Columbia Crest Grand Estates - 2008 Syrah

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. 

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 essentially the same thing??) instead. So far, I'm not much of a fan of the Syrah. Too dry.

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. 

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.

Founders Reserve Sandeman Porto

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.

One of the three bottles he bought was the Sandeman Porto.

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.

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.

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.

Lomas del Valle - 2010 Malbec

I loved this bottle of wine. It was dry but had a lovely finish that was smooth and had a very fruity flavor. I think Malbec might be making it's way up there as far as preferred grape. I think the only two bottles that compared to this were the Amitage and the Castle Rock Zinfandel.

I have new bottles from both vineyards to try soon, so stay tuned for those reviews.

A couple of months ago I managed to really hurt my neck somehow. It was bad enough that I went to the doctor, who ended up prescribing me physical therapy and muscle relaxers. After a week straight of taking muscle relaxers every night, I decided to try an evening without, so I treated myself to this bottle with the pretty blue design on the side. It was a relief to be "high" on something other than drugs. Especially since this was such a pleasant, mellow bottle.

After a few weeks I was finally feeling more like myself, so I finished off the bottle with the Scotch Man. It resulted in a relaxing evening with a sexy conclusion.

I noticed when photographing the bottle that this wine was is a product  of Chile. I always have had a thing for the Latinos.

But don't tell the Scotch Man. He actually is Scottish. ;)

Castle Rock Mendocino County - 2006 Zinfandel

My 31st birthday back in December was a mixture of happy and mournful. Mournful because, dear God, I am now not just 30, I am IN MY 30s.

But the day itself was filled with love and family and fun. We partook in our traditional New Years Even bowling and fireworks down in Aggie Ville, where more people than ever before joined us. I was also coming down from the high from my first date with the Scotch Man the night before.

Overall it was one of my more memorable birthdays.

And on that night, this bottle of Zinfandel was gifted to me by my best friend Luigi. All parts of the gifts she got me were wine-themed, which was great. Thanks, lady!

This was excellent sit and chill wine. I drank this bottle over a few nights of just relaxing and decompressing while watching movies or TV. It made splendid wine to dash of writing blog posts for the Confabulator Cafe. The Scotch man drank Scotch on these evenings instead, of course.

I enjoyed this wine enough that I'd definitely get it again. It was mild on the tongue but still flavorful. I'm quite excited, because Scotch Man purchased another bottle of Castle Rock on our last wine purchasing spree. I'm excited to try it and see if it matches up to this lovely bottle.


For those interested, here's a picture from my birthday at the bowling alley. Fun times were had by all! Although this was before my Daddy-o and his girlfriend arrived, so imagine one more happy couple making silly faces. It is also sadly lacking my new beau, who would eventually become the Scotch Man. I may have been an 11th wheel that night, but never again!

Sabor Real - 2008 Toro

Image borrowed from here

Yowza that's a dry wine. Stung my eyes and my nose. Part of the description says spice box, and it did kind of remind me of what it's like to stick your face in a spice cabinet and inhale deeply.

The night we opened it, we spent a good 30 minutes in a new (for me) liquor store called Mass Beverage. It felt a little bit like cheating, buying wine somewhere other than Cork and Barrel, my usual watering hole, but this place had a nice layout and a great wine selection. I recognized a lot of brands, and that made me happy. Makes me feel like I'm maybe a little tiny bit becoming more knowledgeable about wine. The fact that I recognize labels and wineries might not mean much, but it means I don't feel nearly as lost in a liquor store.

It was kind of fun to actually just browse through the wine, because lately I've only been popping into Cork and Barrel long enough to pick up the Wine of the Week if it sounds good.

That's where the Sabor Real came from. After we got home from Mass Beverage, I made him line up our purchases on the counter so we could decide what bottle to open first.

Instead of any of our lovely new bottles of wine, we went with the one I had already bought.

This one. I don't think I'm really a fan of the Mexican/Spanish wines, really. I don't think I've tried one I've liked much yet.

But. I'm not disappointed, really. Just excited to try the next bottle.

Sebastiani Sonoma Coast - 2009 Pinot Noir

I have really liked all of the different Pinot Noir wines I've tried. It might be overthrowing my old favorite, the Cabernet Sauvignon. I find the Cab Sauv too dry these days.

This particular bottle, the Sonoma Coast Sebastiani, was a fun one. I drank it with the Scotch Man on our first vacation together. The week following Easter, we spend a few days at a cabin we rented at the lake. It was nice to get away from everything.

We giggled, flirted, and chatted philosophically (I think), but we didn't get any writing done, which was the original plan. That first day was supposed to be something of a writing retreat, but the day was spend driving out there, making a complete circuit of the lake before we found the cabin, unpacking the car and getting things organized in the cabin, trying to soothe his very upset dog, breaking in the cabin's double bed, and cooking a lovely dinner.

I don't regret the lack of writing, though. It was fun to play house in our little cabin and relax at the end of our busy day. The wine definitely helped me fall asleep that night. There was something decidedly freaky about being in the middle of (almost) nowhere with coyotes howling in the distance. I do regret, however, that I don't have much recollection about the flavor and pallet-ableness of the wine. Considering we drank the whole bottle that first night, my guess is that it was quite delicious and easy to drink. I wouldn't object to trying this particular brand again.

William Hill Estate - 2006 Bench Blend Cabernet Sauvignon

Looks like the bottle is either bleeding or crying

I was so excited about this bottle of wine. It's a really expensive bottle, normally. I got a special deal on it since I'm a member of Cork and Barrel's VIP Wine Club. Normally retailing for $40, I got it for $20. I wanted to save it for a special occasion, but instead I brought it over to share with the Scotch Man after he had a really rough day. I brought him his favorite kind of wine - the Cab Sauv - and dark chocolate, the two things that usually cheer me up when I'm feeling depressed.

However, it turned out to be bitter wine for bitter news.  Neither of my decadent treats managed to cheer The Scotch Man up, although he did manage to drink two glasses to my one before I spilled it.

All over books and his tie. His son's books, and his new, not cheap tie, I might add.

It was not a good day for either of us.

It's really too bad since it was expensive, but it was too dry for my liking, anyway.

As a side note, his dog ended up eating my chocolate. I apparently suck at cheering people up.