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 It was a busy Thursday that ended on a gentle note with dinner and a movie. I escaped the “green food” being offered throughout the day in honor of St. Patrick’s Day and welcomed normal fare and a nice bottle of 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from Mercer Estates Winery.  Mercer Estates is located in the heart of Yakima Valley in Columbia Valley, Washington. It is a family owned winery run by brothers, Rob and Will Mercer. In September 2015, I reviewed their 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon which was very good. And, I was just as impressed with the bottle we opened last night. The grapes for the 2013 Cabernet come from Mercer’s estate vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills and is a blend of 75% Cabernet, 15% Syrah and 10% Merlot. The aromas of lush fruity, spice and a hint of vanilla greeted me. The palate was layered with dark berries, plum and spice. The wine was balanced and rich with a very smooth and long finish. It was a definite thumbs up! http://mercerwine.com  Spring officially begins this Sunday with the possibility of a major snowstorm. Winter does not want to go away! I would like to put my snowshoes away and slip into my summer sandals! Have a great start to the weekend! Happy Friday!
Cheers! Penina
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 It’s St. Patrick’s Day, a cultural and religious celebration that marks the death date of the foremost patron saint of Ireland. March 17th commemorates St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It also celebrates Ireland’s culture and heritage with parades, festivals and the wearing of something green.  The holiday is also associated with the consumption of alcohol which seems to be an integral part of the celebration. “Drowning the shamrock” or” wetting the shamrock” is a St. Patrick’s Day custom. As the celebrations come to an end, a shamrock (Ireland’s national emblem) is put into the bottom of a cup or glass. The cup is then filled with beer, whiskey or cider and drunk as a toast. One has the option of swallowing the shamrock or tossing it over the shoulder for good luck.  So, whether you’re drinking Irish stout, whiskey or Irish cream and eating soda bread with corned beef and cabbage, enjoy!  I will be celebrating this evening with a bottle of wine, grilled fish and perhaps some Baileys Irish cream afterwards! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Cheers! Penina  The weekend flew by so quickly! It was filled with wine, music and a little dancing. Of course, work was also thrown into the mix! And now it’s back to a busy Monday filled with thick clouds, rain and chilly temps.  The other evening I tasted (at the encouragement of a friend) Tom Bulleit’s 10-Year-Old Bourbon. This blend of 68% corn, 28% rye and 4% barley was aged in charred American White Oak for 10 years. I am not well versed when it comes to Bourbon, but this was delicious! I drank it straight up. The color was beautiful dark amber with heady aromas of soft spices, oak and vanilla. On the palate it was smooth and rich with flavors of oak, caramel, vanilla, citrus and spice. The finish was long with spices and vanilla lingering. 91.2 proof. Price: $55 http://www.bulleit.com Happy Monday!
Cheers! Penina  I was hoping that the weather would stay warm for this weekend. Although it won’t hit the 70s, I’ll take what Mother Nature is offering, even if it means slipping on warmer shoes while my sandals patiently wait to be worn again. To start the weekend off, I met with a friend on Friday evening for dinner and conversation. We dined at an Italian restaurant with an emphasis on cuisine from central Italy. My friend preferred to drink vodka, so I opted for a glass of wine instead of ordering a bottle for the table. The selection of wines by the glass was limited, but good.  I picked Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Umani Ronchi Podere 2010. I made sure that the waiter opened a new bottle for the pour. The color was deep red bordering on purple. Pleasant aromas of cherry, dark berries and spices were followed by subtle flavors of sour cherry, plum, herbs, pepper and a hint of cocoa. Medium-bodied with soft tannins made this an easy wine to drink. Umani Ronchi produces an impressive 3 million bottles of twenty different wines every year! Click on the website for their fascinating story. http://www.umanironchi.com  Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead tonight before you go to bed!
Happy Saturday! Cheers! Penina  It’s such a beautiful day. I’ve been trying to spend as much time as possible outdoors. After a long power walk, I’m finally sitting down (outside) to write this short post.  I was expecting a friend over for dinner last night. The Rosé was chilling and the salmon and veggies were ready for the grill. At the last minute, he asked me to come over to his home instead. So, I grabbed everything and off I went. When I arrived, I handed him the food to grill and I opened the wine.  We drank 2013 Belguardo Rosé Toscana, Mazzei. The Belguardo estate is located in the Maremma region of Tuscany that the Mazzei family purchased in the 1990s. The wine is an unusual blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Syrah. The color was pale red with floral aromas and the palate offered red fruit flavors which were soft and succulent. It was medium bodied with a lasting impression of berries and flowers. The average price is $18.00. The dinner was delicious with the wine complementing every bite. http://www.mazzei.it/eng Happy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  Sunshine and warm temperatures…now that’s what I’m talking about! I feel inspired to fire up the grill later and open up one of the rosés chilling in my refrigerator. As I mentioned in my last post, while dining at The Continental in Naples, FL, we enjoyed a bottle of 2012 J. Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon from the Paso Robles region of CA. The composition is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. The color was bordering on royal purple with wonderful plum, dark fruit and floral aromas. The palate was richly layered with plum and dark berries that segued into hints of dark cocoa, oak and spices. It was full-bodied with a long smooth finish of berries lingering on the palate. I have tasted and reviewed many J. Lohr wines, but I think this is my favorite so far! http://www.jlohr.com  I’m off to embrace this beautiful day!
Happy Tuesday! Cheers! Penina The first time I visited Naples, located in Southwest Florida on the Gulf coast, was in the early 1970s. My impression was that it was nothing more than a sleepy “ho hum” city. I was living in Miami Beach at the time, which was way more exciting. Of course, back then South Beach was far from being the trendy place it is now.  Today, Naples is a vibrant, bustling hotspot filled with fabulous restaurants, wine bars, shopping enclaves and over 10 miles of pristine beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. There are more than 80 championship golf courses in the Naples area. Performing arts and cultural events abound, including professional regional Broadway productions and opera. Many bars and restaurants are located waterside and offer great views of the sunset while enjoying a cocktail. “Downtown” Naples is quite trendy while still maintaining an old world charm. Fifth Avenue South is Naples’ main street. It is lined with boutiques, restaurants, sidewalk cafes, galleries, hotels and ice cream shops that are nestled within historical landmarks and colorful buildings. It is a popular place for both tourists and residents. Third Street is another shopping area filled with restaurants, galleries and shops.  With only four days to explore Naples, my gracious host gave me illuminating tours while still allowing me time to rest and enjoy the beach. Vanderbilt Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Naples with white sand stretching for miles. It is within walking distance of several upscale hotels and restaurants. The Vanderbilt Beach Resort is home to the Turtle Club Restaurant. It offers indoor and outdoor dining with steps leading up to the restaurant from the beach. I enjoyed sitting outside and watching a beautiful sunset while sipping on a martini! Afterwards, we sat at the bar and dined on perfectly grilled lobster tails. Of course, if you’re lucky enough to get an outside table, there is nothing better than dining with your toes in the sand! http://www.windwardhospitality.com  Wine display at Avenue 5 While browsing Fifth Avenue South one afternoon, we stopped in at Avenue 5, an upscale restaurant, boasting a 7,000 square foot space. The wine display was dramatic and impressive as was the entire 240-seat restaurant. The menu was inviting and eclectic, but we had other destinations to get to. Before leaving though, we sidled up to the bar and enjoyed a refreshing glass of Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs. I will definitely dine here on my next trip to Naples. http://www.avenue5naples.com Dining at The Continental on Third Street South was exceptional. The ambiance was upbeat and the décor was whimsical. As with so many restaurants in Naples, it offered indoor and outdoor dining. We had a great table outside that gave us a wide view of all the comings and goings. Although this is a steakhouse inspired menu, there is a nice selection of daily catches from the sea. The steak menu is impressive and expensive, offering an unusual selection from American, Italian, Australian Wagyu and Japanese Wagyu beef. Everything we tasted was beyond divine. We drank 2012 J. Lohr Cabernet, a perfect choice with our meal, which I will review in my next post. http://www.continentalnaples.com  And, of course I couldn’t travel to Florida without having stoned crabs before I left! So, for my last night there we went to Real Seafood Co. located in North Naples. We sat at the bar and enjoyed a Grey Goose martini with blue cheese stuffed olives. I savored the stoned crabs which were sweet and fresh. We also shared a side dish of brussel sprouts grilled in balsamic and honey, which were amazing! http://realseafoodconaples.com I will have to make another trip back to Naples. There is still so much to explore. It was a sweet intermission from my daily routine!
Happy Sunday! Cheers! Penina  At the beginning of the week I met a friend for an “end of the day” drink. While he sampled various beers, I stuck with my tried and true vodka. As you might remember from previous posts, I am not a beer drinker. However, when the bartender poured us Keegan Ales Mothers Milk Stout for us to taste, I had to try it.  The dark brown color with a tan head reminded me of a root beer float. The aromas of chocolate and oats were very inviting. The palate offered chocolate, caramel and milk with a finish that was offset by a slight bitterness. All together, a nice blend of creamy flavors! The next time I get together with friends for beer, I know what I’m ordering! Keegan Ales was founded in 2003 and the brewery is located in Kingston, NY. Check out the website for more details. http://www.keeganales.com  I just landed in Naples, Fl. Check back soon for my travel adventures in this beautiful and bustling city. Happy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  My beautiful niece came to visit on Thursday. At the age of twenty, she has had more travel adventures than most of us achieve in a lifetime! She attended her first year of college in Florence, Italy with weekend trips all over Europe. The first half of her third year of college was spent in Paris. She plans on a 3-week excursion to Southeast Asia during her senior year and upon graduation, a month in Viet Nam. She has visited many museums, wineries and attended numerous cultural events throughout Europe. I asked her if she would please pack me in her suitcase next time she goes away! We shared many stories and got caught up on life while dining at an upbeat restaurant called Willy Nicks in Katonah, NY. Although the waiter kept calling us “girls” one too many times, the food was delicious! We dined on Sesame Tuna Crunch salad made with water chestnuts, carrots, pickled ginger, peppers and wakame with a chile-lime vinaigrette. The tuna was seared to perfection and every mouthful was a wonderful taste and texture sensation.   I enjoyed a glass of 2012 Rainstorm Pinot Noir from Oregon with the meal. The Pinot Noir grapes come from vineyards located in the Willamette and Umpqua Valleys. The Willamette Valley is situated in northern Oregon, which produces Pinot Noirs with more earthy tones and complexity. While the hotter and drier climate of Umpqua Valley located in southern Oregon produces a richer and fruitier flavor Pinot Noir. Rainstorm’s Pinot Noir is a 50/50 blend of these two wine regions. The color of the wine was soft ruby with subtle berry aromas. The palate had a fresh fruit feel, offering cherry, cranberry and a little spice. It was a little “chewy” with a warm finish. The label is a whimsical depiction of Portland showing salmon, coffee, guitars, clouds and wine grapes. http://pinotpassion.com This is going to be a whirlwind weekend. I’ll be back on Monday!
Happy Saturday! Cheers! Penina Sight, taste, smell, hearing and touch are the fundamental senses that allow us to experience and express our perception of the world around us. We rely on our sight, taste and smell to communicate impressions of wine and food. Donnafugata, a family owned winery situated in western Sicily, has taken the “sensorial experience” to a whole new level! On Wednesday, I had lunch with the delightful Josè Rallo, one of the family members of Donnafugata. I tasted elegant wines and learned all about this magical family and winery, as we dined on local, artisanal food in a private room at Black Barn Restaurant in NYC.   The Rallo family began their trek into the world of wine in 1851. In 1983, Josè’s parents, Giacomo and Gabriella created Donnafugata. The name means “woman in flight” and refers to a story from a piece of literature called “Il Gattopardo”. Most of the Donnafugata labels and names of wines, which are very whimsical, pay homage to various works of art and literature. In 1990, their children, Josè and Antonio joined them with Josè as head of management control & communication and Antonio as a dedicated agronomist, wine maker and head of the Consorzio Sicilia DOC. Together, the Rallo family has dedicated themselves to eco-sustainable management, biodiversity and paying special attention to their carbon footprint.  Credit: Fabio Gambina copyright of Donnafugata and the name of the photographer mentioned. Contessa Entellina, Donnafugata’s wine estate, is comprised of 667 acres and seven vineyards. They cultivate 17 varieties of grape, both indigenous varieties and Italian and international vine varieties. The Donnafugata vineyards are spread throughout 10 districts, each having uniqueness in soil, altitude, exposure and micro-climatic conditions. In addition, Donnafugata has a winery and vineyard on Pantelleria, a volcanic island situated between Africa and Sicily. Zibibbo (Moscato d’Alessandria) is the wine variety grown on their 168-acre vineyards, located in 12 different areas of the island. Some of the plants are more than 100 years old! The vines are cultivated by hand, planted in a basin and trained to grow low and horizontally. This system of planting allows the vines to withstand the wind on the island. The winery is located in the Khamma district of the island. Wines produced at Contessa Entellina and Pantelleria are brought to the Marsala Aging Winery, Donnafugata’s production facility, for refinement and bottling. And now, back to my lunch with Josè!  As we nibbled on appetizers, Josè introduced us to SurSur 2014, a 100% Grillo grape, that is an ancient indigenous variety from Sicily. The color was pale straw with lovely aromas of green apple, peach and grapefruit. The palate offered a perfect balance of citrus and floral. At an average price of $19.00, this is a great wine to keep stocked in the refrigerator, especially with the warmer months on the way. We continued to drink the SurSur as we ate a delicious Kale Salad. Josè, who is also an accomplished singer with a beautiful voice, sang us a song that she felt paired the wine with the music, giving us the ultimate “multi-sensory” experience! In fact, she sang a song with every wine poured, sending us on an incredible sensory journey each time.  Josè serenading us!  Before the main course arrived, a bottle of 2011 Tancredi Sicilia and 2010 Mille e Una Notte Sicilia were opened. The Tancredi is made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Nero d’Avola. The aromas of dark fruit, light oak, spices and herbs gave way to earthy flavors, rich berries, licorice, spice and soft tannins. The average price of this wine is about $36.00. The Mille e Una Notte is made with Nero d’Avola, Petit Verdot, Syrah and other grapes. Deep red in color, the aromas were heady and intense with dark fruit and spices. The palate was layered with plum, cherry, pepper and a hint of cocoa. Soft tannins accompanied a long finish. This is one of Donnafugata's more expensive wines, with a price tag averaging around $60.00 a bottle, but well worth it!  As we got ready for dessert, a bottle of 2013 Ben Ryé was opened. It was exquisite! This naturally sweet wine is made with 100% Zibibbo grown on the island of Pantelleria. The color was brilliant amber with intoxicating aromas of apricot and floral that segued onto the palate and lingered. The wine was concentrated and intense, but beautifully balanced. Although I would have been quite happy drinking this as my “dessert”, it complemented the Chocolate Cremeux passion fruit gelee, nougaline. I found the average price to be around $45.00 a bottle.  Delicious wines! Donnafugata wine is distributed in 60 countries and can be found in most wine shops, online and in many restaurants. To learn more about this innovative winery, visit their website at: http://www.donnafugata.it/pagine/Homepage.aspx
Josè’s exuberance and passion for her wines, music and life was the sweet pearl that I took with me when I left. It was a very enjoyable afternoon! Cheers! Penina |
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