$31-$40 » A Glass After Work

Work “World Tour of Wine” Tasting

$11-$20, $21-$30, $31-$40, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Jun 162010

For those of you who are Facebook fans, you already know that, at the end of May, I was working on a wine tasting for work. After having put together a Spanish wine tasting for coworkers during our April slow period, one of my colleagues talked to The Big Boss about my wine experience and about our staff bonding event. He was thrilled, and, as a wine lover himself, thought it would be fun to have a wine tasting for the staff in both of his DC offices. The tasting was held the Tuesday before Memorial Day.

Half of the people attending the wine tasting were at my Spanish wine event, so I decided that instead of doing a second Spanish-focused tasting, this one would be a “World Tour of Wine.” As the fun part of a tasting is being able to try new wines and broaden wine horizons, I wanted to focus on wines that moved away from the typical Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, and Chardonnays by presenting varietals that are easy to find in wine stores, but that many inexperienced wine drinkers might shy away from buying. Additionally, since I was expecting 30+ people at the event, I wanted to make sure that I covered a range of wine styles.

With all of that in mind, I decided to begin the tasting with a traditional French Champagne—Montaudon Extra-Dry (snooth). The palate cleansing & revitalizing sparkler was followed by two white wines—a 2008 Paul D Grüner Veltliner (winery, snooth) from Austria and a 2009 Spy Valley (winery, snooth) from New Zealand. Following the lighter white wines were a South African Pinotage—2008 Painted Wolf (winery, snooth)—and a California Zinfandel blend—2008 Orin Swift’s “The Prisoner” (winery, snooth). The tasting finished with a Spanish Sherry—Nectar by González Byass (winery, snooth).

Everyone enjoyed the Champagne, which was no surprise to me or to them. However, the other wine that received the most questions and the most refill requests was Orin Swift Cellers’ The Prisoner, followed closely by Paul D’s Grüner Veltliner. The wine that received the most mixed reviews was González Byass’ Nectar, although everyone was happy to have tried it as almost everyone mentioned that it was not a wine they would have tasted on their own.

The Big Boss was very happy with event, particularly as he found a new wine that to enjoy. My coworkers tasted some wines that they loved, as well as some wines that they didn’t like, but there was a lot of conversation about those wines, as the likes and dislikes varied greatly. All in all, it seemed like everyone had a good time and that the tasting was a huge success.

***As a note, while the wines above are the ones I planned to offer and prepared tasting notes for, the wine store was actually sold out of the Spy Valley on the day of the tasting. Therefore, I used a 2009 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (winery, snooth) as a fallback. I will do a separate review for the Oyster Bay, but wanted to keep the Spy Valley as part of this tasting, as I thought it was a slightly better wine.

Held Captive by “The Prisoner”

$31-$40, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Jun 102010

Three weeks ago was the due date of my second big work project that week, and while everything was successfully finished by 11am, there was a significant amount of blood (from numerous paper cuts) and sweat that went into the project. Thankfully, there were no tears. The completion of this project brought my most recent hectic work period to a close. However, when I left work on Thursday, rather than the normal exhaustion that usually hit me after I finish a big project, I had a burst of energy, probably due to the fact that I was only working half a day on Friday and would be spending the weekend in rural Pennsylvania drinking wine, eating fabulous food, and talking late into the night with several of my girlfriends. By the time I walked in the door of our condo on Thursday night, Hubby had finished making chicken stir fry, I was chatty, and there was just a general good feeling going into the evening, so I went straight for the California red that I recently purchased because of a review in Wine Spectator.

Orin Swift’s 2008 “The Prisoner”

Orin Swift’s 2008 “The Prisoner” (winery, snooth) was a blend of 46% Zinfandel, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 10% Petite Syrah, 2% Charbono, and 1% Grenache grapes and was a deep purplish ruby color. On the nose, there were blueberries, dark cherries, nutmeg, cinnamon, sage, cedar, forest, and peat. In the mouth, there was a berry pie—blueberry, blackberry, and a hint of raspberry—combined with chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel, and cedar. The wine had a medium body, medium tannins, high alcohol, and high acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? It’s worth more than one! What are you waiting for? At $40, this wine is on the high end for an “everyday” wine, but it’s well worth the cost. “The Prisoner” is complex and food-friendly, with a flavor combination that is unique and delicious. Due to the high alcohol content, though, the wine can be a little hot and harsh when consumed straight out of the bottle, so I recommend putting the wine through an aerator or decanting it before you drink it. Also, while it’s worth drinking more than one glass, once you’ve given the wine a chance to breathe, the 15.2% alcohol content can be lost in the luscious flavors, so don’t let the wine take you by surprise.

Overall: 4.5 Corks

A Passover Shiraz

$31-$40, 3 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Apr 092010

2003 Carmel Kayoumi Shiraz

My office is open on both the Friday before and the Monday after Easter; however, each of us can choose to take one day off as an office holiday. Good Friday was clearly the day that most of my coworkers picked, as there were only 4 of us in the office all day, but I think that those of us who came in on Friday had the better end of the deal by taking today off. Last Friday was one of the quietest days I’ve ever had at work. It was perfect for being productive, as well as for bonding with my coworkers, since we were able to eat lunch together around the lunchroom table. By the time we all left the office on Friday, everyone was in a wonderful mood, enjoying the weather, and looking forward to a long, holiday weekend. I celebrated by coming home and opening a bottle of the Shiraz.

The 2003 Carmel Kayoumi Shiraz (winery, snooth) was made with 100% Shiraz grapes and was a dark ruby color with flecks of garnet. On the nose, there were blackberries, cedar, smoke, leather, and a touch of coffee. In the mouth, there were blackberries, plums, cooking meat, smoke, and ground coffee. The wine had high acidity, high tannins, and a medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $33, this kosher Shiraz was enjoyable both on its own and with grilled chicken I made for dinner. It was also the wine that I used to make my charoset, which is chopped apples, ground walnuts, cinnamon, and wine. The Kayoumi Shiraz mixed nicely with the other ingredients and resulted in a delicious addition to this year’s Passover celebration.

Overall: 3 corks

Bubbly & BBQ Bash...The Results

$10 and lower, $11-$20, $31-$40, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, 5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Dec 232009

Last Wednesday was my condo associations’ big holiday party—the Bubbly & BBQ Bash. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve written up several wines (here, here, and here) that I decided against having at the party for a variety of reasons. It should be no surprise that several readers have contacted me to ask if I planned on sharing what sparkling wines I finally decided to offer, and of course I plan to share! I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to share sparkling wines, particularly since they are my admitted weakness.

As the association’s social committee chairperson, it was my job to plan all aspects of the party, not just the wine. Last year, we had Red, Hot, & Blue BBQ, which was a huge success. Up until that time, it was our largest community party and there were hardly any leftovers. I decided that there was no reason to mess with a good thing, so Red, Hot, & Blue was on the menu again this year. The challenge came with finding the sparkling wine because, to be honest, bubbly isn’t exactly what comes to mine when you think about eating BBQ. However, it’s a surprisingly good pairing and all the residents were thrilled. We had more people at this year’s holiday party than ever before!

As I researched sparklers for the evening, I was looking for two types of wines—ones that would act as good palette cleansers and ones that would pair well with the food itself. I also wanted wines that were a variety of price ranges and were fairly easy to find. I wrote up festive tasting notes, with a picture of each bottle’s label in order to make it easier for anyone who wished to purchase the wines at any of our local wine stores. In the end, we offered 6 sparkling wines—2 Champagnes, 2 Cavas, 1 Prosecco, and 1 California sparkling wine. I rated all of the wines with 4 corks or above, and they are all bottles that I drink in my own house.

The 2 Champagnes were fairly traditional—Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut NV (5 corks) and Montaudon Extra-Dry (4.5 corks). The Veuve Clicquot was one of the favorites of the night, although the Montaudon was not far behind. The fresh, brightness of both helped awaken taste buds between the pulled pork and pulled chicken.

The 2 Cavas were Segura Viudas Brut Reserve (4 corks) and Mont-Ferrant Brut Rosé (4 corks). The Segura Viudas, which I’ve reviewed before, served as a palette cleanser and the Mont-Ferrant was a nice accompaniment with the BBQ. As a heavier sparkling wine, the Mont-Ferrant has enough body and complexity that it didn’t get lost in the strong flavors of the BBQ, but rather added a nice, almost fruity compliment. It was definitely the sparkling wine that caused the most discussion, as people either absolutely loved it or hated it. The people who loved it seemed to come back for more at the expense of drinking the other wines and the people who hated it dumped it out after a few sips.

The Prosecco—Canella Prosecco di Conegliano (4.5 corks)—is another wine that I’ve reviewed in the past. This sparkler has a beautiful fruitiness that, when combined with its crisp acidity, worked well as an apéritif.

Finally, the California sparkling wine—Korbel Brut Rosé—was a nice, light rosé that both complimented the BBQ or was enjoyable once finished eating.

It’s a slight departure from my usual presentation, but in the spirit of the holidays, here are images of the tasting notes we used.

A Storybook Day & A Storybook Wine

$31-$40, 2.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Nov 192009

My second week had a phenomenal start. On Tuesday morning, I was sitting in my office, listening to my favorite NY radio station on the Internet, drinking my coffee, reading the morning work news, and loving my job. Sure, things were crazy (the rapidly approaching holidays, a special condo board meeting that night, my project deadline looming at the end of the week, deliverables for my school group project due Thursday night, and the final term paper for my class due Monday), but I felt good. I only belong to one wine club—Storybook Mountain Vineyards—and I was able to pick-up the latest shipment before heading home. When I walked into the condo, still glowing from the fact that my commute is 10-15 minutes shorter every day, I couldn’t help but gush about everything to Hubby before collapsing on the couch with a glass of wine. Could life be any better?

The 2006 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Estate Reserve Zinfandel (vineyard) was a deep ruby with a garnet rim. The wine smelled like a warm, baking spice cabinet, mixed with big, juicy blackberries and blueberries. There was also a hint of mulch and earth. In the mouth, there were nice spices and berries, but they were mixed with prunes. The wine had high acidity and medium tannins.

Is this worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but I wouldn’t go searching it out either. At $35, I was expecting lusciousness like I found in the 2007 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Mayacamas Range. Instead, the 2006 Estate Reserved tasted more like prune juice and less like jammy goodness. I hate to say this, but this wine was a bit of a disappointment. If you’re looking for a great Zin from Storybook Mountain, a I do mean a GREAT Zin, skip over this one and grab their 2007 Mayacamas Range; it will be everything you want from a California Zinfandel…and more.

Overall: 2.5 Corks

Celebrations With A First Class Shiraz

$31-$40, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 5 Responses »

Oct 272009

Last week was a wild ride for me, and it culminated in an exciting, although slightly anxiety-filled, day on Friday. For the last couple of months, I’ve been looking to make my next career move and things finally fell into place last week, although they did so at a whirlwind pace.

Last Tuesday, I had my second interview for a position that I’d been pursuing for several weeks. That second interview was followed two days later by a third interview on Thursday, and, happily, a job offer first thing Friday morning. I couldn’t have been happier. By Friday afternoon, the deal was final and I’d let my current bosses know that I will be leaving. Telling them was a bittersweet moment, as I am sad to leave many of the people in my current office, but know this exciting new challenge is definitely something I could let pass me by. Without a doubt, this certainly is a reason to celebrate. So, on my way home from work on Friday, I couldn’t resist the urge to stop at my local wine store, Grand Cru Wine Bar & Cafe, for something fun to drink with dinner. Traveling first class definitely is my idea of indulgence and celebration, so when I saw the fun label on the 2007 First Class Shiraz, I couldn’t resist the temptation to buy it.

The 2007 First Class Shiraz (snooth) was a deep, inky, ruby color. On the nose, there were blackberry, black cherry, dust, smoke, blackcurrant leaf, and chocolate aromas. In the mouth, there were smoke, dark chocolate, blackberry, and blueberry flavors. The wine had good tannins and a full body. It was a little hot, but when it was paired with food, that seemed to help tone it down a little.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $35, this wine delivers a beautiful, velvety smoothness that is perfect for sinking into on a Friday after work. In celebration of my new job, Hubby and I ordered Chinese, which may not be a typical pairing for a Shiraz, but it worked. In particular, I think the soy sauce that I added to both my crab rangoon and my chicken with broccoli helped create a nice flavor blend. However, this Shiraz is definitely not a wine to pair with something spicy, as the wine enhanced the heat in the spiciness to the point of setting my mouth on fire. That said, if you’re looking for a solid, Australian Shiraz, the 2007 First Class is one worth considering.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

A Fool For Michel-Schlumberger Pinot

$31-$40, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Oct 212009

Yesterday was one of those work days where I thought that things would be fairly quiet. I had a handful of meetings on my calendar, but otherwise, my plan was to catch-up on some of the work that was piling up because of the ongoing sickness circulating in my office. By 10am, though, it was clear that not only wasn’t it going to be a quiet day for me, but also it wasn’t going to be a day for me to catch-up on work and emails. Between unexpected meetings, a few problems that popped up out of nowhere, and a few people being slow to finish their part in a project, I ended up have to stay at the office late and was answering my blackberry long after I was home. However, answering the blackberry didn’t stop me from wanting to indulge in a glass of wine, and since I’m feeling 90% better, the bottle I opened was the first bottle in several weeks that I opened with the intent of writing a review—the 2006 Michel-Schlumberger ‘Le Fou’ Pinot Noir.

I purchased this wine while I was out in California for the wine bloggers conference (WBC09). While I haven’t had a chance to write about my walking tour of the vineyards yet, they were wonderful. After exploring the vineyards, I had a chance to taste a number of the wines being made at Michel-Schlumberger and because I enjoyed what I tasted, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to purchase a few bottles. With the feeling of adventure, 2 or 4 bottles I purchased were actually ones that I didn’t taste while I was there. Since the Pinot Noir was one of the untasted wines, it was a bottle that I was looking forward to opening and, therefore, was saving it for a night where I could indulge in little bit of “me” time.

The 2006 Michel-Schlumberger ‘Le Fou’ Pinot Noir (winery, snooth) had a beautiful, medium ruby color. On the nose, there were animal notes mixed in with bright raspberry, cherry, and pomegranate aromas. In the mouth, the raspberry, cherry, and pomegranate flavors mixed nicely with warm spices—mostly cinnamon and nutmeg. The wine had low tannins, medium-to-high acidity, and 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 $32, this wine is the perfect bottle to make you feel like you’ve indulged a little without breaking the bank. The Pinot Noir is a nice, food-friendly wine that easily transitions to drinking alone. For dinner, I paired the wine with a grilled basil-garlic chicken, which actually brought out a slight vegetal and mineral aspect in the wine, which was quite unexpected, but very pleasant. As an evening snack, I paired the wine with homemade zucchini bread, and the spices in the bread accentuated the spices in the wine to create a nice fall weather combination.

Overall: 4 Corks

Endings to the Spanish Wine Course

$11-$20, $21-$30, $31-$40, 3 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Sep 252009

The last regions we covered before taking our exam on the final day of the The Wine Academy of Spain’s Spanish wine course were Condado de Huelva, Málaga & Sierras de Málaga, and Montilla Moriles. After going over the slides on each area, we had our final two tastings.

Tasting #3 on Day 3
(sorry that there are no pictures!)

3 Corks

2006 Veleta Tempranillo VdT (winery)
90% Tempranillo, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot
Ruby with purple flecks
Cherries
Medium-to-high Acid
Medium body

2006 Veleta Cabernet Sauvignon (winery, snooth)
$16
Very ruby
Ripe cherries and plums
Medium tannins and acid
Medium body

2006 Veleta Nolado’s (winery)
40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Tempranillo
Ruby with flecks of purple
Strawberry, blackberry, fennel, and rose petals on the nose
Violets, Strawberry, and blackberry in the mouth
Low-to-medium tannins and acid

2005 Finca Moncola Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah (winery)
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah
Ruby with a purple tinge
Strong green and black olive aromas, followed by black plums, black currant, and spices on the nose
Lots of olives and black fruits in the mouth
Medium tannins, low-to-medium acidity
Full-bodied
Interesting

Tasting #4 on Day 3

2008 Botani Moscatel Seco (winery, snooth)

$20
Greenish-yellow
Grapy, floral, blossoms, & rose petals
Dry
Acidic
Bitter on the finish

Toro Albalá Fino Eléctrico (winery, snooth)
$26
Pale gold
Almonds and something bitter on the nose
Almonds and salt in the mouth
Dry
Simple
Not as elegant as the Sherry

2006 Jorge Ordóñez & Co Selección Especial (winery, snooth)
$20
Bright, medium lemon with gold flecks
Orange blossoms, dried apricots, honey, lemon peel, and nectarines on the nose
Very Sauterne-like
Honey, white flowers, and nectarines in the mouth
Nice balance between the sweetness and the acidity
Full-bodied, a little syrupy
Long finish
Beautiful

Toro Albalá Cream PX (winery)
Brown with an amber rim
Raisins, prunes, brown sugar, toast, toffee, and caramel on the nose
Raisins, prunes, nuts, and burnt sugar in the mouth
Not too thick
Good balance

1982 Don PX Gran Reserva (Bodega Toro Albalá) (winery, snooth)
$32
Very dark mahogany with an amber rim
Raisins, prunes, coffee, chocolate, licorice, soy sauce, and molasses on the nose
Burnt sugar, raisins, and prunes with a hint of chocolate and licorice in the mouth
Sweet with very high acidity
Body is think and syrupy
Beautiful

Powerful, Pretty Priorats

$21-$30, $31-$40, $41-$50, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Sep 182009

The Priorats were the biggest surprise for me during The Wine Academy of Spain’s Spanish wine course, as I actually tended to prefer them to the Riojas. These wines were the last of the Catalonia wines we tasted, and there wasn’t a bad wine in the group. As I mentioned in my first post about this course, by tasting the wines from Priorat back to back, I was really able to understand as Jesus explained what characteristics were uniquely regional and what characteristics were more likely the result of the winemaker’s techniques. Priorats have nice fruity and flowery flavors, with a depth and intensity that is ideal for the red wine lover. The wines aren’t thick and jammy, but are still chock full of bold flavors, so if you love powerful reds, you should definitely look into these wines. They’ll offer you something that is a little different, while still giving hints of the comforts of the red wines that you enjoy.

Tasting #5 on Day 2
Priorat

4 Corks

2005 Cruor (snooth)
$50
Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot
Ruby with purple flecks
Strawberry, raspberry, violet, and white pepper
Medium-to-high acidity, medium tannins, and medium body
Long finish

4.5 Corks

2004 Prior Scala Dei (winery, snooth)
$24
50% Garnacha, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Syrah
Deep purple with ruby flecks
Red fruits, rosemary, thyme, with a touch of anise, menthol, dust, and earth
Intense tannins and medium acidity
Finish very different from attack

*Jesus said this is a very good example of a Priorat

2004 Cartoxia Scala Dei (winery,snooth)
$40
41% Garnacha 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Syrah
Medium-to-deep purple with a ruby rim
Black plum, black cherry, blackberry, red roses, violets, white pepper
Intense minerality on the finish
Strong tannins and good acidity
Very aggressive
Needs a couple years of aging

2003 Morlanda Criança (snooth)
$50
50% Garnacha, 50% Cariñena
Medium Ruby
Strawberry, red currant, mineral, cedar, leather, pen ink, white pepper
Medium acidity and tannins

Sonoma Grand Tasting at WBC09

$11-$20, $21-$30, $31-$40, $51 and higher, 2.5 Corks, 3 Corks, 3.5 Corks, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Aug 072009

I admit it, by the time the Sonoma Grand Tasting started, I was a bit overwhelmed. This was my first Wine Bloggers’ Conference, and up until this point, I’d never tasted more than 15-20 wines in one sitting. At the WBC, though, by 5pm there had already been wine tasting in the welcome room, wine tasting at lunch, and wine tasting at the speed tasting, so the Sonoma Grand Tasting was taking me further outside of my tasting comfort zone than I’d even been before. So, I was nervous, but I was also up for the challenge.

The Sonoma Grad Tasting was a roped-off patio area near the pool at the Flamingo Resort. As you can see from the pictures, there were a lot of bloggers in a very small space, but it served as a way for us to get to know each other very quickly. People were standing around talking, eating delicious cheese and spreads with crackers, and of course, tasting 2, 3, or 4 wines from every vineyard at the tasting.

The Grand Tasting was definitely a success for me. I tasted Murphy-Goode wines for the first time and was pleased with what I tasted, as I had never even heard of the winery before the contest for the Really Goode Job. I worked my way through some well-know, affordable everyday wines that I often look at in the wine store, but haven’t had a chance to purchase, as well as tasted some lesser-known, more-unusual wines that were pleasant surprises. While all of the wines were good, none of them knocked me off my feet. Admittedly, I was nervous that I was the only one who felt that way, but after talking with other bloggers throughout the weekend, it seemed that my opinion was shared by others.

My notes from this event aren’t very detailed, but here are some pictures and my overall ratings:

Murphy-Goode Winery (website)
2008 “The Fume” Sauvignon Blanc—$12.50 3 Corks
Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon—$20 3 Corks
2006 “Liar’s Dice” Zinfandel—$21 3.5 Corks

Chateau St. Jean (website)
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon—$30 3.5 Corks
2007 Chardonnay—$25 4 Corks

Souverain (website)
2007 Chardonnay—$13 3 Corks
2007 Merlot—$15 3 Corks

Frick Winery (website)
2006 Cinsault—$26 4.5 Corks
2007 Grenache Blanc—$27 4 Corks

Alexander Valley Vineyards (website)
2004 Syrah—$35 4.5 Corks
2007 Sin Zin—$17 3 Corks
2008 Dry Rose of Sangiovese—$12 3.5 Corks

Dutton Goldfield Vineyards (website)
2006 Sanchietti Vineyard Pinot Noir—$58 3 Corks
2006 Freestone Hill Vineyrd Pinot Noir—$58 3 Corks
2007 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir—$38 3 Corks
2007 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay—$35 2.5 Corks

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