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Tuesday seemed to fly by without any work drama or otherwise for a change. The weather was nice and I was really looking forward to getting together with friends.  The evening began at my home with an aperitif of 2014 Mussel Bay Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, NZ. The color was pale gold with aromas of tropical fruit, citrus and grass. The wine was medium bodied and had a slight effervescence to it. The palate offered an interesting range of tropical fruit with grapefruit and herbs lingering on the finish. This is a nice summer “go to” wine and decently priced.  As the sun began to set, we continued on to a friend’s home where we dined and wined. I love these progressive “food and wine” evenings. We drank 2013 La Crema Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley. I guess my host had a few bottles left over from the boat ride we went on a few weeks ago. This is my review from 7/19/15: “It was a beautiful straw color with a nose full of apple, citrus and oak. The palate was layered with pear, apple, toasted nuts, honey and citrus. It was full-bodied and well balanced. The finish was long and smooth. The wine was barrel aged for nine months and alcohol was 14.5%.” http://www.lacrema.com The wine paired beautifully with grilled salmon, corn and tomatoes.  I’m going to spend some time later today selecting two of my knitted art wear designs for an upcoming Art Show in early October. In a perfect world, I would have made something just for the show, but I have been inattentive to my knitting needles this summer.  There is a full moon tonight and the skies will be clear for viewing!
Happy Wednesday! Cheers! Penina  Wednesday turned out to be a day and evening full of surprises, not all good, but manageable. At times, I felt as though I was navigating an unwieldy car through hairpin turns with no brakes! I went from the shock of losing a friend and saying good-bye to a chapter in my life to gaining insight and embracing the new paths ahead…and so the day unfolded.  However, it all ended in a magical sunset sail with good friends! Wine and dinner overlooking the harbor was beyond perfection.  We drank 2012 Chardonnay, Hess Collection Napa Valley. The color was light straw with lovely aromas of citrus, apple and pear. The palate offered green apple, citrus, pineapple and a hint of oak with nice acidity. It was a medium finish at best. http://www.hesscollection.com
And now, on with the day! Have a great Thursday! Cheers! Penina  As predicted, another rainstorm came through towards the end of Tuesday. Fortunately, I had already finished grilling the vegetables. After the storm passed, the sun finally came out to give us a beautiful and dry evening.  I wrapped up the grilled veggies and drove to my friend’s house for a relaxed evening of good food, wine and laughter. We ate baked salmon en papillote, grilled vegetables and roasted potatoes.  The wine was a 2013 Liquid Farm White Hill Chardonnay. This wine comes from the ancient terroir of Sta. Rita Hills, located on the Central Coast of CA. Although the wine is named for it’s “Chablis-like characteristics”, it should not be confused with Chablis. This is all chardonnay! The color was soft gold with a nose full of citrus, earth and flowers. The palate was multi-layered with lemon, grapefruit, stone fruit, honeysuckle and a hint of nuttiness. This was a well-balanced wine with a long finish. www.liquidfarm.com  My “vodka guy” made a delivery today! Hooray…the freezer is stocked again. And, I’m looking forward to an end of the day swim and cocktail! Happy Wednesday
Cheers! Penina  It was a productive but long day on Monday. I rewarded myself with a 30-minute swim before heading out for the evening. I was looking forward to a nice and relaxing dinner with a friend.  We dined on grilled swordfish basted with teriyaki and sesame seeds. The asparagus and mushrooms were seasoned with herbs that I brought from my garden.  I also brought a bottle of I Balzini Cabernet, but he wanted to open a 2012 Pinot Noir CrossBarn by Paul Hobbs from the Sonoma Coast. It was heavenly. The color was deep ruby with a nose full of ripe fruit, anise and spice. The palate offered layers of dark cherry, raspberry, plum, licorice and oak. The texture was velvety with a long finish of lingering licorice, spice and berry. The grapes were hand-harvested from select vineyards across the Sonoma Coast AVA and the wine was aged in 10% new oak for 10 months before bottling. This was a real treat! http://www.crossbarnwinery.com I have another non-stop day ahead of me.
Happy Tuesday! Cheers! Penina  It was another scorcher yesterday. I tried to get all of my obligations out of the way early so that I could immerse myself in air conditioning for the rest of the day. I had every intention of staying home for the evening. However, my friend coaxed me out of my “cool” cocoon to join him for dinner, promising me a nice bottle of wine. He did not disappoint me.  In addition to a wonderful meal, we opened a 2012 Freemark Abbey Viognier from Napa Valley. Wow! It was the palest of straw with floral aromas, stone fruit and lemon. This medium-bodied wine was layered with flavors of honeysuckle, citrus, peach, tropical fruits and a hint of oak. It was rich and very decadent, with a touch of spice lingering on the finish. http://www.freemarkabbey.com An interesting note: Freemark Abbey was the only California winery to have both a Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon selected to compete at the Judgment of Paris in 1976! I will look forward to tasting more of their wines. Busy day…must run.
Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina  I can’t believe that it is already Sunday. The weekend flew by quickly. After a rocky start to the day yesterday with thunderstorms and house issues, things began to settle down…for a short time.  Although I was reticent to go on a sunset boat ride with friends due to the earlier storms, I was cajoled into hopping aboard. As I suspected, the water was a little too choppy for my enjoyment. However, I smiled, laughed and didn’t eat!  Our hosts provided lots of food and a variety of drinks. I drank lots of water and sipped on 2013 La Crema Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley  It was a beautiful straw color with a nose full of apple, citrus and oak. The palate was layered with pear, apple, toasted nuts, honey and citrus. It was full-bodied and well balanced. The finish was long and smooth. The wine was barrel aged for nine months and alcohol was 14.5%. http://www.lacrema.com My land legs are back and I’m staying low key today.
Happy Sunday! Cheers! Penina  I thought I had been shot out of a cannon yesterday because I never hit the ground from all the activity. So it was a welcome thirty minutes of swimming towards the end of the day that set the tone for the upcoming evening. I put on some music, started grilling vegetables and prepared the salmon for an early dinner. I had a great bottle of wine chilling and the weather was ideal for outdoor dining.  We opened a 2011 Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay. Wow! It was heavenly. The color was intense yellow with tropical fruit, citrus and oak aromas. The palate offered juicy tropical fruit, stone fruit and citrus. It was a lovely finish with a hint of spice lingering on the palate. The wine is fermented and aged 10 months in French oak. http://www.grgich.com  Instead of giving you a history lesson with regard to the estate, I photographed the back of the bottle. It is an interesting read!  I still have much to do before I can kick off my shoes and relax. Happy Friday!
Cheers! Penina  About a month ago I planted a miniature strawberry and cherry tomato plant along with an assortment of herbs. I’ve been enjoying the “fruits” of my labor until recently. It seems that some creature has also been feasting on the sweet strawberries. And last evening, I caught the little thief nibbling away. It was a female cardinal. She seemed nonplussed to have me watching her. And, I fully expected her to hop on the table and join us for wine and cheese! And speaking of wine and cheese….  I opened a bottle of Epiphany 2004 Grenache from Santa Barbara County. The cork fell apart while opening it, but the wine was perfect and very drinkable. The color was dark purple with fruity aromas. The dominant flavor was cherry. As it opened up, the sweetness settled. Pepper, cocoa and blackberry emerged with cherry pie on the finish. It was a nice balance with the array of cheeses that I served. Alcohol content was 15.1%. https://www.epiphanycellars.com  I have quite a few hours of work ahead, but then I’m looking forward to a swim!
Happy Saturday! Cheers! Penina  The last few days have been non-stop with appointments, social obligations and trying to squeeze in some “me” time.  So, it was a welcome treat earlier today to spend a little down time with Dixon. He’s one of the pups from Puppies Behind Bars program. Dixon will be graduating at the end of this month and he will become a full time service dog to a war veteran. After saying my good-byes to Dixon, I raced home in the hopes of having a swim. However, I had to put it on hold for a few hours. Rain got in the way! So, I’ll tell you about an incredible Merlot that I tasted and hope for a swim later on.  Last night a friend and I opened a bottle of 2006 Ehlers Estate Merlot from Napa Valley. It was a very rich and well balanced wine. The aromas were heady with dark cherry, currants and spice. The palate offered black cherry, plum, spice and a hint of pepper and vanilla. Medium tannins and a long silky finish made this wine a standout! It went well with a movie and finger food! http://www.ehlersestate.com  It looks as though the skies are clearing…. pool time! Happy Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina  It has been a crazy and very busy weekend. I can’t believe that it is already Sunday evening! I’m taking a quick moment to post between having attended a baby shower and now getting ready to run to a friend’s home for dinner and swimming.  Last night while dining alfresco, we were unexpectedly entertained with magical fireworks. We never had to leave my house! And what made it even better was the wine that my friend brought from his hidden stash.  We opened a 2007 Frog’s Leap Chardonnay from Napa Valley. Pale lemon in color, it offered honey, citrus and stone fruit on the nose. The flavors were layered with green apple, vanilla, grapefruit and a hint of nuts. It was very crisp with a long finish. http://www.frogsleap.com Must run!
Happy Sunday! Cheers! Penina |
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