Shrimp & Wine In Key West

Such a laid back late Spring weekend in Key West. Weather was very warm but humidity was down so it was very pleasant out. Finished up the "wine remnants" from the Roses' we have been trying and working on my latest experiment with Rose and White wine temperatures. Even got Nate and his wife over at Vinvenio interest sparked with trying the lighter wines at different temps. More on that later, as I am just starting to keep a journal entry on those.

Friday night we did have a wonderful Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta dish. Chris the chef son can do such magic with simple food. This dinner, not including the wine, cost about $18-20 dollars. That was the night we had the "uneventful" Rose' from Anjou, but luckily had a bottle of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc chilled and ready to go. I have purchased this wine on sale for $10.99. I think the regular price on this is $12.99. I did a post on this wine a week or so ago. Such a lovely full bodied wine with lots of grapefruit flavor and that grassy, mineral taste that is always the highlight at the end of your sip. It had lots of crisp and zippy acid which complimented the shrimp and pasta flavors.

Holler, who is a new blogger like me, ask for a photo of Fang the other day while I was visiting her site, Tinned Tomatoes. Here she is Holler, being the queen of the deck.

Cheers!

Dry Creek Vineyards Fume' Blanc In Key West

Good Sunday Morning To All! Today I have a post on Wine Sediments featuring Dry Creek Vineyards Fume' Blanc, which I have been enjoying for many years. Please hop on over to Wine Sediments and check out all the details!

Cheers!

Last Rose' Wine In Key West

OK, this is the last bottle of Rose' that I have on the shelf. And, unfortunately, well, not the best of the bunch. And I even did the temperature testing, which Nate over at Vinvenio and I had discussed yesterday.

The Rose' of the evening was a 2004 Sauvion Rose' d Anjou a Loire Rose' Wine from LeCleray, Vallet, France. It was comprised of two grapes, gamay and groslot. Only 11% alcohol with a plastic cork closure. It was a beautiful salmon color. Again I did my photo shoot and when finished, the wine was at 62 degrees. At that time there was that slight alcohol bite, not sure if I would call it a bite, but that prominent presence. There was a slight hint of berry on the nose and I could detect it slightly on the palate also. So, back in the freezer to chill it down. Next taste was at 50 degrees and now the alcohol "bite" was gone and there was the distinct flavor of strawberry. The wine now was sweeter, almost reminding me of Kool-Aid and thin. Did not have any of those "jump out and kiss ya" fruit flavors like the rest of the Roses' I have tried. Not much of a finish at all.

I was glad that my son the chef was there to the rescue with a nice plate of shrimp scampi and a chilled bottle of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc. There was no better way to start the end of the day! Thanks Chris!!

Cheers!

Rose' Wine In Key West

Between Dr. Deb's over at Good Wine Under $20 and the Catavino Forum, the Roses' keeps flowing at our house in the evening. The evenings are getting much warmer here in Key West, as you can tell by the condensation of the bottle I am trying to photograph. The color's of the Roses' are just beauteous, but can be hard to photograph. You really want to highlight their colors and, depending on where you take the photo and what type of lighting you have, it can be tricky.

The Rose' of choice last evening was the Louis Bernard Cotes-du-Rhone 2005 Rhone Rose' Wine from Orange, France. The grapes that comprise this wine are Granche, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault. It had 13% alcohol which was not overpowering as you might think. It was nice and soft on the palate. After popping the cork, I was truly taken in by the wonderful bouquet of raspberries and strawberries that greeted my nose. The color of the wine was a soft pink with a touch of ruby, which you can see both colors in the two photos I took.

I did not taste this wine until I finished with my outdoor shots, and by then the wine had warmed up a bit. So my first taste of this Rose' was probably at 65 degrees. The strawberry flavor was the most prominent flavor, but the alcohol was starting to surface a bit. I took the bottle back in the house and stuck it in the freezer to cool it down again and I am so glad I did. The temperature was 50-54 degrees at my next taste and OH! what a difference that made. All of the luscious flavors of strawberry and raspberry now jumped out of the glass and the alcohol was much softer at this time.

I highly recommend this wine for the start of the end of your day. Just be sure to serve it well chilled!!!!

Cheers!

Gnarly Head Wine In Key West

Gnarly Head, don't you just love the names some of the winery's are giving their wine! It is so fun saying "Gnarly Head". I think this wine fits well in Key West, as we have lots of pirate happenings here. Saying "Gnarly Head" sorta has that pirate sound to it!

We needed a "stand up and take notice" wine the other night, as our dinner was comprised of BBQ Ribs and Chicken with home made cole slaw and wedge sliced potatoes that were roasted in the oven with olive oil and lots of salt and fresh cracked pepper. Whew, that was a mouthful to say.

We chose a 2005 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi, California. The Lodi area of California is well known for its 35 to 80 year old vines. It amazes me that vines that old are still producing wonderful grapes! This wine is crafted with 77% zinfandel and 23% petite syrah grapes. It has 14.5% alcohol with a cork closure. It is fermented in French, American and Hungarian oak, which adds a hint of oak flavor to the wine. This wine bursts with the fruit flavors of dark plum, dark cherry, and has a wonderful peppery flavor which went so well with the pepper on the potatoes. This is not a heavy zinfandel, which so many can be, but has a moderate weight with softer tannins. It is a handsome wine, great to look at while you are swirling it around in your glass!

Cheers!

Chicken Parmesan & Wine In Key West

Still drinking the last bottle of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, I thought, hum, what would be a challenging dish to pair with this wine and see if it holds its own. Chicken Parmesan came to mind with a side of angel hair pasta with a mix of fresh herbs from my garden. Walla, dinner was born. Oyster Bay did hold its own even with the tomato sauce and fresh tomatoes that were incorporated with the chicken dish. Wanting to use up some fresh mozzarella that I still had left in the frig, we used that as our cheese instead of layering it with provolone. And of course since it is Chicken Parmesan, the dish was topped with a generous plop of grated Parmesan. The angel hair pasta was very easy to prepare with the addition of warm olive oil infused with garlic and a mix of fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme) from the garden. Ah!!!!

Cheers!

Great Grape Day Wine In Key West

It is Great Grape Day over at Wine Sediments today and I participated with the following entry.

Great Grape Of The Day, Semillon.

It was a rascal to find a bottle of wine down here with that grape. But I did come across a familiar vineyard, Jacobs Creek, at our local store. In fact, that was the only bottle of wine I could find with that grape included. So I grabbed a couple of bottles and put them in the frig looking forward to the evenings tasting.

I was pleasantly surprised when I unscrewed the cap and caught a whiff of the fruit that was popping out to meet my nose. Hum, not bad for a wine under $10.00. Must say, those Australian’s sure know how to make good wine.

Ok, let me tell you a little about the wine. Jacobs Creek is Australia’s largest wine brand. I tasted the 2005 Jacobs Creek Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc, 57% Semillon and 43% Sauvignon Blanc grapes. ALC 12.5% by Vol. It had a nice vibrant straw color with a hint of green. My palate was happy to receive the zippy ripe lemon flavor coming from the Semillon grape and the nice tropical fruit flavor that was blooming from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. Nicely balanced acidity brought out that down to earth grassy taste which a lot of “Down Under” wines have that is a favorite of mine.

I enjoyed this wine and felt it was a nice way to start the end of my day!

Kicked Back In Key West With Wine

Sunday evening, everyone working. I had the back deck to myself. No one to cook for, so I just kicked back with some tunes from the Rippingtons, retrieved a nicely chilled bottle of Fernleaf Sauvignon Blanc from the frig, sat in my rocking chair and rocked the night away. It is good for the soul sometimes, just to sit back, sip your wine and enjoy the world passing by around you.

OK, now I am out of my dreamworld, so let me tell you a little about Fernleaf Sauvignon Blanc. Fernleaf is an inexpensive (under $10) sauvignon blanc from New Zealand. It was bursting with lots of tropical fruit and finished with that "bring your palate back down to earth" grassiness that you find in those wines from New Zealand. I so enjoy those. I know that is not much of an explanation, but hey, that is the relaxed version!

Ah, what a way to start the end of your day!

Cheers!

Chicken Roll & Oyster Bay Wine In Key West

Yesterday I did a post on Oyster Bay Wine, Yum!, and paired it with a chicken roll, which really has no name. But Sonadora requested the recipe so here it is. I do not know actual amounts of ingredients, but it is not that hard.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are pounded as flat as you can get them

Prosciutto

Fresh mozzarella cheese sliced

Fresh sage chopped

Salt & Pepper

Pancetta

Butter that you have browned - cook this on the stove at pretty high heat and watch it. When it starts turning brown, get it off the heat and add some of the shredded sage

Toasted Pine Nuts - Also add these to the butter

Lay down a piece of pancetta that is about the same size as one of your chicken breasts, lay a chicken breast on top of that, lay a piece of prosciutto on, then put down mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with sage, salt and pepper. Now comes the tricky part, roll all of this into a log and put tooth picks into it to keep it together. Next you want to heat some olive oil in a skillet and then add the chicken rolls in the hot oil and brown on all sides. When chicken is brown, put into a baking dish and put in a 375 degree preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes, till the chicken is done. Remove chicken rolls to a plate and cover with the browned butter with pine nuts and sage. I also added a little extra shredded sage over the top at that time. You can serve whole or slice and fan out on your plate.

It is a very filling dish so you do not needs lots of extras to go with it. Bon Appetit!

Cheers!

Oyster Bay Wine In Key West

Sonadora from Wannabewino got my mouth watering again with her review of a nice Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Matua. Therefore I went to the wine rack and pulled out an Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough for the chill. This was the first time I had this wine and, oh my gosh, was I surprised when I opened it. Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2006 is a top notch wine for the value. Straw pale liquid greets you as you pour your first glass and the aromas of such concentrated fruit fill your nose. Nicely balanced with lots of fruit, such as grapefruit and lemons. Acidity was nicely crisp and zippy as the wine danced in your mouth. Then I tasted those stony, mineral and grassy flavors that are present in lots of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, which then brought me down to earth. Nice firm finish, which leads you to your next sip. I highly recommend this wine to all of you Sauvignon Blanc lovers.

We served this wine with chicken stuffed with mozzarella cheese, prosciutto and sage. The chicken was then wrapped in pancetta and served with a buttery sage sauce with pine nuts. This was accompanied with steamed asparagus with sundried tomatoes. The Oyster Bay went well with this dish but I am sure it would also do well with seafood.

What a nice start to weekend wine.

Cheers!

Rose Wine In Key West

Hopping over to Dr. Deb's site the other day, Good Wine Under $20, she had a post on Catavino Virtual Rose Tasting that really caught my eye. Being in Key West, the days can get really hot and humid and it is hard to find a nice wine to meet the heat. Therefore, I have been drinking Rose' for a number of years during the summer here. So I headed down to the supermarket to search out a Spanish Rose' thinking, um, will they have a rose' from Spain? Bingo, they did have a couple that I have not tried, as I usually like the French Rose'.

My choice was the Chivite's Gran Feudo Rose' Wine 2005. I immediately brought it home and popped it in the frig to chill looking forward to early evening when I could pop it open. The Gran Feudo is made from 100% Garnacha Tinta Grape. It has 12.5% alcohol with a cork closure. The color was so pleasing as it was a bright strawberry red with a hint of violet. This wine was such a pleasant surprise, so clean and fresh with a nice balance of low acidity and fruit, which I detected as strawberry. It was a nice soft wine that was long on the finish. Perfect for a nice spring evening out on the deck. As I did not pair this wine with any food, I will pick up another bottle this weekend and match it up with a light spring dinner or just appetisers.

Cheers!

J. Lohr Wine In Key West

With a bit of cooler temps hitting the Keys the past few day, I took advantage and popped open another wonderful red wine. A long time favorite of mine, J. Lohr Seven Oaks Paso Robles Cabernet, 2005. This is an inexpensive, $13.00, full bodied cabernet. Oh yum, when you open that cab your nose picks up that lovely dark cherry aroma that makes my mouth water. On the pour you will see that dark red with some purple colored liquid just flowing into your glass. Now swirl (one of my favorite words) it and stick your nose into the glass. Nice isn't it! Once you have went thru all of that, you deserve to start drinking. The tannins are nicely balanced so it is a smooth trip down your throat. On the palate I can taste the dark cherry flavor with a hint of spice, maybe cloves. It has a nice lingering finish that makes you want to have another sip. We like a lot of tomato based foods in our house, plus grilled out items with, sometimes, heavy sauces. J. Lohr goes great with all!

Cheers!

Key West With No Wine

Just returned home from an exciting morning of jury duty (Ha)! But I am always willing to do my part. But... since I am kind of in a hurry, I am not going to talk about wine or my garden. Instead I am going to show you a couple of photos of a great sculpture show they have at one of our parks here down by the beach every year. Folks sculpt with all kinds of materials. I find the metal ones really cool. This rooster is about 15 feet high, actually may be more. I thought this bird one was neat too. And the dogs looking over the water...what stories you could create using these as the subjects. More wine and gardening tomorrow!!!

Cheers!

Goats Are Roaming In My Key West Wine

I am really enjoying all the crazy names and labels of wine lately. It does make for an entertaining trip down the wine aisles. I have see this one advertised in a few magazines lately so we needed to have a sip. 2005 Goats Do Roam Red, Western Cape South Africa has a screw top and has a high alcohol volume for me of 14%. At first sniff and taste this is very evident. I do not like to have that high alcohol heat that you feel in your chest after a drink. (To me, that is what whiskey if for). But once the wine sat open for awhile, things calmed down. I do not like to use these ratings, but Wine Spectator rated it an 86, very nice. It is a light bodied red wine with plum and black cherry flavors. Somewhat long finish with a little tobacco taste in the end. I am not going to rave over this red, but it was not bad. We served it with a tomato based chicken dish and it paired nicely.

For those of you who tune into my blog every day, I may be late the next few days as I have jury duty with the Fed's. Of course I will be having a glass or 2 of wine when I get home from this event, but not sure when I will catch up with you all. Hopefully, not long!

We have another red ripe pepper in the garden!!!!

Cheers!

Bull Wine & Pasta In Key West

Ya know sometimes one just gets a craving for plain old spaghetti and meatballs. It was one of those nights last night in Key West, where the weather was really crummy (thunderstorms as a cold front, yes in Key West we do get cold fronts, came thru). It is amazing how fast a hot and humid day can turn into a 30 mile per hour wind with 66 degree temps day. So time to break out the red wine and make some comfort food. So spaghetti and meatballs was in order. I opened a Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull Zinfindel to serve with the meal. It is one of my favorite under $12 zins. Lots of fruity aroma hits the nose as you pop open that bottle. Love the dark red color and the smooth but somewhat bold liquid that blooms in your mouth.

I noticed that WineCast reviewed the Rancho Zabaco Zinfindel on Wine Cask's WBW last Wednesday. Lots of nice reviews and comparisons on last week's WBW. Check it out!

Cheers!

Sunday Wine & Garden In Key West

My tai peppers are so pretty I just have to share. I know, you are saying, where are they? They are the little green shinny points on the photo, soon to be red shinny points! And, oh boy, are they HOT!!!! Great for cooking in all kinds of dishes.

It was a quiet night on the weekend wine scene last night. Just cooked some shrimp on the "BarB" and had a big Caesar salad to go with it. I take my shrimp in the shell, clean, dry, put into a bowl and drizzle olive oil on and then heavily season with Old Bay seasoning. Mix well with the shrimp and let them sit in the frig for a couple of hours. Fire up the grill and cook those guys in the shells about 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are nice and pink. I then make a dipping sauce of garlic powder and garlic salt, butter, and Worcestershire sauce. Sometimes I cut up one of my lovely peppers and throw that in with the sauce to give it some zip. Then it's peel, dip and eat! Served the Jacobs Creek Semillon Sauvignon Blanc that I spotlighted back in March. Nice full white with a slight hint of the grassy goodness like in most of the "Down Under" sauvignon blancs. It really went well with the shrimp.

Cheers!

Boxed Wine In Key West

Hey gang, I am not going to talk about weekend wine yet, I will tomorrow. Today I would like to send you over to Wine Sediments to my post of yesterday. "Battle Of The Boxes". Wine Sediments is part of a network that you all may be interested in. It has all kinds of goodies to check out from wine, of course, to different food items, gadgets, etc. Anyhow, if you've got a few extra moments, surf on over!

Cheers!

Vegetable Tian & Wine In Key West

Wendy at Wendy's Wee Bit Of Cooking requested the dish I posted that we had for Easter Dinner. Here are the ingredients.

Vegetable Tian

Good Olive Oil

2 large yellow onions cut in half and sliced

2 garlic cloves minced - I used about 6 as we love garlic

1 pound medium round potatoes (I used Yukon Golds) unpeeled

3/4 pound zucchini

1-1/4 pound of fresh tomatoes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves plus extra sprigs (and I also used a sprinkle of dried)

2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Brush a 9x13x2 inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for about 8-10 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4 inch-thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle cheese on top, and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

This recipe was adapted from the cookbook "Barefoot In Paris" by Ina Garten. I am a big fan of hers and have had success with alot of her recipes.

Also today, I have my first wine post on Wine Sediments! Please check out my article there and let me know what you think.

It's weekend wine time - check in tomorrow!

Cheers!

Anyone For A Little Shiraz Wine In Key West

Last night I had a nice little surprise package in a bottle of Mandra Rossa 2005 Shiraz. I took Sonadora of Wannabewino's advice and moved a little away from the sauvignon blanc kick I have been on and decided to raid the rack. I had left over lasagna so I thought I would open a red. I like the Shiraz grape as it is usually light and fruity, which goes well with the weather here. So I picked the Mandra Rossa Shiraz, Sicilia, Indicazione Geografica Tipica, which has 13.5% ALC. What a nice Italian wine which is in the premium range of Sicillian Wines produced by the Settesoli Winery in Meniti. It had a nice deep magenta color, nicely full of fruit with a hint of spice, and there was a slight velvety feel in the mouth before escaping down the throat. Not bad for under $12.00!

Cheers:)

Chicken With Wine In Key West

Just have to share one more Easter Dinner dish with you because it was so darn good! Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic (not sure it was exactly 40, but somewhat close). This was the spotlight of the meal. The garlic is roasted in the pan after the chicken is taken out which turns it a nice brown, takes out the strong flavor, and turns it into a mellow, soft clove which then is incorporated into the sauce made from the pan drippings, white wine and a little cream. To serve it, I poured the garlic sauce (gravy by now) onto the platter and then placed the chicken on top. That way everyone could use as much sauce that they liked on their plates. I did not serve wine with this dish, as we had dinner early in the day and we had lots of plans for the rest of the day (no time for the "oh I am so full" afternoon nap!). But if I were to choose a wine, I think it would be a light chardonnay or, my favorite wines, a sauvignon blanc from New Zealand. If you want me to post the recipe, just drop me a comment and I will get right on it!

Cheers:)

BIG HOUSE Wine In Key West

Blend together Chenin Blanc which gives a "sweet taste", throw in Sauvignon Blanc which contributes the fruit, toss in some Reisling for that tongue tickle, next in the batch Alberino that adds a hint of fruity spritz, Viognier kicks in a bit of dryness, Muscat adds some flowers and top it off with some Pinot Gris which oaks it up a smidge - and what do you come up with? (a wine salad?) You come up with a great little wine called "Big House". Big House White California Wine is vinted and bottled in Santa Cruz, California and it's ALC is 13%. Best of all, it fits in my weekly budget of $10 a bottle for week nights.

As Tony The Tiger would say, "It's Grrrrreat"!!!!!

Red Cliff Wine In Key West

Still full from Easter dinner, how about you? But not too full to tell you about a nice inexpensive, under $10 find. It is "Redcliff" 2004 Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough Region in New Zealand. I know, another "down under" wine. I cannot help it. I am addicted to them lately. Maybe it's these fancy labels everyone is coming up with. (That will be another blog in the future). Really, even though it has a nice label, the wine was very satisfying. Nice intense aromas greeted me when I opened this wine by the screw cap. Nice smell of berries and fruit. As with the Sauvignon Blancs from down under, it also greeted my palette with that slightly grassy flavor with crisp acidity to follow. Nice long fresh finish. The ALC/Vol on Redcliff is 13%, but is not overpowered by it. A keeper in my books!

Here is one of my dishes that I served with our Easter dinner that was so yumptious ( is that a word?). It was a vegetable tian that included good olive oil, onions, garlic, potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, salt and pepper, fresh thyme leaves and a few sprigs, topped with Gruyere cheese. If you would like specifics, just leave me a comment. It was very easy to do and the kitchen smelled...yumptious!

Cheers!

Happy Easter From Key West Wine & Garden

Wishing all a very "Happy Easter"!

Cheers From Deb's Garden:)

Tin Roof Wine In Key West

Key West is known for it's tin roofs, so when I saw this wine, yep I had to give it a try. Besides, it fit my under $10 budget for weekday wines. The wine I am speaking of is "Tin Roof" North Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2004 by Murphy-Goode who is located in Geyersville, California. Unfortunately, to me, the wine lived up to it's name, somewhat tinny. The ALC 13.5% By Vol was very prominent and seemed to overpower any fruit that I tried to detect. I sorta knew I was in trouble when I read the back label of the bottle and the subject of the screw cap took up most of the space. By hey, I am all for the screw caps and I do know how to remove them and what they are all about. I like to read about the wine that is in the bottle not how they sealed it.

It is a snow day in Key West, slightly rainy and cooler, so for "weekend wine" I think I need to pull out a zinfandel and pair it up with something for a cool spring evening. Till tomorrow!

Cheers!

Frog Wine Part 2 In Key West

I cannot let this little "Ribet Red" pass us by! Arrogant Frog "Ribet Red" 2004 is a blend of 55% cabernet and 45% merlot from the Languedoc Region of Southern France. It has really nice intense fruity aromas that evolve smoothly in your mouth. Not heavily tannic, but enough to give it some character. It has that wonderful screw cap top that I am starting to enjoy. It is nice right out of the bottle into your glass and, with a few swirls (I like that word!), you can watch that purple liquid just dance! It is very food friendly, as we served it with grilled steaks and it was very satisfying.

Cheers:)

Frog Wine In Key West

Ribet White ! Remember a few weeks ago I had trouble with a screw wine cap that was busted when I got the wine home? If not, well, I got the wine home and found that even though the screw cap was slightly busted, the wine was fine. Maybe the inside piece saved it. Anyhow, the wine was "Arrogant Frog 2005 Ribet White" which is 60% chardonnay and 40% viognier. It is from the Languedoc Region of Southern France - Pezenas, France. It is a wonderful wine for under $10. Bright gold in color, has fruit elements such as peach and pineapple which "hop" around inside your mouth when you take your first sip. Now the wine is traveling down your throat and you get a hint of vanilla as things smooth out on your tongue. It is not a U.S. chardonnay so it is not heavy, oaky or buttery, as sometimes U.S. chards can be. It is a good wine to serve with any seafood dish.

Again, a good wine to start the end of your day.

Cheers!

Monkey Wine In Key West

Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand is one of my favorite wines under $10 to share with you. I love the name (there really is a Monkey Bay on the coast of Marlborough in the South Island) and label but really enjoy what is inside the bottle! New Zealand wines, I should state the sauvignon blancs, are very high, like top of my list. Speaking of top of my list, I cannot find a better sauvignon blanc than Cloudy Bay, but the price is a bit out of my pocket for an everyday wine. If I really want to treat myself, I will pick up a bottle. (OK Deb, get back to the wine at hand). I have found that Monkey Bay is not a bad second choice for the price. Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand have that grassy, down to earth flavor that my palette just loves. Monkey Bay also seems to spotlight great, concentrated, tropical fruit that is very refreshing and this wine has a nice balanced mouth feel to it. Have I convinced you to try a bottle yet?

Cheers!

Covey Run Wine & Peppers In Key West

The guys at Wine Cask Blog had a wine review on the other day that looked fresh and spring-like. Covey Run 2005 Riesling from Columbia Valley - Woodinville, Washington. There was lots of nice fruit in the off dry riesling and it shown itself nicely chilled. It is a great wine to start your evening, or even after dinner since it is nice and fruity. I cannot remember when I have ever had a bad wine out of Washington State.

It looked like Christmas in Key West this morning as I was tending my garden. I just have to show you my cayenne pepper plant. Isn't he a beauty! And the peppers are awesome, just enough heat to add to whatever dish you need a little heat in! I made a veggie lasagna the other night layering some marinara sauce, noodles, spinach, pre-sauted veggie mixture of yellow squash, cayenne pepper, onions, garlic and asparagus, then a layer of canned white beans that I drained and rinsed and cheese. I repeat all of these and end up putting lots of cheese on top. It was a little heavy for a spring night, but all the veggies were terrific. This will be a great dish when all of the tomatoes are ripe and we can add those also.

Cheers!!

Wine Breakfast In Key West

Twisted Pig 2005 Pinot Grigio, with wonderful hints of bacon and eggs with a finish of jelly toast. What a way to start the day !

Happy April Fools Day :)