Wine: Club W Shipment - Brethren Syrah and Oliver Row Cabernet Franc

I must say that I am pretty disappointed with these two wines, which is why they are sharing a blog post instead of getting a singular one for each.

I will say the the Brethren of the Road Syrah was ridiculously disappointing and possibly the worst red I have had in a long time if not ever. It's initial palate and aftertaste was an alcohol fumed red - dry and akin to rubbing alcohol. As I said before I was not impressed. The Hubs, who loves Syrahs, spit his back into his cup and blankly told me he would not drink it.

Club W Describes this wine as "Berry Tart". I disagree. "Berry Tart" would have provided a flavor notes at the very least.

The Cabernet Franc was marginally better.  If anything it was unimpressive in the sense that it was similar to a table red - a 5$  table red, so this would be over priced at 13$ a bottle. There were no tasting notes that struck my palate - this is something I look for in every wine I drink and is part of my wine consumption experience.

There were no notes that struck my palate or made this wine remarkable in any sense. It's quite disappointing to have one wine, out of the three, be a worthy wine (see Cosmopolitan Sauvignon Blanc).

I have one more Club W Shipment coming in a few days and I am hoping that this one is more impressive (mostly because their newsletter caught my eye with an illusive Cinsault - not a varietal massively produced here in the US).

Believe me, I will let you know. But at this rate I think it's more important to support wineries directly. Go wine tasting. Find a winery you like and sign up for the wine club. Tasting wines before you buy them is a safer way to guarantee you will enjoy the wine experience.

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.

Wine: Nimble Hill Reserve Gewurztraminer

I have talked about Nimble Hill before. It's a delicious vineyard, winery and brewery in Tunkhannock Pennsylvania.  Every time we visit my in-laws, we either stop here or have my in-laws get a couple of bottles for us.

Buying wines outside of that grapes growing region can be tricky. Red wines don't always grow well in Pennsylvania and can be watered down in taste. But that's not the case with this winery, and certainly not with this wine since we are talking about white wines. Gewurztraminer grows in this region, and it grows well.

Typically, we chill our white wine glasses, and take our white wine from the wine fridge to the refrigerator for optimal chilling.   It helps keep the wine as cold as possible for as long as possible and maximizes your drinking experience.

I had the Hubs pick a bottle of white to pair with dinner - spicy chicken pad thai  - and he did an excellent job with this pairing. I am not sure if he is paying attention when we go wine tasting or if he just got lucky in his pick, but he paired this meal extremely well.

ingredients for the pad thai

This Gewurztraminer was light and easy to drink. Initially, it's a little sweet on the tongue, but soft with notes of lychee and a little peach.  The mouth feel is velvety, and there is a crisp finish that is slightly dry down the throat.  Not too sweet. Not too dry. Perfect.

Salute!

Recipe: Birthday Donuts

My Birthday was in May. It was a little hard, being away from all of my friends and family, but even with the distance I still had a great birthday. It ended up being a Birthday Week as packages trickled in.

I have complained about the weather (or lack of sunshine) for a long time (3 months?). I am just not used to it [Sorry Minnesota, not trying to bash you, given this is an off year for ya, but PERK UP! rain everyday is no fun either!]. I never had to savor the sunshine before. It was cloudy days I looked forward to in Fresno. Days to be huddled up in blankets with my dogs and a good book, or a marathon of some teenie-bopper show (think 90210, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars that are all about the drama). I am not supposed to want to do that every day!

My mom and sister sent me an assortment of my favorite Fresh & Easy  snacks, some Armenian treats only to be found at Hye Deli's (which last I checked, aren't anywhere in Minnesota), like Pekmez, Halva, and little pistachio candies, and some clothes.

My in-laws sent me a gorgeous bouquet to brighten my desk at work. That was a wonderful surprise!

My best friends absolutely spoiled me. California and sunshine were a theme across the board, hands down.


A new key charm for my keys, so that the sun is always with me.

A bottle of wine (that actually benefits shelter dogs)

Fresh organic strawberries. From California. Over-nighted. Hands down, the best strawberries ever - no sugar needed, we devoured them by the bowl-full and I froze what we couldn't eat.

Lastly, the Hubz took me to an acclaimed Steakhouse (review to follow), over the weekend. On my birthday day I baked a loaf of bread, and he made me Fettuccine Alfredo, with Angel Hair. We drank a really good Tobin James Silver Reserve Petite Syrah and watched the Life of Pi - and he got me Luigi's Haunted Mansion 2 (I love nintendo).

So I wasn't going to have a cake, because I would be the only one to eat it. [The Hubz only eats cheesecake, and peanut butter cookies my baking endeavors are wasted on that man.] Cupcakes were out of the question because I lost my cupcake tin in the move across the country. So I decided to make these mini donuts.

And glazed them in a chocolate ganache that I whipped up:

2 cups semi sweet chips

1/2 cup half and half

2 tbs butter unsalted ***

Use a double boiler or place a heat proof owl over a pot of boiling water and mix ingredients until it becomes melty chocolate goodness.

The recipe makes a lot of donuts so I took a plate to work and froze a gallon baggy worth of them (frozen cake with icecream is pretty much ice cream cake, right?). 

***okay so make sure your butter is real butter. Here, it's so hard to find butter that is just pasteurized cream/sweet cream; almost all have "natural flavors" which, to my taste buds, make the butter taste like margarine. It's not my cup of tea.

Wine: Indian Island

We had a wine night via FaceTime with some friends back home this past weekend. It was nice to catch up, and after 5 minutes the screen falls away, and you feel like you are back in the living room of your interior decorating savvy wino comrades.

On our end, the husband and I were drinking Indian Island Frontenac Gris. Granted, this would be a fantastic summer wine but its still skirting 40 degree highs with wintry mixes of snow and rain here.

The Frontenac Gris was peachy, juicy, fruity, with subtle notes of apples. It would make an outstanding white sangria (throw some strawberries, grapes, and raspberries? My mouth is watering thinking about it!). Indian Island is a Minnesota wine, made in Southern Minnesota.

This was an easy drinking wine. I paired it with some Gorgonzola crackers, dry roasted pistachios, and a few hours of laughing, laughing, and laughing.

Vino Travels: Caribbean Cruise

Earlier this year we went on a Caribbean Cruise with my Husband's family to celebrate my grandparent-in-law's Birthdays!

It was my first cruise, and a lot of fun. There was a lot to do, and see, and experience (while sea sickness was part of it...). It was wonderful spending time with my in-laws and getting to know his (big!) family better. I come from a small family, and being welcomed to such a fun and loving bunch was really very endearing.

And now I shall share some culinary  treats from Royal Caribbean Cruise Line - the Liberty was the ship we sailed on.

 

After arriving on the boat, we met family for Drinks while waiting to depart to sea.  We ordered Japanese Collins  which were a Collins made with Midori Melon. Our of this world! 

 Soon we were Champagne toasting an Au Revoir to the US and saying Bonjour to blue seas

The champagne [and chocolate covered strawberries] was a DELECTABLE gift from our Aunt and Uncle. Really kicked off the trip as we set sail!  Thank you again!

 This was my starter, one of the evening dinners. A smoked chicken breast and apple salad. It was light and delicious!

 Seafood ravioli. Because you have to have it at least once.

We smuggled out own assortment of Wines to drink in private quarters with the rest of the family.

[Twisted Merlot, WoodBridge Cabernet and Pinot Noir, Stone Cellars Chardonnay, Columbia Crest Cabernet]

This was hands down my favorite Starter - it was a puff pastry topped with a purreed artichoke and eggplant paste, with roasted red peppers, and topped with Arugula. Most excellent, and delectable!

**More in the Caribbean Cruise posts: Rum Tasting in Belize, Wine Tasting, Cozumel Dining and Shopping Strip!

Recipe: Fried Chicken Tenders with Oven Fries

I love chicken tenders. They cook quickly, they are delicious and usually lean. Unless you fry them.

Then they are just out of this world!

Ingredients for fried chicken:
16-20 breast tenders

Breading:
1 cup flour
1 cup almond meal
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon turmeric (or less, beautiful color and flavor)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Dash cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Dredge:
1/2 cup half and half
1 egg
Salt ad pepper to taste

Frying:
1 cast iron skillet
Peanut oil

Heat your skillet in medium heat, filling the pan with about 1/2 inch to 1 inch of peanut oil.

Whisk your dry ingredients together in a pie plate. Whisk the wet ingredients together. Coat the tenders in the half and half and milk mixer and with tongs*, dip into the flour mixture.

When the oil is hot (you can drop a bit of the flour mixture in to see if it sizzles), drop in 4-5 dipped and coated tenders.

Cook for 8 minutes on one side, then 5 minutes of so on the other. Pull out with tongs when it's golden brown and smells to die for. Lay out on a wire rack over a paper towel lined baking sheet.

Sample as needed. Repeat until you have fried up all your tenders.

This crust is light and crunchy with the perfect amount of seasoning. The tenders are moist inside, and the fried crust makes a delectable crispy shell around the chicken. I think the almond meal really contributes to the crunchy exterior. Yummy!



Oven fries:
3-4 Yukon gold potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic crushed and minced.
Special Shit Seasoning* or seasonings o taste of salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne

Cut potatoes into strip, leaving skin on or peeling it off. Your preference. Mince garlic. Lay out on a foil lined baking sheet. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle seasoning. Mix with hands to evenly coat, then lay potato strips out in an even layer. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes depending how hot your oven gets. Remove, and enjoy.


Sweet and Spicey dip
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon Siracha
1/2 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup)

Thyme
Ground black Pepper
Dash of Tabasco/cayenne pepper sauce

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Dip fries or chicken into.

*frying is so much easier if you have 2-3 tongs for each statin (dipping, dredging, and frying removal).
**Special Shit is a seasoning by Big Cock Ranch, that is good on everything.

Wine: Tobin James Ballistic Zinfandel

Nothing gets you back in the swig of things like a good Zinfandel- one of my favorite varietals.

We waited a week or so for the wine to settle (wine that has traveled shouldn't be opened for awhile) then I just couldn't take it anymore. I had to have a glass of home, of California, and a taste of my honeymoon.

Wine, a movie, and small bowls of snacks (wheat thins, chocolate chips, and fresh and easy sea salt crackers) mixed with a bunch of cozy throws and puppy cuddles is a good night.

The Zinfandel had a strong berry nose, and was full of spice and leathery notes. It still probably should of rested more, some notes were a little too leathery. Nonetheless, the rich, warm peppery berries that characterizes a zin were there. Maybe that's just what makes this zin, "ballistic".

Vino Travels: Day 3 on the Road

We got up pretty early and finished out trek across Colorado into Nebraska.

This time of year, Nebraska was not scenic at all. That was disappointing. There was an upside: LLAMA FARMS! I saw at least three, which was super neat.

Other attractions? Dinosaur Museums [ oh how I wanted to stop and go to one!], & Wild Turkeys [Gobble Gobble!]

We made it to Iowa which was a much quicker drive, and far more scenic with lovely snow coverings and finally made it to Minnesota about 7:30 pm Pacific Time.

The view from our hotel room

on the road again

Someone was sleepy

Hark! Snowfall!

The next morning, home sweet home

** I used the iPhone Apps: Aviary & Travelgram to document our trip.

Vino Travels: Day 2 on the Road

Driving for over 12 hours is exhausting, but I can't complain; the Husband is doing all the driving because he doesn't approve of how I drive.

[Grumble]

This drive was scenic and lovely.  The drive through Nevada was quick, quicker through Arizona, and we stopped in Utah for a staple Western Lunch: In n Out burgers.

We stayed on the road until we reached Golden, Colorado, a full day of driving, the dogs exhausted, but so much beauty seen in driving through the states instead of flying over them.