Happy Valentine’s Day! I think I lost a day somewhere and forgot to post something yesterday. Life has been hectic and this weekend is no exception! So, I will get right to my review of a lovely wine I had last evening while out to dinner. It was a 2009 Pasqua Amarone della Valpolicella. The blend is Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone & Negrara grapes. This full-bodied wine was a dark ruby color. It had aromas of blackberries, leather and dark currents. It carried over to the palate with plum and a hint of nuts and vanilla. It was a smooth and silky finish. It paired well with my Branzini! http://www.pasqua.it/ We’re bracing for another snow event here. It looks like it will be an “indoor” Valentine’s evening. Works for me!! Cheers!
Penina The days are flying by and I have much to accomplish in the next few weeks. I took a break from it all and met with a friend last night for a Grey Goose martini and black truffle pizza. The martini was chilled to perfection and did not disappoint! The pizza was divine. We sipped, ate and had a few belly laughs! It was a very good evening! I finally finished my “sketch” for the next knitting project. Now, I need to find some time to actually knit it! It’s going to be a very cold night. I’m thinking that a toasty fire and glass of wine will be the start of my evening. I need to get back to work now!
Cheers! Penina The sun is shining and it’s a great start to the day! I got together with a few people last night for a gourmet “take out” dinner and wine. Sometimes all you need is good friends, a few belly laughs and warm hugs! We drank 2011 Ghost Hill Cellars Prospector’s Reserve Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District in Oregon. I’m not that familiar with Oregon wines, but this was a winner! The Yamhill-Carlton District is about 35 miles south of Portland. The first vineyards were planted in the 1970s and not recognized as an AVA (American Viticultural Area) until 2004. The color of this wine was bordering on purple with lovely aromas of dark cherry, nuts and a hint of floral. The dominant flavors were cherry and strawberry with undertones of spice. Well balanced with a long “jammy” finish made this wine an attention getter. http://www.ghosthillcellars.com I have another busy day ahead of me! And, yes…I’m working on my knitting design!
Happy Wednesday! Cheers! Penina I woke up to snow flurries this morning, but I’m confident the sun will eventually come out to say hello. After spending most of the day yesterday making piles of “things” to throw out, give away or keep, I was ready for a diversion. So, when a friend called and suggested that we meet for dinner, I flew out the door. It was a lovely meal. My dinner companion and I shared a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino that was very good. As much as I would love to tell you about this particular bottle, I failed to take a photo or write down tasting notes. I believe that is a first for me! However, I can certainly tell you about the wine in general. Here are some interesting facts about Brunello di Montalcino: The wine is produced with 100% Sangiovese grapes in vineyards that surround the town of Montalcino located in the Tuscany wine region. Brunello di Montalcino was awarded the first DOCG designation in 1980 and is considered one of Italy’s most famous and distinguished wines. Montalcino is a small wine region with around 3,000 acres planted as compared to the nearly 41,000 acres of planted land in Chianti. Montalcino has roughly 250 wineries producing Brunello di Montalcino. The “common” characteristics of the wine are as follows: Bright garnet color Aromas and flavors of dark berries, chocolate, leather, aromatic wood, vanilla and a subtle floral bouquet. It tends to be dry with a long aromatic finish. Now on to a very busy day!
Cheers! Penina It’s Monday and once again the snow, sleet and freezing rain is here to greet us. As much as I like to embrace the winter season, I am reaching my “full” capacity with it all! I attended a wine tasting at a local wine shop the other day to try a 2002 Château Lanessan from the Haut-Médoc. This Left Bank Bordeaux blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, with a little Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc thrown in, was a deep garnet color. Aromas of plum, spice and cherry “pipe” tobacco gave way to cherry, strawberry and pepper on the palate. It was silky, well balanced and the fruity finish was long. http://www.lanessan.com My knitting project is in a holding pattern, but I hope to complete my design by the weekend. This is a good day to continue purging rooms in my house while juggling business from home. Until tomorrow… Cheers!
Penina It was a busy day yesterday. So, it was a welcome respite to have dinner with a friend. As an added bonus, he brought a lovely bottle of wine for us to share. The wine was a 2006 Chappellet Merlot from Napa Valley. It was ruby colored with dark berries, anise and spice on the nose. There were layers of raspberry, cherry, pepper and mocha on the palate. It was full bodied, soft and ended with a long finish. Visit their website to read the Chappellet story. http://www.chappellet.com I’m off to a “mini” wine tasting.
Happy Saturday! Cheers! Penina And the winner is… Yesterday I posted a photo of four vintage wines, one of which was opened Wednesday evening. I asked my friend to randomly select a bottle…and this is what he chose. 1976 Château Dassault, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru. With a little effort, the cork came out. The color was brick red with a very subtle berry aroma, which was encouraging. Surprisingly, the wine still had structure and was very drinkable. Throughout the evening, a mild fruit essence, fennel and spice became more pronounced on the palate. There was very little sediment for a wine of this age. Needless to say, the bottle was fully consumed! http://www.dassaultwineestates.com Château Dassault was created in the mid 1800’s under the name Château Couperi by a member of the Fourcaud family who are best known for creating Château Cheval Blanc. Michel Dassault bought the Château in 1955, giving it his name. In 1969 the Château obtained Grand Cru Classé status.
Saint-Emilion Grand Cru wines are produced with tighter production restrictions than regular Saint-Emilion wines. The intention behind this is to improve quality, and to distinguish the area's finer wines from the more everyday wines. This applies to other Grand Cru appellations as well. I want to take a moment and thank my followers who seem to be growing by leaps and bounds. I enjoy your comments and feedback…keep them coming! Happy Friday! Cheers! Penina I woke up this morning to snow…again! Hopefully, we will only get an inch or two. I’m ready for warm days and sand between my toes! I’m going to transcend my “warm” thoughts into knitting something for spring/summer. As soon as I can find a window, I’ll sketch a design and begin the project. Let’s hope it isn’t spring by the time I finish it! Last evening a friend and I opened one of these vintage wines to celebrate my upcoming 200th post. I’ll share what we chose with you tomorrow! My evening ended with a little Camus VSOP cognac. I have reviewed Camus several times…most recently on January 14th, Day 182. If you haven’t already read it, please check it out. Some interesting facts about Cognac: Cognac is a particular type of brandy that is named for the town and surrounding area of Cognac, France. All Cognac is brandy, but not all brandy can be considered Cognac. For a brandy to be called Cognac, it must be made from specified grape varieties grown in the AOC, double-distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in Limousin or Tronçais oak barrels. Cognac must be at least 40 percent alcohol. Cognac is primarily made from Trebbiano grapes or Ugni Blanc in French. Folle Blanche and Colombard are white grape varieties that are also used in the production of cognac. Cognac is France’s 2nd largest export product! Happy Thursday!
Cheers! Penina I’m writing this post on the fly. I have many appointments and lots of car travel today. In between all my work yesterday, I managed to make a big pot of tomato lentil soup. A friend stopped by for an impromptu visit in the evening. So, I gave him a bowl of soup and a glass of wine. We opened a bottle of 2010 Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico. This Tuscan wine made of 100% Sangiovese grape was ruby in color with earthy aromas. It was full-bodied with dark berries and tart fruit. It is a nice “go to” wine when not going big. http://www.castellogabbiano.it Have a great Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina So much snow! Even the snowman has had enough. Unfortunately, the groundhog saw his shadow yesterday and we have another six weeks of deep freeze to go…if you buy into that. I took advantage of the frigid temps and snow this weekend to focus on projects in my house. I’m purging room by room. It was a long day yesterday, so I rewarded myself with a little Hennessy VSOP at the end of the evening. I’m down to the last drop in the bottle! I reviewed this cognac in September. “It had a deep rich color with oak, spice and a hint of honey on the nose. I tasted a more complex variety of fruits, spice and wood hints, from aging in French oak for up to 15 years. It was smooth with a lovely finish. A winner!” www.hennessy.com/ Have a wonderful Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina |
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