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 The snow has arrived along with howling winds. I have food, wine, books and movies to entertain me. Let’s hope all the power lines stay intact! Aside from work, writing and meeting friends for quick drinks these past few days, I’ve also been reorganizing my wines. It seems that I’m low on bottles under $20 again. I would love your thoughts and suggestions as to what you drink in the under $20 range. There are so many delicious wines in this price category.  Realizing that I was probably going to be stranded inside for the better part of the weekend, my friend came over last night to shake things up a bit. We opened a bottle of 2010 Lunadoro Vino Nobile di Montepulciano D.O.C.G to have with my homemade spinach quiche. The wine carried us through to salad and pasta with shrimp in vodka sauce. And speaking of lower price points, (average bottle around $16) this Tuscan wine was impressive. Made with 100% Sangiovese grapes, it was the color of dark rubies. The nose had lovely notes of floral, berries, plum and fennel. The palate offered cherry, plum, licorice and a hint of spice. It was medium-bodied with soft tannins, giving rise to a long finish. http://www.lunadoro.com  NFL playoff games tomorrow! What will you be drinking and eating? Happy Saturday!
Cheers! Penina  It’s an overcast day, but I’m heading out for a power walk soon. I need to burn off a few calories from my dinner last night.  After watching the Patriots win the playoff game, (yippee!) I met up with a friend at a local Italian restaurant for some wine, mussels and pasta. It was a delicious meal, topped off by good conversation and many laughs.  We drank 2011 Castellare Chianti Classico from Tuscany. Made with only native vines, 95% Sangioveto, and 5% Canaiolo, this medium bodied wine was ruby red in color with dark cherries, spices and herbs on the nose. The aromas carried through to the palate with red cherry, tobacco, pepper and a hint of floral for a very satisfying finish. http://www.castellare.it/eng/home.asp Have a peaceful Sunday!
Cheers! Penina  I’m happy to report that I stayed awake for the entire Golden Globes Awards on Sunday. Considering that I was sipping on wine during the evening, I fully expected to nod off. However, I was thoroughly entertained by Ricky Gervais and many of the presenters.  After watching lots of football during the day and prior to my friend arriving, I sautéed brussel sprouts, mushrooms and asparagus in garlic and olive oil. We baked a pizza and added the veggies on top. Quite yummy!  We drank 2012 Da Vinci Chianti from Tuscany while we ate pizza and watched the awards. This was smoother than most Chiantis I am used to drinking. It is made with 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot grapes. The color was vibrant red with aromas of cherry, plum and spice. The palate offered dark fruits (mainly cherry & blackberry) with pepper, herbs and earth. This medium-bodied wine had rounded tannins with a nice pepper and spice finish. The price is reasonable, ranging from $12 to $15. http://www.davinciwine.com I have a busy day ahead, but hope to get home before the snow begins!
Happy Tuesday! Cheers! Penina  Last evening I had a few friends over for “cocktail” hour to celebrate the onset of the weekend and holidays. Even though it was unseasonably warm out, the decorations helped to put us in a more “winter” frame of mind.  In addition to serving other spirits, I opened a 2013 Saddlebred Cellars Pinot Noir from Sicily. This inexpensive 100% Pinot was bright crimson with aromas of cherry and raspberry. On the palate, hints of floral along with dark cherry, pomegranate and strawberry were present. The finish was long with a touch of white pepper. It was a very smooth and silky Pinot Noir. I couldn’t find any info on the vineyard itself, but I will continue to research it.  For appetizers, I served baked Cranberry Brie, Spinach Quiche and assorted cheeses and fruit. I’m off to embrace this beautiful spring day on December 12th!
Happy Saturday! Cheers! Penina  I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I certainly did! Family and friends filled up my home with good cheer as well as the wonderful aromas of food emanating from the kitchen.  As usual, I made more food than was necessary and now I will have fun getting inventive with all the leftovers. Of course I overdid it with the desserts, so perhaps I’ll put together little dessert packages for a few people today.  Two wines graced the Thanksgiving table yesterday. We opened a 2013 Acrobat Pinot Noir from Oregon and a 2011 I Balzini Black Label. Both wines complemented the meal from appetizers to dessert. I reviewed the I Balzini a few weeks ago. You can read it at http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2015/11/day-375.html The Acrobat Pinot Noir comes from the King Estate Winery, founded in 1991. The color of the wine was cherry red with aromas of expressive berries and spice. The palate offered smooth and velvety flavors of cherry, plum and cranberry with hints of oak and spice. The finish was long. https://www.kingestate.com It’s a beautiful day and time to start changing the décor inside and outside to acknowledge the upcoming holidays.
Have a great Friday! Cheers! Penina  As much as I would have loved to lounge in bed on Sunday morning, I had to be at the office early. So I begrudgingly hopped out of bed to face a few hours of work.  By the time I got home, the sky was already turning pink from the sun beginning to set. I turned on the last quarter of the Jets game and got very comfy on my sofa. My plan was to be a “hermit” for the evening and mellow out. However, a good friend thought I needed his company and arrived with sushi and wine.  Most people enjoy green tea, sake or beer with sushi. But, there are many wines that complement the spiciness and exotic flavors of Japanese food. Dry Rieslings, Chardonnay, dry Rosé, sparkling wines, Gruner Veltliner and Gavi are good matches. Subtle fruit tones and high acid wines are the best go to for sushi pairings.  Last night we enjoyed a 2010 Broglia “La Meirana” Gavi di Gavi made with 100% Cortese grape. This was a crisp wine with subtle flavors of stone fruit and honey. It was very easy to drink and quite delicious! Broglia is considered the oldest winery in Gavi. Check out their website for the history. http://www.broglia.it I have lots to do before Thanksgiving!
Happy Monday! Cheers! Penina It was a long but productive Wednesday. I managed to squeeze in a photo shoot, meet with clients and write a story. By the time I got home it was dark…and not even 6:00 pm yet! Ugh!  While waiting for my dinner guest to arrive, I opened a bottle of 2011 D'Isanto & D'Isanto I Balzini Black Label Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT. After having tried and reviewed their White and Red Label, I was anxious to finally taste the Black Label. Made with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this bold wine was the color of deep purple. Aromas of dark berries, spice and cocoa were present. A quick sip and swirl upon opening, told me this was going to be a treat. The wine had a rich mouthfeel with concentrated berries, dark cherry, plum, licorice and dark chocolate on the palate. As the wine opened over the course of the evening the flavors became more intense. The tannins were soft and the finish was long with cherry and pepper lingering. I think the Black Label is my favorite so far! You can read more about these wines on my previous posts: Day 347 9/22/15 and Day 230 3/19/15. http://www.ibalzini.it  In anticipation of traveling a lot over the next few months, I finally got my flu shot this week. If you plan to travel by plane, subway, train, etc., I would suggest protecting yourself, by getting a flu shot soon!
Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina Due to my busy schedule today, I’m squeezing in a quick post about Masi Agricola Spa in the Valpolicella Classico region (Veneto). I attended a wine tasting this past September where I sampled a few vintages of their Amarone. I think my post about it is worth sharing again.  “I made my way to Veneto, where Tony Apostolakos, the U.S. Director of Masi Agricola was waiting to guide me through a tasting of Amarone. It is interesting to note that Sandro Boscaini, the owner of Masi, is referred to as “ Mr. Amarone” due to the unique crafting of his wines. He uses the appassimento method to concentrate aromas and flavors in wine. The Appaxximento symbol can be found on his labels guaranteeing the authenticity and quality of Masi Wine. I’ll highlight a few of the wines I tasted. The 2011 Costasera Amarone was full-bodied with cherry, plum and spices. The 2008 Vaio Armaron Amarone, aged in cherry wood casks for four months, was amazing. The aroma and flavor of cherries, spices and fruit lingered on the palate. Before I departed I was treated to a taste of 1999 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. It had a beautiful bouquet of fruit and earth, with dark fruit and spice on the palate."  Raffaele Boscaini On Tuesday, at the Grandi Marchi Seminar, Sandro Boscaini’s son, Raffaele led us through a guided tasting of 2009 Riserva di Costasera. It is made with 70% Corvina, 15% Rondinella, 10% Oseleta and 5% Molinara grapes. Oak Maturation is 38-40 months with 6 months in the bottle. The color was deep ruby with aromas of cherry, plum and a touch of earth. The palate offered rich black cherry, spice and a hint of pepper. It was elegant and full-bodied with smooth tannins. Alcohol 15.5%. I will definitely add this wine to my collection. http://www.masi.it Happy Thursday!
Cheers! Penina  On Tuesday I attended The Grandi Marchi Experience in NYC, a guided tasting of Italy’s top terroirs. The event was held at Del Posto, another amazing creation of Mario Batali located in the now trendy meatpacking district. Gloria Maoroti Frazee, the Director of Video & Education, Wine Spectator, moderated the event. Not only did we taste the wines, but also had the pleasure of hearing from the principles of each winery as we swirled and sipped. Each spokesperson had a wonderful story to tell. We heard about their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers who’s input helped to make the wines what they are today. The Institute of Fine Italian Wines-Premium brands is comprised of nineteen important Italian wineries with the objective to promote culture and commercialism of high end Italian wine to world markets. The wineries are defined by high standards of product and brand image at national and international levels.  Of the nineteen wineries that make up the institute, fifteen wineries were present yesterday. We tasted 15 wines from Lombardy, Tuscany, Marches, Piedmont, Sardinia, Sicily, Campania, Puglia, Umbria and Veneto. We started with a refreshing 2006 Cuvée Annamarie Clementi and ended with a 2008 Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria D.O.C Limited Edition dessert wine. In between we tasted two more whites and eleven reds from producers such as Gaja, Tenuta San Guido, Antinori, Masi, Rivera and Pio Cesare. I will elaborate on some of the wines that I tasted in tomorrow’s post.
Have a great Wednesday! Cheers! Penina  The weather has been beautiful for the past few days and I am enjoying the subtle changes of the foliage around me. And so are Ethel and Fred, long time friends that appear on my doorstep every fall season.  Being in a “fall” mood, I wanted to make my famous pumpkin muffins yesterday. But as usual, life got in the way. Perhaps I can make a batch in the next day or so.  To celebrate my victorious “win” in court yesterday over an undeserved ticket, a friend and I went out to dinner. We dined at a local restaurant specializing in southern Italian cuisine. In addition to a superb dining experience, we drank a very nice wine. It was a 2009 Piccini Villa al Cortile Brunello di Montalcino, DOCG. The wine was 100% Sangiovese grape and dark ruby in color. A mosaic of aromas included blackberry, dark cherry, spices and herbs. The palate delivered licorice, dark berry, mushrooms and a hint of vanilla. As the wine opened, the flavors got more intense with a touch of tobacco on the finish. I found this to be a bold wine with round tannins. The wine was aged in oak for 26 months and is 14% alcohol. The Piccini family has been producing wines since 1882. http://www.tenutepiccini.it Enjoy this lovely Thursday!
Cheers! Penina |
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