Day-Tripping & Chianti

$11-$20, 3 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »
Jan 252010

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

This past Friday, I was in Philadelphia for the day on a work trip. It was very interesting, although incredibly tiring, particularly as I’m not used to waking up at 5:30 in the morning. However, after a venti latte and a smooth, 2-hour train ride, 14 of my colleagues and I arrived in the “City of Brotherly Love” for a jammed packed day, full of talking with Mayor Michael Nutter and his staff, discussing the city’s innovative approaches to workforce training with resident experts, and visiting the city’s training and resource centers. Our hosts kept us all very busy, to the point where we were literally running to catch our 6pm train home. By the time we arrived back at DC’s Union Station around 8pm, we were exhausted, although I think we all thought it was a worthwhile trip. Once off Amtrak, I said good-bye to my coworkers, hopped on Metro, and headed home, stopping only to get the regular, Friday night pizza. I walked in the door, ready to eat dinner and crawl into bed, but there was no way I could miss ending such a great day with a nice glass of wine, so, as Hubby grabbed plates, I popped the cork on bottle of Chianti.

The 2007 Ruffino Chianti Superior (winery, snooth) was 75% Sangiovese and 25% Canaiolo Nero, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot grapes. The wine had a deep ruby color, with a hint of garnet on the rim. On the nose, there were cherries, strawberries, cloves, smoke, and vanilla, followed by a hint of rose petals and cedar. In the mouth, there were ripe cherries, red plums, smoke, cedar, and a hint of vanilla. The Chianti had high acidity and low-to-medium tannins.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll definitely have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $13, this wine was a nice accompaniment with my pizza and a good way to shake off the travel dust as I relaxed into the evening. However, for $2 more, you can buy the 2007 Ruffino Aziano Chianti Classico, which was a bit more complex and gorgeous when paired with traditional Italian dishes. So, if you have a bottle of the Superior, definitely open it up and enjoy it, but if you’re heading out to buy a Ruffino Chianti, it’s worth the few extra bucks to buy the 2007 Ruffino Aziano Classico.

Overall: 3 Corks

(And yes, it’s almost February and our Christmas lights are still up. That’s what happens when you go away right after the holidays.)

Posted by Alleigh at 9:23 pm Tagged with: , , , , ,

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!

Posted by Alleigh at 10:41 pm Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Quintessential Chianti

$10 and lower, 3 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »
Nov 182009

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

Last Friday brought an end to the first week at my new job, and what a wonderful and crazy week it was. Admittedly, I arrived bright and early on Monday morning to an empty office, as there was some rearranging of space and furniture being completed. By mid-morning, though, everything was moved from the hallways into my private space, which is as different from the bullpen as could be. Soon after, things started to fall into place, as my computer was set up, I unpacked, I was thrown into several meetings, and I was given my first several projects, one of which had with a tight 1-week deadline. Tuesday was more of the same, as I tried to get my footing under me, meet my new coworkers, and figure out where the cafeteria was located. Thankfully, Wednesday was a federal holiday, so I had a chance to recuperate. By the time Thursday and Friday rolled around, I was making significant progress on the project, settling into my new space, and running full-steam ahead. By the end of the day on Friday, I was happy, but exhausted, so I made the predictable end-of-week stop at our local pizza place before heading home and opening one of the bottles of Chianti that I received earlier in the week from Ruffino Vineyards.

Now, I must admit that the Ruffino sample package is one of the best that I’ve received. Not only did it include 4 wines (3 Chiantis and 1 Pinot Grigio), but also it included, Pasta Sfoglia, an Italian cookbook by Ron and Colleen Suhanosky, and a box of pasta. The cookbook, which sells for $18 on Amazon, but is listed at $30 inside the book flap, doesn’t assume that you have any knowledge on how to cook Italian food, which is helpful; however, it does assume that you have some cooking talent, which may present some difficulties for me. I’m going to try, though, because as Hubby and I sat on the couch reading the recipes, we were practically drooling on the book. Pasta Sfoglia starts out with a description of pantry essentials and directions on how to make your own pasta—everything from the traditional egg pasta to the less traditional sweet potato gnocchi. From there, the book builds on the Italian cooking experience with recipes like the less complicated Fettuccini, Lemon Cream, and Toasted Almonds on page 34 and the more complicated Goat’s Milk Cheese, Pumpkin, Cannelloni, Béchamel, Pumpkin Seeds, Breadcrumbs on page 121, both of which can be made with the fresh egg pasta, obviously. The pictures themselves are inspiring, as all of the food looks absolutely scrumptious. I will have to try one of the dishes with one of the other bottles of Chianti, though, as there was definitely no way that I was cooking last Friday.

The 2008 Ruffino Chianti (vineyard, snooth) was a bright, but deep ruby. On the nose, there were cedar, ripe cherry, and black pepper aromas, followed by the slightest hint of violets. In the mouth, there were big, Bing cherry flavors, followed by black pepper, rose petals, and tobacco. The Chianti had a high acidity, low tannins, and a light-to-medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll definitely have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $9, which is the suggested retail price, this wine was perfect for a relaxing evening of talking with Hubby over mozzarella sticks and a pepperoni & sausage pizza. The high acidity in the wine actually helped cut down some of the grease from the sticks and pizza, while matching nicely with the acidity in the tomato sauce. After dinner, I continued to enjoy the rest of the bottle over a trashy vampire novel, which also made for a great pairing.

Overall: 3 Corks

Posted by Alleigh at 9:25 pm Tagged with: , , , , ,

A Chianti and Comfort Food

$11-$20, 2.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »
Oct 082009


As my cold is lingering, I’m still not drinking wine, but being sick has left me thinking about my favorite comfort foods and the wines that go well with them.


While obviously not a “sick” food, Hubby and I are suckers for a good Italian pasta dish. There is just something about how the warm pasta covered with rich sauce, spiced meat, and creamy cheese blends together; it makes me feel like I’m eating pure hearty, goodness. And, what goes better with a dish like that than a good Chianti? Several weeks ago, a opened a bottle of 2005 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva to accompany Hubby’s favorite Italian dish–lasagna.

The 2005 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva (winery, snooth) was made with Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and was a medium-to-dark ruby. On the nose there were cherry, vanilla, smoke, and tobacco aromas. In the mouth, there were cherry, tobacco, vanilla, powdered chocolate, and spice flavors. The wine had a high acidity and medium tannins, with a surprisingly thin body.

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 $15, the Chianti had a good acidity that paired well with tomato sauce, but the body of the wine was too thin for it to be something spectacular. I definitely enjoyed the wine more when I paired it with the lasagna and with pizza, as the wine felt a little thin and harsh on its own. In general, though, while I wouldn’t pour this wine down the sink, I think there are other Chiantis out there that have more to offer a piece of homemade lasagna.

Overall: 2.5 Corks

Posted by Alleigh at 4:17 pm Tagged with: , , , ,

It's Friday...Pizza Day!

$11-$20, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »
Jun 262009

Friday in my house is pizza day. I’m sure it started with childhood, since both Hubby and I remember having school pizza lunch on Fridays. That nostalgia, plus the reality that by the time Friday rolls around, Hubby and I are tired from a week of work, simply makes pizza on Fridays seem like a natural choice. This week was a good one—my work project is finished and it’s the end of a busy work period, which means that when things start up again on Monday, I’ll have shorter hours—but even with it being a good week, I’m still tired and ready for the weekend. As it was such a good week, though, it probably calls for not only pizza, but also mozzarella sticks and some good wine.

There are few wines that go as well with pizza as Chianti does, as the acidity in the tomato sauce tones down the acidity in the wine. Several Fridays ago, I opened a 2005 Querceto Chianti Classico (winery, snooth) for pizza night. As you may recall from my “Let’s Talk About Labels” post, most European wine labels do not list the type of grape on the label, but rather the region where the grapes were grown. Chianti is an area within Tuscany (Italy) that is well known for wines made with Sangiovese grapes. The Chianti Classico section is the historic area within Chianti that is famous for its wine production.

The 2005 Querceto Chianti Classico was made at Castello di Querceto and was a blend of 92% Sangiovese grapes and 8% Canaiolo grapes that have aged in casks for 10-12 months. The wine was a medium-to-deep ruby color, with flecks of garnet starting to appear on the rim. On the nose, I found blackberry, black cherry, and hints of cedar and powdered cocoa. In the mouth, the cedar was more pronounced than on the nose, but the black fruits still dominated. The wine was well balanced, with nice acidity and tannins.

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, this is a great Chianti option for an evening of eating pizza, watching movies, and relaxing. When you pick up a bottle, keep in mind that the 2005 Querceto Chianti Classico can use a little breathing time, so if you can, you should decant the wine before you drink it.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

Posted by Alleigh at 3:28 pm Tagged with: , , , ,

It’s Friday…Pizza Day!

3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »
Jun 262009

Friday in my house is pizza day. I’m sure it started with childhood, since both Hubby and I remember having school pizza lunch on Fridays. That nostalgia, plus the reality that by the time Friday rolls around, Hubby and I are tired from a week of work, simply makes pizza on Fridays seem like a natural choice. This week was a good one—my work project is finished and it’s the end of a busy work period, which means that when things start up again on Monday, I’ll have shorter hours—but even with it being a good week, I’m still tired and ready for the weekend. As it was such a good week, though, it probably calls for not only pizza, but also mozzarella sticks and some good wine.

There are few wines that go as well with pizza as Chianti does, as the acidity in the tomato sauce tones down the acidity in the wine. Several Fridays ago, I opened a 2005 Querceto Chianti Classico (winery, snooth) for pizza night. As you may recall from my “Let’s Talk About Labels” post, most European wine labels do not list the type of grape on the label, but rather the region where the grapes were grown. Chianti is an area within Tuscany (Italy) that is well known for wines made with Sangiovese grapes. The Chianti Classico section is the historic area within Chianti that is famous for its wine production.

The 2005 Querceto Chianti Classico was made at Castello di Querceto and was a blend of 92% Sangiovese grapes and 8% Canaiolo grapes that have aged in casks for 10-12 months. The wine was a medium-to-deep ruby color, with flecks of garnet starting to appear on the rim. On the nose, I found blackberry, black cherry, and hints of cedar and powdered cocoa. In the mouth, the cedar was more pronounced than on the nose, but the black fruits still dominated. The wine was well balanced, with nice acidity and tannins.

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, this is a great Chianti option for an evening of eating pizza, watching movies, and relaxing. When you pick up a bottle, keep in mind that the 2005 Querceto Chianti Classico can use a little breathing time, so if you can, you should decant the wine before you drink it. n>

Overall: 3.5 Corks

Posted by Alleigh at 3:28 pm Tagged with: , , , ,
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