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 Friday turned into a serendipity day…my favorite kind! After meeting with a client in the morning, I was all set to work on some projects. However, a phone call from a friend veered me in another direction and I was off on an adventure that included a beautiful fall ride, lunch and wine.  We each had a glass of 2012 Navarro Vineyards “Mendocino” Chardonnay with our lunch. The color was pale straw with pear, honeysuckle, and a hint of citrus on the nose. The palate offered pear, oak, apple and lemon. The wine was crisp with a medium finish and paired nicely with the crab cakes and salad. http://www.navarrowine.com  As I was finally making my way home, another friend called to invite me over for a quick drink of Zodiac Vodka. Trust me…I only had a sip or two, but the vodka was good! It seemed to have more “perfume” on the palate than I recall from my last review, but it was delicious and it is quite different from most vodka that I’ve tasted. I reviewed it on Day 132, 11/11/2014. Here is the review from one year ago: Day 132 on 11/11/2014 The name of the vodka is Zodiac…American-Made in Idaho. It is one of the better potato vodkas that I have had! They originally launched 15 years ago and then re-launched this past October. The vodka is made with regionally sourced potatoes and water from the Snake River Aquifer that runs beneath the distillery. It had a slightly sweet and much cleaner smell than grain vodka. The sweetness extended into the taste, which again, was clean and very smooth. It had a very pleasant aftertaste. Zodiac is also 100% gluten-free! I’m definitely going to add Zodiac to my freezer collection! http://zodiacspirits.com Happy Saturday!
Cheers! Penina Here it is Sunday evening and I’m finally catching my breath.  Saturday was a challenge of squeezing twelve hours of “busy” into a window of six hours, but somehow I managed to do it. After meeting a friend for a bon voyage lunch, I ran to the Art Show reception to meet and greet. I was quite pleased with the positive feedback of my art wear.  When the reception was over, a friend and I celebrated the end of the day with a glass of wine. We opened a 2013 Stag’s Leap Karia Chardonnay from Napa. The name Karia is derived from the Greek word meaning graceful. And that is just what this wine was. It had pleasing aromas of apple, pear and spice. The palate offered citrus, tart apple, honey and a hint of oak. This was a clean, well-balanced wine with stone fruit and a creamy finish. It was the perfect way to begin and end the evening! http://stagsleap.com Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day and perfect for taking a power walk. I have quite a busy week ahead. And it’s almost bedtime!
Sweet dreams! Cheers! Penina  By yesterday afternoon the humidity had crept back in and the temperature was on the rise. So when my friend came over in the early evening to catch up on life, I went straight to the refrigerator for a perfectly chilled bottle of wine.  We opened a 2013 Nicky Hahn Chardonnay from Hahn Winery, Monterey. While he regaled me with stories, I contentedly listened while sipping this delicious wine. The color was soft lemon with aromas of citrus, pineapple, pear and grass. The palate offered a mosaic of tropical fruits, herbs, caramel, a floral essence and a hint of oak that carried into a long finish. It was crisp and quite refreshing. I’m thinking of buying a few more bottles. http://www.hahnwines.com/  An interesting note about the label…Nicky Hahn’s native language is German. “Hahn” translated means rooster, which is why an illustration of the bird is seen on every bottle produced by the winery. Have a great Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina  Tuesday was a beautiful day and what better way to spend it than touring Italy. Our kick off point was the trendy Bowery Hotel in NYC. This small boutique hotel located in the East Village was the perfect setting for the Kobrand Tour d’ Italia 2015 wine event.  The first stop on this eight-city tour was Risano and Spessa di Capriva in the Friuli Grave and Collio Goriziano D.O.C. zones. I met with Roberto Pighin, the owner of Fernando Pighin & Figli. He has been part of the family winery since he was a child. He is passionate about his wine and took great pride in discussing the production of the Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. The Pinot Grigio Friuli Grave was sweet with fruit and quite lively, as compared to the Pinot Grigio Collio that was more intense with citrus and less fruit. The Sauvignon Blanc Friuli Grave was grassy, mild and very pleasant. http://www.pighin.com  My next stop was the estate of Tenuta San Guido located in the D.O.C. Bolgheri in Tuscany. Colleen McKettrick, the Brand Ambassador, greeted me. It is no secret that Sassicaia is a favorite of mine. And, it is also the first Super Tuscan to be released in 1968. So it was with great pleasure that I tasted some excellent wines. The 2012 Sassicaia was rich with dark fruit, spices and was quite robust. Colleen poured me a special taste of the 2004 Guidalberto and 2006 Sassicaia that were pure velvet! The 2013 Guidalberto Toscana IGT is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It was well-balanced with dark fruit and a velvet texture. The 2013 Le Difese Toscana IGT is a mini Super Tuscan made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, sharing a pedigree with Sassicaia. The fruit is picked from younger vines and is easy to drink. http://www.tenutasanguido.com Agricola Punica, founded in 2002, is located in Sardinia, a large island in the Mediterranean Sea. Sebastiano Rosa (Principle) and his son led me on a guided tour of their wines. We started with the Samas, made with Vermentino and Chardonnay grapes. It was quite refreshing and light with lots of citrus. I also tried Montessu, 2013 and Barrua, 2012, both made with the Carignano grape which is one of three main grapes planted in Sardinia. The Montessu was layered with fruit & spices and called “Super Sardinian” The Barrua was more robust and full-bodied. I’ll have to come back to this island! http://www.agripunica.it/ I found myself back in Tuscany again tasting wines from Tenuta Sette Ponti owned by Giovanna Moretti and her brother Antonio Moretti who also own Feudo Maccari in Sicily. Their Tuscan wines are eclectic and there were many to sample. The newest wine is Vigna del Impero made with 100% Sangiovese. Planted in 1935, Imperno is one of Tuscany’s oldest vineyards. The wine was rich with fruit, spice and medium tannins. I made a quick stop in Sicily to taste Grillo, Sicilia IGP 2014. Aged in steel tanks, this full-bodied wine was floral scented, with citrus and stone fruit on the palate. Did you know that the Grillo grape is most famous for its role in making Marsala wines? http://www.tenutasetteponti.it Tenute Silvio Nardi, located in Tuscany is owned and operated by Emilia Nardi. They are one of the founding families of the Brunello Consortium. The wines are made with 100% Sangiovese. I tasted the 2005 and 2010 Brunello. The 2005 Brunello was high in tannins and more “chewy”. I preferred the 2010 Brunello having softer tannins that allowed the fruit, licorice and spices to dominate. I then tried the 2006 and 2010 Manachiara Brunello. Although the 2006 was bright and robust, the 2010 was smoother and more complex. http://www.tenutenardi.com So, this is where the first leg of my trip ends. Tomorrow I will continue on to Veneto, Piedmont and then back to Tuscany. Until then…  Saluti!
Penina Tuesday seemed to fly by without any work drama or otherwise for a change. The weather was nice and I was really looking forward to getting together with friends.  The evening began at my home with an aperitif of 2014 Mussel Bay Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, NZ. The color was pale gold with aromas of tropical fruit, citrus and grass. The wine was medium bodied and had a slight effervescence to it. The palate offered an interesting range of tropical fruit with grapefruit and herbs lingering on the finish. This is a nice summer “go to” wine and decently priced.  As the sun began to set, we continued on to a friend’s home where we dined and wined. I love these progressive “food and wine” evenings. We drank 2013 La Crema Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley. I guess my host had a few bottles left over from the boat ride we went on a few weeks ago. This is my review from 7/19/15: “It was a beautiful straw color with a nose full of apple, citrus and oak. The palate was layered with pear, apple, toasted nuts, honey and citrus. It was full-bodied and well balanced. The finish was long and smooth. The wine was barrel aged for nine months and alcohol was 14.5%.” http://www.lacrema.com The wine paired beautifully with grilled salmon, corn and tomatoes.  I’m going to spend some time later today selecting two of my knitted art wear designs for an upcoming Art Show in early October. In a perfect world, I would have made something just for the show, but I have been inattentive to my knitting needles this summer.  There is a full moon tonight and the skies will be clear for viewing!
Happy Wednesday! Cheers! Penina  The other evening I went to a friend’s home for dinner. He is passionate about cooking and so it is always a treat to dine with him. His creativity in the kitchen transcends to the beautiful table he sets and his detail to presentation is just as appetizing as the food he prepares. We dined on grilled swordfish that had been marinated in olive oil, lemon and herbs, asparagus and grilled baked potatoes. Even though he has a well-stocked wine cellar, I brought a perfectly chilled bottle of 2013 Louis Jadot Macon-Village Chardonnay from Burgundy. It was a perfect aperitif to have with the appetizers and paired well with the main course.  The wine is made from 100% unoaked Chardonnay grapes. The Macon Village area is situated in the southern part of Burgundy and close to Beaujolais. The appellation covers about 2,500 hectares of vineyards and is one of the largest of the Maconnais area. The wine was pale straw in color with aromas of citrus, floral and apple. The palate offered lemon, apple, melon and a hint of hazelnut. It was clean, crisp and had a lovely finish. http://www.louisjadot.com I have a busy day and evening ahead of me.
Happy Monday! Cheers! Penina  Wednesday turned out to be a day and evening full of surprises, not all good, but manageable. At times, I felt as though I was navigating an unwieldy car through hairpin turns with no brakes! I went from the shock of losing a friend and saying good-bye to a chapter in my life to gaining insight and embracing the new paths ahead…and so the day unfolded.  However, it all ended in a magical sunset sail with good friends! Wine and dinner overlooking the harbor was beyond perfection.  We drank 2012 Chardonnay, Hess Collection Napa Valley. The color was light straw with lovely aromas of citrus, apple and pear. The palate offered green apple, citrus, pineapple and a hint of oak with nice acidity. It was a medium finish at best. http://www.hesscollection.com
And now, on with the day! Have a great Thursday! Cheers! Penina  As predicted, another rainstorm came through towards the end of Tuesday. Fortunately, I had already finished grilling the vegetables. After the storm passed, the sun finally came out to give us a beautiful and dry evening.  I wrapped up the grilled veggies and drove to my friend’s house for a relaxed evening of good food, wine and laughter. We ate baked salmon en papillote, grilled vegetables and roasted potatoes.  The wine was a 2013 Liquid Farm White Hill Chardonnay. This wine comes from the ancient terroir of Sta. Rita Hills, located on the Central Coast of CA. Although the wine is named for it’s “Chablis-like characteristics”, it should not be confused with Chablis. This is all chardonnay! The color was soft gold with a nose full of citrus, earth and flowers. The palate was multi-layered with lemon, grapefruit, stone fruit, honeysuckle and a hint of nuttiness. This was a well-balanced wine with a long finish. www.liquidfarm.com  My “vodka guy” made a delivery today! Hooray…the freezer is stocked again. And, I’m looking forward to an end of the day swim and cocktail! Happy Wednesday
Cheers! Penina  I can’t believe that it is already Sunday. The weekend flew by quickly. After a rocky start to the day yesterday with thunderstorms and house issues, things began to settle down…for a short time.  Although I was reticent to go on a sunset boat ride with friends due to the earlier storms, I was cajoled into hopping aboard. As I suspected, the water was a little too choppy for my enjoyment. However, I smiled, laughed and didn’t eat!  Our hosts provided lots of food and a variety of drinks. I drank lots of water and sipped on 2013 La Crema Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley  It was a beautiful straw color with a nose full of apple, citrus and oak. The palate was layered with pear, apple, toasted nuts, honey and citrus. It was full-bodied and well balanced. The finish was long and smooth. The wine was barrel aged for nine months and alcohol was 14.5%. http://www.lacrema.com My land legs are back and I’m staying low key today.
Happy Sunday! Cheers! Penina  I thought I had been shot out of a cannon yesterday because I never hit the ground from all the activity. So it was a welcome thirty minutes of swimming towards the end of the day that set the tone for the upcoming evening. I put on some music, started grilling vegetables and prepared the salmon for an early dinner. I had a great bottle of wine chilling and the weather was ideal for outdoor dining.  We opened a 2011 Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay. Wow! It was heavenly. The color was intense yellow with tropical fruit, citrus and oak aromas. The palate offered juicy tropical fruit, stone fruit and citrus. It was a lovely finish with a hint of spice lingering on the palate. The wine is fermented and aged 10 months in French oak. http://www.grgich.com  Instead of giving you a history lesson with regard to the estate, I photographed the back of the bottle. It is an interesting read!  I still have much to do before I can kick off my shoes and relax. Happy Friday!
Cheers! Penina |
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