V - Un - Yeah!

2010 Eberle Mill Road Viognier - $20

So, I used this wine at a charity event last week, and it was a hit! It’s a great wine if you like it a little on the sweet side, but not on the jolly rancher side, it has a touch of residual sugar (.2%). The 2010 Viognier pronounced (V – un – yeah) gives off summer aromas of honeysuckle, citrus blossoms and apricots. Vibrant flavors of ripe pears, peaches, almonds and spice add to the lush mid-palate of this exceptional wine.

The clean and refreshing citrus finish makes Eberle Viognier a perfect partner for a variety of foods or a spectacular treat just by itself.

Middle Sister

Middle Sister Wines
"Drama Queen"
Price - $11


Okay so there is another quirky label out on the supermarket shelf, what else is new? I bought some a few weeks ago for a party at our house, and couldn’t help but to think of my MIL when I picked it up, who’s wine of choice is Grigio. Well, when no one was looking, I poured myself a taste and was quite surprised. Now this wine is not deeply complex by any means, what it is though is a nice, crisp not overly sweet Pinot Grigio. Well, when the party was over all of these where empty.

It tastes of apples and pears with a bit of flinty minerality to offset the sweetness, nice balance as a matter of fact. Give it a try, and at $11 bucks a bottle, you may want to try all the middle sisters.

This MS Wine is know as “Drama Queen” … Do you know me? I'm the one in the front row. The one with the big personality and giant sunglasses. I even have a wine named after me. Brilliant! A stunning Pinot Grigio, in perfect taste for any social event, from fashion shows to fundraisers...or on that rare occasion we're dining in. Admit it, Middle Sister. We so do love the attention. See you in the gossip columns!

And here are some of the other sisters...

It's OK to drink, really have another!

2009 One Hope California Sauvignon Blanc
Price - $18.99
Did you think that by having a glass or bottle (s) of wine could actually benefit others? We’ll how would you feel if by tipping a glass you were: helping with autism research, fight against aids, combat breast cancer, back our troops, support children’s hospitals, or even saving our planet? Probably make you feel justified for a refill!

From select vineyards in Napa Valley, Sonoma County and California’s Central Coast. Pale, golden color and flavors of pink grapefruit and bright, grassy undertones, this distinctive wine is fermented in stainless steel barrels. ONEHOPE Sauvignon Blanc is light, refreshing and finishes very crisp making it a perfect pairing with salmon, halibut, light pasta dishes, fresh fruits and a variety of cheeses.

ONEHOPE donates 50% of the profits from sales of its Sauvignon Blanc to benefit the American Forest Foundation. For every dollar that is donated, American Forest will plant a tree.

One Hope makes a variety of wines; each benefits a different cause and charity. Visit www.onehopewine.com for more charitable drinking habits.

Every night kind of wine...

2009 Backhouse Merlot

Price - $7

Backhouse Wines are relatively new on the scene, and have been designed as fruit forward wines to be enjoyed as a stand alone, or to compliment Tuesday night meals, or any casual dinner really. They make a Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and today’s feature: Merlot. All priced at a mere seven bucks.

This 2009 Merlot is garnet in color with flavors of black cherry on the palate. Soft and compliant, this Merlot can be enjoyed with rich, red pasta dishes and is a fine accompaniment to chocolate.

A New Kinda Chard, Finally

2009 Kendall – Jackson Avant Chardonnay
Price - $12.99

I don’t typically enjoy California Chardonnay, due to the heavy oak wood influence, however after spending some time with Randy Ullom, KJ’s Wine Master, I have found one I do like.

Avant takes its name from the French word for “before” and reflects the vibrant expression of the fruit before oak has the chance to impart much flavor. This Chardonnay is crafted 50% in stainless steel and 50% in older more neutral oak barrels, resulting in a less woody and more fruit forward Chardonnay.

This refreshing Chardonnay bursts with intriguing layers of fresh pineapple, bright green apple, crisp Meyer lemon, juicy pear and wildflowers. The wine's refreshing acidity and sleek mineral notes are balanced by a rounded mid-palate with a long, pure fruit finish.

********90 points and a Best Buy from Wine Enthusiast.

A Great, Affordable HQ Oregon Pinot

2009 Ken Wright Cellars

Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Price – sub $30

Finally a KWC wine that you don’t mind opening when ever you feel like it! Historically Ken Wright has created Pinots that are vineyard designates only, which are worth the dollars for sure, but hard for everyone to justify enjoying more than a few times a year to the quality and cost/bottle. Over the last few years Ken has begun to develop a Willamette Valley non-vineyards specific wine, in efforts to reach more every day or at least every weekend tongues. This is an outstanding wine, Spectator even gave it a 90. “Light and satiny, with modest tannins around a delicate core of cherry, raspberry and coffee flavors, fleshing out more on the long finish.” Drink now through 2017. The blend consists of fruit from Abbott Claim, Canary Hill, Carter, Freedom Hill, Guadalupe, McCrone, Meredith Mitchell, Nysa and Savoya vineyards.

This wine was just released, and will not likely be on the shelves come 2012, so stock up now.

Off the beaten path

Gruet Blanc de Blancs $24 - New Mexico

Don't wait for a special occasion. Go off the beaten path to this New Mexico winery for some of the world's best sparkling wine! (can't call it Champagne if it does come from the Champagne region in France) This winery is closely related to Greut et Fils located in Champagne, France started by Gilbert Gruet in 1952, so closely related that the New Mexico venture was founded by Gilbert's son, so needless to say they know how to make Champagne (sparkling) in the true Methode Champenoise.

The Blanc de Blancs offers abundant aromas and flavors recalling sweet apples, pears and citrus. The three years of aging has contributed a pronounced classic toastiness with accents of roasted almonds and minerals. The palate is creamy and long, dry and crisp, with a bit complexity. Only 1,000 cases produced.

Also look for Gruet's other 6 styles of sparkling including the Grand Rose.

Château de Ségriès

Château de Ségriès

2009 Tavel Rosé - $15

I stumbled on this wine by accident at my neighborhood wine shop, and am glad I did.

This is not your grandma's pink wine. The 2009 Tavel Rosé is a dry wine served best chilled. Rosé wines traditionally come from red wine grapes that see a very short time being pressed on the skins of the grapes, that extract the pink color, if the juice were left on the skins longer the hue would turn dark red.

Tavel is a small village in France that is renowned for Rosé.

Tavel is made from traditional French red grapes made up of: 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 15% Clairette, 5% Syrah

Grapes are pressed and left on the skins overnight, extracting the bright pink hue.

Powerful and focused, with a big core of red cherry, raspberry, intense strawberry and red currant fruit laced with spice and tobacco hints. A nice stony note weaves in on the finish, adding length and cut.

Wine Spectator gave this wine a 90 point rating, and Parker has awarded 90 points as well for the past 3 vintages.

There is no reason to hold on to this one, the new vintage just came out, so look for the 2009. This wine and all Rosés for that fact is made to be drank young.

Look for the wine at http://www.wine-searcher.com/

2008 Tuscan Moon Sangiovese $5

Tuscan Moon Sangiovese

Aromas that are reminiscent of cherry cobbler, with fruity overtones of plum and cherries, with a hint of oak. Not your Italian version of Sangiovese, but for 5 bucks, it’s on par with a skinny double soy chi macchiato in a much larger serving!

This is an exclusive Trader Joe's Selection. You can find it there as well as other Moons including...

Velvet Moon - Cabernet Sauvignon
Old Moon - Zinfandel (Red)
Purple Moon - Merlot
Honey Moon - Viogner
Purple Moon - Chardonnay
Venetian Moon - Pinot Grigio

2008 Project Happiness Chardonnay -$6-7

Satiny, ultrarich and complex, with layers of floral, butterscotch, fig, apricot and pear flavors that are impeccably balanced; while the flavors are bold and concentrated on the entry, this wine turns amazingly elegant and sophisticated on the finish. Goes great with summer’s bounty on the grill.

This wine is a project of Orena Winery hailing from Southern California's Santa Barbara County.

You can pick up a bottle at your local Trader Joe's

Pinot Gris vs. Pinot Grigio

Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are actually the same white grape, with two different names. In Italy and California this wine is known as pinot grigio, while in Oregon and France it's known as pinot gris.Most pinot grigio wines are created in Italy.

The Italian version of pinot grigio is typically dry (not sweet) and light, with a mineral taste to it. Californian variants of pinot grigio tend to be richer in flavor, but still have the mineral taste. Often, they finish with a lemony or citrusy flavor.

French & Oregon pinot gris wines are more fruity and flowery than their Italian counterparts, though they still have that mineral aroma. Flavors can range from peach to grapefruit to melon.

2008 Montinore Estate Pinot Gris $13

With the weather warming up, its time to start trading the red wine glass for the white. Here is a great one to try hailing from Oregon.

2008 Montinore Estate Pinot Gris

It is very aromatic with notes of fresh ripe pear, yellow apple and a pleasant floral/herbal accent. On the palate it bursts into flavors of ripe honeydew melon with... hints of mango overlaying ripe apple/pear character. The long finish is dry, fresh and crisp with a sweet/tart apple essence and distinct mineral qualities. All this for around $13 a bottle. Give it a try and let us know what you think.


To find where to pick one up go to: http://www.wine-searcher.com/

2009 Wattle Creek Sauvignon Blanc $18

The nose is dominated by zesty green lime and grapefruit qualities with a hint of fennel, and the wine shows similarly crisp, citrus and herb flavors that finish fresh and long.

Wattle Creek is proud to produce wines that are almost exclusively Estate grown. You may not hear this term often, because many wineries purchase their grapes or their juice from outside the winery.

Estate grown means that they have ultimate control over the quality and consistency of the wines which are made from Wattle Creek owned and controlled Alexander Valley and Yorkville Highlands vineyards.


Ask for it at your local wine shop or next time you are at PF Changs, its always on the list there.

Can Music Enhance Wine Taste?

Playing a certain type of music can enhance the way wine tastes, research by psychologists suggests.

The Heriot Watt University study found people rated the change in taste by up to 60% depending on the melody heard. The researchers said cabernet sauvignon was most affected by “powerful and heavy” music, and chardonnay by “zingy and refreshing” sounds. Professor Adrian North said the study could lead retailers to put music recommendations on their wine bottles.

The research involved 250 students at the university who were offered a free glass of wine in exchange for their views.

Brain theory

Four types of music were played – Carmina Burana by Orff (”powerful and heavy”), Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky (”subtle and refined”), Just Can’t Get Enough by Nouvelle Vague (”zingy and refreshing”) and Slow Breakdown by Michael Brook (”mellow and soft”)

The white wine was rated 40% more zingy and refreshing when that music was played, but only 26% more mellow and soft when music in that category was heard.

The red was altered 25% by mellow and fresh music, yet 60% by powerful and heavy music.
The results were put down to “cognitive priming theory”, where the music sets up the brain to respond to the wine in a certain way.

“Wine manufacturers could recommend that while drinking a certain wine, you should listen to a certain sort of music,” Prof North said.

Here are some music and wine pairings suggestions

Cabernet Sauvignon: All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix), Honky Tonk Woman (Rolling Stones), Live And Let Die (Paul McCartney and Wings), Won’t Get Fooled Again (The Who)

Chardonnay: Atomic (Blondie), Rock DJ (Robbie Williams), What’s Love Got To Do With It (Tina Turner), Spinning Around (Kylie Minogue)

Syrah: Nessun Dorma (Puccini), Orinoco Flow (Enya), Chariots Of Fire (Vangelis), Canon (Johann Pachelbel)

Merlot: Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding), Easy (Lionel Ritchie), Over The Rainbow (Eva Cassidy), Heartbeats (Jose Gonzalez)

Do you think these researches have point ?

Could be fun to try it out.

Source: BBC

The Four Graces From the Oregon Hills...

07 Four Graces Willamette Valley Pinot Noir - $29

Four Graces is a family owned and run vineyard in the Dundee Hills of Oregon, the Black family consists of five children; four daughters known as the “Four Graces” and one son, the keeper of the “Four Graces”. Each wine is carefully crafted by winemaker extraordinaire Laurent Montalieu. Laurent and native Frenchman grew up as a child on his grandfather’s vineyards in Bordeaux where his tutelage began at an early age and has continued throughout his life in France, California, and now settling down in the hills of Oregon.

The 2007 Four Graces Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is described as earthy and elegant, fruit forward with smooth, expressive tannins, this wine bears all the hallmarks of a great New World Burgundy. Reminiscent of wild mushrooms and blackberries, luscious damson and warm red roses, the 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is vibrant and delicious in its youth yet has the soft, focused tannins to suggest ageing with grace. Over 10 months in French oak has contributed velvet softness to the mouthfeel without masking the lovely red to black fruit characteristics. The color is a deep, bright ruby with purple rays and the aromas are quintessential Oregon Pinot Noir.

The 2007 Vintage is called to be one of the best Oregon Pinot Noir crops in a number of years, and will be memorable, so stock up now, it will not stay around!

As always go to http://www.wine-searcher.com/ to find where to pick the up.

Something To Try From Washington

Hedges Family Estate

Hedges is a family owned winery located in the AVA of Red Mountain in Washington State. Red Mountain located in Eastern Washington is widely recognized as the premier growing region in Washington State. Wine grapes from Red Mountain command the highest prices in the state and wines made from Red Mountain fruit are consistently recognized for their balance, depth, and complexity.

All though Hedges produces a wide variety of wines, two of the more popular are in the CMS series.

2007 CMS White - $15
Chardonnay – Marsanne – Sauvignon Blanc

A fresh and vibrant wine that combines the best of 3 grapes. The wine gets the balance and depth from the Chardonnay, spicy like aromatics from the Marsanne, and backbone and mineral notes from the Sauvignon Blanc. Great on its own or with a variety of seafoods

2007 CMS Red - $15
Cabernet – Merlot – Syrah

The combination of these 3 popular Washington grapes gives a sweet vanilla toast with raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry, with hints of clove, herbs and a touch of earth. The finish is long and lets one know it can last several years in bottle.

Who can drink red wine in this heat???

Flora Springs
2007 Napa Pinot Grigio - $14

Pinot Grigio differs from other white varietals in that its skin is dark (hence the name Gris in France). The grapes must be pressed immediately upon arrival at the winery - quickly and gently - to avoid extracting any color or bitterness. The juice is then cold fermented in stainless tanks and bottled shortly after fermentation is completed to preserve the freshness and unique character of the wine. The brightness of citrus is complemented by a dash of tropical fruit flavors to yield a wine of pure delight. Serve chilled and enjoy!



Lake Sonoma 2006 Dry Creek

Sauvignon Blanc - $12

Refreshing bright citrus fruit flavors of lime and grapefruit with forward herbal notes of pepper and lemongrass combined to distinguish its classic varietal character. This wine was made from some of the best Sauvignon Blanc Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley. Harvested at the peak of flavor the grapes are gently pressed and then cold fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve the crisp, fruity flavor. No barrels or malolactic fermentation were used. This allowed the true character of the grape to express itself with a refreshing combination of lemongrass, herbal and citrus flavors.


Drink Up!

As always go to http://www.wine-searcher.com/ to find where to pick the up.

Value Wines of The Week

Peter Lehmann
2005 Barossa Shiraz - $15

This wine comes from 2006 International wine maker of the year, Peter Lehmann. Now let’s dispel the Shiraz/Syrah myth name myth. Many argue its origins are the Middle East in Persia near the city of “Shiraz” and was taken South to France by the Phoenicians or Romans. France, however claims it as its own, DNA recently shows that the French win and it is a cross of 2 French vines: Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. The Aussies brought the grape from France and coined it Shiraz in honor of the city aforementioned that it was believed to have originated from. They are in fact the same grape, call it what you want.

This wine has aromas of chocolate on the nose, then spliced with the richness of Barossa Shiraz with a depth of fruit, cherry and tobacco on the palate complemented by fine chalky tannins on the finish.

Chateau La Paws
Cote Du Bone Blanc 2006 - $14

This wine is a Rhone inspired blend made by Rosenblum Cellars of Viognier (lending tropical fruit), Chardonnay (lending green apple), Sauvignon Blanc (grapefruit, lime, green melon, passion fruit and grass), Rousanne (ripe pear), and Marsanne (rich melon) coming from premium vineyards through out California. Each of these varietals were all fermented individually in their own unique way then blended together to give the wine a refreshing pear, melon, and mango bouquet, with flavors of apple, peach, and creamy vanilla.

Want more reason to buy this wine? A portion of all the sales go to benefit “Paws with a Cause”, a charitable leader in training assistance dogs for people with disabilities.

As always go to http://www.wine-searcher.com/ to find where to pick the up.

It's Getting Hot Out There...Let's Drink Some Rosé

With the weather heating up outside, its time to talk about some warm weather quaffing wines, specifically Rosé. What is Rosé? Rosé is traditionally a pink wine in color that should never be confused with the other pink stuff (White Zin). Rosé is made from a red skinned varietal that once crushed, allows the skins to remain in contact with the clear juice for a few days drawing out flavors, extract, and color (pink) from the skins, the wine then goes through the fermentation process leaving little to no residual sugars, this is where Rosé and White Zinfandel differ.

Domaine Carneros Brut
Rosé Sparkling Wine - $25

Made of Pinot Noir with a touch of Chardonnay blended in, emphasizing the fruity and floral characteristics. This wine is meant to be consumed young, where it shows hints of strawberries, roses, jasmine, and peach with a crisp finish. Great alone, also a great compliment to deserts or afternoon brunch.

Frog’s Leap 2007 Pink -
La Grenouille Rougante - $14

Coming from Napa Valley made of a rarely known grape 92% Valdiguie (Napa Gamay) originating from France, began growing in the Napa Valley some 100 years ago. These particular Valdiguie vines are 80 years old. This wine is meant for fun. Aromas of watermelon and white flowers, with tastes of strawberry, sour cherry, and watermelon are abundant in the mouth. Sounds funny, well don’t laugh until you experience it firsthand.

Some of the best out there...

Livio Felluga 2007 Pinot Grigio - $20

Pinot Grigio & Pinot Gris are one in the same, call it what you want, the grape is an offspring of Pinot Noir. The grapes at ripeness will appear gray-blue or gray-pink hence the name “gris”. At the point of winemaking the grapes are crushed and little to no contact with the skins is allowed, giving it a yellow straw color.

O7 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio has aromas that come through of wild rose and orange peels with hints of tropical fruit, apricot, honey, and white pepper

In the mouth, elegant and full, with spicy notes of peach, apricot & honey. It has a rich, creamy, and long finish. Drink now, its best when young.

Look at http://www.wine-searcher.com/ to find where you can pick these wines up locally.




Groth Winery 2005 Oakville
Cabernet Sauvignon - $55

This one is a real treat, might be the best Cab I have ever tasted, and well worth the cash.

The ’05 growing season was rare: a very wet spring gave the opportunity to develop very juicy fruit combined with an Indian Summer that gave long hand times allowing grapes to mature at a leisurely pace resulting in perfect sugar/acid ratios and an outstanding color.

Big and lush with huge gobs of fruit in the aroma and flavor. Deep purple in color with tastes of chocolate, ripe raspberries, and cloves. The texture of the wine is soft and supple. If you can be patient you will be rewarded if you can hold on to it for 10 years. Buy as much as you can, and drink it when ever you are ready, today or a decade later.

Look at http://www.wine-searcher.com/ to find where you can pick these wines up locally.