Love is Blind!

This past Thursday, the Stay At Home Winos were, again, fortunate to host a wine tasting through the O'Fallon Parks and Recreation Department.  In the past, we have joined forces with a chef from a local conference center for the "Grilling in The Garden" however, for this event, the Winos hosted alone.  

For this tasting, we wanted to try something a little different, so we decided to hold a "blind" tasting with three red wines.  We decided on a Garnacha, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Zinfandel.  The wines we chose were Borsao Tres Picos (Garnacha), B Side (Caberrnet Sauvignon) and Klinker Brick (Zinfandel).

We also had another surprise in store for our guests!  Utilizing a basic red wine combined with several different fruits, vegetables, and spices, we created "standards" to train our guest's noses to pick out different aromas often found in wine.  

The standards we used were: vanilla, pepper, red pepper, cherry, raspberry/blackberry, anise, asparagus and cloves.  We numbered each "standard" glass, and the participants took turns smelling and trying to guess the aroma of each.  It is not as easy as it sounds, as our guests learned!  The most correct answers were 6/8 and the prize went to Elizabeth C.!

Next, we embarked on our tasting.  Three wine bottles, wrapped in black paper and labeled A, B and C were poured.  The participants were taught to properly assess the color of the wine and write down their thoughts.  Next, we demonstrated swirling and encouraged everyone to swirl, then smell, the wine to elicit the aromas.  We had many great answers from the crowd, with regard to the aromas of each wine.  As we know, it is not always easy to identify those aromas!

Finally, (the fun part) everyone was allowed to taste their wines.  Each guest had pairings including Stilton, Manchego, Parrano and aged Cheddar cheeses, as well as bread and crackers.  It was interesting to see the participant's reactions to how time and food changed the wines.  Certainly, this phenomenon is well known, but it really takes experiencing it for yourself to realize how true it is!!

At the end of the evening, we had a question and answer session and a lot of laughs.  This class was very enjoyable and, we think, quite informative for our guests!  We cannot wait for our next wine tasting in the Fall.  Stay tuned for details!

Cheers!

Mary Jo

A Big Strong (Silver) Oak!

It was Valentine's Day, and we were heading to dinner with another couple at a local wine bar and restaurant.  We had not yet had the pleasure to dine there, so we were really looking forward to it, especially the wine!

My thoughtful Husband, knowing how much I love wine, had other ideas.  Before we left for dinner, he presented me with a bottle of 2008 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley, to take along for dinner (http://www.silveroak.com/).  Why, you ask, did he get a bottle of wine to TAKE to a wine bar?  Well, he certainly knew what he was doing!

From the first taste, I felt like I was eating dessert before my dinner!  What an amazingly rich, delicious and well-balanced wine.  The wine is a gorgeous garnet color with a nose that makes it hard to stop sniffing and start drinking!  On the mouth, the tannins were perfectly structured with a mouthful of cherries and chocolate.  The finish was divine, like a warm winding river down my throat that went on and on.

The rest of our group tasted this wine, as well (although I found it hard to share!).  One member of our group, who typically only drinks white wine, really liked this wine!  I am always happy when a white wine drinker enjoys the taste of a red wine, since reds are typically my favorite.

I was approached by our waiter who asked, "dessert ma'am?"  My response was simple, "I started with dessert, and I plan to end with the same."

Cheers!
Mary Jo

Cycling in Sonoma!

Today the Stay At Home Winos and their spouses embarked on a cycling adventure in wine country!  The weather was perfect, our guides, Dave and Andy (https://www.facebook.com/adventuresincycling), were wonderful - it was a perfect first full day in wine country!

One of the highlights was our delicious lunch at Martorana Family Winery.  Before we enjoyed our meal, we tasted Martorana's delicious wines with the help of Morgan and Wendy.  These two great hostesses educated the group about the history of Martorana and their wines.  Interestingly, Martorana's initial signature item was olive oil and after tasting it, we could see why.  Our favorites were the Chardonnay and the Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, but all the wines were amazing.

Next, we all enjoyed lunch outside at the winery, courtesy of our guides.  Our meal started with two local cheeses including a goat smoked cheddar and brie.  We then enjoyed bread, asian salad, orzo salad and salmon with brown sugar.  An ill-fated bocce ball game ensued with Lisa coming out as the winner.  Mary Jo was placed on the disabled list during this game due to an ankle injury.

This is just a snapshot of a wonderful day filled with friends, food and good wine.  Thanks Dave and Andy...the adventure continues...

Cheers!

Beth, Lisa and Mary Jo

Mother's Day - A Time To Celebrate and Be Celebrated!

Mother's Day is a beautiful day of celebrating our own Mother's and, for some, celebrating being a Mother.  I was happy to celebrate both!  On Saturday, we celebrated with dinner of chicken stuffed with spinach and Monterrey Jack cheese with parmesan au gratin potatoes.  We paired this dinner with Francis Ford Coppola's Director's Cut Chardonnay.  What a delicious wine!  This oak-aged Chardonnay was crisp with notes of vanilla and citrus.  It paired well with our dinner and is a bargain at $21.00.

The celebration did not stop there!  On Mother's Day, we spent a beautiful morning with my Mother-In-Law enjoying bagels and fruit.  The rest of the day, we decided, would be spent at home enjoying our four kids and the gorgeous Midwest weather.  I was eagerly anticipating my choice of Mother's Day wine, Isabel Mondavi Deep Rose Cabernet Sauvignon!  I had been waiting to kick off my summer with this delicious wine for weeks!  To me, this wine exudes the feel of summer.  Served chilled, it is wonderful to enjoy sitting next to the pool in the sun, which is exactly what I did.

This wine is very fruity and light, with the right balance of acidity!  It is made of 100% cabernet sauvignon and hails from Napa Valley, California.  It is hard to even look at this as wine, it is almost like a summery fruit juice!  For all the red drinkers out there, don't be turned off by the possibility of a "too sweet" wine.  As a dry red drinker myself, I still enjoy this wine and it is completely refreshing on a warm spring or summer day.  It can be paired with everything from Thai cuisine to salmon to chocolate!  What's best?  This wine can be enjoyed for around $15.00!

I'M wines are created by Isabel Mondavi's son, Robert Mondavi, Jr. in Napa Valley, California.  I'M Wines make Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and the Deep Rose.  The wines were originally made "for Mom", but quickly gained interest and have been repeat award winners.  Learn more about I'M Wines at http://www.imwines.com/press.php.

Cheers and Happy Mother's Day!

Mary Jo

Wine Word of the Week

Off dry - wine that is slightly sweet. 

A Wine Trip to Remember

With the autumn chill in the air, the other night my husband and I decided to grill some steaks for dinner before it becomes too chilly outside. With that in mind, we obviously needed a good Cabernet Sauvignon to enjoy with them. So heading down to our "wine cellar", i.e. the basement, I searched through our inventory and found the perfect wine-a 2007 Lancaster Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.  What an excellent choice! This wine is intense with dark fruit, blackberry, and white pepper with hints of chocolate. The red plum and rose aromas compliment finely textured tannins while the earthy finish round out the toast and complexity.

Founded in 1995, Lancaster Estate is a family owned winery, dedicated to crafting wines that are estate grown, bottled and produced.  Situated on 53 hillside acres at the southern tip of the Alexander Valley (CA), near the confluence of the Knights Valley and Chalk Hill appellations, this location enjoys the warm climate, depleted soils, and rugged hillsides uniquely suited to Bordeaux varieties. This particular vintage consists of: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec, 9% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and  1% Petit Verdot.

Enjoying this wine brought back memories of the time we spent at the winery in June 2011.  Beth and her husband, along with me and my husband stayed in the Creekside Home just across the street from the Lancaster Estate Vineyard. This two bedroom-two bath home with a full kitchen was the perfect place for us to stay.  Since my husband enjoys cooking, we found a nearby grocery store to shop and stock up on supplies so that we could enjoy the local wineries during the day and  bring "home" a nice bottle of wine to enjoy with the home cooked evening meal. The guys even enjoyed the putting green in the back yard!

Along with the wonderful location, Lancaster Estates had a wonderful wine tour and tasting.  We experienced a thoughtfully paired wine and cheese tasting in the wine cave that sits deep inside No Name Hill.  Following a tour of the vineyards and production facility we enjoyed artisan cheeses selected by the winemaker to highlight four of the wines during our seated tasting in the wine cave. The atmosphere was fantastic with the wine bottles lining the walls of the "cave room" where we sat.

Staying in this location was the perfect choice since it was located between Napa and Sonoma Valleys. If you are ever in the area, don't forget to stop by Lancaster Estates! If you can't stay, at least enjoy their wines :).

Cheers!
Lisa

Wine Word of the Week

Acescence:  Wine with a sharp, sweet-and-sour tang can be described as having acescence.  The acescence characteristics frequently recalls a vinegary smell.

Wine Class August 14, 2012: Blind Tasting

Simi Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Color: Dark garnet

Nose: An oaky, woodsy aroma with hints of leather.

Mouth:  A bit of spice with full bodied tannins. 

Price: $17.98

Conclusion:   Excellent cabernet that is well-balanced and deliciously complex.

Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel 2010

Color:  Inky purple 

Nose: Big jammy, berry fruit with a hint of cumin.

Mouth:  Big juicy raspberry fruit. 

Price: $9.77 (Regular price $14.69)

Conclusion: Nice balance of fruit with spice. Wonderful everyday wine for the price. 

Consilience Syrah 2010

Color:  Garnet 

Nose:  Toasty nose with chocolate notes.

Mouth:  Wonderful spice with juicy blackberry and raspberry.

Price: $18.00

Conclusion:  Still a favorite of us all. We love the beautiful fruit of this well balanced wine. 

Pairings

Cheeses:

•  Goat Gouda
•  Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda
•         Barber’s 1833 English Vintage Cheddar

Four cheese pizza

Final Thoughts:

Beth:  This class was divided into two sections, in the first part we had a componet tasting as described in Kevin Zraly's Windows of World Wine Course book. We tasted specific components of wine - acidity, sweetness, and tannins. It was very interesting, but I would not recomend a blind tasting following this lesson as your mouth already has so much going on with the component tasting.The second part was a blind tasting and congratulations to Mary Jo - she was able to identiy the varietal of all three wines.

I enjoyed all three wines. I have always loved the Consilience Syrah, but the Simi Cabernet is a new favorite. You can't beat the Bogle Zinfandel for the price either.  

Lisa: This was a fun class :).  Playing with the different components of wine heightened my awareness of each and now I feel I will be able to recognize each while enjoying the wine at the same time.  As for the blind tasting, I thought identifying each would be a breeze.  Not exactly!  Maybe because we had just tasted the components. I did however, enjoy them all! 

Mary Jo:  What a wonderful class!  It was so interesting to deconstruct the wines and determine how each component feels/tastes in the mouth by itself and with wine!  It is truly the only way to learn how to pick out these components while drinking wine.  All three varietals we tasted this evening were delicious!  Consilience is obviously my favorite, but I had to say I truly enjoyed both other wines immensely.