Freemark Abbey

Last Night we drank a bottle of FreeMark Abbey that we had tucked away in our wine fridge. Delicious. This Cabernet Franc we had was dark in color. You could taste vanilla and heavy fruit. We had it with BBQ and we hated to see the meal (wine) end. We bought this bottle in Napa but you can find it around town andI hope you do.

The Tax Man is Here. Have Good Wine

If you didn't know, today is the dreaded "Tax Day". Not sure why so many American's dread this day? It's not like we should be surprised, the tax service companies have been running TV ads for the last 90 days and based on my calendar, April 15th happens every year, so to hear of panic and "all-nighters" to finish before the deadline seems silly. Don't dread today (unless you don't have your taxes done, then by all means, dread) just try harder next year to get it done sooner ("easier said than done" is what a dear friend told me last night in tears because she and her husband were still working on their taxes).

I've decided to take a positive spin on this glorious day of celebration (also known as FREEDOM) and I'm going to enjoy a fabulous wine from another country (that seems backwards, don't you think?) but I'm opening up a bottle of Vietti Barbera D'Alba Tre Vigne (2006).

My husband introduced me to this wine about two years ago. It's wonderful. Of what I know of the Vetti winery they select grapes from top vineyards of Monforte, Barolo, and Castiglion Falletto and from somewhat established vines.

When you open this bottle of red wine (which retails around $25, a bit more than our $20 limit, but less than what I owe Uncle Sam) you will enjoy the scent of ripe red cherry and vanilla. The complexity of the wine is full (or round), great texture, richness, and it is a bottle that you completely enjoyable.

Enjoy.

Each Bottle Tells a Special Story.

The other night we enjoyed a bottle of Monsanto Chianti Classico. This Riserva red wine consists of 90% Sangiovese, 7% Canaiolo, and 3% Colorino grapes. It was a beautiful Chianti and went very well with the lamb my husband made (he’s the cook around our house).

The winery recommends that you decant the wine for hours to eliminate its sediment. So we did. If you walked by the table where it was "resting", you could smell that we were in for a delightful drink. It had a sweet scent of herb flavors, soft tannins, and somewhat passionate cherry.

We had not had a bottle from this winery (Castello di Monsanto). Being curious, I looked it up so I could know more about them and when I fulfill my bucket list of going to Tuscany....I will make certain we find this winery. Here is what I read on wine.com:
“In 1961 Fabrizio Bianchi, a successful textile manufacturer from Milan, purchased Castello di Monsanto and, in so doing, realized a long-held dream. Captivated by the beauty of Tuscany and convinced of the property's winemaking potential, Bianchi undertook the complete restoration of the vineyards and winery, while his wife, Giuliana, oversaw the restoration of the villa. Bianchi has relentlessly pursued the highest standards of quality, with particular emphasis on grape selection, natural vinification and a judicious use of technology”.

I love wine for many reasons, but in particular, I love the history, art, and storytelling that goes into each bottle. This was a very good bottle and can be purchased for under $25.

Worth it.

Enjoy.

Sangiovese, I love to say it, I love to drink it.

Last night we had Brent and Carol over for dinner. If I had to describe our dinner gathering in one word, fun. We started with Pietra Santa a 2004 Sangiovese from Cienega Valley (25 miles east of Monterey). Sangiovese is an Italian wine grape variety. It is from central Italy and it is the main component of the Chianti blend in Tuscany.


Although you don’t need to know all this information to enjoy the wine (just fun facts, people), what you do need to know is that this aromatic wine is beautiful! You can smell and taste the cranberry, cherry and the spiciness is perfect. The finish is amazing.

The moment we opened this bottle we knew we had something special. You’ll find this bottle under $15 and well worth every penny.

Enjoy.

Hello Privada, It's Me Janet

I found a great new wine last night called Privada. It broke through my cold and made me feel "normal" again.(although we all know that I'm not normal). It's an Argentina wine that has berry notes and soft finish was a delicious winie.

It was under $15. A good deal.

Enjoy.

How to Read an Italian Wine Label.

This weekend we are drinking Italian wine. I found this bit of "education" on the website about.com (I love the Internet).

Finally, I'll understand what I'm drinking!

A Modern Twist to the Rioja!

My husband buys wine on the sly. Unfortunately with both of us working out of the home, it's become very difficult to sneak anything in without the other knowing.

But I'm glad he made his recent purchase.

Vina Zaco Tempranillo Rioja 2006 was the wine of drink last weekend (should have posted sooner, shoot me). It was delicious. It's getting great ratings and what I love about this drink, under $15 bucks. In fact, it's been on sale (under $12) at a few wine shops where I’m known to meander down their aisles.
The Tempranillo ’06 is a good glass. It’s loaded with black cherry and blackberry flavors, slightly smoky, you’ll smell chocolate (swear), and above all of this wine lingo, the red wine is a good drink. You can buy it now and enjoy through 2012 (or at least that is what they said in Wine Spectator magazine).