Santa Rita Cabernet Reserva

Hello Wine Lovers!
I know, I know, what am I doing writing about another Cabernet? You would think I am turning into one of those persons that only drink Cabernet and think if anyone drinks something other than the grape of choice doesn't know a darn thing about wine! Well just don't get your panties in an uproar... I just happen to find this a very worth while entry! So there! You will find this wine at Binny's or the Wine Discount Center for $9.99 a bottle. If you don't find this to be absolutely brilliant and alive for this price then I suggest you make an appointment with your doctor and have yourself checked out!
This estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Alto Jahuel, located in Chile’s famous Maipo Valley, one of the finest wine producing regions in the world. The result is a well balanced and complex wine. On the nose you will find ripe, black fruit, plums and herbs, gracefully combined with vanilla, cloves and fragrant spices. In the mouth you will find it complex with soft tannins and a long rich textured finish. This wine has been aged up to eight months in American oak barrels. This is a perfect wine to match with grilled meats and vegetables during a nice evening on the patio with the grill fired up and them stars above!

Cheers!
J

California Cabernet

Hello Wine Lovers!
Today is Father's Day! I would like to extend a Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there! This is your day... steaks on the grill, a round of golf, your favorite fishing hole, a day at the track and maybe even a nice cigar on the patio while sipping a glass of Cabernet. Now that's what I call a good day! In honor of Father's Day I am writing about, you guessed it, two Cabernets from California. Grayson Cellars from Napa and Bridlewood from Paso Robles, both fine examples of this grape and at bargain prices! You will find both at your ever popular Binny's for under $9.
This Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon displays classic Cabernet dark fruit flavors of blackberry and chocolate with a touch of Pomegranates and oak with good balance and structure. This wine is a blend of 78% Cabernet, 20% Merlot and a touch of Zinfandel.Bridlewood winery is located in the Santa Ynez Valley and is included in the Central Coast AVA that stretches approximately 250 miles along California's coast from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. The movie “Sideways”, put the Santa Ynez Valley on the map and became known for Pinot Noir and as a much needed travel alternative to the ever popular Napa Valley.
Grayson Cellars has a unique way of doing business. They buy grapes from all over the Napa Valley and take them to their facility and make high quality wine at bargain prices... wow what a concept! The 2009 Grayson Cabernet Sauvignon shows a dark color with deep, rich aromas of ripe, dark cherries, blackberries and hints of black pepper with just enough oak to know it is there. It is a full bodied wine which will blow you away with it's value. You would bet your first born that this wine was double the price. According to their website here is there philosophy: "The founders of Grayson believe that we can put to work our Napa Valley winemaking skills to create some of the highest quality wines at the by-the-glass price point. We believe that decades of Napa winemaking experience will allow us to create a better bottle of wine at a better price point than what’s generally in the market today". I for one am a believer!
Cheers!
J

Jacob's Creek Shiraz Reserve

Hello Wine Lovers!
Last night during our dinner I served a Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz 2007 and was so impressed I had to write about it today! This wine was at Binny's for $9.99 and it drinks like a $20 bottle of wine, I kid you not! This wine is from the Barossa Valley in southern Australia and is deep purple in color with notes of plum, mulberry, vanilla and spice with a hint of chocolate on the finish. It is complex with a mouthful of fruit and enough tannin to support your favorite steak on the grill. Let's talk a little about the Barossa Valley...
The Barossa Valley is one of Australia's oldest wine regions. Located in South Australia, the Barossa Valley is about 35 miles northeast of the city of Adelaide. Unlike most of Australia whose wine industry was heavily influenced by the British, the wine industry of the Barossa Valley was founded by German settlers. The hot continental climate of the region promoted the production of very ripe grapes that was the linchpin of the early Australian fortified wine industry. As the modern Australian wine industry shifted towards red table wines (particularly those made by the prestigious Cabernet Sauvignon) in the mid-20th century, the Barossa Valley lost prominence due to its reputation for being largely Shiraz producers whose grapes were destined for blending. In the 1980s, the emergence of several boutique family wineries specializing in old vine Shiraz wines began to capture international attention for the distinctive style of Barossa Shiraz, a full bodied red wine with rich chocolate and spice notes. This led to a renaissance in the Barossa which catapulted the region to the forefront of the Australian wine industry as it is seen today. The valley has a reputation for producing some great wines and anytime you see Barossa Valley on a label, rest assured you will find it to be of high quality.

Summer Sippers

Hello Wine Lovers!
Well it is official! My Daughter has graduated grad school and is on her way! I am so proud of her and her many accomplishments, and certainly her palette for wine and food. After her ceremony we went to a super small, you would only know it was there if you lived in the neighborhood, down the stairs next to the CVS store, seats about 30 people, Mexican restaurant by the name of Chilam Balam. (By the way, google this and feast your eyes on what comes up... interesting) It is under the watchful eye and artistic hands of a former Rick Bayless sous chef. Put this on your list to try out, you will not be disappointed!
Now that summer is here it brings back memories of sipping soft Rose wines while sitting at a small cafe in Provence France and nibbling on olives and bread with cheese, and looking out over the countryside at the rolling hills and history of Southern France! Ok Ok... back to Chicago. Picture this, you're sitting on your patio, there is a big, clear blue sky, the birds are singing, the temp is in the high 80's and you all of a sudden become thirsty, reach for one these Rose's I am about to talk about. First one, Muga Rosado Rioja, Rose from Spain. This wine is a blend of Garnacha, Viura and Tempranillo and offers a range of aromas of which very fresh fruit prevails, peaches especially. You will also find kiwi, pineapple and passion fruit. It enters the mouth cheerfully and lightly, thanks to lively acidity, and the finish is fresh and light that makes you want another sip.
The second Rose to talk about is from France,Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence Rose. It is a blend of 35% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 20% Cinsault, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% other grape varieties. This is a fresh rose with a pretty salmon-pink color. elegant flavors of red berries, mineral notes and a clean finish, perfect for hot summer days! Both of these wines will set you back about $9 a bottle and will keep you happy all summer!
Now I am going to talk briefly about how Rose is made. (Key word, briefly) Black-skinned grapes are crushed and the skins are allowed to remain in contact with the juice for a short period, typically one to three days. The must is then pressed, and the skins are discarded rather than left in contact throughout fermentation (as with red wine making). The skins contain much of the astringent tannin and other compounds, thereby leaving the structure more similar to a white wine. The longer that the skins are left in contact with the juice, the more intense the color of the final wine. Another technique is Rose can be produced as a by-product of red wine fermentation using a technique known as Saignée, or bleeding the vats. When a winemaker desires to impart more tannin and color to a red wine, some of the pink juice from the must can be removed at an early stage. The red wine remaining in the vats is intensified as a result of the bleeding, because the volume of juice in the must is reduced, and the must involved in the maceration is concentrated. The pink juice that is removed can be fermented separately to produce Rose. There is one more way called "blending" but most wine makers don't believe this is a valid way to make Rose, and in many cases it is not allowed.

You see, short and sweet! Now you can impress your friends with your knowledge of Rose wine!
Cheers!
J

Memorial Day Treats

Hello Wine Lovers!
Well it is here, Memorial Day Weekend! It is to honor our fallen who keeps this beautiful country of ours "The land of the free" and to, although you would not know it here in Chicago, kick off summer. It is rainy, cold and nasty, certainly nothing like summer as I remember it! Maybe... someday... the sun will shine, the temps will climb and all will be good.
So the way I see it this is a good weekend to treat yourself to some great food and wine! I chose two wines for today's entry, a Cabernet from Chile and a Chardonnay from California.
Let's start with Chile. Odfjell "Armador" Maipo Valley Cabernet 2007. This wine will make you write a bad check it is so good! Dark and rich in color with notes of cassis and dark berries with just a kiss of oak. It is soft yet has enough backbone to carry it through the finish with a touch of tannins to let you know you are drinking a Cabernet. Here is what Wine Enthusiast had to say,
A top-notch value Cabernet with no flaws. The fruit on the nose is pretty and stylish but doesn't force the issue, while the palate is juicy and fresh with flavors of cola, cassis and wild berry. Not a complicated wine, but one that pushes all the right buttons. Ripe and friendly to the last drop. A lot of wine for the money." Speaking of money, sit down for this...$8.99 a bottle at Wine Discount Center. All I can say is BUY IT!
Next on the list is the Hacienda "Claire de Lune" Chardonnay 2009, also at Wind Discount Center for $5.99 with a rating of 86 points. A blend of 85% Chardonnay, 10% Viognier and 5% of a mystery grape that the producer refused to reveal, they state dry wine for the last 5%. You will find a bit of oak, some clean pear fruit, and a nice long, clean finish.I don't think you will find a better Chardonnay for the money. Perfect for those summer BBQ and patio get togethers!
Cheers!
J

A Red and White, World's Apart

Hello Wine Lovers!
It's that time again where I write about wine that I either drank this past week or ran across at a local wine shop and felt the need to pass it along. Obviously it is much more fun when I write about the wine that I partake in the consumption of said wine. It doesn't take a neurosurgeon to figure that out. The first wine is an unknown wine from Portugal from three grapes that I would bet my first born you never heard of. It is a blend of Alfrocheiro, Tinta-Roriz and Touriga-Nacional grapes. (That is a mouthful) As you may or may not be aware of, most wine exported from Portugal is of the Port variety. They produce a lot of great red wines for local consumption but most of their exports are Port. I am not going to bore you with the history (As I usually do) of these grapes, I will just get to the meat of it. Buy this wine! You will not be disappointed, it is a lush and lovely wine with spicy, ripe huckleberry aromas which lead to a palate of very pure, spicy, mineral, and most important of all, balanced, fruit. This wine was given 90 points by the Wine Spectator and at $8.99 at The Wine Discount Center you can't beat it with a stick. I will tell you just a bit about Portugal...
Although quite small, Portugal produces a great variety of wines ranging from light and fizzy Vinho Verde to hearty and tannic Port. Portugal is Europe's fourth-largest wine-producing region, and has been exporting its wine since the 14th century. The Douro Valley of Portugal is home for the world's finest Port. The valley spans from east of the city of Oporto all the way to the border of Spain and is the country's best known wine region.
The second wine is a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc my Daughter turned me on to, 90+ Cellars from Marlborough Region. This wine will set you back a whopping $7.99 and drinks like Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, which sells for $14-$18 a bottle. This wine will taste like a typical Sauv Blanc from New Zealand with grapefruit, citrus and melon notes with plenty of crisp acidity and a well balanced finish. The winery has an interesting concept and here is what the have to say from their website. "We are taking advantage of the current economic conditions by purchasing high quality and highly rated finished wines direct from wineries at a discount and then passing the savings on to you. Price and availability aren't the only selection criteria. The wines we purchase must have a pedigree of 90 or higher ratings, best buy or gold medal accolades from a respected wine authority or publication.
Other companies with a similar concept are usually buying the winery's excess or distressed wine. We are buying a winery's best and most highly rated finished wine, which they would normally sell under their own label. Wineries are willing to work with us because they either produced more than they need or sales have slowed. In return, they are promised complete anonymity, which we take very seriously." How cool is that?
At any rate, you will find this wine at The Wine Discount Center and I believe it is at Binny's as well. Thanks to Ashley (My Daughter) for getting this wine to me!

Cheers!
J

A Couple of Nice Reds!

Hello Wine Lovers!

I hope all the Mothers out there had a great day! What a beautiful day you had in Chicago! I hope by now you have lifted a glass of champagne for Mom and I am quite sure you shared a nice dinner. Maybe you made breakfast for her, a bottle of her favorite perfume, flowers, chocolate or even a gift certificate to her favorite spa. Whatever you did for her, she deserves it all!
Now, down to the wine. I am writing about two reds that are both outstanding values and I believe you will find them outstanding as well. The first one is a little obscure blend called Reds, A Wine for the People, from Lodi California. It is a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Carignan (You see, I did call it obscure...) You will find this wine to be a mouthful of dark berry flavors and plums with spice, a few tannins and a nice long, smooth finish. At $8.49 a bottle at the Wine Discount Center you can't beat it with a stick! Now a little info about that grape you haven't heard of before...
Carignan is believed to have originated in Spain in the Aragon region and was historically a component of neighboring Rioja's red wine blend. From Spain it gained prominence in Algeria and fed that country's export production to France. Upon Algeria's independence in 1962, the French supply of Carignan wine was cut off and growers in Southern France began to plant the vine for their own production. The grape's prominence in France hit a high point in 1988 when it accounted for 167,000 hectares and was France's most widely planted grape. That year, in a drive to increase the overall quality of European wine and to reduce the growing wine lake phenomenon, the European Union started an aggressive vine pull scheme where vineyard owners were offered cash subsidies in exchange for pulling up their vines. Out of all the French wine varieties, Carignan was the most widely affected dropping by 2000 to 95,700 ha (236,000 acres) and being surpassed by Merlot as the most widely planted grape.In winemaking the grape is often used as a deep coloring component in blends, rather than being made in a varietal form with some exception. The grape is a difficult one for winemakers to work with being naturally high in acidity, tannins and astringency which requires a lot of skill to produce a wine of finesse and elegance. I believe you will find this winemaker did his homework!
The second wine for today's entry is a wine from Washington, Columbia Crest's Amitage. This wine is a blend of 64% Merlot, 19% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5.5% Malbec. It has been aged in both American oak and French oak for 16 months. When it is all said and done, this wine delivers layers of dark fruit, soft tannins and a silky mouth feel with a nice long elegant finish. At $7.99 at the Wine Discount Center or at Binny's, this is well worth the money!

Cheers!
J