Tag: Wine

Holy Sh*t Moment

On By sandysoloIn Storytasting, Storytelling, Uncategorized, WineLeave a comment

As I sit on a flight from Boston to San Francisco, tolerating a can of airplane wine (don’t judge) while reading Wine Enthusiast magazine, I come across this short article and I smile widely as I experience certain kismet.

You see, I’m on my way to California to celebrate my birthday with a road trip through key appellations known for Zinfandel: Lodi, Amador County, and a quick stop at one winery in Napa before spending the last night in Healdsburg in Sonoma. About 20 years ago, I had my very own holy shit wine moment with my first taste of Zinfandel.

I’m not talking about White Zinfandel, folks. I’m talking about Zinfandel the red wine. While some might consider it America’s grape, its origin is in Croatia, where it’s called Crljenak Kaštelanski. In Italy, they call it Primitivo. I’m my house, I usually call it delicious. Google it if you want a complete history.

When I was in my mid twenties and a real life grown up with a budding career, I started to drink wine occasionally at work dinners or when I traveled. Like most novices, I drank what I recognized on the wines-by-the-glass list which usually meant Merlot. Like most novices, I neither loved nor hated what I was drinking. I thought all wine was similar. Except Cabernet. I hated it from my first sip but wasn’t yet educated enough to know why.

Then one night, while at dinner with my boss at the time, he ordered a bottle of Zinfandel and handed me a glass. And HOLY SHIT. Life changing wine moment at Sullivan’s Steakhouse.

Some people remember where they were and who they were with during important world events. I remember where my holy shit wine moment happened. I remember sitting in a booth and having steak with Lyonnaise potatoes in King of Prussia, PA.

I don’t actually remember what Zinfandel it was. But it was different than any wine I had ever had at the time, I couldn’t articulate why in wine terms. I can now.

It had great fruit on it. Perfectly ripe cherries and red berries, a little bit of earth and just enough oak to add a teeny bit of decadence but not too much. Jammy without tasting overcooked and void of acid. And no icky Pyrazine aromas, what I would learn 20 years later is exactly what I hate about Cabernet.

I had discovered my jam a few years before people really started saying “my jam.”

Zinfandel opened my mind and started me on a journey of wine exploration. It made me more apt to try varietals I had never heard of rather than play it safe with something that sounded familiar. It made me want to know more and try new things.

If I had not been handed that glass at that very moment, I am certain life would not have led me to become a certified Sommelier. I would not be sitting here headed to my version of Disneyland staring in my own holy shit origin story movie.

Holy shit indeed.

Cheers.

“When I was a child
Every single thing could blow my mind
Soaking it all up for fun
But now I only soak up wine”

-Adele

Airplane Chenin!

On By sandysoloIn Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment
Airplane Chenin

I’m on my way to the 1880’s, I mean Texas, on a Jet Blue flight for a quadrennial tradition of “The Winter Wine Olympics” where I visit my Aunt and Uncle to engage in a few days of watching the games, drinking wine, and inventing activities like the Nathan Chen Drinking Game.

I usually check out the wine selection on any flight mainly for a good laugh and rarely expect to be surprised to see anything but some generic Merlot or Cab and a Chard that likely tastes like a gas station apple pie.

Today I had to stare for several seconds, not believing what I was seeing: South African Chenin Blanc. What?????

I typically love Chenin. It’s one of my favorite white varietals. Although I do need to dive deeper into South African Chenin, as I usually drink safely in The Loite Valley.

So today, I was so excited and surprised, I decided to ignore it was 11am, and talk myself into the fact that it was Sunday so I could call it Brunch, and considering I was watching the Olympics on the seat back TV thus being on brand for the Wine Olympics, I ordered myself some Airplane Chenin.

For something that came out of a mini screw top bottle in an airplane that was stored in a baggie with some ice in a rolling beverage cart, it was leaps and bounds better than anything I’ve ever found on a flying metal bus or on many a house wine list for that matter.

This Chenin ain’t winning any awards, or isn’t some highly rated gem. It’s definitely “dumb,” meaning not complex. But I firmly believe there is a time and a place for good but dumb wine and an airplane is one of them.

There is a softness to the citrus-y and slightly tropical nose. It’s light and citrus-y on the palate. And that’s really it and I’m here for it.

Moral of the story: non- typical varietals are usually a better value when found by the glass or on an airplane. And wine is necessary when traveling to a state that is currently banning books, suppressing the vote, and limits the rights of women to make thier own healthcare decisions.

Joao Portugal Ramos, 2017, Marques de Borba, Alentejo

On By sandysoloIn alentejo, Portugal, Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment
Oh, Mr. Ramos…

When are the damn Portugal borders opening up to US travelers?! This is my second to last bottle of wine from Alentejo left in my stash. This is a wine emergency!

Okay, so you can find this wine in the US but that takes the fun out of it. For me. But not for you!

I love Alentejo wine. It tends to have great fruit concentration but also a perfect pop of acidity that perks up your taste buds.

This is no exception but also has a great earthiness to it.

On the nose the aromas just melt together- earthy-dusty-berries-cherries-mushroomy-nutty.

On the palate it’s dirty ripe blackberries, cinnamon and that kick of acidity that wakes you up. It walks the body borderline of medium and full with some mild but lightly dusty tannins. It finished with a pleasant lingering earthiness that I’m digging tonight.

Can someone please smuggle me and my dog into Portugal immediately? Please?

Bravo Barolo

On By sandysoloIn Italian Wine, Storytasting, WineLeave a comment

Alessandro Rivetto, 2012, Barolo

I have a hard time verbalizing what it’s like when you taste a wine and just know it’s not quite ready and needs some oxygen. You just know. You can tell its potential even though isn’t quite right at first. There seems to not be much happening at first sniff and first sip but you just know there is something special waiting in the wings for Miss Oxygen to show up and bring out. When I talk to skeptics who don’t believe that some oxygen can totally change a wine in dramatic fashion, I want to reach into my vast wine cellar and pull out a bottle of Barolo immediately to open their minds. Except I’m not a rich lady with a vast wine cellar so I can’t afford to keep loads of Barolo hanging around for those situations.

I had this bottle on hand from an event I did a while back. I busted out my fancy bedazzled decanter (more on that later) and poured this bottle into it about an hour before dinner. I snuck a sniff and a taste and, while it was underwhelming, I could sense something good was waiting for me if I could be patient.

After about an hour, my dinner was ready and this wine had morphed into something different than it was a mere 60 minutes earlier.

The nose is savory, beefy even, balanced with red fruit, mildly floral, and some baking spice. The palate is all of these things blended together equally. Nothing overwhelms anything else. It’s seamless. The light-ish brick red color is deceiving as this is a full bodied wine, whose tannins mellowed somewhat with the air, but just enough of them stick around for my liking creating a canvas on which the aromas hang on to on a lingering finish.

And holy crap, this wine and my beef ragu and pappardelle dinner were a match made in heaven. I wanted to keep eating the the leftover sauce for dessert long after my pasta was finished because I had more wine to go with it. And they were made for each other.

A note on the decanter. I always tell people to buy a shape that makes them happy. My bedazzled decanter makes me really happy and is so pretty to look at it. It looks like a graceful swan with a diamond collar. It even does its job well. It’s a f*cking bitch to clean. The neck is too narrow for my hand or any brush. And since you want to keep water far away from your wine, you have to just wait for it air dry before you use it again, which could take more than a day. It’s akin to the most popular guy in your high school likely: pretty but dumb. My new decanter advice: Get the easiest one to clean.

Aranleon, “Solo”, 2017

On By sandysoloIn Spanish Wine, Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment

I received my official Certification in Advanced Spain today!

I’m celebrating with an ancient Spanish varietal, Bobal, from Utiel-Requena in the Valencia Region. U-R is known for resurrecting Bobal and it thrives there.

The name describes my Pandemic state perfectly: Solo. I’m currently drinking Solo solo.

The nose is fruitful of ripe cherries and raspberries, an earthy minerality, and a tiny hint of mocha.

On the pallette, it’s surprisingly fresh for a 14.5% abv, fresh red fruit, a little hit of bitter orange peel, and it finishes with the minerals. But the fruit stands out nicely above everything else.

Available at the PA State Store for $19.99.

Selections from my favorite Cleveland Suburbs Wine Boutique: Part 1

On By sandysoloIn Storytasting, Wine, wine review1 Comment

Zac’s Mesa, “Z Cuvee,” Santa Ynez Valley, 2012

I discovered this little gem of a wine boutique a few miles from my parents’ house last Christmas. It’s adorable and has a nicely curated inventory of mostly affordable wines. I discovered a Primitivo made in the Appassimento method for under $20 last year and I was sold. The store is also very approachable for the novice in the way it is organized, and they offer wines by the glass and flights. My sister and I stopped in last year a few days before Christmas around lunchtime and had an impromptu daytime tasting flight in-between our last minute shopping stops. Oh, it’s called The West Shore Wine Company.

When I decided to make a last minute visit to Cleveland last Sunday to see the Parents, my first stop Monday was to the West Shore Wine Company.  It was again lunchtime. In my indecision to pick one last wine to add to the 4 I had already set aside, I decided I needed a flight to make my final decision. Duh. I bought 5 bottles and I’ll probably go back before I head back to Philly. This is the first wine of the stash I’ll write about.

This is a GSM blend minus the Syrah. What you talking about Willis? No S? Yeppers. It’s 50% Grenache, 45% Mourvedre, and 5% Cinsault. No Syrah in sight.

If you’ve read my previous posts, you may have noticed I’m a bit obsessed with Mourvedre lately. Grenache is typically not my fave, but the lack of Syrah, the large presence of the M and the affordable price point drew me in quicker than a shoe sale.

The nose is full of dry herbs and minerals and tabacco smoke. It’s also full of dark juicy fruit -blueberries and plums. There is a hint of barrel influence. Like a note of carmel wafts by for a split second but fades away.

But on the tongue it’s much fresher. Raspberries and fresh blueberries coated in a dusting of sage. Medium bodied with some flashy tannins and an herby savory finish.

This wine is pretty cool. It’s so fun and fresh and just cool. The exact opposite of myself in high school. I can’t wait for another sip to see what’s in store

Also I feel like these wine glasses my parents have are a little Game-of-Thronesy. I feel like I should be drinking with Cersei Lannister hoping she didn’t poison me for lusting after the King in the North…

Anyway…

So far so good for my Cleveland Suburbs selections. Everything else in Cleveland has been a shit show this week (if you’re reading this in the future, google what happened in Cleveland on September 29, 2020…) I needed a bright spot. If you do too, grab this wine.

Perfect Autumn Wine

On By sandysoloIn Spanish Wine, Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment
This is so YUM.

Perfect Autumn Wine Alert! (And available at the PA State Store!)

Gran Pasas, 100% Monastrell, Yecla Spain 2017

First of all it has this fantastic campfire smoke on the nose.  And chocolate. and a hint of vanilla. So basically this is like sitting around a fire eating smores except drinking wine. In fact the fruit is buried by all of these other wonderful aromas, but there is definitely some cherry in there underneath all the decadence.  The nose alone makes me want to put on an oversized sweatshirt, grab a blanket and drink it while curled up outside on a cool and crisp fall evening. I find most Monastrell’s have some sort of smoke on the nose. Sometimes it’s more campfire, sometimes it’s more tobacco. The campfire is my favorite.

The taste is flat out decadent. Ripe blackberry pie with melted chocolate. It’s full bodied and rich, and yet there is enough acid there to hold it up and give it some zip. The fruit is very ripe but not overly so. There are some  tannins there, but nothing too severe.  I can’t describe it any better – sorry I’m not sorry. 

Of course I buried the lead. It’s another Spanish value at $16.99 at the PA State store.

Stock up for Autumn nights!

Quarantine Zins: Mazzacco

On By sandysoloIn Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment

While I’ve been on a Summerwine White kick, I thought I would use this quarantine time to do something other than let my hair grow way too long. I thought I would try some new Cali Zins.

I did some research, got on the waiting list for a few releases later in the year at some well known Zin producers. I found a few that had stock available now and settled on Mazzacco. I ordered 3 bottles, 2 of which were Zins and one being a blend of Zin, Primitivo and Syrah.

Stone Creek

On the nose I’m hit with an unexpected earthiness first. It’s a little barnyardy. Which is very interesting with the jammy dark red fruit. Mostly when I get barnyard it’s a Pinot Noir so it’s immediately followed by slightly underripe red fruit and roses. So this earth jam is throwing me for a delightful loop.

I smell barrel influence by keeping my nose up near the rim of the glass. That’s where I’m getting the carmely slightly cola-ish aromas.

Putting my nose deeper and there’s the earthiness again. Barnyard has given way to funky forest floor the morning after the campfire was put out.

On the tongue it’s a little flat. Like flat cherry cola. Like low acidity flat. It’s not jumping off the tongue with flavors. There is something a bit bitter. I taste alcohol. Like literally. It finishes quicker than this guy I dated once. It just sort of abruptly ends. It doesn’t make me want to have another sip because it’s interesting. I want to take another sip because I’m like, “Where did it go? What happened?”

I gotta say after that nose, I’m a little disappointed in the taste. It’s like a guy who is a really good kisser but highly disappointing at everything after that.

Alexander Valley Stone

Update: At the time of drinking this several weeks after the Stone Creek, I’ve been furloughed by the company I’ve been working at for the past 16 years. I was given one week’s notice. So I’m “tasting” this wine at 2pm on a Thursday afternoon. What else do I have to do?

I decided to let this rest for a while after a quick sniff and taste of alcohol. Like 30 minutes. The alcohol “settled.”

Tar and Blackberries and stone on my nose right away. More stone the second sniff around. The name is making a lot of sense. Lots of wet stone. And more triple-berry pie. A little orange peel surprised me on the third sniff. Then some fresh herbs like parsley followed by menthol (I should really taste wine at 2pm more often. My nose is an afternoon miracle.)

On the tongue, at first it’s like you dropped triple berry pie on a paved street and then took a lick. It is tar berry pie with some bitterness towards the end, like very bitter orange peel. I’m liking it up front but the bitterness at the end disappoints me. I wasn’t expecting it to go out like that. But I do like this better than the Stone Creek.

Vino Rosso, Mendocino, 2013

Lastly, we have the blend. It’s got a bit of aging under its belt. Note: unlike the last one, I am completely sober and it’s a reasonable time on a Sunday evening.

Fig and dark cherries rule the first sniff. Some burnt caramel. There is something very vegetal and I can’t place it at first. Like maybe cooked asparagus? And then I get anise.

Lots of red fruit on the tongue – cherries and berries. This is not “flat” like the others. It’s got decent acidity. I immediately like it the most of the three. It’s some serious candied cherries and I’m not even sure that’s a thing. There is a wee bit of pepper on the end. Pretty smooth tannins. The longer it breathes the stronger the burnt caramel note becomes.

All in all these weren’t my favorite Zins. Although, Tobin James Fat Boy is a lot to live up to. I doubt anything else will live up to it, but I welcome the challenge in trying to find out. I have Bedrock on order and can’t wait until it ships out in October.

111, Red Blend,Navarra, 2017

On By sandysoloIn Spanish Wine, Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment
What’s the 411 on the 111?

This caught my eye at the PA State Store: a highly rated wine from Navarra, Spain for $8.99. None of that is shocking except for maybe that it was found at a state store. However you can find some value gems if you know what to look for. Of course I went into the store for 3 bottles I needed for an event this weekend and left with 4 additional “impulse purchases,” this included.

It’s 85% Garancha (Grenache) and 15% Cab Sauv. Not my typical go-to. However I have found Navarra intriguing since we covered it in class. I found it to align with the Outback Steakhouse’s motto: No Rules. Just Right.

Experimentation is encouraged in methods and in varietals. I had some very tasty white wine in class that came out of a can. Navarra is not as traditional as it’s close neighbor to the south, La Rioja. and I dig it.

On the nose this wine gives a burst of earth followed immediately by a warmth of blackberries. The dry pizza spice is very pronounced and is wrapped up by some pretty lavender-y floral notes. And I get a hint of black licorice.

On the tongue those dry pizza spice herbs are at the forefront followed by a touch of graphite and almost overripe dark fruit. There is enough acid to hold it up though. Its definitely not flat or close to it. It’s medium-ish in body and there are some light but grippy tannins. It needs some aeration. It expressed itself better after about 30 minutes.

I think the 90 points are indicative of this being pretty accurate to varietal. It’s not my favorite, but better quality than any domestic bottle you can find for $8.99 by miles. It’s could be your jam if you like herby and floral wines, but the aromas are not mine. I’ll gladly finish this glass though.

Bodegas Ego, “Goru Gold”, Jumilla, 2017

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Lionel’s hair looked oddly like this guy’s before his haircut…

I’m in the middle of writing my final project for my Advanced Spanish Wine class, so of course I got a hankering for something Spanish this evening. So I turned to my current obsession: Monastrell.

This bottle was an impulse purchase at the PA State store. I went there for another wine from Ego, called Infinito. It’s another mainly Monastrell blend that we had in class and I loved it. HIGHLY recommend. I then discovered it was on sale for $16.99. (Gotta love the non-DOCG’s of Spain. ) I saw the Goru Gold with the “93 Point” sticker sitting in a basket near the register, noticed it was from the same producer, and also on sale insanely cheap so I picked up 2 bottles making an assumption I would probably love it.

This is 80% Monastrell, 15% Syrah and 5% Cab Sauv. It’s from Jumilla, an area in Spain known for its Monastrell. I have a feeling when I go there, I’ll need a very large suitcase specifically for all the Monastrell.

This wine starts off on the nose with that Monastrell signature smoky aroma that I love, and then after a few swirls and some oxygen, holy crap this smells like blueberries. A mountain of ripe blueberries. It’s unreal how strongly this smells of blueberries. But then I get some vanilla which turns the blueberry into a blueberry muffin. A perfectly baked, warm, brown sugar topped blueberry muffin. I’m sure there are more scents in there but I don’t even want to find them because the blueberry muffin is divine.

On the tongue, there are definitely berries and a little Syrah spice and some tobacco smoke. The fruit is definitely in the spotlight and delightful, and its blanketed by vanilla. It’s full bodied and the heaviness almost makes you think this is lower in acid, but it’s pretty balanced with that respect.

This is pretty delightful wine. I do like the Infinito better, but I’m very glad I bought 2 bottles of this. Another great Spanish value at around $10. I may become obsessed with blueberries tomorrow…