White and Red Wonders

Hello Wine Lovers!

What a beautiful day we had in Chicagoland! Happy Halloween to all of you. Which leads me to my first wine to talk about... Wolftrap from South Africa. The name is so appropriate for this Halloween day. First off many of you may have forgotten this area of the world for wine but South Africa has certainly been holding their own on the wine world lately and this is another example. This is a blend of 68% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre and 2% Viognier, in other words a Rhone blend. (Rhone being a region in Southern France) This wine is full of dark berries, blackberries and cherries with a touch of smoke and a little chocolate on the palate. It has just enough oak to give it character and a nice long finish. A perfect match for grilling or BBQ ribs. At around $9.99 give this wine a try, you will not be disappointed!

My white for today is a Peter Lehmann Selection 2006 Barossa Semillon from Australia. This wine is bright and delicate with a greenish gold color. On the nose you smell lemon zest and in the mouth you taste tropical fruit with a refreshingly clean and crisp finish. This wine is more complex than the $9.99 price tag. It has a lot of punch in the mid range and has a long finish with a lot of dancing on your tongue.

Both of these wines are a little off the "norm" of what many drink, trust me when I say you will enjoy!

Cheers

J

A Pair of Drinkers

Hello Wine Lovers!

Fall is officially here and the leaves are changing to vibrant colors, there is the smell of burning logs in the air, you wake up with frost on your lawn and you anticipate the upcoming holidays and family get togethers.

Here is two wines you can bring to your get togethers that will not force you to take out a second mortgage and will impress your family and friends!

Round Hill Oak Free Chardonnay is my first selection to talk about. You ask "Why is he talking about Chardonnay when I know he doesn't like most Chardonnays?" Well I'll tell ya... this is not like most California Chardonnay due to the fact this wine has not even been close to an oak barrel. It is clean and crisp with bright fruit flavors of green apple, lemon and pear with a soft finish that lingers in your mouth. At $6.99 you will be blown away.

The next wine for today's entry is Tilia Cabernet from Argentina. This bottle will set you back $7.99 and will also floor you! Tilia is the Latin name for Linden, which is a traditional tree in Mendoza whose flowers are used to make a relaxing herbal tea. Many vineyard workers and their families enjoy a cup of this tea after a long day working the vines. This wine is sustainably farmed which is another positive! You will find a dark purple color with a nose of sweet spice, red fruits and a touch of tobacco. The palate will give you cassis fruit, red currant and a touch of cedar. It finishes soft with enough tannin to add structure and length to the finish.

You will not go wrong when you show up at your friend's house or family's house with these bottles in hand!

Cheers

J

Spanish Wonder

Hello Wine Lovers!

What a beautiful weeken d, perfect for the last minute get together with friends on the patio and a casual dinner with a cigar chaser.Which brings to mind my entry for today, 2005 Las Rocas Garnacha from Spain. This wine is perfect for the grille with your favorite cut of the cow. It is made from low production vines that are between 70 and 100 years old. The mouth is full of raspberries, pepper and a touch of fig with a full well rounded finish. It is soft enough for our girls in our lives but has enough backbone for us guys. It is sourced from vineyards high in the mountains which of course puts a strain on the vine which in turn, produces a small berry with intense juice. Now for the kicker... this little number will cost you a whopping $8.99 a bottle! That's right, your eyes are not playing tricks on you... buy this now! You will not be disappointed!

Cheers!

J

Drinking

Hello Wine Lovers!

I was on my way home the other day stuck in Chicago's construction traffic (We have two seasons... winter and construction) and was anticipating dinner and a cocktail and wine when I finally arrived home, and it struck me. Why not talk a little about my favorite cocktail... the martini. I figured this was a blog about wine and how wine fits into our lifestyles so I certainly know for me a cocktail fits into my lifestyle as well.

First let me start by saying you can't just drink a martini to be drinking one, you have to lead up to it. It is similar to making love to a beautiful woman, it takes all day, flirting, teasing sending her texts getting her to anticipate... and then make love to her. The martini is much the same way. You have to think about your day leading you back home to enjoy one! The right music should be playing, the correct lighting and atmosphere, the correct companion to enjoy it with, and most of all, your undivided attention and relaxation.

Oh and by the way, the classic martini is not some "Cosmo" sweet tasting thing that the girls drink on girl's night out. A true "broad" drinks a martini period. (One of the many reasons I married my beautiful bride) There are two stories of the martini here in America. One is the importing of vermouth from Italy named Martini & Rossi and a bartender mixed gin with it and called it the martini, approximately in the late 1800's.

The second is of the bartender's name was Martini and he tended bar at the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City in 1911. I don't care which story you follow... just follow one; it makes for fun dinner conversation. The "Classic" martini is always made with gin and is stirred and not shaken. You may know a certain spy with the last name of Bond who liked his shaken and not stirred. (As I do) Some believe when you shake a quality gin or vodka you actually bruise it. A shaken martini is know as a "Bradford" and I will bet you the farm the next time you are in one of your favorite watering holes and order a "Bradford" the tender will not have a clue. The classic garnish is a plain old olive. I know there are plenty of different takes on this classic drink, but I got to tell you the original classic is the best! Remember, take the time to really enjoy one of these little babies and you won't be sorry.

Cheers!

J

A Tastey New Zealander

What's Up Wine Lovers!

Can you believe summer is over? The Labor Day weekend is here and summer will start to wind down and bring fall colors, cool weather, the smell of firewood burning, football and hearty food. Hearty food brings us big tannic wines that make us feel warm inside. Big over the top Cabernets, juicy Zinfandels, big Sangioveses from Tuscany and powerful Syrah's. That is why I am talking about today's entry, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough Region, Arona. Arona is a girl's name meaning "Colorful". This wine is bright and exuberant with a touch of pineapple and passion fruit with the typical intensity of a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, and a perfect match for the name. This wine is a perfect wine to celebrate summer winding down, perfect for the patio or as an aperitif before dinner. This will set you back $8.99 a bottle at your favorite wine shop, not a big investment and a pretty good pop for your buck. I would suggest you go buy a few bottles to keep you company for those last days of warm weather.

Have fun this weekend and remember to celebrate Labor Day!

Cheers!

J

Argentina Winner

Hello Winos!

Lets talk Cabernet! One of the most recognizable wine types out there today. They can be big, tannic, up front fruit bombs or they can be elegant, soft with lots of finesse, you choose. This will depend on where the wine comes from and what the wine maker wants to show with the grapes he is given. You take a California Napa Cabernet and it will always have a distinct flavor profile, arguably some of the best in the world. Take one from Bordeaux France, and again it will have a certain characteristic and old world charm to it. Take one from Italy and this one will have Italian written all over it. Take one from Argentina, and so too, this one will have a certain softness and earthiness to it. This brings me to the wine for today's post... Alta Vista Classic Cabernet from Mendoza Argentina.

You will find this wine an incredible value at a whopping $8.99 a bottle! Trust me when I say you cannot get to the wine shop quick enough to buy this nectar of the Gods! You will find this wine a dark red-purplish color with intense dark fruit on the nose with a touch of vanilla and a long finish with sweet tannins. The grapes for this wine are hand picked and placed in stainless steel tanks for fermentation for approximately 7 days. Continued maceration continues for a total of 10 days and then is aged in American oak barrels for 6 months. (This is where the notes of vanilla come from on the nose)

This wine is a perfect match for grilled meats, pasta with heavy sauces and hard cheeses.

Cheers!

J

Odd Couple

Hey Wine Lovers!

Before you read too far into this post, I want you to write down De Bortoli, get in your car, drive to the Wine Discount Center, go inside and ask for this wine. Next fill up your car's back seat, trunk, passenger seat and wherever you can fit this wine and go home and finish reading my blog. It is only $5.79 a bottle!!

It is a Chardonnay from Australia (I know what you're thinking... another Chardonnay!) that drinks light with touches of citrus and melon with a well balanced finish. I usually don't get too excited about Chardonnay, unless of course it is from France, but I can't write about them because they are too expensive for my blog, but this one for the money is a beaut! The De Bortoli family has been making wine since 1928 when Vittorio De Bortoli produced his first wine, a Shiraz from South Eastern Australia. They have a number of labels in their portfolio and some pretty highly rated wines.

The next entry for today is a Shiraz Tempranillo blend from Spain's Bodegas Mercedes Eguren. This wine will set you back $8.99 and has been rated 90 points! Wait until you get your mouth around this juicy little number! It is jam packed with dark fruit with a touch of leather that runs into a long balanced finish with just the right amount of tannin to dance on the back of your throat. This wine drinks much better than the price would indicate, not to mention the high rating. The blend of this wine is 50% for each varietal and it shows in it's complexity.

I'm sure most of you have heard of Shiraz but maybe Tempranillo is a little foreign. This grape is to Spain as Sangiovese is to Italy... one of their most planted and widely used grapes that can make a very ugly tannic wine that you would want to stay away from, or it can make a very elegant wine that could stand up to the world's best offerings. Don't be afraid to try this wine, you will be quite content!

Cheers!

J