Wine: Club W Shipment - Cosmopolitan Sauvignon Blanc

 We paired this juicy little treat (yes, juicy) with my ultimate macaroni and cheese.  This led me to a food coma and carbohydrate overload but it was well worth the sacrifice.

Cosmopolitan Sauvignon Blanc isn't a traditional Sauv Blanc. It is juicy with tropical notes that the label notates as mango.  I did pick that up; mango, pineapple, and a soft juicy base.  When I describe this wine as juicy, in no way am I saying that it is sweet. It has a nice dry and crisp finish so the overall fruitiness isn't overpowering..

I am actually pleasantly surprised by this wine.  I was expecting a traditional grassy and herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc. This was more like a wine cocktail gone very right.

This wine is very easy to drink, by itself or with food. Club W did a good job suggesting this wine. At 13.00 dollars a bottle, I wouldn't object to drinking it again.

Vino Volo: Dallas/Fort Worth

Recently I was lucky enough to get to take a trip home to warm & beautiful California.  It was a solo trip (I risked the Hubs killing off my vegetable seedlings), as well as my second time flying alone.  I am not the best flier. I am a panicky person; it happens to the best of us. But since I had previously forged the way, this trip was easier to handle. The more you fly, the easier the process gets.

Or maybe it was just that I was so completely stoked to finally have a layover at an airport with a Vino Volo and a couple of hours to kill. A little wine to calm my nerves?

Vino Volo is a tasting room I first crossed paths with back in 2012 at the Dulles Airport in Washington DC.

What better way to wait for a flight than to casually sample wine flights or drink full glasses of multi regional wine?  And if you are hungry you can take full advantage of an artisan menu equipped with tapas style delights.

This time I enjoyed the Shades of White (feeling reminiscent of a 50 shades reference)   wine flight and was pleasantly buzzed by the time I took the tram to my terminal.

Here is what I tasted:


2012 Pinot Grigio - Cantine Settesoli, Italy: this wine is light and crisp. It is easy to drink but lacks some defining pizazz that would make me say "I have to have a bottle of this". It has a sweet nose, and is very opaque in color.  It carries strong melon notes of c antelope and some sweet notes of honey. Summer BBQ or deck wine.

2012 Sauvignon Blanc - MaiMai Haukes Bay, New Zealand: New Zealand wines are exciting to me. This is not your average class act of a Sauvignon Blanc by any means. Grassy, juicy nose, more yellow in color but still pale.  There are sweet notes of pineapple  that makes this wine almost juicy but it has a nice dry finish the brings you back to a grassy, minerality or earthiness. It's easy drinking and worth sharing.  At $9.00 a bottle, this wine is more than a deal and I would gladly tuck two bottles under my arms and prance off into the night.

2011 Chardonnay - Hill Family Castle - Napa, CA: Looking at this wine, I was pleasantly surprised. Its a classic Chardonnay; rich buttery yellow. A little mirky and thick but not so that it lost it's opaque qualities. The nose is mellow, slightly oaky, and the taste is smooth, buttery and filled with oak. It's not just the buttery oak that resonates in this wine; it's a toasted bread, warm and full bodied. It is dry. It warms the entire palate as it rolls over your tongue. It gives the body of this wine something to talk about. There are fruit notes in the background, some apple, but they are not overwhelming and it's a good mix.  It isn't quite your typical chardonnay. It brings back taste-bud memories of Roussanne wines.  This wine is also worth a purchase to at least make a good chocolate and cheese plate (buttery triple cream brie, super soft and milky milk chocolate, and some dry roasted almonds to really balance out your meal).

By the time I was done at Vino Volo, I was toasted in a wine filled bliss.

In short - when traveling, make the most of your time. Seek out what you love and indulge in it.

Salute!

Wine: a Month of it.

Moving is Chaotic. Drinking wine is not.

Okay, it can be when you are trying to clear your wine fridge.

So I am presenting to you the wine I have been drinking for the past month to empty said wine fridge. It is a sad time for me; I like to be fully stocked with special wines from wineries we have visited. The bright side? I get to refill the fridge once we are all settled in.... [insert mischievous smile here].*

Alapay Late Harvest Viognior - Pineapple and Apricot notes similar to a moscato, Avila Beach, CA

Fancy Schmancy Chimays

Cypher's Phoenix - Syrah, Paso Robles CA

Tobin James Sangiovese & Zinfandel, Paso Robles CA **

We already drank the Sangiovese, Saving the Zinfandel for our first night in our new home.

**Gifts from my Husbands Coworkers, year subscription included!

Girl talk nights over wine were much needed.  This night included sharing a bottle and a half and talking til 2:00 am. 

Col Di Sasso Cab Sav & Sangiovese Blend (Excellent!)

Big Kahuna (Fresh & Easy , 2.99 comparable to 2 buck Chuck) Shiraz

Alban Vineyards Reva 2008 Syrah was actually a rare find at a local Liquor Store [Old Doc's].

Alban Syrah's usually sell out as soon as they are stocked. It really helped that I was skimming the enire store by chance and found it. It is  the most expensive  wine I have purchased [At 89 dollars] but it was a Christmas gift to my husband; his favorite wine maker. We opened this bottle to celebrate our new beginnings. It was a true Syrah and aging had done it well. I can see what all the fuss is about ***

Ah, the 2008 lace. DeLorimier makes outstanding reds (award winning). This was one of the first wineries we stopped at on our trip up the California and Oregon Coast the summer of 2009. In 2010, my would-be in laws joined us in revisiting this winery and became members. 5 years later we drank this bottle, rich and syrupy, but not too sweet.

For me, wine holds memories of the tastings, of good times with loved ones, and a sensory experience (aromas and tastes). My wine fridge is really a sentimental vessel that takes me back to these shared times, these memories.  

The best part of emptying my fridge? Sharing the wine with Friends and family, and knowing new memories are to come.

*Dear recycled wine bottles; I know I drank more of you, and if you are not on this list, I am terribly sorry. I still enjoyed you, but simply forgot to photograph you.
**Gifts from my Husbands Coworkers, year subscription included!
*** 50 Shades of Grey Author EL James names Alban Vineyard  wines in her book series (in Fifty Shades Darker, chapter Six). It's kinda cool to be able to say you enjoyed drank fancy pants wine; We adore the Roussanne though I can't recall if we have had the 2006 Estate Roussanne that was named in the book (Alban Estate Grenache 2006 was also named). Now to get my hands on a La Grande Annee Rose 1999 Bollinger Champagne, though the price has inflated due to the books release and popularity.

Wine: Iron Rock Cellars Sauvignon Blanc

There may not be anything more refreshing on a hot summer's day than a crisp chilled white wine.

Iron Rock Cellars does Sauvignon Blanc well, and is just the bottle if vino to quench a thirst on a sultry summer night.

When the Husband and I first began our journey into the world of wine, we only drank whites (what? Yes, I know, so narrow minded!)

Sauvignon Blanc's were our favorite. Since then we have embraced many robust reds.

Iron Rock's wine is delicious and light, with a citrus mouth feel and light notes if clean grass. The aftertaste is smooth and crisp. It's sweet, but not heavy, and beautifully clear.

It definitely comes recommended at an unbeatable price of $15 a bottle.