-2005 Rosenblum Syrah

We have gotten to like Syrah very much. It is a versatile wine and not too strong. I bought this wine for our First Annual Severns' Family Christmas party and was disappointed. I hadn't bought this particular Syrah before and the two that we really like weren't at the store I was at. Instead of making another stop to get the wine I know we like I just picked one. I shouldn't have done that! It was not very good. It wasn't bad but compared to the ones we do like it wasn't good. Darn! I guess I learned a lesson.

-2004 Laurel Bay Cabernet Sauvignon

Andy's brother brought this for our family Christmas party. I felt like it was a bit strong. Maybe with a more substantial meal this wine could be supported but not with heavy hors d'oeuvres.

+2006 Clay Station Old Vine Zinfandel

This is the third of four wines I bought for Thanksgiving dinner. I wasn't too impressed with it for that dinner but last night I made a lasagna and boy is that the correct companion for this wine! WOW! It was a totally different wine and was so yummy!
I bought this wine because it was advertised in the pre-Thanksgiving Trader Joe's add. I want to share a little of what Joe's had to say, it's interesting.
"The origin of this uniquely spirited bottle, some 300 feet above sea level in the Lodi foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, was formerly home to an historic stagecoach stop famed for being frequented by explorers on their way to "glory" in the Gold Rush. ...Now 30-70 year old Zinfandel vines thrive in the mineral laden, cobbled soils and Mediterranean climate, yielding intensely concentrated fruit and consistently energetic wine."
Being the history buff that I am, I like the history! Anyway, I think we'll head to Trader Joe's for this bottle again! $3.99. CHEERS!

-2006 Douglas Oak Syrah

I bought this Syrah for Thanksgiving dinner also. The only reason I didn't rate it favorably is because there are at least two other Syrahs that we like much better. This is a bit more dry in both the start and finish. In addition to Thanksgiving Andy & I also had it with a salmon dinner we made. Andy thought is was okay, I didn't really care for it with the salmon. It is local, Santa Rosa, CA. Trader Joe's $6.99. CHEERS!

+2007 Honey Moon Viognier

I got this wine (among others) for Thanksgiving and it was the first bottle emptied! It is very good. It reminds Andy & I of Riesling. It makes you think of honeysuckle. It is pretty sweet, I have tasted other Viogniers that aren't as sweet. This wine is vinted and bottled by Trader Moon Wine Company in Manteca, California. Trader Joe's, $8.99. CHEERS!

Catch Up & Wine

I am playing catch up tonight. We have been sampling wines all summer and fall however I have not been so good at journaling. So buckle up and enjoy the wine train!

-2005 Van Duzer Pinot Noir

I had to add this picture because it is such a pretty label. Once again we didn't like this wine. I think I'll take on a personal challenge to see if I can find a pairing in which we enjoy Pinot Noir because it seems that any we try we don't like.
Andy got this wine from some good friends of ours in La Grande as a graduation gift. Jason & Sarah are really dear friends to us and it was so thoughtful of them to buy us a bottle of wine. Thanks J&S! CHEERS!

+/-2006 Early Muscat

This wine is an Oregon wine, Silvan Ridge which is Eugene! Kevin & Kristina sent this home with us to try. Andy and Alyssa liked it and drank it. I tried it and did not like it. It was yukky! I have tried other Muscats before and liked them. I will try a Muscat again. :) CHEERS!

2006 Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon

This is another wine Alyssa brought from Walla Walla. Actually I don't really remember it except that I tasted it out of Alyssa's glass and I liked it. So unfortunately I don't have anything to say. Maybe Alyssa or Eva has something to say...?

+2006 Cougar Crest Viognier

A few weeks ago when Alyssa came she brought this wine from Walla Walla. I don't think that we had tried a Viognier before. It is good. I don't think we ate anything with it. Actually we just drank it while dinner was being prepared! Here's the label, "Floral and citrus aromas tempt the nose, and pear, pineapple, grapefruit, and melon flavors please the palate. A smooth, honey-like finish gives depth and length to a wine that can be sipped by itself and pairs well with food." So you can see they agree, you don't need to even eat anything with it! :) CHEERS!

-2006 Echelon Pinot Noir

One thing I've learned through all these weeks of trying new wines is that I don't like Pinot Noir. I am not willing to write it off yet because I have learned that pairing is crucial. However, this wine is not good to my taste with anything I've tasted it with. Again, when Mom & Jim came in August they brought this wine and I tried it with the lamb and didn't like it. I tried it. It's too bad because the label is cool and so is the name. Apparently this wine is from Sonoma. CHEERS!

+2007 Cline Syrah

We like this Syrah! It is a Sonoma, CA wine. One night when I wanted a date-night-in I went to find a nice wine cheese pairing. I decided to try a Syrah and my list said that an aged cheddar would pair nicely. I found this wine and a very yummy aged Irish Cheddar. Oh-Man it was GOOD!!! We have since bought this pair twice again. This wine has a nice description on the back, "The deep purple color explodes with black cherry fruit spiced with cracked black pepper aromas." I am tellin' ya, this wine is superb with the cheese. The description is really acurate; I have never seen such a purple color. Anyway, I won't go on. Safeway $10.99. CHEERS!

+/- 2004 Guenoc Sauvignon Blanc

This wine is from a winery on the north coast of California. When Mom & Jim came this past August they brought this wine from a winery they had visited a couple months earlier. It was good. We had it with Greek food, lamb and Greek salad, it was good. I am sure I have had Sauvignon Blanc before but really don't have any frame of reference. Anyway, I want to explore this wine more in the future. CHEERS!

+2007 Woodbridge Chardonnay (Mondavi)

This Chardonnay is very good! We had it in the heat of August and really liked it. We enjoyed it with the curry shrimp mango rice salad. Later that evening we broke it out with almonds and fresh mangos and it was delicious! Wow, we like this Chardonnay. CHEERS!

++2007 Balboa Columbia Valley Merlot

I got this bottle of Merlot from Mark & Eva for my birthday. It is so good, the best Merlot we have ever had. I like Merlot strictly when paired with the right foods. This Merlot is drinkable by itself! WOW, it is yummy!
Last night I made hamburgers and all the fixings. All I mix in the beef is soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, an egg and garlic and pepper. I caramelized some onions and sauteed some mushrooms. This made for the perfect burger to pair with the Merlot. We also had a fresh green salad with Parmesan and pinenuts. The whole ensemble was amazing! Andy & I have never opened a bottle of wine and emptied it all in one night but you know how the saying goes...'there's a first time for everything'!!! CHEERS!

+2004 Truchard Syrah

The other night we went to dinner in Sonoma, CA at a place called The Girl & The Fig. It was an amazing experience! The foods, wines, and cheeses that we had were superb. We started the evening off with a flight of Syrah and ended up chosing the second one to order a bottle of. We then ordered a cheese and smoked meat plate, two of the cheeses were French and one was local. This Syrah was very good as a compliment! I finished off my glass with my entree which was an herb roasted pork tenderloin... excellent!
This wine is local, in fact we passed by the winery going to and from the restaurant. I want to go visit now! Truchard is located in the Carneros region of Napa Valley. I will be keeping my eye out for this one! CHEERS!!!

++2006 Meridiana Bel Syrah

This is a Malta wine that Adam & Alyssa brought to us. It is very good! Last night we had this wine with almonds, aged Irish Cheddar and pastrami. It was fabulous! Enjoyed by all!!! CHEERS!

+/-2005 Red Truck California Red Wine

I bought this wine on a wimb because the price was right. We tried it first with a hearty red sauce and Italian sausage ravioli. It was good, dry but complimented well with the food.
Then we had it with grilled cheeseburgers and again, that was good. It was the best with the green salad with Parmesan and fresh tomatoes.
We thought it was good, not the best we've had, but certainly drinkable. It is a composition of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc and Mourvedre. Ultimately a bit more dry than we prefer. Costco- $6.99. CHEERS!

+2004 Rutherford Hill Merlot

An over all conclusion we are coming to is that wine can not just be sipped at a meal or by itself randomly. One must first learn what pairs nicely with the wine. I found a little wine and food pairing guide that I am loving! It's like having a pairing genius right here in the kitchen with me!
Neither of us have ever really liked Merlot and always just thought it was a dry red wine for the most sophisticated wine drinkers. Last night I decided to make a meal focused around complimenting this bottle of Merlot (in bold are the items listed to compliment Merlot). I made a green salad with plenty of Parmesan and pinenuts. We had grilled tri-tip marinaded with rosemary, lime, ginger and garlic; green beans also cooked on the grill. I caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms to go with the steak. And of course after the kids were in bed we had another glass of Merlot with chocolate.
When I was sipping the wine with the steak and caramelized onions I tasted a distinct honey flavor. Later as I was enjoying the wine with the chocolate I thought the wine took on a berry flavor.
Andy's critique: The chocolate took away some of the bitter after-taste of the Merlot. I felt it was a much smoother finish when drank with the chocolate.
We will keep this winery in mind when looking for a Merlot in the future. Costco $14.99. CHEERS!

+2005 Mondavi Chardonnay

We were at Costco over the weekend and discovered they have a large wine selection (I suppose it's no wonder). So... of course we decided to begin our education. It's easy for me to go with what I know but I am trying to branch out and take some chances. I haven't always enjoyed the chardonnays I have had in the past but decided to try one - am I glad I did!
Lately we've been having sushi and really liking it. This wine has a bit of spice to it and was good with the sushi and wasabi. However the best was having this wine with grilled chicken brushed with barbecue sauce. Sweet Baby Ray's is the sauce we like and it also had a bit of a kick. The two together was amazing! We will definitely buy this wine again to have with barbecued chicken. Costco's price is $12.99. CHEERS!

+Peju Provence

This is my all around favorite! I love Peju Winery, they are small and beautiful. Provence is a table wine and so far, my favorite red. Actually Provence is a red-white mix; I believe it's three reds and two whites. Peju is the first winery we ever visited. Two summers ago we came down here on vacation to visit Kevin and Casey (Andy's bros) and we toured Napa Valley. Upon tasting Provence we both loved it instantly. We took three bottles home!
We have discovered it is very good with home-made grilled hamburgers! Oh-my-gosh it is SO good! It is a bit spendy (for our budget) at $22 a bottle so we've decided to keep it for a special occasion rather then make it our 'house red'. CHEERS!

Just Moved In!

Well we just moved to Solano County, California - right next door to Napa and Sonoma Counties. Wine Country! Andy & I have alway shown an interest in wine but known very little. We think this is a great opportunity to try and learn. We can't wait. Since our minds are so full of many day to day things we decided to start a wine journal to keep track of all the various wines we have tried, liked and disliked! So here we are and here we go!