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 It was a productive day yesterday and it ended with an enjoyable evening of wine tasting and food.  We started with two wines from Moldova, a land locked country that sits between Ukraine and Romania. You can read more about this area from a previous blog post on August 1st, Day 52.  The first wine that we sampled last night was from Castel Mimi located in the Bulboaca wine region of Moldova. It was a 2013 Chardonnay. The color was light straw with grapefruit, floral and a hint of petrol on the nose. Apple and citrus dominated the palate. There was an oily mouth feel to it with a hint of anise that faded quickly at the finish. This is an atypical Chardonnay, but interesting. This wine retails for $13.99.  Chateau Vartely 2012 Feteasca Neagra was the next wine that we tasted. This grape also called the Black Maiden, is indigenous to Romania and Moldova. The color of the wine was dark ruby with sour cherry, pomegranate and black fruit on the nose. The palate offered up lots of pepper, spice and berries. Soft tannins and a smooth finish made for a pleasant experience. This wine retails for $18.99. We continued the evening with a 1986 Italian wine! I’ll reveal it tomorrow!  Happy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  In addition to work and projects, the last few days have been filled with cooking, serving and cleaning up. As much as I love to entertain, it is also nice to be on the receiving end! And with that in mind…  After my afternoon lunch date departed yesterday, I cleared the dishes and happily got ready for an accepted invitation to a friend’s home for dinner. I was promised a special bottle of wine and no work, other than his cooking for me. Although he is not known for his culinary talents, the food was good. (I know that you’re reading this…I’m giving you a thumbs up! LOL) The wine was fantastic!  We opened a bottle of 2010 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay from Napa Valley. I have been drinking so many reds of late, that I had almost forgotten how delicious a “good” Chardonnay can be. Chateau Montelena is most famous for winning the white wine section of the Judgment of Paris wine competition in 1976! They beat out all the French Burgundies with its 1973 vintage Chardonnay in a blind tasting.  The 2010 vintage was pale yellow with rich aromas of citrus, pineapple, pepper and a hint of honeysuckle. It was full of texture, with a creamy quality to it. Flavors of peach, green apple, pear and lemon popped up. It was a wonderful finish filled with vanilla and green apple, giving it a dessert quality. I loved it! http://www.montelena.com Have a great Thursday!
Cheers! Penina  The sun is shining and I’m gearing up for some outdoor fun.  But first, let me share a wine story with you. A close friend of mine told me he wanted to make a dish that required some white wine. He went into his extensive wine cellar and pulled out a 2003 Laboure-Roi, Pouilly-Fuisse “Vallon d’Or to use in his creation. This 100% Chardonnay is from one of the best known names in Burgundy. Here are his thoughts upon first opening it…”very drinkable, but…clearly not itself. The slight, but distinct personality of “wine-going-bad” makes a constant appearance through the not-so-long lasting vulnerable light-hearted Pouilly Fuisse.” After letting the wine sit for 45 minutes or so, he took another taste and “put thumbs down on it”. It definitely didn’t hold the flavor as when he first opened the bottle…not so good…and not surprising. However, he happily reported that his recipe with the wine in it was scrumptious!  I don’t think that I will be opening any wines this evening just to add to my recipes as I prepare for guests…I’m only opening wine to drink!
Have a great Saturday! Cheers! Penina  I got together with a few friends last evening to watch the World Series. We enjoyed pizza and salad…quite simple but tasty.  There was a potpourri of drinks being poured that ranged from scotch to vodka to wine. Since one of the wines was a Stags Leap 2012 Chardonnay, I went with that.  I reviewed the 2011 Stags Leap back in June (Day 7) and thought it would be fun to taste the 2012 and report on it. So here goes… It had a light straw color with inviting aromas of pear, honeysuckle and citrus. I tasted pear, green apple, a hint of vanilla and a buttery smoothness. It was a nice crisp finish. Thumbs up! www.stagsleap.com This is an exciting World Series and I can’t wait to watch it tonight. In the meantime, it is back to the drawing board for me.
Cheers! Penina  Happy Labor Day! I’m taking advantage of the sunshine before the rain and thunder roll in again this afternoon.  I made a tiny dent in my knitting project. I made the pattern so complicated, that I have to really concentrate and count every stitch as I knit.  Oh boy…quite a challenge considering that I like to multi task! Enjoy the last of summer! Open up a bottle of wine and celebrate!  Cheers!
Penina It’s the middle of August, but it felt like a fall day.  I was quite energized and did lots of outside chores, including battling the yellow jackets that were swarming around the hummingbird feeder.  As the hummingbirds watched me refill their feeder, I felt a sense of accomplishment, until a yellow jacket landed on my finger. My first instinct was to scream and run, but I stood there with my hand on the feeder, praying for it to go away without stinging me, and it finally did. I retreated indoor. I stayed away from my knitting project today so that I could give my wrist a much needed rest. I hope to finish the project tomorrow. I had a great wine this evening while out to dinner. It was a 2011 Flowers Chardonnay. It was a pale yellow color and had a subtle floral nose. It was oaky with pear, vanilla and citrus. Very nice finish.  Must sleep now.
Cheers! Penina  I was admonished this morning at physical therapy for overworking my wrist while knitting. How could I possibly make her understand that once I start knitting, I find it impossible to stop! When I have a concept and design in my head, it so exciting to watch it emerge before my very eyes. So, I went home thinking that I would rest my wrist for the day….but of course…I didn’t. Here is a photo of the Infinity Cowl that I am making. I hope to put another inch or two on it tomorrow and then finish it by Thursday. And, I pray that my wrist will still be intact! 
On another note... I went to a friend’s house for dinner this evening. One of the “stand out” bottles of wine served was a 2010 Paul Hobbs Russian River Valley Chardonnay. My only complaint was that there were too many people to have to share it with! One glass per person was a huge tease! The perfumed aromas of peach, lemon and honeysuckle were heady. It was creamy with layers of pear, melon and lemon/lime. It was full-bodied and had a wonderful finish.  My quest is to find more bottle of this incredible vintage. Cheers!
Penina  The sultry day turned into a pleasurable evening. After cooling off with a swim, I noticed that it was getting close to cocktail hour. So a nicely chilled Pierre Matrot 2007 Meursault-Charmes 1st Cru was opened. This lovely white Burgundy had a faint aroma of honeysuckle and apple butter. The color was a rich golden yellow. I tasted baked apple, hazelnuts and chalk with a pleasant buttery finish. The wine carried over into dinner and went well with the filet of sole, roasted brussel sprouts and tortellini. 
I ended the evening with a little sip of Fonseca Port. Ahhh…
Cheers! Penina A few days ago I was sitting with a pile of yarn, contemplating my next project. It was also cocktail hour, so I decided to open a bottle of Famille Ligneres 2005 las vals that had been sitting in my refrigerator since the beginning of summer. This delightful wine is made from 80% Roussanne, 10% Grenache gris and 10% Vermentino. It had a yellow to gold color with a soft aroma of peaches and a light floral essence. I tasted apricots, spices and a hint of honey. Check out their website and story at http://www.familleligneres.com/story.html. 
 Although I never did decide what texture or color yarn I wanted to use, I did enjoy my cocktail hour! Cheers!
Penina 
I attended a wine tasting yesterday to sample “Wine of Moldova”. Eleven wineries from several regions were represented. It was a casual walk around tasting. Moldova is a landlocked country located in Eastern Europe. It is now the Republic of Moldova, having gained independence from Russia in 1991. While white production is more dominant in the north, the reds begin to take over moving farther south. I tasted blends of local grapes and European “stalwarts” for both red and white varietals. I tasted Pinot Gris, Traminer, Chardonnay, Fetasca Alba and Aligote for the whites and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Rara Neagra for the reds. I also tasted an interesting Rose or two and an ice wine. Albastrele Wines Company stood out as far as my taste buds were concerned. Their Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot Rose were all excellent. 
Every table had a sign “Looking for Importer”. Moldova wines are trying to take a place on US wine shelves, not an easy feat in this saturated wine industry.
All in all…a good day! Cheers! Penina |
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