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While drinking coffee Thursday morning with an old friend, we had a discussion about truth, lies and omissions. I said that it is better to hurt someone with the truth, than to comfort them with self-serving lies. He didn’t agree. It was a futile dialog, because a tiger never changes his stripes and sadly, neither will my friend. It is a pitiful testimony to his relationships, but in the long run…not my problem. So, I’ll end this paragraph with a quote from Confucious. "Three things cannot be long hidden...the sun, the moon and the truth". Anyone want to weigh in with his or her opinions?  The rest of my day and evening were blissful. I spent several hours with 3-month-old twins, one in each arm! My heart melted with their sweet cooing and smiles. I loved singing to them and I was amazed at how many lullabies I remembered.  The evening brought it’s own set of smiles. Friends and I gathered to watch the NY Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators while dining on wine and pizza. The Rangers won, the wine and pizza were good and the company was priceless!  We drank 2010 Nautilus Estate Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand. The color was dark ruby with aromas of cherries, spice and a hint of herbs. On the palate, the cherries continued with licorice, spice and a taste of earth. Smooth tannins and a long finish added to a very nice wine experience. https://www.nautilusestate.com Saturday evening we will all meet again to watch the NY Rangers vs. Bruins game that was taped earlier in the day. It should be a very entertaining evening. Happy Friday!
Cheers! Penina  After a grueling day, I was rewarded last evening with a very special bottle of wine from a friend’s cellar. Thankfully, I had made a great dinner to complement the wine!  It was a 1997 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Fourteen hundred cases were produced and I am so happy that one of the bottles graced my dinner table! The wine was made from 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot and was heavenly! The color was deep purple with an earthy aroma that also included hints of dark jams, black cherry and spice. The aromas carried over to the palate and as the evening progressed, the characteristics of the wine became more pronounced with spice, dark fruit and a hint of chocolate. Soft tannins and a long finish were the added bonus. This was a full bodied, rich and delicious wine! Yum! http://www.seaveyvineyard.com  Only one more day until the weekend starts. What will you be uncorking?
Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina  It’s a “marathon” kind of day…working with clients in the morning and then office time this afternoon. And in between it all I’m squeezing in a quick post.  As some of you have noticed, I have abandoned my knitting for the last few months due to a number of distractions in my life. Every time I’ve headed for the yarn and knitting needles, other matters have pulled me away. However, I am hoping that “things” will settle down in the next week or so and I can put together some pretty cotton artwear for spring.  A few nights ago, I had a very nice Sauvignon Blanc. It was a 2009 Cade from Napa valley made from 93% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Sémillon, and 1% Viognier. It was a light straw color with lovely aromas of tropical fruits and honeysuckle. The fruit continued on the palate with citrus, peach and a hint of marmalade that extended into a long finish. This was a very refreshing wine that I hope to drink again while watching a summer sunset! http://www.cadewinery.com Happy Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina  Friday and Saturday slipped through my fingers and I’m trying to catch up.  Between the snowstorm on Friday and a non-stop day yesterday, I was ready for a night out! So, last evening a friend and I joined a few people for a beautifully prepared meal at their home. We dined on Vichyssoise Soup, miniature crab cakes, grilled halibut and assorted vegetables. It was scrumptious! We drank 2011 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, a perfect accompaniment to the food.  This ruby colored Cab is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec and aged for 18 months in French oak. It had aromas of dark plum, cherry, spices and cocoa. It was a beautiful balance of flavors and silky tannins. We tasted black cherry, raspberry, herbs, a hint of pepper and cherry tobacco. It was a long finish and a sigh was heard from all. http://www.robertcraigwine.com  The sun is shining today and I’m a happy camper! Enjoy your Sunday!
Cheers! Penina  I’m sneaking in a moment of a rather crazy day to give a shout out…again, to a wine I had last evening. Although it was a stressful and long day, I managed to rustle together a lovely meal. As I flew around the kitchen, I gave my dinner guest carte blanche to my “wine cellar”. He came back with a wine that I reviewed on 1/29/15, Day 194.  It was a 2008 D'Isanto & D'Isanto I Balzini White Label Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT. The wine is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Sangiovese. The last time I reviewed it, we had decanted the wine and let it sit for an hour. This time, we poured right from the bottle, let it sit in the glass for about 20 minutes and then enjoyed the experience. My review of the wine is the same as before. “The color was deep garnet with an incredible bouquet of dark fruits, earth and spices. It was rich in flavor with dark plum, blackberries, pepper and herbs. The finish was long and smooth.” Check out their website: http://www.ibalzini.it And now it’s back to work.
Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina We’re just a few days away from spring, but the temps are dropping. And, I heard that we might get some more snow! Say it isn’t so!!  I’m going to jump right in and tell you about a very nice wine that I tasted the other evening. It was a 2013 Meiomi Chardonnay. This California wine is a blend of three regions…49% Santa Barbara County, 30% Sonoma County and 21% Monterey county. The wine was a vibrant golden color with exotic fruits and apples on the nose. It was well balanced with mild citrus, a hint of butterscotch and peach. It paired well with the grilled salmon and roasted vegetables! http://www.meiomiwines.com Busy day! Have a great Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  Although I had a crazy weekend filled with business meetings, organizing and family obligations, I did take a few moments here and there to “stop and smell the roses.”  I joined a friend on Friday evening for a festive meal, dining amongst the “who’s who” crowd. We decided to celebrate spring a little early and ordered one of the restaurant’s signature drinks…Vodka Thyme Lemonade. I wrote about this fantastic drink on my “Day 30” post in July. You can read it at: http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2014/07/day-30.html To find out more about the drink and restaurant: http://www.jean-georges.com/recipes/cocktails/lemon-thyme-vodka-lemonade/  On Saturday, I took a few moments and stopped in at a local wine tasting to sample a 2012 Domaine du Cayron Gigondas. This is a southern Rhone red blend made from 70% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 14% Syrah and 1% Mourvedre. It was dark red with aromas of red fruit, spice and a hint of pine. On the palate, the red fruit continued with licorice, spice and basil. The wine was rich with medium tannins. Very nice! And now…back to work!
Happy Sunday! Cheers! Penina  The days are flying by and yesterday was no exception. After an intense meeting, I went out with a friend for a “bon voyage” lunch. It seems that everyone is going skiing this weekend. Although he tried to entice me into going as well, I have too many obligations to attend to. Perhaps another time…another weekend!  We had a nice lunch accompanied by a glass of 2012 Ruta 22 Malbec from Patagonia Argentina. The color was deep red with lots of dark fruit on the nose. It was a dry wine with flavors of dark berries, plum and spices. Mellow tannins and a hint of raspberry gave it a nice finish. I wouldn’t mind buying a bottle or two!  Happy Friday!
Cheers! Penina  There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day lately. Just when I think that my proverbial “to do” list is getting smaller, more items mysteriously appear on it. I need a vacation!!  After a crazy and non-stop day yesterday, it was nice to mellow out over dinner with a friend. Although the wine we drank is not worth mentioning, the conversation more than sated my thirst.  However, I do want to mention a wine that I tasted the other evening. It was a 2011 Catena Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. Made from 100% Malbec grapes, it was the color of dark amethysts. The aromas of ripe fruits, plums, hints of vanilla and cocoa were heavenly. Flavors of blackberries, plum, spice and a tease of cinnamon burst onto the palate. Smooth tannins and a velvety long finish made this wine a winner! The winery has a great history. Check it out at: http://www.catenawines.com Have a great Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  So much for cross-country skiing yesterday. We switched gears and headed out on snowshoes instead. It seems the trails were quite icy. It was fine by me! I got lots of exercise and only fell once!  Afterwards we gathered at a friend’s home for drinks and food. I was ready for a hot toddy or hot chocolate, but I didn’t say no to the glass of Pinot Noir that was handed to me.  It was a 2012 Russian River Pinot from the Merry Edwards Winery in Sonoma. It was a deep red that bordered on purple. Abundant aromas of dark fruits with hints of cocoa and vanilla carried on to the palate. It was full bodied and rich with a long, smooth finish. It certainly warmed me up! https://www.merryedwards.com Enjoy your Sunday!
Cheers! Penina |
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