3.5 Corks » A Glass After Work

A Paragon: Sauvignon Blanc

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Jul 282010

2008 Edna Valley Vineyard Paragon Sauvignon Blanc

Last Monday was one of those days that reminded me of how different my job can be. Looking at the Capitol building every day, sometimes I start to take for granted that I live in an amazing city that is full of intelligent and interesting people, and the thrill of being on the floor of the House of Representatives while Members of Congress debate the merits of various pieces of legislation was the perfect reminder of what makes DC such a special city and what makes my job very exciting. By the time I arrived home on Monday night, I was ready to open a nice bottle of cool white wine to celebrate the perfect start to the final stretch of the latest busy season at work.

The 2008 Edna Valley Vineyard Paragon Sauvignon Blanc (winery, snooth) was a pale, lemon yellow. On the nose, there were yellow grapefruits, mangos, pineapples, and a hint of limes and grass. In the mouth, there were yellow grapefruits, limes, pineapples, and a hint of oranges, wet stone, and grass. The wine had a light body with bright acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $16, this wine was refreshing and food-friendly. Hubby made seared scallops for dinner, which turned out to be a nice pairing, as the wine did not overpower the light flavor of the scallops. After spending the day wearing a suit in the ridiculously hot weather that has been plaguing the DC area, this Sauvignon Blanc had the crispness I needed to cool off and relax throughout the evening.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

Friday Night Rosé

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Jul 112010

***I received this wine as a sample***

2009 Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah

The last four weeks at work comprised one of the busiest times I have had since I started working. My days were full of internal discussions on how to move forward with one of my biggest projects this year, intense meetings with people from other offices who want to work on the project, internal and external phone calls with additional people who are interested in the project, and more emails than I know what to do with. So, when my boss closed the office early on the Friday before July 4^th, I was ecstatic. I wasn’t able to leave at noon when we officially closed, but I escaped a few hours early. Since Hubby was going out with some friends, I made a few detours before coming home, where I ate some Thai takeout, opened a bottle of Rosé, and caught up on some trash tv.

The 2009 Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah (winery, snooth) was made from 100% Syrah grapes and had a really dark pink color with hints of orange, particularly on the rim. On the nose, there were bright red fruits with a hint of perfume. In the mouth, there were strawberries, raspberries, violets, and something a little foresty on the finish. The wine was very dry, with good acidity, and a light-to-medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $17, this wine pushes the limit on what I’m likely to pay for a Rosé, as I am not generally a huge fan. However, this wine surprised me. It is slightly heavy for a Rosé, but that’s part of what I found intriguing about this bottle. It had nice flavor and a touch of body, but was still refreshing, light, and flirty—what I expect from a good Rosé. Admittedly, my pairing with Thai was probably not the best choice, but the wine was quite enjoyable.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

**I would like to extend my sympathy to everyone at Viña Montes.
I’m sure that Mr. Douglas Murray will be missed by you all.***

Moody Bitch Grenache (Wine Blogging Wednesday)

$11-$20, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 1 Response »

Mar 242010

The theme for this month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday (#67), which is being hosted by 1WineDude, is “Seeing Red For the First Time.” For those of you who are new to WBW, the idea is that wine bloggers everywhere will write a review on the same basic theme, and this month that means all the participants will be posting about wines they would use to introduce a white wine drinker to red wines, so all of you exclusive white wine drinkers should take some good notes.

For me, the timing of this theme could be better, as this weekend, I’m getting together with 6 of my friends for a “girls weekend,” and, of course, I’m the one in charge of brining the wine…and lots of it. While putting together a wine list has been fun, it’s also been a challenge to find wines to match the various tastes without buying everyone their own bottle. One girlfriend, in particular, is a fresh, fruity white wine drinker who tends to drink sweet Rieslings and completely avoids red wines. That said, she issued a challenge, saying that maybe I could convince her with a really good one, but that warm, dry wine typically makes [her] gag.” So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw this month’s WBW theme, as it not only gives me the opportunity to work through my own ideas, but also will give me a wealth of knowledge in other people’s finds.

After going back and forth on whether to go big and bold with a Zinfandel or sweet and fruity with a Grenache, I decided to look for a 100% Grenache. In addition to the sweet jamminess, Grenache is lower in tannins, and big tannins are something I think white wine drinkers might find off-putting. In many ways, Grenache is all of the things that my girlfriend likes about white wine, but from a red grape. Plus, raspberry and strawberry flavors seem like a friendlier way to ease a white wine drinker into the world of reds, rather than something that has harsher black fruit or herbaceous characteristics or that has more funkier flavors like earth or leather.

Admittedly, I toyed with the idea of buying a rose, but in the end, felt that a full red wine was the better choice. However, to combat the dislike of warm wine, I cooled the bottle to more of a cellar temperature, since red wines often are served to warm (and white wines often are served to cold).

The wine I decided to open is the 2008 Bitch Grenache (snooth), made by R Wine Winemakers in South Australia and imported by Grateful Palate Imports. It was a medium ruby with a pinkish, watery rim. On the nose, there were ripe strawberries and raspberries preserves, followed by a hint of white pepper and cinnamon. In the mouth, there were strawberries, raspberries, and red currants with a touch of cream, cinnamon, and white pepper. The wine had high acidity and alcohol, with soft, smooth tannins and a light-to-medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $15, this wine is a great everyday wine—refreshing, food-friendly, and flirty with a little bit of hotness and attitude. That said, I think the wine is a little too acidic and has too much heat from the alcohol to be the perfect wine for a white-wanna-turn-red-wine-drinker. I still think Grenache is a good option, but Bitch just seems a little too moody to be the right wine for this task. However, if you’re already a red wine lover, you may want to consider grabbing a bottle if you see one.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

Books, Haikus, and Wine

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Mar 222010

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Anne mentioned that she had an extra ticket to Michael J. Gelb’s book launch, and she asked if I would like to attend with her. The event included a wine tasting, some food, and a copy of Gelb’s book. Combine all of that with Anne’s good company and there was no way I was going to miss the event. So, Monday night after work, I headed to Zola Wine & Kitchen, where the DC launch for Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices was held.

Overall, the event was fun and well attended. There were 5 wines to taste—2 French rosé sparkling wines, 2 Sicilian red wines, and 1 French dessert wine. There were also some delicious hors d’œuvres, which were made while we were watching, and wonderful cheeses and chocolates.

Gelb’s approach to tasting wine is differs from the traditional taste-and-take-notes approach in that it focuses on the idea of using wine as a muse. Therefore, after we all had a chance to get comfortable and taste a few sparkling wines, he read a little from his book and then asked all of us to write wine-inspired poetry instead of traditional tasting notes (I did a little of both). He then collected what everyone wrote and read several winners aloud. While mine wasn’t chosen as a winner, I think that was because there wasn’t enough grape juice flowing to get my creative juices going. That said, here is my Haiku:

Juiciness takes over,
Luscious and warm in my mouth.
Wine is perfection.

Michael Gelb reading from "Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices"

As for the wines themselves, the night started with bubbly—a Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rosé and a François Billion Brut Rosé Champagne Spécial.

The Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rosé (vineyard, snooth) was made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes. The sparkler was a light, salmon color with persistent bubbles. On the nose and the mouth, there were red fruits and flowers, with a hint of toastiness. The wine had nice acidity, was refreshing, and made for a pleasant start to the tasting. At $20, this is definitely a sparkling wine worth looking into.
Overall: 3.5 corks

The François Billion Brut Rosé Champagne Spécial (vineyard, snooth) was a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes. The wine was a medium pink, with a lot of small, persistent bubbles. The sparkler had a beautiful nose, full of toast and a hint of strawberries and cherries. In the mouth, there was toast, cream, cherries, and strawberries. The wine had a crisp acidity, which was very refreshing. At $55, this wine was by far the best of the night.
Overall: 4.5 corks

The two red wines were both made in Sicily from the Nero d’Avola grape—the Cossentino and the 2006 Feudo Maccari Saia.

The Cossentino Nero D’Avola (snooth) was a deep purple. On the nose, there were big fruits, lots of wood, and some herbaceousness. In the mouth, the wine had something “funky” mixed in with blackberries. It was very acidic, and even at $12, it’s not a wine I would recommend.
Overall: 2 corks

The 2006 Feudo Maccari Saia Nero d’Avola (vineyard, snooth) was also a deep purple. On the nose and in the mouth, there were blackberries, cooking spices, and lavender. The wine had a full, luscious body, with smooth, soft tannins. At $42, this wine offers something a little different from the better-known Italian wines. If you’re looking for a new grape, this Sicilian red is worth considering, even at the higher price-point.
Overall: 3.5 corks

The last wine of the night was an intense dessert wine that paired beautifully with Zola Wine & Kitchen’s handmade chocolates. My favorite was pairing the salted caramel squares with the 2007 Domaine du Mas Blanc Rimage Banyuls (vineyard, snooth). The Rimage was a dark, inky purple. On the nose and in the mouth, there were ripe dark cherries, raspberries, and cocoa dust. The fuller body mixed nicely with the creaminess of the caramel in the chocolate. At $30, this wine is a nice dessert wine that isn’t overly sweet.
Overall: 3.5 corks

I was surprised to be the only blogger at the event, but that worked out well, as it gave me a chance to talk with Gelb not only about his books, but also about wine blogging and twittering. I was also thankful that Anne was able to give me the ticket for $30 instead of the full-priced $60, as that was probably a little over priced for this event. That said, I had a good time tasting wine, listing to other attendees’ wine-inspired writing, and meeting Michael Gelb.

I look forward to sharing my thoughts on Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices, once I’ve had a chance to read it. In the meantime, Kudos to Heather Freeman PR, Hooks Books, and Zola Wine & Kitchen for putting together a good event and to Michael Gelb for publishing his latest book.

Mission Accomplished: Wine Guerrilla Stikes Again

$21-$30, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 1 Response »

Mar 122010

*** I received this wine as a sample***

As part of my new job, I often have the opportunity to join several of my colleagues from other offices on conference panels to talk about the work we’re currently doing and to provide some insight into what future projects may look like. Monday morning, I started off the week on one of these panels, talking to a group of about 1500 people. Admittedly, I was not thrilled about starting off the week with a presentation, but I love talking on the topic. Each panelist gave a short, 3-minute overview before the moderator started a question and answer session. During the 45 minutes of discussion, there were 3 applause interruptions, 2 of which were in response to something I said. While that was flattering and I left the conference with a good feeling, I didn’t think more of it. My boss was speaking to the same group on Tuesday morning, so my focus was in preparing him for his speech. I was taken aback when I learned that not only did people come up to him after his speech, but also were emailing and calling his office to tell him that they thought I gave a great presentation. Receiving that type of praise, particularly at a new job, is invaluable, so, to celebrate a great start to the week, I went home and opened a fun bottle of wine to help end the day on as good of a note as the week started.

2007 Wine Guerrilla Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

The 2007 Wine Guerrilla Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel (website, snooth) was made with 85% Zinfandel, 6% Malbec, 4% Petite Sirah, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Alacante Bouchet grapes. The wine had a deep ruby color, with a purple hue. On the nose, there were baked blueberries and blackberries mixed with a spice cabinet full of cinnamon, cloves, and a hint of ginger. In the mouth there were berries and spices, plus a little bit of cocoa dust and something herbaceous. The wine had good tannins, medium acidity, and a medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $22, the wine offers what you expect from a California Zin. It was initially a little hot in the mouth, which was a little distracting, but, in general, it’s a food-friendly wine that pairs perfectly with BBQ short ribs, while also being enjoyable on its own.

This is the second bottle of wine that I’ve had from Wine Guerrilla (click here for my review of the 2007 Goat Trek Vineyard ‘Block 6′ Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel), and I continue to be happy with the wines. Wine Guerrilla’s mission is to take the best Zinfandel grapes in California and create a wine that epitomizes the true character of a “California Zinfandel,” and the spiced, baked berries in the 2007 Dry Creek Valley definitely accomplish that mission. Added to the fine artistry of the wine is the distinctive creativity of the labels, which are designed by Los Angeles artist Sean Colgin’s labels. With the wine and labels put together, Wine Guerrilla has created an enjoyable Zinfandel-drinking experience.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

Inky, Robust Malbec

$11-$20, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Mar 102010

2008 Bodega Tamari Malbec Reserva

Last week was a crazy week both at work and in the “A Glass After Work” household. It was a week full of marathon meetings, a major project deliverable, and Hubby giving notice at his job, so it’s not hard to understand why it was long and hectic. By the time my last set marathon meetings started on Friday afternoon, I was having difficulty concentrating, and I know I wasn’t the only one, as one of my colleagues was playing brick breaker on her Blackberry, while two others were carrying on a private conversation instead of paying attention to the larger group discussion. After the meetings finished, my boss told everyone to go home, but, unfortunately, I had too much work to leave right away. However, I was still able to leave an hour early, and it was an hour that I was grateful for because I was longing for an evening of good red wine, pizza, and movies with Hubby. On the way home, I stopped by the local wine store in search of something a little different from my normal Friday night wine, and I walked out with an Argentinean Malbec.

The 2008 Bodega Tamari Malbec Reserva (winery, snooth) was a deep, purplish ruby with big, drippy legs. On the nose, there was new leather, black cherries, black pepper, blackberries, vanilla, and wood. In the mouth, there was leather, cherries, and a touch of dark chocolate, blackberries, vanilla, and wood. The wine had big tannins, high acidity, and a medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $14.50, this was a great Friday night, pizza wine. The acidity and flavors paired well with the pizza, but offered a refreshing change from the usual Italian choices. On its own, the Malbec was perfect for just settling in and relaxing without being overly complex or requiring too much thought. It was definitely a good choice after a hard week.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

Thinking Warm With A Summery Vouvray

$11-$20, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Jan 052010

I was one of those fortunate people who didn’t have to work between Christmas and New Year’s because my office was closed. I spent the week catching up on chores around the condo, scrapbooking photos that are years old, and trying to stay warm in the uncharacteristically frigid DC weather. In an effort to “think warm,” I decided to open one of my favorite types of summer wine—a Vouvray.

The 2007 Charles Bove Vouvray (snooth) was 100% Chenin Blanc grapes with a nice, lemon color. On the nose, there were luscious fruit aromas—mostly nectarines, grapefruits, and pineapples with a touch of something floral. In the mouth, there were nectarines and pineapples, followed by surprisingly tart granny smith apples on the finish. The wine was very soft in the mouth, with a touch of oiliness, although the acidity kept the wine tasting fresh.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $18, this is the type of wine that is fun to just sit and relax with, as its velvety smoothness is perfect for rolling around your tongue. Admittedly, just drinking my summer wine didn’t make me feel any warmer, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the Vouvray. The wine tasted like drinking a lightly sweetened fruit salad, but avoiding being too heavy because of a bright tartness that caused mouth puckering right on the finish. It would pair nicely with a salad or seafood, although, admittedly, I enjoyed most of the bottle all it on its own.

Overall 3.5 Corks

Happy 2010!! Cheers!!

Chanukkah Chianti

$11-$20, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Dec 202009

***I received this wine as a sample***

Last Friday, after a week of ups and downs on my big work project, everything was completed, submitted, and out of my hands. Admittedly, I made a few mistakes during the process, but being new, those were easily forgiven, and, overall, everyone seemed pleased with the end result. Normally, after a hard, but successful week, Friday would have been about relaxation and celebration, and add to the fact that it was the first night of Chanukkah, it would generally have been down right festive. However, I had a take-home final to tackle, so, instead of lighting candles and opening presents before enjoying the evening with Hubby, I cooked dinner, opened a bottle of chianti, and worked on my final.

The 2007 Ruffino Aziano Chianti Classico was 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Canaiolo grapes. The wine had a nice, deep color and an aroma that instinctively made me say “Mmmmm.” On the nose, there were cherries, cedar, strawberries, and tobacco mixed with a touch of black pepper, smoke, cocoa powder, and something meaty. In the mouth, there were strawberries, meat, tobacco, and violet petals with a touch of smoke, and cocoa powder. The wine had a bright, lime-like acidity, low tannins, and a medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $15, this is a complex, yet easily accessible and enjoyable wine that pairs amazingly well with Italian food. The Chianti’s true colors showed when I paired it with cheese ravioli in a tomato sauce and garlic bread. Truthfully, on its own, the Chianti is just ok, so if you don’t intend to drink it with with a good Italian dish, grab a differently bottle because you’ll be doing yourself and the wine a disservice. The food brought out basil, violet, and rose petals flavors while tempering the acidity in a way that made the wine sing in my mouth. The Chianti and ravioli provided the perfect diversion from my final and was great way to celebrate the first night of Chanukkah.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

Hope everyone celebrating Chanukkah had a wonderful 8 days!

Fun & Fruity Beaujolais Nouveau

$11-$20, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Dec 022009

A week and a half ago, on the third Thursday of November, the 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau was released. That particular Thursday was a busy day at work for me, as it was the delivery date of my first big project at my new job, so by the time I left work, I was far too exhausted to buy a bottle to taste, although I mentioned to Hubby that I was sorry to miss the release. Friday, though, was a different story. I spent the day playing catch-up at work, as well as reading a few reviews about the latest vintage. When my boss let us leave work a couple of hours early, before heading home, I couldn’t resist a visit to my local wine store.

The 2009 George Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau (winery, snooth) was 100% Gamay grapes with a nice, deep purple color. On the nose, there were aromas of the strawberry jam you get from the little diner packets mixed with some grapes and cherries. In the mouth, not only wasn’t there a jammy taste, but also there was very little strawberry flavor. Instead, the wine tasted like sour cherries, tart raspberries, and a hint of cinnamon. The wine had a good, substantial body and a surprising amount of acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. For $13, the 2009 George Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau is a fun, fruity wine. It’s not complicated, but still is very pleasant both on its own and with food. Beaujolais, and particularly Beaujolais Nouveau, are meant to drink young, so this is a wine that you should buy and enjoy now rather than keep… and it’s definitely one that is enjoyable.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

Thanksgiving in October

$10 and lower, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Oct 282009

***I received this wine as a sample***

While Saturday wasn’t a work-work day, it was a school-work day for me. As I’m approaching the middle of the semester, it means that I needed to finish my part of a group project, finish compiling research to write my term paper, and, of course, read the required text. Needless to say, it was a day of reading and note-taking. By the time 5:30 rolled around, I felt like I’d put in a full day’s work and was ready to have a good dinner, drink some tasty wine, and watch a trashy movie.

Since it was a weekend, I decided that it would be the perfect time to open up the 2008 Tapeña Verdejo that I received as a sample. The bottle came with a flyer suggesting that the Verdejo would be the perfect addition to a Thanksgiving feast, and since the weekend gave me time to be a little more elaborate with my cooking, I made a fake-Thanksgiving dinner for Hubby and me. We had roasted turkey breast, stuffing, broccoli medley, and homemade mashed potatoes and gravy. The dinner was definitely missing a sweet potato casserole and some pumpkin pie, but since it was only two of us, I didn’t want to get too crazy.

The 2008 Tapeña Verdejo (winery, snooth) was a bright, but pale-to-medium yellow color. On the nose, there were granny smith apple, gooseberry, peach, nectarine, and honeysuckle aromas, followed the slightest whiff of orange and honeysuckle. In the mouth, there were granny smith apple, white peach, and nectarine flavors, followed by a touch of fresh cut grass. The finish was slightly bitter and reminiscent of eating fresh parsley sprigs. The wine had a medium body and high acidity, which gave it a fresh, crisp feeling.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $9.99, it’s hard to say no to such a light and slightly different tasting wine. It paired extremely well with the Thanksgiving dinner, as it offered a refreshing change in taste that helped enhance the flavors of the dinner. On it’s own, the wine was just ok. The Verdejo had wonderful aromas that seemed to be missing when it came time to drinking. Pairing the wine with food really allowed the wine to have a solid supporting role in the feast without drawing attention to what I thought was a little lacking when I drank the wine on its own. Plus, the turkey dinner was really enhanced by the pairing.

Overall: 3.5

Older Entries

A Paragon: Sauvignon Blanc

Friday Night Rosé

Moody Bitch Grenache (Wine Blogging Wednesday)

Books, Haikus, and Wine

Mission Accomplished: Wine Guerrilla Stikes Again

Inky, Robust Malbec

Thinking Warm With A Summery Vouvray

Chanukkah Chianti

Fun & Fruity Beaujolais Nouveau

Thanksgiving in October

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