Chardonnay, A Story.

As reported in some length, I had dinner one night at The Parlour.  I'd like to zoom in on a descusion with Ryan, our waiter and wine host, upon the arrival of our salomn.  The dish was pared with an Unoaked Chardonnay, perfect and light with the fish, and none of that heavy oak flavor.  At that point I turned and said "But I do love a nice oaky, buttery Chardonnay."

Ryan looks at me and says. "Well you must have had a Rombauer."

I looked back with a twinge of embarrassment and said "No I have not."

Well needless to say I left with a bottle of Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay 2009.  I bought this bottle just upon the recomandation of a man who h.eard me say a few words, and ultimately new excatly what I wanted.

Tonight I opened that bottle, and that promise of a big buttery Chardonnay was fulfilled.  It is very hard for me to try to stay impartial with this wine, so I won't.  There are some things that just taste so amazing to one individual that objectivity is completely thrown out the window.  When I uncorked the bottle, I had to hide my Connoisseur in Training workbook.  No amount of swirling, smelling, or swishing was going to take away the shear enjoyment I got from this wine.  This wine was my heaven.

As I looked out the window and toasted the passing clouds signaling the end to the Great Storm of 2010, I realized one thing, wine is to drink.  Let the "so called" professionals scrutinize the wine.  Let them put arbitrary points on wine. I just want to try and enjoy every single wine I can.  There is a story in every bottle and a soul in every sip. It is us that will discover these stories and in sharing these wines with people we know, maybe even create some stories of our own.

Tuesday Night is Meatloaf Night. featuring Cruz Alta Reserve Malbec 2008

I always look forward to Tuesday night, grandma picks up the kids and takes them to dance class and brings them back along with meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and some sort of veg plate.  Tonight was no different . . . well except the kids didn't have dance class, and tonight i decided to pull a wine out of our growing wine closet.

For tonight I chose Cruz Alta Reserve Malbec 2008 from Argentina. As I have read the Argentine have perfected the Malbec, especially in the region of Mendoza.  Well for my introduction to Malbec I think this was a good place to start.  It wasn't as deep and heavy as i thought it would be, it had a surprising delicateness and refinement that made the experience very pleasurable.   It went very well with the quality store bought meatloaf.  

I think I would like to try some more Malbecs, and maybe throw in some great empanadas or and nice fillet mignon. Hmm do i see an Argentine night in the future?

The Parlour Wine Bar & Bistro

In the corner of a building in downtown Glendora there is a hidden gem, The Parlour Wine Bar & Bistro.  From the out side all one can see is a door, yet inside one feels that they have been trasported to a big city wine bar.  One that wouldn't be out of place in New York or even Chicago.  It is a simple and elegant corner of the San Gabriel Valley.

It was date night for my wife and I  and we were looking for something local and unique.   What we found was a great little place for wine and fine food.  Our dining  experience was nothing short of amazing, from the knowledgable front room staff to the delicate dishes created by a very capable chef.  We had done a bit of homework and already decided that their prix fixe menu would be a perfect way to get a taste of what the Parlour could do.  The prix fixe was five courses each paired with a wine.  We had decided on the boring route of choosing the same style of wine, the whites.  There was also a red wine flight, that was pared with the same small plates but a different entrée.   When we had arrived the place was pretty much full. save for the table I'd like to the think that the saved just for us.  It took a little longer to get the first course underway (something I attribute to the amount of guests).  The staff could see we were waiting a for a bit, and came over to offer us a taste of the Zonin Prosecco, a delightful Italian sparkling wine.   The wait for food did not last much longer and we started out with a three beet & goat cheese salad.  It was a very nice pared with the Baron Fini Pinot Grigio.  Light flavors from the salad and acidity from the wine, the first course was a hit.  Next on the agenda, Bacon Wrapped Prawns. Now i think most would agree, everything is better wrapped in bacon.  The wine to match was a Pine Ridge Chennin Voignier which quickly became my wifes favorite. We even bought a bottle to take home.  The last of the small plates was the Parcini Risotto Aranchini, a beautiful little savory dish pared extremely well with the Conundrum White Blend. So far the beginnings had done their job, and had us looking forward to our entrée, the Maple Hazelnut Crusted Salmon.  This salmon was perfect and as wonderful as it sounds on the menu.  It was pared up with an unoaked Chardonnay (it was not the one on the menu which they had run out of, but they made and expert substitution) that i have forgotten the name of, being 4 glasses into dinner. The lightness that Chardonnay propelled the dish even higher.  At stellar end to the savory dishes.

Then there was dessert.  On the menu the prix fixe menu said the dessert was going to be Poached Pear Sabayon, which sounded like a great end to a meal.  Then I overheard the waiter talking up the dessert specials, and I heard some magic words, Sticky Toffee Pudding.  That is a favorite of mine and I decided to talk it up as well to those other guests, and delight in thinking about what this Sticky Toffee Pudding would be like. Then Ryan, the wonderful gentleman that had been taking care of us that evening, made an offer to me that he substitute the pear dish with  . . .  the Sticky Toffee Pudding.  Well   I was thrilled with that suggestion and he made it happen.  Not only did we get the sticky toffee, we also got a wine that was pared to that dish and not the one in the menu, a 2004 Port.  Lets just say that if had to chose a last meal, this dessert would be included in that order.  The best Stick Toffee Pudding I have ever tasted, and the Port perfect and amazing.

I think the ultimate testament to this great establishment is that the staff is very knowledgeable and there is a great passion in the food and in the wines served with those foods.  The room has a great bistro feel with and ambiance well suited for the lover of wine.  I know that I will be returning to try some of their weekly wine flights, and the specials on Fridays and Saturdays.

If you are looking for the small bistro feel with quality food and wine, look no farther than The Parlour Wine Bar & Bisto

Found Wine - Blackstone Sonoma Reserve 2007 Rubric

I thought I had account of all the wine in my house.  Little did I know a long forgotten gift from some holiday past was living in my liquor cabinet.  So brought the bottle out of its inadequate cellar location.  Realizing I broke two cardinal rules of wine storage. never store a bottle upright  and keep it in a cool dry place (I don't know how cool it could be above the oven) ,  I quickly removed it from its hiding space and brought it down to cellar temperature.

After a quick meal of sweet potato fries (from a frozen package of course, nothing fancy around here), turkey chili, and  cheese.  I made a break for it and decided to open the bottle of Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Rubric 2007.  For those who have not heard of the Rubric grape, its not a surprise, it doesn't exist. This wine is a blend of grapes. To be exact its 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec,
8% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petite Verdot, 7% Tannat, 5% Merlot, 3% Petite Sirah.  Did everyone catch all that? Good.  So to the wino's in the know, this is very much a red wine.  A pretty big one as i was to find out.

I pulled the cork on this surprise wine, and poured.  The aroma was very deep indeed, and one could understand the dominance of the Cabernet Sauvignon.  It sat in my glass for a minute, and then I took a smell. There were heavy wood notes and even pencil lead. The taste was of very dark fruits, lots of plum.

Very much the touch of a Sonoma red, this is an enjoyable, deep, hefty wine.  This is defiantly a red meat wine. If you like a big red this is something worth trying. 88pts

 How am i to know that the storage did any damage to the taste of the wine, I don't.  The fact that this wine tasted, pretty much how i expected makes me think I got away with my storage faux pas unscathed.

Writing in Anticipation

Waiting is a very difficult thing,  especially when one is waiting for wine.  We made our order of 12 wines from a wine company that will send out mixed cases.  I am hoping that this will be a good way to introduce myself to wines that I would not normally have taken off of a wine shop shelf.  At the very least it will occupy this blog with at least 12 more posts, a rare feet for myself as my last attempet at a blog many years ago capped out a half a post (I hit the publish button about half way through a paragraph).

So in anticipation I will share a review of a wine my wife and I had at a dinner this passed week.  Dr. L 2009 Riesling was a delightful wine with very crisp fruit flavors like green apple and pear. Its slight sweetness and fruity character made it a very refreshing wine.  Rieslings from the Mosel region in Germany are very good at being approachable for those new to wine and eases one into bigger, grander wines. Score: 87 pts.

A Note on Scores:
I have decided to use the 100 point wine scoring system to give my overall opinions about wines that i try. The scoring system is designed to have scores between 50-100 (think of the scores like grades in school; 100-90 =A 89-80 = B etc, and the varying degrees within each range).   I debated very highly with using scores but figured it would be and easy way to compare wines that I have had.  Please remember that these points reflect my tasting of the wine and I will try to be as objective as possible.

As always if you have a question, a wine you want me to try and review or a feature you would like to see then please e-mail me at anoseforwineblog@gmail.com

Cheers

Coastline - Chardonnay 2009 Chardonnay California Monterey - VinCellar, powered by Vinfolio

VinCellar - Coastline - Chardonnay 2009 Chardonnay California Monterey - VinCellar, powered by Vinfolio

My short report on one of the wines recently bought at Total Wine

Total Wine Shopping

In and earlier comment Sasaki Food Time suggested I go to Total Wine.  Well I did and I was impressed.

I walked in through the sliding entrance door after discovering that the "Do Not Enter" door would not open up no matter how long i stood in front of it. I study the landscape in front of me.  Once again the dreaded aisles and aisles of wine. This time,though, there were hanging signs from the ceiling letting me know what wine i would find in that isle. I picked and aisle to stand in for a bit, it happened to be the Malbec aisle and studied the organization. The wines were placed in alphabetical order, which i thought was genius, cause as long as one new the name of the producer they would be able to find the wine.  As I studied the organization, i noticed taking up space on one of the shelves was literature. I picked one up it was a guide to wine, spirits and beer. A rather hefty one indeed (almost 500 pages) and in front was a sign indicating it was free and should take it. I took a cursory glance at the book and thought this can't be something with this much information and in full-color.  So I looked around for a basket, place the full color "this can't be free" guide in the bottom, place the flimsier newsprint buying guide on top (like it was going to hide some great find) and of to wine shopping i went.

The reason I went to the Malbec section was to (believe it or not) find a Malbec to try.  I had never had one and knowing that Argentina is the leading producer of Malbec made me want to try at least one.  My mother is from Argentina and i have a great love for that country. Well no sooner was I looking through the Malbec's when I got the dreaded "Can I help you with something?" 

Caught of guard I responded "Nope, I am just checking things out".  Great words of a crack journalist and bloger.

The employee then said, "Ok. If there is anything you need let me know," and then we parted ways by her pointing out what she called a good Malbec. She pointed to the Cruz Alta Reserve 2008. I, of course. thanked her and let her move on. Then grabbed a bottle of what she had recommended.  We'll see how that one shapes up in a future episode.

Then i went of to and aisle of my favorite varietal, the Chardonnay. I looked long and hard over many names some of which are known to me and others i had no clue. My eyes then feel on an  2009 Chadonnay from Coastline. At 10 bucks i thought it was worth a go. So put that wine in the basket, grabbed the wine tasting sheet for December (yeah they got wine tasting one weekends too) and was of to the check out.  I was amazed to find that the didn't charge me for it and through it into my bag.

In summary Total Wine is a very clean friendly establishment well suited for the beginner and advanced wine buyer.  Next time I go i will attempt to pick their brains even more, and do some wine tasting as well. If you want to know more about total wine or want to find one near you check out http://www.totalwine.com/.

Cheers.

2007 Ledson - Zinfandel Sonoma Valley Ancient Vine: The Very First Wine Review

I bought this wine during our recent Napa trip.  The Ledson winery came highly recommended to us by friends and locals alike.  I experienced this wine during our tasting flights and was enamored with it.  I felt it had a great character and boldness. So of course I purchased a bottle that we schlepped back down.  Tonight after the trials and tribulations of this weekend I ended up opening the bottle.  That first sip did the job and pulled me back to Sonoma and the Ledson tasting room. While I remember a big hit of boldness at the tasting bar, I got a more mellow feel on the mouth and could taste more of the underling fruit at my home. That combined with and earthy nose and hints of black fruits, this is a very nice relaxing wine.

If you find yourself in the Napa/Sonoma area i do recomend the Ledson winery, very good wines, a deli and a lovely picnic area. They are a direct to consumer winery so check them out http://www.ledsonwinery.com/. 

Cheers.

Why a Wine Blog?

I have no experience in the wine business.  I have never considered myself a writer.  I only have 2 bottles of wine in my sad little wine cellar (it’s actually a shelf in the linen closet).  This doesn’t seem like the start of a Pulitzer Prize winning journalism career based on and alcoholic beverage lust. 

Then why do it? Why start a wine blog?

                                          

The answer is simple: I love wine.  It’s a love that I want to share with anyone who will read this.

On a recent trip to the world famous wine country of the Napa and Sonoma Valley I discovered something that truly intrigued me.  A Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley tasted distinctly different that one grown in Sonoma.  These two places are not worlds apart but a mere fifteen minute drive away.  Yet the experience was completely different.   The though running through my head was, “how can this be it’s the same grape?” The answer to that is in the environment or terroir .  Well needless to say I was blown away by this epiphany and made it my goal to delve deeper into the idea of wine.  I want to find out what makes each wine tick.  I want to discover great and accessible wines and I want to share my findings with anyone I can.  Anyone with a love or passion wants nothing more than to share that with others and maybe inspire someone else to go on their own adventure.

In the weeks to come I will have more on wine including tastings with tasting notes. Also I plan on some features of some wines that have been featured in movies and documentaries.  Look for more content soon, and if you would like to see me write about a specific topic or want me to try your favorite wine please e-mail anoseforwineblog@gmail.com.  Don’t forget to follow @anoseforwine  on Twitter for more info on new articles and mobile wine tastings.

Introduction:

Welcome to the first posting of what I hope to be a highly readable blog about wine.   I figured if others can blog successfully I can give it the old college try.  In this day and age everyone wants to carve out their little corner of the Internet, and this will be mine.  As you can see my corner is quite small right now, just some dull floor boards and broken stool. 

I can see that there is one question that needs to be asked, why wine?  Well the simple answer is wine has become a hobby of mine.  I love to order a bottle of wine for dinner, journey down the aisles of a wine shop (and BevMo too, but we’ll get into that in another post), or open a bottle late at night when the house is still and quite.  It has become a joy and escape for me and a passion I can share with my wife (another wino).  All things said, I think my main purpose in this blog is to try to share some of that joy I feel with others.

As the weeks progress, I will hope to find my voice and inform and entertain as I travel through an old world as a new explorer.  One thing I would like to make perfectly clear, I AM NOT AN EXPERT.  I am not a professional writer or an underground wine critic. The best way to describe where this blog is going is that it’s a fan site.  Pure and simple I am a fan of good wine, and would love to find great wine and make that great wine accessible to all who would want to try wine. 

Thank you for reading my first ramblings and lets raise our glasses to more ramblings to come.  Please feel free to e-mail me if you have a suggestion or a wine to try or an idea of something you would like to read about.  Cheers.