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 It has been a mellow few days. I got together with a friend on Sunday for Mimosas and a fun afternoon, followed by a “catch up” glass of wine with a friend on Monday after work. And in between, I looked at all my yarns and neglected knitting projects that are now collecting dust. I really need to jump back on the knitting track!  It isn't just a pile of yarn. It's a pile of possibilities! I have no earth shattering wines or food to discuss today. However, I’m going into the city on Wednesday to have lunch with the wine producer of Donnafugata, wines of Sicily. I’m looking forward to writing about it and sharing my wine experience with you.  Have a great Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina
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 We have beautiful blue skies and temps in the mid 50’s degree range. I’m putting on my sunblock and heading outdoors! This is perfect weather for a long power walk.  Last evening I got together with a dear friend who was visiting from California. Perhaps he brought the sunshine and good weather with him! We ate at a local restaurant and dined on simple fare and drank a nice bottle of 2012 Frog’s Leap Zinfandel from Napa Valley. Blended with Petite Sirah and a little Carignan, this ruby colored wine had alluring aromas of raspberry, cherry and spices. The palate offered Bing cherry, mellow fruit and a complementary dryness that might have been produced with the Carignan. Tannins were tight, but softened as the wine opened. The finish was spicy with a tease of fennel. Delicious! http://www.frogsleap.com  We are a week away from the Oscars and parties are in the making. I must confess that I haven’t seen most of the nominated movies. I may sit this one out! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Happy Saturday! Cheers! Penina  It was a busy Wednesday and in between dealing with business, I was on a search for fresh escarole. None was to be found. It seems that due to the weird weather we’ve been experiencing, the winter crops are not fairing well and most markets aren’t selling escarole right now. I was hoping to put together a pasta dish of sautéed escarole, cannellini beans and shrimp. So, I improvised and used broccoli rabe, which actually ended up giving the dish a little more dimension. We started the meal with a small serving of Tomato Basil Bisque and homemade peasant bread.   Prior to serving the soup, I opened a bottle of 2010 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. Instead of rich dark fruit aromas, there was an overwhelming mustiness that carried over to the palate. By the time we finished our soup, the wine had developed a small trace of cherry and plum on the palate with the mustiness still in the forefront. I was disappointed to say the least, but it was not worth waiting to see if the wine got any better. So we left “Italy” and traveled to “Spain” and opened a 2009 Bodegas San Prudencio Depadre Rioja. I reviewed this wine in June and it was even better than I remembered. My previous review: “The color was a dark Syrian amethyst with heady aromas of dark fruits and floral bouquet. Made from Tempranillo and Garnacha, this multi-layered wine exploded on the palate with blackberry, cherry, anise, espresso beans and a hint of vanilla. It was quite impressive with a long finish. This is a wine with a lot of character and depth.” And, it is a full-bodied wine with medium tannins. Alcohol: 13.5%. http://bodegasanprudencio.es  The wine paired well with the rest of the meal.  Happy Thursday!
Cheers! Penina  Between the downpour of rain and the howling winds yesterday, I fully expected to end up in the Land of Oz. But all is calm today and I have much to do. Last evening I had a quick drink with a friend. Straying from my usual “vodka neat”, I poured a shot of Grey Goose over ice with imported Spanish olives marinated with dry Vermouth. I then added a splash of the liquid that the olives were packed in. The drink was amazing and the olives were meaty and flavorful. I need to go out and buy a case of these olives! Check out Mezzetta products at: http://www.mezzetta.com  Have a peaceful Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina This past weekend was all about friends, food and drink. I came across a quote recently that made a lot of sense. “Don’t let anyone rent space in your head, unless they’re a good tenant.” And that’s what it’s all about…surrounding oneself with positive people that are optimistic, joyful and trustworthy. I’ll drink to that!  And speaking of drink…Six months ago I wrote a review about Shingleback’s 2011 The Gate Shiraz that is produced in the McLaren Vale area of South Australia. It was an amazing wine and I promised myself that I would keep the other bottles under wrap for a few years. But I couldn’t help myself and opened another bottle last evening. As before, the aromas of lush fruit and spice were heavenly. Cherry and candy apple dominated. In my last review, I said: “The palate was a feast of layers, oozing dark jams, cherry, oak, pepper, spices and a hint of vanilla. Silky tannins and a solid backbone gave way to a long finish.” In addition, this time the wine had a hint of marzipan that teased the palate. This full-bodied wine paired well with the meal and dessert! http://www.shingleback.com.au  I served baked salmon and cherry tomatoes with a wine, shallot & mustard sauce accompanied by asparagus and mushrooms sautéed in olive oil and shallots. I also made my famous mashed potatoes. The dessert was Molten chocolate cake. Click on each image for a closer look. The evening segued into watching a silly but funny movie and sipping the last of the wine. Perfect!
Have a great Monday! Cheers! Penina  Okay…I’m ready for sunshine, warm waves, palm trees and an exotic tropical drink resting in my hand. Enough of these sub zero temperatures! Everyone is running off to go skiing for the long holiday weekend and I want to run in the opposite direction!  And, let’s not forget that part of Presidents Day weekend also includes Valentine’s Day this Sunday…a holiday that restaurants, florists and candy shops will make lots of money on. Whatever happened to the days when everything wasn’t so commercialized? I remember making my own valentines and writing beautiful poems that truly came from the heart. I say, “let’s get back to the basics”!  However, if offered, I certainly won’t pass up a glass of Cristal Champagne and Teuscher of Switzerland Champagne Truffles! They are the best truffles I have ever had. The Champagne Truffle is Teuscher’s signature truffle. It has a Dom Perignon champagne cream center, surrounded by dark chocolate ganache and is then covered with milk chocolate and dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Oh, my…I’m having a hot flash just thinking about it. Yummy! http://www.teuscher.com  Speaking of champagne, a friend and I had a pre-Valentine toast with a glass of Philipponnat Brut Royale Réserve. Situated in the heart of the Champagne wine-growing area, the Philiponnat family has been producing wine for almost 500 years. The nonvintage Champagne we tasted is mostly Pinot Noir blended with Chardonnay and a small amount of Pinot Meunier. Aromas of citrus, honey and pear led to light and crisp flavors of pear, apple, floral notes and a dash of nutmeg. A light citrus and chalky finish gave it an extra bounce! http://www.philipponnat.com  It’s time for me to bundle up and brave the 15-degree temps outside.
Have a warm and happy Friday! Cheers! Penina Once again, snow thwarted my travel plans yesterday to attend an event in the city. This is what I missed: A press conference with Daniele Cernilli, Italian Wine Critic & Publisher, a.k.a. Doctor Wine with his newest edition of “The Ultimate Guide to Italian Wine 2016” and Marco Oreggia, journalist, wine & olive oil critic with his 2016 version of “Flos Olei”. Ninety of Europe’s highest quality extra virgin olive oils, along with 130 of Italy’s finest wines were served. Hopefully, I’ll catch them on their 2017 tour!  After reassembling my day and tending to “indoor” projects, I spent a relaxing evening with a friend sipping on cognac and watching a little television. My disappointment in missing yesterday’s event was short lived and replaced with good humor & thoughtfulness thanks to my friend!  More snow tomorrow! Happy Tuesday! Cheers!
Penina  It’s Super Bowl Sunday and fans are gearing up for the main event. Many people have specific foods that they like to eat during the game. Some of the classic items are spicy chicken wings, assorted dips, heroes and sliders. The menu in my home has evolved over the years into a healthier selection. We’ve gone from eating a variety of heroes to serving Chinese food. And tonight’s menu is baked salmon, sweet potato fries and tossed salad. We’ve come a long way, baby! When I found out that my youngest son was coming home to watch the game, I opted out of my party invitations so that we could continue our fun tradition of watching together. Of course, being that he is a sports writer, makes it all the more entertaining!  The other evening, friends invited me over for a casual pizza and beer get together. Knowing that I don’t drink beer, they opened a bottle of 2007 Relax Riesling for me. Schmitt Sohne produces this German Riesling. They are located in Longuich, a village on the river Mosel. The wine was light-bodied and pale yellow in color. The aroma was fruity with apple and pear notes. On the palate it was semi-sweet, with apple, pear and a hint of citrus. Low acidity and a smooth finish make this wine adaptable to a variety of food. http://relaxwines.com BTW…did you know that Germany is the home of the world's largest vineyard area devoted to Riesling and is the most important German wine grape? Fun fact!  Whatever your plans are for tonight, whether it is watching the game, reading a book or going to sleep early, enjoy your Sunday!
Cheers! Penina  Oh my…it’s Friday and I’m finally sitting down to write a post. The days are going by so quickly and I can’t seem to get caught up with everything. However, an unexpected little snowstorm is keeping me inside this morning, so let me begin.  I met with a few friends midweek for tapas and a glass of Albariño wine. This green-skinned grape is grown in Galicia, located in northwest Spain. Albariño is the Galician name for this grape whereas in Portugal it is referred to as Alvarinho. Albariño wine is noted for its floral and soft fruity bouquet extending to the palate with common notes of peach and citrus. I found it to be light and quite complementary to the variety of tapas dishes. It is a lovely wine to keep in mind for the warmer months and also makes for a great aperitif.  Last night I opened a bottle of 2009 D’Isanto & D’Isanto I Balzini Red Label to serve with a hearty homemade vegetable and bean soup. I reviewed this Tuscan wine about a year ago. Most of what I experienced back then, remained consistent. Made with Cabernet, Merlot and Sangiovese, the aromas were rich in dark fruit and spice. The palate offered black cherry, plum and earth as it did before. However, this time the finish was stronger, with spice and anise lingering for a longer finish. The wine opened up much faster as well. My guest will attest that it was good to the last drop! http://www.ibalzini.it/index.php/en The snow is beginning to taper off and I’m getting ready for the weekend and Super Bowl!
Happy Friday! Cheers! Penina  As the weatherman promised, it has been beautiful the last few days. I’ve been taking advantage of the mild temps by trying to stay outdoors as much as possible. It is coming to an end tomorrow though, with the promise of rain and wind, which unfortunately might impact my journey into the city for a wine event.  I’m planning a few trips in the near future, so I started delving into all the travel “discount” sites, as well as airline sites to compare prices. Yikes! It is amazing the broad range of airfares that are offered for the same flight. One thing I learned from a very savvy niece, is to make sure that you set your browser on “private browsing” when exploring prices. Otherwise, the site will remember you and probably not offer the same attractive price that you saw earlier. I’m looking forward to writing some travel posts soon!  As it approached cocktail hour last night, I poured myself a Snow Queen vodka on the rocks and settled in to watch a little of the Iowa caucus returns. A friend decided to drop by and join me for a while. I poured him vodka as well. Before I knew it, I was in the kitchen tossing a salad and popping a frozen pizza in the oven for us to eat. It was a fun and spontaneous evening! I wrote a review of Snow Queen vodka in November. I really like the flavor and smoothness of this vodka. You can read my review at: http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2015/11/day-382.html Happy Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina |
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