Wines I Love

Thanks to a generous neighbor, tonight I tried a Bogle Vineyard’s Petite Sirah which is a light but jam flavored red wine. The year on this particular Bogle Petite Sirah was 2007 and it was a nice change to the other red wines we’d been drinking. I do not know the price point as it was a gift but i’d guess $15 – $20.00 The wine was bold and a bit jammy but not overly done like some Zinfendel wines. We had the Bogle Petite Sirah with some ritz crackers, sausage and cheddar as well as some chile my wife made. Both paired well with this excellent red wine.

So my wife and myself are long time fans of the red wine vinturi aerator. We don’t drink ANY red wine at home except that which has passed through the Vinturi. My wife recently purchased a white wine aerator also called the Vinturi. I laughed at first thinking she got scammed. I didn’t think aerating white wine really mattered. In fact I had tried running white wine through the red wine aerator and didn’t see an improvement. She said it was 1/2 off so I was like whatever. Fun to have more wine novelties in the house. Tonight I opened a Sterling Pino Grigio and decided to try out the White Wine Vinturi. While the difference was not the same as we see with red wine, I could tell that the white wine that was aerated did taste softer and slightly more mellow than the white wine just poured from the bottle. So would I recommend a white wine aerator? Sure why not. If you can afford to enjoy you can probably afford one of the white wine vinturi aerators.

Tonight I enjoyed a few glasses of the reasonably priced Robert Mondavi Private Selection Reisling which was from 2007 and a Monterey County vineyard. The price is very reasonable and for the occassional Riesling drinker it will be very satisfying. I think you can find this Riesling from $8.00 to – $12.00 depending on sale prices. This is not a sweet Riesling so it will be agreeable to many frequent wine fans and those new to wine will likley enjoy this Robert Mondavi Riesling. Best of all you don’t have to spend a bunch to get a great wine in this particular Riesling, i’ve had many and to me this is on par with the bunch.

I had the opportunity to enjoy some Korbel California Champagne “Extra Dry” which is really “Sparkling Wine” from California. Unless it comes from the Champagne region in France it’s not supposed to be called that but is actually considered “Sparkling Wine”. The Korbel Extra Dry is a good Champagne for those who don’t want a sweet flavored Champagne. The wine has a nice foam in your mouth and a flatter taste. This would be a good Champagne to put some raspberries or to use in a Belini. However it’s a nice light wine fine for drinking on its own. The wine label says.

“In 1882, three brothers, Francis, Joseph and Anton Korbel established the Korbel winery in California’s Russian River Valley. Since then, Korbel has been honored to become America’s best selling premium Champagne. With its flavors of citrus, melon and spice, Korbel Extra Dry is the Champagne to toast all life’s great moments.”

Here’s a great easy way to open Champagne without popping the cork and shooting it into anything. So in other words, here’s an easy way to open Champagne without breaking anything.

• First remove any foil on the top of the bottle.
• Next untwist the wire cage that surrounds the Champagne cork. Don’t worry the cork is not entirely held on by the wire cage. you should be able to safely untwist the wire and remove the cage.
• Next cover the cork with a dish towel or other similar towel or blanket. They key is to add weight to the cork but maintain flexability.
  Finally push on various sides of the cork and twist to gently nudge the cork out of the bottle. When you feel it is almost out check to see your towel is still covering the cork and point the bottle away from you and give the cork the final push. You’ll hear a pop but since the towel is too heavy the cork will just sit on top of the bottle.
• Remove the towel and cork and serve your Champagne.
  

If someone asked me to pick one all around wine that would be great for most people i’d recommend the Serling Vintners Reserve Merlot. My recommendation changes from time to time but for now this is the wine i’d buy a case of and keep in the house for any general ocassion or dinner or even to serve guests. The price point for the Sterling Merlot is anywhere from $12-$15 depending on where you buy it and if a sale is happening. This is an easy drinking Merlot with soft tanin a nice fruit note but not over fruity like a Zinfandel. Unlike less expensive Merlot like the Robert Mondavi Private Selection this probably slightly exceeds the price point in the quality of the wine. I’d put this on par with a Gallo Reserve Merlot also in a similar price level.

The label on the back of the bottle says.
“In our Merlot you will find velvety cherry, plum and cocoa with a hint of cinnamon spice. These lush flavors come from California’s Central Coast, the most diverse appellation in the state. Here you will find both cool foggy nights and sunny warm days that lead to fresh, bright and fruit forward wines. Try our Merlot with barbecued chicken, grilled lamb chops, roast turkey and pasta with tomato sauce.”

Tonight we opened the $30.00 Robert Mondavi CHX 2008 Chardonnay Napa Valley which was a very nice Chardonnay. The price while high for Chardonnay was still not crazy. This was a nice smooth buttery Chard very easy to drink with the vodka sauce pasta we had for dinner. Here’s what the back of the bottle says.

“At Rovert Mondavi Winery, Beniamiono Bufano’s 1929 sculpture of St. Francis welcomes visitors to the very heart of where wine, food and the arts come together. For over 40 years, our mission has been to craft wines that reflect the unique terroir of our vineyards, exemplify the passion of our winemakers, and celebrate gracious living. This wine is sold only at the winery.

Choosing a great Chardonnay is not hard at all and i’ve got a couple recommendations that can make choosing a Chardonnay even easier. First my favorite day to day Chardonnay wines. I buy alot of Sterling Chardonnay as well as Gallo Chardonnay. Of course your Robert Mondavi Private Selection is also a low cost decent Chard and you can get into some higher end $20+ Robert Mondavi Chardonnay wines. I like the Sterling but if you like your wine a bit sweeter the Gallo should be your choice. Both are around $15 so a very reasonable high quality wine.