+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!