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 Once again, I lost a few days. So, let me back track to Wednesday. It was a hectic morning that segued into a late afternoon/evening of good friends, wine and food. The weather was perfect…finally!  We started out with a wine that I reviewed a year ago. It was a 2013 Rosé from The Withers Winery in the Sierra Foothills of CA. My opinion is the same. The wine is a delicious blend of 56% Mourverdre and 44% Grenache. The color was soft salmon with strawberry and raspberry on the nose. It had gentle citrus tones with red berry flavors. The wine was very pleasing to the palate. We also had a 2014 vintage that was just as good! Visit the website for more information. www.thewitherswinery.com  As the evening progressed, we moved the party to a restaurant and dined outside, continuing our exploration of rosé wines. And now, I’m off on an adventure!
Have a great Friday! Cheers! Penina  The weather was very fickle this weekend. It took strategic planning to avoid the thunderstorms and still forge ahead with weekend plans. But we all prevailed and enjoyed it.  The only little snag was that after Friday evening, I didn’t “imbibe” for the rest of the weekend. And, since I only watched and didn’t taste, I have no “weekend” reviews.  However, I still haven’t talked about a wine that I tasted a few weeks ago. It was a 2008 Six Sigma Sauvignon Blanc from Michael’s Vineyard in Lake County, CA. It had a lovely citrus nose with a hint of vanilla. It was dry and crisp with flavors of lemon, lime and herbs. It had a creamy texture with a nice finish. http://www.sixsigmaranch.com I have a very busy week ahead and am looking forward to having wine again by Wednesday so that I can share with you.
Happy Monday! Cheers! Penina  Sunday was a beautiful day to sit outside, read the NY Times and visit with friends. As the humidity increased in the late afternoon, we finally conceded and went indoors to continue conversation.  Having been housebound for a few days, I was looking forward to going out to dinner last night. The evening was perfect. We dined on delicious soft shell crabs and shared a bottle of wine.  We drank 2013 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay. This California wine was fermented and aged in French and American oak barrels. The color was pale gold with an abundance of fruit and floral on the nose. The wine had many layers of citrus fruit, pear, vanilla, oak and a hint of honey on the palate. The finish was long with lots of flavors dancing in my mouth. It was good to the last drop! http://www.kj.com I have a busy day ahead, despite the rain.
Happy Monday! Cheers! Penina  It’s another rainy Monday. I’m dancing between the raindrops and hoping for the sun to make an appearance soon!  As I mentioned in an earlier post, several bottles of wine were opened on Saturday evening. One of the wines was a 2013 J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay from Arroyo Seco Monterey, Central Coast, CA. This is an easy drinking wine with a reasonable price tag of $12 -$15. The color was pale straw with heavenly aromas of pear, peach, vanilla and oak. The flavors were rich with stone fruits and a creamy texture. The finish was long with hints of oak and vanilla lingering on the palate. I will definitely buy more to keep in the refrigerator! https://www.jlohr.com I have many projects to attend to today. Don’t forget about the Stanley Cup tonight!
Happy Monday! Cheers! Penina  Where the hell did summer go? I was back to wearing a sweater, socks and boots yesterday! Brr…. Fortunately, I spent most of the day in the office, so I can’t complain too much!  Last evening a good friend shared one of his very special bottles of wine with me. It was a 1994 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Wow! It was beyond “awesome”. I tried to get a photo of the deep and intense purple color of the wine, but as you can see, the lighting was too dark to capture it.  The wine had a beautiful nose of blackberries, blueberries, dark roasted coffee beans and spice. On the palate, it was rich with dark fruit, spice and licorice. The tannins were imperceptible, giving the wine a silky quality. Dark cherries, licorice and spice lingered on the palate for a long finish. This is truly one of the finest wines I’ve had of late! http://www.bryantwines.com The sun is shining today and I’m off on an adventure!
Happy Wednesday! Cheers! Penina  Friday was non stop with clients, driving all over creation, meeting a friend for a quick hug and then finally getting in the pool for a late afternoon swim.  In between it all, my peonies are finally opening up, so I ran outside to cut and fill up a vase full…the first of many!  After my swim, I marinated swordfish, cut up veggies for grilling and got ready for the arrival of friends. The goal was to eat before the Stanley Cup began…no pun intended. I had plenty of Chardonnay and Rosé chilling in the refrigerator, however one of my friends’ brought a few bottles of wine with him.  We opened 2011 PlumpJack Chardonnay Reserve from Napa Valley. It was pale gold in color with aromas of tropical fruit, peaches and apple. There was a range of flavors bursting on the palate. In addition to fruit, there was a hint of spice and lemon. The texture was smooth and had a subtle buttery feel. The finish was long. Very good! http://www.plumpjackwinery.com The food, wine and company were great…the Stanley Cup…not so much. It was heartbreaking to watch the NY Rangers lose. We sipped the last of the wine in silence and then called it a night.  Congrats to Tampa Lightning who will now advance to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. They are the first team ever to win a Game 7 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Happy Saturday!
Cheers! Penina  Yesterday was a full day of tending to business, meeting friends, getting hugs and finally taking a much-needed swim.  Towards the end of the day and into early evening my home was filled with people coming and going. It was a low key, but party like atmosphere. Some opted for cold beer.  I opened a bottle of 2013 Firestone Sauvignon Blanc from the Santa Ynez Valley to usher in the sunset. This is an easy drinking wine with aromas of pineapple, grapefruit and citrus. The palate offered a tropical blend with a tangy citrus zip to it. It’s a nice starter wine and the price is right. http://www.firestonewine.com  As eight o’clock approached, I made everyone settle down to watch game six of the Stanley Cup with the NY Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning. The Rangers did not disappoint…great game! Happy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  It was a great weekend filled with friends, impromptu get-togethers, swimming and of course grilling and wine!  One of the wines served was a 2012 Stags Leap Chardonnay that I tasted back in the fall. My friend had a few bottles and opened this one for me. It was as I remembered. It had a light straw color with inviting aromas of pear, honeysuckle and citrus. Pear, green apple, a hint of vanilla and a buttery smoothness were on the palate. It had a nice crisp finish. We opened another bottle! www.stagsleap.com  I took a little “me” time as well to plant strawberry and cherry tomato plants this weekend. I’m looking forward to summer salads! Happy Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina  It was a cool day yesterday and a chilly evening. I was back to wearing jeans and a sweater. Crazy weather! The day passed quickly and before I knew it, the sun was beginning to set. So, I dashed over to a friend’s home to watch the Stanley Cup. He opened a 2010 Stonestreet Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma Valley. It seemed fitting for the cool evening.  The wine was deep red with aromas of blackberry, anise and spices. Flavors burst onto the palate with blackberries, cherries, and licorice leading the way. Hard tannins settled into a softer mouth feel as the wine opened. Spices, hints of mocha and a touch of tobacco lingered into a long luscious finish. This is a big wine and I’m sure that it is going to be even more so in the next several years! It was a treat to drink this! An interesting note: Stonestreet Estates is formerly known as Monument Ridge. It was making the transition at the time of bottling the 2010 vintage. Some of the labels read Monument Ridge and some labels read Stonestreet Estates. http://stonestreetwines.com Even though the NY Rangers lost last night, it was an exciting and high scoring game!
Have a great Thursday! Cheers! Penina  It was quite a kick off to the weekend. I spent the better part of yesterday in NYC, enjoying the hustle bustle, eating at a French bistro and catching up with a friend.  By the time I arrived home, I only had a few hours to take care of mundane business before quickly transforming myself for the evening. And, I do believe that I hold the record for quick changes!  Although the weather was a little nippy, we dined outside around a large fire pit which kept me warm and toasty. Dinner was cooked on the grill and of course, wine was opened.  We drank 2005 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. This was a big and hearty wine. It is aged in French oak barrels for 18 months and also contains 18% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The color was deep ruby with dark fruit on the nose, including cherry and vanilla. On the palate were lots of berry flavors, spice, plum and hints of cherry tobacco. The finish was long and smooth. I was delighted that we had a few bottles to go around. The second bottle was decanted for about an hour. It was definitely more robust than the first “un-decanted” bottle. Delicious! http://www.faustwine.com  Have a great Saturday!
Enjoy the Kentucky Derby! Cheers! Penina |
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