Well, if you haven't noticed I haven't posted about any wines for a while. We began a new project at work that has kept me hopping and away from home, and blogging. I rather enjoy blogging about wine when I have the time like to do it on a regular basis. This project runs until the end of April and will keep me away for that period of time. I have decided to take a sabbatical from blogging until the first week of May.
Thank you for reading,
N90
22 March, 2006
31 January, 2006
yet another new personality
Was a wee bit bored tonight and decided to revisit a couple of websites, one being 'The Little Penguin' (see links). They've updated the personality test (or I just don't remember the questions from before). Alas, I have a new personality, I am no longer the alluring Chardonnay, I am now Pinot Noir. Very confusing. I still think I would be Riesling but tlp doesn't make one yet...this thought led to my next question...
I wondered - am I Pinot Noir because I really am Pinot Noir or am I Pinot Noir because that is the newest varietal launched? Wasn't that curious and didn't bother to retake the quiz and answer differently to test hypothesis.
I am curious as to what responses other people get, so daring readers jump on the link, take the test and blog me back your personality.
I am going to head off to bed, cuddle up under the duvet and continue reading new wine book 'Noble Rot - A Bordeaux Wine Revolution' by William Echikson. So far the book has been fascinating. I love Bordeaux and all the personalities and histories, conflicts, takeovers, feuds and culture. And the author is stirring them together into a most interesting story. Tonight is chapter 5 - sweet injustice. When I finish the book I'll post a quick review.
I wondered - am I Pinot Noir because I really am Pinot Noir or am I Pinot Noir because that is the newest varietal launched? Wasn't that curious and didn't bother to retake the quiz and answer differently to test hypothesis.
I am curious as to what responses other people get, so daring readers jump on the link, take the test and blog me back your personality.
I am going to head off to bed, cuddle up under the duvet and continue reading new wine book 'Noble Rot - A Bordeaux Wine Revolution' by William Echikson. So far the book has been fascinating. I love Bordeaux and all the personalities and histories, conflicts, takeovers, feuds and culture. And the author is stirring them together into a most interesting story. Tonight is chapter 5 - sweet injustice. When I finish the book I'll post a quick review.
16 January, 2006
nothing to w(h)ine about
Forgive me fellow bloggers for I have been sinned against, it has been 48 days since my last post.
Was I stranded on a desert island?
No.
Were all my leverpulls broken?
No.
Did the Riedel cabinet break?
No.
Did I forget how to un-twist a Stelvin closure?
No.
Have I paid my penance?
Yes.
I was sentenced to many winter holiday excursions were the wine served left me nothing nice to say. Free wine and all I could whine about was the lack of drinkable wine. I volunteered to be DD more than once.
Note to future hosts - the appearance of a Black Tower Magnum(s) is a legitimate reason to call the health department, Piat D'Or is only for the faint of palate and just because your wallet didn't take a pounding when you bought it doesn't mean my head has to in the morning. Don't bother buying cheap wine - just type BYOB on the e-vite, we won't think any less of you.
Now on to the good...
The non-denominational-gift-dropper-off-er left some wine in my sock that I can't wait try. Disappointingly the gift-dropper-off-er left no new wine literature.
The following is the first few we tried from the bunch:
Spy Valley
Grape(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2004
Appellation: Marlborough, New Zealand
Closure: Stelvin
Format: Standard
Had With: Lime infused tilapia, Basmati Rice and Spinach Salad
Recommend: Yes. Worth the ~$25 the n-d-g-d-o-er spent on it. More Loire Valley then I expected, lots of mineral. Brilliant colour.
Also opened but couldn't try due to cork issue:
Marchesi de'Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva
Grape(s): Sangiovese
Vintage: 2002
Appellation: Tuscany, Italy
Closure: Trad. Cork
Format: Standard
Price: $19 plus taxes
Issue: Badly corked.
Happy Ending: exchanged with no fuss, will try on weekend.
Michael David Vineyards 7 Deadly Zins
Grape(s): Zinfandel (from 7 of Lodi's producers oldest vines)
Vintage: Hit the recycling bin too fast
Appellation: Lodi, California
Closure: Damn recycling bin
Format: Standard
Price: ~$30, thanks n-d-g-d-o-er.
Had with: good company and a selection of odourous cheese.
Recommend: Go & buy, definitely worth a try. We asked for this wine after reading about it on 'wine in the peg' (see links).
On the rack for Future Blogging:
Screw-Kappa Napa Sauvignon Blanc
Sandhill One
Kenwood Vintage Red
Was I stranded on a desert island?
No.
Were all my leverpulls broken?
No.
Did the Riedel cabinet break?
No.
Did I forget how to un-twist a Stelvin closure?
No.
Have I paid my penance?
Yes.
I was sentenced to many winter holiday excursions were the wine served left me nothing nice to say. Free wine and all I could whine about was the lack of drinkable wine. I volunteered to be DD more than once.
Note to future hosts - the appearance of a Black Tower Magnum(s) is a legitimate reason to call the health department, Piat D'Or is only for the faint of palate and just because your wallet didn't take a pounding when you bought it doesn't mean my head has to in the morning. Don't bother buying cheap wine - just type BYOB on the e-vite, we won't think any less of you.
Now on to the good...
The non-denominational-gift-dropper-off-er left some wine in my sock that I can't wait try. Disappointingly the gift-dropper-off-er left no new wine literature.
The following is the first few we tried from the bunch:
Spy Valley
Grape(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2004
Appellation: Marlborough, New Zealand
Closure: Stelvin
Format: Standard
Had With: Lime infused tilapia, Basmati Rice and Spinach Salad
Recommend: Yes. Worth the ~$25 the n-d-g-d-o-er spent on it. More Loire Valley then I expected, lots of mineral. Brilliant colour.
Also opened but couldn't try due to cork issue:
Marchesi de'Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva
Grape(s): Sangiovese
Vintage: 2002
Appellation: Tuscany, Italy
Closure: Trad. Cork
Format: Standard
Price: $19 plus taxes
Issue: Badly corked.
Happy Ending: exchanged with no fuss, will try on weekend.
Michael David Vineyards 7 Deadly Zins
Grape(s): Zinfandel (from 7 of Lodi's producers oldest vines)
Vintage: Hit the recycling bin too fast
Appellation: Lodi, California
Closure: Damn recycling bin
Format: Standard
Price: ~$30, thanks n-d-g-d-o-er.
Had with: good company and a selection of odourous cheese.
Recommend: Go & buy, definitely worth a try. We asked for this wine after reading about it on 'wine in the peg' (see links).
On the rack for Future Blogging:
Screw-Kappa Napa Sauvignon Blanc
Sandhill One
Kenwood Vintage Red
28 November, 2005
inspired by snow
So, a vote of non-confidence and an election, I finished my book and I could ignore the wine blog no more. Why the procrastination? Well, I recycled a bottle before I wrote the vintage in my notebook (marked below), and there is no way I was driving across town to the store I bought it in to look at a label, and I am too lazy to pick up the phone. I am going to guesstimate on the vintage, if anyone has had the wine recently please confirm.
When the snow flies all that white sends me back to the fridge, back to white wine. We stay home (cocoon) a bit more, we entertain a bit more, we cook a bit more. I have always found white wine & food a bit more of a challenge, and I like a challenge.
The following white wines are all posted in the 'so to sun it up' format:
J.Lohr's Riverstone Chardonnay
Grape(s): Chardonnay
Vintage: 2003
Appellation: Monterey, California
Closure: Trad. Cork
Format: Standard, 750ml
Price: $22
Had With: Peter Mansbridge, okay he wasn't actually here but he was on TV. We had a veggie pasta that didn't do the wine justice. Golden colour, creamy texture, hints of pear.
Recommend: Buy. Why? Every once in a while I get a hankering for a Chard so oaky I can pull splinters from my gums; this is that wine, vintage after vintage after vintage.
Pascual Toso
Grape(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2003, recycled
Appellation: Mendoza, Argentina
Closure: Cork, neoprene
Format: standard
Price: $12
Had With: Take away veggie pizza with feta cheese, watched Grosse Point Blank.
Recommend: Maybe, good Wednesday wine?
Thornbury Estate
Grape(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2003
Appellation: Marlborough, New Zealand
Closure: Stelvin
Format: standard
Price: $20
Had with: conversation; 3 people while preparing dinner, we meant for it to last through dinner but, well this wine went down smooth. Great acidity, wowing citrus, hint of kiwi and passionfruit. Very yummy.
Recommend: Yes, do not pass go, just take your $20 and go directly to wine store.
Lingenfelder's Fish Label
Grape(s): Riesling
Vintage: 2003
Apellation: Mosel, Germany
Closure: Stelvin
Format: standard
Had With: Tilapia & spinach salad. A very enjoyable wine. Great ripeness, hints of gala apple and pear nectar, sploosh of honey.
Recommend: Yes, this is a great example of what a good Riesling can be. Don't be afraid of Riesling, it is magical when it is spot on.
When the snow flies all that white sends me back to the fridge, back to white wine. We stay home (cocoon) a bit more, we entertain a bit more, we cook a bit more. I have always found white wine & food a bit more of a challenge, and I like a challenge.
The following white wines are all posted in the 'so to sun it up' format:
J.Lohr's Riverstone Chardonnay
Grape(s): Chardonnay
Vintage: 2003
Appellation: Monterey, California
Closure: Trad. Cork
Format: Standard, 750ml
Price: $22
Had With: Peter Mansbridge, okay he wasn't actually here but he was on TV. We had a veggie pasta that didn't do the wine justice. Golden colour, creamy texture, hints of pear.
Recommend: Buy. Why? Every once in a while I get a hankering for a Chard so oaky I can pull splinters from my gums; this is that wine, vintage after vintage after vintage.
Pascual Toso
Grape(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2003, recycled
Appellation: Mendoza, Argentina
Closure: Cork, neoprene
Format: standard
Price: $12
Had With: Take away veggie pizza with feta cheese, watched Grosse Point Blank.
Recommend: Maybe, good Wednesday wine?
Thornbury Estate
Grape(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2003
Appellation: Marlborough, New Zealand
Closure: Stelvin
Format: standard
Price: $20
Had with: conversation; 3 people while preparing dinner, we meant for it to last through dinner but, well this wine went down smooth. Great acidity, wowing citrus, hint of kiwi and passionfruit. Very yummy.
Recommend: Yes, do not pass go, just take your $20 and go directly to wine store.
Lingenfelder's Fish Label
Grape(s): Riesling
Vintage: 2003
Apellation: Mosel, Germany
Closure: Stelvin
Format: standard
Had With: Tilapia & spinach salad. A very enjoyable wine. Great ripeness, hints of gala apple and pear nectar, sploosh of honey.
Recommend: Yes, this is a great example of what a good Riesling can be. Don't be afraid of Riesling, it is magical when it is spot on.
17 November, 2005
...so are the days of our lives
Have you ever bought mediocre wine? No, really think about it -
has every wine you have bought been great or did the atmosphere make the wine great? Case in point - bought a cheap & chipper Orvieto from a large, well-known Italian producer, bought an already roasted chicken from the pre-cooked meals section of the local super market and made some pasta-feta salad to go with, sat down and ate dinner and watched a news program. The food was comfy, the news was the shits (well GS was worth watching) and the wine was okay. And by okay, it was just okay.
This made me think about how experience changes wines. Take Matues Rose ('70's bottle floating upside down...) I never would have bought this and looked forward to the experience - went to the lake this summer & a friend brought it. It was humid-hot & getting close to dinner, we decided to open it as our appetizer wine. We were all laughing eating munchies and the wine tasted great. And by great, we bought a bottle when we got home. The second bottle was good but not great. The laughing and camaraderie really made the wine. Will I buy it again? Yes, every time I taste it I remember the lake. Sometimes you need that memory when you see your car covered in snow and the pile of ice 20cm high the plow has left for you to navigate over, after you've uncovered your car...
So was the Antinori Orvieto really just okay? Probably, but I'm going to try it again. I had a crap day at work, was grumpy, the news was the news and I didn't pair the best food with it; it deserves a second chance. I know from experience that all of these factors added to my wine tasting reaction.
I'm not going to 'Sum it up' as I usually do - I am going to try the wine again. Fair is fair, and if it's okay I'll blog it as okay, but on its own terms.
...I mentioned to Wine in the Peg we are going to try (again) the Thornbury Sauvignon Blanc in the next few days. My next post will probably be a series of different wines (mostly white) that we have tried over the last week or two.
has every wine you have bought been great or did the atmosphere make the wine great? Case in point - bought a cheap & chipper Orvieto from a large, well-known Italian producer, bought an already roasted chicken from the pre-cooked meals section of the local super market and made some pasta-feta salad to go with, sat down and ate dinner and watched a news program. The food was comfy, the news was the shits (well GS was worth watching) and the wine was okay. And by okay, it was just okay.
This made me think about how experience changes wines. Take Matues Rose ('70's bottle floating upside down...) I never would have bought this and looked forward to the experience - went to the lake this summer & a friend brought it. It was humid-hot & getting close to dinner, we decided to open it as our appetizer wine. We were all laughing eating munchies and the wine tasted great. And by great, we bought a bottle when we got home. The second bottle was good but not great. The laughing and camaraderie really made the wine. Will I buy it again? Yes, every time I taste it I remember the lake. Sometimes you need that memory when you see your car covered in snow and the pile of ice 20cm high the plow has left for you to navigate over, after you've uncovered your car...
So was the Antinori Orvieto really just okay? Probably, but I'm going to try it again. I had a crap day at work, was grumpy, the news was the news and I didn't pair the best food with it; it deserves a second chance. I know from experience that all of these factors added to my wine tasting reaction.
I'm not going to 'Sum it up' as I usually do - I am going to try the wine again. Fair is fair, and if it's okay I'll blog it as okay, but on its own terms.
...I mentioned to Wine in the Peg we are going to try (again) the Thornbury Sauvignon Blanc in the next few days. My next post will probably be a series of different wines (mostly white) that we have tried over the last week or two.
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