Wine Lovers Discussions - The Fine Living Hub

Review Red Guitar Navarra Old Vine From Spain

2008-05-13T14:04:26.818Z

Reposted from http://thewinespace.com/

What is Spain most known for from the eyes of an American? What comes to mind first? Bull fights? The running of the bulls during the Sanfermines in Pamplona? The large Fiesta�??s put on annually? Warm beautiful beaches? Flamenco song, dance and guitar? The Old monuments? Madrid, Or maybe wine? Since Spain just happens to one of the top producers of wine.

Wine did you say? Well we have just the fix you need you crave. A nice wine from the Navarra region of Spain. Navarra's dry climate, limestone soils and abundant sunshine are the perfect conditions to produce vibrant, spicy wines.

A red wine blend of 55% Tempranillo and 45% Garnacha. These two wine varietals are the most popular wines and blending wines in Spain. They also come from 60 to 100 year old plus vineyards with a lot of history.

Depending on what story you hear these vines may have even come from a local priest and some tough villagers. This wine comes close to capturing all that is Spain. Intrigue, history uniqueness and flavor.

When KD and I first tasted this wine, KD made a very neat observation. She commented �??this tastes like a blend of merlot and zinfandel�??.
KD had not even looked at the bottle, to know that this was a blend�?��?�.Sometimes magic just happens.

The color, body and texture were unremarkable. The taste though was a real treat, something you just do taste everyday. A wine with extraordinary uniqueness. Not your every day wine on the self. We like this blended wine a lot. A rich smooth taste with a medium finish. This wine will go with all sorts of entrée�??s only held back by your imagination. Have fun pairing this wine.

We rate this wine (Good)

Here are our Ratings: / Pass / Fair / Ok / Good / Great

Disclaimer: Just because we like or dislike a wine does not mean that you will have the same experience. Of course it�??s always worth a try�?�.tell us what you think??

Aloha,
Ron

Review- Contrada Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 06�??

2008-04-10T03:11:08.348Z

This past weekend proved to be another summertime get together with Family, Good Music, Food & Wine. I can�??t tell you enough how fortunate we are to spend quality moments like this with our son and his fiancée. Summer seems to lure you outside to appreciate all of your surroundings and loved ones. I especially seem to notice everything from the sweet smell of jasmine in the yard, birds in the trees and the smell of neighboring barbeques enjoying just as we are.

I believe Ron and I live for Ambience. .Its so important to us that we want our guests to experience it as well.. In fact my brother says staying at our home is a experience and he literally books dates on the calendar so that he too can experience that certain ambience�?�..

I decided to Barbeque chicken tonight which I marinated a couple hours prior as well as corn on the cob and baked potatoes, of course all of this is simple but completely satisfying to our taste buds! We uncorked the Contrada Napa Valley Sauvignon blanc and anticipated to enjoy this with our meal�?��?�

Contrada Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 06�??from Oakville California with its fruit undertones seemed as though it would be great. The taste would prove otherwise�?�. Fresh and lively with a long finish, 13.5 % alcohol. It didn�??t seem to hit the spot. We�??ve had so many other Sauvignon Blancs that were so great and this one only seemed �??FAIR�?? to us. I wanted to give it another chance as it had been rated at 90 points, however twice as nice so they say didn�??t work this time. The aromas were good with their tropical ,citrus smells, the color had good clarity, the taste to us�?�somewhat bitter. Quite frankly to many other great Sauvignon Blancs out there to buy this again�?�.Should you choose to try this wine, it will run you around $12.00.�?�

We rate this wine (FAIR)

Here are our Ratings: / Pass / Fair / Ok / Good / Great

Disclaimer: Just because we like or dislike a wine does not mean that you will have the same experience. Of course it�??s always worth a try�?�.tell us what you think??

Aloha,

KD

Review Summerland Syrah �??05

2008-04-03T15:11:44.611Z

Reposted from http://www.thewinespace.com/

In the 1980�??s Nebil "Bilo" Zarif began looking for a wine friendly region to farm grapes. Highway 101in California is one of the best kept secrets for land ready to produce great wine making grapes. Bilo found his wine growing region and fell in love with the central coast. This region spans from the Santa Barbara coast all the way to Monterey. He was inspired by the relaxed, friendly lifestyle displayed along the California coast. Today he makes wine from all the different micro climates up and down this coast. He has wines from Santa Ynez valley, Santa Maria valley, Santa Rita hills, Edna valley, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County�?�..just to name a few.

KD made an amazing perfectly seasoned rigatoni with she mixed in Italian sausage smothered this in spaghetti and slow simmered for about 30 minutes. She then took it off the burner and placed them in individual plates and toped with mozzarella and baked until the cheese was melted. She then topped it with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. OH MY GOSH, was this GGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOD. It was so good it was hard finishing this blogs. I just wanted to go get seconds, or thirds, but I need to walk tomorrow. To be honest the wine was just a feather in the cap. A good addition to an already great meal.

The wine paired wonderfully with our entrée for the night. This wine was aged in both French and American oak and then blended to maintain both oaks character. The color was a medium to dark ruby red. The aroma that first hit my nose was the smell of fruit, like I was smelling a jammy grape. Light notes of spice and pepper were prevalent. Then came the taste�?��?��?� dark fruit, cassis and a hint of spice. This wine had a medium finish and 14.1% alcohol. I liked this wine, it was good and should pair with many entrée�??s. This wine will cost you about $15.00.

We rate this wine (Good)

Here are our Ratings: / Pass / Fair / Ok / Good / Great

Disclaimer: Just because we like or dislike a wine does not mean that you will have the same experience. Of course it�??s always worth a try�?�.tell us what you think??

Aloha,

Ron

Review Napa Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon �??04

2008-03-28T22:52:51.024Z

The thing that struck me first about this wine was the�?��?��?��?� bottle. It had to be one of the coolest looking bottles of wine I have ever seen. Maybe it is because the bottle and label are black. There is a Artist drawn hand reaching for a grape. IT IS JUST TO COOL! If you have ever been to Napa there is a restaurant called Mustards right off of Highway 29. Right next to Mustards is the Napa Cellars tasting room, you walk right out of the parking lot of Mustards and into the Napa Cellars tasting room! This winery is still family owned and operated. Their wines are hand crafted and blended to produce exceptional wine. This wine also won the GOLD MEDAL at the 2007 WEST COAST WINE Competition.

So both you and I know what goes best with a nice estate grown
Cabernet Sauvignon�?��?��?��?�.MEAT. KD made her now famous Tri-tip steak, they should just bring the cow here and leave it. Sometimes it is just a necessity to eat meat.

We paired this Napa Cellars Cab with our meal. This wine has great color and was not over filtered. I like a little grit in my wine if you know what I mean. Dark, Dark color almost like ink. Swirl the glass and you get an aroma of Black fruit, Black berry and plum. You are treated to that same pleasure on your palate with a mellow light toasted oak and vanilla after taste. This cab has a medium finish with a balanced texture. This wine paired nice with our baked tri-tip and the Guys choice Awards on Spike TV.

Just a shameless plug. A song from the band Spun produced by our Son was played tonight on Spite T.V. The Song �??Geek�?? was used and played during the Coolest Geek Award. You can Purchase the CD on CDBABY.com.

Back to the Wine�?��?�..This wine will cost you around $20.00.

We rate this wine (Good)

Here are our Ratings: / Pass / Fair / Ok / Good / Great

Disclaimer: Just because we like or dislike a wine does not mean that you will have the same experience. Of course it�??s always worth a try�?�.tell us what you think??

Aloha,

Ron

Chardonnays you were impressed with!

2008-03-26T15:38:51.110Z

Reposted from http://www.thewinespace.com/

Review Laetitia Estate Chardonnay �??05

Hello, yes I am back and alive after a crazy, interesting and fun time in Yosemite National forest. Completely balanced and ready to get back to work. If you have not been there�?�.. you need to jump in your car and drive until you get there!!!!!!!!!!. Speaking of completely balanced�?�..our wine tonight was pretty close.

In 1982, French viticulturists from the esteemed champagne house, Champagne Deutz searched California for a suitable site to begin growing and producing Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines in America. They likened the soils and climate of the Arroyo Grande Valley to those found in their native Epernay, France and thus Maison Deutz was born. (quote).

In 1997 this winery was purchased by Jean-Claude Tardivat who actually owned the vineyards. Jean-Claude Tardivat named this winery after his daughter LAETITA. How wonderful would that be to have your father name a winery after you. (glad that did not happen in my case or my name would be Bud). Long story short this winery exchanged hands again in 2000 and was purchased by the partnership that included Selim Zilkha, who acquired this winery and is sole owner today. What is very neat about this winery is what they are doing right. This winery is also the parent company of Barnwood Vineyards and Avila Winery. If you remember I reviewed Avila Syrah on January 16th . I also have tried some of their other wines. Some would call this an off brand �??I would call it a brand right on.

KD made a wonderful entrée tonight. Since KD loves to cook southern style she uses a little bacon drippings now and then. Tonight she sliced boneless chicken breast and cooked then in bacon drippings with minced garlic, garlic pepper, garlic salt, Ono seasoning from Hawaii and fresh chopped basil. (Yes I do smell like garlic most the time) She then took baby spinach leaves tossed them lightly in Italian seasoning and placed this mouth watering chicken on top with cherry tomatoes. Scrumptious would be an understatement�?��?��?�..I felt reborn!!!!!

The meal continued to get better as we poured Laetitia Chardonnay. This wine had a mellow yellow and light caramel color. '05 Laetitia Chardonnay stays bright, feisty, silky and full bodied. Hints of ripe, citrus, and tropical-rich aromas fill your senses. This �??05 Chardonnay is a rich blend of pear, melon and apple flavors woven with crisp citrus overtones. The first taste was unique and much more powerful than the first smell�?��?� KD and I looked at each other and said �??I like it, I like it a lot�??. This chardonnay was aged in French oak that, on our pallet was not over done. Complex layers of toasted oak and unique minerality are very prevalent on the pallet. A nice long and luxurious finish with hints of peach and apricot to reward your taste buds.

This wine paired wonderfully with our entrée and will cost you around $20.00.

We rate this wine (Good)

Here are our Ratings: / Pass / Fair / Ok / Good / Great

Disclaimer: Just because we like or dislike a wine does not mean that you will have the same experience. Of course it�??s always worth a try�?�.tell us what you think??

Aloha,

Ron

Review Leal Vineyards Merlot �??04.....the one that almost got away!

2008-03-22T00:56:49.849Z

Reposted from http://www.thewinespace.com/

This last weekend we went wine tasting all day with family members�?��?�.The party did not stop there. We came back and began BBQing and opening other bottles of wine. After the third bottle of wine, it really did not matter what we were drinking. We made a fire in our outdoor fire pit and just relaxed. I believe we all headed to bed after the outdoors stopped spinning.

Here we are 5 days later and I found a wine bottle capped that I had not seen before. A bottle 1/3 full of Leal Vineyards Merlot �??04. One I do not remember having. It comes from the San Benito appellation near Hollister. We decided to have this wine with our home made pizza. First the aroma�?��?��?�. After swirling the glass to enhance the aroma to the top of the glass�?��?��?�.. Wow, What a great smelling merlot! Extremely intense cherry and dark red fruit smells. A very wonderful example of this varietals. The taste was chewy, rich, big, intense with a long finish and a great balance and structure. As you can tell we really liked this wine. Can you imagine, it was almost wasted!!!!!! The good news we will buy another bottle�?��?��?��?�.

This wine will pair with any meat dish you have, Lamb, Steak or any other meat or heavy dish, and would go perfect with any strong cheeses. This wine is also a wonderful merlot to just sit somewhere with a view and sip with a friend. To me this wine got better and better as we went. The bad news is we only were able to squeeze about a third of a glass each. We did not get this wine through our normal channels of purchasing wine. We must have received this wine from one of the wine clubs we belong too. In any case we are lucky Hollister, Ca is not that far from here and that is where this winery is located. I looked around and there is a very limited quantity of this wine out there. If you find it you are in for a treat. How did this wine go with our pizza, actually this wine could have gone with about any dish. Now you cant say that about to many wines can you? Although we didn�??t enjoy this wine quite like we should have when the bottle was opened, fortunately for us as we discovered a few days later, this wine
was good TO THE LAST DROP!!!!!!!!! This wine will cost you about $25.00 to $30.00 dollars.

I would rate this wine (Great).

Here are our Ratings: / Pass / Fair / Ok / Good / Great

Disclaimer: Just because we like or dislike a wine does not mean that you will have the same experience. Of course it�??s always worth a try�?�.tell us what you think??

Aloha,

Ron

Review Tapiz Chardonnay from Argentina

2008-03-03T14:10:39.885Z

Reposted from http://www.thewinespace.com/

In South America at the southern tip of the continent sits Argentina. Surrounded by Chili, Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil and Uruguay�?��?� This country has immerged as one the leaders in South America for wine quality and production. With the help of the diversification that the weather provides plus the micro climates that the Andes mountains provide, these Argentina wines are making their mark in the world. Case in point�?�.recently while shopping some different mega wine stores I noticed that Argentina, Chili and Spain all had about the same number of wines available. I was actually surprised. I thought Spain would have twice as much or more than both countries combined. After doing a little research I found that all three countries imported and offered about 80 different wines�?��?�At least that�??s what I was able to find at the mega wine stores�?��?�...

Fincas Patagónicas Winery is located in the Valle de Uco and Agrelo region, in the province of Mendoza. Behind the winery is Mt. Plata (6100 meters) and Tupungato volcano (6800 meters) high. This winery is mostly
known for their Malbec. In fact they had been named in 2000, 2002, 2004 one of the best overall Malbec and best value wines by three different major wine magazines. Tonight KD made pork loin filets over a bed of cooked spinach with a twist of lemon�?�..perfect to pair with their Tapiz Chardonnay.

Due to the warm sunny days, and cool nights. This makes for an ideal climate for these vineyards to flourish. This also allows the grapes to mature and provide the perfect balance of sugar and acidity in the grapes. The wine is then fermented in French oak barrels for 10 months. What this provides is a wine with an attractive color, aroma and taste that reminds one of citrus, apples, and peaches. The French oak adds the toasted vanilla flavor and its character and depth. So how does this wine taste and pair with or entrée of the night�?��?��?��?��?��?�.This wine is the wine to go to if you just started drinking wine. We had to check the label twice to make sure we were not drinking a Sauvignon Blanc. Some Tropical sweet flavors were there as if you were drinking a Sauvignon Blanc. This paired wonderfully with our tender pork loin. This wine had a unique taste for a chardonnay. This wine will cost you about 10-15 dollars.

We rate this (Good)

Here are our Ratings: / Pass / Fair / Ok / Good / Great

Disclaimer: Just because we like or dislike a wine does not mean that you will have the same experience. Of course it�??s always worth a try�?�.tell us what you think??

Aloha,

Ron

Review Chateau La Croix De Cabut Bordeaux

2008-02-24T17:56:29.510Z

Reposted from http://www.thewinespace.com/

Two nights ago we had this wine just because! This was one of those wines that we rated good right away. But then I couldn�??t really find out anything about this wine except that it is from France. *Note to the French Wine Makers�?��?�.If you plan on selling your wine in a Country other than France, please have a web site that tells us about your winery and the wines you produce and distribute. I know I plan on taking French lessons soon, right after I learn Spanish and before I brush up on my German�?��?�
I came up with that after 3-4 hours of wasted time looking for their web site. Let me change that�?�..Not wasted time actually more time to look into the other Bordeax regions�?��?�.

Back to this wine�?�..What I can tell you is what I found printed on the label. Grand Vin De Bordeaux Chateau La Croix De Cabut. This wine is from the Cotes De Blaye region of France. The wine was a pleasant surprise. KD commented that it had a little spice and Zinfandel taste. I think she was right. It was rich, deep red in color with a smooth finish that got better as it opened up. All I know is that this wine had a unique taste and we liked it. The region this wine is from is a little less known than some but just as important. This region is just waiting for the right backing to move into the fore front of wine making. Other regions have already had big money come in and help them grow internationally. Some other regions to watch and check your wine bottles are, The Graves, Lalande de Pomerol, Premiere Cotes De Bordeaux, Cotes de Castillion, Montagne ST-Emilion, Cotes de Blaye and Haut Medoc.

Today you can find wines from the Bordeaux region at affordable prices. You don�??t say!!!!!. In fact more and more wineries are selling not only their $200-1000 plus bottles but the same name brand wines that are blends that sell for very affordable prices. I just hope you have better luck finding some information about what you are drinking. This wine will cost you around $15-20 Dollars and well worth the mystery!

Au Revoir

We rate this (Good)

Here are our Ratings: / Pass / Fair / Ok / Good / Great

Disclaimer: Just because we like or dislike a wine does not mean that you will have the same experience. Of course it�??s always worth a try�?�.tell us what you think??

Aloha,

Ron

Review Macon-Lugny, �??Les Charmes�?? Chardonnay, 2005

2008-01-14T15:35:49.283Z

Monday, June 4th, 2007 (Repost from The Wine Space)

Can we all just agree that we have different taste buds, likes and dislikes, when it comes to wine. That is why when I do a review I put a disclaimer at the bottom of every page�?��?��??Just because we like or dislike a wine does not mean that you will have the same experience. Of course it�??s always worth a try�?�.tell us what you think??�?? The case in point tonight is Macon-Lugny, �??Les Charmes�?? Chardonnay �??05.�?��?��?�.

KD made Cornish Game Hens with vegetables tonight. She took carrots, onions, mushrooms and potatoes and laid them under the Cornish hens, seasoned and then baked them for an hour and a half. All the vegetables soaked up the juice from the hens. This made everything taste just a tad better. We paired this meal with our French wine for the night.

We uncorked the Macon-Lugny, �??Les Charmes�?? Chardonnay �??05 and sampled just a taste before our meal. This wine is considered a white straight burgundy style Chardonnay produced by La Cave de Lugny in the Burgundy-Macon Appellation. You know the anticipation just prior to that first sip. The anticipation of great aromas and a wonderful taste�?�We always hope for a great wine to review�?��?��?� I have read other reviews over the past year from different wine enthusiasts and to be honest even the wine enthusiast from England and France have rated this wine good. Not great!

This wine displayed light apple and pineapple notes. This wine was crisp, with a strong acidic and minerals taste. It was an OK balance and had a long finish. It was aged completely in stainless steel tanks, which is why it was completely divulged of any oak taste�?��?��?��?�and we did not particularly care for this wine. To us it was not what we look for in a chardonnay. It did not even go with our Cornish Game Hen meal very well. Usually a wine even if it is not the best, compliments your meal in some way or another. If there were no other wines on the house wine list�?�.. I would drink this. This wine will run you about $10.00.

I would rate this wine (Pass-Fair).

Here are our Ratings: / Pass / Fair / Ok / Good / Great

Disclaimer: Just because we like or dislike a wine does not mean that you will have the same experience. Of course it�??s always worth a try�?�.tell us what you think??

Aloha,

Ron

What wine do you like with poultry.

2008-01-09T15:22:23.924Z

Reposted from The Wine Space

I�??d like to think that I enjoy all wines, however I do believe that my preference is Red Wines. Therefore I�??m always on that quest to find a great �??White�?? wine to add to my favorites list�?��?� We�??ve shared a few with you in the past and we were hoping this would be another one�?��?��?��?��?��?��?�

I decided to make a simple meal of roasted chicken with a side spinach salad�?��?�Perfect for a white wine such as chardonnay. I chilled the wine for a while and anticipated our taste buds to jump with the first sip of Calera Chardonnay 05�??.

In approximately 1974 Josh Jensen set out to find the perfect property with limestone to grow grapes to make excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Josh�??s life in France in previous years made him focus on properties with limestone ridden soil, perfect for making Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Josh found that property near Hollister, Ca. 100 years earlier limestone had been commercially quarried on this property. So Jensen took the leap and invested in several acres. Jensen�??s property which is considered the highest and coldest vineyard in California is 2200 feet above sea level. In 1975 Jensen began his winemaking, thus a new chapter in his life and a beginning of history for Calera Wines. Calera which means Limekiln in Spanish became the Logo for Calera Winery.

This light in color wine had strong fruit and floral notes, a bit bitey for us but neverless, good enough to recommend as a casual drinking wine�?�. This wine will run you around $16.00 . We rate this wine �??Fair�??.

Yes, I still love my Reds�?��?�. But life is fun when mixing it up somewhat.
So go enjoy your wine and take in all that it has to offer�?��?�..

Here are our Ratings: / Pass / Fair / Ok / Good / Great

Disclaimer: Just because we like or dislike a wine does not mean that you will have the same experience. Of course it�??s always worth a try�?�.tell us what you think??

Aloha,

K.D.