the kitchen,
But it's another song continuously running through the head.
Chad Kroeger and Carlos Santana sing,
'Every time I try to talk to you I get tongue tied
Turns out, everything I say to you comes out wrong and I don't know why
So I'll say why don't you and I get together
Take on the world be together forever
Heads we'll win
Tails we'll try again.'
Living off of distraction, it's still been a good day,
Rich's Dairy Farm, Kent Falls, and Turkey Flat Rose.
I never thought I'd see the day when I would actually pay money for a Rose. The July issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine is dedicated to Roses (over 300 are rated and some are surprisingly pricey). I had to give one a try. I was actually looking for 5 particular producers (all California, mostly Paso Robles) and vintages (mostly 2006 as we're talking a young breed), and had to settle for a lesser choice as my local wine shop only had a very small section dedicated to this "new" fancy. I bought the South Australian "Turkey Flat" for $18.99 and bypassed Austria's "Tegernseerhof". When I got home and immediately tore through my WE issue, I discovered both bottles were reviewed with "Tegernseerhof" being a WE rating of "90" and only $12! The "Turkey Flat" received a mere WE rating of "88" and cost me $6 more. (Incidentally, when I spoke to the wine merchant about their small Rose section, she said that they will actually be building on the selection as it's becoming the latest interest).
The Wine Enthusiast article focused on "Jeff Morgan", "Rose Avenger". He runs "SoloRosa" (which means "only pink" in Italia) in Napa Valley, CA and he has written a book entitled Rose, A Guide to the World's Most Versatile Wine. I quote him as follows: " . . .a few of my rose-loving wine colleagues and I also founded the Rose Avengers and Producers (RAP), which is dedicated to 'righting the wrongs' done to dry rose. We've put on "Pink Outs" in New York and San Francisco with as many as 150 winery members pouring their pink wines for sold-out capacity crowds. Anyone can join RAP. It's free, too. For details, go to www.rapwine.com.'
"Turkey Flat" was interesting for me. First, it's color was a "darker" almost flourescent pink. It's bouquet was a little "sweet" for my usual taste, but the finish surprised me. The first sensation I had was of strawberry. It did become less sweet with the finish and was refreshing and slightly dry where I didn't expect it would actually have a finish. It is 64% Grenache, 19% Shiraz, 11% Cabernet, and 6% Dolcetto. I found it light and refreshing alone, delicious with my olive loaf (kalamata, black and green olive wheat bread dipped in olive oil) and non-existant with my dinner. I made a chicken, sun-dried tomato, broccoli and white wine and garlic bowtie pasta. (I actually used my 2006 Drylands Sauvignon Blanc in the dish). Neither the wine or the meal was accentuated by the other. However, the olive flavoring in the bread was greatly enhanced when followed by a sip of the Turkey Flat. And the Turkey Flat was more dry and less sweet following the olive loaf. I have to say I surprisingly enjoyed it - better than the Papio Pinot Grigio.
Bottom Line: It was a refreshing wine on a warm summer's eve, but I wouldn't pay that much for it - should have been more along the lines of $12.99.
7.5 out of 10
12.5% alc. by vol.
$18.99 (Gulp! Yes for a Rose!)
http://www.turkeyflat.com.au/
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