wino rhino

i've upgraded!

2011-02-15T10:07:00.000-08:00

I've switched over to Wordpress for my wino rhino blog. Needed to make some changes and Blogger just isn't doing it for me anymore. Please change your RSS feeds and blog rolls according. Thanks, see you on the other side!

http://thewinorhino.wordpress.com

tuesday wine news

2011-02-08T07:20:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of Dr. Vino

In honor of #traveltuesday I thought I'd share a bit of interesting news that affects all you travelers out there ... which, sadly, no longer includes me since I've already taken my dream vacation and cannot afford another one until I'm old and senile. If you're looking for the best plane to enjoy a quality glass of wine on, then look no further. Business Traveler magazine just announced the Cellar in the Sky awards, naming the best airlines to find a quality wine that will make your trip a little more pleasant.
According to Business Traveler, Australian airlines are the way to go. One of their flagship airlines, Qantas, won several awards at the competition, including best overall cellar for business and first-class travelers, as well as general consistency in what they offer their guests. Qatar airlines had a strong showing this year, though not as strong as last year with the Wine on the Wing awards that Global Traveler magazine featured.
Not surprisingly, American airlines (overall, not just AA) did not fit the bill. What, so you DON'T enjoy Sutter Home or Barefoot on your 10-hour plane trip? Our mistake, we'll just give you some Korbal "champagne" instead.
The original article is featured at The Economist.

new year, new hair, new me

2011-01-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm back from Paris and back to the real world. I tried some wonderful wine, had a wonderful time with my (now ex-)boyfriend ... but unfortunately dreams cannot last forever. There was a special wine I tried that I'll be sure to write about tomorrow. But for now, I'm just trying to wake up from the dream world. Back into the real world. *sigh* It's going to be a long year.

ringing in the new life

2011-01-04T05:36:00.000-08:00

Would it be possible to go back a couple weeks with a time machine and add an extra hour to each day? A 25-hour day sounds so much easier for blogging when you have finals, Christmas and 50+ hour work weeks for the holidays. I swear my mind has reached the brink. Well, luckily in a little over 25 hours I will be boarding a plane for Paris, France! I'll be in Paris for 9 days; seeing the sights, trying the food, seeing the boyfriend. Oh, and did I mention they have wine in France? Yeah, not sure if I mentioned that. It's so easy for that tiny detail to slip my mind :).
Speaking of wine and France, for Christmas my wonderful boyfriend surprised me with the best present of all ... a bottle of French wine for every day I'm in Paris! It's always wonderful when the person you love knows exactly what makes you bubble. I can't believe after all these months, the trip has finally arrived! I'm so excited I can barely stand it ... I'm up at 5:30am, for gosh sakes!
So what better way to celebrate a trip to a foreign land than to enjoy a well-established California red wine, to remember the homeland? I decided to treat my friends with a special bottle from my collection, a 2007 Justification Red Blend from Justine Vineyards in San Luis Obispo. It was a present from my previous employer, Chris Conley at Tarpy's Roadhouse in Monterey. And what a present it was! I've always been fond of a good California red blend ... as I've said in many of my blog entries previously. I feel like if it can be blended, it should. And Justin Vineyards' Justification knows how to blend in all the right ways.
The color was a deep berry with a bit of a browned edge around the halo. The nose carried strong notes of sweetened black pepper ... quite a bit, I might add. There were also tart cherries, cinnamon, boysenberry, and just the slightest whiff of bacon fat. The mouth was hardly any different. The cherry was much more pronounced, with intense berry notes that carried through into a strong but not overwhelmingly tannic finish.
I'd had this wine before, and needless to say was not disappointed by the 2007 vintage. I recommend this wine for anyone who needs a strong pairing wine that is intense but versatile.

i am officially a published wine author!

2010-12-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let everybody know that one of my articles I wrote for Palate Press, Making Vegetarian Pairings the Life of the Party, has been published in their recently released 'Best of the Press, Volume I'! It's available currently as an ebook, but will be published in print next month. My story was one of the 60 chosen out of more than 800 articles that were published on Palate Press last year. What an honor! Be sure to go purchase a copy of the ebook ... it saves as an Amazon Kindle book, iPad book AND a PDF, among other formats. So you'll have plenty of ways to view it!

airlines and john does ...

2010-11-24T09:58:00.000-08:00

"Flying so high above the world, never thought I could feel so free ..."
That's a quote from South Park, in case you didn't know. Starvin' Marvin rocks!
Anyway, right now I'm chilling at the airport, waiting to board. I've been here since 8am, since the airport security checkpoint line was so short. Seriously, it only took me about 5 minutes to get through ... why oh why did I think it would take so long today? Oh well, I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry.
On a more serious note, I've stumbled across something quite odd and unexpected. As I'm sure most of you know, I am studying Journalism at San Diego State University. I am currently working on a case study for my Media Law and Ethics class, and I decided to write about the pending lawsuit Charles Smith is filing against various "John Doe's" who have allegedly libeled him online through comments on Blake Grey's blog: The Grey Market Report. We've talked in great detail in class about anonymous commenters and what kind of protection they do or don't have against libel and slander; and since I'm in wine blogging, I figured it would be a perfect way for me to explore that.
Well, I emailed W. Blake Grey, asking him to answer a few questions about the lawsuit, and how he feels it affects the protection of anonymity when it comes to online comments. He emailed me saying that he was "going to pass" and that he hopes I do as well. I am very perplexed by this. Does he feel that I should not study this lawsuit? If so, why does he feel this way? He has gone on record on his blog about the lawsuit, saying that he will most likely refrain from commenting. But why would he want me to refrain as well? I have no official opinion about the lawsuit ... I merely wish to examine it as a future member of the press.
This is just another piece of the strange puzzle that is the modern legal system and the internet. Online communication has completely changed the playing field of what is and what isn't okay to say. Traditionally people have been protected through anonymity while commenting online - and through that anonymity I have read some awful, hurtful things. Without anonymous protection we wouldn't have trolling sites like 4chan ... not to say that is a good or a bad thing, as stated before I am not releasing an opinion on the matter. If you know me in person you can ask me.
If Charles Smith succeeds in getting the IP addresses from Google (and it looks like he is going to) and suing the anonymous commenters, that could possibly have a huge effect on internet commenting and privacy on blogs, forums and several other forms of internet communication. Perhaps even email and private chats. This could set a precedent that would influence internet usage for many years.
But apparently I should pass on discussing this.
I will not.
W. Blake Grey, I ask you to discuss this with me.

champagne wishes and caviar dreams ... literally

2010-11-20T17:40:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I had the pleasure of trying a few sparkling wines with the #SDWM. If you don't know what the #SDWM stands for, that's probably for the best ... because if you knew, I would have to kill you. See my face right there? I'm that serious, people.
Anyway, there were a few hits and a few misses; as well as several sparkling wines (and some tasty looking caviar) I wasn't able to try because I had to go to work at Bencotto Italian Kitchen. Not to mention the fact that I'm vegetarian, but alas. Here are my notes from those wines.
The first was Iron Horse Vineyards 2005 Ocean Reserve Estate Bottled Sparkling Wine from Sonoma County ($40). Not to sound corny, but the nose was a bit salty. It was only after having a couple classic potato chips from Trader Joe's that I was able to lessen the scent. There were also some herbal notes on the nose, mainly basil with a bit of mustard seed. The mouth started out rather dry, with strong herbal notes and minerals (limestone and river rock). It then finished with some green apple and a slightly bittersweet aftertaste that lingered for a bit. I enjoyed the wine, but it was a little dry for me. I can be pretty forgiving of a dry wine, but this one pushed the envelope a bit.
The next wine I tasted was the Valdo Prosecco Non-Vintage Brut from Italy ($10). The nose on this one was quite complex: golden delicious apples, a bit of lavender water, river rocks and a tint of sweet grass as well. The nose was incredibly fruity. The mouth was rich, acidic and crisp, full of bubbly goodness. There were grassy notes on the beginning with strong green and red apples as it continued on the palate. For some strange reason (and I was the only one who tasted this) this sparkling wine kept finishing with flavors of baked cinnamon and pie crust. I imagine this sparkling wine would have been perfect with an apple pie. It's very easy to enjoy, with a crisp acidity and that fabulously bizarre apple pie finish that just made me think.
The third, which I tasted blindly out of a paper bag, was the Mumm Napa Blanc de Blanc 2006 from Napa Valley ($20). The nose was incredibly light and subtle, with honeydew melon and not much else to detect ... other than the slightest whiff of gasoline. The sparkling tasted of honeydew, limestock and the strong night air right before a thunderstorm. Almost where you can taste the electricity and tension. Sadly, it wasn't enough to blow me away. It was good, but not very memorable on my palate. Kind of finished too quickly.
The final sparkling wine, which was also tasted blindly out of a paper bag, was the sublime Champagne Delamotte 1999 Blanc de Blancs from, well, Champagne, France ($95). The nose had mineral notes with some light melon and a strong scent of spearmint leaf. The mouth was actually very multidimensional. Albeit it was a little bitter on the beginning, it carried through into a delicious flavor of orange peel, melon, a bit of Bitters with a floral finish and a bit of vanilla carrying through. It stayed for a very long time on my palate, made quite the impression on my taste buds. I know it's an expensive wine, so it's one I would only recommend for more of those special occasions. It's a classically-styled, well-rounded Champagne that would leave anyone satisfied.

welcome to the real world, winos

2010-11-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

In the words of Kyle's adorable-yet-terrible-stereotype cousin Kyle .... I'm back! You just have to imagine the whiny voice, silly glasses and complete lack of hand-eye coordination; only because Blogger now practices copyright protection on all images. When did this happen? I've only been gone two months and it's like everything is new and different. I suppose that's what my Media Technology professor means when she says that technology has made the world change so quickly.
After a few months of getting settled in San Diego; including starting university, sending a boyfriend off to Paris, having to find a new apartment after one month of a rather challenging roommate and getting a new (and much more wine friendly) job, I finally feel ready to get back in the swing of things.
I will probably be posting about once or twice per week, since struggling students and wine writers can't really afford too much wine!
Unfortunately I am unable to toast my grand blog return with anything but an unsweetened green iced tea from Starbucks, so instead I'm going to take an opportunity to thank all the wine bloggers (and friends) in San Diego who I have had an amazing pleasure to get to know. They have been pushing me since day one to get back into wine blogging, and I owe a great deal to their kindness and fantastic wines. And no, you can't ask about our secret handshake. Be sure to check out their wine blogs!

Beau's Barrel Room
Brain Wines
Wine Harlots
La Jolla Mom
Cuvee Corner

taking a break

2010-09-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! I just wanted to let all of you wonderful people know that I will be taking a break from wine blogging for an undetermined amount of time. I'm currently attending SDSU to achieve my Bachelor's degree in Journalism, and I need to give that my full attention if I'm ever to be a successful freelance wine journalist. I thank all of you for reading and for being so kind, and I look forward to picking this back up in the future.

you give your hand to me

2010-08-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

It's a drink directly from the bottle kind of day.
For those who may not know (probably all of you, at this point), my boyfriend Julien left for Paris yesterday morning to help his brother, a film editor, work on a movie. He will be gone for a minimum of six months. I miss him already. Alas, I've got an open bottle of 2007 Heller Estate Organic Vineyards Dancers Meritage from Carmel Valley on my nightstand and I'm taking swigs while writing this depressing blog entry. Not my usual Monday evening, mind you ... but tonight I thought I'd make an exception, you know, given the circumstances.
The nose has plum, caramel, cherry and a bit of cinnamon. The mouth, well let's just say that other than the taste of red apple, cherry, cinnamon, white pepper and a soy sauce finish ... it's doing its job. If you have a chance to try the 2007 Dancers Meritage, I would definitely recommend it. It was a fantastic year for the blend. However, my only goal at this point is to get drunk on it and then fall asleep in my strangely big bed.
For those who are interested, I am not only officially back in the wine blogging biz after all the craziness that was RENT and moving to San Diego, but I have also started a blog to chronicle my experiences as one-half of a long-distance relationship. You can find it here: five-six-seven-nine | from your heart to mine.

i have been a bad puddytat

2010-08-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

This month has been very challenging for me. I've been getting ready to move, working crazy hours at my job, performing the show RENT at the Morgan Stock Stage and trying to save money because of the aforementioned situations. As such, I have not been drinking wine. Sadly I can't afford it at this point. Once I move down to San Diego and start school I plan on making this blog my absolute priority, but at this point it sadly isn't possible. I need at least two more weeks, people, and I apologize.
In the meantime, here are a few pics from RENT. Hope you like them!

wordless wednesday

2010-07-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

See what others are (not) saying today.

#twn - happy cows come from wine country

2010-07-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

According to an article by Dr. Vino, a farmer in British Columbia has been feeding her cattle, get this, red wine. For the past 90 days, Janice Ravndahl of Sezmu Meats has been supplying her cattle with delicious red wine, either mixed in their food or straight from the bottle. She says she was inspired by a television article about a farmer feeding beer to his pigs, which she said wasn't practical for cattle ... but that red wine might be a perfect solution.
According to Ravndahl, the cows have been reacting rather favorably to the recent addition to their diet: "They moo at one another a little more and seem more relaxed," she said. And local chefs have also reacted favorably, even going as far as to claim that the meat was pre-marinated before being brought to their kitchens.
Now I for one am not for eating cows or any other kind of animal (except for the occasional fresh piece of locally caught fish), but I can imagine why anybody would want to try a piece of beef that's been soaked in the wonderful taste of delicious red wine. Hopefully this becomes a trend in the states ... after all, don't cows deserve the same rights of wine, women and song as the rest of us?

pure evil

2010-07-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

Bwa ha ha ha ha!
Okay, now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's start tasting some wine. After a sour and disappointing just-opened bottle of 2007 Blue Pirate Oregon Pinot Noir from Cost Plus (totally going to go in and get a refund, stat), I was looking for something a little more powerful. And oftentimes, when you're wanting power, you need to be a little evil.

The wine is a 2007 EVIL Cabernet Sauvignon from South Eastern Australia ($9.99, Cost Plus). According to the back label of the wine, "It's just wrong." Well, I wouldn't go that far. I honestly wouldn't say this wine is completely "right," but it certainly isn't "wrong." The color on the wine is a deep burgundy with a brick-red halo ... surprising for a Cabernet that's so young. The nose was incredibly jammy, with tons of raspberry, black cherry and licorice. There was also a bit of spice on the nose in the form of yummy cinnamon.
The mouth was smooth and strong with very subtle tannins and a crisp, clean finish. The mouth was also very jammy with black cherry and raspberry, but also had some tomato (especially on the finish) and tobacco. It's a smooth, easy to drink wine, but the only problem I have with it is that it's not very memorable. Perhaps that will have to come with age, but right now the wine just kind of dissipates on the tongue ... it doesn't really wow my senses after it's gone from my mouth.
In other news, the play rehearsals are going great. I've been having so much fun I can hardly stand it! Looking forward to opening night. Here's a pic of the entire cast in our costumes. In case you can't tell, I'm the one in the middle with the motorcycle chaps and a very, VERY wide open mouth. Gotta belt it loud and strong, right?

life in technicolor ... and wine in my belly

2010-07-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I was going to start with this elaborate paragraph and where the yikes I've been for the past month, but instead I'm just going to sum it up in a clever haiku, a la Poetry Slam Fridays:

what the hell

black hole of finance
life no more, only saving,
so lips crack and bleed

So in short, the combination of saving for my move to San Diego as well as my theater performance has made buying or drinking wine pretty difficult right now. Pretty much all my spare money recently went into my rocking hairstyle (pictured above) for my role as Maureen in the local performance of RENT ... which, by the way, has been AWESOME. I love performing and hope to do it as much as possible when I'm down in San Diego. What can I say ... I'm a sucker for attention.
I take a sip of wine every chance I get, but I have to be honest in saying that until I move down to San Diego, the actual wine portion of this wine blog is going to be pretty slim. I instead will focus on paying close attention and linking to my fellow blogger's fascinating wine blogs ... living (and drinking) vicariously through them. I look forward to seeing what all of you are enjoying!
The other day I had the opportunity to try a rather interesting Pinot Grigio at my work. I love working at a restaurant where we're encouraged to try the product, instead of told that we're simply supposed to assume what it's like without really knowing.

Specifically, it's the 2008 Maso Canali Pinot Grigio from Trentino, Italy ($25). It clocks it at a pretty mild 13% alcohol, which is not very surprising for the region (or so I have heard). The primary flavors on this wine, be it nose or mouth, were green apples. Classic Granny-smith green apples. It was incredibly crisp and light and was obviously meant to enjoy chilled. The nose also had characteristics of honeydew melon and wheatgrass, and the mouth also contained elements of tropical pineapple and a tiny hint of an herbal spice. I could easily imagine enjoying a couple sips outside on a terrasse while enjoying some light cheeses and cuts of fruit. Definitely a few pieces of a Granny-smith apple. It wasn't the best wine I've ever tasted, but it certainly wasn't the worst. I would drink it again ... but I probably wouldn't actively seek it out.
If any of you want to see a tiny preview of the show I'm in, here's a 20 second clip of all of us singing together. I'm the one in the green tank top hugging the other chica. Yes, in the show I DO play for the other team. Hopefully you can watch it, but if not all you have to do is become a fan of the Friends of MPC Theater. Hope you like! 20 Seconds of RENT

les saisons de la vie

2010-06-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

So this blog entry isn't about wine so much as it's about my life, because I wanted to share something with all of you. I found out recently that my boyfriend Julien has been offered a full internship on the set of a new movie shooting in Paris, starting in August. He'll be working with his brother, a very well known film editor in France, and learning about the entire movie making process. Since he's a film major at college, naturally he is stoked.
I'm very happy for him, but I'm not so thrilled that he'll be gone for at least 7 months an entire continent away. I'm going to visit him for a month in January, but still ... that's 6 months apart, minimum. We're determined to make it work, but I've never done something long distance before. I'm a little nervous about how it all works. Have any of you been involved in a long distance relationship, either short or long? Is there anything I should prepare for?
I'll be blogging every loving, painful and pining step of the way ... so be prepared for some lover's lament poetry on Poetry Slam Fridays. Because I'm going to miss him terribly.

poetry slam friday

2010-06-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

deepening

your color's exposed
deeper, darker, richer, raw
skins create rubies

featured blogger: beau's barrel room

2010-06-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

This week's featured blogger is Beau Carufel from Beau's Barrel Room. A resident of my home-to-be, San Diego CA, Beau is a young wine blogger who, like myself, prefers to write about wine in a fun and casual manner ... as opposed to being all stiff and stodgy with an upturned nose. He'll be at this year's Wine Blogger's Conference in San Diego on scholarship, so wish him luck! I can't go unfortunately because I have play rehearsals, so that means he'll just have to have enough fun for the both of us.

twn - the wino's carbon footprint

2010-06-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

I recently read an interesting article on Treehugger.com about the carbon emissions's behind a bottle of wine or a pint of beer. Someone was asking their resident carbon emissions expert which is safer for the environment.
According to Pablo, the item with the least carbon emissions would be a locally-grown estate bottle of wine, since many of the carbon emissions come from shipping the grapes and/or wines to other areas and around the world on planes. Locally-grown and produced beers are also good, but apparently it's hard to find a brewery that will produce its own grains. It's also good to find organically-grown or biodynamic wines, since they don't use any pesticides or herbicides to make their wines. Also try and buy more screw top wines where possible, and recycle your corks!
However, Pablo does make it a point to state that no matter which one we drink, we're harming the environment in one way or another. Which is a good point to consider ... albeit a depressing one. So drink responsibly and make sure to treasure every last drop - Mother Nature is taking one for the team to let us drink delicious wine, so show your respects.

atw - more like FUNdue!

2010-06-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

The other day I had a craving for fondue. A serious, serious craving. And as any true fondue fan knows, the craving for fondue can ONLY be satisfied with a delicious fondue. No cheese and crackers will substitute! So Julien and I went with his mother and sister to a little Swiss restaurant in Carmel CA to have some cheese fondue and raclette.
Since no fondue excursion would be complete without a delicious bottle of dry white wine to enjoy it with, we decided to order a bottle directly from the fondue motherland ... Switzerland. The wine was a 2002 Domaine E. de Montmollin white wine from Bevaix, Switzerland ($32). The grapes were grown by Domaine de Chauvigny on the French side of Switzerland.

The color on this wine was a rich yellow, almost straw-like color. There was noticeable pear and Golden Delicious apple on the nose, as well as Meyer lemon and honeydew. The wine was quite dry but had a bit of a spritz on it as well. The mouth had honeydew melon with a tiny hint of grapefruit, Golden Delicious apples and a honey finish. It tasted great with the fondue, and wasn't bad with the chocolate fondue that followed for dessert! I would definitely recommend it for the next time you're thinking of having or making some fondue.
In other news, as you can see my Web site is officially open for business! Well, the main page and blog page are, anyway. The rest should be uploaded within the week. If you have any comments or suggestions please let me know.
Also, please check out my newest article for Palate Press about being a vegetarian wine taster. It's currently the featured article on the main Palate Press site. Yippee!

poetry slam friday

2010-05-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

Well my Web site was finished for my class assignment, but now comes the really hard part of transferring it to my current domain. Had a bit of an incident trying to get it over, and now I have to start all over making it again. Damn damn damn! In the meantime here's a couple of poems for Poetry Slam Friday ... and here's a link to how the Web site will look in case you wanna see it: WELCOME TO WINO RHINO.

new season

the grapes are growing
leaves nestle into vines, quickly
how they become one

---

(this was a poem I submitted recently for an essay contest about how my generation of college students are "one in a million" ... see if you can catch the connect and comment if you find out!)

the definition of one

Open up our hands, our arms

Never cease, never stop

Everything is moving forward now

I dive in, feel our strength as warmth

Never cease, never stop

A single beat above the roar

Many faces turn to us

I realize where we are going

Listen to our

Longing for more than mediocrity

I stop and look at you for hope

Opening up your hands, your arms

Never cease, never stop

welcome to the circus!

2010-05-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new wino rhino! After months of painful work and preparation, I am finally ready to reveal my creation to all of you - a complete web blog and site that showcases who I am, what I do and where I plan on going in my life with the fabulous obsession called wine writing.
So to celebrate I did what any normal wine blogger would do ... I went wine tasting! One of the girls I work with wanted to go out wine tasting, so we headed to Carmel Valley and checked out a few places. One of my favorite Carmel Valley stops is Parsonage Family Winery, a Monterey County winery that produces some fantastic red wines. Their everyday red blends are fantastic for the price, and their Syrah is to die for.
Magically, the wine tasting room host turned out to be non other than Bill Parsons, the owner of Parsonage winery! This was the first time meeting him, although I'd tried his wines on numerous occasions ... so naturally it was quite a treat for me.

Pictured: me ~~coaxing~~ forcing him to pose for a pic :).

We were pretty fortunate to have him pouring the wine for us, because he gave us a real inside scoop into the winery and its fabulous wines. For example, he gave us a some nice juicy details on their delicious new wine, the 2007 Snosrap Cyrano Bordelais (gossip soon to follow). This unique and impressive wine, which boasts a rather high 15% alcohol content, consists of about 53% Cabernet with 22% Petit Verdot, 21% Merlot and 4% Malbec.
The result is a young but firm wine that smells strongly of sweet tobacco, cherries, a bit of curry and some unripened raspberry. The texture on the wine is a bit tight, probably because of the age, but it's actually quite easy to drink. The color is a deep fuschia with a mouth of black cherries, sweet oak, lavender, blackberries and a finish of cedar and tobacco. And it still carried that tiny bit of red curry on it with a tiny bit of herb and grass, which added well to the overall mix. I bought a bottle of this baby and took it home with me, where I am enjoying at this moment as I submit my final homework assignment for my digital media class.
But on to the juicy stuff! Turns out that this wine is .... ILLEGAL.

What a criminal.

Ooh, let the gossip ensue! According to Bill Parsons, it's illegal for him to call the wine a Bordelais, because Bordelais is related to the region of Bordeaux in France, which is a distinct wine region whose name cannot be used. So he's allowed to sell the wine in his tasting room, but it's not being sold in stores.
Kinda feels a bit like tasting some of that bathtub gin in Prohibition America during the 1920's ... so wrong, yet so right.
So if you happen to be in the area, I would definitely recommend picking up a few bottles of this bad boy. It's delicious and should age quite nicely, though if you're like me you're going to want to open it right away!
Also, please feel free to look around the new wino rhino Web site and check out all its wonders. Salut!

what have i been up to?

2010-05-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

In about a week you'll find out ... so stay tuned!

poetry slam friday

2010-04-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

which piece is mine?

i look at you, two
glasses tempting, filled to the
brim with suggestion

who are you ... what am i ... ?

2010-04-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

I found this survey on rbandj and I couldn't help myself. I used to be the biggest survey fan when I was in high school. I'd have one on my high school blog (not wine related) at least once a week. Nostalgia!

1. The strangest thing I've ever eaten was oysters. I tried them once just to say I had them, and they were the weirdest tasting things on the planet. It felt like eating a piece of slimy rubber. The taste was okay ... I just couldn't stand the texture.

2. My best friends are my two sisters, my mom, my boyfriend Julien, his sister Sidonie and my friends Carla and Blair.

3. If I could live in a different era it would be I wouldn't choose to live in a different era because I like this one. I prefer women's rights over pretty dresses. Although it would be nice to see what the future is like. Not to live in it, but just to see it.

4. If you only know one thing about me it should be I aspire to achieve absolute happiness and fulfillment in my life. If I am not happy, well then, what's the point?

5. My favorite book of all time is "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. I've been reading that book ever since I was 6 years old, and every time I pick it up I get something different out of it. It's beautiful, heartbreaking and a wonderful reminder of how precious individualism is in this world.

6. The one beauty product I cannot live without is concealer. If I have anything on my face it's concealer underneath my eyes. Not because I have circles or anything, but just because it makes my eyes brighter.

7. Blogging is a great way to practice writing and get to know other people who you may not have the opportunity to meet.

8. If I could star in a movie with one actor/actress, it would be probably Leonardo DiCaprio, because then I could introduce him to my sister Christine, who would die. Plus, he's an amazing actor.

9. One of the best feelings in the world is joy. Pure joy.

10. My current obsession is fixing the food issue in my house, because too much goes to waste. Also cooking.

11. What's for dinner tonight? I'm thinking tofu or potatoes with green beans, mushrooms and rosemary. With some mango chutney.

12. The last thing I bought was a half bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

13. I am currently listening to my boyfriend snoring. Geez, I should really wake him up now.

14. If I could have a home, totally paid for, totally furnished anywhere in the world, it would be in San Diego, because that's where I'm going for school. After I graduate, can I relocate the house to Paris? Anybody?

15. The one thing I would change about myself is making my ankles stronger. I was born with twisted ankles and have always had weaker legs. That's something I need to improve, and one of the main reasons why I'm taking yoga.

16. If you could go anywhere in the world in the next hour, where would you go? Paris!

17. The languages I would love to learn are French. I want to master French because learning anything else.

18. My favorite quote (right now) is: "As long as there are still some of us left who read all is not lost." - Anonymous

19. I am most afraid of drowning. It seems like such a horrible way to die.

20. My favorite colour is turquoise. It's just such a beautiful color. I also love black and red.

21. My dream job is a professional wine blogger and freelance wine journalist. Owning my own freelance writing business. My dream of dreams.

22. The one thing that brings a smile to my face instantaneously is a passionate kiss from my boyfriend.

23. The one word I use a lot is "absolutely." I can be a bit of a yes person.

24. When I'm feeling blue I will sit alone and feel sorry for myself until somebody pays attention to me. Pathetic, I know.

25. What inspires me is myself. I try to live as my own inspiration, so that I aspire to live the life I want to live without trying to live somebody else's.

26. My favorite season is usually the one that I'm in. If it's summer I love summer, if it's fall I love fall. My mood changes with the seasons.

27. My favorite dessert has to be probably the Half Baked fro-yo from Ben & Jerry's. Delicious and less fattening.

28. How many tabs are open on your browser right now? Just two, my blog page and a google search for who makes Half Baked fro-yo. I don't have the best memory ;).

29. What was the first thought that crossed your mind this morning when you looked in the mirror? I haven't been to the mirror yet today, but I'm sure I look a fright.

30. The best piece of advice I was ever given was "You're meant to do great things in this life, so don't be so worried about being different now ... because in the future your differences will give you a beautiful life." - my parents

31. If I had a millions dollars to give to one charity, I would give it to the Beth Elderkin is paying for her own college charity fund. Hey, you asked me to be honest ... well, I need money for school.

32. If at first you don't succeed, you're human.

featured blogger: custom wine labels - wine label designs

2010-04-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

This week's featured blogger is Custom Wine Labels - Wine Label Designs. The blog, which is hosted by wine label company Maverick Label, is a constantly updated collection of unique wine labels found in the wine community. I found this site randomly when looking for a picture for yesterday's blog entry about HR 5034, and looked through multiple pages just gawking at all the beautiful wine labels. I really grew to appreciate the artistry and uniqueness of this medium. While shopping for a bottle yesterday at Save Mart I came across a couple of interesting labels myself; and, being motivated by the Custom Wine Labels blog, I took a couple of pictures and decided to share them with all of you.

the description on the back of this bottle was very cute and romantic,

but the wine looked to be a little young.

the foil had the cutest little drawing of a cupcake,

I imagine this would be a great bridal or baby shower gift.

if you're ever on the hunt for an awesome label, check out

the zinfandel isle ... zins are cali's coolest grape!

If you think you've got the stuff to be wino rhino's next featured blogger, post a comment with a link to your blog and why it's awesome. Don't forget to throw something about wine in there!

hot topic - hr 5034

2010-04-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

Right now the subject on everybody's wine-stained lips is the newest bill introduced in the House of Representatives, HR 5034. If passed, it would pose severe restrictions on wineries shipping wine across state lines directly to their consumers, which would severely harm the wine industry, as well as the general economic situation for thousands of small businesses. I myself am skeptical that something like this could pass in the entire House of Representatives, especially given the current economic situation.
However, there seems to be some big money behind this bill ... most of which is provided by, you guessed it, wholesale wine distributor companies. Golly, big shocker there, right? So we should all keep our eyes and ears open in the off chance that this hack bill snakes its way through the House. If you would like some more information on the bill and how you can get involved, check out the following resources:

Dr. Vino
Facebook Fan Page - Stop HR 5034
Beau's Barrel Room
Fermentation
Free the Grapes

the mighty duck(horn)

2010-04-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I haven't been drinking much wine (or alcohol of any kind, to be honest) lately after the whole "getting sick and feeling like crap" weekend I had recently during Pebble Beach Food and Wine. My body has just been trying to re-energize itself, and wine just hasn't been on the menu towards full recovery.
However, there was a wine I tried during Pebble Beach Food and Wine which I would love to share with all of you. One of the booths I was looking forward to the most was Duckhorn Vineyards out of Napa Valley, and the reason for that was because of their 2007 Merlot. However, this wasn't the first time I'd tried Duckhorn. I recently sampled some with my sister and her fiance when I went to their house for dinner.
And let's just say: it's fabulous.

pictured: fabulousness

The 2007 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot ($50) is 89% Merlot blended with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot. Now, the old Beth would've scoffed at the fact that it wasn't 100% Merlot ... however, the new Beth applauds when wines succeed in blending, so as to make a better tasting product. So, applauds commence! It does clock in at 14.5% alcohol, which isn't unusual for California reds ... but still, I'm not the biggest fan of high alcohol content myself.
The nose had notes of cherry, particularly red cherry. It was bright, fresh and refreshing on the nose ... not quite a eucalyptus or grassy smell, but rather like a wooded forest after a fresh rainfall. There were also notes of dark chocolate, which smelled delicious.
The mouth of the wine was medium-bodied, and was slightly tannic without drying out the palate considerably. It again showed the bright red cherry, and lots of it. There were also notes of nutmeg, dark chocolate and ... oddly enough ... a tinge of cilantro. I think it had to do with the spices on the wine, as well as the freshness on the nose. The wine finished with some white pepper.
Overall, this wine clocked in at nothing short of delicious. I was looking forward to tasting it again at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival and was not disappointed. I also tried one of their Pinot Noirs that was very good ... I'll try and seek it out so that I can share it with all of you in the future.
On another note, the original provider of this wine, Dave (my sister's fiance) is celebrating his birthday soon, so Happy Birthday Dave!!!

just say no (when yes sounds illing)

2010-04-19T09:13:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry I haven't written about any wines over the past week. After my experience at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Fest, my body was saying no to alcohol ... and you've gotta listen to the body, yes? Last night was the first night I had any wine since that weekend. Will write about it later today :). Now I'm off to work!!

'tis the season of wine fests!

2010-04-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

April appears to be a great month for wine. Several different wine (and food) tasting events are happening all over the country. Last weekend was Pebble Beach Food and Wine at Pebble Beach in CA, which I had the pleasure of attending. Well, some of it anyway. I didn't get to go to the Grand Lexus Tasting because I had food poisoning. Still grumbling about it. Grumble grumble grumble.
Here's a list of just a few of the wine tastings that are going on this month. If you happen to be in any of the areas, I definitely recommend checking one out. They're a great educational experience ... plus, wine!

April 16-May 31 - Disney's California Food and Wine Festival (Anaheim, CA)
April 21-25 - Dallas Wine and Food Festival (Dallas, TX)
April 22-24 - Miami Wine and Food Festival (Miami, FL)
April 22-25 - 24th Annual Sandestin Wine Festival at Baytowne Wharf (Destin, FL)
April 24 - Danville Wine Festival (Danville, PA)
April 25 - Rivers of Chocolate Wine and Food Festival (San Jose, CA)

one wine to rule them all

2010-04-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

"Varietalism is the scourge of the modern wine industry."

That's a direct quote from one of the master sommeliers (first name Joe, they weren't really on a last name basis) at a wine seminar I had the amazing pleasure of attending yesterday during this weekend's Pebble Beach Food and Wine event at the Inn at Spanish Bay.
The seminar, named 'The Once and Future Wine of California' was all about the origins of winemaking in California during the mid 19th century ... and how, believe it or not, blending was a key factor in early California winemaking. For the past 40-50 years Californian wines have prided themselves on single varietal creations, proudly stating that it should be the power of the grape that carries the wine. However, there are quite a few winemakers who are returning to their roots (pun intended) in order to reclaim what they believe is a vital winemaking process that creates multidimensional wines.
And let me tell you, these wines we tasted were not just multidimensional. They were phenomenal. And not one of them cost over $100 per bottle - many of them were in the $25-40 range! These wines held characteristics of classic Bordeaux blends, but with a unique California flair that presents a certain sweetness, a unique berry quality that France doesn't always have. Most of them contained Zinfandel as their premier grape - because, according to winemaker Morgan Twain-Peterson of Bedrock Vineyards, zinfandel is a highly versatile grape that is difficult to produce entirely on its own, but works fantastically as a leading grape for California blends.

Above is a snapshot of all the wines we tasted, but I'll only go over a few of my favorite choices in the interest of saving time. The first notable wine would be the 2007 Elyse Nero Misto from Napa Valley ($29). Nero Misto, which means "mixed black" in Italian, is a blend of several different grape varietals which led to a very interesting combination. The nose had strong notes of tobacco, red curry and ... you're not going to believe this ... hemp. Yes, the wine tasted a bit of the funky bunch. My boyfriend Julien pointed this out to the winemakers, and their response was "Hooray!" which I thought was funny. The mouth on this wine was tannic, which some dark berry (particularly boysenberry) with some red curry on the finish. I loved the sweet spices on this wine and how they blended well with the deep berry flavors. It made for a very unique wine that tasted amazing.

Another notable wine was the 2006 School House Mescolanza from St. Helena ($40). This wine was unique because of its interesting sweetness. It almost tasted like a red Gerwerztraminer, with strong notes of apple juice and a sweet cream. The mouth also had red cherry in addition to that addicting cream I got on the nose. I don't believe I would ever buy a bottle of this, just because I would have no clue what to pair it with, but it was a favorite just because of its uniqueness.

And finally, my personal favorite for the day was the 2008 Bedrock Lorenzo from Sonoma ($35). What I loved about this wine were the heavy notes of limestock and earth, which the winemaker said came from the fact that the soil (which is red) has been dry farmed for 110 years, contributing to the suffering (and thus better flavor) of the grapes. The nose was completely earthy, which the mouth also had dark fruit and strong tannins. But I just loved smelling this wine. I would love to pair this with some hoison-glazed tofu and vegetables. Hmm ... idea forming!

In the end, I came out of the wine seminar a better, more educated person. I used to have some of that single varietal bias that many California tasters can develop ... but now, I'll be looking for some of those blends to try out for myself. They truly made for some high quality and multidimensional wines, and I am truly grateful that I got to try them out for myself.

poetry slam friday

2010-04-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

broken glass

it's amazing how something so beautiful
can turn into something ugly
all because of one touch
one movement

everything tumbles down

2009 reds: menace or, um, something else?

2010-04-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

This is the 2009 vintage of me. Not much has changed, right? I haven't aged significantly. I mean, other than a different hairstyle (which you'll see me do quite a bit, because I get bored easily), I'm not that much different than I was last April.
And yet, between April 2009 Beth and current Beth, several new red wines have been picked, bottled and shipped out to the worldwide public. Wines that are only as old as this picture.
One night this week while serving at my night job, I noticed that our Colores Del Sol Malbec ($12) had switched vintages. Hardly uncommon in the restaurant business. But this was a change I couldn't help but notice. We had switched from the 2008 vintage, already a rather new year, to the 2009. When I first saw the label I thought it was a joke. I was appalled, yet intrigued.
So when a customer ordered a glass, I took the opportunity to grab a sippy straw, dunk it into the wine, and use my thumb to pull out a small sample. Well, let me tell you something, it was abysmal. It was too light, too bland and too sour to be considered even a decent wine! I couldn't imagine drinking a whole glass of it, let alone a bottle.

Don't let the artsy photo fool you - this wine belongs in a sauce, at best.

And I found myself wondering how it's possible that a wine company could even consider whipping out a vintage so quickly without giving it a chance to develop. From what I've seen there are quite a few lower end wines, particularly in South America, that do this quite often. Granted, South America has a different picking time than American and Europe do (February to April instead of September to November), but all the same, it just didn't taste developed. How long does it even sit in the barrel, or the bottle, before being shipping out to stores? It can't be longer than a couple of months - it certainly doesn't taste like it sat for a long time.
So I don't know if it was the grape quality, the aging time ... or the lack of either of those things ... that let to such a sub-par product. It was a severe blow to my tastebuds, that's about all I can.
I'm going to be doing some more research into this whole new vintage anti-vintage phenomenon, trying to find out just what makes some wine companies so desperate to make a buck that they're willing to ship something out before it's anything good. Maybe buying a few and trying them out (heaven forbid). If you have any ideas or 2009 reds I should *gulp* try, let me know.

wino rhino - work in progress

2010-03-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

This was the best pic for a "web fairy" that I could come up with.

I suppose I owe an explanation for why I haven't written this past week. Well, it will be shown in due time, hopefully in the next week or so. I've been hard at work on the new wino rhino Web site! Yes, pretty soon my Web site won't be run on Blogger or any other hosting program ... but entirely on my own, with a Web site I am creating from scratch. It's consumed much of my time, which is why I haven't had time to write. But soon it will be all worth it, I promise!
Here's a link to the test site I've made, as practice: Sample Site.

keeping it spicy

2010-03-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Last night I decided to open up a bottle of the Galante 2009 Sauvignon Blanc ($25) from Carmel Valley that I had mentioned recently to pair with a few spicy dishes I was working on. The wine itself is light with notes of mango and tangerine ... plus a little bit of banana, which I didn't get upon first tasting it. It's mixed with a little bit of Viognier, which explains the lack of strong cat-pee on the nose. Charming, I know, but that is characteristic of a Sauvignon Blanc.
I decided to try it with a bit of spicy cuisine to see how the pairing would work out, and overall I was very pleased with the results. Last night I made a lime, cilantro and jalapeno pasta (bought fresh from the Farmer's Market, delicious!) with a modified marinara sauce. I took a jar from Trader Joe's and made some changes to it. Here's what I added to the sauce: fresh cilantro, creme fraiche, chopped red and yellow bell peppers and sliced asparagus I had blanched right before throwing in. The result was a delicious spicy pasta that was a little too heavy for the Sauvignon Blanc alone (I probably should've had a nice Cab with it too, side by side), but still great.
The other dish I made today for lunch because we still had half a bottle left of the Sauvignon Blanc and I wanted to make a different type of spicy dish to see how it compared. For lunch I made a Mediterranan spicy wrap with fresh homemade hummus. Here's a little recipe in case you would like to try it yourself!

Mediterranean Spicy Wrap (personal recipe)
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Cost: about $3, depending
Serves: 1

What You Need:
1 organic flour tortilla (white or wheat)
Half a Trader Joe's Soyrizo (soy chorizo)
2/3 cup red and yellow bell peppers, sliced julienne
1 tablespoon curry simmer sauce (I prefer red, but you can use green)
2 tablespoons hummus
1/3 cup fresh micro or bitter greens
1-2 tablespoons goat cheese, depending on taste

Crumble the soyrizo until it resembles hamburger meat (usually happens pretty quickly) and blend it with the bell peppers in a saucepan with a little olive or grapeseed oil. Sautee it for a few minutes until it starts to simmer and add the curry. In a separate saucepan heat up the tortilla with a little olive oil, then put it in the oven at low temperature so it stays warm.
After cooking the soyrizo and peppers, grab the tortilla and put it on a plate, spreading the hummus on the inner middle. Take the soyrizo mix and put it on top of the hummus, keeping it in the middle of the tortilla. Add the greens and goat cheese, then fold it like a burrito. Slice it in half and enjoy!
The wrap tasted fantastic with the Sauvignon Blanc, much better than the pasta because it was much lighter while still having a strong spicy flavor. I would definitely recommend it for a nice light lunch with some fresh berries or a vinaigrette salad. I would definitely recommend making the hummus yourself - I've become obsessed with making my own hummus because it's fresher, tastes better and, above all, is WAY cheaper than buying it at the store. If anyone is interested I'll add my recipe on here.

poetry slam friday

2010-03-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

dangerous

crave difference in

the unordinary, as

the moon craves the sun

wine blogger of the week - the wine ... um, gulp

2010-03-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

So this week's wine blogger is Randy Watson, a.k.a the Wine Whore. Based out of Tampa, FL, the Wine Whore (God, I'm hope my mom's not reading ... sorry Mom, that's actually his blog name!) has turned the basic idea of wine blogging into a full-time job, complete with (nearly) daily posts, merchandise and other little goodies including both a wine blog and a food blog written by a friend of his, Todd Sweeney. The layout of his blog is pretty impressive, especially because he's using the Blogger program ... although there are a few too many ads on there for my taste ;). Anyway, I enjoy reading his blog because he makes wine accessible, which not a lot of bloggers do. If you haven't checked out his wine blog yet, I would definitely recommend you do. It's a good read!

If you want to be my featured wine blogger of the week, here's how you do it ... um, just ask! If I haven't seen your blog before I will definitely check it out, and if I like what I see (and how could I possibly not?) I will make you my featured wine blogger of the week.

i'm just an innocent bystander, i swear!

2010-03-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

So I've got some pretty exciting news. Through a random series of events, Julien and I were invited to bartend at this year's Pebble Beach Food and Wine for the celebrity chef golf tournament and after-hours parties! Our payment, other than an equal share of the tip jar, are 2 tickets to one daytime tasting event of our choice AND 2 tickets each for the Lexus Grand Tasting! The event is April 9-11 and Julien and I are so excited. It's going to be an amazing event with fantastic wines to taste and unbelievable food as well. There will be some late nights (the after-hours parties go until 2am), but it will definitely be worth it. Don't worry, I'll be taking more pictures and shooting more video than you can handle.

To celebrate this fantastic news, as well as the many other great things going on right now (did I mention I was accepted into San Diego State University, my first-choice school ... because I totally was!), I purchased a bottle of wine I'd really been intrigued to try. It's a 2008 Innocent Bystander Pinot Gris ($16, Whole Foods), a blend of Pinot Gris/Grigio from Yarra Valley, Australia. I'm sure you may remember my very favorable review of the 2008 Innocent Bystander Moscato, which was what primarily convinced me to try this other white. I figured I might as well follow the success of the label and see what else comes of it.

Well, for the most part I wasn't disappointed. The color on this wine was very, very light yellow with a slight greenish tint. There were visible tiny bubbles so I knew there would be a hint of acidity or spritz to it. The nose on this wine was floral with a bit of acidic tang, smelled a bit of alcohol. The fruit on the nose was white pear and light apple. It was one of those whites that smelled very, how shall we say, clear. It opened up the nasal passage quite a bit, almost like eucalyptus ... which oddly enough wasn't in the nose at all.
The taste of this wine opened with immediate green apple, and loads of it! There were also notes of white pear. Just as predicted, there was a light spritz on it - there was also an acidic tang on it, which didn't surprise me one bit, given the nose on this wine. The wine finished with a touch of banana and tropical fruit. Overall, this Pinot Gris was very refreshing but a little too acidic to enjoy more than one glass at a time.
I'd probably give this wine a few more months, up to 1 year, in order to smooth out those flavors a bit. But I would definitely recommend picking up a bottle and holding onto it until then! This wine shows a lot of potential. With luck, it might even be ready to go by the end of summer - a perfect summer backyard soiree wine!
I enjoyed this wine with some sauteed vegetables in a mango chutney sauce and boiled fingerling potatoes with a homemade sundried tomato aioli. I was feeling saucey, no pun intended ... oh who am I kidding, it was totally intended! I modified the recipe from one on the Food Network. Here's a link to the recipe - but just remember to add about 1 large tablespoon of sundried tomatoes (either freshly made or soaked in olive oil) when you add the garlic ... and only do up to 2 garlic cloves, since you don't want the garlic to compete with the tomatoes. Oh ... and do what the recipe says and pour the olive oil in SLOWLY while blending. I went through about 3 different failed attempts at making the aioli because I didn't follow this vital part of the recipe.

ladies ... time to celebrate!

2010-03-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

So it turns out that wine DOESN'T make us fat, ladies! Isn't that glorious? A new study shows that women who drink light to moderate amounts of wine do not significantly gain weight over non-drinkers. In fact, some of them have been shown to lose weight. Makes me glad I'm a (mostly) moderate wine drinker! So feel free to pop open those bottles, girls, because your hips aren't going to get all angry at you.
Here's a link to the article if you'd like to check it out.

Wine Doesn't Make Women Fat, Report Claims

grand champions and grappa

2010-03-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

So just in case you were wonderful, Julien and I had a wonderful day yesterday. We went to the beach, drank wine, saw a show and ... oh yeah ... drank some more wine! After our trip to the beach, with absolutely perfect weather, mind you, Julien and I went for a little wine tasting at Galante Vineyards tasting room in downtown Carmel. It was a cute little place that had a chair made to look like a boot. Gosh darn, I wish I'd gotten a picture of it! But someone was sitting in it almost the whole time we were there, so it didn't quite work out.

The tasting room host, Will, let us go through their entire collection of wines, which was great. They only had one white on the entire tasting list, a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc ($25) blended with a bit of Viogner. Turns out that's the only white they produce, since they're mostly known for Cabernets. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc quite a bit, despite the fact that it was so new and had only aged (partially in steel and partially in oak) for a couple of months. It was incredibly light with notes of mango, tangerine and light vanilla. There was only the faintest scent of cat pee on it, something that strangely is characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc. It finished with a taste of grapefruit that lingered well enough but didn't overpower. We ended up getting a bottle of it to try later on.

Two other notable wines from their list were, first, the 2005 "Blackjack Preserve" Cabernet Sauvignon ($50), which had notes of tobacco, coffee and soft leather with black cherry on the finish. The tannins on this one were really soft and didn't dry out the palate, which I liked quite a bit. The other one was their 2007 Grand Champion ($75), but more for its IMPENDING value then it's current one. It was a wine that tasted strained and new ... but I imagine that in 5 years or so, that wine is going to taste phenomenal. Will said he was currently trying the 96 and 97 vintages of the Grand Champion and that they were to die for ... so if you're looking for something to hold on to, I would definitely recommend picking up a bottle for the future. However, I would probably pass on their 2007 Merlot and their 2006 Pinot Noir ... I wasn't impressed by them.

After the wine tasting Julien and I had a fabulous dinner at Cantinetta Luca. Julien's dad, Chris, spoiled us with a wide array of amazing Italian wines, ranging from the lightest of whites to the heaviest of reds. I was able to sample them all ... but I have to honestly say that by the time I'd gotten through all of them, I couldn't barely spell my own name, let alone write down notes about all of them. Yep, I got a little toasty. But I will say that they were great ... and I would definitely recommend Southern Italian reds, which were the focus of our red tasting. For dinner Julien and I shared our entrees (we like to do that!), one was a risotto with chanterelle mushrooms and shaved asparagus. The other was a pumpkin ravioli. They were both delish! We finished with a fabulous cheese platter (the parmigiano-reggiano was spectacular, and was paired with a balsamic glaze ... amazing!) and a couple of desserts, including a great tiramisu. Unfortunately by that the time the wine had seriously gone to my head and I wasn't able to finish all of the desserts with Julien.

Then after that we went to a fun performance of Anything Goes, which our friend was in. The musical itself is a bit, how shall we say, dated ... but the performance was lively and we did enjoy ourselves. Overall, Julien and I had a wonderful time ... and I'm definitely looking forward to number three! Here's a little slideshow of our day, in case you wanted to see some other pics!

two years and many mimosas later .... :)

2010-03-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

Right now it's 8am and I'm in bed getting ready for what should (hopefully) be a fabulous day. Why? Because today is my two-year anniversary with my wonderful boyfriend, Julien, that's why! Right now he's lying next to me, snoring a bit, but with luck he'll be up soon and we can get started on our day of love. Here's the agenda for today (with a blog entry to follow, seeing as there will be much wine involved):

1. A surprise breakfast in bed, complete with mimosas, for my wonderful man. Will probably get up and start making it as soon as this blog entry is finished.
2. A nice long walk on the beach in Carmel. Luckily it is a gorgeous day outside, sunny skies with just the slightest breeze.
3. A bit of wine tasting in downtown Carmel.
4. Dinner at Cantinetta Luca, a wonderful Italian restaurant in downdown Carmel. My boyfriend's dad is the sommelier there, and he promised to take really good care of us tonight. Can we say hello to really really good wines??? He also promised to show us some good grappa too.
5. Going to a performance of Anything Goes at the MPC Theatre in Monterey. Our friend Armie is in the ensemble, and it looks like a fun musical!
6. Ahem ... well ... the rest is a secret ;).

Well, I should get up and get breakfast started. I'll let all of you know later how the day goes! Oh, and on another note, I've been accepted into San Diego State University for Journalism! It was my first choice school and I'm sooo excited. It's a seriously impacted major at that school because the program is said to be THAT good. So all you So-Cal types better get ready, because I'm coming to you!

poetry slam friday

2010-03-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

gree-jeeo

tart apples swinging
their crisp skins, acidic yet
dangerously sweet

a little wine research

2010-03-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do in my spare time when surfing the Web is do little funny searches on Google and see what comes up. You'd be surprised to find out that the most popular search option for "It is wrong to ..." is "... sleep with your sister"!!! Can you believe it? Gross.
Anyway, so since I can't drink any wine right now because of this stupid cold, I decided to do a little Google searching instead. I thought this one was interesting, because there wasn't a single one that sounded good other than the carbonated one, which doesn't sound necessarily good, per se. Enjoy!

a bit of ranting and raving

2010-03-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I haven't written this past week. I've still been fighting that bug, which has now moved into my chest and lungs, and I haven't felt like drinking (let alone writing about) wine for the past few days. The reason I'm writing now is completely unrelated to wine - it's just me ranting about something that's seriously bothering me.
So I decided this morning that enough was enough and that I should go to the doctor. I went to Doctors On Duty, since it's supposed to be the more affordable option for those like myself who are, shall we say, insurance impaired. I waited for about 20 minutes before being called up. The receptionist then tells me that I have to give her a $100 deposit. I was surprised, since the last time I went (which was only 2 years ago) I had to only pay $80 for the entire appointment. So I asked her if the appointments were $100 now. She said no, that they were not AT LEAST $165, but a deposit was required before the appointment actually took place.
Needless to say, I was shocked. I couldn't believe that a working class person like myself, who makes less than $30,000 per year, was expected to pay almost $200 for a simple doctor's appointment. It was baffling. So I instead decided to take my money elsewhere and see an herbal specialist for some natural remedies. I ended up, including the appointment, paying only $60 for everything. Including the medicine! And the appointment was so much more helpful than anything the doctor could've given, which would've probably involved him or here putting a stethoscope to my back, asking me to breathe and telling me I just need a few days rest.
The herbal medicine is already having an effect and I'm feeling much better. A little tired, but much better. I would recommend herbal remedies for anyone who is mentally willing to try other options besides simply getting a prescription. I've been driving tea made with fresh thyme and taking a specialty wild cherry bark syrup that tastes terrible but does the trick.
In the end, to anybody who says health care reform is a bad idea, just come talk to someone like me ... someone who doesn't have health insurance. And I'll tell you first thing that it's badly, badly needed in this country. Prices shouldn't double in two years. It's inhumane. It prevents people like me from affording health care. Granted I got alternative care, which has helped greatly, but I should still be able to have the option of quality and affordable health care.
So that's my rant and rave for now. When I get back to drinking wine I'll let you know.

evolution: a love story

2010-02-24T21:33:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I have someone new in my life.

This individual's name is Evolution, Lucky Number 9 ($20). It's a non-varietal American blend of nine different white grapes, produced by Solok Blosser winery in Dundee, Oregon. I know what you're thinking ... something with that much baggage and variety can't possibly be good for me. Well, it is. I am positively in love with this wine. I know some of you might disapprove of our love, seeing as how this "American" wine doesn't have a proper background or home, but I don't care! Our love defies the gods themselves!

Behold the evolution of our revolutionary love story:

First surprise. And frizzy hair.

Then curiosity ... and admiration.

Notice the Kristen Stewart lower-lip bite. That shows you it's real.

Then comes a love that defies reason. It's not just love: it's evolution.

(Cheesy, I know, but I had to throw it in there!)

I bet you're wondering why I care about this wine so much. Well, the first thing I love about it is how easy it is to drink. It's one of those wines that you could down a half bottle of right away and not notice because it's incredibly smooth and light. It only clocks in at 12% alcohol. The color is a soft yellow with a slight greenish tint. You can see a few bubbles in it as well. The nose is light, with white peach, mineral, dew grass, citrus and a tiny hint of vanilla bean and mango. Its nose is very sweet and seductive - really cleanses the nasal passage. I just feel like taking a huge whiff and soaking it all in.

The mouth is sweet with a bit of spritz on the tongue. It has some similarities to a Muscato, although I couldn't find online if one of the varietals was indeed a Muscato. Mystery! Let me know if you solve it. There's banana on the entry with light peach. The wine starts sweet but ends with a bit of tang from the grassy herb and mineral, as well as some vanilla bean. I would recommend refrigerating this wine, it's more refreshing at a cooler temperature than at room.

I know this may be a personal opinion, mainly because Julien didn't care for it, but I really love the taste of this wine. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys a good light white wine, especially those who are relatively new to wine drinking. It's incredibly easy to enjoy and would work with a wide variety of foods (although I would definitely recommend you think spicy!).

And just so you know, I was not commissioned by Evolution to produce this article - I bought this wine myself. However, if anyone from Evolution happens to read this, and wishes to send some samples for me to review ... I might be inclined to, you know, give them a try. Who are we kidding, I would gulp them down!

I know I know ... I'm a wine glutton. But can you really blame me?

seriously? this is still a problem?

2010-02-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

So I posted an article last week about an overturned bill in Oklahoma which would have allowed grocery stores to sell wine. Now, like many of you, I figured this was probably just a midwest thing ... you know, how the coastal "more progressive" states wouldn't have this problem.
Then I came across this doozy: Wine-ing About Grocery Stores Selling Vino.
Turns out that it's also illegal to sell wine in grocery stores ... in New York. Freaking New York, people! One of the most idealist, liberal states in the country. Well, Governor David Patterson wishes to fix this with a proposal that would make it legal to sell wine and hard liquor in grocery stores. But not everybody is happy about this decision. A large group of liquor store owners are heading to Albany to protest this proposal. They say it will run them out of business and hurt the economy - but in reality, it will probably just force them to be more competitive with their prices.
In my opinion, wine should be available for purchase in grocery stores. It's ridiculous that these dumb puritan laws are still in effect in this country! All they do is hold us back from being responsible, mature adults. After all ... if you forbid something, all they're going to want is to have it.
Here's a perfect example: DON'T THINK ABOUT ELEPHANTS. WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T THINK ABOUT ELEPHANTS.
So what are you thinking about right now? Yeah, I thought so :).

poetry slam friday

2010-02-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

bare bones (vines in winter)

silent branches hang
glisten with raindrops and frost
wait to be reborn

reaching out with 14 hands

2010-02-18T08:46:00.000-08:00

So last night I decided to treat myself and went on a little clothes shopping spree. Nothing fancy, but did spend some of that green I'd earned over the weekend during AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach ... oh, and Valentine's Day. I LOVE Marshalls. It's a fabulous store and I find the cutest things. I'm sure you'll be seeing them on here soon, because I'll probably be wearing them all the time!
One sad point, though. They're selling Apple Bottom jeans now at Marshalls, and I wish they didn't look so "blingy" because they fit my buttius maximus like a glove! I couldn't bring myself to buy a pair. I'll have to see if Apple Bottom makes any jeans that are a little more simple.
Afterwards I was too lazy to cook so Julien and I went to his workplace, Islands, to get some dinner. Since I felt like drinking something but wasn't in the mood for hard alcohol. Mardi Gras was the night before - I had gone out with a girlfriend and was still feeling the effects! So I had a glass from their admittedly poor wine selection. Hey, they're a burger joint, not a wine bar ;).

So I tried the 2006 14 Hands Merlot from Washington state ($9). The wine had a lightly smokey nose with plum and grass. The wine definitely was a medium body, and surprisingly started out rather sweet and jammy - something I don't normally find in a Merlot. It also had flavors or black pepper and berry. It was okay, but honestly I just didn't find anything that "wow" about it. It was drinkable, but not memorable. I didn't even finish the glass. If you see this in the store, I wouldn't recommend you pick it up. I'm sure there'll be something else on the shelf that's more worthy of bottle purchase.
Well, I'm off to the gym. Gotta get in shape so I can wear that catsuit for my performance as Maureen in Rent this August! Meow!

tuesday wine news - what is this, prohibition?

2010-02-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

Just got a hold of this juicy number from Oklahoma, no pun intended: Tulsa World: Grocery wine measure corked. Apparently the State Senator Andrew Rice (D) from Oklahoma City tried to get a bill put on the floor that would allow grocery stores to sell wine and high-point beer. Right now grocery stores are not allowed to and Rice claims that it not only hurts businesses, since wine and beer are highly profitable, but it also prevents some big-chain stores from coming into Oklahoma, since many of their main profits come from the sale of wine and beer. Well, it didn't fail on the floor, because it never made it there. The bill was killed in a Senate committee before it even had a chance to be voted on by the people.

It still shocks me that, after all this time, there are still antique wine laws that exist like that. In some states you're not allowed to buy liquor on Sundays - all the bars and liquor stores have to close. And according to Free the Grapes, some states, including Maryland and New Jersey, still don't allow direct shipping of wine to consumers. It's actually a felony in Maryland. Can you believe it? An actual felony! Cruelty to animals and spousal abuse are only misdemeanors, yet receiving wine at your house is a felony? It's ridiculous!
I encourage anyone, especially those living in Oklahoma, Maryland and New Jersey, to speak out on behalf of our poor defenseless grapes ... after all, all they want is a home inside of our bellies!

hallmark love (and wine) day

2010-02-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, a.k.a Hallmark-Buy-Something-Red Day, Julien and I had a lovely little wine tasting excursion in Carmel Valley. First we headed over to Chateau Julien, a lovely little tasting room on Carmel Valley Road. I wanted to go try Chateau Julien because people kept telling me how much they loved/hated it, so I figured I should try it out for myself instead of relying on everybody else's opinions. By the way, Chateau Julien is sub-par at best. Their wines are watery, young and, as a whole, largely tasteless. Their tasting room was cute, but the wines couldn't match.

Julien's trying to figure out if he should change his name now.

The other main tasting room we went to was for Boekenoogen Wines, a fairly new and family-owned estate winery based out of Santa Lucia Highlands with another winery in Carmel Valley. Julien and I were rather impressed by their wines. As of now they produce mainly Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, although they did have one Syrah for tasting, as well as a brand new Viognier that we were able to taste, despite the fact that it wasn't available on the tasting menu. Here's a breakdown of the wines we tasted:

1. 2008 Boekenoogen Santa Lucia Highlands Estate "Stainless Fermented/Barrel Aged" Chardonnay ($28) - This was a light and fairly young Chardonnay that was fermented in steel, then aged in the barrel. It had notes of honeydew, lemongrass and ripened white pear with a tart finish.

2. 2008 Boekenoogen Santa Lucia Highlands Estate "Barrel Fermented" Chardonnay ($32) - This wine smelled young and sweet with a noticeable flavor of honeysuckle, pineapple and oak.

3. 2008 Boekenoogen Carmel Valley Estate Viognier ($24) - Sweet and medium-bodied, the Viognier was a fabulous tasting with notes of white and yellow peach. We ended up buying a bottle of this and took it home with us. It's now in our collection waiting to be tried again in the future!

4. 2006 Boekenoogen Santa Lucia Highlands Estate Pinot Noir ($45) - This was a rich and fuller-bodied Pinot Noir with a smoky nose. It had notes of ollalieberry, blueberry and black pepper with a raw cinnamon finish ... almost like a cinnamon stick. It had a tiny hint of tar on the end as well.

5. (see above) 2007 Boekenoogen Santa Lucia Highlands Estate Pinot Noir ($39) - I much preferred this Pinot Noir. It was smooth (even smelled smooth) with notes of dark red cherry and plum. The flavors were incredibly subtle and increased in my mouth as I was tasting it.

6. 2007 Boekenoogen Santa Lucia Highlands Estate Syrah ($36) - This wine was good as well, although I'm not the hugest fan of Syrah after tasting a Pinot Noir. The nose had dried herbs with mint and honeybaked ham. I know, not the most natural thing to smell in wine, but that's what I got! It also had notes of white pepper and black plums.

Overall, I would definitely recommend trying a bottle of Boekenoogen if you have a chance to. It's a winery that shows a lot of promise, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with in the future.

oh please please please please

2010-02-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

So I just submitted my application request to a receive a scholarship so that I may attend the Wine Bloggers' Conference in Walla Walla, Washington in June. I've been wanting to go since I first heard about it, but with school and upcoming moving costs I won't be able to afford it without help. So please send out an extra happy thought for me into the general universe ... maybe if enough are circulated, the WBC staff won't be able to ignore them :).

And if you're a fellow wine blogger, please show your support for my cause to the WBC staff, if you're able to. I really want to meet you, but I won't be able to if I can't afford to go. Thanks to all of you for reading, and I really hope to see you soon.

wines to seduce by

2010-02-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is coming up, and the mood is getting sexy. What better way to bring on those primal urges then by opening up a sensual bottle of vino? I was originally going to link to another blogger's post or article about sensual wines, but I couldn't find one ... so alas, the task falls unto me. When you're wanting to get that yearly fix of Cupid's love, here are a few wine-related tricks to seal the deal. I'll mention a few potential Valentine's Day dates, then suggest the wine variety (and a potential bottle) to match it.

1. Breakfast in Bed:
You can't go wrong with a fabulous mimosa or champagne with breakfast in bed. It's the perfect way to start the day, and tells your lover right away that not only do you know it's Valentine's Day (which is a mistaken people, mostly men, can sometimes make with their partners), but that you want them to have a memorable one. Try a Blanc de Blancs, like the 2006 Gloria Ferrer ($12-$16, Safeway), so that it doesn't overpower the taste of the OJ. And don't forget, use fresh-squeezed or not-from-concentrate juice!
Be sure to sneak out of bed early so that you can start breakfast without waking them. Choose something simple, like croissants and fresh fruit. I like Trader Joe's overnight chocolate croissants - you leave them out overnight on the counter and they puff like magic! Just be sure to use an egg glaze on the top before baking them, gives them that fresh-from-the-bakery look.

2. Outdoor Picnic:
When going out for a nice picnic, either on the beach, at a park or any other romantic locale, I'd definitely recommend bringing a Chardonnay. White wines are better to enjoy outdoors, in my opinion, because they're crisp and fresh; which only serves to heighten the relaxed, easygoing feelings of being out of the house. Plus, any spills caused by natural factors (like tiny bumps on the ground or accidentally pulling on the tablecloth) are easily concealed. If you're looking for a light, crisp Chardonnay, look no further than Heller Estate's 2007 Chardonnay ($25, Safeway). It was named one of the top 5 U.S. Chardonnays by the Wall Street Journal, and has a fabulously light flavor that doesn't reek or oak or malolactic fermentation. Be sure to bring along some top-notch cheeses (Brie is always a fabulous choice), fresh-sliced gourmet meat from the delicatessen and, of course, fresh grapes to feed to your sweetie.

3. Dining Out:
If you're going the traditional route and taking your Valentine out to dinner (have you made your reservation yet, by the way?), first do yourself a favor and follow this advice: unless you have a rare/vintage bottle you've been saving for this special occasion, do not bring a bottle of wine to the restaurant! It makes you look cheap. Instead, figure out beforehand what your partner is hungry for and plan to order a varietal to accompany it. Looking for something spicy? Get a light white to start, like a Sauvignon Blanc, then follow it with a Pinot Noir or Merlot. Something rich and deep, like a steak? A rich, jammy Cabernet or Syrah is the way to go. Be sure to talk with the waiter (or sommelier, depending on where you're going) about the different wine choices while you're looking. Give them a chance to suggest something as well ... and if they don't have the knowledge to back it, then just choose for yourself.

4. Dessert at Home:
Heading back home for some "quiet time"? Be sure to bring out the end-of-the-night dark chocolates to enjoy with your hun! They're a powerful aphrodisiac that gives you a chance to hand-feed each other, which is fantastic foreplay. What could be better? Well, a fantastic Port, for one! Be sure to go authentic and get one from Portugal, it shows you know your stuff. Plus, it's rich in texture and heavy in alcohol. I don't have any immediate suggestions for a good Porto, but I'll keep an eye out and let you know later on this week.
Also, you could try a great Ice Wine with some ice cream.

Happy tasting (and loving)!

monday, monday ... so good to me

2010-02-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

Last night, since neither of us were forced to suffer the miseries of watching the Superbowl (sports, in my opinion, are incredibly boring to watch without actually participating), Julien and I felt like having a quiet, romantic dinner. And who wouldn't, so close to Valentine's Day? So I made us a delicious meal of lemon pepper paste with a personally homemade artichoke-caper sauce. Here are the exact ingredients for making the sauce, since I was so proud of it!

1/8 stick of butter

half a cup (or so) of extra virgin olive oil

dash of sea salt

meyer lemon juice (half a lemon, squeezed, seeds removed)

1 tablespoon capers

8-10 artichoke hearts

2 tablespoons creme fraiche

Here's a pic of some of the ingredients I used. As you can see, I am clearly a fan of Trader Joe's :).

I made the sauce in that order by first melting the butter, then putting in the olive oil and salt. I then let it blend together and simmer for a bit at middle heat. Afterwards I added the meyer lemon juice and let it simmer again for a bit. I then added the capers and let it simmer for about 3-5 minutes while the pasta was still cooking. I then added the artichoke hearts and lowered it to a low simmer, so they would cook without getting soft.

Right as the pasta was finishing up I added the creme fraiche and let it melt with the sauce, creating a sauce that was light and sweet, but had the slightest bit of tang from the creme fraiche. I mixed the sauce and pasta together, then used the rest of the meyer lemon to create a fresh squeeze of juice on the top before tossing and serving. Absolutely delicious! I'm definitely going to make it again (and I'll take pics next time, for sure). If you ever try something like it at home, let me know how it goes!

Well, with such a wonderful meal, naturally we needed to have a wonderful wine to go with it. And what else would be perfect with a lemon-caper and artichoke-hearts pasta then a fabulous Pinot Noir? In this case, the 2006 Pelerin Cuvee St. Vincent Pinot Noir from Santa Lucia Highlands ($40). Julien and I had the privilege of meeting the Pelerin winemaker during a special dinner at L'Auberge in Carmel.

Their wines are amazing, with gorgeous labels that appear to depict different Catholic saints. Apart from their Syrah, which is an excellently full-bodied and jammy Syrah, I've always loved their Pinot Noirs. This one is no exception. It clocks in at 14.1% alcohol but you can hardly tell. The color is a lighter brick red with a soft pink halo. It smells strongly of red cherry, red apple, cream and light herb. It also has a subtle note of truffle, specifically porcini mushrooms. The wine has noticeable flavors of sour red cherries, chocolate, custard - and, again, just a taste of those porcini mushrooms. But don't saw ewww, because they actually serve to enhance the wine quite a bit. Gives it a strong, almost meaty quality to it, especially on the finish, which is quite vibrant. This wine definitely benefits from a decanter - Julien put it in ours last night and it made a noticeable difference the next day.

In the end, TRY THIS WINE. If you can't find their Pinot, definitely give their Syrah a go. Their Chardonnay is all right, but I definitely prefer their reds over their whites. Happy tasting!

atw - tint(ara)ed lenses

2010-02-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

So unfortunately, I've been suffering from a nasty cold (flu? still not sure which) this past week, which has made wine practically undrinkable. But I've finally turned a corner and allowed myself to taste a bit. Not a whole bunch, mind you, but just a little bit. And that's what wine samplings are for! Just had a small one last night with my boyfriend, Julien (see above). And no, I didn't let him drink all my wine, of course! Just a bit.

The wine I tasted was a 2004 Tintara McLaren Vale Grenache from, you guessed it, McLaren Vale in Australia, a region famous for fabulously deep and sensual reds like Shiraz. I tried it in a wine sampling at LALLAgrill in Monterey, CA, which boasted a pretty impressive selection of wines available for immediate sampling - which is good for me, since I personally prefer having smaller samples of different wines so that I can get a good variety.
The color on this wine was a deeper purple, which gradually lightened into the soft fuschia halo. The nose had strong notes of fig, with some balsamic, red apple, general spices (couldn't really pin them out, after all I'm still getting over the cold). It also had just a hint of lavender, which I found to be a refreshing shift in the general scent of the wine. The mouth was syrupy. I could taste the balsamic and red apple - and, honestly, it tasted a bit yeasty to me. I still don't understand why, but that's why I got out of it. Overall, I did enjoy this wine quite a bit; except for the yeast part, which I'm still a bit confused by.

sickie

2010-02-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

I am currently sick in bed right now. Have been for the past couple of days. Yeah, wine's not feeling like a great idea right now. But let me know what you're drinking, so I can be properly jealous!

wowie wowie wow!!

2010-01-31T09:20:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a tiny break from writing about wine to tell all of you some really exciting news. *cue the big band* I just got offered the part of Maureen (see above) in the Monterey Peninsula College production of Rent! I'm so flabbergasted (is that how you spell that word?) right now I barely know what to say. I'm still in total shock.

I went to the audition last Saturday, mainly just for the hell of it. A couple of my friends were auditioning and I figured, why not? I honestly didn't think anything would come of it, because I don't have a lot of theater experience. Haven't done musical theater since I was a kid, although I've been in a band for a long time and I have modern acting and improv experience. I honestly thought that, if I was lucky, I might get ensemble or something. I had to sing and dance for the audition, which was fun. I picked up the dance routine really easily and I sang Don't Speak by No Doubt. Wasn't my first choice song, but it was all I could find the sheet music for :).

So the director called me back to go in the next day. I did some line reading with a group of about 20. Then, he called me back in to go on Tuesday with 2 potential Joannes (Maureen's girlfriend). Then, he called me back in on Thursday to read with another possible Joanne and to do Maureen's performance piece for the director, which was crazy fun. I was really, umm, hopeful that I might get the part, but I wasn't convinced or anything. There were many girls trying out for Maureen (according to my friend Armie, "every girl and their mother was after the part of Maureen").

Nevertheless, the director called me yesterday and offered me the part!! I was at work and I was so happy I started screeching in the kitchen and jumping up and down like a 5-year-old! The staff was entertained, for sure.

Anyway, rehearsals start in June and the performances are in August. I can't wait! Now I have something I can cross off of my bucket list - (co-)star in a musical as a adult!! If any of you happen to be in the Monterey area around that time, check it out!

p.s. it was all worth it just for my dad's reaction (he did musical theater when he was younger). he is so proud and it makes my heart swell.

atw - grab the grappa

2010-01-29T00:19:00.000-08:00

I would like to start by saying that, yes, I have been a bit of a blog boob for the past month and a half. I've just felt so .... I don't know .... stalemate about everything, that I've just been drinking the wine without writing about it. I'm considering it a mini blog hiatus for my personal health. But I'm rectifying it, starting now. I have a need to share my love with all of you, and I will continue it faithfully.

So yesterday I had the privilege of trying something very unique. I tasted something very few Americans have ever tried before. It was, admittedly, not the best thing I have ever tasted - but to know that I'm one of a few who has ever tried it, I feel blessed.
This was a non-vintage grappa designed by a man named Armando Levi in Piemonte, Italy. This is no ordinary juice - this baby clocks in at 45% alcohol - or 90 proof, something that many vodkas will blush at nowadays. My boyfriend's dad, who showed me this wine, gave me the basic background story on what grappa is, since I didn't know about it. I thought I would pass it on to you.
Grappa is a unique Italian drink - it is not a liqueur, but it is not necessarily a wine either. It's closer to a brandy than anything else. It was first invented many centuries ago, when peasants were forced to produce wine for their reigning lords in order to pay their debts. There were never enough grapes left over to make their own wines, so they instead invented a method to create alcohol using the leftover skins and pits. They would put the skins and pits in a "still" and cook it, using the accumulated vapors to make a concentrated alcoholic beverage. The essence and concentrated alcohol that came from the vapors would then condense into the grappa.

Nowadays many Italians use grappa as a drink to cleanse the gut after a big meal. And boy, does it do the trick. When I first smelled this drink, the alcohol was immediately noticeable. It smelled raw, strong and potent. It cleared my senses instantly. Most of our dinner guests scoffed at it, but I was curious. When I tasted it (in very small doses, mind you, as it is extremely powerful), it was overpowering in its intensity. It was strong than absinthe in its flavor, which is difficult for me to say, as I always find absinthe to be extremely strong. The grappa had notes of honey, brown sugar and black licorice. There were also notes of nectarine and golden apples. According to Chris, this was a good grappa, but not a great one. I honestly had nothing to compare it to, as I had not tried it before.
Chris also told me that the reason this grappa was unique was because Levi, who is now deceased, personally supervised the production of all his wines until his death. In addition, he hand-designed all his labels. The grappa was selling for 150 euros in stores, which equals much more expensive in American dollars :).
On another note, I've been very busy this week auditioning for the Monterey Peninsula College production of Rent: the Musical. I auditioned partially on a lark, since I figured I might as well give it a try. Well, one week later, I am currently a top contender for the part of Maureen, the bisexual performance artist. It's a major role, the most highly sought after by all the women who auditioned. I've been so excited I haven't known what to do with myself! I'll find out next week whether or not I got the part - and I will definitely keep you posted! I've been updating on Twitter this past week because my mind has been so scattered with it all the 140 character limit has felt perfect. By the way, if you're not my friend on Twitter, please add me and I will add you back! I love Tweets!
I've also just finished obsessively playing Dragon Age: Origins. Seriously, I got freaking OBSESSED with the game. Below is the main reason why: the oh-so-adorable Templar Alistair. I just liked looking at him. Way too cute for his own actually-doesn't-exist good.

atw - pre make-me-drink-wine-alot syndrome

2010-01-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

Well, in case the headline didn't give it away, I am currently feeling the lovely effects of what's commonly known as PMS. Before you go all "ewww" on me and demand I retract that message, may I remind you that at least half of the human population experiences this, and therefore it could be considered akin to me talking about how many Americans use Facebook (which I'm sure is a lot higher than 50%, but you get my drift).
The reason I'm mentioning this is because I wanted to share with you one of my favorite remedies for PMS .... red wine! It's been scientifically proven that red wine helps relieve menstrual cramps, as reported by CBS and Natural Home Remedies.org. According to natural remedies specialist Kyle J. Norton, red wine helps relieve the many symptoms of PMS, including cramping, swelling and insomnia, through the following:

1. Blood tonic

(Any food with red color is considered as blood and heart tonic in some traditional medicine). Red wine in fact helps to release the blood stagnation in the body tissues and organs including the reproductive system thereby, decreasing the risk of premenstrual pain and cramps caused by blood stagnation in the abdominal region and increasing the transportation of nutrients to the nervous cell resulting in lessening the risk of fatigue, loss of concentration, and dizziness.

2. Melatonin
Moderate drinking (no more than 1 cup a day) red wine helps to improve the melatonin hormone thereby, increasing the function of internal clock in regulating "when it's time to go to sleep and when it's time to wake up" and lessening the risk of insomnia.

3. Flavonoids
Besides best known for it antioxidants property, it contains epicatechin, quercetin and luteol which also help to increase the digestive function in absorbing vital vitamins and minerals which are found deficiently for women with PMS and inhibitimg tumour growth.

4. Polyphenols
Red wine contains polyphenols which is a powerful antioxidant containing a polyphenolic substructure it has been used in combating neurodegenerative , some cardiovascular diseases. It also consider a chemical agent with anti-aging consequences such as slowing the process of skin wrinkling.

5. Resveratol
It also contains high levels of resvertol which is essential for immune system in inhibiting irregular cell growth and fighting against inflammation including the reproductive organs caused by cell oxidation.

In order to relieve my own symptoms, I'm currently enjoying a glass of 2007 Quinto de Crasto 2007 Douro Red from Portugal (another wine to add to my Around the World list!), which is a blend of 35% Tinta Roriz, 25% Tinta Barroca, 25% Touriga Franca and 15% Touriga Nacional. It's a rather enjoyable wine with a caramel and coffee nose, in addition to a rather noticeable balsamic. It's tangy with a slightly tannic finish. Heavy notes of oregano with not a lot of fruit.
It's definitely an easy-to-drink wine, but I was a little off put by the lack of strong fruits in this wine. Didn't make it bad, it just wasn't expected. But it definitely makes the woman pains go down considerably! Whenever you're feeling the blues, ladies, be sure to down a glass of red wine. Doctor's orders!

poetry slam friday

2010-01-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

Here I am on my lunch break during a pretty slow day at work, a little tipsy on Heller Estate 2005 Sparkling Merlot (even with spitting it's easy for a lightweight like me to get spinny). So I decided to start my poetry slam Fridays. I will write at least one wine-related haiku or poem every friday, plus whatever else I feel like tagging on.
Poetry is my first love, after all, and I hate for her to feel neglected. If you have a wine, grape or other wine-related thing you'd like to hear a poem about, let me know. Or if you have one of your own, send it in!

---

Bubbly

It tickles my nose.
Thousands of air pockets drenched
in clear fireworks.

----

Here's another poem I wrote today ... you can thank the sparkling wine for this one ;).

green lens flare

your reflection is a path
it opens up my many different faces
cowardice
shrieking amongst the ill-placed words
and constant sidelong glances

if my eyes are the camera
they are flashing you
evil stares
amateur Photoshop techniques

am I jealous or just talentless?
probably both
do I live my hatred through your narcissism?
most likely
what would it take to save both of us?

I need to lessen my number
stop being your feed
settle into the tidal waves

and you ...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

where has the time gone?

2010-01-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, has it really been almost two weeks? My life is a crazy blur right now - I've hardly had the time to think! Just finished moving into my new house, but I still have some boxes to unpack. I still have no internet (I'm checking it at the library right now), which explains my absence from this blog. Also, I'm sick right now, so I haven't been able to drink wine. Oh my goodness life is a series of kah-razy! It'll probably be a couple of days before I am able to post about wine, since I need to get over this stupid cold first. I'll be back soon! All my love.

what is life, if not always an adventure?

2009-12-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't written in the past week. I've been working like crazy, trying to make up for all the time I had to miss. Money's tight ... but then again, I'm sure it is for everybody, being Christmas and all. I haven't had wine in the past week because, honestly, haven't been able to afford it ;). But I'll be having tons of it for Christmas! And I'm working at Heller Estate today so I'll write a quick bit on some of their wines tonight. Hooray for required sampling!
The tiny pittance of money I did have went to the Charles Dickens Fair in San Francisco on Saturday ... and it was a blast! I made my costume myself! Can you imagine - me using a sewing machine? Let me be honest when I tell you ... uh, no. But here's proof!

But the costume looked great and I'm very proud of it. I went with Julien's mom, sister and our friend Nicki. We promenade in our fancy costumes, saw Scrooge with the Ghost of Christmas Past and had high tea like proper English ladies! It's a really cool event and I'd recommend it for anybody, especially fans of the Renaissance Faires. Here's a couple pics from the trip.

atw - ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the show

2009-12-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

Well, my last dance performance was today, and boy am I exhausted. It was a crazy fun week, with lots of jumps, spins and shaking hips. I got to dance in a tribute to Michael Jackson, which was fantastic. I also danced in two afro-brazilian pieces as well as a drum/singing piece that I wrote the lyrics and melody for. Here's a couple behind the scenes pics that I took while we were getting ready.

What sucks is I wasn't able to really dance on the last day because my previously sprained ankle decided to go all haywire on me and I could barely walk on it, let alone dance. But, seeing as it was still the last day, I decided to celebrate anyway and opened my specially saved and perfectly chilled bottle of 2008 Innocent Bystander Moscato from Victoria, Austrailia ($9, 375ml, Cost Plus). I'd tried this wine once as a dessert wine with strawberries and rhubarb and had adored it, so I decided to give it another go.
Well, I ended up finishing the bottle all by myself, so you can guess that means it was pretty darn good.
It's a light pink wine - it carries soft scents of rhubarb, cream and a little bit of rose (or rosewater, still on the fence on that one). The taste has a bit of spritz to it and has strong notes of floral (mainly rose) along with strawberry and ripened green apple. The finish is soft and lingering, it's just so easy to drink. It also only clocks in at 5.5% alcohol so, like me, you can enjoy the entire bottle without getting sloshed. It's a delicious wine that I would absolutely recommend for anyone to try, especially for the price. Plus, the label is just absolutely gorgeous.
I definitely plan on taking a dance class next semester, but more as a choreographer instead of a dancer for hire. I'm pretty stoked about that - I've already got the music and most of the choreography prepared already!
And I cannot stress this enough: TRY THIS WINE. It is delectable.

OFFICIAL: new web site!

2009-12-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

It's SUPER-DUPER-AWESOME OFFICIAL, everybody: I am now the proud owner of a Web site! Well, at least the domain, to start :). But until I learn how to use Flash and make a really cool site (taking a class next semester at college), the web address will automatically send you here. Here it is (da-da-da!):

!!!www.thewinorhino.com!!!

Like it? I was originally gonna go with winorhino.net, but I really wanted a .com, for some reason. And since winorhino.com was taken (don't ask me why, I have no idea, it's not even being used ... i.e. someone's parking on it for some stupid reason), I put a 'the' in front and presto! Be sure to update your blog feed / link site / human memory!

Sorry I haven't done any wine posts this week. It's final rehearsal week for my dance performances at school so I haven't been drinking any alcohol. Trying to keep my body clean and healthy for the shows this weekend. I'll let you know how they go!

the lights are twinkling

2009-12-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

Every once in awhile I like to write about something other than wine - I know ... impossible, right? It's true, so here we go! Well, since it is currently the holiday season and (like many of you, I'm sure) the recession's hit more than just your local TV syndicate. I know it's certainly hit my wallet and, therefore, my Christmas budget. So I'm looking to save money this holiday season by making presents for my family and friends. And as I go through this adventure of making presents, I wanted to share my discoveries with you ... you know, if you're looking to shave off a few bucks on presents this year.
I've been making Christmas presents for the past few years. I do this for two reasons: 1) it's a lot cheaper than buying stuff, and 2) it's much more personal and meaningful, since you're putting more of yourself into the gifts. Here's a list of the things I made last year, and how you can make them yourself:

1. For the women in my family: charm bracelets. I made individualized old-fashioned charm bracelets using materials from Michaels. I also bought charms from Michaels, as well as Target and Claire's (at the mall). The charms I bought were individualized for each person in my family, and everybody got a huge kick out of them. The total cost: $10 for each bracelet, including gift-wrapping.

2. For other family and friends (i.e. the people you're required to give gifts to but have no idea what to give them, like work friends and such): 1) specialized wine presents. Yes, I did use wine last year to make my presents! Heller Estate, the winery I work at, was selling vintage bottles of Pinot Noir at $20 per bottle (with my 50% discount that amounted to $10). I gave them those wine bottles as presents, but that wasn't all! I found these amazing little glass toppers that you use to turn a wine bottle into an oil lamp. It had a wick and everything. So I presented those with the wine bottles so that, after they drank the wine, they could turn the bottle (which was super adorable) into an oil lamp! Those cost about $5 each and are from Winelight. Total cost? $15 per couple (I gave them as couple gifts), or $7.50 per person. And everybody loved them! Here's a Link to the Winelights Product Site for more information.

SPOILER ALERT ... IF YOU'RE A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY OR ONE OF MY FRIENDS, DO NOT READ PAST THE PART!!!!!

Now onto this year's selection of handmade gifts. Not sure yet what I'm going to do for my distant family and friends (probably something wine related again, any suggestions?). But for the women in my family and close friends I'm going to make chic headbands! They're all the rage this season and are so much better (and cheaper!) to make than they are to buy. Plus, my sisters look so cute in headbands :). I found this article online and loved the idea, which gave the inspiration to do it for Christmas. Here's the Link to the article: DIY Hair Accessories. Here's a couple pics of what I have in mind - feathers for my older sister, bows for my younger and then modifying them for all the other women in my life:

For the men in my family and friends, not quite sure yet. I know I'm making at least one of them a specialized mix CD (already in the works, will post song selection when it's finished) but not quite sure for the others. Any suggestions?
If you have anything special you're making (or buying) for your family and friends this holiday season, post a comment letting me know about them! I always love to hear people's fantastic ideas for holiday gifts. Hope you're having a Happy December!

ebony and ivory - the elements of harmony

2009-12-02T22:52:00.000-08:00

So let's say you've got yourself a dilemma: Napa or Sonoma? They're both excellent areas for wine, and you just can't choose between the two. Well now you don't have to, thanks to Artesa Winery! They've come up with the perfect solution ... simply combine the two!

The wine is called 2005 elements ($25), and yes, it's lowercase on purpose :). It's a red blend that puts together 65% Sonoma County and 35% Napa Valley in a mysterious combination true to the European style of winemaking, i.e. you have no idea what's in there but it's probably going to taste pretty good.

And yes, the result is, overall, pretty good. It was nothing outstanding but I did enjoy drinking it. The color is a deeper burgundy with a light fuschia halo. The nose has traces of pine, elderberry, fig and a bit of musk (almost like a stick of incense). The taste, though having few too many traces of balsamic, was actually quite pleasant. Again, there was lots of fig in it, as well as red cherry and vanilla bean.

I did enjoy drinking this wine, but I probably wouldn't actively search for it again.

On another note, I barely survived a huge wine glass spilling incident from aforementioned wine. Note to self (and all others out there): 1) DO NOT put your full wine glass (especially if it's a red) on the wood arm of your couch, because it probably will get knocked over, and 2) a combination of San Pelligrino, Spot Shot and gentle blotting with a bunch of paper towels DOES get the stain out, for the most part ... just make sure to do it right away.

Well, I'm off to go play some more Assassin's Creed II before finishing my paper that's due tomorrow! Thank heavens I have an excellent idea of what my teacher is looking for ... I've gotten A's (and super A's) on all my papers in his class and most of my papers have each been written in a day! Fantastique!

i'm loving it

2009-12-01T00:04:00.001-08:00

Just found the nicest looking Safeway wine section ever at their store in Seaside. Picked up a bottle of 2005 Elements red blend, which I will be reviewing soon. With all their deals on hand, I'm pretty sure I will be back.
On another note, I think the Safeway employees were either pissed or confused that I was taking photos of the wine section. Not sure which, they just stared and gave me weird faces. Oh well!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

moving up!

2009-11-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody, just wanted to let you know that in approximately 12 hours, this blog will be host to its own domain name: winorhino.net! Hopefully this will lead to a fully independent Web site in the future, but for now it's just gonna link to this one. I don't have the software yet to make my own and I didn't want to pay a monthly subscription fee to have some hosting site do it for me. Making baby steps, people! One day at a time. I'll let you know when it's fully operational.

what i did for thanksgiving

2009-11-28T15:29:00.000-08:00

Pretty self-explanatory, right? After recuperating for a couple days from the wine, the food and, yes, the turkey (I temporarily broke from my vegetarian streak to try some of Julien's mom's delicious turkey), I'm back to relatively normal. First, I do want to show off my most recent delicacy that I created for the night ... a root vegetable stew presented inside of a baked pumpkin!

I found the recipe on NPR and it worked out perfectly, although I did make a couple of small changes to it. Mainly, I boiled the canned chickpeas for 30 minutes before adding them to the recipe and I added green beans and basil to the finished product. Needless to say, my stew was a big hit. I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking to make a nice impression (and presentation!) for their next dinner party.

I tried some excellent wines that night, including a 2007 Jermann Chardonnay from Venezia Giulia (tasted remarkably of bananas with some mineral notes), 2006 Lucia Chardonnay from Santa Lucia Highlands (a full bodied Chardonnay with an excellent bouquet of tropical fruit with a hint of butter), 2007 Wrath Syrah from Santa Lucia Highlands (a heavy but smooth Syrah, went great with the turkey and stuffing) and finally, the big guns, 2001 Zenato Amarone from Della Valpolicella. This wine, which clocked in at a whopping 16% alcohol, tasted like the harmonious middle between a Cab and a Port. It was smooth and sweet, which Julien's dad said was very characteristic of this wine. It tasted fantastic with the hazelnut and chocolate cake that Julien's sister brought.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. What wines did you all try? Let me know!

blog award!

2009-11-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

The sweetheart over at My Life is Purple nominated me for my first-ever blog award! I feel so happy and warm and fuzzy right now. Definitely makes up for the week of long school hours and stupid malfunctioning cell phones. Here are the rules:

List 10 things that make you happy
Try and do at least one of them today
Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day
Make sure to link back to the person that tagged you

10 THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:

1. Of course, the obvious: wine! Wine (and writing about wine) makes me happy because it's something I love and it's something I know.

2. Walking in the rain with an umbrella. You feel invincible ... take that, Mother Nature!

3. Waking up to my boyfriend spooning me. It's the ultimate romantic gesture, and I love how he can sleep while holding me.

4. Finding something awesome and cheap at a thrift store. I get this odd feeling of accomplishment when I find a bargain deal that's totally worth it, like a Buffalo New York sweater for $14 or Italian skinny jeans for $10. I also once found New York and Co riding boots for $2. True story!

5. Hearing someone compliment the drinks I make when I bartend at work. Someone once told me that I make the best margaritas in the whole restaurant, and it totally made my day.

6. Dare I say it? Yes I do. Sex. Sex makes me happy.

7. Reading someone's comments on my blog :).

8. Shopping at the grocery store. For some reason I've always associated shopping at the grocery store with being a mature, independent adult. Knowing that I can buy (and eat!) whatever I want.

9. Sitting on the beach and watching the waves crash on rocks.

10. Life.

Now here comes the best part, passing the award on to others! So here we go, ten bloggers that brighten my day!

1. The darling and hilarious wine blogger Shana over at Funny By Accident.

2. The insightful and informative wine blogger Ms. Drinkwell over at Ms. Drinkwell.

3. The cute and cuddly wine blogger ZinfanGirl at The World Is My Vineyard.

4. The fashion-forward Josephine over at Aubergine.

5. The way-too-adorable (and bilingual!) cutiepie over at Faux Naif.

6. The 'Trader Joe's Guy' over at Jason's Wine Blog.

7. The self-proclaimed Wannabe Wino.

8. The hilarious and adorable Washington girl Stevie at Allow Myself to Introduce ... Myself.

9. The fabulous, hilarious and sophisticated wine bloggers at Young Winos of LA.

10. The no-longer-writing-in-English (but still fashion awesome!) chica at Helmi Otsalla.

my weapon is a wine key

2009-11-21T08:09:00.001-08:00

I'm sorry I haven't written all week. I just decided to lay it low for a little while and disconnect from the world after all the events from Saturday. By the way, last Saturday was fun, except for a few key things. My phone decided to up and crash on me right after I posted that last post. Like, completely die. It had full battery, full bars, full everything and still it decided to completely die. Which meant all the pictures I had taken before were lost, and I couldn't take any more for the rest of the day. So I'm sorry, no pics from the wine tasting.
Afterwards, since I didn't have my phone, I couldn't call my boyfriend to pick me up. I called him a few times on my manager's phone, but he didn't answer. Deciding I couldn't wait, I decided to walk home. 12 blocks. I realize I probably should've waited, but it was one of those impatient "hell with the world" kind of things. Then I went to the Apple store, got my phone fixed and here we are. Not to mention the 7-page paper I had to write in 2 days. I wasn't really up for wine writing after all of that.
But alas, here we are. Luckily I have all my notes from the wine tasting in a cute little black book that I got for free from this company called Andy Boy that sells vinaigrettes and such. So I'm gonna go ahead and detail some of the wines I tasted (by the way, SWAG is awesome, I got so much free stuff, including 3 new wine glasses!). Here we go!

~ The first one was a 2008 Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc. The color was light and had more of a yellow tint to it. The nose had strong characteristics of banana, along with lime/lemon rind and heavy mineral notes. The mouth was sharp and acidic, with heavy minerals, bitter herbs and lime. The banana wasn't so much in the mouth as it was in the nose, which was surprising. Overall, I thought it was okay. Not Bernardus's strongest, but still drinkable.

~ I also tried a 2007 Mission Trail Sauvignon Blanc (I was kind of in a white wine fix that day, though I did try a few reds for variety). This wine smelled and tasted like cat pee with a little bit of pineapple. Yes, I know that's a distinguishing characteristic, but nothing else? Just cat pee? No thanks. I gave this one a Meh.

~ The next one was probably one of my favorite whites of the day. It was a 2008 Loredone Pinot Grigio. It was blended with 2% Muscato, and you could really tell if you were really looking for it. Though characterized as a dry P.G., I thought it had some sweet notes that were actually quite enjoyable. The nose had hints of mineral and limestone, and the mouth was drier with a hint of pear. Overall, I thought this wine was fun and easy to dry. Definite :).

~ The next white was a 2008 Marin's Vineyard Viogner. It had a sweet floral nose and had flavors of hyacinth and some light herbal notes ... but the finish was rather bitter. Kind of ruined the experience of the wine for me. I thought it was okay, but it would've been a lot better without the bitter finish.

~ The next one was fun. It was a non-vintage McIntyre 'L'homme qui ris' Sparkling Wine from Santa Lucia Highlands. In case you don't know, 'l'homme qui ris' means' The man who laughs' (which would've explained the clown on the label). This was a blend of 60% Pinot Noir grapes and 40% Chardonnay grapes, and it was a really fun sparkling to drink. It started off tart and finished with a little custard. I thought it was great and gave it a :) on my review.

~ The first red I tried was a 2007 J. Lohr Pinot Noir. I think this was the only :( I gave that day, because this wine was way too berry heavy. It had a warm smoky nose, but the flavor was way too strong of berries and, like, nothing else. Did not enjoy this wine, I'm sorry to say.

~ Next I tried the 2007 Otter Cove Syrah - this was a pre-release, and won't be out for a couple of months. The owner, Richard Oh, is an acquaintance and facebook-friend of mine as we often see each other at these shindigs (usually if I'm there, he's there, as he's a very motivated guy). The nose had hints of white pepper and cinnamon. You could smell the alcohol on the nose, which was a little alarming. The mouth had flavors of berry, chocolate and a little white pepper as well. Luckily when you tasted it the alcohol wasn't as noticeable. Overall, I thought this wine was all right. I much prefer his Oh Pinot Noir.

~ Next, out of pure curiosity, I tired the 2006 Chateau Julien Black Nova, a blend of 60% Zinfandel and 40% Syrah. It clocked in at a whopping 15.9% alcohol, yikes! The nose had hints of sweet peppers and black fruit, and the mouth was dry, with bell peppers and a floral/acidic finish. You could really taste the alcohol on this wine, which kind of ruined it for me. Sad to say, because the wine did had some interesting flavors to it. It was okay.

~ The next red was the 2004 Bernardus Marinus. I loved the 2002 (bought a couple before they sold out a few months ago) and wanted to see how the 2004 measured up. Not so much. The nose had strong notes of currant and coffee, with some blackberry and spice. The mouth tasted strongly of black pepper and blackberry with a tannic finish. It tasted rather young, which was surprising, since it was a 2004. It was okay.

~ Next I tried two reds from Pierre Ranch. The first was a 2006 Tempranillo, which had flavors of sharp red cherries. He had just opened the bottle and it was pretty obvious, as the nose had hints of barnyard (what?). He told me it needed to open a bit and I totally agreed. Next I tried the 2005 Vinho Doce Port. Let me just put it this way: TOO MUCH BLACK LICORICE! Oh my gosh this was way too strong of black licorice. If that's your thing, more power to you, but I can't stand black licorice. Gave this a :(.

~ Having to get the taste of that Port out of my mouth, I finished the day with a 2007 Scheid Grenache, which was a blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah. The nose had hints of cream and caramel, with noticeable alcohol as well as black cherry and vanilla. The mouth tasted strongly of black berry, vanilla and had a sweet/acidic finish. This wine was all right, but was a little too fruity and sweet.

So ... TA DA! Those were the wines I tasted. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did (well, some of them anyway). Much like with anywhere else in the wine producing world, you're gonna find only a few pieces of gold in the river. Everything else is just gonna be a bunch of rocks. Not that rocks are bad ... they're just not gold :). Hope you're having a fantastic day.

2009-11-15T11:40:00.001-08:00

I'm here at the annual Monterey Great Wine Escape Finals. Lots of wine and food everywhere! Will continue to update with pics and wines.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

will work for wine

2009-11-14T16:20:00.000-08:00

Me at work today for the Monterey wine escape weekend. Some photographers from wine mags and blogs took photos of me, inspiring an impromptu photo session with 3 or more phoographers having me pose and shooting me like a model! Was exciting. I'll try and find one of the pics.
Tomorrow I get to go to the finals at the Clement hotel. Should be exciting. Will post for sure!!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

atw - vines are old, wine is new

2009-11-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the pleasure of trying a pretty exciting wine. One of those wines that are good to the last drop ... yum yum yum tasty. I tried it during a game of Balderdash on Julien's parents' boat, and it was fantastic. What was the wine, you ask?

Well, it was the Atteca Old Vines Garnacha 2007. At $15.99 a pop, you wouldn't immediately expect this wine to be such a knockout - but alas, it was. It clocks in at a whopping 14.5% alcohol by volume, so again, you wouldn't immediately expect this wine to be such a knockout - but again, it was. It's a Spanish red from the city of Calatayud in Spain, in the province of Zaragoze in Aragon. Sounds so exotic, doesn't it?
Anyway, so the color on this wine was dark. I mean, really really really dark. Full purple and deep burgundy, which was quite interesting. The first thing that hit me when smelling this wine was burnt popcorn. In other words, a lot of smoke and butter. There were also hints of blueberry, tobacco and chocolate.
The mouth - oh my gosh the mouth on this thing. It's so smooth and luscious, with just the slightest hint of acidity. It had quite a bit of blueberry, with some jammy berry fruit and pretty noticeable smoke and oak. Something I especially loved about this wine was the finish. For some inexplicable reason (which is often the case with wine, of course!) the wine finished with a sort of cleansing eucalyptus/menthol. It seemed to open my throat and refresh my senses as it lingered on my palate. Extraordinary! I was really pleased to have tried this wine - it was sublime. I'd recommend it for anybody looking for a great tasting, but affordable, Spanish red to try. You'll probably have to find it online, though. I don't know if it's offered in any major stores. If you find out it is, let me know! I'll have to go pick a couple of bottles up for myself!
Certified grade AWESOME.

who am i?

2009-11-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Found this on A Day In the Life, and while this is mainly a wine blog, I can never resist the tempting call of a mini survey. It makes you look at your life from a completely different angle. Plus, they're fun!

I am:

Reading… "American Political Thought: Four-Hundred Years of Ideas and Ideologies" by Sue Davis. Required reading for my Amer Poli Sci class. Interesting stuff, but can be a little droll at times.

Keeping… my socks on in bed. It's getting pretty chilly here at night, and my toes are always the first to feel the effects.

Baking… mini muffins! I plan on making some mini muffins today to try out my new mini muffin pans I got at Goodwill - 4 for $2!

Watching… the newest episode of The Office. Geez, Michael Scott is really an ass.

Trying… to work up enough energy to get out of my bed and actually start doing stuff.

Making… the most out of my blogging experiences, seeing what I can do and how fun I can make it!

Congratulating… both of my sisters, one for recently getting engaged, and the other for finally getting an apartment so she's no longer living with her boyfriend's mom. Ooh, I so could not imagine living with anyone's parents right now. My independence is WAY too valued ;).

atw - don't pass the pork

2009-11-08T20:53:00.000-08:00

I hope you like my first ever video wine blog entry!
Decided to try something different - let me know what you think.
P.S. sorry about the weird face thing ... I keep trying to change it but stupid Youtube
won't let me.

Basic Wine Info:
Mount Hernon 2006
Yarden Winery
Galilee, Israel
$14, Cost Plus

atw - cruising the doons

2009-11-04T07:55:00.000-08:00

The next area I wanted to explore for my wine experience is a little closer to home. It's the Santa Cruz mountains, in California (of course), which stretch from Half Moon Bay all the way to the edge of Monterey Bay, where I live! The Santa Cruz mountains are host to over 80 wineries, several of which are smaller boutique vineyards that only produce a few thousand cases per year. The cooler climate, constant fog and ocean breeze serve to produce some excellent wines that aren't too spicy, fruity or warm. Personally, that's exactly how I like 'em. I'm a huge fan of wines that are a little more laid back and don't pack too much of a punch in the first sip.

The wine I tasted from this region is the 2006 Bonny Doon Vineyards Ca' del Solo Sangiovese ($12). It's a blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Nero d'Avola, 3% Cinasult and 2% Colorino. The result of this rather eccentric blend is a sweet, jammy wine with a blueberry, red cherry and floral nose with just the slightest scent of roasted walnut. The wine tasted of rich berry fruit, red cherry and a small touch of bell pepper with an acidic finish.
I tried it at a birthday dinner last night with my parents and my older sister with her new fiance! Yep, he finally proposed! About darn time too ;). Anyway, that's why I don't have a picture of the wine bottle. But I have to say ... I do love the whole white-on-white thing that the background's got going on with the pic of this bottle. Anyway, so I tried it with a mushroom and pesto penne with sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts. I wouldn't say the pairing was the best (the food really called for a Cabernet or Merlot), but it was all right.
Overall, the wine was okay. I've tried other Bonny Doon Vineyards wines that were far better than this one. This one's more of an everyday wine, versus their other higher quality wines. So I wouldn't recommend NOT trying this wine, I just would recommend it not being the only Bonny Doon Vineyards wine that you try. It's good, but it's not great. And there are some Bonny Doon wines that are really, really great. Plus, their Web site is so gosh darn cute! I'd recommend checking it out.

post halloween recovery program

2009-11-02T07:10:00.000-08:00

I hope everybody had a nice Halloween! I spent it working mornings at Heller Estate (selling and drinking wine, of course!) and nights at the restaurant all weekend long. My feet are killing me today! Halloween itself was fun. I dressed up as Sultry Buttons from a Homestar Runner cartoon. Not sure if you've heard of it, not many people have. Anyway, they were having a costume contest so I entered. I'll let you know what happens with that.
As far as drinking, mostly had tequila that night. Margaritas and such. Yep ... didn't enjoy the next morning. I'll try to do a wine post tonight, but I can't guarantee it. I have a midterm tomorrow, a paper due which I'm only halfway through and a bunch of other homework due. Plus I work today.

liquor license

2009-10-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

If you're a young(er) wine/beer/cocktail blogger who wants to get more exposure, then come join the newest blog pack/social network Liquor License! I started this group as a way to bring us "beverage experts" together, to both increase our readership and get to know other fantastic blogs!

another day, another year

2009-10-28T11:52:00.001-07:00

Celebrating 24 years of life on our fantastic planet of ours! How, you ask? Of course by not working, drinking mimosas with Friexenet Cordon Negro Brut ($10), and taking silly pictures with my iPhone. The scarf was a gift from my mom, isn't it beeaootiful???

Oh yes, I really love my mimosas. Will post more bday bash pics later!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

weird wine fact of the day

2009-10-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Did you know?

According to Persian mythology, wine was discovered by women. She drank the fermented juice from grapes stored in a jar, went to sleep, and surprisingly woke up cured of a headache.

(source - Wine Snob)

Way to rock it, ladies! Who says wine is a man's world?

On another note, I'm getting ready for my 24th birthday tomorrow. It's a surprisingly weird combination of hooray and oh-my-gosh-the-reaper's-getting-closer. My plan is to relax all day, let my boyfriend spoil me rotten, then have dinner with his family. Oh, and drinking lots and lots of wine.

Also getting ready for All Hallow's Eve. Should be a fun night.

Sorry I haven't written on a wine in the past couple of days. Julien's dad gave us 7 half-empty bottles (count 'em, 7!) from an exclusive tasting he went to, and asked us to taste them all. I've been sampling them all over the past couple of days, getting a sense of the winery. I plan on writing a detailed article about the winery and writing a quick memo on each wine. I should be posting that tonight or tomorrow.

atw - answer the question

2009-10-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

For my first entry into my 'around the world in every wine' series, I decided to go with a California wine. Not just any California wine, but a complete California mystery wine. Think of it like the game Mystery Date ... only with wine instead of, um, boys or whoever. And yes, that is south park in the background.

This wine is a non-vintage California red from Oreana Winery with no specific varietals and no name - it's only known by the giant orange question mark on the front of the bottle. This wine is specifically promoted as being a complete accident. According to the winemaker, this wine was due to an accidental hose incident that combined two different batches together, which they then decided was good enough to sell for $4.99 at Trader Joe's. I bought this wine under the complete impression that it was going to be horrible.
Well, I wasn't entirely wrong ... but I wasn't entirely right, either.
The nose has hints of sweetness with a touch of caramel, chocolate and rich berry fruit. The color is a deep red/burgundy with rather thick legs (remember, the lines running down the sides of the glass?). It actually smells rather nice.
It tastes young and, though not exceptional, definitely not terrible. It tastes like a combo of Pinot Noir, Cabernet and maybe a little Syrah. I can't say what the exact grapes are though because there are absolutely no indications of what they could be. The finish is more on the acidic side with a touch of tannin. I enjoy the start of the wine more than the finish. The first note of the wine has a hint of caramel, plum and blackberry fruit. The lingering flavor, however, has a little too much vegetable, as well as a hint of balsamic. Not the way I particularly enjoy remembering my wines.
I don't suppose I should assume it's a compliment that I didn't consider this wine a complete disaster - but I'm going to, so you can take that as you will. Though I don't plan on finishing the bottle, I do plan on making a rather delectable red wine tomato sauce with it tonight. Pasta, anyone?
On to the next adventure!

palatepress.com article is posted!

2009-10-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! Just wanted to let you know that my article for PalatePress.com, titled 'Too Young For Wine?' is now posted on their Web site! Here's the direct link: Too Young For Wine? Hope you like it - leave a comment letting me know what you think!

isee your iphone

2009-10-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Since it's a little too early to be writing about wine (I don't want to seem like one of "those" people!), I decided to write a little snippet about the iPhone wine apps that I like. Be sure to look for a wine entry this afternoon, by the way.
I don't know how many of you out there have iPhones (or a comparable smart phone), but for those of you who do, I would definitely recommend checking out the options for a good wine app. Wine apps are like the little notepad of the future - instead of scribbling little notes onto a napkin or a piece of paper, only to lose it later, you can store every wine you ever taste FOR ALL ETERNITY. There are also countless searches and databases which not only show you excellent wines, but can also separate them based on country, cost, varietal ... anything you want, they can do.

Here are the ones I use:
1. Wine Snob ($3.99) - I freaking LOVE THIS APP. I bought it last week and have used it at least once a day ever since. It's the perfect note-taking app, in my opinion. I know a lot of people swear by Drync Wines (free or $4.99), but I gave that one a try and while it was informative, honestly, the style and structure of the app was a little droll for me. I really enjoy Wine Snob because it's fun, sleek and very inviting. You fill in a small entry about what wine you're tasting and, unless it's the occasional oddball or vintage, it will fill in the blanks for you to create the entire database for the wine, including cost, varietal(s), etc. There's a notes section where you can write everything you enjoy (or don't) about the wine. Another thing I love about it is the rating system, which instead of the boring 1-10 by-the-numbers rule, it goes from Undrinkable (1) to Orgasmic (7). Definitely a lot more fun to rate wines when you're going by their Orgasmic principle rather than their closest proximity to a 10, whatever the hell that means (boring).
2. Hello Vino (free) - What I love about this app, despite the fact that it's FREE, is the highly comprehensive format that it takes to help you find a way. You can search for a perfect wine based on about any main option you can think of: food, occasion, taste/style or country/origin. Granted, you can't search based on cost, which is unfortunate, but hopefully that's something they'll be repairing soon. As a 24-year-old bartender, I don't have a lot of funds, and searching based on cost is a very very good thing. Anyway, I've used this app many times to find wines based on my specific needs. Another more expensive option is the Wine Enthusiast Guide ($4.99), but I haven't heard that many great things about it. It's basically chock full of "expert" reviews on the wines in their rather huge database - but, as a wine writer, it gets tricky when someone else's review becomes involved with the wine you want to try out. They might put ideas (or, heaven forbid, taste suggestions) into my head! Oh, the horror! The tragedy! Yes, I can be a bit dramatic.

So those are my two favorites. I wouldn't recommend putting too many into your iPhone because having too many apps can kill the memory. And we all need that extra bit of room to add the FMyLife app or the Family Guy Uncensored game, right? Well, at least I do.

atw - california

2009-10-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

The first country/state/region I'm going to cover for my new 'around the world in every wine' project is the state of California in the United States. Yes, I know that California is not technically a country, but I've decided to divide the United States based on states, because of its unique political landscape. I also plan on dividing up California based on several of its winemaking regions, in addition to France, Italy and perhaps Spain and Australia.
California is one of the most unique winemaking platforms in the world due to several different factors, the first being that the California winemaking industry only really took flight about 30 years ago. Compared to the hundreds (or thousands) of years that places like France and Italy have had in order to make their wine, the success of Californian wines is a sight to behold.
The first vineyard was planted in California in 1779 by monks at the Mission San Juan Capistrano in San Diego. Gotta hand it to those monks to know what a person really wants, right? Over the next 100 years winemaking grew in California, due largely in part to the California independence movement, as well as the California Gold Rush in the mid 19th century. By 1920 the wine industry was serious wounded, due to both a plague of phylloxera as well as the Prohibition movement, which halted all production and consumption of alcoholic beverages.
However, the years since then have allowed California to blossom and grow as one of the world's leading winemaking platforms for the modern wine industry. California's wines are inherently unique with high elements of berry and warmth. Yummy yummy fruit.
California is divided into three main wine regions: North Coast, Central Coast (where I live) and the Interior/Central Valley. Those sections are also divided up into several sub-regions, including Monterey County (again, where I live), Alexander Valley, Mendocino, Santa Barbara County and, of course, Napa Valley and Sonoma.
California is known for growing a wide variety of grapes, due to the wide variety of climate that California has - however, it's best known for great Cabernets, Chardonnays, Merlots and Pinot Noirs. It can also grow a mean Sauvignon Blanc.
Our first wine entry into the 'atw' will be a mystery California red, from parts unknown and grapes highly speculative. See what happens.

* most of my historical information provided by Exploring Wine, 2nd edition by Koplan, Smith and Weiss ... and, of course, a bit of Wikipedia (but only a bit, I swear!)

around the world in every wine

2009-10-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

I recently heard about these two young men from Europe who decided to travel the entire world without ever using an airplane. They are currently at least one year into their voyage, hardly a penny in their pockets, depending on the kindness of strangers to carry them through. I admire that sort of reckless abandon, the commitment to doing something extraordinary, instead of relying on the easy road. Job applications, car payments, the occasional weekend luncheon. It's all so ... I don't know ... supple. Rich in texture but lacking in real warmth.
I've been thinking a lot lately about commitment versus safety. How we make so many decisions based on comfort, safety and security. We live our lives in this tiny little bubble of here-to-there, and for what? To accomplish something eventually? I can no longer wait for that. I need to commit to something real, something valuable and something utterly bizarre. It's my turn to do something different.
I'm going to travel the world.
Now, before you throw me a ticket and wish me a bon voyage, I don't mean a physical trip around the globe (at least not yet!). I mean the wine world. I've spent so much of my time focusing on random wines - something I see, something I like, when I could be doing so much more with this wine experience. I could be tasting things I've never experienced, and through that it'll be like I'm there in those countries, tasting their soil, wind and sky in their wines.
I'm going to do something concrete, something real. I've got a list of all the wine-producing countries in the world - some with only one region, some with several. I want to visit them all.
My goal is to taste a wine from every wine-producing country in the world - and, with some of the major countries (like France, Italy and the U.S.) several, if not all, of their regions.
My plan is to visit one per week. I will start by writing one or more blog entries about the region in question, perhaps highlighting a specific vineyard or two, and then we will get to the wine.
I know it's going to take a long time - and yes, it's not going to be cheap. But I'm going to rely on my gut for this, and perhaps even the kindness of strangers to help see it through. So if you know of any bottles, wineries or regions that I have to visit, please let me know.
I'm turning 24 next week. I know I'm not a full-fledged adult yet but the time is coming really fast. Which means that time is going, too. I need to create something that I can be proud of. I really feel like this could be it. I hope all of you enjoy it.
The journey starts tomorrow.

little italy - 1

2009-10-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Lucky for me, Julien's dad is a sommelier at a restaurant in Carmel, CA. However, the restaurant traditionally serves Italian wines (it is, after all, an italian restaurant!). So whenever Julien and I enjoy some wines with his parents, they're usually Italian. So I've decided to start a little mini-series inside this blog that consists of my "little italy" wine experiences, since they seem to be pretty common.
Today I got the chance to try not one, but TWO Italian wines.

The first one was a 2007 Tormaresca Chardonnay from Puglia ($13). It's a nice light and acidic wine that's best served near room temperature - something that is basically true for most Chardonnays, since keeping them too chilled will lessen the intensity and focus of the flavor. The color is a nice yellow with a slight greenish tint as well as some golden highlights. The nose is light and tart, hints of lemon curd, lime and a slight hint of mango.
The taste is rather acidic for a Chardonnay (there are also a few bubbles in the wine, too, which kind of give that hint as well). The flavor has notes of pear, green apple, citrus and a finish of light white peach. The acidity tends to overwhelm these flavors, however, and I found it difficult to really enjoy. It wasn't bad, by all means it certainly wasn't bad, but it wasn't a Chardonnay I would overtly choose to purchase myself (the bottle was free, so it was kind of a why not situation *smile*).
The second was a 2007 Guido Porro Barbera d'Alba from Vigna Santa Caterina ($13). It was a surprisingly acidic red wine with a medium ruby-red color. The nose had hints of red berry, tangerine peel, cedar and bacon fat. You could practically smell the acidity on the wine, it was so noticeable.
The mouth had a spicy beginning, notes of citrus peel, raspberry and red cherry very detected. Again, the strong acidity played a very important part in the taste and quality of this wine. It did have a clean finish with incredibly light tannins. According to Julien's dad, these are all noticeable qualities in a Barbera, since they're traditionally highly acidity with only the slightest hint of tannins on the body.
This was definitely a pleasant start to my "little italy" series. I hope you enjoy them as much as I am!

link it

2009-10-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been able to post a wine review in the past few days - I've been working on a paper for school and it's kicking my ass, to be frank. In the meantime, here's a link to a really good article about Best Budget U.S. Wines that will hopefully hold you over for the next day or two while I finish up this darned paper.

le prof est ici!

2009-10-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

Just got these questions in from wino rhino reader 3dees, so I decided it would be fun to answer them right here:

1. What's the halo? The stain/mark left by the wine? - Excellent question! Actually, the halo is going to be the "ring" of wine that's touching the wine glass. If you look down at a glass with wine inside of it, it's in the shape of a circle, yes? Well, the rim of that circle, where the wine and the glass touch, is what's called the halo. Think of an angel's halo (hallelujah and all that!). The halo really helps you define the body and density of the wine before you even put it to your lips. It's fascinating! The lighter the halo, the lighter you can expect the wine to be.

Oh, and to answer your other question, the stain/mark left by the wine, running down the glass? Those are called "legs". They also help to determine the texture and body of the wine. The heavier the legs, the stronger the wine.

2. How can you tell that all those flavors are in there i.e. plum, blackberry and vanilla? - Let me start by saying that the flavors detected in wine are, above all, completely subjective. It's what YOU think is in the wine, what YOU think the wine tastes like. There's no all-powerful expert that determines what every wine is supposed to taste like. I mean, if you get sawdust in a wine, then there's sawdust (flavor) in the wine! I mean, I tasted a wine today (look for the review later on) that had a hint of cotton candy! Doesn't mean anybody else is going to taste that, but it's what I got out of it. What you need to do is taste and taste and taste ... and know that nothing you say is going to be wrong!

Granted, there are some people with more sensitive palates than others. There are some things you can do to assist the strength and sensitivity of your palate so that it's easier to detect different flavors. First, DO NOT SMOKE. Smoking kills your taste buds very easily. I'd also recommend avoiding drinking brown liquors whenever possible. Also, try to avoid extremely spicy foods, as well as foods like wasabi and, yes, even Skittles (my former fave) - they make your palate grow accustomed to the strength of those flavors, so it ends up being harder to detect other ones.

One more thing - the only reason I can detect things like blackberry and vanilla is because I'm familiar with what those taste like. The only way you can compare is to know what to compare with. Start broadening your taste horizons altogether - try some lycee, mango, cinnamon, boysenberry, molasses ... the possibilities are endless! It just takes some practice, a bit of luck and a lot of fun!

3. What does medium-bodied mean? - The body of the wine means the density of the wine in your mouth and in the glass. The heavier the wine feels and tastes in your mouth, the heavier the wine's body. Try and think of it like this: light-bodied feels more like water, and heavy-bodied feels more like vitamin-d milk, or even half-and-half. It's a pretty rough analogy and doesn't nearly encompass the true feeling of wine in your mouth, but I thought it might help a bit. Medium-bodied means that it had a strong consistency, but that it's on the lighter, smoother side. Kind of like a 2% milk! Merlots and stronger Pinot Noirs are most often leaning toward the medium-body, although a light Cabernet can often be put into that bracket.

There you go, friend! I hope that helped!

p.s. I love the iPhone! I snapped, cropped and Polarized the pick above in a study room of my school's library in one sitting ... all on my iPhone! Blogging has entered a new era of awesomeness.

feels like falling for the first wine

2009-10-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying that I have had a seriously intense and oftentimes depressing couple of weeks. First I sprained my ankle, leading to me getting sick with the flu (maybe even the you-know-what flu), followed by losing my voice completely ... which leads me up to now. I haven't been writing much about wine because, honestly, I haven't really been able to drink any until now.

Well, today I celebrated (mostly) getting over my illness by opening up a nice light bottle of Riesling to enjoy with some sauteed macadamia nut-crusted tofu and roasted red bell peppers in a nice Peanut Ginger sauce.

Oh, by the way, I've recently decided to go vegetarian for awhile. Yippee! So pretty much all the food pairings on here are going to be sans meat.

Anyway, the wine I picked was a non-vintage "American Riesling" Pacific Rim Dry Riesling ($8.99, Trader Joe's). Yes, it was a gutsy choice, but I'd heard many good things about it so I decided to give it a try. My boyfriend Julien didn't care for it much (he's not a fan of sweet whites, I think), but I enjoyed it much more than I expected to.

The nose on this wine has hints of sweet watermelon, green apple and a hint of pear and orange peel. Its color is a nice green-tinted yellow with a very light halo. It feels very soft and sweet in my mouth, yet it has a bit of spritz and a touch of acidity as well. It tastes very strongly of green apple, with some sweet lime as well. I also got a taste of grass with a touch of barnyard in the beginning. It drops out pretty smoothly in the end, but it does have a bit of bitter tart lingering that is not all that enjoyable. It's not a bad finish, per se, but it's not something I particularly expected from a Riesling. Was a little more reminiscent of a Pinot Grigio.
However, when push comes to shove, this wine was much better than I expected, and served as a nice pairing for the meal I had with it. I really did like it ... and I definitely could see myself having it again, under the right circumstances, i.e. with spicy food, like Thai cuisine or maybe some good veggie sushi.

I also had another mimosa breakfast this morning, this time with a bottle of Mumm Napa Cuvee M from (you guessed it) Napa Valley ($20, sale $13.95 at Safeway). It was an excellent choice, once that I would definitely enjoy again - a nice light Cuvee that complimented the orange juice exceptionally. Here's to another delicious mimosa weekend! Huzzah!

Speaking of Huzzah, here's a pic of me and my sister at the Renaissance Faire last week. I'm on the right, dressed as a gypsy belly dancer. Fun times! I love the Ren Faire. Oh, and good mead :).

wino rhino interview - jesse porter, the young winos

2009-10-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to drink wine this week because I've been very sick (darned sprained ankle made me a walking disease receptor). So instead I had the pleasure of interview Young Winos (http://www.youngwinos.com) founder Jesse Porter, 26. For those of you who don't know, the Young Winos is a social networking group of young 20-something wine drinkers with branches all across California (and one in NY too). Jesse was kind enough to let me pester him with questions about wine, his group and how he feels young 20-somethings are treated in the wine industry.

p.s. this interview was conducted for my PalatePress.com article, out next week. this is the entire, unabridged interview.

1. Name - Jesse Porter
2. Age - 26
3. Location - Los Angeles
4. Occupation - director's assistant

5. How long have you been drinking wine for? - Since age 20... my first summer bartending at a German restaurant in Upstate New York, when I learned the meanings of unpronounceable words like "Gewurztraminer" and "Liebfraumilch."

6. Describe your first wine tasting experience. - On a trip to the Bay Area, I stopped off in Sonoma to check out the cheese factory that I'd remembered visiting with my family when I was six. The place has since been remodeled, but at that time, there was a tiny little wine tasting booth tucked into the corner. I tried a lineup of Dry Creek wines, and wound leaving with an $18 Sangiovese that I absolutely loved (at age 21, eighteen dollars was by far the most I'd ever spent on a bottle of wine).

7. Does your career involve wine at all? If so, how? - No.

8. Are you one of the original founders of Young Winos? If so, what were the origins of the group? If not, when did you join and why? - I am actually the (only!) original founder of the Young Winos. I started a beginners' wine tasting group at college that was very similar to the Young Winos: we'd meet once a week, I'd pick a specific theme and send out some reading material, and everyone would bring a bottle. When I graduated in 2005 and moved to LA, I figured that a weekly wine tasting group would be a great way to educate myself more about wine and meet cool people in the process.

9. Tell me about your club and what it represents. - The Young Winos is a wine education organization for 20-somethings that aims to give our members a more thoughtful and informed drinking experience. Our basic philosophy is this: while we're definitely experts at consuming alcohol to excess, we reject the wanton indifference often endemic of yesterday’s twenty-something wine consumer. Meanwhile, we simultaneously reject the exclusionary attitudes espoused by some of the more closed-minded veterans of the wine world. We’re drunks, but we’re not philistines; we’re enthusiasts, but we’re not elitists; we’re discriminating, but we’re not prejudiced.

10. As a young wine drinker, do you feel respected? Have you ever felt looked down upon because of your age? Please explain. - In a way, people almost respect you more once they realize that you know your stuff. There's this expectation that 20-somethings are inherently less serious about wine, so when you start talking about Brix and malolactic fermentation, they kind of do a double take, and then they get really excited and want to talk to you.

11. Have you ever had any negative tasting room experiences where you feel the staff treated you differently because of your age? If so, please describe. If not, why do you feel this hasn't happened to you? - There have been times when a group of us Young Winos will walk into a tasting room, and this disapproving pallor suddenly falls over the whole place, like, "oh great, here comes the party bus." As 20-something wine drinkers continue to educate themselves, however, the prejudices that exist in the industry will hopefully begin to breeze off... like a bad funk on a glass of Syrah.

12. How "developed" is your palate? How often do you drink wines less than $20 verses wines more than $20? - After more than four years of careful, deliberate "edutoxication," I'd say that my palate is extremely developed. As for the $20 over/under split, I drink a lot of $20-and-over wines when I'm at tasting events and such things. When I'm purchasing wine for my own consumption, however, probably 90% of the bottles I buy are $12 or less. The nice thing about drinking with other 20-somethings is that there's a great urgency and desire to find the excellent bottles in the budget range, because that's all that most of us can afford to drink on a regular basis. There's obviously a correlation between price and quality in the very broadest sense, but I also think there are many more excellent bottles in the $6-$12 range than people realize. You just have to know where to look.

13. How does modern social networking (i.e. networking groups, Facebook, Twitter, etc) help your online club expand? What are 'Young Winos' plans for the future? - Social networking has become a huge part of the Winos experience. Our dedicated social network, youngwinos.com, is the platform upon which we plan events, start new chapters, and allow our 1200+ members nationwide to interact with one another.

14. How do you feel about people claiming that young people "only drink to get drunk"? What would be your response to that? - I applaud the younger generation for not yet having forgotten that wine is an inebriant, something meant to provide us with pleasure -- a fact that seems to have been lost on much of the older crowd. Drinking wine is a layered, multi-sensual experience, and while we definitely don't condone indifference to (or detachment from) the liquid in the glass, we also don't approve of the rather puritanical practice of spitting. Wine is not just supposed to taste great, it's also supposed to inebriate you... that's part of the experience. Gourmands don't spit out their food to avoid getting "full," and wine lovers shouldn't spit out their wine to avoid getting drunk. It misses the point.

15. What advice would you have for new young wine drinkers? - Try new things. Every time you have the opportunity to taste a new grape, or to drink wine from a region with which you're not familiar, do it. Take notes -- keep track of which wines you like, and why, and what the environment was like when you drank it (with food, without food, your location, whether or not you were already drunk... all these things are important). Introduce your friends to wines that you don't think they've had before. Drink wine more often. And most of all, never be scared of wine. There's a lot to know, for sure, but that just makes it more interesting. At the end of the day, wine is meant to give us pleasure, and the more we know about what we're drinking, the richer and more satisfying our enjoyment becomes.

16. What advice would you have for older "wine experts" who may look down on 20-something wine consumers? - As you might imagine, I'd encourage members of the older wine tasting crowd to take this younger generation seriously. No doubt they may well have quite fairly been jaded by the indifferent 20-something boozers of years past, but I think it's clear to anyone paying attention that this generation is serious about wine in a way that previous ones don't seem to have been. Everything I've read leads me to believe that never before has there been a demographic of young wine consumers who are as dedicated to the pursuit of thoughtful, deliberate wine consumption as ours. I'd also encourage them not to be put off by the idea that young people are drinking both to enjoy wines complexities and to get drunk; indeed, there might be something in our bacchanalian approach worth taking to heart. It's never too late, I'm inclined to believe, to embrace the full extent of the pleasure that wine can offer us.

too young for wine?

2009-09-28T21:32:00.001-07:00

I'm working on an article for PalatePress.com* about being a young wine drinker and I was wondering if anybody on here has ever had a negative experience buying wine, drinking wine or visiting a tasting room based on their age. I want to know what you feel it's like as a young wine consumer. Do you ever feel looked down upon because you're young? Spare no details!

* please note that by contributing to this discussion you are granting permission for your quotes and basic identity (i.e. your username) to be used for this article.

let go of the sulfites ... and everything else

2009-09-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so there's no way I'm showing you my face today. I'm stuck at home with a twisted ankle from slipping and falling on my butt yesterday at work. So instead I'm lying on the couch with my mismatched socks playing Batman: Arkham Asylum. And, of course, tasting wine.
Today I'm trying the next stage in organic winemaking: sulfite-free wines. Well, more specifically, no sulfites added wines. It's near impossible to guarantee that there are no sulfites whatsoever nowadays. These wines have been produced without adding any sulfites to the mix, which makes them USDA-certified organic wine. The only problem with sulfite-free wines is that you cannot age them, since sulfites are one of the primary assistants in making sure a wine ages without going sour.
Well, too late. This wine is abysmal.

I'm trying the 2008 Well Red Organic Wine from, well, California ($5.99, Trader Joe's). Or at least the organic parts of California, anyway, since all the grapes are required to be 100% Certified Organically Grown. The nose on the wine is pleasant enough, a little chalky but with a nice fruit and jam bouquet. But the taste. Oh God, the taste. It's sour and undeveloped, almost tastes like cough syrup.
All I took was a small sample and I've tasted enough. Do not buy this wine.
I don't recommend giving up on sulfite-free wines entirely, especially if you believe you have an allergy to them. I've heard that Frey Vineyards in Mendocino makes acceptable no sulfites added wines, but I haven't seen them in stores. You can go to www.FreyWine.com if you'd like more information on them.
Well, I'm going to make sure to open up a nice, quality red tonight for dinner with Julien. But first, a nice appetizer of chips and salsa. I have to get the taste of that wine out of my mouth. Sheesh.

charmingly organic(ally grown)

2009-09-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

I recently checked out a blog entry by Lindsey of Flickers of Memories, which described in detail a problem I've heard many people talk about before - not being able to drink wine.
More specifically, people who get headaches or nauseous from drinking wine, which makes it very difficult for anyone to enjoy the experience at all. I've heard every explanation in the book: allergic to wine, just doesn't agree with me, etc.
In truth, a lot of the time it can be boiled down to one of three things: pesticides, histamines or sulfites. It's pretty difficult to be allergic to wine, but it sure as heck is possible to be allergic to any of the mentioned ingredients, which are quite common in everyday wines.
So I decided to write a series of articles over the next week talking about the different types of wine that are best suited for individuals who may have never had a chance to really enjoy wine.

The first wine: organic

Let me start by saying that most wines are not organic (after all, sulfites are not an organic matter), they are organically grown. Meaning that the grapes used to create the wines were made without any pesticides or herbicides in the production. There are several natural alternatives that can be used instead, such as releasing ladybugs, dry farming, keeping owls and many others that can help to create a natural ecosystem in one's vineyard.
That also doesn't guarantee that the wine is vegan. As you may not know, wines are allowed to use certain amounts of egg whites or gelatin in the wines in order to create a proper consistency.
One organic and vegan vineyard that I know very well, since I've worked there for a year and a half, is Heller Estate Organic Vineyards in Carmel Valley. The winemaker, Rich Tanguay, is vegan, so he treats all his wines in a way that he would want them to taste.
A lot of their wines are on the more expensive side ($25 for 2007 Chardonnay, $40 for 2004 Estate Cabernet, $100 for their 2003 Meritage Celebration), but are a great option if you're vegan or have a problem drinking normal wines. A lot of people I've talked to said that they can only drink organic because they get headaches from drinking wines whose grapes have been treated with pesticides.

However, since I've worked there and have tried every single wine they have (including some of the 2008 futures), I decided to review someone else's wine. This time, I went south of the border and tried the 2008 Santa Julia Organica Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendoza, Argentina ($7.99, Cost Plus). This wine was made with organically grown grapes, and you can instantly notice a difference. The taste is smooth, yet has a raw texture that's unique to the organic varietal.
The color is very light for a Cabernet (thought not surprising, considering it's so young), a soft burgundy with a salmon pink halo. The nose is full and sharp with notes of bright red cherry, black currant and a hint of pine needle.
The taste, oh man, it's hard to believe this is a Cabernet. It's incredibly light and smooth on the beginning, with flavors of black currant, red cherry, chocolate and raspberry ... but it finishes with a kick, a lingering flavor of salt and spice. I enjoyed it with a kalamata olive and feta cheese pizza, which actually didn't taste that bad - although, to be honest, the kalamata olives kind of killed the sweetness of the wine for a little while.
I really enjoyed this wine. It isn't one to hold on to, it's obviously meant to be drunk right away, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend anyone doing so. It's also a great way to impress your friends with all your new knowledge on organically grown wines!
Next I'll be taking the next step down the road to organic enlightenment - sulfite-free wine. Ooh ... should be interesting.

that old black magic

2009-09-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

It seems that in our society we're always celebrating our holidays way too early. Christmas in October, Back To School in June, Valentine's Day before New Year's. Well, right now it's Halloween, and even the wine industry is getting in on the action.

Last week I stopped by Cost Plus to pick up a couple everyday bottles for my tiny little wine collection - I like to try new things that won't break my bank and Cost Plus is the perfect venue for that. Right in the front of the store was a big display showing the latest in .... Halloween wines?

That's right, Halloween is no longer just about candy corn and costumes ... it can also be about wine pairing, with that special magical (or zombie!) touch. Now, most of these I wouldn't touch with a 6-inch cork screw. Any wine that states its region as California, like the Trick and Treat ones up front (see above), are pretty much a guaranteed Russian Roulette of drinking - those grapes could come from anywhere, gosh darn it!

Well, one bottle I couldn't resist was the little black cat. Specifically, the 2007 Zeller Schwarze Katz (translates to Zeller Black Cat), a German Riesling from Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, a famous wine region with "roots" dating back to Roman expansion of the European continent. I know it's taboo (pun intended) to purchase a bottle mainly for its packaging ... but when you find a bottle in the shape of an adorable black cat that could serve as a perfect vase for that stray daisy you find on the side of the road, you can't say no, right? Especially when that wine is $8.99.

(let's have a look at that bottle again, so cute!)

Not to mention the fact that I've traditionally had good luck with German Rieslings ... light and sweet whites generally respond well to the cooler climates that Germany has to offer.

Well, the wine was surprisingly pleasant, for the relatively short amount of time that I was able to drink it without turning into Shirley Temple. The color's an incredibly light yellow, almost like an evening sunbeam shining through glass, with tiny bubbles popping up periodically. The nose has a pleasing combination of sweetness and acidity, a slight lemongrass crispness overshadowed by the overwhelming scent of sweet white peach.

The white peach continues into the flavor of the wine, which is very, very sweet ... almost like a dessert wine. It also has notes of well-ripened green apple, with a little spritz on the tongue. It's pretty easy to drink by itself in small doses, but honestly, after awhile it becomes a little too much of the same sticky-sweet thing and I couldn't drink it anymore. It's not a wine meant to be by itself, unless you're the type of drinker who can't stand anything that's not sweet or blush.

As far as a food pairing, I didn't create one this evening (too late to cook!), but I could easily imagine this with some spicy Indian or Thai cuisine, preferably with a bit of nice red curry and bay leaves. It would also work well in a cheese fondue, which I plan on writing an article on in the next week or two ... so be on the lookout for that!

I would definitely recommend this wine for a novice who's trying to get into wine for the first time - it clocks in at 9.5% alcohol and it's perfectly sweet enough for people who may not like the red wines so much.

And now I have a perfect little bottle of a naughty black cat to keep around the house. Delightful!

feeling fabulous (where's the wine?)

2009-09-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm feeling very fabuloso. I found out yesterday that I've lost at least 5lbs, and my body's looking more and more in shape everyday. I'm really glad I joined the Dance Repertory class - it's high-impact aerobics, but serves more of a purpose than just doing it every week. I get to dance in the final performance at the end of the semester, with my new and improving physique!
I think I'm gonna open up a bottle and celebrate tonight after school. Now, what to drink? Because this empty glass thing is looking mighty depressing .... I guess we'll just have to wait and see :).

j'ai soif

2009-09-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

Last night, to celebrating my best being in town from FL (and her new baby!) we went out to a wine and tapas restaurant in Santa Cruz called Soif. It's all organic, right down to every taste of wine. We enjoyed some fantastic (and one okay) wines, including a Chardonnay from Chablis, France which has a soft mineral taste with hints of light citrus ... a great Old World Chardonnay. There was also an Austrian Red Blend that tasted remarkably of black pepper with a fatty yet smooth texture and a Tempranillo/Granciano from Rioja that tasted WAY too much of black liquorice. Wasn't able to finish off that one.

I also had a Sparkling Pinot Noir to cap off the night - that was delicious and completely enjoyable. I definitely recommend trying sparkling blush wines if you want to try something unique.

the okay, the no way and so on

2009-09-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

I've had a couple of bottles over the past few days but not enough time in the day to really write about them. Well, now I'm making time .... though I wish it were for better wines.
I'm going to be brief about the first one, because I would honestly rather forget it. It was a 2007 Undone Pinot Noir from Rheinhessen, Germany ($9, Cost Plus). It stood out to me because, for one, it was a German Pinot. I haven't seen or heard of that before in my entire wine life ... I'm sure it's existed before, but it was news to me. The other thing that got my attention about this wine was the fact that it was unoaked, or "naked" as they called it. Not so common for a Pinot Noir nowadays.
Well, it sure was naked. It was also flavorless. It was a mild tasting and thin wine with slight flavors of cherry and other light berry fruits. I only enjoyed it for the sake of the label (see below) - other than that, it was easily forgettable.

The other wine I tasted was a 2006 Concannon Limited Release Petite Syrah from the CA Central Coast ($15, on sale for $6 at Safeway). Concannon claims to be the "world's first winery to bottle Petite Syrah," so I figured they probably had a reputation on the stuff.
The color's a dark purple with a lighter purple halo surrounding - a nice, rich color fitting for a nice, bold red. The nose has hints of dark cherry and raspberry with a nice note of red plum. The texture is slightly less rich than I would've thought for a Petite Syrah. It has strong flavors of red plum, pine and white chocolate with a spicy nutmeg finish. It's an easily enjoyable wine, but nothing extraordinary. For the price, it's a good find ... but I wouldn't recommend it for much beyond the value.

totally righteous cabernet, dude

2009-09-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Damn young people drinking wine stereotypes. It is pretty funny, though. Where's Spuds McKenzy?

it's time for some zinnin'

2009-09-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

Last night I decided to spoil my boyfriend by making a delicious gnocchi dinner with asparagus and an heirloom tomato and blue cheese sauce. Since I like to think of myself as the adventurous type (not to mention the fact that I don't have many bottles at home right now, something I seek to remedy soon) I decided to pair it with a nice, spicy zinfandel ... to be exact, the 2006 Plungerhead Old Vine Zinfandel from the Sierra Foothills. It's normally about $15, but I got it on sale at Cost Plus for $8 ... not bad for a wine that won a Gold Medal and scored 98 Points at the 2009 California State Fair.

I decided to open it with my Soiree Instant Wine Decanter (see above), a $30 nifty little glass device that naturally aerates the wine just enough for it to be drinkable right away. It's perfect if you have a young wine that you want to enjoy immediately but are afraid it will taste too "wild" in the first hour. I have had a few instant wine decanters and this one, so far, is my favorite, because all it uses are little bumps in the glass bowl to naturally swirl (and therefore add oxygen into) the wine.
The color on this wine was a deep burgundy with a soft salmon pink halo. The nose had interesting connotations of black cherry and raspberry. The spice was especially interesting on the nose - I didn't get any pepper on it at all. Instead, I got notes of nutmeg and cinnamon.
The taste was rather sweet for a Zinfandel, with cherry, raspberry and chocolate. There was a noticeable change between the taste on the first day and the taste on the second day - first day it was incredibly sweet, but now (second day) it has a little more sweet spice to it. The spice, again, tastes remarkably of nutmeg - with a hint of salt and white pepper as well. There's the slightest hint of mint on the finish as well.
Overall, this was a very pleasant Zinfandel. Not the most traditional as far as spice and intensity, but its uniqueness makes it a nice wine to enjoy. It also tasted fantastic with the heirloom tomato and blue cheese sauce I made!

mimosa friday

2009-09-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

I decided to surprise my boyfriend this morning by going out and getting some Sparkling Wine* to make mimosas with breakfast.

* note: it's only called Champagne when it's from Champagne, France - all other times it's called Sparkling Wine. one of those neat little facts.

Needless to say, he was a very happy camper.

For those of you who may not have made mimosas at home before, here are a couple things that'll help you out. The first thing are the ingredients: sparkling wine and orange juice. That's it! Now, don't get fooled by the "experimenters" that insist you throw in this or that (my worst memory ... Bacardi 151 ... gross). All you need are the classics in order to get a good mimosa going.
If possible, I definitely recommend fresh squeezed orange juice - you can definitely notice a difference. It's pretty easy and affordable to find a juicer nowadays. You can find an electric one for $40 or a manual for $20 (I personally use electric because it's so much quicker).
If fresh squeezed isn't an option for you, make sure to use juice that's not from concentrate, i.e. Florida Natural Orange Juice or Odwalla. Anything else is going to taste sub-par and ruin the quality of the Sparkling Wine (and why not spend the extra 1-2 bucks to make a mimosa that's really superb?).
As far as sparkling goes, you can't go wrong with Champagne. But, any good bottle of Champagne should most likely be saved, unless you have five bottles of it and have no idea what to do with it (in that case, mail one to me!). But if you're not Money McMoneybags and can't afford mountains of Champagne bottles for your castle, there are a couple great and affordable Sparkling Wines to choose from. My favorite varietal is Blanc de Blanc, because it's light enough to complement the orange juice without overpowering it.

My catch of the day is the Piper Sonoma Select Cuvee Blanc de Blanc from Sonoma County. It's normally $20, but I got it on sale at Safeway for $12.99. It's a Methode Champenoise, which means it's relatively prepared in the style of traditional Champagne (a lot of the time that indicates that it's been prepared as a non-vintage, meaning its grapes weren't harvested in the same year, which works fine for a Sparkling but isn't really trustworthy for many other varietals). By itself it has a nice tart acidity with flavors of lemon citrus, mint and herb - with the orange juice, it's a fabulous light and tasty mimosa that's easy to enjoy by itself.
I included a picture of an orange to reiterate the whole "fresh squeezed" notion, just in case you missed it ;).
If for some reason you can't stand Blanc de Blanc, another great and affordable Sparkling I like to use is the Freixenet Brut ($10). It's a little heavier than the Blanc de Blanc, but it also makes for an enjoyable mimosa ... especially if you're wanting to enjoy one with a heavy breakfast like French Toast or eggs and potatoes (two of my favorite things). You can also make a unique mimosa out of a Sparkling Rose (gives it a little extra kick and sweetens it up a bit). An enjoyable Sparkling Rose to use is the 2005 Heller Estate Organic Vineyards Sparkling Merlot ($16).
Well, here's to Happy Fridays and a Bon Weekend! Slainte.

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