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 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  Tuesday was a beautiful day and what better way to spend it than touring Italy. Our kick off point was the trendy Bowery Hotel in NYC. This small boutique hotel located in the East Village was the perfect setting for the Kobrand Tour d’ Italia 2015 wine event.  The first stop on this eight-city tour was Risano and Spessa di Capriva in the Friuli Grave and Collio Goriziano D.O.C. zones. I met with Roberto Pighin, the owner of Fernando Pighin & Figli. He has been part of the family winery since he was a child. He is passionate about his wine and took great pride in discussing the production of the Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. The Pinot Grigio Friuli Grave was sweet with fruit and quite lively, as compared to the Pinot Grigio Collio that was more intense with citrus and less fruit. The Sauvignon Blanc Friuli Grave was grassy, mild and very pleasant. http://www.pighin.com  My next stop was the estate of Tenuta San Guido located in the D.O.C. Bolgheri in Tuscany. Colleen McKettrick, the Brand Ambassador, greeted me. It is no secret that Sassicaia is a favorite of mine. And, it is also the first Super Tuscan to be released in 1968. So it was with great pleasure that I tasted some excellent wines. The 2012 Sassicaia was rich with dark fruit, spices and was quite robust. Colleen poured me a special taste of the 2004 Guidalberto and 2006 Sassicaia that were pure velvet! The 2013 Guidalberto Toscana IGT is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It was well-balanced with dark fruit and a velvet texture. The 2013 Le Difese Toscana IGT is a mini Super Tuscan made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, sharing a pedigree with Sassicaia. The fruit is picked from younger vines and is easy to drink. http://www.tenutasanguido.com Agricola Punica, founded in 2002, is located in Sardinia, a large island in the Mediterranean Sea. Sebastiano Rosa (Principle) and his son led me on a guided tour of their wines. We started with the Samas, made with Vermentino and Chardonnay grapes. It was quite refreshing and light with lots of citrus. I also tried Montessu, 2013 and Barrua, 2012, both made with the Carignano grape which is one of three main grapes planted in Sardinia. The Montessu was layered with fruit & spices and called “Super Sardinian” The Barrua was more robust and full-bodied. I’ll have to come back to this island! http://www.agripunica.it/ I found myself back in Tuscany again tasting wines from Tenuta Sette Ponti owned by Giovanna Moretti and her brother Antonio Moretti who also own Feudo Maccari in Sicily. Their Tuscan wines are eclectic and there were many to sample. The newest wine is Vigna del Impero made with 100% Sangiovese. Planted in 1935, Imperno is one of Tuscany’s oldest vineyards. The wine was rich with fruit, spice and medium tannins. I made a quick stop in Sicily to taste Grillo, Sicilia IGP 2014. Aged in steel tanks, this full-bodied wine was floral scented, with citrus and stone fruit on the palate. Did you know that the Grillo grape is most famous for its role in making Marsala wines? http://www.tenutasetteponti.it Tenute Silvio Nardi, located in Tuscany is owned and operated by Emilia Nardi. They are one of the founding families of the Brunello Consortium. The wines are made with 100% Sangiovese. I tasted the 2005 and 2010 Brunello. The 2005 Brunello was high in tannins and more “chewy”. I preferred the 2010 Brunello having softer tannins that allowed the fruit, licorice and spices to dominate. I then tried the 2006 and 2010 Manachiara Brunello. Although the 2006 was bright and robust, the 2010 was smoother and more complex. http://www.tenutenardi.com So, this is where the first leg of my trip ends. Tomorrow I will continue on to Veneto, Piedmont and then back to Tuscany. Until then…  Saluti!
Penina  The skies have finally opened up and rain is pouring down onto the parched earth. The trees and plants are smiling with relief! And I am happy that my rain dance worked!  For the last few days, my time has been divided between appointments and socializing sweet Mabel, the little puppy from Puppies Behind Bars program. www.puppiesbehindbars.com. As busy as my schedule has been, I did manage to take a little “me” time to taste a lovely wine with a friend the other evening. It was an extremely hot and humid night, so we were both craving a cold and crisp wine.  We chose 2014 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. It was light and crisp, but impressive. It had intense aromas of grapefruit, lemon, tropical fruit and fennel. The palate offered ripe citrus, herbs, stone fruit and a wonderful chalky minerality. It was a very refreshing wine with a long finish. http://www.cloudybay.co.nz Much to do before the day ends.
Have a great Thursday! Cheers! Penina 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  Although the days are now getting shorter, it is full on summer with heat and humidity. Dining has taken on a whole new meaning of light and easy meals. Quinoa salads, bean salads, cold shrimp, lobster and fresh fruit are the go to fare of late. Chilled wines are the pick right now.  Last night we opened a 2014 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. It was pale straw in color with aromas of citrus and tropical fruit. The palate offered layers of fruit, lemon, lime and green apple. It was light and crisp with a touch of acidity. It complemented the meal, but would drink well on it’s own. I have another bottle chilling in the refrigerator! http://www.oysterbaywines.com  Stay cool and hydrated in this warm weather!
Happy Tuesday! 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  I’m nursing a big “boo boo” on my leg, so I’m in down time mode for a few days. Fortunately, my friends have been popping over to entertain me! After a restful day yesterday, a friend stopped by in the late afternoon for a quick hello and good-bye. About an hour later another friend came over with food, a bottle of wine and positive energy. Now, that’s what I’m talking about! He cheered me up in no time!  We opened a bottle of 2011 Jean-Paul Picard Cuvée Prestige Sauvignon Blanc, from Sancerre, Loire Valley. The wine was light straw with stone fruit and floral aromas. The palate was a mixture of pear, apple, a hint of lemon zest and quite rich! The long finish was quite satisfying and paired well with the salmon, salad and grilled asparagus. Sancerre is a small wine district located in central France. They are famous for their high quality white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc. Sancerre is also known for its high quality goat cheese. I would love to try some of that!  Don’t forget to watch the Stanley Cup game tonight. I’m looking forward to a fun evening!
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’s a “marathon” kind of day…working with clients in the morning and then office time this afternoon. And in between it all I’m squeezing in a quick post.  As some of you have noticed, I have abandoned my knitting for the last few months due to a number of distractions in my life. Every time I’ve headed for the yarn and knitting needles, other matters have pulled me away. However, I am hoping that “things” will settle down in the next week or so and I can put together some pretty cotton artwear for spring.  A few nights ago, I had a very nice Sauvignon Blanc. It was a 2009 Cade from Napa valley made from 93% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Sémillon, and 1% Viognier. It was a light straw color with lovely aromas of tropical fruits and honeysuckle. The fruit continued on the palate with citrus, peach and a hint of marmalade that extended into a long finish. This was a very refreshing wine that I hope to drink again while watching a summer sunset! http://www.cadewinery.com Happy Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina |
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