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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 Here it is Sunday evening and I’m finally catching my breath.  Saturday was a challenge of squeezing twelve hours of “busy” into a window of six hours, but somehow I managed to do it. After meeting a friend for a bon voyage lunch, I ran to the Art Show reception to meet and greet. I was quite pleased with the positive feedback of my art wear.  When the reception was over, a friend and I celebrated the end of the day with a glass of wine. We opened a 2013 Stag’s Leap Karia Chardonnay from Napa. The name Karia is derived from the Greek word meaning graceful. And that is just what this wine was. It had pleasing aromas of apple, pear and spice. The palate offered citrus, tart apple, honey and a hint of oak. This was a clean, well-balanced wine with stone fruit and a creamy finish. It was the perfect way to begin and end the evening! http://stagsleap.com Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day and perfect for taking a power walk. I have quite a busy week ahead. And it’s almost bedtime!
Sweet dreams! Cheers! Penina  Thanks to Hurricane Joaquin, a deluge of rain has prevented many outdoor festivities from taking place this weekend. So, I am grateful that the Art Show that I am exhibiting in is indoors.  With the rain, wind and chilly temperatures last evening, it was nice to be inside. My friend opened an exceptional bottle of wine and all that was missing was a roaring fire.  We drank a 2009 Viña Alicia Las Compuertas Malbec. This wine comes from Luján de Cuyo in the foothills of the Andes and was designated as Mendoza’s first appellation in 1993. The wine is sourced from vines that are up to 150 years old. This was a very captivating and full-bodied wine. The deep ruby color bordered on purple with intoxicating aromas of dark berries, spices, oak and a hint of herbs. The palate was layered with sweet berries, especially blackberry and spice. There was a strong earthiness to it, with smooth tannins and a long “jammy” finish. Yummy! http://www.vinaalicia.com I have a busy day ahead of me.
Have a great Saturday! Cheers! Penina  After a day filled with putting out “mini” fires and successfully keeping deals on the table, I looked forward to the thought of a relaxing evening at home, a glass of wine, a good movie and an early bedtime.  However, towards the end of the day, I received a phone call from a friend to come join him and a few others for drinks and food. I just couldn’t say no!  My glass of “wine” turned into Grey Goose on the rocks. My relaxation took the form of easy conversation and my friends were riotously entertaining. We enjoyed a delicious meal and then it was time for me to go home. I was still hoping for that early bedtime.  Although I have no wine reviews today, I’m quite happy with how Wednesday turned out! Sometimes it’s not about a particular bottle of wine, spirit or food that makes the experience so special or memorable. I think that some of the time it is truly about who you share the experience with that makes it all the more palatable. Happy Thursday!
Cheers! Penina  By yesterday afternoon the humidity had crept back in and the temperature was on the rise. So when my friend came over in the early evening to catch up on life, I went straight to the refrigerator for a perfectly chilled bottle of wine.  We opened a 2013 Nicky Hahn Chardonnay from Hahn Winery, Monterey. While he regaled me with stories, I contentedly listened while sipping this delicious wine. The color was soft lemon with aromas of citrus, pineapple, pear and grass. The palate offered a mosaic of tropical fruits, herbs, caramel, a floral essence and a hint of oak that carried into a long finish. It was crisp and quite refreshing. I’m thinking of buying a few more bottles. http://www.hahnwines.com/  An interesting note about the label…Nicky Hahn’s native language is German. “Hahn” translated means rooster, which is why an illustration of the bird is seen on every bottle produced by the winery. Have a great Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina  I need to catch up with my wining and dining this past weekend. However, I have to address the festivities of last night. It was the Supermoon lunar eclipse with an incredible “blood moon”. Clear skies afforded a magical view of this amazing event.  In honor of the eclipse we opened a bottle of 1998 Henriot Cuvee des Enchanteleurs, Brut, Champagne. It was an enthusiastic introduction for me! Champagne Henriot is one of the oldest family-owned houses in the region, dating back to the 1700s and seven generations. Joseph Henriot is currently presiding over the house. This 50-50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir was like drinking a rich dessert. It had a shimmering gold color with intricate layers of pear, honey, apple, peaches and flowers. It was a buttery smooth finish with a wonderful mouth feel and depth. Simply lovely! Move over Louis Roederer, you have competition. http://www.champagne-henriot.com Happy Monday!
Cheers! Penina  It’s a brisk Sunday morning and I have much to do. I’m hoping to squeeze in a walk before the afternoon craziness begins. So, I’ll make this post short and sweet! My “artwear” is finally ready for the show next weekend. I have posted a few photos (done in haste…sorry). You can click on the photos for a more detailed look.  This delicate evening wrap is made with kid mohair, metallic thread and Swarovski crystals. Each crystal was painstakingly sewn on! I love how elegant it is, but so simple and understated at the same time. 
 This piece is what I call a “Mansara”. It should be worn draped over the shoulders as an accessory, like a piece of jewelry. I used several materials to create it, including silk, satin, sequins and black Czech crystals. It’s quite whimsical! 
 I’ll discuss the delicious dinner and wine I had last night in my next post.
Don’t forget to watch the Super Blood Moon lunar eclipse! Have a great Sunday! Cheers! Penina  I was in a store the other day and not only were there displays for Halloween and Thanksgiving, but they had twinkling Xmas trees as well! Retailers need to take it down a notch and chill. Let’s enjoy the day and not get too ahead of ourselves! Life goes by fast enough without having to plan so many months in advance for the holidays.  Speaking of “chilling”, I had a lovely and relaxing dinner the other evening with a few friends. As we sat outside in the crisp autumn air with the fire pit keeping us warm, we sipped on 2011 Shafer Merlot from Napa. It is 76% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. It was full-bodied and the color was what I like to call “passionate purple”. It had inviting aromas of black cherries, dark fruit, spices and a touch of musk. The wine was dense and heady with licorice, dark cherries, spice and herbs on the palate. There was a hint of pepper as well. The finish was long and well balanced. It paired well with the grilled root vegetables and swordfish. http://www.shafervineyards.com  Here is a little trivia: Merlot is the most widely planted grape in the Bordeaux region. The name is derived from the French word “merle”, which means “young blackbird” and refers to the dark blue color of the grape. I need to put some finishing touches on two knit pieces that are being displayed in an upcoming art show. I hope to have photos tomorrow to show you.
Happy Friday! Cheers! Penina  It’s official. Happy Autumn! It’s time to start dusting off hearty bottles of wine to go with cozy and comforting meals served in the upcoming crisp autumn days and evenings. In addition to making soups, my menus will include roasted vegetable casseroles, potpies, quiches and apple crisp to name just a few! And I plan on using my natural gas grill right through winter.  To celebrate the beginning of another season, I had lunch with a friend. As much as we wanted to be festive and order a bottle of Veuve, we weren’t ready to drink quite that much at lunch. So we had individual bottles of Candoni Prosecco D.O.C Brut. This sparkling wine from the Veneto region of Italy came in cute 6 oz. bottles. It was fruity with a crisp snap to it. The finish was pleasant with a hint of clover. It was the perfect serving to toast the September Equinox.  “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower” Albert Camus Happy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  It’s a lovely day…and technically, the last day of summer! I’m not ready to put away the sundresses and sandals quite yet. However, the leaves on the trees are starting their transformation and my hummingbirds are getting ready for their journey south.  Yesterday, a friend came over for a quick “autumn” lunch of homemade soup and bread. We opened a bottle of 2008 D'Isanto & D'Isanto I Balzini White Label Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT. We each had a glass to toast our friendship. I never tire of this wine and have reviewed and discussed it a few times over the course of a year.  Antonella and her husband Vincenzo D’Isanto founded the estate that is located just outside the boundary of Chianti Classico. All their wines are named after a color and labeled red, white, black, green and pink. I have not tried nor do I have the Green or Pink Label yet. But I did review the Red Label about a year ago and I have a few bottles of the Black label waiting to be opened.
http://www.ibalzini.it I look forward to sharing the rest of the I Balzini White Label tonight! Happy Tuesday! Cheers! Penina |
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