Wine down Wednesday

This week I wanted to talk about some wines that DON'T break the bank. I have found these in the stores, a local wine bar, and a restaurant.

The first wine up is Tangent. This bottle was about $45.00 at the wine bar, but if you wanted to buy it and take it home to enjoy you could purchase it for about $20.00. Ladies and Gentlemen, did you know you can buy wine at a restaurant? Especially wine bars! It's something to remember. If you live near a wine bar, I suggest you go and get to know the owner. I know the owner of our local wine bar and every time I walk in he comes over with recommendations. He also offers to sell the bottle to me if I like it as well. Wine for thought! ;)

If you live in Seal Beach, go to The Wine Cellar. I recommend the wine and the tapas. It's a great local spot and the owner is knowledgeable.

Ever have an Albarino? Very tasty!

Next up. A Toscana. Yes, completely different from what I usually drink. But, I do like Italian reds. I'm still however learning about them. I feel as if I have Mastered the California region. ha! Just kidding. But, this Toscana we had on Father's Day. We went to one of our favorite Italian restaurants (I'll blog about that next week).

This bottle was $35.00! Yes, I said $35.00. I have found this same bottle at my grocery store for $15.00. Great deal. Good bottle.

Next week I'll be blogging about some favorite local restaurants. 

Cheers,
Winegirl15

Wine down Wednesday

I know... I skipped last week! I have been on vacation though. I told myself no blogging and limited internet. And I did just that.
I was in Boise, Idaho for the past 10 days visiting my parents. Have you ever been there? My guess is no. It's a great town! Being from Southern California I'm not sure if I would have EVER gone there if my parents hadn't moved there. And what a shame that would have been! It's a great town. I actually love Boise! My husband and I even got married there in 2009. I have been coming to Boise since 2004. It really has changed so much. They have lots of restaurants, wine bars, and clubs to go to if your ever there visiting.

The city has so much to offer. They have so much to do outdoors. Fish, hunt, white water raft, float the river, ski, shop, dine, and even DRINK WINE. Yes, folks... They have wineries. And 2 of them happen to be pretty darn good. Koenig and Indian Creek. This visit I only went to Indian Creek. Koenig wasn't open on the 4th of July and that was the only day we had time to go. Indian Creek was open so we went there and visited with Tammy. I had Jake on the grass and took some pictures of him there. They have a black lab and he was playing with Jake. Jakey poo just loves dogs! Thank you for having us Indian Creek!

Wines I recommend at Indian Creek are their Malbec and Star Garnet.

Here are a few pics I took there:

I wanted to blog a little about a soda fountain/candy store I went to. I've blogged in the past about a few restaurants, but this time I wanted to switch things up a bit.

It's called Goody's. Here's the info:

Goody's
1502 N 13th Street
Boise, ID 83702
208.367.0020

It's so cute inside! They have all kinds of candy ranging from chocolates to sour candy, and then they have a soda/ice cream area.

 I recommend going to Goody's. There were lots of young kids there sitting at the ice cream counter. It reminded me of what life was like in the 1950's. Simple. Where young kids drink ice cream sundaes and hang out. It was clean, and the staff were friendly.

I got white chocolate sea foam, white chocolate oreo's, and a toffee nut chocolate. I also just had to try there homemade ice cream. I had cream de coconut. AMAZING. SO SO SO YUMMY! It had toasted coconut in it. I had a few bites and passed it on. I was too scared to eat the whole thing with candy in my purse as well. ;)
Until next time Boise!

Cheers,
Winegirl15

Wine down Wednesday - Wine tasting review: Temecula.

It was a wine tasting weekend for me! My friend Liz and I took our first night away from our little ones. Our husbands watched our little ones and we were on our way!

We went to the following wineries:

Leonesse Cellars
I talk about this winery quite often. This is one of the first wineries I've joined. The wine there is the BEST in the valley. Period. There are 3 types of membership at Leonesse. 1. CS (Cellar Select), 2. VS (Vineyard Select), and 3. SS (Signature Select). I belong to the SS membership. The bottles are generally $90.00 a bottle (if your not a member), and $70.00 if you are. They are the best of what Leonesse has to ofter. The wine shipment is quarterly. :)

Some of the wines we tasted and really enjoyed were (just going to name a few):

Limited Collection Series SEVEN - Tasty! I bought this wine because I missed out on SIX since I was pregnant last year! ;)

Melange De Reves (which my next SS shipment is the SS Melange). - EXCITED PEOPLE!! Very good middle of the road blend red.
$28.00 for non members.

Melange de Rêves is a very special blend of Syrah, Cinsaut, Mourvedre and Grenache. Medium bodied with lively aromas and flavors of cherry and raspberry with hints of smoky tobacco and black pepper, this wine was aged for 19 months in small French oak barrels.

Barrel Tasting Room at Leonesse.

2007 SS Cabernet Sauvignon
$90.00 for non members
When you go to Leonesse this bottle is usually waiting in the decanter for you to taste. If your there you must taste anything that is an SS. I HIGHLY recommend the wine at Leonesse. I have to say I've never met anyone at Leonesse that doesn't like to work there. They are proud of their wines and are very knowledgeable.

Wiens
I used to belong to Wiens. They have pretty good red wines. When I went down my list of memberships this one didn't make the cut. There is so many wineries in CA and I need to keep my options and other memberships open! I belong to too many to name. ;)

GROW BABY GROW! ;)

I did purchase one for Grant so that we could have that on a date night.

2007 Reserve Petite Sirah
$59.00 for non members
Spicy dark fruit, and toasted oak notes.

Mount Palomar
With all the years I've been going to Temecula, I have never been there. I've seen the winery, but never actually gone.

The wine was ok. I didn't buy anything. Nothing really stood out. Perhaps because it was busy and really crowded I lost interest? There was a couple that wouldn't stop talking to Liz and I so I was very distracted the entire time. YIKES. The winery itself might be the prettiest winery in Temecula. It's gorgeous (wish I would have taken more pictures of the winery). I also found out it was owned by Greeks... perhaps because of that reason alone I should go back?

They have a restaurant on site. The food smelt good. I will definitely come back to the restaurant and try it. Maybe re-taste as well.

Churon
The only reason why we went there is because we were staying there. The winery has a bed and breakfast. They had a free tasting for people staying at the hotel from 5:30-6:30pm. Liz and I got down to the tasting around 6:15pm (after we were all checked in) and we didn't get great service. I'M ALL ABOUT SERVICE. If I don't get proper attention I will not only not buy the wine, but I wont go back. And then winegirl15 will blog about it! ha ha. JK. I didn't think the wine was all that good in general. I don't recommend the winery. The rooms were ok. For $295.00 a night I would have rather stayed at the villas at South Coast Winery. I was able to negotiate the room for $250.00, but still...

You live and you learn. I was proud I went out of my box to try new things, but I'll continue to go to my favorite places.

I will list those for you:
LEONESSE
MONTE DE ORO
WIENS
SOUTH COAST WINERY.

To end Churon on a good note is that the people were friendly (despite the girl at the tasting room... she may have just been stressed with the amount of people tasting), and they had a Tempranillo that was decent.

View from our room. Pretty.

On Sunday, we Toms Farms in Corona, CA. I highly recommend this open market. They have fresh produce, nuts, candy, wine, etc. They have live music on the weekends as well. Growing up my parents would take my brother and I there. We would buy lunch meats, bread, cheese, and drinks and sit out on the tables and listen to the music. Then on the way home my mom would buy produce. It wasn't very close to our home but it was a place we went every so often. If your close, or going to be in the area... GO!

Cheers,
winegirl15

Wine Down Wednesday

Umm... It's Thursday... Better a day late than never!

This weeks wine selections are some from my wine shipment from Santa Maria region (Santa Barbara county). I had 3 Cambria wines.

1. Cambria - 2008 Tepusquet Syrah - $19.00
Notes: Ripe blackberries, blueberries, pomegranates, and subtle earthly aromas are in the nose. Integrated oak flavors and firm, yet balanced tannins enhance cherry cola, dark fruit, cedar, and mocha flavors. A rich, silky mid-palate carries through into the long finish.

2. Cambria - 2008 Clone 23 Pinot Noir - $48.00

Notes: The color of this 2007 is deep, dark and purple. The nose unites ripe blueberry fruit, subtle earth and rich oak aromas. The mouth feel is silky and smooth with firm underlying tannins. The finish lingers with oak speck, earth, and dark fruit.

3. 2008 Clone 115 Pinot Noir - $48.00

Notes: Deep garnet color. The aromas are packed with dark, ripe cherries and blueberries, vanilla and oak. In the mouth, there are ripe cherries, blueberries and sweet vanilla flavors. Firm tannins provide structure and the finish lingers with cinnamon spice and dark fruit flavors.

Winegirl15 Notes: This is my favorite of the shipment. I totally suggest this bottle of wine for purchase. I wasn't the biggest fan of Cambria my first visit there... but, after I visited again I was able to taste their big reds and was VERY impressed. 

4. St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc - $20.00

Notes: This wine exhibits brilliant hues of light yellow speared by vibrant streak of green. Aromas of exotic grapefruit and green lime dominate with hints of caper, fennel and lemon zest. Flavors follow with tremendous ruby grapefruit, citrus, kiwi and guava through a crisp finish. This Sauvignon Blanc complements a wide variety of foods from mild cheeses and fish to boldly flavored Asian dishes. 

Winegirl15: I'm not the biggest white wine drinker, however there are certain whites that I prefer. Sav Blanc is one. This is a good "day time" drink. Or a summer white. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! This weekend I'm going wine tasting... so, check back for where I went and what I drank! 

Cheers,

Winegirl15

Wine down Wednesday...

What is Wine Down Wednesday (WDW)? WDW will be a blog that I talk about wines I had over the week. From Wednesday to Wednesday. I will list them out, talk about them, and give pricing. Hopefully if your looking for something in that price range or varietal it will help!

I don't always drink a $100 or more bottle. But, I do enjoy good wine. Life truly is too short for cheap wine. It doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a good priced bottle though. :) That is why I'm blogging. I try to write things down, journal, etc. But, I find that I don't keep that up or I miss place the papers I have written on. So, hence this fabulous blog. :)

Anyhow, let's continue with Winegirl15's week of wine.

Recommendations:

1. Tangles Cabernet $49.00
Tangles Homepage
At first I wasn't sure what to think about this wine. My husband and I were in Lodi a few months ago and came across this bottle. We bought 2 of them. I thought this was the best bottle of wine I got during this trip. I would recommend this bottle.

2. Kenneth Volk Mourvedre $48.00
Kenneth Volk Homepage
My husband and I belong to Kenneth Volk Winery so I'm sure you'll see quite a few bottles of this on my blog. This winery is very dear to me. The wine maker used to be at Wild Horse Winery in Paso. Santa Maria (Santa Barbara County) is known for Pinot's and Chard's. Keep that in mind if your looking for those varietals. The Mourvedre was tasty.

3. Kenneth Volk Syrah $48.00
Kenneth Volk Homepage
I'm also not the biggest fan of Syrah's. I like them, but I generally don't go out looking for them. This bottle was good. I would definitely drink it again... but, I would prefer there pinot's of this particular bottle. They have terrific pinots!

4. La Crema Chardonnay $20.00 

La Crema Chardonnay

This is always my go to Chardonnay for a day time glass or a party wine. It's not expensive but it's very tasty. I suggest this for a mid priced wine. 

5. Simi Chardonnay $28.00
Simi Winery
I had a glass of this wine during a sushi dinner. This is very similar to the La Crema as far as quality and taste. I would also suggest a bottle of Simi.

Until next week!

Cheers,
Winegirl15

Sneak Peak for next Wednesday: Pinot, from Santa Maria (Cambria shipment arrived yesterday)...

Wine night - Napa Cabs.

I'm having a hard to posting after I drink wine. Not sure if it's because I'm writing too much on my other blog Stone Chic or if I drink too much good wine to blog about? I have told myself that I want to blog more about the wine I drink, so I can reference back. So, I will make an effort to do a better job with that.

My husband and I recently went to a fundraiser for children's scholarship and sports. It was  a wine tasting event with an silent auction and a live auction. It's one of my favorite wine events. The doctor that hosts the event really loves his wine. He drinks only the best. So, I look forward to the tasting.... and the spending! :)

One of my favorite Napa wineries is Beaulieu Vineyards. Not your typical BV you can pick up at the grocery store... But, there speciality wines. The hirer priced varietals. I had to take a picture of one of my favorites from the event. I actually talked the doctor into letting me buy one (the money would go to charity... blame me? Great cause!) and he did! I bought it for $100. I think it actually retails for $175.00.

We also had Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. This wine retails for $95.00. It was also very tasty.... So, I also bought this one.

This doctor is big into Silver Oak... so we tasted a 1992 and a 1995 Cabernet as well. Silver Oak is another favorite of my husbands and mine. I wish I would have spent some time a month ago talking about the 1992 cab we opened and drank! ha! Well, going forward I will be blogging more about wine.

We drank many other wines and champagne (Dom and Cristal), but, I didn't buy those bottles... and they are quite common. Figured I'd blog about the good ol red wine!

Anyhow, thanks for stopping by and reading! Check back soon... I have lots of wine to drink! ;)

Cheers,
Winegirl15

"Wine is the most civilized thing in the world."
-Ernest Hemingway

Lodi - Wine tasting

Hi friends!

Over the weekend my husband and I went to Lodi for a little tasting. I had never been there, but have have several wines from the area. I wanted to quickly blog about the places we went to. There are several wineries in the area. We were only able to make it to 3. There are so many and look forward to visiting Lodi again in the future!

We went to the following wineries:
Berhold

Berghold Vineyards & Winery
17343 N. Cherry Road
Lodi, CA 95240
(209) 333-9291

Tasting Hours: Thur – Sun 11am – 5pm

I recommend:

2007 Footstomp Zinfandel

Foot Stomp is handcrafted "The Old Way" from 100% Berghold Estate Lodi, California Zinfandel grapes and aged in American oak barrels. $22.99

St. Jorge

St. Jorge
22769 North Bender Road
Acampo, California 95220
(209) 365-0202

Tasting Hours: Friday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Additional times by appointment.

I recommend:

2007 ZINFANDEL

Their bio:
When we started producing our wines we wanted a good Zinfandel that could maintain all of Lodi areas qualities, berry and cherry flavors yet keep our Portuguese light tradition with no high alcohol and dark red color. We chose Stonum Vineyards for their style of growing Zinfandel. The vines are grown on a quad (four main vertical trunks) and trellised outward at 6’-0 high. This allowed the sun to enter from the top. They thinned the fruit to 3 ton per acre allowing only the finest bunches to develop.
We have aged this wine 18 months in our French Oak Barrels. We believe this wine will double its value in two years.
We like our Zin with a good steak. Remember this wine is food and part of a great meal. !Saúde!

The Lucas Winery

The Lucas Winery
18196 North Davis Road
Lodi, California 95242
(209) 368-2006

Tasting Hours: Thursday – Sunday: 12 noon – 4:30 p.m.

I recommend:
Their Zins in general. They give wine tours and are VERY friendly. Even with our little ones talking and making noises, they were patient. Family friendly environment. The family we went with even joined their wine club.

We were up in the area visiting friends and we decided to do a little wine tasting in a new region. If you are in the area... you must go and try the Zins. When I'm looking for Zinfandel I usually get them in the Paso Robles area... however, I recommend trying them from Lodi as well.

Here is a map of the region:

A picture of our wine tasting crew (including our little ones):

Cheers,
Winegirl15