|
Join The WineKnitter in exploring the world of Wine, Spirits, Food, Travel and much more! |
 In between work, car travel and my “to do” list yesterday, I managed to make a delicious Cuban whole wheat bread and scrumptious dinner. The adrenalin was pumping!  When my dinner guest arrived, I opened a bottle of 2010 Villa Mattielli Amarone della Valpolicella. I reviewed this wine a few months ago and my thoughts about it are still the same. Although the wine wasn’t decanted this time, it was every bit as good. This is what I had to say about it a few months ago. “It had dark berries and spice on the nose. The wine was rich and smooth with notes of dark cherry, clove, red currants, a hint of white chocolate and oak. Soft tannins and jam gave this a very nice finish.” The only comment I want to add is that the flavors got more intense as the evening went on. I have one bottle left and I plan to keep it under wraps for a year or so. Okay…back to work for me!
Happy Wednesday! Cheers! Penina It seemed as though the day would never end. It was non-stop work yesterday.  Just as I was about to pour a little shot of vodka to celebrate the onset of evening, my phone rang. It was an impromptu invitation to join a friend for dinner. I love serendipity, so I accepted, changed clothes and flew out the door.  The evening did not disappoint! We shared a nice meal and a great wine. It was a 2009 Jessup Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa. It was dark ruby in color with heady aromas of blackberry, plum, fig and a hint of clove. The wine had a silky feel in the mouth with flavors of dark fruits, licorice, earth and hints of oak. The finish was smooth and long with a nice “jammy” feel to it. The longer it sat, the more intense the flavors became. I loved it! jessupcellars.com  I have another crazy day ahead of me. Is it really only Tuesday? Have a good one!
Cheers! Penina  I am fortunate to have friends that possess the capacity to step outside themselves & to be there when the going gets tough! Not just because it’s convenient, but because they are selfless and have big hearts. As all my friends know, I would stop everything to be there for them. If someone seriously wants to be part of your life, they will seriously make an effort to be in it. No Reasons. No Excuses!  So, thank you my sweet friend for coming over last night with a bottle of wine, a hug and a fun evening of watching some of the Oscars together.  We shared soup and a bottle of 2008 Block 216 Pinot Noir Sierra Madre Vineyard. The wine was the color of rubies with dark berries and spice on the nose. There were a variety of flavors to delight the palate such as cherries, licorice, raspberries, cocoa and a hint of oak. The finish was long and silky. It paired nicely with the soup. http://www.sierramadrevineyard.com  Here’s to friendship! Happy Monday! Cheers! Penina  My main goal yesterday was to sort through all the books in my house and arrange them in piles of “keep”, “donate” and “sell”. It was a daunting task of which I am still immersed in. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel…I think!  At the end of the day, I joined a few friends at a very popular and crowded restaurant/bar for a quick drink to kick off the weekend. I decided to forgo my usual vodka martini and opted for a glass of 2010 Renato Fenocchio Barbaresco DOCG, from Piedmont, Italy.  This 100% Nebbiolo grape definitely hit the spot! The wine is aged in French oak barrels, where it remains for a year and half and then is aged for another six months in the bottle. The color was a beautiful garnet with hints of orange if held up to the light. On the nose the wine was fruity with traces of spice. It was rich with flavors of dark fruit, hints of oak, spice and plum. I wouldn’t mind having a bottle or two in my wine cabinet! http://www.renatofenocchio.it I’m off to do some work. Have a happy Saturday!
Cheers! Penina  After a routine workday, a friend stopped by last evening for an “after work/early evening” drink. As fate would have it…or not, I tripped over one of the many piles of things that I’m giving away and ended up icing my knee along with my drink. Good thing he was there to scoop me up!  As I mentioned yesterday, my “wine tasting” evening on Tuesday ended with a vintage wine. It was a 1986 Porta Della Pietra from Greve in Chianti. Producer: John Matta. Written on the label is “Vino da Tavola Toscano”, which means “table wine” in Italian and represents the most basic level of Italian wine. However, this category held some prestige back in the 1970s and 1980s. Top-quality wines were produced under this title, but it doesn’t hold true today.  So, with great anticipation, the bottle was opened and the wine decanted. The wine was made from 75% Sangiovese and 25% Cabernet. It was a dark garnet color and quite impressive for it’s age! Aromas of fruit and spice gave way to red berries, fennel and earth on the palate. After an hour of opening, the wine held up very well. There was a velvety mouth feel and lots of fruit that contributed to a long finish. And the best part is that I have another bottle in my “wine cellar”!  I tried in vain to search for the vineyard. It is probably gone or exists under another name today. However, I did find the producer, John Matta, who now owns Castle Vicchiomaggio in Greve and is making wine! Hmmmm…. Have a super Thursday!
Cheers! Penina  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  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 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  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 |
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed