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 - 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...

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

Santa Barbara wine tasting

Ever been to Santa Barbara? How about Santa Maria?

I feel fortunate that I live in California and am able to drive to wonderful wineries to taste and then pick the wine I most enjoy. I cant imagine living where I have to go to the grocery store for all my wine. Again, I'm fortunate to live here.

The Santa Barbara region is known for it's pinot noir and chardonnay. Two of my favorite varietals. ;)

The first winery I joined about 4 years ago was Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard. Wonderful winery in Santa Maria. Santa Maria is about 30 minutes north of Santa Barbara and is the home to my favorite local wineries.

If you go to Cottonwood Canyon, you MUST go on a cave tour! Go online and find what time they are hosting them. They have amazing Chardonnay and very good pinot!

On Sunday, my family and I went to the following wineries... 2 more wineries my husband and I belong to as well.

Kenneth Volk Vineyards
Here are a list of my favorites:
2007 PINOT NOIR, SANTA MARIA CUVEE, SANTA MARIA VALLEY
2006 PINOT NOIR, SIERRA MADRE VINEYARD, SANTA MARIA VALLEY


Cambria Estate Winery
List of favorites:

2008 CLONE 667

Pinot Noir

Clone 667 Pinot Noir consistently yields a wine that is dramatic, perfumed, lavish and silky.

$48.00

2007 CLONE 23

Pinot Noir

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 spice, earth and dark fruit. 

$48.00

My father in law, his wife, my husband, baby, and I.
(Jake's 1st wine tasting experience)

Haute Red - Pinot Nior

Hi friends! 

I'm back and blogging about my wine journey... just a new direction with it... I will be blogging about the wine I drink and restaurants I enjoy going to. Not just about wine anymore! I do a lot more eating these days... and I'm finally able to enjoy my wine again!

A few days ago Grant went to our local grocery store and picked up this bottle of wine. He went there strictly for groceries but when he saw the name of this bottle he thought of me. I started an event planning company named "Haute Affairs" so he said he had to buy it. The bottle was only $10 so it was hard to pass up. Grant and I both enjoy pinots so why not! 

I didn't have any expectations for this bottle. I had never heard about this winery/ bottling company so I didn't really know what to think. We opened the bottle and took a sip. I was pleasantly surprised. The wine was pretty tasty! And for $10... I will definitely buy it again! 

HAUTE WINES  Website states the following:

Grape Composition: 82% Pinot Noir, 18% mixed varieties including Syrah

Appellation/Source: California cool climate vineyards

Aromas & Flavors: Ripe berry, bing cherry and plum aromas with a hint of bay leaf and toast. Flavors of bright, racy berries carry through to a bright, clean finish

Oak treatment: Light touch of oak

Alcohol: 12.5%

Food pairing: Ribs, chicken, steak, pork,
grilled fish, burgers

Shoe pairing: Simple pumps, high heels,
extremely high heels, tall boots

My friends and my shoe choices

Cheers,
Winegirl15

Drink charms!

Drink charms vs Wine charms?

I always use wine charms when I have a gathering to set apart each glass of wine. And I will continue (when I can drink again) ;). But, looking through cb2.com I saw these cute and fun little charms. Looks like I might need to invest. Wonder if they stay on the glass or eventually fall into the wine? Check them out!

They are $6.95 for a set of 12.

Cheers,

Winegirl15

Makin' moves...

And........

It Looks like my Twitter fans have chosen Lodi! Please check back for more posts and information!
Cheers,
xoB

DECEMBER - IDAHO TRIP (4 0F 4 wines)

Keonig Vineyards
20928 Grape Lane
Caldwell, ID 83607
(208) 455-8386

www.koenigvineyards.com

2007 Cabernet-Syrah
(Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Syrah 50%)
$25.00
$21.50 for wine members

Winemakers Notes:
This special blend from the two best vineyards we work with showcases the structure and finesse of cabernet sauvignon and the richness of syrah in a rich, mouth-filling wine. With dark berry flavors and aromas of blackberries and fine oak, we hope you enjoy this limited offering. Pair with richly flavored foods like roast lamb, barbecue, and tomato based pasta.
242 cases produced.

A waltz and a glass of wine invite an encore.
~ Johann Strauss

Winegirl15:
VERY GOOD bottle! I definitely recommend this bottle of wine. I ordered 3 cases of the 2006 for my red wine selection at my wedding this year. Koenig Vineyards offers even more than just wine... Go online and check it out. They also distill brandy and vodka. My parents have been members of Koenig for over 4 years. They have very good quality wine. The owners are very friendly too! If your in the Caldwell area, stop in!

"The discovery of a wine is of greater moment than the discovery of a constellation. The universe is too full of stars."
~Benjamin Franklin

Cheers,
xoB

DECEMBER - IDAHO TRIP (3 0F 4 wines)

Bitner Vineyards
16645 Plum Road
Caldwell, Idaho 83605
208.899.7648

www.bitnervineyards.com/

2006 Merlot/Petit Verdot Reserve
Merlot 60% and 40% Petit Verdot
$22.00

Winemaker notes:
International Bee Biologist Dr. Ron Bitner and his wife, Mary 3 decade old vineyards. Southwest Idaho's Snake River Valley appellation. This high mountain desert regions long hot summer days, short growing season, and cool evenings allow long hang time that result in intense, dark cherry flavors in the reds and crisp fruit flavors in the whites. Enjoy our wines in your home, while dining out, or on our deck over looking the vineyards, the Snake River, and the majestic Owyee mountains.

Like human beings, a wine's taste is going to depend a great deal on its origins and its upbringing.
~ Linda Johnson-Bell, Pairing Wine and Food

Winegirl15:
This wine was OK. It wasn't great and it wasn't bad. I would not recommend this bottle. For $22 I would have liked a better bottle of wine. If this bottle was $10 I probably would have like it a little more. I would however, keep trying other bottles of wines with Bitner. The wineries in that area all work together, so next bottle I choose wont have merlot in it. I didn't like the nose on the bottle... but, the longer it sit out the more mellow it became.

There are no standards of taste in wine... Each man's own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard.
~ Mark Twain

Cheers,
xoB

DECEMBER - IDAHO TRIP (2 0F 4 wines)

Keonig Vineyards
20928 Grape Lane
Caldwell, ID 83607
(208) 455-8386

www.koenigvineyards.com

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (Bitner Vineyard, Snake Valley)
$20.00
$17.00 for wine members

Winemaker notes:
Dark berry and black current flavors typical of this tiny vineyard block are enhancing by aging in fine oak barrels for 22 months. Smooth and enjoyable now, cabernets from this vineyard typically are well soften with additional cellaring.
250 cases produced.

"Wine is sunlight, held together by water!
~ Galileo Gallilei

Winegirl15:
Good Cabernet. I like Cabs and Pinots though... So, I will definitely buy this wine again! My parents are members at Koenig, so we bought 6 bottles of wine and got 35% off the 6 bottles! Great deal! This bottle was a winner at the house once we opened it. Our visitors and family drank this bottle and commented on it.
I got married in Boise back in April, and we had 3 cases of Cabernet-Syrah blend as well as 3 cases of Cardonnay. That went along with our open bar! :) Needless to say we had great wine and it was all due to Koenig. I recommend stopping in and tasting at Koenig. They are also a distillery and make their own brandy and vodka. They come in all flavors!

Wine is bottled poetry.
~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Cheers,
xoB

DECEMBER - IDAHO TRIP (1 0F 4 wines)

In my Wine Enthusiast Magazine for October 2009 there was an Idaho winery/wine mentioned. Thought it would be nice to add this in my blog:

Indian Creek Winery
1000 N. McDurmott Road
Kuna, Idaho 83634
208.922.4791
www.indiancreekwinery.com

WineEnthusiast:
Indian Creek 2005 Star Garnet (Snake River Valley)
85 (Good: Suitable for everyday consumption; often good value)
$14
WE: Indian Creek Garnet offers rich leather, spice and pepper on the nose and a balandced, savory blend of red fruit, pepper adn warming spice on the palate. The tannins are smooth and the acidity good, through the wine could use food to soften its peppery character. Think spiced grilled ribs, burgers.

2007 Star Garnet
Indian Creek Winery
(Cabernet Sauvigon 72%, Merlot 15%, Malbec 8%, and Petit Verdot 5%)
$10

Winemaker notes:
This red blend boast a beautiful ruby red hue similar to Idaho's State gem stone, the star garnet. Dense layers of rope cherries, plums and cassis linger with hints of vanilla, black licorice and well-integrated oak. Offerings of soft, velvety tannins create a wonderful mouth-feel and a long, smooth finish.

I have enjoyed great health at a great age because everyday since I can remember I have consumed a bottle of wine except when I have not felt well. Then I have consumed two bottles.
~ A Bishop of Seville

Winegirl15:
Since my parents moved to Idaho 5 years ago, I wine taste with them every visit. I have met the owners of this winery and they are good people. Their wine is good too! :) Since they were closed for the holidays I'm blogging about a bottle I bought at The Boise Co op! It was a bummer they were closed!
My take on this bottle is that its a dry, medium to full body red table wine. On the bottle it states to drink this bottle from now to 7 years. I thought that was kinda neat to have that on the bottle. It was a good bottle, and its an everyday drinking red. I got a tweet message from @ICwinery stating they were sorry for not being there, but they would set me up on a wine tour for my next visit! I will blog again soon about Indian Creek.

Making good wine is a skill. Fine wine is an art.
~ Robert Mondavi, Harvests of Joy

Cheers,
xoB

**SPECIAL**December - Idaho trip

This month I went to Boise, Idaho to visit my parents for the holidays. I actually wine taste every time I'm up there visiting. Since I am now blogging about wine I thought I should perhaps blog about the region that I frequent about 4 times a year. You may not know much about Idaho or even think they have wineries...but, they have very good wine! My favorite wineries there are Koenig Vineyards and Indian Creek Winery. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! Enjoy my blogs!
Cheers,
xoB

December - $15 Bottle of wine

Sonoma: Southern California

Winery: Parkers Estate
http://parkersestate.com/

2005: Parkers Estate (Riverside Crossing) Syrah: Sonoma County Private Reserve

Price: $13.99

Description:
Won SILVER in The San Diego International Wine Competition in 2009.

Wine makes a symphony of a good meal.
~ Fernande Garvin, The Art of French Cooking

Winemaker's Notes:
Ripe plum, raspberry and soy characteristics. Rich, ripe and opulent, generous fruit aromas and flavors, augmented by vanilla spice.

Winegirl15:
This wine is very good. I drank it with my family when we were having appetizers. This was my favorite $15.00 wine this month. If you like Syrah's this is a must pick for any dinner party. Affordable wine and extremely flavorful. I even enjoyed the aroma. Looks like you can go to their website, put your zip code in and it will tell you where the nearest location to purchase it is.

Hope you are all enjoying your Holiday Season!

Eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart.
~ Ecclesiastes 9:7

Love and Cheers,
xoB

December - $30 Bottle of wine

Sonoma: Southern California

Winery: St Francis
100 Pythian Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95409
Phone: 1-888-675-WINE (9463)

http://stfranciswinery.com

2006: Cabernet Sauvignon: Sonoma County

Price: $27.99
Bought at VONS: $15.00

Wine to me is passion. It's family and friends. It's warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It's culture. It's the essence of civilization and the art of living. ~ Robert Mondavi, Autobiography, "Harvests of Joy"

Description:
Winemaker's Notes:
All the grapes in this classic varietal come from five Sonoma County appellations: Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley and Sonoma County. Hand-picked from mid-September through early November, the fully ripened clusters are then crushed into temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and fermented from eight to fifteen days. The wine is then aged in different lots for fourteen to sixteen months in new American and French oak, and then blended. Once bottled, we hold the wine another four to eight months so that it’s fully developed by the time we release it. The result is a full-bodied Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon with rich mouthfeel, moderate tannins and deep color accentuating the taste of black currant, plum, blueberry and spicy oak.

Winegirl15:
I noticed that VONS like many other grocery stores are conducting wine sales. If you're a wine drinker, you can get great bottles at terrific prices right now. My local VONS was even selling Cakebread Chardonnay for 30% off marked price (Maybe I'll save that for my Napa region). :)

I didn't know much about St. Francis before I bought this bottle... But, I'm sure glad I picked it up. This bottle was smooth and flavorful. I definitely recommend this bottle of wine! And if your lucky, your local wine store or VONS might even have it on sale!

It's now time for me to branch into the expensive wines...@sonomawineries has given great suggestions, and I can't wait to go out there and try them out! Stay tuned for my next Sonoma region blog!

Good wine is a necessity of life for me.
~ Thomas Jefferson

Cheers,
xoB

December - $15 Bottle of wine

Sonoma: Southern California

Winery: Rodney Strong
11455 Old Redwood Highway
Healdsburg, CA 95448
800-474-9463

http://www.rodneystrong.com

2006: Cabernet Sauvignon: Sonoma County

Price: $16.99
$11.99 - $2.50 (coupon @ Costco) = $9.49

Description:
Tasting Notes
Aromas of blackberry, cocoa and earth lead to a rich, layered mouthfeel, replete with black cherry, cedar and cassis, and structured with lush, mature tannins. Enjoy this seductive cabernet sauvignon now and over the next several years.

Vintage Notes
The 2006 vintage began with a rather late bud break during an unseasonably cool and wet spring. March rains slowed shoot growth down considerably, and set the timer for a late harvest. After a fine May and June, much of July was a scorcher, including a 10 day stretch where every day saw temperatures over 90 degrees, and several days topped out at 110! Fortunately, the delayed development of the grapes kept sun scorch to a minimum. Harvest began the third week of September, and continued throughout October. This ripening period was accompanied by mild weather and promoted excellent flavor development, with the last of the cabernet harvested on November 1st.

Winegirl15:
Great bottle for the price! This bottle is good for an everyday wine... You can pick it up in the grocery store as well as at Costco. I lucked out with a coupon the girl handed me at the door. I was there for Christmas presents and walked out with wine... WHAT A SHOCKER! HAHA. Anyhow, go and pick up a bottle!

Even more importantly, it's wine, food and the arts. Incorporating those three enhances the quality of life.
Robert Mondavi

Cheers,
xoB

December - $10 Bottle of wine

Sonoma: Southern California

Winery: Fife Vineyards
707-485-0323

http://www.fifevineyards.com

2007: Zinfandel: Sonoma County

Price: $6.99

Description:
winemaker's notes:
-Rich, dark berries, dried cherry, cloves and spice, well balanced with an exceptional finish.
-Pair with BBQ Beef, grilled chicken, sausage, and pizza.
-Vineyards with sun drenched days and crisp, cool nights. Aged in French Oak.

Winegirl15:

Love the following quote:

"Wine is sure proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
Benjamin Franklin

This is a pretty good zin for $7. I got this wine at Trader Joes, and drank it at a dinner party I hosted. It was a good bottle to drink in between my expensive bottles. Biggest advice with this bottle... Let it sit for a little before drinking it.

Off to another bottle to taste!

Cheers,
xoB

Quiz I found online... Part one!

Q & A (part 1)
1. How many acres are planted to grapes worldwide?
2. Among the world's fruit crops, where do wine grapes rank in number of acres planted?
3. How many countries import California wines?
4. What was the primary fruit crop in Napa Valley during the 1940's?
5. How many gallons of wine were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake?
6. When was phylloxera first discovered in California?
7. How many acres of Napa County vineyards have been replanted in the last 15 years because of phylloxera?
8. How many more acres of Napa County vineyards will need replacement?
9. How long does it take to harvest a commercial crop from newly replanted grape vines?
10. How many varieties of wine grapes exist worldwide?
11. How much does it cost per bottle to age wine in a French oak barrel?
12. How much does it cost per bottle to age wine in only new French oak barrels?
13. How much white zinfandel is consumed in this country?

Answers:
1) 20 million
2) #1
3) 164
4) Prunes
5) 30 million
6) August 19, 1873
7) 10,450
8) 4,450
9) 4-5 years
10) 10,000
11) 90 cents
12) $2.50
13) Too much!

November - $60 bottle of wine

Paso Robles: Southern California

Winery: Turley Wine Cellars
2900 Vineyard Dr
Templeton, CA 93465
(805) 434-1030

http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/turley+zinfandel+pesenti/2005/usa

2005: Zinfandel: Pesenti Vineyard

Price: $61.99

Description:
winemaker's notes:
"The impressive, powerful 2005 Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard exhibits a dark ruby/purple color, plenty of minerality, loads of bright, savory, black cherry and black currant fruit, and notions of pepper and crushed rocks. This is one of the deepest, richest, most full-bodied 2005s in this portfolio." 91-93 Points
Wine Advocate
December 1, 2006

critical acclaim:
"91-93 points "The impressive, powerful 2005 Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard exhibits a dark ruby/purple color, plenty of minerality, loads of bright, savory, black cherry and black currant fruit, and notions of pepper and crushed rocks. This is one of the deepest, richest, most full-bodied 2005s in this portfolio. ""
93 Points
The Wine Advocate

Winegirl15: My girlfriend Julie and I drank this wine together. Julie is definitely my wine buddy! She picked this bottle up a year ago when she visited Turley Wine Cellars. I cooked dinner and we sipped the wine together. The wine was deep plum in color and was very smooth. We tasted black current, cherries, and pepper. I suggest this wine for anyone that likes a robust Zinfandel. Thanks Jewelz for sharing this bottle of wine with me! We need to plan a weekend in Paso soon!

Cheers,
xoB