Tres Picos Garnacha

2008
Borsao

First, I wish to extend my prayers to the people of Japan to overcome and rebuild and move beyond the heartbreaking conditions. I see pictures of such young children being scanned for radiation as they willingly lift up their little chins, the lonely elders, the hungry, the cold and the grief stricken and my heart goes out to them. To one day have your home and the next day have nothing but your life - humbling, painful, devastating. And to have children you need to be strong for and create a whole new future for. I know how truly blessed I am at this moment and will NOT take it for granted.


Dark berry, leather, earth, vanilla - the makings of a great wine experience for me. This was a warm welcome. When I added two squares of Hershey's Dark I was wonderfully propelled into a bit of bliss for a short time.

I was so excited to bring this home. I had the 2007 last summer in Vermont in good company and breathtaking views, accompanied by some seriously good organic dark chocolate. The 2008, I believe, was just a tad bit better. This is a good buy. $16 is not exactly cheap, but I think it easily tastes like a $20+ wine. I am eagerly awaiting a Spanish friend's opinion. :)

Get your hands on the 2008, it is selling out in various places. I don't know how the 2009 is.

I've got a feeling, it's hard to explain
Feels like the devil rents a room in my brain
The things I'm ashamed of feel like dear old St. Paul
The things that I wanna do I don't do at all . . .

...Wake me when its springtime in Heaven
When I'm strong enough to walk in that place

Blanket of Ghosts, Dustin Kensrue


8.5 out of 10
$16 / 750 ml. bottle
14.5% alc. by vol.

NAPA RIDGE Zinfandel

2005
NAPA Valley

I wasn't sure at first that I liked this. It had a scent that was reminiscent of another wine which I couldn't quite place. It was a kalamata olive scent with some slight smoke. The flavor was right on with the first tip-of-the- tongue taste, then it seemed a bit watery or weak. But THEN with subsequent sips, the finish lasted much longer. With a hint of oak, and smoke, and olive, I really enjoyed this. It is recommended to serve with red meat or cedar-planked salmon (which I would have LOVED to have it with). However, I made pizza this evening.

I came across my favorite cookbook by Susan Branch, Vineyard Seasons, that my mother gave me at the hospital on the day of my first daughter's birth. I found my old favorite pizza dough recipe in there and was so happy! The wine was good on its own, not bad with the pizza, and fantastic with dark chocolate brownies.

One of my favorite magazine advertisements (which I haven't seen in quite awhile) was the old Jim Beam ad which stated: "You always come back to the basics." That saying kept going through my head today especially after working my pizza dough and letting it rise. My daughter popped in my Frank Sinatra "I've Got a Crush on You" CD and life came to a nice, slow relaxing pace for a bit. Add to it the note my mom wrote in the cookbook: " . . .This has wonderful ideas for special family times. Now that you are a family I hope you will find it as special as I do! And enjoy it together - " The best part of this note was that she spelled my daugher's name wrong. When she learned the true spelling of her name she wanted to change it in the book, but I told her to leave it. It showed how "new" my daughter was, that her own grandmother didn't know how to spell her name yet. It's so awesome! :)

8.0 out of 10
$12? / 750 ml. bottle
14.1% alc. by vol.