tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65139778158109846162023-11-16T12:39:29.390-06:00Red Wine ReminiscenceS.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-27142998093854759292015-06-14T00:00:00.000-05:002015-06-14T00:00:04.710-05:00Francis Coppola - 2013 Black Label Claret Cabernet Sauvignon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVM7vIgzJ-R5kg_LQpsxKYIV71XyqTNM-jcMffm5BoM98CY5i6siQ9b2m0wXHG3lQK2_idP57PwO9oEHCMahyzt_pEkyyigjAiqOlApuolgJPvZt8SEwEy03hmhVMKhx1B18tyQHq26pJ/s1600/20150603_181505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVM7vIgzJ-R5kg_LQpsxKYIV71XyqTNM-jcMffm5BoM98CY5i6siQ9b2m0wXHG3lQK2_idP57PwO9oEHCMahyzt_pEkyyigjAiqOlApuolgJPvZt8SEwEy03hmhVMKhx1B18tyQHq26pJ/s320/20150603_181505.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Even though the taste of the wine was enhanced by aeration, it sadly did not enhance our spaghetti and meatball dinner at all.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-66154454360337003212015-05-31T00:00:00.000-05:002015-06-08T10:47:47.337-05:00Pennywise - 2012 Pinot Noir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMpYRojYbZSXSWEsUK3oRefgwPVQ3EAIbFwm0GacjLN4KnBrCZSh_4caN9y9Gi2lBJhKupunmMJ-IOUYfsjnn0ditBCV4RwPB25vtm0CILplqWLB1wzlEUORTKddMgtNK1jU8CYyvaAlS/s1600/20150511_192012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5BfByNeUaH6bARG820jaiyQSfstm1RAzBbv64RC59U8STiPGZWB87HTWrht-4xzU1iTbdNAnA3-VUrLdIiM9gKX_yW9zQaMZlP0Fve4iVyTNjbG0NwyPhmGx2PYLzlmv2uFbGVqi_j26/s1600/20150511_192228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5BfByNeUaH6bARG820jaiyQSfstm1RAzBbv64RC59U8STiPGZWB87HTWrht-4xzU1iTbdNAnA3-VUrLdIiM9gKX_yW9zQaMZlP0Fve4iVyTNjbG0NwyPhmGx2PYLzlmv2uFbGVqi_j26/s200/20150511_192228.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBX1SJTQ5VExbcWu_nb_dvHvThdnXMFaDtf2i1nB2PntvBZhMFwzV9ivam5KLNU8VT0lsTy5UqYmxsrcbFGwflyqa1scOJzhU2WCKjLr4xv_NtTSM3WEUmvYYy3IJk8XosnPHdXWcTBHO9/s1600/20150511_192844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBX1SJTQ5VExbcWu_nb_dvHvThdnXMFaDtf2i1nB2PntvBZhMFwzV9ivam5KLNU8VT0lsTy5UqYmxsrcbFGwflyqa1scOJzhU2WCKjLr4xv_NtTSM3WEUmvYYy3IJk8XosnPHdXWcTBHO9/s200/20150511_192844.jpg" width="200" /></a>My second round of drinking this went along with a reality TV show called <i>The Quest</i>. It's basically <i>Survivor </i>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.<br />
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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.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-18248687481467357682015-04-26T00:00:00.000-05:002015-05-18T13:42:23.457-05:00Mirassou - 2013 Pinot Noir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QgJtiwYTqGZNuVfTGWW78mJ06W5gbjZ9O5fBsrQxyFMo4F02CbzUpdGXKkpRKesYPRGA5ndbmUD_fhTrY7G_x4ZgLhhjCtBahqERsG62MQwqmQngc-JzQb2lXDMhDn8IXGxEG3E7xJan/s1600/dfa8773bd4b4467f063c76f3dbe2503c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QgJtiwYTqGZNuVfTGWW78mJ06W5gbjZ9O5fBsrQxyFMo4F02CbzUpdGXKkpRKesYPRGA5ndbmUD_fhTrY7G_x4ZgLhhjCtBahqERsG62MQwqmQngc-JzQb2lXDMhDn8IXGxEG3E7xJan/s320/dfa8773bd4b4467f063c76f3dbe2503c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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The Mirassou. The $6 a glass wine. I was shocked. I really thought I had chosen the more expensive of the two.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-76959789783572292872015-04-24T16:59:00.000-05:002015-04-24T17:14:56.641-05:00Big 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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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So. I know I have often said I would return, but here's hoping that I will in earnest this time.<br />
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Because...the Scotch Man and I are going to Napa Valley for our honeymoon this fall!<br />
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Wait, I think I buried the lead there. Let me back up a second.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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I've got a good wine story for a recent bottle of wine, so hopefully I'll get that written and posted soon.<br />
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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.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-83985053931092005602013-05-26T00:00:00.000-05:002013-05-26T00:00:07.164-05:00ConQuest 44 Wines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here we are in lovely Kansas City, MO, high in a hotel room right across the street from the Kauffman Stadium (and Arrowhead) enjoying the 44th instance of <a href="http://www.conquestkc.org/" target="_blank">ConQuesT</a>: the science fiction and fantasy convention put on by the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society.<br />
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I'm on vacation with the Scotch Man on his birthday weekend. Every Memorial Day weekend brings another year of ConQuest, and since we're both aspiring writers and enjoy sci fi and fantasy, it's a perfect convention for us.<br />
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Unfortunately, we didn't come very prepared. Before we even left the hometown of Lawrence, KS, I realized we had forgotten two very important things: food and drink. When we first arrived at the hotel, we paid way too much at the hotel cafe for coffee and snacks. Later that evening, we ventured into the nearby city to stock up on snacks and alcohol for the rest of the weekend.<br />
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We drove by three cemeteries as the sun sank lower in the sky, and a nearly full moon began to rise. With the feeling that time was running out (we had just been to a panel about werewolves, vampires, and zombies, so that was still very fresh in my mind) we stopped by Save-a-Lot grocery. We put together a collection of chips, nuts, and other equally unhealthy munchies, and then made our way to the liquor section.<br />
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We decided to risk another trip into the oncoming darkness to find a liquor store than to settle for a $4 bottle of refrigerated red wine.<br />
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Between the liquor store and the grocery, I have never felt so white in my life. I think the only other white person we saw was a serious biker gang guy. I began to have more realistic fears than supernatural attacks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIe4AAvcf_1sMYkGvISJ7Eic53oyioWTtV6pf8zTvRDJyQ172fGalIjasRmZtshxRtGpBviA8RCk4sGwrRbaTf-YLrxfnM6QU-nx75S38Ojix-prrvnnqDwX3RcdMXWKqOyhCqNrq-gWid/s1600/Pat+tshirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIe4AAvcf_1sMYkGvISJ7Eic53oyioWTtV6pf8zTvRDJyQ172fGalIjasRmZtshxRtGpBviA8RCk4sGwrRbaTf-YLrxfnM6QU-nx75S38Ojix-prrvnnqDwX3RcdMXWKqOyhCqNrq-gWid/s320/Pat+tshirt.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look! Blurry, but I really met him!</td></tr>
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We managed to find two bottles of wine, though, one for each night, and a cork screw. We drank the Beringer Friday night when we got back to the hotel - it was young and grape-y and easy to chug - and Saturday night we busted into the Carmenere (almost literally: the cork screw we bought for $3 was poorly made and the cork VERY stuck. It took a sheer force of will and no small amount of cursing and grunting to pry it out so we could drink).<br />
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I don't feel like it's fair to judge the Carmenere, which I've never tried before, based on this experience with it, so instead I'll just say we'll drank it and enjoyed the buzz.<br />
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It's been an exciting weekend with too much rich food, bad coffee, long panels, two trips up fourteen flights of stairs after tiring of the sickening elevator rides, and brushing elbows with other writers and editors - including Patrick Rothfuss! - and we still have one day left to go. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, aside from Scotch Man's birthday.<br />
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My vacation is almost over, but I'm looking forward to going home, sleeping in my own bed, showering in my shower, and going on a diet.<br />
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But don't worry. My diet will still include red wine.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-25923315902310396672013-05-19T00:00:00.000-05:002015-04-24T17:13:04.690-05:00Rickshaw - 2011 Pinot Noir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Z9SQOmW1Zr78hCXE_-P2ZrVmjVDW21QCAVKMr9rz2WLnZ0onQdFDGfix6L5_avbVDGtdwY_JhtjvBNnS2oTs5rMMao0u9LLESfqt8hJpS0Vc9CFHUUxOBWAGCGG2iyWflYNeHezuQ40L/s1600/Rickshaw+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Z9SQOmW1Zr78hCXE_-P2ZrVmjVDW21QCAVKMr9rz2WLnZ0onQdFDGfix6L5_avbVDGtdwY_JhtjvBNnS2oTs5rMMao0u9LLESfqt8hJpS0Vc9CFHUUxOBWAGCGG2iyWflYNeHezuQ40L/s320/Rickshaw+2011.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
This was one of Cork and Barrel's Wine of the Week picks. They do tastings from 4-6pm every Wednesday of their wine of the week, so the weeks I'm interested, I make sure to go down on Wednesdays after work.<br />
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I was hooked on this wine before I even tried it. The weekly email they sent out claimed it was one of the few true, 100% pinot noirs out there, without any other grape add-in (they say Shiraz is a popular one to blend it with). This made me curious, because I seem to enjoy the lightness of the pinot noirs. The woman doing the tasting said it was a a good summer wine because it was almost as light as a rose.<br />
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I'm not that fond of anything that light on the red spectrum, but I tried it, and she was right. Most people switch to white wine in the summer, but this one you could just as easily drink alongside your light whites. Sweet, tangy, and light are words I'd use to describe this. A very good flavor, not just of grapes like a lot of young wines, but of substance. I am curious how this one would age, but it was too delicious to save.<br />
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So I ate it with dinner the night we had BBQ outside. The first truly summer-feeling evening we've had. Spring came really late this year.<br />
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But as sweet as this wine was, the evening was bittersweet. We are losing the Jedi, the Scotch Man's son, at the end of this week. He will leave to be with his mother for the summer, and then come back to us for two weeks, but then go back to be with her for the fall. We'll get him again in the spring.<br />
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The Scotch Man and I are heartbroken and doing what we can to enjoy the few evenings we have left with him. By the time this post goes live, he'll be gone.<br />
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And we'll be working hard to fill my new wine rack, and empty it again. Hopefully that will mean more posts. Although they may be melancholy ones.<br />
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So probably see you soon, friends. In the meantime, enjoy your wine.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-53028743966994898892013-05-13T20:52:00.000-05:002013-05-13T20:52:08.253-05:00Mollydooker - The Boxer: 2011 Shiraz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nXJMqcGLr1w6Obe4HJaTPV1DUbDE1l9lWMSQ0oh-r571_UgU-n6qscw48lrSz891UeqyoMFkxmA2ZTpo2y3OO6iUDTnDR8RbAT9_nl_jIn1N3z90wSxmXlom5NTDp9fUf1Avqvjpn4hF/s1600/Mollydooker+with+wine+rack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nXJMqcGLr1w6Obe4HJaTPV1DUbDE1l9lWMSQ0oh-r571_UgU-n6qscw48lrSz891UeqyoMFkxmA2ZTpo2y3OO6iUDTnDR8RbAT9_nl_jIn1N3z90wSxmXlom5NTDp9fUf1Avqvjpn4hF/s320/Mollydooker+with+wine+rack.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Hello, fellow wine lovers! I'm back! For a few posts anyway.<br />
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I bought a fancy (used) wine rack off of Craigslist a few weeks ago (for the record, Craigslist is a pain in the ass, but at least I have a wine rack to store my wine and my glasses on now), so my interest in wine has been rekindled. Not that I ever stopped loving wine, but with the brutal, cold, endless winter months, I've suffered with one illness after another and an endless array of cold medicine, antibiotics, and steroids for the last four months. So finally, the weather is turning and I'm feeling a little better, so we broke open some wine.<br />
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The very first bottle we opened from our last wine run was the Mollydooker. When we bought this bottle, the guy at the liquor store warned us that we had to go to the Mollydooker website and learn how to do the <a href="http://www.mollydookerwines.com/MollydookerShake.aspx" target="_blank">Mollydooker Shake</a> before we drank it. For that reason, we had put off drinking it the last time I was feeling better. We thought it was going to be an actual dance, not a way to aerate the wine. Oh, spoilers and all of that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3RBAVKBWAMhbZqk7htwchJYDl4yQG_zx1T8KajNxR45V_itynuKnGR5mROoRZpGHcDvqi9U0_vl9XRCE3sUHeW0eoppEqnLAtnOHFuiYB7KB2D87Tn-q_GXL9FHHl4lPZmtJvo03IElU/s1600/Mollydooker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3RBAVKBWAMhbZqk7htwchJYDl4yQG_zx1T8KajNxR45V_itynuKnGR5mROoRZpGHcDvqi9U0_vl9XRCE3sUHeW0eoppEqnLAtnOHFuiYB7KB2D87Tn-q_GXL9FHHl4lPZmtJvo03IElU/s320/Mollydooker.jpg" width="240" /></a>Anyways, we dutifully watched the video, did the Shake, and drank our wine while watching Doctor Who. I wasn't overly fond of this particular bottle, though. I think it's less the Mollydooker brand and more the Shiraz variety that I didn't like here. It was too dry and biting. I've had Mollydooker before - compliments of my sister's boyfriend, who happens to be a wine rep (and that's another, old story I always meant to tell here and may someday try to recreate) - and enjoyed it, so I think I might have to temporary give up on Shiraz for now.<br />
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And focus on my new favorite, the Pinot Noir. Stay tuned this Sunday for another post, in which I talk about a fabulous pinot noir I drank and very much enjoyed.<br />
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Thanks for reading! See you soon.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-32931159976017629142013-03-01T22:43:00.000-06:002013-03-01T22:43:27.496-06:00Long Time No WineI'm sure what readers I had at one point are long gone, but I wanted to make an attempt to start this blog back up again. I've been drinking wine still, but nothing that inspired me to write. I regret not making notes for some of the bottles, because every bottle comes with a story, even if it's not a profound one, but life is what it is sometimes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfee0ypttONrhAgSLZ3EcjUE_35JwSjr0Suakp-HDVtYm4UORFYQF4-7z_3SDmMBSx0gR1Liv_33NvTK6cYb8-quNf-_zojqk1l3uq2R7RdxvXGHy8fRfIL22S9FuvlecqoTQ2kpmuYyC/s1600/wine+rack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfee0ypttONrhAgSLZ3EcjUE_35JwSjr0Suakp-HDVtYm4UORFYQF4-7z_3SDmMBSx0gR1Liv_33NvTK6cYb8-quNf-_zojqk1l3uq2R7RdxvXGHy8fRfIL22S9FuvlecqoTQ2kpmuYyC/s320/wine+rack.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
But tonight, the Scotch Man and I were child-less, so we went out to dinner (Italian) and then explored one of our newer wine spots, the <a href="http://www.citywinemarket.com/" target="_blank">City Wine Market</a>. Their selection of wines are always very top shelf and also very interesting. We've bough titles called Book Mark and Fiction in the past, and Lunatic and The Crusher on our outing this evening. It's a little more expensive than my favorite liquor store, Cork and Barrel, but it's fun to branch out a bit. And it's on his side of town.<br />
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Soon to be my side. I'm officially moving in with him this summer. A lot has happened since my last blog.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzyaCbqra0pDZMUPVXAoPwBqnhXk_l1S3Cl0Wb_sI9tLHx44QmxjpyHFb8ejfRdMUFc0Pa0yD-Z7tnwtX6flCYx84HXpo8lbHeQ5exMtfpdF-W1VNIEXd9ddSOfwSHbd4Glvc5di8IgFd/s1600/palermo+bottle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzyaCbqra0pDZMUPVXAoPwBqnhXk_l1S3Cl0Wb_sI9tLHx44QmxjpyHFb8ejfRdMUFc0Pa0yD-Z7tnwtX6flCYx84HXpo8lbHeQ5exMtfpdF-W1VNIEXd9ddSOfwSHbd4Glvc5di8IgFd/s320/palermo+bottle.jpg" width="240" /></a>At any rate, we ended up with six bottles at around $120, so not too bad. All the Scotch Man had left on his rack was the bottle of Scotch, so we filled it all up tonight.<br />
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When we got home tonight, we decided to try the Orin Swift Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon. The Scotch Man bought it because of the bottle. We tend to buy wine based on name and label design. The wine seller said it was a fantastic choice, and that all of the designs for Orin Swift are like that. It was a little more than I usually spend - $35 - but the Scotch Man purchased it, not me.<br />
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We drank it while we watched Seven Psychopaths. Good movie, and good wine. Very full-bodied, dark, with a strong nose and kind of a bitter finish. It was very aromatic when we opened the bottle.<br />
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The bottle itself is definitely a keeper, although I'm not sure I'd personally buy this one again. A bit too much for the flavors inside.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-88616228728108262932012-12-02T00:00:00.000-06:002012-12-02T00:00:09.624-06:00November has Come and GoneHello, wine lovers. My apologies for dropping off the face of the Earth during November. Turns out trying to do NaNoWriMo, my online class, spend time with the Scotch Man and the Jedi, and overall keep my sanity, I did not, in fact, have time to do my wine blog, as well.<br />
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This weekend I am working on the final exam for my online class, but then for the next month I will be free like the wind. Once free, I will write lots and lots of wine blogs.<br />
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I am excited to share my stories about my Election Night wine tasting, the new wine store the Scotch Man and I found, and tell you about all of the bottles I've tried since my last post.<br />
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Look for me to make my full-fledged return next week! Hope to see you then.<br />
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Red Wine ReminiscenceS.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-8478084496753488922012-11-04T20:29:00.001-06:002012-11-04T20:30:48.578-06:00Thanks for your Patience!Hello, Readers. I haven't posted the past couple of weeks because I haven't been drinking much wine. It took me awhile to finish both bottles from the wine tasting, and I've still been trying to watch my calories for the Scale Down Challenge.<br />
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However, it is now November, which means it's <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">National Novel Writing Month</a>. I usually drink a glass or two of wine in the evenings while I'm writing, so I will have new bottles to review soon. I hope to be back to my regularly scheduled weekly posts every Sunday starting next weekend!<br />
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If you want to know how Nanowrimo is going, feel free to pop over to the <a href="http://www.confabulatorcafe.com/" target="_blank">Confabulator Cafe</a>. I post every Tuesday morning.<br />
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See you next week!S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-24363130509200574112012-10-14T00:00:00.000-05:002012-10-14T00:25:24.951-05:00Brutocao - 2007 Pinot Noir vs. Zinfandel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyBaLMQHTt6eTlD4TVnAxPJ-_VFzsiVzRCio-_wu0R2JKQzkP3Zw0UiwsrT6x51q7cpNXrz8IgdpRFWw2XELq1M3Yi2EI8ZXArGYT-c_eCu9udHda8hdyfRCdrpYavQvA6VjBjFHdjm7x/s1600/IMG_0497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyBaLMQHTt6eTlD4TVnAxPJ-_VFzsiVzRCio-_wu0R2JKQzkP3Zw0UiwsrT6x51q7cpNXrz8IgdpRFWw2XELq1M3Yi2EI8ZXArGYT-c_eCu9udHda8hdyfRCdrpYavQvA6VjBjFHdjm7x/s320/IMG_0497.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Sounds impossible, but I think wine tastes different depending on where you drink it and who you drink it with.<br />
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Tonight, I did a little taste-testing experiment with my sister. She's off living the big city life now that she's living and working in Kansas City, and she's loving it. She stopped by this evening to pick up some mail, and I roped her into staying to try out some wines with me.<br />
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Awhile back, Cork and Barrel had a clearance sale. They were rearranging their wine, and decided to sell what wasn't moving. I bought two bottles from the same company and decided to do a back to back tasting to truly discover what the difference in grapes was like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgdH1TrMuEPgcQJOLdbi9jO0CCZZWZEV2FXu0IN0ZaffG-q4AMPZtCOLBtEPiRaJdQTET_F3CxSfkRuoB4i1F3ztBWs7fwyBINajMZjSo8ixoVIc8JuRF9EogHwlH8aHYjqDmOUNNJOCU/s1600/IMG_0500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgdH1TrMuEPgcQJOLdbi9jO0CCZZWZEV2FXu0IN0ZaffG-q4AMPZtCOLBtEPiRaJdQTET_F3CxSfkRuoB4i1F3ztBWs7fwyBINajMZjSo8ixoVIc8JuRF9EogHwlH8aHYjqDmOUNNJOCU/s200/IMG_0500.JPG" width="200" /></a>I bought the Pinot Noir and the Zinfandel from Brutocao. The vintage was 2007 for both, although the Pinot was grown at Anderson Valley (Mendocino) while that Zinfandel was grown at Hopeland Ranch (also Mendocino).<br />
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Our overall impression was that the Pinot Noir was a little yummier. Both were very delicious, but whereas the Zin was spicy (verging on dusty), with a slight taste of fruit before the dry bite and a complex finish, the Pinot seemed warmer, much more fruity, and didn't have as strong as a finish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPH7oaQrzDSE28a2a0ftOr8nSd73M_Y3R4YeEd3YcwUTDWmWK6lKyxWJe1jktaKvjtvIzOCPpN288ID2Cl40oTuw5RvL0641kA71VVaD-2gx5J3rOpZM1i6G_gWuIFahxBi1ysdGGRU8dI/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPH7oaQrzDSE28a2a0ftOr8nSd73M_Y3R4YeEd3YcwUTDWmWK6lKyxWJe1jktaKvjtvIzOCPpN288ID2Cl40oTuw5RvL0641kA71VVaD-2gx5J3rOpZM1i6G_gWuIFahxBi1ysdGGRU8dI/s200/IMG_0493.JPG" width="150" /></a>The Sister and I both liked the Pinot Noir better.<br />
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We had quite a lot of fun trying both bottles and using Kroger Swiss cheese as a pallet cleanser between glasses. I love drinking wine with my sister. She has this amazing, contagious laugh that sets me off, even when she's laughing <i>at </i>me, and wine makes her giggle all the more freely.<br />
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She is one of my favorite people to hang out with.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-77809451112361611922012-10-07T00:00:00.000-05:002012-10-07T00:00:03.406-05:00Kendall-Jackson - 2008 Summation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvgYhBSThK0eFBtJYJci12Igd3UhiZMtWEwItOkGWrgIvUR3d60IPRmiFYcMrymy8zgeRDXeu4r5VfrECaRMQNJwsOM_EbkWdU4v_WGSAlj_2qjlzChBhKaWNS6nIpq37DxTDsHFMJsuG/s1600/IMG_20120929_153221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvgYhBSThK0eFBtJYJci12Igd3UhiZMtWEwItOkGWrgIvUR3d60IPRmiFYcMrymy8zgeRDXeu4r5VfrECaRMQNJwsOM_EbkWdU4v_WGSAlj_2qjlzChBhKaWNS6nIpq37DxTDsHFMJsuG/s320/IMG_20120929_153221.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I started this bottle at the Scotch Man's house but it was neglected for awhile and lost a lot of it's flavor by the time I got back to it. Finally finished a couple of weekends ago. It was still drinkable though. I'm pretty impressed.<br />
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Sadly, this will be my last bottle for awhile. The next bottle I open will probably take me a long time to drink, because the Scotch Man and I are doing a weight loss competition through the University we work at. The first place prize is $400, and the Scotch Man is in it to win it. We will be pacing ourselves when it comes to alcohol, since it's a lot of empty calories.<br />
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He has been drinking more scotch than wine lately. He drank scotch as I drank this bottle of wine, which is another reason it has taken me weeks instead of only a week to get through it.<br />
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I hope to be able to continue to write every week, but I might have to take a week or two off in order to consume enough wine to write about it.<br />
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It's a ten week challenge. We only have six left to go!<br />
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Wish us luck.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-86094036558901226592012-09-30T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-30T00:00:06.411-05:00Davenport Orchards and Winery 2012<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-RfAF-qD1pwHaFjRHaksQMb8fF8v6bg3LYbxPubpSY6x0sEeBQ4wmRyT2MoepaREusSaXr55mRxpCOVXE_3VHP3RRSvy4u3p_ivyc_K8o71VT89XfHmocyFG1R0uIJXowKnaDfCYa_43/s1600/sara+and+jack+in+the+vineyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-RfAF-qD1pwHaFjRHaksQMb8fF8v6bg3LYbxPubpSY6x0sEeBQ4wmRyT2MoepaREusSaXr55mRxpCOVXE_3VHP3RRSvy4u3p_ivyc_K8o71VT89XfHmocyFG1R0uIJXowKnaDfCYa_43/s320/sara+and+jack+in+the+vineyard.jpg" width="320" /></a>Some of you may remember my trip to <a href="http://www.davenportwinery.com/" target="_blank">Davenport Orchards and Winery</a> last year the weekend I went to pick grapes.<br />
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Well I went back for more again this year. And this time I dragged the Scotch Man along with me.<br />
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Here we are at the vineyard!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-4ipSnDAqE5D0uiAK71ZjYt6Zjj5p-P3WQHaPHnwR2UER9hmSoCyFj6kexSiBCFNphdJfYvVgTQjBMoAZUcTm3d5Y6cLm7Ly6zABf1tUDVGiK3bmPs9GP260mVvREcNU2_XgkOapO7te/s1600/bins+of+grapes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-4ipSnDAqE5D0uiAK71ZjYt6Zjj5p-P3WQHaPHnwR2UER9hmSoCyFj6kexSiBCFNphdJfYvVgTQjBMoAZUcTm3d5Y6cLm7Ly6zABf1tUDVGiK3bmPs9GP260mVvREcNU2_XgkOapO7te/s320/bins+of+grapes.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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We spent about three hours picking grapes off the vine with the other volunteers and seasonal workers. Look at all the grapes we picked!<br />
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Ok, so the Scotch Man and I didn't pick all of these. We probably only contributed three or four bins out of the total forty-nine.<br />
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After they fed us lunch (along with a complimentary glass of wine!) we got to watch them load all of the grapes into the de-stemming and crushing machine. They put us back to work helping out. I got to swap out bins to catch all of the stems and other trash came spewing from the back end of the machine.<br />
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I got a little messy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMep9v9VrzGlQGGXaPAJDnAFm25jJTJVmYcf8x_MUFqaCwvkjl_aWZV0NL6glUUHF30zZJ1aLYoXQXgbAL_LPpxlwOkGKNVwDmTo_ajTpnVcxJbZy2BA3LK5fB3woeFF3y3CfQkO_gJVSo/s1600/grape+hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMep9v9VrzGlQGGXaPAJDnAFm25jJTJVmYcf8x_MUFqaCwvkjl_aWZV0NL6glUUHF30zZJ1aLYoXQXgbAL_LPpxlwOkGKNVwDmTo_ajTpnVcxJbZy2BA3LK5fB3woeFF3y3CfQkO_gJVSo/s320/grape+hands.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Ok, so this might be a bit embellished for effect, but I did get pretty messy. The guys working there took some extra gunk off the machine and made me rub my hands in it before we took the picture, hehe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfP4xk7ti0aT3k0RGkn9-VxXguu_BD6XEbKL7VDnpXZeCcBxyz51zVkPahUF5Xf8aiVGYKQdDJgFDL-b-Bu6s9JmdyJoJMYphRaddskqV_3MCqDZcpVW6okCa-kiNI2n6jC39B2nCdspz/s1600/jack+in+the+tanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfP4xk7ti0aT3k0RGkn9-VxXguu_BD6XEbKL7VDnpXZeCcBxyz51zVkPahUF5Xf8aiVGYKQdDJgFDL-b-Bu6s9JmdyJoJMYphRaddskqV_3MCqDZcpVW6okCa-kiNI2n6jC39B2nCdspz/s320/jack+in+the+tanks.jpg" width="240" /></a>After we finished working, we went back to the tasting room and tried all of the different wines they had for tasting. The Scotch Man bought a bottle called Jazz Man, and I got one called Matrot - which is made with Norton grape, the same type of grape we were picking today.<br />
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Overall it was a long, exhausting day, but the weather was amazing, I got to see a lot of awesome stuff, and I got to spend the day with my man. He did a good job helping out. Here he is helping mash the skins back down into the fermenting liquid.<br />
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I can't wait to drink the bottles we got today. And I can't wait to go back in a couple of years to get a bottle made of the 2012 Norton we helped pick this year.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-18160892000115988852012-09-23T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-23T00:00:06.861-05:00Heron - 2009 Mendocino Merlot<br />
<a href="http://www.dreadnoughtwines.com/winecart" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zKhGkmFEj3cUdS-htFBQjQodgt6qTe2XVwvCxbEYEYfeyRXEehwzvE6K1E_3Mgq3J_-h7xKrwqg_L3b9pY_F57vgaMyOWAKWi686Tmg2pH_gOJc-R0SjkuHC3y9SiP95Pnw4UC0-H_gX/s1600/Heron_Merlot_Mendocino_2009.jpg" /></a>This bottle of Merlot I opened while talking on the phone to an old friend of mine that I don't get to see very often anymore. He scoffed at my choice of Merlot and made a recommendation of a wine that he regularly drinks that I promptly forgot (and still can't remember - something about sisters). I see he still hasn't posted it on my recommendations page, even after a long tangent of him trying to log into his own Blogger account while we were chatting.<br />
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I forgive him. For not visiting my site, for thumbing his nose at my choice in wine, and for only talking to me for two hours in the last six months.<br />
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I'm a pretty good friend. Once you're friends with me, you're pretty much stuck with me forever. I'll always be here waiting.<br />
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Merlot, in general, I've discovered are pretty dry. This one had the typical dry burn, and no noticeable flavor afterward. I've decided that that's what makes a good wine to me. If I can still taste some of the grape, or some other flavor, through the dryness. I know there is probably a good wine term for that, like finish or something.<br />
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I've been drinking wine for long enough that I feel like I should have a better idea of what I like and what I don't, but I am still learning. So far it's been mostly blends that I've liked them most, but every blend is different.<br />
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Heck, I've found that even different brands of the same kind of wine are different. It's so hard to settle on something I'm really happy with.<br />
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Although why settle on one? There are too many wines out there to try. My work has only just begun!S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-51103237068293683902012-09-16T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-16T00:00:02.829-05:00Columbia Crest Grand Estates - 2008 Merlot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My sister stayed with me for about three weeks at the end of the summer as she transitioned from one great life event to the next. I was happy to have her, in spite of my initial reservations. I should have known we'd be fine. It took three years living together for us to drive each other crazy, and this was only three weeks.<br />
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I had gotten so used to her being around, actually, that I found myself a little sad when she told me she had found a job and an apartment and would be moving out within the next few days. So we cracked opened a bottle of wine to celebrate and commiserate.<br />
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The bottle I chose was the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot from 2008. I've tried a couple of different bottles of the Columbia Crest, and while this particular bottle wasn't too bad, it wasn't nowhere near as delicious as some of the other bottles of theirs I've tried.<br />
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I'm not sure I'm much of a Merlot fan.<br />
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So while we drank, we filled out these "Rate that Wine" forms Luigi gave me for my birthday. They have silly rating systems like "murky as a polluted lake" and "medley of vinegar" and "harmoniously tongue loving" or my personal favorite "will also linger in my dreams" to describe each part of the wine. Using this form you can give the wine a 1-5 on label, color, clarity, nose, body, flavor, and finish.<br />
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Of course neither of us really knew what we were doing, but overall we both rated it about a solid 3 out of 5 overall. My sister, who isn't a fan of red wines, noted that her overall impression was "meh, not bad for a red."<br />
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And as we drank, we became somber and philosophical, and talked late into the night.<br />
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A week later she was gone, and I finished the rest of this bottle on what would have been Mom's birthday, feeling sorry for myself that we lost her the day after she turned 56, two years ago.<br />
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A melancholy bottle of wine, it was.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-86585329200116071142012-09-09T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-15T12:14:19.259-05:00Five Rivers - 2009 Pinot Noir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaFtsI30PlHTBnchKAvIrCnTMe01GKsAfCI3rZjAcoTJtFn8M6-vT2q-DW-KKk_94LjFIedHgb586m6lTLrwYjT8y0kmhukuVCMPcqWeW0QBX0hMQcGv8TkLOCpIWZfQSp_thHI8Sh7zb/s1600/Five+Rivers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaFtsI30PlHTBnchKAvIrCnTMe01GKsAfCI3rZjAcoTJtFn8M6-vT2q-DW-KKk_94LjFIedHgb586m6lTLrwYjT8y0kmhukuVCMPcqWeW0QBX0hMQcGv8TkLOCpIWZfQSp_thHI8Sh7zb/s320/Five+Rivers.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I bought this bottle at Cork and Barrel's closeout wine sale (the one I bought six bottles and spend $70 at) and I have to admit the sole reason I bought it was because the label was pretty.<br />
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Popping the cork was a pleasant surprise, as well, as it is inscribed with the word "Goddess." The wine itself was pleasant but nothing extraordinary. It didn't keep as well as some bottles: after a week it had gotten a bit bitter to drink. Probably a drink in one setting bottle, if you can.<br />
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This bottle I drank with the Scotch Man at his place, and the main story here is that I am still adjusting to having his son, the little Jedi, around full time. Some nights after trying to keep that kid entertained I am in serious need of a glass of wine.<br />
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Could having three kids be why my folks always drank a beer or two every night? I wonder sometimes. I often thought it was just a holdover from their college days (Mom was pregnant with me when she graduated) but now I'm not so sure.<br />
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I also wonder what our kids will think about us drinking wine (and Scotch) almost every night. Just like my parents, I wait until the kid is in bed to pop the cork, but the collection of wine bottles rivals the collection of beer cans my folks collected over the weeks. We had a great big black trash can that we collected the cans in for recycling.<br />
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Right now I just collect the wine bottles because they are pretty. My collection is large, however. I need to start recycling them and only keeping the really nice bottles.<br />
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But I'm going to start keeping all of my corks. Especially this one, since it says Goddess on it.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-47225494017030933902012-09-02T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-15T12:14:39.925-05:00Lagar de Robla - 2008<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.vinosdearganza.com/en/lagar-premium.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWFh4QGzSiyC4BcLOYuo8jiZZUKAlK_rsaxOzagBFOxBkhRfruiMStD51t9mgbwtBZxwyUXvDzH-9qaWmcWOEtiGsemsXKW6AzlTM50E8VUq5gBcUZOyQC5DS0T98ka_YIS1iFXpC_eaB/s320/lagar_premium_11.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>
A little on the dry side, but still easy to drink. I actually was quite distracted while drinking this bottle. I drank it each night we watched the Olympics, which made me feel both lazy and inspired at the same time.<br />
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In my wine infused euphoria, I swore that I was going to become a runner. Watching those runners run, just watching their bodies, was amazing and beautiful. I was just in absolute awe of the gymnasts, hurtling themselves through space, and the swimmers wiggling their bodies as if they were fish. The most painful night, a night I had more than one glass, we watched the BMX races. Ouch! Those wipeouts are violent and epic. Of course, the Scotch Man watches the Olympics just to see the accidents, so he enjoyed it way too much.<br />
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The rest of the bottle was finished while I watched the Scotch Man play the videogame <i>Bioshock</i>. It's a first person shooter, but it's heavily laden with story, and has a fantastic 20s horror feel to it. I couldn't tear myself away. Several nights he'd turn it on and I'd forget what I was even working on. It was fun to get a bit buzzed and watch as the story unfolded and things kept getting more and more disturbing.<br />
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So, as I mentioned, this wine was less about the wine and more about drinking wine while being entertained and amazed. I remember it being good, but nothing that blew me out of the water.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-62199493664855530942012-08-26T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-15T12:15:35.640-05:00White Tail Run Winery LLC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.whitetailrunwinery.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC87qSXk-l_men9xzg3IzX_nGokm60N17f3HLlE-tgl7Wu2Z1sGQGxqJfEqTD1kTOdt7AG21HIlgGhAa1Pw60IrsBAG2E4rf70doFYFy6HcUXCmYX34aWn7N36IUCAHSwa61wO95tAT2lF/s320/logo_for_website.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
Scotch Man and I went to this winery for a tasting for our six month anniversary. It was a scorcher of a day, maybe the hottest we had all summer, my air conditioner in the car could barely keep up. We broke into a sweat just walking from the car to the tasting room. The guy was very friendly as he presented us all six bottles of his current wine selection. We observed how pitiful his vines looked, and I actually honestly worried he might not have much of a crop left after this summer and dry winter.<br />
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I discovered I'm ruined for sweet wines. The only selections I enjoyed were the more dry Chambourcin
wines.<br />
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And, surprisingly, the dry whites.<br />
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The Scotch Man went home with the semi sweet red, and I, surprisingly, chose the white semi sweet Seyval.<br />
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The Chambourcin we polished off over a couple of nights watching the Olympics. The Seyval I broke out to toast my sister getting a new job she really wanted. The white has been so nice with as hot as it's been.<br />
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It was nice, going to the free tasting. I almost wish I could sample all wines before I bought them to be sure I'll like them. It's always an adventure, going into a wine I haven't tried. I highly recommend this winery and vineyard, though. On a cooler day, they have a nice porch you can sit on, overlooking the vines, while you drink the bottle you purchased and even bring a picnic lunch. I'd highly recommend them, especially their prize winning Chambourcin. <br />
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Check out the pictures at the bottom of this page: <a href="http://www.opkansas.org/apps/Things-To-See-And-Do/Farmers-Market/Vendor/White-Tail-Run-Winery-LLC" target="_blank">White Tail Run Winery LLC</a><br />
<br />S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-56425484007103781822012-08-19T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-15T12:16:14.019-05:00Senda 66 - 2008 Tempranillo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.grapevinecottage.com/wine/wr-reviews/otherr-Senda66_08.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytbZCzEQGL1xBBXv54syW1X_iRntZ0u1Vn69O-EjPy01gchWvBbKMpA5ufJFv0LfifQq_YcEyRN9gLA3ykKNHS5clE79qBw_zg4iwaWbCNFxXcshMY_6xC7UnyQWZT3uov_RHOGJRlZxA/s1600/senda.jpg" /></a></div>
As I mentioned last week, this is another flashback post.<br />
<br />
Not long after the night of the Arizona Stronghold wine tasting and my second bottle of Chupacabra, I went to visit my little sister at the liquor store she used to work at. My brother and his girlfriend were in town, and we went to keep her and her roommate, who also worked there, company until they closed.<br />
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This was the night of my Wine Education. I told my sister's roommate that I was starting to get into red wine, but I didn't know the first thing about the different kinds, so she took me from row to row, telling me about the characteristics of each. Based on her descriptions, I decided I most wanted to try a Cabernet Savignon and a Pinot Noir.<br />
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That night, though, I settled on a cheap bottle of Mexican wine that I chose mostly because I thought the label was pretty. The Senda 66 Tempranillo, which my sister's roommate actually knew nothing about.<br />
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While my sister ran the store and her roommate and my brother talked about names for the vineyard they wanted to open, my brother's girlfriend and I sat in the back of the liquor store on the boxes upon boxes of beer while we drank. I've never seen so much beer, and several of the cases were fashioned into what looked like cardboard thrones.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF679L9VvtUmaUWKWt9NL8lHYgNU-BE1xJmVBemoIIV3CmWhuxPUmSjwY17NIVCVlpTuZzTc39U15LwnHXRE7FKH4rAaSY3GctstWRtaiF9wmcaRzqkXrMKg9TIZF8Ltufhbs4mt9q0QlD/s1600/108852d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF679L9VvtUmaUWKWt9NL8lHYgNU-BE1xJmVBemoIIV3CmWhuxPUmSjwY17NIVCVlpTuZzTc39U15LwnHXRE7FKH4rAaSY3GctstWRtaiF9wmcaRzqkXrMKg9TIZF8Ltufhbs4mt9q0QlD/s320/108852d.jpg" width="108" /></a></div>
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Interestingly enough, the liquor store didn't have a corkscrew (probably to discourage people drinking on the job), so my sister's roommate used a tool to push the cork through. Not only was the wine not that great, it also tasted like cork. And unfortunately, my brother's poor girlfriend had an allergic reaction to it. She's since decided she's allergic to something in red wine, so I've lost her as a drinking partner. It's so very sad.<br />
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I won't lie and say I don't still have a tendency to pick wine based on the label, but after this bottle I try to pay more attention to brand, and rating/description if there is one.<br />
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And thanks to my sister's roommate, after that night I had a good idea where to start my wine journey.<br />
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So here I am now!S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-13045885991775662242012-08-12T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-15T12:12:56.689-05:00Merkin Vineyards - 2006 Chupacabra<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVsxEp-8mGvnov52CBlTTNw0V7JexCwwInWfZH4tzTvj5a-U8lSt_2Jia-IjVGNwm4e5eCgdoABUsy9uBnZ2kSUZIQOKxkeb94UxuTGUy2lGY2WNSiRgQFzD-XRhyphenhyphenaEffI-86e3x9RiO5/s1600/Merkin+vineyards+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVsxEp-8mGvnov52CBlTTNw0V7JexCwwInWfZH4tzTvj5a-U8lSt_2Jia-IjVGNwm4e5eCgdoABUsy9uBnZ2kSUZIQOKxkeb94UxuTGUy2lGY2WNSiRgQFzD-XRhyphenhyphenaEffI-86e3x9RiO5/s320/Merkin+vineyards+crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think my photography skills have gotten much better</td></tr>
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Over the next two weeks, I will be going back in time a little to talk about some of my first red wines, which ultimately led me to starting this blog.<br />
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The Merkin Vineyards Chupacabra takes us back to the summer of 2010, during a visit from the BFF, Luigi.<br />
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Luigi is one of those friends who it feels like no time has passed when we see each other, even if it's been years. We always pick up right where we left off. For this particular visit, she brought me a present: a bottle of wine from the vineyard owned by one of my favorite band's lead singers. Some of you may be familiar with James Maynard Keenan of Tool, and some of you might even know he has a vineyard and winery in Arizona. This is a bottle from his Merkin Vineyard, which is a part of the Arizona Stronghold wines we owns with his partner.<br />
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After Mexican food and margaritas, we went back to my place and prepared for this lovely bottle. I was quite excited.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdT31OM9fsEVen9zip6aKks4xom9Ny6a0EL45EwrrUPNZrSSTeYA65Y9nv7GvLSpd2ydnOJa_vcRA1GjUWzgDYUK9gas0DXG7XRuNl4ynq3BDAOtLtx4tmxoggXhoawKRDDUAflcBJG0Ju/s1600/Sara+excited+for+wine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdT31OM9fsEVen9zip6aKks4xom9Ny6a0EL45EwrrUPNZrSSTeYA65Y9nv7GvLSpd2ydnOJa_vcRA1GjUWzgDYUK9gas0DXG7XRuNl4ynq3BDAOtLtx4tmxoggXhoawKRDDUAflcBJG0Ju/s320/Sara+excited+for+wine.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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I remember both of us thinking that this was the best wine we had ever tried. Dry and full-bodied and delicious. Back then, I only really drank white, but after tasting this nectar from the gods, I decided maybe I was missing out.<br />
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By the time we finished the bottle (yes, we finished the bottle between the two of us - we had a habit, back in the day, of very drunken shenanigans), we were much more intoxicated than we thought. We both swore pictures from that night would never see the light of day, on penalty of death.<br />
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I've mostly kept to that promise.<br />
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The second time I tried this wine was only months before I started this wine blog.<br />
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I finally got a hold of the Arizona Stronghold documentary Blood Into Wine, and from that moment, my wine education began. I discovered that there is so much more to wine - from growing grapes to fermentation to even tasting - than I could ever imagine. The wealth of stories that could be told was extensive. Just learning about Maynard and his story during that documentary was enough to plant the seed in me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXpiyyDJbBvnRxZnGYbmMKIH769SI463tzkApPhFJvQZgqnyiL6cPYOyPBcTgacSFHYtCIUjAr1niieXiokSGQl03ui1OEpOLjPyvVPIFSyW_uKIV92iG3QwKfazWKVhhyphenhyphenV5fdASvl26B/s1600/Sara+sad+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXpiyyDJbBvnRxZnGYbmMKIH769SI463tzkApPhFJvQZgqnyiL6cPYOyPBcTgacSFHYtCIUjAr1niieXiokSGQl03ui1OEpOLjPyvVPIFSyW_uKIV92iG3QwKfazWKVhhyphenhyphenV5fdASvl26B/s320/Sara+sad+face.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I miss my BFF when she's far away</td></tr>
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About a week after that, I discovered that the Eldridge Hotel's monthly wine tasting that month would be featuring Arizona Stronghold wines.<br />
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It was too much of a coincidence not to be fate. I dragged a friend of mine along with me to the tasting. We both dressed up in fancy clothes and pretended to be very sophisticated as we tasted the different selections. My allusions were shattered a little bit when I realized I knew more about the wines being presented from the documentary than the people showing them.<br />
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After the tasting, my friend and I went straight to the liquor store. They didn't carry any of the whites we wanted, but I got my second bottle of Chupacabra, remembering how much I loved it the first time.<br />
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The second time did not disappoint.<br />
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And so, folks, this is <i>the </i>wine that started me down the path to drinking red wine again. I was given a push by a book I read that encouraged drinking red wine a few times a week for health benefits. What better excuse to imbibe a little than it's good for you, right?<br />
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So, friends, after the past several months of you reading about my various wine adventures, you now know what started it all: an amazing bottle shared with my best friend, a powerful documentary, a serendipitous wine tasting, and a book that outlined the health benefits of drinking red wine.<br />
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It didn't take the writer in me too long to realize the stories I'd be able to tell.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-12432423423284303632012-08-05T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-15T12:17:25.415-05:00Villa Parini - 2010 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0XO2WLiuvXsGCtlPXeOZ5vkrik2XrUFxOripwbSnpf7ZnQPoqrUs1mBp9sF6oWZzMfTm-Nvbw8DKBGwJTGsC0SvSDKE5LDUBaFj8wlFYYCACyiOBDlei6_F0x3p5lxJUNi7eWnZSqXSZ/s1600/82093_DEFAULT+%281%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0XO2WLiuvXsGCtlPXeOZ5vkrik2XrUFxOripwbSnpf7ZnQPoqrUs1mBp9sF6oWZzMfTm-Nvbw8DKBGwJTGsC0SvSDKE5LDUBaFj8wlFYYCACyiOBDlei6_F0x3p5lxJUNi7eWnZSqXSZ/s1600/82093_DEFAULT+%281%29.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mtouton.com/sites/default/files/styles/item_card_label_detail/public/infosys/labels/82093_DEFAULT.jpg" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></td></tr>
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To be totally honest, I don't speak Italian, so I wasn't even sure what was the grape and what was the winery. I had to do some internet research, and found out that my use of common sense was correct. The vine is the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. I learned lots of cool stuff at <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-94709-0001-villa-parini-montepulciano-d-abruzzo-abruzzo-italy" target="_blank">this website</a>.<br />
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I bought this particular bottle as a Wine of the Week from Cork and Barrel, even though I have overspent my wine budget for the next three months. Cork and Barrel had a closeout sale last month, and I brought home six bottles of wine. I couldn't help it. The description of this one sounded so delicious. According to Cork and Barrel, winemakers call this one "fresh and fruity with raspberry and cherry tones and a touch of wild flowers." How could I resist that?<br />
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So I went in to pick up the bottle on my way to somewhere else, so I was in a hurry, but not too much of a hurry not to stop and grab a small plastic cup from the free wine tasting table. Apparently a brand new ordinance allows liquor stores to have in-store tastings now, so they have a tasting of the Wine of the Week every Wednesday, a selected vendor every Saturday, and as I discovered, random tastings whenever vendors want to set one up. The wine I tried there, which I didn't catch the name of because I took the cup he handed me and hopped into the checkout line, was a really sweet red. I am much happier with the bottle I took home.<br />
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I'm glad I didn't resist this purchase. It was, in fact, quite fruity and fresh. It had a pleasant bite to it, which I have come to love about the dry reds, but it wasn't so acidic that it was painful to drink. It was light and tasty. The Scotch Man and I used it to toast our writing successes. And I attempted to write the story due for my writing group - which, ironically, takes place in a wine cellar - while drinking this.<br />
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I might have had a bit too much. I realized when I was trying to have a serious financial discussion with the Scotch Man and I was having a hard time finding the words to express that I was trying to say.<br />
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Overall, this wine has made me start thinking that maybe the Italians really do know how to do wine right, and that's why all of the best wine is supposed to be Italian.S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-71213200774068271002012-07-29T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-15T12:18:13.279-05:00Chapelle-St-Arnoux - 2010 Cotes-du-Rhone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7XovzjhozBL-BFyN8Tp-_d_lf1b5-6RwMpMCVTQNtKNCa5yBLNxlX079cVelb3JxZqjKECJ1pZomhpdGe4voCv7jEN5K-QF6JWZKfSjolPcQklaaRJq7s9aTsMcSKIEqPgiEsjkvSXTt/s1600/cotes+du+rhone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7XovzjhozBL-BFyN8Tp-_d_lf1b5-6RwMpMCVTQNtKNCa5yBLNxlX079cVelb3JxZqjKECJ1pZomhpdGe4voCv7jEN5K-QF6JWZKfSjolPcQklaaRJq7s9aTsMcSKIEqPgiEsjkvSXTt/s320/cotes+du+rhone.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
This was a fancy bottle from Rhone Valley, France. It's the second bottle of
Cotes-du-Rhone I've tried, and I’m starting to think this blend might be bad luck.<br />
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The first time I tried it was the Thanksgiving where I embarrassed myself by bringing wine to a gathering where nobody drank.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The night of this bottle was the night of a rescue mission. I had my first glass, started
to relax and mellow out, and I was trying to watch a scary movie with the Scotch Man. Not even ten minutes into the movie I got a frantic call from my friend who was on vacation. Her dog, who I
watched for a couple of days until her friend could come get him, had been
alone in the apartment for a week because her friend never picked him up like
he was supposed to.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I told her I would immediately go check on him, so I dragged
the Scotch Man along with me. Convinced he'd be dead when we got there. I have never been so relieved to find something alive. He wasn't his usual peppy self, but
otherwise seemed fine. He had trashed her the apartment, drank two bowls of
water while we were there, and didn't want us to leave, but he is a survivor. He may never be quite
the same, but hopefully he will make a full recovery from his abandonment
issues.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Scotch Man works in Law Enforcement, so he's seen his
share of bodies - which is part of the reason I took him with me - so he
explained that my being hungry and horny afterward the ordeal was pretty
normal. Something to do with adrenaline and glucose and feeling alive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I barely tasted the second glass of wine I had when we got
back to his place. And almost poured a third, but it was late and I had to go
home. It was nice to have something to take the edge off, that's for sure.<br />
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Sad to say I don't have any distinct memories of the actual flavor of this wine, but it did come with a hell of a story.</div>
S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-60906954694819164862012-07-22T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-15T12:18:44.990-05:00Castle Rock - 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon<br />
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<a href="http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/2009-castle-rock-paso-robles-cabernet-sauvignon" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Fz2nXoZ1jfpvJ3MiTaULmdhGxC241aayJicblkGZVYwAtHRiuqUsMV0SbOgGLh8i_nSbvu53Q8fsa93H1ZaGANIvV0QmntqV9yYfZtpc8yBeGfq6Dw97JjN2hiY-8oqZOtq11eMbPKpZ/s320/Castle+Rock+Cab+Sauvignon.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
This was one of the bottles that the Scotch Man purchased the night of our exploration of Mass Beverage.</div>
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I didn't find this bottle nearly as good as the Zinfandel Luigi gave me for
Christmas. It wasn't as mellow, and was really acidic. Of course, I still drank two glasses of it the
night we opened it, none the less. </div>
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It was another chill evening, all of us on
the couch doing our own thing. The Scotch Man has his son that night, and after
he put him to bed, he disappeared into the kitchen. I was engrossed in my book,
but then I heard the resounding pop of the cork being removed from the bottle,
and looked up with glee. Which he teased me about. We hadn’t had wine in awhile,
and we didn’t traditionally drink with the munchkin around, so it was a
pleasant surprise. </div>
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Overall this seems to reaffirm that the cab sauv grape is
too dry for my taste. I am curious to try some other grapes from Castle Rock, however.<o:p></o:p></div>
S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-67544464256511311972012-07-15T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-15T12:19:30.496-05:00Columbia Crest Grand Estates - 2008 Syrah<br />
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It was a hot one the day I cracked open this bottle. I think
it got up to 107, which is pretty hot for June. July and August, usually in the
100s. It was so hot that there were asphalt roads exploding and a couple of people
died. It’s shaping up to be a long summer that requires lots of wine. </div>
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That night, I
went to the liquor store looking to get the wine of the week, but it was a
white, so I walked right past it. It’s probably better weather for a white, but
I got two bottles of Syrah (one Syrah and one Shiraz, which apparently are<a href="http://wineenabler.com/the-grapes-syrah-shiraz-and-petite-sirah-whats-the-difference/" target="_blank"> essentially the same thing</a>??) instead. So far, I'm not much of a fan of the Syrah. Too dry.</div>
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After a glass, I met Luigi on Gmail video chat and we
talked for two hours while we drank. She showed me around her new apartment and we reminisced about relationships (current and past) and our high
school days. We’ve been friends for 15 years, so I’ve known her half my life. Back
in high school, we used to celebrate the birthdays of all of the Beatles
together in high school. We were lamenting because we missed Paul’s this year. </div>
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We
haven’t lived in the same town since high school, but we chat online pretty
much every day and video chat whenever the two of us have time. I’m lucky to
have such an amazing best friend.</div>
S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513977815810984616.post-83647475712480435702012-07-08T00:00:00.000-05:002012-09-15T12:19:58.562-05:00Founders Reserve Sandeman Porto<br />
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There is a liquor store next door to the grocery store where the Scotch Man does his shopping. I tagged along with him the other night, and we decided to stop by for wine, even though neither of us really needed any more bottles.<br />
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One of the three bottles he bought was the Sandeman Porto.<br />
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This was the first port either of us had tried. We brought it home that night and researched
how it is supposed to be served. We learned that it is a dessert wine, served
either chilled or normal red wine temperature, usually with chocolate or some
other kind of dessert.<br />
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Holy cow they weren’t kidding about this being a dessert
wine. It was initially incredibly sweet and then almost immediately bitter
right after swallowing. For me, it wasn’t really a wine you can just sit and
enjoy while you relax. I’m tempted to give it another chance when we have some
chocolate, since that was the suggested pairing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We offered this bottle for dessert at our Father’s Day
gathering that we hosted at the Scotch Man’s house (thank, babe) on Father's Day, and luckily, both my
Daddy-o and his girlfriend loved it. At least someone did! So the Scotch Man doesn't have to drink it all by himself.<o:p></o:p></div>
S.E. Lundberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00594090732624400274noreply@blogger.com0