Francis Coppola - 2013 Black Label Claret Cabernet Sauvignon

I'm not going to lie, I bought this wine because I liked the bottle. What is with the weird net? I didn't know, but I was entranced.

I went into Cork and Barrel to try their Wine of the Week and wasn't impressed, so I moved on and selected this one instead. It had a note on the shelf with one of those wine ratings that it had a smooth finish, so I let that sway my purchase.

The Scotch Man was also excited because it was wine from the director's vineyard. I hadn't ever heard of him, but the Scotch Man explained the whole thing. I was more focused on getting the wine open than listening to him, though.

Sadly, this wine was not what I was hoping for. The Wine of the Week, a 2010 Tolaini Al Passo, was much better as far as scent and finish. The price difference was only five bucks, since the Tolaini was on sale, so I should have just gone with it.

That being said, this wine wasn't terrible. The Scotch Man and I got into a discussion about aerating wine. Since there was a noticeable difference after we let it breathe for a little while, we tried a before and after aeration to see if there was a difference. Surprisingly enough to both of us, there was a noticeable difference! The Scotch Man said it best when he said the aerated wine tasted "softer" somehow. So I am sold on aerating my wines before I drink them now.

Even though the taste of the wine was enhanced by aeration, it sadly did not enhance our spaghetti and meatball dinner at all.

Pennywise - 2012 Pinot Noir

I picked this bottle up at Cork and Barrel on a whim because I vaguely remember someone saying it was a good brand once. The bottle label was pretty plain, but I noticed after i had already stabbed the foil that it was a penny. Clever, Pennywise. Very clever.

This is less a sit and chill while drinking wine and more of the type of wine you eat it with your chicken dinner. It was sharp on the tongue and nose and the finish was pretty tannis-y.This wine accompanied my chicken dinner, and I think it went much better with food.

My second round of drinking this went along with a reality TV show called The Quest. It's basically Survivor only in a fantasy setting, with actors playing knights and queens and monsters and stuff. It is really awesome, and you should go watch it on Netflix right now. And maybe enjoy a glass of wine as you watch the magic (and inevitable reality show drama) unfold.

Ehem. Back to the wine. Probably not one I'd buy again. I've had many other Pinot Noirs that I've enjoyed much more.

Mirassou - 2013 Pinot Noir

A friend of mine got married recently. Almost a year ago now, I guess. We've lost touch, both of us absorbed in our own lives. But recently, we met at the Plaza in Kansas City with another mutual friend to talk about old times.

Old times were not really talked about. It was mostly awkward silence and stilted conversation. This is a man I had a short relationship with. Things have always been tense between us, whether we were sleeping together or not. So. Of course I drank a glass of wine before he showed up that night in hopes of giving the evening some social lubricant. That ploy was only moderately successful, and I was relieved when he went off on his own, saying he couldn't join us for dessert after all.

The night itself was not memorable, but the glass of wine was. My friend and I sat at the bar while we waited for our other friend, and I struck up a conversation with the bartender about different wines. I've discovered if you express an interest in wines and tell the bartender you're not sure which to go with, they will let you taste test a couple of wines. So that's what I did. It was a blind taste test between a wine that was $6 a glass and a wine that was $12 a glass. I tried them both, and one of them was significantly more robust, in my opinion. I told her which one, and she seemed surprised. "You know best," she told me, and revealed the one I had chosen.

The Mirassou. The $6 a glass wine. I was shocked. I really thought I had chosen the more expensive of the two.

I like it because it has a tart taste with a strong finish. I've decided that finish can make or break a wine for me. If the finish leaves me unsatisfied, I don't like it much, regardless of that initial taste. Even my brother, who really doesn't like wine (but always tries it, the goofball), can appreciate a wine that has a good finish.

Anyway. I spent the evening on the Plaza pleasantly buzzed on Mirassou, and it was such a good wine that the next time I went to the liquor store, I bought myself a bottle. It's kept well, surviving three different nights over the course of a week. The last night it was getting a little stale, but overall I'm impressed with how this wine held up.

I'm adding this to my list of favorites. It's at an affordable price point, it's pretty complex for a Pinot Noir, and it lasts past the first night it is opened. All good things!

Big News and Updates!

I was shocked to discover that it has been almost two years since my last update. I have tried many delicious wines since my last post, but I have sadly not recorded a single one. This makes me sad for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, it's difficult to remember what I've liked and what I haven't when I've been at the liquor store. I was keeping records here to help with future wine selection.

The second reason has to do with all of the untold stories. It's true, not every bottle has a tale, but each bottle has at least one significant event associated with it.

The third somewhat inconsequential reason has to do with my photography. I took some really awesome shots of wine bottles back in the day. I've focused more on the writing and editing side of my artful mind lately, so I've gotten away from photography. I'd like to get back into that, if only with wine.

So. I know I have often said I would return, but here's hoping that I will in earnest this time.

Because...the Scotch Man and I are going to Napa Valley for our honeymoon this fall!

Wait, I think I buried the lead there. Let me back up a second.

The Scotch Man and I are getting married! And our honeymoon is in California. We'll be spending four days at a haunted mansion writing retreat, drinking lots of wine and writing about our paranormal experiences. Then we're spending another few days at a bed and breakfast in downtown Napa. We'll be drinking lots of wine and making lots of memories. But I need to train for that trip! I need some practice. With wine tasting, with writing about what I try, with blogging with regularity.

So. I am going to try to post at least once a month from here until the trip. And then after the trip hopefully I'll be able to put together a really awesome post. Or maybe a series of posts. I like my event posts from years past.

I've got a good wine story for a recent bottle of wine, so hopefully I'll get that written and posted soon.

Oh...and reader beware...I might branch out and try some white wine this summer. The name of this blog will be a lie! Hope you don't mind.