By the time I hit “publish” at the end of this blog post, Super Bowl XLV will have JUST kicked off.  I have waited until the last minute to write this post and make my Super Bowl prediction. Before I shed light on my prediction, I must tell you about two wines that we had last night that were well worth the wait. 

One was a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from St Supery Vineyards in Napa.  I have been trying to find this particular Suavignon Blanc for over a year after a social media friend of mine, Rick Bakas, was working there at the winery, helping to get their name in the minds of the masses.  This wine did NOT disappoint!  WONDERFUL nose of golden delicious apple, pear, and slight grapefruit.  It tasted like a Sauvignon Blanc though not as harshly tart like some of the other Sauvignon Blancs we’ve had.  Nice balance and very smooth.  It was worth the wait and the $18 price tag.

The other wine was ALSO a wine I’ve been in search of and that is a 2007 Amavi Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon from Walla Walla.  Very dark in color, this wine was absolutely wonderful with the steak we had.  Blueberries, black cherries, pepper and tobacco on the nose and a very rich taste, one that you would expect from a great big Cab.  For $22 it was, and IS, an exceptional value.

As Mike Tomlin is being interviewed, we’ve heard America the Beautiful and the Star Bangled Banner, and the kick is about to come.  The chili dip is prepared, the Principato is about to be poured.  Today’s score will be Green Bay 20 and Pittsburgh 16. 

Thank you for reading!

Also we have so many more people that seem to like “Drinking Wine” on Facebook.  I’m very much enjoying the interaction with those folks as well.  And, as always, if you want to write to me about anything, including wine, drop me a line at drinkingwine@generalwinethoughts.com. 

Recently I was in Seattle for my cousin’s wedding (sounds like a title of a movie, huh?).  The wedding was held at Salty’s on Alki in West Seattle (beautiful view of Elliott Bay and the city of Seattle) on Friday and there was a barbeque near (the hot new wine town of) Woodinville on Saturday.

I had an hour or two to kill before the barbeque on Saturday so I ventured out to find a bottle of Madeleine Angevine which I cannot, for the life of me, find in North Idaho.  On this particular trip it wasn’t any easier to find in Seattle (I ended up just ordering a couple of bottles directly from the winery!) but I DID happen to find a new little wine shop in the heart of the West Seattle Junction called Bin 41.

I was impressed right as I walked in as one of the owners, Jon, greeted me with a friendly smile.  I walked away with a few bottles (of course) and two of them were from Alexandrea Nicole Cellars which was the last stop on the way back from the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla a few months ago (can you believe it’s already been three months since the conference?!?)

Jarrod Boyle (R), CEO and winemaker at Alexandria Nicole Cellars and I during a recent visit to their tasting room. I'm holding a bottle of their 2007 Jet Black Syrah.

What I’ve noticed in the wine industry is that most everyone is so very friendly.  Jarrod Boyle, the founder, CEO and winemaker at Alexandria Nicole, is no exception.  He welcomed in our group with open arms.  We tasted almost everything that was available in their tasting room and then he slid back a bookshelf, which was really a secret door, to reveal a special room for their wine club members.  After a few more tastes we were ushered into yet another room for an exquisite lunch with even more wine.

Alexandria Nicole Cellars is named after Jarrods wife, Ali, who also joined us for lunch that day.  A true family affair wrapped in grace and quality!  Before we left, Jarrod offered each of us a bottle of our choice to bring back home.  I chose the 2007 Rock Star Red which is a very exclusive wine comprised of 50% Grenache, 44% Syrah and 6% Counoise.

The name comes from three people who contribute in putting this blend together, who happen to all be rock stars in their industry:
Jeffrey Dorgan has been the Sommelier at the Space Needle in Seattle for 19 years;
Dan McCarthy has been a partner at Seattle’s McCarthy and Schiering Wine Merchants for 25 years;
Eric Degerman is the managing editor, wine judge and restaurant writer for Wine Press Northwest.

Although young and tight, this wine already packs a punch with pepper on the nose along with some raspberries.  It has a long finish with just a little bite on the end.  The tannins suggest you could lay this wine down and not be heartbroken when it is finally opened, which is exactly what we’re doing!

So back to the two wines I bought from Bin 41 in West Seattle.  We didn’t waste any time in tasting these two wines from Alexandria Nicole.  We started out with their 2008 Sauvignon Blanc.  If you’re expecting a grapefruit and grassy Sauvignon Blanc like you’d find from New Zealand or Australia you’d be disappointed.  This is a Washington Sauvignon Blanc all the way around.  Very minerally and terrior driven with no oak to be found and tastes of melon.  Outstanding mouth feel.

We finished that bottle just in time to open their 2007 Jet Black Syrah to go with our steaks.  WOW!  Unbelievably wonderful nose with tar and pepper and a huge dark fruit presence.  The color is so dark, almost inky.  The finish fell off prematurely but, other than that, it paired perfectly with our steaks.  I would recommend both of these wines!

If you ever have a chance, stop by Alexandria Nicole Cellars and taste their juice.  You won’t be disappointed and maybe they’ll even let you in behind the hidden door!  Or not….it never hurts to ask!

Thank you again for reading and, as always, bottoms up!

Sooooo, with that setting the table for another post about wine, here we go!

Nearly a year ago I wrote a post that described our visit to the Townshend Cellar tasting room.  I recently was able to visit Townshend again to see what they were pouring and, once again, Jill Rider was at the ready.

I was able to taste a number of different wines this time.  Among them:

2007 Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Viognier, 2005 Syrah, 2002 Merlot, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Lemberger, 2007 Malbec, Tempranillo and their non vintage T3 Rose, Red Table Wine, Pink Table Wine and their Vortex.   The Tempranillo consisted of both the 2005 and 2006 vintages, which I purchased to taste more in depth at home.

I am seeing a trend in what I like the most from Townshend Cellar.  Their Viognier is always good and this time was no exception.  I purchased a bottle to have before dinner that particular night.  Nectarine and floral notes in the nose gave way to a very fulfilling and refreshing taste.  Delicious!  This is a perfect wine to start the evening with, especially in the summer or on a warm day.

Another trend I’ve found is their Syrah.  It was a favorite of mine in the past and this time didn’t disappoint as well, with dark cherries on the palate.  I bought a bottle of this as well and we are still waiting to open it.  It will likely be paired with a steak which, now that I’m writing this, am hoping will be this evening!

Lastly, I bought a bottle of their Pink Table Wine.  This pretty little pink blush is delicately sweet with aromas of strawberry and cherry and flavors of strawberry, apricot and peach.  Shelley enjoys a good rose from time to time and this one was very satisfying.

Townshend Cellar has just made their T3, which is their non vintage Bordeaux blend, available in stores, as it used to only be available for purchase at the winery or at a restaurant.  It sells for under $20 which is a bargain for what you get.

If you’re ever around the Green Bluff area of Spokane, I would encourage you to take time to say hello to Jill in the Townshend Cellar tasting room.  And tell her Phil says, “hi”.

Until next time, bottoms up!

During my past visits I’ve experienced music on a sweltering afternoon at Arbor Crest, where they hold live music events each Sunday in the summer, sipping on their Sauvignon Blanc and swing dancing to great music.  I’ve also took out-of-town family members up for a taste of Eastern Washington’s summer and Eastern Washington’s wine.  This last time I went up all by my lonesome to taste some of Arbor Crest Wine Cellars newer vintages.

This time I was the only one in the tasting room and Shelby greeted me with a friendly hello followed by a warm smile.  The one thing I have noticed about the wine industry, with very few expceptions, is that everybody is just so nice.  Oh, sure, I’ve occasionally ran into snobs or people that just don’t want to be doing what they’re doing, but not very many.  This stop was no exception.  Shelby was knowledgable about the wine she was pouring and very easy to talk with. 

I tasted six of their wines this day.  Among them, their Sauvignon Blanc from Bacchus Vineyard, Sangiovese from Wahluke Slope Vineyard, Cabernet Franc from Conner Lee Vineyard, Petite Sirah from Wahluke Slope Vineyard, Malbec from Wahluke Slope Vineyard and Dionysus Meritage Red blend.  Arbor Crest does not grow their own grapes or have their own vineyard other than what you see when you drive in, which is used, according to Shelby, only for their sparklers.

A couple of the wines prompt extra mention.  Their Sangiovese was very warm with an extra zing on the end.  There were rich aromas of plum.  I am not normally a fan of Sangiovese because of the lack of nose and just a bland taste.  I have tasted some $100 a bottle Chianti’s that are 100% Sanviovese that I just didn’t really like until they started blending them with Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Sangiovese’s that Washington is producing seem to have a much more defining nose, I’ve noticed.  In fact, we just tried a Maryhill Sangiovese that was very similar.

The Arbor Crest Sangiovese sells for $18 a bottle which makes this a great value.

One that sells for a bit more ($45 a bottle) but I STILL consider a great value is their Meritage Blend Dionysus.  I rated this VERY GOOD.  It consists of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec.  This wine packs a punch and has good depth with many personalities.  There were tannins in this wine, to be sure, but not too tongue ripping.

Next time you’re in Spokane and want a unique experience head on up to the crest of Spokane and visit Arbor Crest Wine Cellars and enjoy the breathtaking view to go with your choice of wine.  And when you do, write me to tell me what you thought of it!

Until next time, thanks so much for reading and bottoms up!

The wine being produced in Walla Walla is sensational.  Even the juice that wasn’t great was still good.  Walla Walla is located due South of Spokane, Washington in the Southeast corner of the state.  It’s about a 262 mile drive from Seattle and 158 miles from Spokane.  This was our first time in Walla Walla and it was beautiful.  We had great weather as the sun was out.

We were able to visit eleven wineries:  Woodward Canyon Winery, L’Ecole No 41, Gifford Hirlinger, Beresan Winery, Balboa Winery, Basel Cellars, Trio Vintners, Kontos Cellars, Dunham Cellars, Cavu Cellars and Waterbrook.

Our first stop was at Woodward Canyon where we were met by Kellie Berg, the tasting room manager, who was extremely friendly and nice to us.  I tasted six of their wines with my favorites being their 2008 Burgundy styled Chardonnay, NV Columbia Red Wine (52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 14% Syrah), Artist Series #15 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (which actually had a bit of Syrah and Merlot in it) and 2006 Estate Red.   The best value of the bunch was the NV Columbia Red Wine, which at $20 is a true bargain.

The following day, while having breakfast at the Hotel, we met a couple who live in Coeur d’Alene named Jen and Mark.  They were also visiting Walla Walla to taste wine.  We found out they go to the same church as we go to, Lake City Community Church.  Small world–but I wouldn’t want to paint it. 

As we made our way out for another day of wine tasting we were joined by my friend, Aaron Pang, who ran the valet company I was a part of for many years in Seattle, as he now lives with his wife in Walla Walla.  We were impressed with two wineries, Basel Cellars and Gifford Hirlinger.

Basel Cellars Estate Winery is located on a bluff overlooking their vineyard and the surrounding area.  It is absolutely beautiful.  They have a huge tasting room and we were lucky enough to meet Becky Basel, one of the owners of the winery.  We tasted nine different wines there including, but not limited to, Claret, Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Carmenere. 

The two that knocked our socks off were the 2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, which is 100% of that varietal, and the 2007 Carmenere.  I love Cabernet Sauvignon and this one was delicious.  But the one that caught our attention was the Carmenere.  As you know, I don’t fancy myself as an expert in wine, but it has certainly become a passion of mine.  I had not heard of Carmenere before and when I found out it was one of the SIX Bordeaux varietals I was shocked.  I thought there was only FIVE Bordeaux varietals. 

The Carmenere grape, I found out, was wiped out many, many years ago (like around 200 years ago) and the French decided not to replant it.  It did make it’s way to Chile and Argentina and those vines somehow made their way to Walla Walla.  This 2007 Carmenere was sensational, with bell pepper on the nose and a lot of richness and depth.

Gifford Hilsinger Winery and Tasting Room.

Our last stop of the day was Gifford Hirlinger, which is run by one man who wears many hats, Mike Berghan.  He was SO down to earth.  We were the only ones in the tasting room at the time, the sun was setting and it was a picturesque view outside the very contemporary building. 

The winery is right on Washington/Oregon state line, which is why he named one of his reds Stateline Red.  We tasted the 2007 version of this which was 50/50 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  Most all of the juice he makes is from his vineyard with the exception of his LV.  The 2007 uses 90% Napa, California Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Walla Walla Merlot.  That one had a lot of tannins.  He also makes a wonderful Petit Verdot, which was blended with 11% Merlot, and is VERY good.

This is the barrel top lazy susan we brought back from Dunham Cellars.

The last day’s highlights were Dunham Cellars where I actually tried ten of their wines.  Dunham has won many awards for their wine over the years as their quality is exceptional.  We purchased a barrel top with a lazy susan that we use in our kitchen.

We also enjoyed our stop at Trio Vintners, a small, new winery, located in the airport district of Walla Walla.  There we ran into our new old friend, Carmenere once again.  This time, we had to bring a bottle back home with us, which we have yet to open.  I will write about that for sure when that happens.

On our way out of town we made a “quick” stop at Waterbrook where Shaun “forced” us to stay for God only knows how long.  In all seriousness, the ONLY thing that I didn’t like was the fact they had the Seattle Seahawks on the big screen losing aNOTHer game.  The upside of that was it only made me want to try yet another one of their wines.

This was the only stop in our weekend that had a complementary tasting, and they didn’t skimp on how many wines they opened, either, as 15 were offered to try.  I didn’t try them all but I did taste nine of them.  My favorite was their 2005 Meritage which had a very nice nose and was delicious.  They also make a Sangiovese Rose which was nice as we’ve been sampling Rose’s as of late.  Waterbrook Winery is producing more wine than all but two wineries in the state of Washington.  What impresses me is they can produce that much wine and still put out a quality product. 

Even though I only elaborated on a handful of wineries we visited we did not have a bad experience in any of them.  To a winery, the people were friendly and knowledgeable.  The great thing about tasting wines in a tasting room is that if they are busy you make conversation with the people you are with while enjoying new experiences in wine.  If they’re NOT busy, you can tap the person behind the counter for information about the winery, winemaker, the history of the winery and so forth. 

So, as this new decade has started so has my resolution to produce more blog posts than the end of last year.  I know I’ve already written about that before but this time I mean it because, after all, it’s a resolution.  I HAVE to do it!

Also, I am very excited and pleased to announce that I am putting together a telesummit for early fall that will teach people about wine from square one.  When I started learning about wine I noticed it can be very intimidating and if I hadn’t been a person that doesn’t really care what people think of me, I might not have gone forward with learning about wine like I have. 

The world of wine is huge.  Wine has never been more popular than it is today and people in all walks of life are wanting to learn more about wine.  With that being said, I am compiling a group of experts that I will interview about wine.  Each will cover a topic and they will likely include the following:  Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc (the three big whites), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir (the three big reds, at least to me), labels (and how to read them), off the beaten path whites, off the beaten path reds and wine etiquette, among other topics.  If you are somebody or know of somebody who would like to start learning about wine keep visiting General Wine Thoughts for more information!

Also, if you have something that you want to know about, write a comment on this blog or e-mail me at aphilip369@aol.com or direct message me on Twitter. 

Also, for those of you that have stuck with me through last year, I want to thank you.  The first “real” blog I wrote was on January 19th of last year.  This one marks the start of 2010 and it promises to be even better.  As you might recall I made predictions for both of the NFL Conference Championship games and I was 50%.  This year I will make yet another prediction for this weekends games.  In the AFC, I have to say, it’s hard to go against the Jets since they are the Arizona Cardinals of this year and Gary Vanerchuck lives and dies with the Jets.  I do, however, have to go with the Colts winning in a very close game.  The Jets defense will keep it close.

On the other side of the league the Saints will beat the Vikings 48-13.  I know that sounds extreme but Favre just makes me want to….well, never mind.  Saints win.  The Colts versus the Saints in “The Big Game” (I don’t want to get fined by the NFL for using the other term when I haven’t paid to use it!).

Until next time, bottoms up and thank you SO MUCH for reading!

Now, I understand that this post won’t be highly relevant but it’s important for me to document this event as it was even better than the previous years that we’ve volunteered.  One reason is that we have more knowledge about wine than we did a few years back.  With that comes confidence which cannot be overstated.

I HAVE been trying to write about this for about three months.  There are so many things to say I start getting overwhelmed and then just “put it off” for another day.  Well, as the song goes, “that day has come” (if it’s not a song, it should be).

Like last year, we worked the White Out Bar, which boasts about 20-25 white wines that go very well with seafood and shell fish.  The Taste Washington organizers placed the White Out Bar right next to an oyster bar ran by Anthony’s At Spokane Falls, a top of the line Seafood Restaurant, one of the finest in the state.  Making it to the oyster bar is high on the list of most of the people who go to Taste Washington so we are naturally the next stop for them, giving us many opportunities to meet people.

I can’t mention ALL of the wines we tasted, as it was well over 20 for me and about 10-15 for Shelley.  I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this but I don’t often spit when tasting wine.  Shelley will at times but not me.  I just can’t bring myself to do it. 

We noticed none of the Sauvignon Blancs that were poured at the White Out Bar had grassy notes like you find in the Australian and New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs.  That was interesting.  Ahead are some highlights of the wine that ambled past my lips and down my throat at Taste Washington Spokane.

I found a 2007 Chardonnay from Saint Laurent Estate Winery that was very good.  It had subtle oak notes on the nose and a caramel finish on the back of the tongue.  Very tasty.  My Taste Washington program states you can get this Chardonnay for about $15 which is a great value, in my opinion.

Our old friend from San Juan Vineyards made our acquaintance once again, Madeleine Angevine.  As we try to be objective while pouring at the White Out Bar unless asked of our opinion, I still found myself pushing this somewhat unknown white wine.  Virutually everyone that tried it enjoyed it.  After doing some research on that varietal I found that it is from the Loire Valley in France and is found in Germany, the United Kingdom and (how ironic) Washington State, where it is developing a cult following. 

I also tasted a Merlot from San Juan Vineyards that was delicious with chocolate cake on the nose and a boatload of personality.  (I’m writing this in the afternoon but I find that I really would like a glass of that San Juan Vineyards Merlot right now!)  The Madeleine Angevine runs about 17 bucks a bottle and you can expect to pay around $23 for the Merlot.

Another one that stood out was a 2005 Matthews Estate Red Wine from the Columbia Valley, which was a Bordeaux Blend.  It went perfect with the chocolate fondue I was pairing with it.  Another red that caught my attention, also from the Columbia Valley, was from William Church Winery, their 2006 Bishops Blend.  At $19, a true bargain!  Barrister Winery poured a 2007 Cabernet Franc, ALSO from the Columbia Valley, that was delicious.  It had a wonderuful nose, quite peppery, and their were certainly some tannins as well.

I could go on about wines that I tasted from Dunham Cellars, Coyote Canyon, Barnard Griffin, DiSteffano Winery, Basel Cellars Estate Winery, Vin Du Lac, Whitman Cellars and so on but it would be much of the same thing:  Great, great, great! 

Suffice it to say, this is something we hope to do every year in June as it is absolutely one of the highlights to our year.  We don’t pay the $75.00 admission fee, work for 2-3 hours pouring wines that pair well with seafood and then get to talk to aLOT of people who make wine, love wine and are wine.  It’s so much fun.  Oh yeah, we help break down for an hour or so afterwards.

So, if you are around the Spokane area June 6th or the Seattle area March 27th and 28th of this year, make a point of dropping the cash and see for yourself the quality of wine being made in Washington State. 

Until next time, bottoms up and thanks for reading!

Now, about White Table Wine, Syrah and Viognier!

One of the many incredibly fun things about enjoying wine is meeting so many great people that share the same passion for wine.  As I found myself around the Green Bluff area just North of Spokane, Washington, I felt compelled to stop by the tasting room of an old friend, Townshend Cellar.  It seems like where ever I see Townshend Cellar set up (Taste Washington, Food Services of America events, etc…) I see Jill Rider.  Her Business card says she is the Director of Sales and Marketing for the winery but she is also the General Manager and manages the tasting room and winery events and she does a stellar job, from what I can see.  Really, what DOESN’T she do?  The last time we were there it was myself, Shelley, her dad, Lloyd, and our newest pup, Izzie (see the last post for pictures of all!).

In fact, while visiting with Jill during this “out of the blue” stop, the winemaker, Don Townshend, called her to let her know he had just returned from his trip to Italy.  Undoubtedly, a wine driven trip to be sure.  The story of Townshend is refreshing.  Don debated for years on whether or not he should make wine.  Having never made wine he took the leap of faith after attempting a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in 1995, bottling them in 1998 and realizing they tasted as good or better than some of the best California and Washington wines.

Now, Townshend Cellar makes about 10,ooo cases of wine a year and offers around 20 different wines for their customers to choose from.  Their most popular wine is probably their T3 which is a non-vintage Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  I see this wine on many restaurants’ wine lists and we have a bottle of that in our cellar, as well as their Vortex, 2002 Late Harvest Merlot and 2005 Syrah (which I just purchased when I was there). 

The other night we opened their White Table Wine which consists of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Chardonnay.  For a price of under $11 you can’t really go wrong.  It was very crisp from the first sip.  Shelley tasted the Viognier right away and thought there may be too much of it.  She thought it was syrupy and slightly metallic.  I noticed there was a tartness to it right at the back of the tongue.  We also noticed hints of apples and apricots on the nose and I also tasted the apricots.  I was captured by the legs on this wine–the wine just seemed to cling onto my glass! 

All in all, we enjoyed this White Table Wine.  They also make a Red Table Wine.  In the never ending quest of coming up with labels that will catch the eye of the consumer the labels on these wines simply have a white table and red table, respectively.  Simple, to the point and catchy.

As for their Syrah–I bought the recently released 2005 while I was there but we already owned a bottle of the 2004 from our last trip to Townshend and we chose to open that.  We drank this with barbequed ribs which was quite tasty.  Since we had a half bottle left over we had that with steak the following night and it was even better!  It is almost entirely Syrah with only 4% Merlot and it’s from Washingtons Columbia Valley.  Very rich.

Shelly exclaimed, “It’s SO PURPLE!” as I poured her a glass.  True, it is very dark.  Right away there was alcohol on the nose but as it opened up the alcohol went away and was replaced with raspberries and pepper.  I thought it was very soft with good mouthfeel.  It paired well with the ribs but was outstanding with the steak.

The following night we completed the Townshend trifecta with their 2007 Viognier.  I remember tasting this at the tasting room and thinking it was quite sweet.  When we opened the bottle it wasn’t AS sweet but SO much fruit on the nose.  This is a wine that would be wonderful on a hot summers day or with some oysters. 

Townshend has made a name for itself with its quality juice and have only ten years making wine.  Just think what another ten years will do for them.  Why don’t you pick up a bottle of something from Townshend Cellar and try it for yourself.

Until then, bottoms up and ENJOY!

Today I am going to write about a couple of other wines from one winery that are reasonably priced (no, not under $3.00!) and worth a try.  You may have already tried them.  I’m talking about the CMS wines of Hedges Family Estate. 

With the popularity of wine on the steep climb upwards, the competition can become very fierce for the consumer dollar.  Winery’s try to come up with clever ways of marketing their wine so that it catches the eye of the consumer:  Animals on the labels, play on words—all sorts of things.  They also come up with catchy names and that is what Hedges Family Estates has done with their CMS. 

The white CMS is 35% Chardonnay, 3% Marsanne and 62% Sauvignon Blanc and it’s pretty good.  Smooth and creamy, this white wine is about 13 bucks in the store.  It’s an interesting combination of grape varietals that seem to work, though I remember this wine tasting better the first go around than it did this go around, which is the 2007 version.  There is some mango on the mid tongue that is nice but an awkward finish.  The down side is that there is virtually no nose on this wine, which I miss because I REALLY like a wine with a great nose.  All in all, however, it’s a wine to try, to be sure.

Then I opened their red CMS and, well, this is a GREAT deal!  While watching American Idol I enjoyed the 2007 CMS which is 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 51% Merlot and 7% Syrah and it really is a great value at about ten bucks a bottle.  The nose has a hint of smoky-ness to it but you get some alcohol as well.  The taste is the result of a really nice combination of the grape varietals Hedges has chosen with some blueberry, bing and black cherry.  I actually tasted the Cabernet Sauvignon more than the other varietals.  Friends of mine, Lin and Marci Cooper, served this at their Christmas party about three years ago and I was very impressed then and it hasn’t depreciated now.

If you had to choose between the two I would go with the red CMS because it’s less money and, in my opinion, better tasting.  But both are worthy.

On the last post I promised to tell you about the toast Shelley and I do on EACH and EVERY bottle of wine we open.  You’ve read about the Tastings column found in the Wall Street Journal that I read on Friday’s from Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher and how they have come up with Open That Bottle Night which is designed to get people to open that one bottle of wine that never seems to get opened because the situation doesn’t seem to be big enough (See my post about Open That Bottle Night).  We first learned of these two from their book, “Love By The Glass:  Tasting Notes From A Marriage”.  If you asked me to recommend just one book I would say READ THIS ONE!  This book is absolutely awesome!  Romance and wine rolled into one!

Anyway, John and Dottie toast every bottle that they open with the same toast.  Read the book to find out what THAT is but OUR toast is our own.  I look into Shelley’s eyes and say, “To your giggles” and she looks right at me, and says, “To your kisses.  (Hey, I can’t help it that I kiss well.)  THAT is the toast we make with each and every bottle of wine we open whether we’ve had it before or not.  We even have it etched in the base of our glasses.  Hers says TYK and mine says TYG.  Dumb?  Maybe, but it works for us because we are in love and we enjoy each other and our wine.  And we know that what ever we go through in life we will always have each other and our wine.  And everyone should know that feeling. 

Until next time, bottoms up.

Shelley tasted apples and said it was acidic and dry.  It was very different from the Sancerre.  We enjoyed it very much.

My next post will be a comparison between two Gewurztraminers (I waited as long as I could so I didn’t have to write that name!) from Firestone Vineyard, a 2005 and a 2007.  Stay tuned.

So on to what this is supposed to be. Today’s post will include some thoughts about two different wines we drank last night while at dinner at a cute little place near Coeur d’Alene called Kynrede Café. Shelley likened it to a restaurant she absolutely loves in Orange County called The Hobbit.

Shelley ordered a glass of La Palma Sauvignon Blanc from the Cachapoal Valley of Chile. It was a 2007 vintage and estate grown. It was everything a good Sauvignon Blanc should be. Shelley thought it was a somewhat effervescent. I thought it had a very grassy nose and it was very light.

I ordered a 2004 Cambria Chardonnay from their Katherine’s Vineyard. This estate bottle Chardonnay is from the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County, California. Surprisingly, it had virtually no nose. However, it tasted much better than the nose with light oak, somewhat toasty, very smooth and mellow. Shelley thought had a slightly perfumy nose and had a light butter and oak taste to it. Just a perfect amount of oak in this Chardonnay.

We have visited this winery before and the people there are very nice. Katherine’s Vineyard is named for the owner’s eldest daughter. I remember sneaking out to where all the oak casks were when we visited. We even bought our most very favorite wine opener at the Cambria winery but it recently broke and we’re in the process of finding another one just like it. This opener is flat and has a nifty little foil cutter on one end that opens up when you need to use it and the cork screw on the other end. It’s very small, light, simple and easy to use. But, since it’s made of plastic, it can break when trying to pry a cork out of an older bottle of wine and that’s just what happened.

Shelley ordered Chicken Marcella and realized the Sauvignon Blanc probably wouldn’t pair too well with it. I ordered the Coconut Prawns and I faced a similar dilemma with my Chardonnay. What WOULD we do?
Well, we did just that and pulled the old switcheroo. Her chicken paired very well with the Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc was delicious with my prawns. Of course, we both got to taste the other dish as well. All in all it was a very enjoyable meal, especially when you look at the per glass prices of the wine, $4.25 for the Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and $5.75 for the Chardonnay.

As always, thank you for reading, and now go drink up!