Wine Behind The Art - Not In Key West, But Could Be

Last week I did a cool post over on Wine Sediments that I would like to share with you, just in cast you could not make a visit. This is fun!

Looking for something fun to do while you are escaping the summer heat in your local wine shop or supermarket? Stroll down the wine aisle and check out the fun wine labels that wineries are now using. Some of them are just too cool! I have spent numerous hours reading and viewing these wine labels. Not only is the art on these bottles very creative, the titles they give them are so whimsical. Four Emus, Twin Fin, Gnarly Head, Goats Do Roam are just a “drop in the bucket” as to what you will find.

Now the questions is – what do the wines taste like that are behind these fun labels? Not being able to resist purchasing these cool labeled bottles, I did put them to, what I call, my “senses test”. I am sure you have heard the saying, “you eat with your eyes first”. Well, I drink with my nose first. Therefore, the order of my “sense test” goes like this - smell, look, and taste.

Twin Fin 2005 Pinot Grigio from Gonzales, California was a pleasant surprise behind its amusing label. Loads of citrus and melon flavors escaped the bottle when opened. These flavors followed right on through to the palate, where it was crisp and lively. You know, one of those “jump around and be known in your mouth” types of wine! Great for summer sipping!

I like to say this wine’s name, Gnarly Head, Old Vine Zinfandel. This winery is located in Lodi, California. This wine is crafted from grapes that are from vines that are 35-80 years old! Dark ripe fruit was the aroma that swam up to my nose as the bottle was uncorked. The color of this wine was a rich dark purple. This is a wonderful Zinfandel with many layers of plum and berry fruit. Tannins were moderate, which gave it a nice smooth finish with a touch of spice. Pour yourself a glass and head for a seat under that big ol’ gnarly oak tree during a cool summer evening.

These are just two of the wines with those creative labels that I enjoyed, proving that the wine behind the fun can be very appealing. Actually, I have sampled quite a few of these artistic labeled wines and have not been disappointed with the wine behind the art!
Cheers!

In Case You Missed The Toad, Not In Key West

Just in case any of you missed Great Grape Tuesday over at Wine Sediments, you can find out what I had to say about my favorite Rose' below. Try a bottle this summer !

Welcome to Great Grape Tuesday! Summer is officially here so ice up the coolers, fire up the grill and get outside and have some fun! And there is no other refreshing wine during the heat of the day than a nicely chilled Rose’! Believe me, this wine is always at the top of my list for parties around the pool or just popping open for a sip while you are preparing the grill for a load of “Shrimp On The Barbie”.
Roses’ are a “hot” item right now. Advertisements are showing up from Good Housekeeping Magazine to Wine Spectator. I think folks are discovering how versatile a wine it can be. For example, it is a great wine to get your best friend who only drinks White Zinfandel to make the transition to a new varietal. It is a wine that can go from the back yard picnic table to an elegant dining room table. It is a wine that can be paired with food from BBQ ribs to sushi. Best of all, it is a FUN wine!

Toad Hollow, Eye Of The Toad, 2006 Sonoma County Dry Pinot Noir Rose’ is a party in a bottle. Check out the whimsical label with Mr. Toad and the ol’ Badger sharing a bottle. Too fun! And hey, just look at the color. It is brilliant red with a hint of blue splashed within. But with all the fun your eyes are taking in, wait till you take your first sip. Now things are getting a little more serious since the sense of taste is involved. But first, let’s get the sense of smell involved. As I popped the cork, floral notes arose, such as roses and a hint of wild flowers. “POW”, I have just taken the first sip and a field of strawberries just arrived on my palate. It is bursting with that fruit flavor. Now, since the winemakers at Toad Hollow continue to produce this wine in the true French style, it is not “sweet” but dry. Even though it is a dry wine, it has a very full body and nice weight in my mouth. The finish is crisp and clean, but does not linger very long. It is definitely a “lip smacker”!

Toad Hollow, Eye Of The Toad, 2006 Sonoma County Dry Pinot Noir Rose’ is vinted and bottled by Toad Hollow Cellars of Sonoma, California. It is made from Pinot Noir Grapes that come from the Carneros region in Sonoma. The alcohol volume is 12%. I must tell you that this is the 9th vintage of this wine and I have been a fan since day one. So when Andrew picked Rose’ as our topic this month, I knew exactly which wine I wanted to review. I have been drinking it for years. This is a quality wine that is very interesting at a reasonable price - $10.99.

Now strike up that party in your mouth! Celebrate Summer!
Cheers!

Tagged But Not In Key West

My newest blogging friend, Holler at Tinned Tomatoes, has tagged me for foodie facts! What a fun game ! Well Holler, here ya go!

1) My favorite item to cook on is the outdoor grill. Living where it is warm, or not, I usually cook outdoors at least 5 times a week. I grill Everything !

2) Food & Wine magazines are a passion of mine. I think I subscribe to all of them. I also love cookbooks and my collection is up to about 90 now.

3) Cooking is a passion of mine since the days I would spend with my grandma out on her farm. I will not tell you how many years ago that was! So much of a passion that my son is now a chef, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America.

4) My favorite gadget that I cannot live without is my salad spinner. I hate wet, limpy lettuce.

5) My favorite items from my childhood are cooked, but cold, new red potatoes. My grandma would keep them on the stove to cool down after dinner and I would fill up my pockets with them for a lovely snack.

6) I would much rather have an appetizer, or 2, than dessert. Not much of a sweet tooth unless it involves chocolate.

7) Last but definitely not least - WINE !!!! Every meal with wine is so sublime !

Cheers!

Great Grape Day - Not In Key West

Hi Gang! I am back in Oxford now. Had a marvelous trip to my brother's home in Maryville, Tenn. which is located near the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains. Great family weekend, Thanks Mark!

Well it is Great Grape Tuesday over at Wine Sediments. The theme today is Rose' ! A very popular wine for Spring and Summer. I have a post over there on one of my favorite all time Roses' - Toad Hollow! Hope you have a few moments to head over there and check it all out!

Cheers!

On The Road Again - Not To Key West

Time to pack up and head to my brother's house in Knoxville, Tn. for the Memorial Day Weekend. This weekend is the official start to summer, although we have been having lots of summer weather here in Ohio the past few weeks. No complaints from me! So hubby and I are packing up the car and heading south with summer clothes and lots of summer...you guessed it, WINE! Since I have gotten my brother to make the transition from beer to wine a couple of years ago, visits turn into major tasting events. He even has one of those "handy-dandy" wine coolers. So we will be tasting the wines at their perfect temperature (Nate, I will let you know the results, if I remember). I am taking my new camera, don't leave home without it, but am not taking my computer. So, again, I will be out of touch with all of my blogging friends for a few days. When I return I hope to have some good wine suggestions and tasting notes to share with everyone.

Now for my foodie blogging friends, check out this Swiss chard that I purchased at the farmers market last week. It was awesome. I used it in a pasta dish and will get the recipe to you soon. But my main reason for this note is that I did not use the colorful stems in the pasta. I saved them and put them into a tuna fish salad. Yes, just chopped up raw and tossed them in. It really livened up the tuna fish salad, which I make with canned albacore tuna, lemon juice, mayo, capers, a dab of Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and a dash of celery seed. This salad usually looks pretty blah. Adding the colorful stems of the chard really gave it some personality. The crunch was great. Amazing how all of our wonderful veggies can be so versatile. Now for all my vegetarian blogging friends, not sure what you guys would substitute for the tuna. I know you all are so creative that you will find the perfect salad to add your chard stems. Let me know what you come up with.

Till next week, wishing everyone a safe and fun holiday weekend.

Cheers!

La Vieille Ferme Wine -Not In Key West

I don't know about you guys, but when I miss a day of posting, I feel like "what did I miss out on ????" Anyhow, I have been out and about here in Oxford, Ohio and came across a little hidden wine shop called Main Street Gourmet. I met the shops' owner, Christopher, and we had a nice conversation about the wines he carries. I will write more later on Christopher's shop as he agreed to let me do some photo shooting in his shop. While I was in there, I picked up a few bottles of wine that I had read about but were not able to find until now.

On Sunday, my big salad day as you may have seen in Sunday's post, I unscrewed open a nice chilled bottle of 2005 La Vieille Ferme, Cotes-Du-Luberon while I was assembling dinner. On checking out the grapes that were used in this blend, I noticed 2 grapes I am not familiar with, or maybe I have not noticed them in previous wines from this region. Let me tell you about the grapes in this blend. It consisted of 30% Grenache Blanc, 10% Roussanne, 30% Bourboulenc and 30% Ugni Blanc. The 2 last grapes are my mystery grapes. So I put on my research hat and found that Bourboulenc is the principle white grape variety in Cotes-Du-Rhone. It's high acid content makes it popular for blending with other grapes, as in this wine. Since it is high in acid, it brings body and spice to the "party". My second mystery grape is Ugni Blanc, which my research found this grape to be the same as the Trebbiano grape. This grape is widely planted in France and is also used as a blending grape. Why you ask, because it has never been known to have any really distinguishing characteristics, as it is described as bland or neutral. So I guess we will never see this guy on its own!

Well, with all of these grapes combined, I guess it should be one nice wine. For $8.99 I found it a lovely wine to taste while assembling dinner and then out to the deck for a few sips (ha) before dinner. Actually, the La Vieille Ferme was not one of those wines that threw a party in my mouth. (I guess I have been drinking too many New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs and have been spoiled with their directness). On tasting, pears is the fruit I pulled out and a touch of floral tones. It did have a nice body and a bit of creaminess to it which was nice on the palate. I think this creaminess lends itself to make it a nice aperitif wine. The color was quite golden and the alcohol content was 12.5%. Not a bad little wine for the price AND I did like the rooster and hen on the label!

Cheers!

Salad In Making - Not In Key West

The Oxford Farmers Market was rockin' yesterday! So many Spring Greens to choose from. I chose a spring mix and a few lettuce's I have never heard of like Cracoviensis and Simpson Elite. I never really paid too much attention to lettuce names until I started growing a spring mix myself. Then I became familiar with Baby Heirloom lettuces, Mizuna, Arugola, Tat Soi, Red Giant Mustard - which is the actual mix that I picked up yesterday. I am just now educating myself on the leafy green lettuces. And the Farmers Market is just the place to go for a good education. The folks that grow all the wonderful produce they sell really know their "stuff"! And best of all, they are so willing to share information with you. So much better than the internet or a book! I had wonderful chats with the lettuce folks, the lady who makes her own goat cheese (which is awesome), the organic egg gal who was more than happy to talk about all of her different chickens and their eggs, and a new person to the market who is baking her own bread. I brought home her Rosemary & Olive Oil bread that is just scrumptious. Last week I took many (about 80) photos at the market. The manager of the market ask if he could use some of them on their web site. That was kind of cool!

So last night our dinner consisted mainly of a hugh salad from the greens and fresh green onions that I purchased yesterday. I made a fresh vinaigrette from sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, just a touch of chopped fresh garlic, salt and pepper, about a teaspoon of lemon juice, olive oil and about a 1/2 of teaspoon of agave nectar to take the edge off the vinegar. We also had that wonderful Rosemary Bread with some goat cheese and I sauteed a couple pieces of Steelhead Ruby Trout in olive oil and a touch of butter. I served a 2005 La Vieille Ferme white wine with the meal, but I will talk about that tomorrow.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Cheers!

Off To Market - Not In Key West

Hey All! Hope you are enjoying your weekend so far. I am off to the market!!!

Support your local farmers!!!

Cheers!

Merlot - Still In Ohio, Not In Key West

Ya know, I have not been reading many wine magazines lately, as the internet has been my education tool lately. But, being in Ohio in Spring where the weather has been quite cool the past few days, I picked up a few copies of Wine Spectator, Wine and Spirits and Quarterly Review of Wines magazines to pass some time indoors. Paging through and trying to pass up all the advertising pages, now I know why I prefer the internet, one wine kept jumping out at me from each magazine. Of course, the sections that I go to most are the value for the money sections because I just cannot see myself paying hundreds of dollars for collectible wines. I do not "lay down" any wines. I want to drink the wine I purchase! I do find it interesting to read about these collectibles, but they are out of my league. OK, back to the wine that kept jumping out at me.

The 2004 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot from Columbia Valley in Washington State is the wine I am speaking about. Now my husband is a die hard (drinks a bottle every nite) fan of the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon. I am not a big Cabernet drinker, but have had a glass or two with him and it is a nice Cab for the price. So I thought, well, the Merlot is getting high ratings so let's give it a try. Now again, I am not a rating type person, although when I started my "drinking career" many years ago before the internet, I would depend on the wine periodicals to steer me in a direction. So with magazine in hand, I would visit my friend at the local wine shop and we would pick out my wines for the week. Back to the wine at hand as I think I am chatting a little much.

Columbia Crest Merlot is comprised of 96% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet and .5% Cabernet Franc grapes with an alcohol content of 13.5%. I found this fact interesting -"During harvest a third of the fruit from the distinguished vineyards selected for this Merlot are not crushed. These whole berries are added to the wine during fermentation to create a unique aromatic and flavorful style with a soft texture". This wine I found does have a nice soft texture, as the tannins are nicely refined. On uncorking the wine, aromas of blueberry seemed to catch my attention. But on tasting the wine, I definitely would say I was tasting juicy plum flavors with a hint of that blueberry. The wine had a nice mouth feel and finish. At at price anywhere from $11-$13, depending where you purchase, I would recommend this 90 point rated (Wine Spectator) wine. I served it with good ol' spaghetti and meatballs, a good midweek comfort food. It went nicely with it, but maybe just a tad weak for the sauce. (I usually like a zinfandel with heavy tomato sauces). But it did make an excellent sipping wine for a "chilly" spring evening in Ohio. Now, back to the internet!

Cheers!

Versatile Viognier From WBW Not In Key West

Just wanted to again thank Marcus at Doktor Weingolb for a fun WBW#33. Throughout the day I have been checking out all the entries and WOW, I cannot wait to do a little more tasting of this region. This is such a good exercise for educating yourself on wines that you are not normally tasting.

Just wanted to add a little tid-bit for one of the wines I choose for WBW#33. The Laurent Miquel Nord Sud Viognier 2005 was a great wine to serve with fruit and cheese. The bouquet of the wine and the aroma of the fruit together, well...heavenly. My fruit salad consisted of watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and fresh strawberries. I picked up the strawberries at our Oxford Farmers Market on Saturday from Lucy at Boulder Belt Eco Farm. Delicious!

Cheers!

WBW #33 Languedoc-Roussillon

This is my first go at participating in WBW. Thank you Marcus at Doktor Weingolb for hosting this month’s Blog. I was thrilled that you decided to focus on the Languedoc-Roussillon area of France. Actually I was excited that you focused on any part of France, as it brought me back around to wines that I really enjoy and have not visited for awhile. The French selection in Key West can be a little thin at times. But since I am in Ohio right now, most wine shops are bursting with French wines. OK, enough chit-chat from me, on with the wine.

Laurent Miquel, Nord Sud Viognier 2005 Vin de Pays d’Oc was my choice of white wine to submit to WBW. This winery is based at Ch Cazal Viel in the AOC of St. Chinian in the Languedoc area. I will not go into more discussion of the area as Marcus has already given us lots of info on this part of France.
This Voignier was a lovely soft pale yellow in color. It had an alcohol content of 13.5%. Bursting aromas of peach, honeysuckle and maybe a whiff of pear escaped the bottle as it was uncorked. These flavors followed right along when I took my first sip. Since this wine is aged in French Oak for 5 months, a touch of oak, but mostly a nice creaminess was experienced on my tongue. The right amount of acidity was present to give it a nice balance and to keep it fresh and lively as it approached its firm finish. The Laurent Miquel, Nord Sud Viognier is no wimpy wine! In fact, I would consider using it as an aperitif or even an after dinner wine, although it is not sweet. It definitely would stand up to any zesty food or pungent cheese and fruit.

I would highly recommend this wine and for the price of $14.00. Yes Marcus, I know I am a dollar below the limit, but I did not want to pass up this opportunity to share this value for the dollar wine!

Also please check out our entry to WBW on Wine Sediments!
Cheers!

"Then & Now" J. Lohr Winery Not In Key West

Hi All ! Today I have a post on Wine Sediments about my "Then & Now" project Part 2. If you got a moment, please check it out.

www.winesediments.net

Cheers!

Wente Wine In Ohio

Years ago when I was just beginning my education in the wine world, and enjoying every moment of it, I was lucky enough to have my good friend Lee working in the wine business. She and another friend of mine, Al, lead me through many tastings with many bottles of wine. At one of the wine festivals here in Ohio, there was a private tasting of Wente Vineyards Wine and Carolyn Wente was present. Lee ask me if I would like to attend with her and, of course, you know the answer to that request. It was a nice event and I felt cool being able to meet someone who was part owner of a winery, especially a winery with a history like Wente's. They are the oldest family owned and continuously operated winery in California. The Wente Family established their winery back in 1883 and it is now managed by the fourth and fifth generation of the Wente Family.

Every once in awhile I pick up a bottle of Wente Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc because it is a good wine for the price, under $12.00. I choose a bottle of their 2004 Livermore Valley Sauvignon Blanc which had a beautiful, almost clear straw color to it. Alcohol content was 13.5%. On opening, there were aromas of gooseberry and citrus climbing into my nose. On the palate I found the same flavors of the gooseberry, citrus and also I may have detected a hint of grass. It was a lovely dry, crisp wine with just the right amount of acidity to give you a little smack on the tongue. Served it nicely chilled for that Spring evening, that wound up giving us a little chill later as the sun went down!

Cheers!

Happy Mothers Day From Key West & Ohio

Happy Mother's Day !!!

Cheers!

Vin De Savoie Not In Key West

The weather is so awesome right now with temps around 80 and just a slight breeze, low humidity (no I am not in Key West but OHIO!) Birds singing and the annoying bumble bees trying to get at my wine, Ah, I love Spring! But it only leads to one thing, yep, nicely chilled white wine. I cannot stay away from the White French Wines at the moment since they are so available to me. So last night was no exception. I was into the Savoie Region again. I just had to chill and pop open a Domaine Labbe' 2005 Vin De Savoie Abymes. This wine is made from 100% Jacquere grapes, which is the main grape in the Savoie area. The Savoie region is located on the lower slopes of the Alps. And yes, this grape is different from the Sauvignon grape, not by much, but seems maybe a little brassier.

Uncorking the wine, fresh, crisp apple aromas emerge from the bottle. That nice aroma of apples follows right through to the taste, plus that "pucker-up" citrusy-lime smack in your mouth flavor plays on your tongue. It is a simple lightly straw colored wine with nice acidity and low alcohol at 11%. At $10.99 a bottle it is perfect for sipping outside on these lovely Spring evenings. I cannot stay inside on days like this!

I am so glad mother nature and wonderful wine makers provide us with such good wine to start the end of our days!

Cheers!

White Bordeaux Wine Not In Key West

I am having such a good time on my trip to Ohio. Not having hugh wine stores in Key West, I am like a kid in a candy store up here. I am seeing a lot of the bottles that Dr. Deb and Sonadora have tasted and posted information. What I am really thrilled about are some of the wines I tasted when I first began keeping notes back in 1994. I have talked about one of my old tasting books I found a few weeks ago. Totally cool that I am discovering some of the wines that I tasted back then are still available now. ( I did a post about Dry Creek Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc a few weeks ago if you tuned in on my blog and Wine Sediments).

Strolling down the French aisle of the store looking for a wine to taste and post about on WBW, I came across an old familiar White Bordeaux Wine that I just had to purchase and taste again. Ever since Marcus at Doktor Weingolb decided to choose a French wine for WBW, I have gotten back on my "band wagon" of French wine. Recently I have been stuck on Rose', Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and have ignored other grapes. So in my attempt to expand the ol' palate, I am hooked back on the French wines. I have a few on the rack now so today I am back on memory lane with Andre' Lurton's Chateau Bonnet Entre-Duex-Mers White Bordeaux 2005. My tasting notes back in 1994 showed that the color was a greeny-gold and the flavors were of young, crisp citrus. It was $8.99 and I rated it a 9 out of a possible 10. Well, the 2005 is not too far off from the 1994. I unscrewed the bottle, instead of popping the cork, and lots of citrus aroma jumped out of the bottle into my nose, which I always have close on hand as I love to catch that first aroma (I hate using the word smell) as it leaves the bottle. The color on the 2005 is quite white, as you can see. On the first sip the powerful flavor of grapefruit hit my mouth and also a bit of "green" was present. It had a good kick of acidity which plays nicely on the back of your tongue and in turn gives it a nice long lively finish. A combination of grapes, Sauvignon 50%, Semillon 40%, and Muscadelle 10% are what make up this wine. It has an alcohol volume of 12%. Price now is $9.99! I only paid a dollar more now than back in 1994! What a deal!

I find it is fun going back and pulling these "oldies" back out of the closet and comparing notes.

Cheers!

French Wine Not In Key West

Ah, French Wines. I was very lucky to actually travel to France twice back in the early 1990's. Mike had business over there and, well twist my arm, ask if I would like to go. OF COURSE! These were my prime "getting into" wine years. I actually started keeping notes back then. But what was really cool was that one of his business contacts was a Frenchman who grew up in a town in the Loire Valley called Saumur. Still had family and friends there, so off we went to stay for a few days. Maybe someday I will put my whole experience into a book. To make a long story short, we visited his friends caves where we drank the wine directly from the barrels and also sat at kitchen tables and shared the wines with family. They did not speak English and we did not speak French. But we felt the warmth and hospitality flowing not matter what we all were saying. Oh I can still smell the dank, damp, moldy air down in those caves. OK Deb, back to reality.

The reason for all this nostalgia is the wine I found at a shop here that we enjoyed last evening. It is not from the Loire region, but from France. The wine I am speaking of is a 2005 Pierre Boniface, Apremont, Vin de Savoie, which is from the Savoie Department located near the lower slopes of the Alps. It was a wonderful straw colored white wine, with 11.5% alcohol. Popping the cork and taking that first sniff is what brought back memories. It had fresh touches of honey, maybe a little spice, but lots of fruit, especially crisp, ripe, green apples. The finish also had a hint of melon with a little tang on the tongue, which I remember several French wines have. I am not sure of the grape content, but in that region they use about 70% of the Jacquere grape. This low sugar grape makes a delicate almost ethereal white wine. I do wish the French would start putting more info on the labels, but then I guess the mystery and intrigue of the wine would be gone. Gotta love the French. But for only $12.99, I took a wonderful trip down memory lane!

Cheers!

Emus Running Wild In Key West

One evening last week, before my trek to Ohio, we let the Emus run wild in our back yard! Four Emus 2005 Sauvignon Blanc that is. What a fun, full flavored wine this was. It had to be fun with a label like they have! I am loving these fun, colorful, artsy labels for a change. And even some of them have some darn good wine behind those labels!

Anyhow, let's get back to this lovely wine. It was a 2005 Four Emus Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon blend with it split between the grapes 50-50. The alcohol level was 12.4%. This is a wine produced on Dale Road, Middle Swan, Western Australia. It has a nice looking straw color with just a hint of green. With this bright appearance, after unscrewing the cap, you get a nice whiff of tropical fruit aromas. On the palate I found bunches of tropical fruit flavors with a hint of, let's say, green peas and a tiny taste of cut hay in the background. It had a nice texture in the mouth with lots of bright acidity teasing your tongue.

I suggest you gather a herd of Emus for yourself because at $7.99, you cannot beat this wine for a spring evening!

Cheers!

New Camera Not In Key West

Hey Gang! I am excited as I have a new camera. I have been researching and pondering this for a long time, but made the big jump this week. Now...how to use it. Sooooo... this blog is being used as an experiment on transferring my photos. So be patient with me. I am a newbie again. You can exit now, but please join me tomorrow for a new week!

Thanks!

Cheers!

Oxford Farmers Market Not In Key West

Lucy & Eugene - Boulder Belt Eco Farm

It is Saturday in Oxford, Ohio and time for the first Oxford Farmers Market of the season. Oh my gosh, I am in heaven with the fresh organic, chard, lettuces, radishes, strawberries, kale, eggs, chicken - I could go on and on. I filled up 3 big bags of fresh from the farm goodies. What also was so fun was meeting Lucy and Eugene from Boulder Belt Eco Farm. I visit her blog and website frequently and now was able to purchase lovely fresh items from their farm. Too fun! I feel very strongly on supporting our local farmers. They work so hard to bring us the best mother earth can provide. Now that I have a frig full of fresh ingredients, got to hit the kitchen and put these wonderful food items to good use!

Sorry I have no wines to report on today, not that I did not indulge last evening, but just enjoyed wines that I have already posted. More on the wine scene tomorrow!

Cheers!

Turner Road Wine In Key West

Hi Gang. I have made it safely to Oxford, Ohio which is just north of Cincinnati. For me it feels like winter as the temps are only in the 50's right now. But Spring is lovely up here, everything is so green! After Mike picked me up at the airport, our first stop in Northern Kentucky was The Party Source. Best place to pick up a case of wine on the way home. I was like a kid in a candy store with all the selections. I could spend hours in there, which I probably will this coming week. But we were kind of in a hurry so I made some selections and we were on our way. More to come on my selections and I could not resist more Rose'!

My best garden friend, Jake the Gnome, wished me good luck on my trip to Ohio with a bottle of Turner Road Pinot Grigio from Lodi, California. What a nice tasting, under $10, wine this turned out to be. It is 100% Pinot Grigio, no blending of other grapes with 12.5% alcohol. I was able to pull out nice, very lively, flavors and aromas of apple, nectarine and citrus. Another great wine chilled for those warm spring evenings and the flavors even bloomed a bit more as the wine got a little warmer. Nice finish that did not linger too long but enough to make you ready for your next sip. In researching this wine, I found that the grapes are harvested at night to preserve those fresh crisp flavors. The grapes, after picking, are brought to the winery and pressed directly into steel tanks for fermentation at cool temperatures.

Another plus for this winery is their enviornmental practices. They recycle 90% of the winery waste and operate a natural water treatment facility for revitalizing waste water for landscaping and maintaining wetland habitats for wildlife. Nice to give back to mother nature, as she gives so much to us!

Cheers!

No Wine Tomorrow In Key West

"I'm leavin' on a jet plane" Wasn't that a song by Peter, Paul & Mary back in the 60's? Well, it's time for Deb to travel and I am excited. I fly out tomorrow and will be in Ohio for awhile. Cannot wait to visit all the wine shops in the area, farmer's markets, little local wineries and, oh yes, family and friends. Enjoy the full moon ! So until Thursday....

Cheers!