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 Sunday was a beautiful day and perfect for outdoor activities. It began with a brisk nature walk and taking in the last of the leaves that were still clinging to the trees. Although I had much to do that required me being indoors, I found an abundance of reasons to keep me outside.  As the sun began to set, I turned my thoughts to creating a seasonal dinner for my friend and I. It was too late to start making bread and soup, so I went “simple”. I baked acorn squash with cinnamon and maple syrup; roasted brussel sprouts in olive oil and tossed them with toasted almonds. I then seared sea scallops with capers and shallots. The whole dinner took about 30 minutes to prepare!  We opened a 2014 J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay from Arroyo Seco Monterey, Central Coast, CA that complemented the meal beautifully. I reviewed the 2013 back in June and this vintage was just as good. The color was pale yellow with aromas of peach, strawberry, honeysuckle and nuts. The aromas carried over onto the palate with a hint of oak and a smooth buttery feel on the finish. I have a few more bottles, one of which is already in the refrigerator on standby! You can’t go wrong with this chardonnay or the price. It retails for around $14.00. http://www.jlohr.com I’m off to the city on an adventure!
Happy Monday! Cheers! Penina  Friday turned into a serendipity day…my favorite kind! After meeting with a client in the morning, I was all set to work on some projects. However, a phone call from a friend veered me in another direction and I was off on an adventure that included a beautiful fall ride, lunch and wine.  We each had a glass of 2012 Navarro Vineyards “Mendocino” Chardonnay with our lunch. The color was pale straw with pear, honeysuckle, and a hint of citrus on the nose. The palate offered pear, oak, apple and lemon. The wine was crisp with a medium finish and paired nicely with the crab cakes and salad. http://www.navarrowine.com  As I was finally making my way home, another friend called to invite me over for a quick drink of Zodiac Vodka. Trust me…I only had a sip or two, but the vodka was good! It seemed to have more “perfume” on the palate than I recall from my last review, but it was delicious and it is quite different from most vodka that I’ve tasted. I reviewed it on Day 132, 11/11/2014. Here is the review from one year ago: Day 132 on 11/11/2014 The name of the vodka is Zodiac…American-Made in Idaho. It is one of the better potato vodkas that I have had! They originally launched 15 years ago and then re-launched this past October. The vodka is made with regionally sourced potatoes and water from the Snake River Aquifer that runs beneath the distillery. It had a slightly sweet and much cleaner smell than grain vodka. The sweetness extended into the taste, which again, was clean and very smooth. It had a very pleasant aftertaste. Zodiac is also 100% gluten-free! I’m definitely going to add Zodiac to my freezer collection! http://zodiacspirits.com Happy Saturday!
Cheers! Penina  The World Series is over and even though I’m a Mets fan, the KC Royals deserved to win. It was enjoyable watching a few of the games with friends, drinking nice wine and munching on food. However, last night I looked forward to crawling into bed before midnight!  As the holiday season approaches, everyone is starting to plan their menus and deciding what wine to serve. Or, if an invited guest, what house gift to bring. Not everyone cooks the “traditional” turkey for Thanksgiving. I have made poached salmon in addition to turkey on many a Thanksgiving holiday. And most of the side dishes that I make go well with both entrees. There are many wines to choose from that will pair well with a meat or meatless Thanksgiving dinner such as sparkling wines that can be elegant and versatile. When choosing whites you might want to go with a wine that has well-balanced acidity such as Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Albarino. With red wines, the focus should be on soft tannins so it doesn’t compete with the flavor of the food such as Zinfandel, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Rosés. All these wines make a nice complement to the meal and there are many more grapes to choose from. There is no right or wrong choice, it is truly a personal preference. I will explore more wines for the holidays in the next week or so.  The other evening I had a lovely 2010 Hooker “Blind Side” California Zinfandel. It was easy to drink and I wouldn’t hesitate to serve it with a holiday meal. It is a blend of 79% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah and 1% Merlot. The aromas of berries, spice, caramel and raspberry gave way to cranberry, vanilla, pepper and tobacco on the palate. The finish was long and earthy with spice and pepper lingering. I was imagining how well it would complement my Ice Cream Pumpkin Pie. http://www.lawerfamilywines.com An interesting note about the name of the wine: Betsy Lawer’s father and husband both played the “hooker” position on rugby teams. Her father played for Stanford and her husband played for Duke….hence the “Hooker” label. Have a great Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina  I woke up Monday morning to see frost on my outdoor plants. And, it snowed for a few minutes on Sunday! I guess winter is just around the corner and perhaps it’s time to dust off the skis and snowshoes. It’s also time to start thinking about bold wines to go with those hearty winter entrées. I have several reds that I’m looking forward to opening over the next few months. However, I’m still going to keep a few whites in my refrigerator because you just never know when the mood will strike!  My friend and I dined at a lovely French restaurant last evening. To celebrate the “cold” weather, we ordered a bottle of 2012 Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast. The color was crimson with red fruit and spice aromas. On the palate: dark fruits, plum, anise, spice and a hint of vanilla. It was medium bodied with a jammy finish and paired well with the wild mushroom ravioli entrée. http://www.hesscollection.com I’m off to a wine event.
Happy Tuesday! Cheers! Penina  It was with much anticipation that we all gathered around the television last evening to watch the fifth and final game of the National League Division series with the Mets vs. Dodgers. Finger food was served with many choices to be had in the drink department. I was tempted to have vodka, but the bottle of 2010 Domaine Eden Cabernet Sauvignon was beckoning to me.  Mount Eden Vineyards is in the Santa Cruz Mountain Appellation. It was founded in 1945 and recognized as one of the “original” boutique California wineries. In 2007, they acquired an additional 55-acre wine estate in the Saratoga foothills that they named Domaine Eden. The Domaine Eden 2010 is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. The cherry red color invited aromas of dark fruit, especially plum and cherry. There was a subtle earthiness to it that carried over to the palate. It was rich with dark fruit, but not overbearing, allowing more “musk” to come through. Hints of anise and spice were present on the finish. The tannins were medium. This is a wine I could drink all winter long! http://www.mounteden.com  As you all know by now, the Mets won last night. And now they will face the Cubs for the NLCS title. Good luck, Mets!
Have a great Friday! Cheers! Penina  Monday began with a bundle of energy called “Patriot”. She is a six month old service dog in training from the Puppies Behind Bars Program. As always, my time spent with these special puppies is awesome! Patriot certainly gave me a run for the money with her boundless enthusiasm and curiosity. After returning her to the facility, I “rebooted” and flew through the rest of the day.  I barely had enough time to race home, change and jump back in the car to attend a small dinner party. Once I arrived, I was immediately handed a Grey Goose on the rocks. My friend knows me so well!  Our host made a delicious meal! We started with local farm tomatoes, roasted beets and arugula salad. The entrée was seared scallops with braised cabbage and roasted asparagus. And, the wine was a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard located in St. Helena, Napa Valley. The color was pale straw with aromas of citrus, herbs and grass. On the palate, grapefruit dominated with mango and tart apple following. Someone said they tasted gooseberry. Having never had one, I couldn’t comment. The wine paired beautifully with every course. This was a clean, crisp wine and quite enjoyable! In the recent past, I’ve reviewed J. Lohr Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon with much enthusiasm. So I was not surprised by my enjoyment of last night’s wine! http://www.jlohr.com Happy Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina Here it is Sunday evening and I’m finally catching my breath.  Saturday was a challenge of squeezing twelve hours of “busy” into a window of six hours, but somehow I managed to do it. After meeting a friend for a bon voyage lunch, I ran to the Art Show reception to meet and greet. I was quite pleased with the positive feedback of my art wear.  When the reception was over, a friend and I celebrated the end of the day with a glass of wine. We opened a 2013 Stag’s Leap Karia Chardonnay from Napa. The name Karia is derived from the Greek word meaning graceful. And that is just what this wine was. It had pleasing aromas of apple, pear and spice. The palate offered citrus, tart apple, honey and a hint of oak. This was a clean, well-balanced wine with stone fruit and a creamy finish. It was the perfect way to begin and end the evening! http://stagsleap.com Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day and perfect for taking a power walk. I have quite a busy week ahead. And it’s almost bedtime!
Sweet dreams! Cheers! Penina  By yesterday afternoon the humidity had crept back in and the temperature was on the rise. So when my friend came over in the early evening to catch up on life, I went straight to the refrigerator for a perfectly chilled bottle of wine.  We opened a 2013 Nicky Hahn Chardonnay from Hahn Winery, Monterey. While he regaled me with stories, I contentedly listened while sipping this delicious wine. The color was soft lemon with aromas of citrus, pineapple, pear and grass. The palate offered a mosaic of tropical fruits, herbs, caramel, a floral essence and a hint of oak that carried into a long finish. It was crisp and quite refreshing. I’m thinking of buying a few more bottles. http://www.hahnwines.com/  An interesting note about the label…Nicky Hahn’s native language is German. “Hahn” translated means rooster, which is why an illustration of the bird is seen on every bottle produced by the winery. Have a great Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina  I was in a store the other day and not only were there displays for Halloween and Thanksgiving, but they had twinkling Xmas trees as well! Retailers need to take it down a notch and chill. Let’s enjoy the day and not get too ahead of ourselves! Life goes by fast enough without having to plan so many months in advance for the holidays.  Speaking of “chilling”, I had a lovely and relaxing dinner the other evening with a few friends. As we sat outside in the crisp autumn air with the fire pit keeping us warm, we sipped on 2011 Shafer Merlot from Napa. It is 76% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. It was full-bodied and the color was what I like to call “passionate purple”. It had inviting aromas of black cherries, dark fruit, spices and a touch of musk. The wine was dense and heady with licorice, dark cherries, spice and herbs on the palate. There was a hint of pepper as well. The finish was long and well balanced. It paired well with the grilled root vegetables and swordfish. http://www.shafervineyards.com  Here is a little trivia: Merlot is the most widely planted grape in the Bordeaux region. The name is derived from the French word “merle”, which means “young blackbird” and refers to the dark blue color of the grape. I need to put some finishing touches on two knit pieces that are being displayed in an upcoming art show. I hope to have photos tomorrow to show you.
Happy Friday! Cheers! Penina  Labor Day is over, kids are back in school and the “fashionistas” are already promoting winter wear. However, I am optimistically looking forward to an Indian summer. I still have many wines to taste while enjoying the sunsets from my deck.  The other evening the temperature had dropped into the low 60’s and my friend was in the mood for red wine. We opened a 2005 Kuleto Estate Zinfandel from Napa Valley. The color was dark ruby with a tinge of purple. It had dark berry, cedar and plum on the nose. The palate offered blackberry, anise, pepper and spice. Tannins were a bit chewy with a medium finish of jam flavors. Alcohol 15.2% The wine paired well with the mussel and shrimp stew. http://www.kuletoestate.com Wishing you a blissful Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina |
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