Help, I've Fallen and It's Not Because of the Wine!

I stopped writing. Sorry about that. I guess I lost my way. I don’t blame it on the drink I blame it on me just being preoccupied with life. I had self doubt that my 10 followers would really care if I jotted down my latest notes on a bottle of wine I had or not (me being selfish).

But then a follower reached out and said “you haven’t written anything in a long time” (me feeling guilty). They are reading, following, and they do care. Even if I had only one follower waiting for my blog, I can’t let them down. I better get it together.

So, today I am and I will work on my consistency with my entries. I’ve stored over 50 bottles of consumed wine out in the garage with the notion “I’m going to write about this bottle”. Now, before you past judgment on the 50 plus bottles, I want to disclaim that I have been the host of numerous gatherings at my home over the last 6 months where wine was in mass consumption. So, it wasn’t just me and my husband. I have to blame a few dear friends and my neighbor if I’m going to call people out and make them share blame.

Let’s start with a new favorite that is a fabulous wine with a wonderful label. I found it by complete accident. I’m a fan of the color orange, so you can see why this bottle of wine spoke to me.

Bodegas Tomas Cusine El Vilosell, 2006 (the label only says Vilosell).

The winery is Tomas Cusine. It’s from Spain and the varietal is a Tempranillo (and it’s red). This bottle is a blend of Tempranillo (65%), Merlot (17%), Cabernet Sauvignon (13%), and Syrah (5%), and yes I looked that bit of information up. This wine is delicious. It was smooth and juicy. It is a medium-bodied wine and I could taste raspberry. Loved it and we are proud owners a few more bottles hiding in our basement. It’s definitely a bottle you can buy under $20; we got it on sale for under $15. My friend Jill said you can purchase Vilosell at Costco (now we are talkin').

If you can find it, get it and completely enjoy it.

My New Favorites!

It's been a while since I have sat down to write on my wine blog. Sorry about that. It’s not that I’ve haven't been drinking wine, I have, but I'm working on a few things, including doing my homework on wines, and while doing so I just kept my thoughts in my head (I know, a bit uncharacteristic of me).

It’s been a busy red wine drinking summer, love that. We've had way too many social events and gatherings to go over the last few months and our "theme" for bringing wine to these events was to branch out and bring new wines we had not tried to these social gatherings we were so graciously invited to.

Here are just a few of our new favorites we are adding to our wine closet. I hope you get a chance to taste them too.

My very favorite is Juan Gil, 2006 Jumilla Red Wine. If I was to ever have children of my own (no, Darin, we're not...I said "if"), I’d name my first born Juan Gil (a bit over the top I realize but I really loved this wine). A Jumilla Red Wine from Spain, it is produced by the Bodegas Hijos De Juan Gil Winery. It’s made with 100% Monastrell grapes. It has a very dark cherry color and a powerful aroma of red berries. It is a pleasant and easy drink. I spent less than $15 on this wine. I will be back to buy more.

Privada, 2005 Lujan De Cuyo Mendoza, Argentina. One word, delicious. I tend to be set in my ways when it comes to the wines that I buy and that I drink. I honestly forgot that Argentina has some great vineyards and Darin had to gently remind what I'm missing. He purchased the wine (must give the man the credit on this one), and we brought it to a summer BBQ party with friends. The wine was a delicious blend of oak, blackberries, plum, and a hint of dark chocolate. It drinks very well and I bought this bottle for under $15.

Renwood, 2004 Zinfandel “Old Vine” Amador County. I'm really enjoying my Zins lately. This is a hand-crafted beauty, and of course, it could be a difficult bottle to find. Sorry about writing on a wine that might not be so readily available, but that is what happens when you save a wine for "good” it might not been around after you figure it out it was good, very good. The wine was a big spicy Zinfandel. Loved it and it will be worth the hunt to find it. I just ordered two bottles of the 2005, so I hope it is somewhat similar in structure and taste. I'll be happy.

Campos Reales Tempranillo (and it was a 2008). Nice easy red to drink, well balanced. Slightly dry, black pepper and cherries. We had it last night at a free summer concert with friends and it went with anything. I loved this wine not only for the taste, structure, and blend, but also because I purchased it for under $10.

A New Favorite

Last night we enjoyed a great bottle of wine from Rodney Strong. It was a 2006 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a new release and under $20. The color of this wine is dark. The aromas we could pick out included blackberry, cherry, and cocoa. The tannins were lush and mature. Darin has always liked Rodney Strong. We have not had it in a while (because he was trying to tell me that I did not like their wine) but he bought one yesterday and I had to eat my words (that I don’t recall saying). We went back today and picked up a few more bottles. This is a great cabernet sauvignon and will be good over the next several years.

WineyJanet is all about finding good wines for a fair price that those of us “ordinary” people who love a glass a wine for the purpose of drinking wine can enjoy. Please don’t drink and drive.