Drink Wine With Me

Ergo Tempranillo at Ventanas

Admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:47:52 +0000

Last night I was surprised with dinner at Ventanas in NYC. Ventanas is a new Spanish tapas restaurant located in the very fashionable Meatpacking district underneath the Highline. Following in the footsteps of it’s two sister restaurants that I also love to frequent, Flor De Sol and Son Cubano, it successfully offers a wide variety of delicious small plates and oozes with romantic atmosphere. Our wine choice was a bottle of Ergo Tempranillo Rioja 2009 from Martin Codax. We have found that you simply cannot go wrong with wines from the Rioja region of Spain especially since they are known for producing the best Tempranillos. This medium bodied red was dark ruby in the glass and gave off aromas of dark fruit. The flavors of black cherry and plum gave way to a hint of spice and the smooth tannins made each sip a wonderful experience. The Ergo Tempranillo really paired well with all of the tapas dishes we selected. We sampled many but our top favorites were the camarones al ajillo (shrimp in garlic), frituras de queso de cabras (goat cheese fritas), and the empanadas espinaca (spinach and manchego empanadas). The plates were reasonably priced between $10-$22 and our wine was under $40. A word of warning that one bottle may not be enough. This wine was so good the bottle went very fast and we ended up ordering an extra glass each! Ergo Tempranillo is an excellent choice for Rioja lovers and is available in stores for under $14. If you are in the NYC area and are looking for a great place for date night or a fun place to go with a group of friends I highly recommend Ventanas.

Napa Valley Trip 2011

Admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:16:54 +0000

This past August my boyfriend Andrzej and I were finally able to take a trip to California and tour Napa Valley. I decided to tack the trip onto my Vegas business trip so we would have three full days of tasting to do. Not a huge amount of time but enough to visit quite a few vineyards on my list and it gives us an excuse to keep going back. Prior to our trip I consulted with my Opus Vino book, friends, and co-workers and began to map out the wineries and tasting rooms I wanted to visit. From touring Long Island I knew we would only be able to hit 5-6 wineries per day so as to not overdo it. I only chose wineries where you didn’t have to make an appointment. I wanted to be on our own schedule and not have to rush and watch the clock all day.

Day 1

Plumpjack (Oakville)

Plumpjack was recommended to me by a very good friend who loves their wines. I had heard only great things about their quality and since their wines are higher in price than the majority of what I normally buy and write about, visiting is an excellent way to get acquainted. We sampled a flight of five wines the highlights of which were the Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. The trip was off to a great start!

Peju (Rutherford)

Our second stop was also due to a recommendation from a vendor of mine. He raves about Peju and served their wines at his wedding. We were guided through our flight by Alan who was very knowledgeable but made the tasting very entertaining as he “rapped” about the different wines they produce. I really enjoyed the Provence and the Cabernet Sauvignon. The grounds are very pretty and there is a cute gift shop you can browse in before or after your tasting.

Sterling Vineyards (Calistoga)

I made sure to add Sterling to our itinerary. Even though their wines are readily available almost anywhere, the tasting room is perched on a hilltop and is accessible by a gondola ride. Once up top you walk through the facility and get your wine samples at different stations around the property. It is a genius format so that you can learn and sip as you go. The views from the terrace are stunning and great for photo ops. The tasting flight was of five wines. I particularly enjoyed the Cellar Club Riesling and the Cellar Club Malvasia Bianca which was a dessert wine.

Castello di Amorosa (Calistoga)

From the top of Sterling you can see Castello di Amorosa down the road. It is a replica of a medieval European castle built by Dario Sattui. This winery features Italian style wines. I initially didn’t want to stop here as I thought it would be too “touristy” and that the wines wouldn’t be all that good. I am happy to say that this was not the case. With the purchase of your tasting you can tour the entire castle and grounds. The tasting is done in the cellar that also houses an incredible gift shop offering all kinds of cool medieval themed items as well as all things wine. We enjoyed all of the wines that we tasted here. The stand outs for me were the Fantasy red, Sangiovese, and the sweet Gewurtztraminer. Since these wines are only available at the castle I ended up placing an order to ship home.

With our first day of tasting at an end we headed to Morimoto for dinner. I cannot say enough about this restaurant. Of course how could it be bad when an Iron Chef owns it? For appetizers we had the pork gyoza with bacon foam and the rock shrimp tempura. I am still dreaming of the rock shrimp tempura and it is one of the best things I have ever eaten! My entree was Alaskan halibut with ginger and for dessert we had the trio of ice cream sandwiches. Definitely a meal I won’t ever forget!

Day 2

Turnbull Wine Cellars (Oakville)

We began our second day at Turnbull Wine Cellars. This was a quick visit but we got a nice overview of their wines. I recommend their Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.

Franciscan (Rutherford)

While we were in Las Vegas we had dinner at my all time favorite restaurant Prime in the Bellagio Hotel. To pair with our steaks we ordered a bottle of Franciscan Merlot and we loved it. I had to add the winery to my list for our trip. This winery makes some excellent wines and I loved my tasting flight. The Rose 2010 and the Clos Reserve were amazing but my favorite was the Fountain Court named for the fountain out front.

St. Clement (St. Helena)

This winery is located in a beautiful restored Victorian home surrounded by pretty landscaped grounds. The front porch is very welcoming and the decor inside is full of old fashioned charm. Again on offer was a flight consisting of five wines mainly red varietals. Highlights of this winery are the “Napa Valley” Chardonnay (Carneros), “Napa Valley” Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Oroppas. The Oroppas is a blend created with grapes from six appellations in Napa and is rated 90 points by Robert Parker Jr. All were very consistent and excellent quality wines that I would purchase in the future. There is also a patio on the property to enjoy your wines and live music on the weekends.

Rombauer Vineyards (St. Helena)

Rombauer was recommended to me by several co-workers who raved about their Zinfandel. Since Andrzej isn’t a huge Zin fan I chose a flight for us to share that had other varietals. My favorites were the 2006 Diamond Selection Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2010 Carneros Chardonnay. I can’t say enough about the Chardonnay. Definitely one of the best I have tasted so far and I went on to purchase a bottle to drink on the trip.

Chimney Rock (Napa)

This was another quick stop as we were getting tired after a long day of sampling. We were under the gun as the wineries were about to close. We were able to squeeze in a tasting here and we were very impressed with what it had to offer. The best wines of this tasting were the 2010 Rose of Cabernet Franc, the 2006 Terlato Cabernet, and the 2007 Terlato Galaxy.

After a quick rest at the hotel we headed to Yountville for dinner at Pacific Blues Cafe. Very quaint and not expensive we had a very good dinner. The chicken tortilla soup was very satisfying. I loved the blue burger with blue cheese and jalapeno jelly, while Andrzej enjoyed a huge pork chop with mango salsa and garlic fries. A perfect ending to our second day in Napa.

Day 3

Our last day was the most special because we had friends drive up from San Fransisco to join us.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars (Napa)

It is very easy for people to become confused as there are two wineries with the name Stags Leap and they are on the same road not that far away from each other. I chose this one since we weren’t required to have an appointment. I hate to write anything negative but this was the winery that disappointed me the most. Even after we were there early right after they opened it took forever for someone to bring out our glasses and menu to choose the tasting. The staff was also less than enthusiastic while explaining the wines in the tasting. I chose the Napa Valley Collection Tasting flight of four wines. While none of them were what I would consider bad wines I wasn’t wowed either. The 2007 Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon was the best of the four. I would not go back to this winery again but would check out the it’s neighbor of the same name to compare.

Clos Du Val (Napa)

One of my favorites of the entire trip! I cannot say enough about these wines. Everything we had we loved. We were given samples of wines that weren’t on the tasting and you could say we were hooked. Enough so that we as well as our friends joined their wine club. Our favorites were the 2008 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District, and the special tasting of the 2000 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Pine Ridge Vineyards (Stags Leap)

Another spur of the moment stop that wasn’t planned but turned out to be well worth our time. They have a very cool wine vault that you can explore and the tasting was very relaxed and informative. Our tasting was again of five wines and while they were all good I gave stars to four of them. The 2008 Dijon Clones Chardonnay, 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 Onyx, and 2007 Fortis were all excellent.

V. Sattui (St. Helena)

I would nickname this the party winery. Known for it’s picnic grounds that is exactly why we went there. This winery has a huge on site deli with all kinds of food including an incredible selection of cheeses and meat. Our friends purchased a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and we relaxed with our goodies on a picnic table under the shade of the trees. V. Sattui was very crowded partly due to the BBQ they serve on the weekends. The atmosphere was great and the food and wine were worth stopping for.

Domaine Chandon (Yountville)

If you love bubbly like I do then you must visit Domaine Chandon. This winery features pretty scenic grounds and indoor or outdoor tasting bars as well as an on site restaurant. You can choose from four different tasting menus that vary by price. My choice was the Reserve tasting that featured Reserve Chardonnay Brut, Reserve Pinot Noir Brut, and Reserve Pinot Noir Rose. We all picked different tastings and everyone was happy with the wines.

Ma(i)sonry (Yountville)

I saved the best for last! I read about Ma(i)sonry tasting room because I was interested in trying wines from Blackbird Vineyards. The tasting room is housed in a charming stone building that is also an art gallery with an outdoor garden with plenty of intimate seating. The Blackbird tasting consisted of five of their wines and I was completely blown away. These are now some of my all time favorite wines. The 2010 Arriviste Rose is one of the top rated Rose’s in California. The 2009 Arise is a great, everyday drinking wine. My two favorites were the 2008 Illustration and the 2008 Contrarian. I ended up placing a nice order while I was there but then ordered more when I returned home. Though the majority of these wines are more than my budget normally allows for wine they are well worth splurging on.

This marked the end of our time in Napa and though I was sad to leave I think I could have only done one more day of tasting before I would need a break. I look forward to visiting Napa again in the near future and have discovered that when in doubt you can’t go wrong with many of the wines from this region.

Natura Merlot 2007

Admin — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 03:07:48 +0000

Lately I have been making more of an effort to eat healthy and pay attention to where the food I am purchasing comes from. Organic foods seem to be catching on and are no longer just an of the moment food trend. I am concerned with added chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics and how they are contributing to ill health so I am making a point to add more organic items to my shopping cart. When it comes to wine however I haven’t been paying much attention to the organic category. I have written about wines made by producers who employ practices of bio dynamic and sustainable farming but the wines weren’t necessarily made from organic grapes. At a recent South American themed tasting we tried Natura Merlot 2007. Produced in the Rapel Valley in Chile by Vinedos Emiliana, they are at the forefront of organic wine production in their region. This merlot is comprised of 99% merlot with small amounts of syrah and petit verdot blended in. In the glass it has a lovely dark ruby color. The aroma consisted of sweet cherries with a hint of vanilla. It is very fruit forward on the palate with light tannins. Since Natura Merlot is organic this means that the grapes are grown without any pesticides or synthetic chemicals of any kind. There are also very small amounts of sulfites compared to non-organic wines. Some say that organic wines are sulfite free but all wines have at least some present whether they occur naturally or are added back into the wine. This is necessary to prevent spoilage as organic wines will need to be enjoyed fairly quickly-they will not be good a day or two after the bottle has been opened. I really enjoyed Natura Merlot and the fact that it is good for you and the environment doesn’t hurt either. I also love the price which averages around $12 per bottle.

Vineyard 29 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Admin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:44:58 +0000

There is a new wine love in my life-Vineyard 29 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 from Napa Valley, CA. At a recent business dinner at Porterhouse in the Time Warner Center I was put in charge of selecting the wine for our large group. I had heard of Vineyard 29 previously so when the sommelier had it on his list of suggestions I knew we had to try this bottle. This glorious red is comprised of my favorite grape varietals: 83% cabernet sauvignon, 6% petit verdot, 4% merlot, 4% cabernet franc, and 3% malbec. When poured it is very deep ruby with an almost purple hue and has a very pronounced aroma of dark fruit. I found the wine to be extremely well balanced with lots of blackberry on the palate leading to subtle spices that I always love in a great red wine. The tannins are very smooth and don’t overwhelm your mouth.

I love to pair Cabernet with my steak and the food at Porterhouse is always excellent. I began with the roasted beet salad with goat cheese and then moved on to the filet mignon with classic bearnaise sauce. Accompanying our steaks were my two favorite side dishes: truffle mashed potatoes and the macaroni and cheese. For dessert I chose the ice cream sundae. Hands down this is the best sundae I have ever had. They bring you a huge bowl of hot fudge sauce on the side along with candied nuts so you can put on the toppings to your liking. Between the amazing wine and the always wonderful food I think I came extremely close to having the perfect meal!

I am looking forward to drinking many more bottles of Vineyard 29 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon and even though it is pricier than the wines I normally buy it is well worth it’s price tag. This wine can be found online for approximately $50.

Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar

Admin — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:19:10 +0000

In May I had the pleasure of visiting Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar for the first time. I first heard of Ayza via Twitter and was immediately intrigued. What could be better than an establishment that specializes in my three favorite things to savor: wine, cheese, and chocolate! This wine bar is conveniently located on 31 st street in midtown Manhattan and offers both indoor and outdoor seating with plenty of heat lamps for cooler weather. It is the perfect setting for an after work happy hour or a romantic date. I highly recommend making a reservation as it gets very crowded even if you go earlier in the evening.

The wine list has a nice variety of options by the glass or bottle with many regions represented. Flights are also available should you want a little variety. I ordered the Michel Torino Malbec Don David from Argentina and I really enjoyed it. Typical of most malbec it didn’t disappoint. My boyfriend had the Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain which is his favorite region.

The food offerings at Ayza consist of standard wine bar snacks, salads, paninis, tartines, and a small selection of entrees. We ordered the hummus dip, truffle pizza (to die for), and a plate of three cheeses. Our cheese selections were the bucheron, aged manchego, and the shropshire blue. The bucheron and the shropshire blue were both excellent. For dessert you may choose from Ayza’s homemade chocolates or selections from famed chocolatier Jacques Torres. I choose several pieces from both options and paired them with a glass of Cockburns 10 year tawny port from Portugal to end a perfect evening.

Since my May visit I have gone back again and will continue to venture to Ayza for my wine and chocolate fix. You can also venture over on Sunday nights for their romantic Couples Night as well as Girls Night Out on Tuesdays.

Rodney Strong Chardonnay 2009

Admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 01:35:07 +0000

A while back I had purchased two bottles of Rodney Strong wine at my local wine store and blogged about how much I enjoyed their pinot noir. I finally got around to trying the chardonnay and like the pinot noir it did not disappoint. Located in Sonoma, Ca this winery is environmentally friendly, using sustainable farming methods for the vines as well as harnessing solar power. I love that more and more winemakers are being more conscious about their production methods especially since I have been pushing myself to make more environmentally sound choices in my daily routine. Rodney Strong Chardonnay is a pale straw color when poured and has pronounced aromas of citrus and pear. When I choose a chardonnay I am one of the rare wine drinkers who prefer a more oaked and buttery style. I found this wine to have a really good balance between fruity acidity and the butter notes and would appeal to the wine lovers who tend to avoid the flavors that oak ageing brings. The lemon and apple flavors touch the tongue first while the creaminess that I love comes toward the end of each sip. I served this wine with shrimp and tomato orzo with feta cheese and it made a nice pairing with this meal. This chardonnay has 13.5% alcohol and is very well priced around $20 per bottle. Overall I have to say that these wines by Rodney Strong are an excellent value and I would definitely purchase them again in the future.

Lambrusco Rosso “Lambrusca” Lini at Gemma

Admin — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 02:28:49 +0000

Gemma in the Bowery Hotel has been on my list of must try restaurants for some time now but since they don’t take reservations the wait for a table is usually well over an hour. I was taking out two of my close friends for their belated birthday dinner and the suggestion for Gemma was made. I was filled with excitement to finally get to experience what all the fuss was about and it didn’t disappoint in food, wine, or service. The weather was very warm and being seated outdoors I was in the perfect mood for some bubbly. I was all set to order a simple glass of prosecco but saw the Lambrusco Rosso Lambrusca Lini and the decision was easily made. I don’t know what it is about sparkling red wine but quite simply it makes me giddy (and quite tipsy) but that is the desired end result most of the time.

Lambrusco Rosso “Lambrusca” Lini is produced in the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy by Lini 910. It is made from Lambrusco grapes and has a dark ruby color in the glass. With each delicious sip your tongue is bombarded by a barrage of tingly bubbles bursting simultaneously. This was not as sweet as the sparkling reds that I have been drinking recently. It is dryer and has just the right amount of sweetness. It is rich in cherry and strawberry flavors and has less than 12% alcohol.

For dinner we decided to order typical wine bar fare. We built a cheese plate that included La Tur, Tallegio, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Pecorino Toscano along with a plate of prosciutto di parma. The pizza was thin crust and topped with burrata cheese, grape tomatoes, and black olives. The shining star out of it all was the truffled polenta fries. Crispy on the outside like regular fries but on the inside is creamy polenta lightly flavored with a hint of truffle. They were served with two dipping sauces but they were so amazing on their own that I barely felt the need to dip. Gemma also has many meat, fish, and pasta entrees with an array of side dishes. We ended the evening with creamy gelato. For me a scoop of hazelnut and a scoop of chocolate chip.

I am already looking forward to my next trip to Gemma and may even go back as early as next week so that my boyfriend can try it. The atmosphere is perfect for a romantic date night among the dark wood interior and candles. If you can’t get to Gemma check your local wine shop or online. Lambrusca Lini is well worth the money and retails for less than $17.

Apothic Red 2008

Admin — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 23:38:51 +0000

On a recent trip to my favorite discount wine store I spied a special display of wines signed “Robert Parker’s Picks”. Always curious as to what he has to recommend I ventured over to take a closer look as to what was being displayed. Apothic Red from California caught my eye for it’s cool, Gothic looking label as well as it’s very low price tag. Produced by the Gallo family, this red blend is perfect for red wine drinkers who may not always want the heaviness of a zinfandel but enjoy it’s bold flavors. The wine is a genius blend of syrah, zinfandel, and merlot grapes. In the glass it has a very dark ruby color and aromas of luscious berries and fragrant spices. Apothic Red has striking black cherry flavor combined with chocolate and vanilla notes that I usually find present in a red zin. It is full bodied, has a nice overall balance to it, and is a little over 13% alcohol. My cousin recently told me this is his new favorite wine and I have since purchased a few more bottles as it is great to have on hand and just pop open after a long, tedious day at work. At less than $15 per bottle it is a fabulous deal and a bottle that you can’t go wrong with so stock up and enjoy!

Wines of France Tasting 1-8-11

Admin — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:12:26 +0000

Court Street Restaurant in Hoboken, NJ has wine tastings in it’s dining room at least two times per month from fall to spring. Over the past several years this has become my absolute favorite thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. Ten wines are presented by a distributor in a laid back, educational and fun setting with a particular theme, either by region as the Wines of France tasting was, or by price point. I have particularly liked the Wines Under $25 and have found lots of wonderful wines this way and have written about several on this website. Since I love anything from France whether it’s a great stinky cheese or a delicious bottle of Cote de Rhone I knew I had to sign up for yesterdays event. I was definitely not disappointed. Ten wines were presented from nine small production French wineries all of which are imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant:

LASCAUX BLANC 2008-CHATEAU DE LASCAUX from the Languedoc region

HIPPOLYTE-REVERDY SANCERRE 2009-DOMAINE HIPPOLYTE REVERDY from the Loire region

LASCAUX ROSE 2009-CHATEAU DE LASCAUX from the Languedock region

CHAMPALOU VOUVRAY 2008-DOMAINE CHAMPALOU from the Loire region

BOUVIER BOURGOGNE ROUGE 2008-DOMAINE REGIS BOUVIER from the Burgandy region

CLOS LA COUTALE-COUTALE CAHORS 2008-from Southwest France

ST COSME COTES DU RHONE LES DEUX ALBIONS 2008

DOMAINE LECCIA ROUGE 2009-DOMAINE LECCIA-from the Corsica region

CHATEAU ST MARTIN DE LA GARRIGUE ‘BRONZINELLE’ ROUGE 2008-from the Languedoc region

JOGUET CUVEE LE CURE 2007-DOMAINE CHARLES JOGUET-from the Loire region

All of the wines were very good and there wasn’t one that I wouldn’t purchase for myself. I did have several favorites: the rose, the vouvray, the Coutale Cahors, the cote du rhone, and the ‘Bronzinelle’ rouge. The rose was the best French rose I have tasted so far while the vouvray didn’t even need to be paired with food. It was a delicious and complex white that drinks quite well on it’s own. The stand out reds were all well balanced and smooth on the palate with good dark fruit flavors. Not only were they great quality but none of them were overly expensive. Kudos to Megan at Court Street for choosing these wines and to Kermit Lynch for bringing them to the US for us to enjoy!

Zagat Wine Tasting

Admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 03:04:20 +0000

Last week I had the privilege to attend Zagat’s first wine tasting for members of their wine club. The tasting was held at Bayard’s in lower Manhattan on November 29th and I couldn’t think of a better way to de-stress on a Monday night after a hectic day at work than to drink lots of wine! Eight tables were set up with a varied selection of 24 wines from several different wine regions. Upon entering the tasting we were all treated with a glass of South Ridge Classic Cuvee 2008 from Sussex, England, the first time it has ever been poured in the US! Acclaimed wine writer Hugh Johnson author of The World Atlas of Wine and The Pocket Wine Book kicked the event off with a short speech and then it was time to hit the tables, glass in hand and ready to be filled. Pouring the wines were Zagat wine buyers and employees, as well as wine makers William Knuttel and the rock star of the wine world Charles Smith. In addition to his superb syrah Charles Smith brought along his outstanding Phil Lane K Syrah 2008 from Walla Walla. Needless to say we hit him up more than once for a glass! Standout wines of the tasting for us were:

Les Anges de Malassan Viognier 2009, Oc Vin de Pays (France)

Perla Del Mar 2009, Alicante DO (Spain)

Roche Lacour Rose 2008, Cremant de Limoux AOC (France)

Charles Smith Syrah 2009, Columbia Valley (Washington State)

K Syrah 2008, Walla Walla (Washington State)

William Knuttel Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Sonoma County (California)

The Zagat wine club membership was a birthday gift this year from my boyfriend and it has been wonderful so far. We just received our third case and when the box arrives it is like Christmas for me. We can’t wait to open it up and see what fabulous wines are ours to discover. There hasn’t been a bad bottle yet! Most of the wines at this event we have yet to receive in our previous cases so based on how many amazing wines we tried last week I am hoping more of these wines that were featured will be arriving at our door very soon.