100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 50 Hot-Air Balloon Ride in Wine Country

Blog 50 Hot-Air Balloon Ride in Wine Country

I made it to my 50th Wine Blog! I wanted to celebrate by taking you on a flight in a balloon high above the Napa Valley in California’s Wine Country. Napa Valley’s Hot-Air Balloon flight path is the busiest that the world has to offer.

With the Wine Country weather in northern California, flights can take place year round. If the weather does not permit, you can opt to cancel your reservation or to lift off from an alternate location outside of the Napa Valley area where the weather may cooperate.

There are many balloon companies to choose from. Pick the one that you feel comfortable with and that has the options that you desire. Many will offer pick up and drop off from your hotel. Most offer a pre-boarding breakfast and when the flight is finished you will be awarded a certificate, with champagne and a brunch or lunch served to you. The whole experience can last up to five hours.

The flight itself takes one to two hours depending upon the weather conditions, but the experience is priceless. You can take pictures or video while in the air. You may want to dress in layers because the temperature will get hotter in the balloon and you can take off or put on whatever you want while on your flight. The balloons may fit about two to ten people depending on the company that you pick and the packages that they offer.

Float several thousand feet into the sky and enjoy your experience with a spectacular way to view the Napa Valley vineyards.

Let’s celebrate! 50 Wine Blogs! Wish me luck on getting through the next 50 blogs!

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 49 Grape Varietals of Imagery Estate Winery

Blog 49 Grape Varietals of Imagery Estate Winery

Many grape growers throughout California plant new grape varietals to challenge their passion. Imagery Estate Winery is a very unique winery found in the Sonoma region. Their wine labels are each a different painting commissioned especially for their bottles. They also have an art museum located in their tasting room that you can view as you taste their artful wines, and of course, a gift shop.They combined creative art with creative winemaking to stand alone in the wine industry in California.

Imagery creates and blends their wines by combining nontraditional grape varietals to create unique selections of wines not made by other winemakers in the area. They have a White Burgundy that I like that is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Menuier; a light, fruity white with the body of a Chardonnay. A fun blend is the WOW Oui consisting of Sauvignon Blanc with a splash of Muscat.

Imagery also produces single varietals by using some grapes that are almost nonexistent in California or rarely produced as a single varietal. Some of these are: Tempranillo, Mourvedre, Lagrein, Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet Franc and Muscato di Canelli. These are only some of the single varietals that they offer. Imagery Eastate Winery challenges you to broaden your palate. Stop by for a visit while you are in Sonoma and be sure to visit their other property nearby, Benziger.

Although they might not be picked first to play baseball on the playground, they don’t seem to mind. Imagery Estate Winery will be creating their own game and eventually, everyone will want to be playing on their team. If not, they are content sitting on the bench drinking in their creative art and having fun, while watching the others play hard.

Be on the lookout for their new 2009 White Burgundy. You will be able to hear and watch their label. The label will consist of sheet music from a song composed and performed by Richard Derwingson. They filmed the video of him playing the song on his piano. After 26 years of sitting the bench, Imagery has decided to create their own game. Let’s see who wants to play.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 48 Grape Varietals of Coastal California

Blog 48 Grape Varietals of Coastal California

While every grape growing region in the entire world will have the primary grape that it is known for, it may not be so true for coastal California. For instance, the Mendoza region in Chili is known for making their best wines from the grape varietal Malbec.

France has strict control on which varietals are grown in which regions and they are bound by laws to control what they can grow and how they can blend their wines. This may be good to some and bad to others. It controls the quality and insures stability from year to year. You know exactly what you are getting and what you are drinking.

California does not put these strict controls on their winemakers. They allow their grape growers free reign on which grapes they would like to grow and how they would like to blend and make their wines. However, they do have labeling laws that govern what can be placed on the label depending upon what is inside the bottle.

California grape growers decided to grow different varietals in different areas of California. For instance, Napa, California’s most widely planted wine grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. However, with the microclimates discovered throughout the valley, there are other chief varietals of grapes that thrive in Napa which winemakers use to create some of the best wines the region has to offer. Other varietals you will find in the Napa Valley region are: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Nebbiolo, Syrah/Shiraz, Petit Syrah, Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris, Voignier, Barbera, Dolcetto and Malbec.

There are many wineries to choose from when visiting Coastal California. The grape varietals listed above are not just limited to the Napa Valley area; you may find these varietals and more throughout Coastal California. Be on the lookout to broaden your palate. You will not get bored and your palate will thank you.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 47 Hop aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train

Blog 47 Hop aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train

Take a journey by train through 25 miles of Napa Valley including the vineyards of Napa, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, and St. Helena. You can get to the train station earlier to partake in a pre-boarding wine tasting. There are afternoon and evening rides with and without food service.

The dinner wine train experience is wonderful for those wanting to feel the excitement of being on a train dining in style with china, linen, silver and crystal. The train has vintage-style cars with polished mahogany paneling making your experience feel very authentic. Children are allowed on board for the thrill of the train ride. They can also enjoy the views of the countryside and rows of vineyards.

You have several choices of experiences from being in a more casual car or dining on the high end of style. You can be in the open air car or experience an indoor car with air conditioning. There are three kitchens onboard with a menu of items to choose from. There is also a tasting room and observation deck. What a great way to share your love of wine.

Be sure to view the videos of the Napa Valley Wine Train.



Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 46 Visit Volcano Winery on The Big Island of Hawai’i

Blog 46 Visit Volcano Winery on The Big Island of Hawai’i

When you think of The Big Island of Hawai’i, what comes to mind? Lush tropical beaches, like turtle beach which is a black sand beach with very old turtles on it, or the southernmost tip of the United States of America where there is a green sand beach, wind turbines and a ridiculous view of the Pacific Ocean. You feel like it is the end of the earth and you reached it. But, do you think about a Volcano Winery?

On your way to the Kilauea volcano in Volcano National Park, you can stop by the Volcano Winery for a free wine tasting 365 days of the year. In Hawai’i, they do not just use grapes to make their tropical wines. They use tropical fruits like yellow guava and the exotic jaboticaba berry which they blend with traditional grapes to make wines from paradise with fruity notes. The wines they offer are Volcano Red, Volcano Blush and Hawaiian Guava Wine.

For those who want a more traditional wine, they use the Symphony grape which is a white grape and is a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris. UC Davis of California created this grape varietal which was chosen due to the volcano’s climate and the grapes ability to grow well there. The bouquet of the Symphony grape is peach, apricot, and lychee.

If you really want to try something different and you like dessert wines, you might want to try the Macadamia Nut Honey Wine, made from island blossoms of the Macadamia Nut tree from the island. This one was my favorite and I took some home with me. The 3 Wine Girls are going to give it a try to let you know if it tasted as good off the island as it did on the island. Stay tuned!

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 45: Can you drink a glass of wine without a nose?

Blog 45 Can you drink a glass of wine without a nose?

For some reason, I was not only born with a huge sense of smell, but smells can make me actually sick. When I worked as a nurse, I went on rides with the fire department; I would take bets on what was burning when we went to a fire. Whether it was electrical, carrots on the stove, or paper burning, I would be able to guess it.

With wine, if I can’t smell the wine in the glass, I cannot enjoy the taste of the wine. The nose is part of the enjoyment for me and a soapy or dirty glass drops the enjoyment by about 75%. I even feel that I can guess where some of the wines come from, for instance, sometimes I can tell the Martini from the Cuvaison and which winery a wine may have come from in California. Some of the wineries have distinct smells that come up in their wines. Even though there are different grape varietals, I can smell a distinction between wineries.

I don’t think my nose knows what nasal fatigue really is. I think that if someone is wearing heavy perfume or have a strong odor; it can affect the taste of the wine. A very aromatic food can disguise what the wine tastes like. There might be too many smells surrounding the glass while you are trying to distinguish what scents are in the wine.

I prefer to taste wine in the morning first thing. Even brushing your teeth can affect the smell or the taste of the wine. Eating food and then trying the wine can also change the nose on the wine. When I plan my winery tours, I go to the wineries that I feel are the best in the early morning, if they can fit in the schedule that way. However, it does not stop me from doing a late afternoon tasting in one of my favorite wineries.

Many wines open up after you swirl them for a while or wait for a time to capture a better release of the true aroma of the wine. I like to try to distinguish the more complex aromas as the wine settles into its glass.

If you have trouble distinguishing what aromas you smell in the wine, you can purchase a smell kit. It helps you to train your nose to know what different scents may smell like in a glass of wine.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 44: Wine and Tuna pairing. Just try it.

Blog 44 Wine & Tuna Pairing. Just try it.

Do you always need to pair your expensive wine with a gourmet meal?

I was starving, just back from Boston with nothing in my refrigerator. What do you eat when you have nothing? Better yet, what do you drink? A splitting headache had already started, or shall I say Migraine for those who know what that is like? Do I really have to go to the store or a restaurant? What to do?

I popped my head in the pantry and located some Stoned Wheat Crackers and a can of Starkist White Albacore Tuna. Those who know me don’t be shocked, but I am allergic to everything except wine. Two of the items on my long list that I am allergic to are onions and garlic. I know, I know, I am Spanish and Italian, how do you think I feel? I can’t have ketchup, barbecue sauce, mayonnaise or mustard because, they have onion powder in them. I choose to eat the tuna on the cracker, imagine that…plain tuna on a plain cracker.

I decide to pair my plain tune and crackers with a meritage from Cuvaison winery. I belong to 10 wine clubs from California, I might as well drink a great bottle of red wine with my tuna. I want my food to taste great too. I choose the Two Estates Cuvaison 2005 ATS Selection, a classic red wine representing a blend from the best grapes from the Carneros and Mount Veeder estates.

My tuna actually tasted like real fish! My meal became an event! It was not a cheap meal, by no means, crackers $3.69, tuna, $1.49 and the classic red $54.00 and out of production. Well worth my time and effort. Is that what canned tuna is really supposed to taste like?

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 43: What do you like to drink?

Blog 43 What do you like to drink?

Let’s hear from you. Do you like white, rose, red, sparkling, or desert wines? What is your favorite varietal? What is your favorite winery to visit and what do you get to do there? What is your favorite wine?

I like reds the most with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel being my favorite varietals.

My favorite wineries to visit would have to be Far Niente for food and wine pairing as well as their cars and the grounds that they have surrounding their property, St. Supery for the barrel tastings and their tours and tastings, Hall Rutherford for their crystal chandelier as well as their cave tasting, Laird for their wines and hospitality, Schramsberg for their wine cave tour, Opus One for their unique building and design and great tasting experience, Peju for their gift shop and wine tasting experience, Robert Mondavi Winery for the Mustard Festival Event and wine tasting tour and I am sure there are many more that I just can’t think of at this moment. These are the ones that come to me first. Tell me about your experiences and which places you like to visit most.

My favorite wines are Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon, Hall Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon and Jack’s Masterpiece, Opus One Overture, and any Laird wine. These are only a few of the wines that I love. We don’t want to list them all, we may not have room. What is your absolute favorite? My absolute favorite is the Monte Rosso, Louis Martini, Gnarly, Old Vine Zinfandel. Tell me about yours!

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 42: Tannins

Blog 42 Tannins

In red wine, the red color comes from the skin of the grapes which is one of the places where tannin is found. Tannins which are plant polyphenols are present in the seeds, stems and skins of grapes and found mostly in red wine. Grape varietals that are white contain a lower concentration of tannin in comparison to grape varietals that are red.

Other food or drink items that contain tannins are: tea, cheese, nuts, coffee beans and some fruit. Tannins taste bitter and leave a dry or puckering feeling in the mouth. The drying effect that tannins leave in the mouth is referred to as astringency. Tannins are also found in red and white wine that has aged in oak barrels especially if the barrels are new such as 100% new French oak barrels.

Tannins are considered an antioxidant and a natural preservative. The tannins in the wine soften while the wine ages. They help the wine improve with age. Tannins provide structure and function to the wine and add to the flavor of the wine. Wines that can age longer in the bottle have more tannins than those that cannot age as long in the bottle. When red wine ages, it reduces the effects of the tannins, softening the flavor of the wine. At least, this is the effect that we are trying to achieve when we age a great red wine for years.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 41: Boston Food & Wine Pairing

Blog 41 Boston Food & Wine Pairing

The Lenox in Boston, MA has received the award for being one of the top 500 hotels in the world for service, and they deserve it. Free Internet, hot chocolate, bottled water and any service that you want is given to you with a smile. I am hosting a conference and there was some noise outside of our room for a short time. Before I could even complain, they came in to the room with extra beverages and food. They are on top of things here.

I ate dinner at the City Table restaurant in The Lenox hotel during my stay. What else are you supposed to do when there is a rain storm in the city that you are visiting? Not worth going out when you have a great restaurant in your hotel.

I took a small break from having all fish for dinner; however, I did have oysters for the appetizer. I then ordered Blue Cheese Crusted Filet with whipped Yukon potatos, and broccoli rabe and needed a good bottle of wine to go along with it. You know how I love my big Cabernet Sauvignons. I ordered a Cab from the Stag’s Leap District in California. It was estate made and bottled by Steltzner Vineyards and the menu price was $65. Wow, it was awesome!

Tasting Notes:
The wine was a nice rich deep red/garnet color with aromas of smoky French oak, blackberries and dark cherry along with a hint of toffee, vanilla and spice. Smooth mouthfeel, well balanced, soft tannins that open up the cherry and blackberry flavor with the pairing of the steak. Smooth finish with smoky notes of soft spice, vanilla and French oak. It melted in my mouth! No diet today, Crème Brulee for dessert!

Tell me what you would pair your steak with! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 40: Boston Seafood and Wine Pairing

Blog 40 Boston Seafood and Wine Pairing
Ye Olde Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant in the United States with continuous service. It is also the oldest restaurant in Boston, MA. Open since 1826. I wanted to see what types of wines they offered on their menu, with them being the oldest continuous service restaurant.

By the glass, you can get Heidsieck Little Blue Top Champagne, which has a medium body, with fresh citrus notes, and nice toasty flavors. Frei Brothers Russian River and Redwood Creek Chardonnay both from California. Maso Canali and Bella Sera Pinot Grigio from Italy. Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Four Sisters Sauvignon Blanc, McWilliams Reisling, and McWilliams ‘Hanwood Estate’ Chardonnay and Shiraz from Australia. Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from California. Mac Murray Ranch ‘Sonoma Coast’ Pinot Noir from California. These are all offered by the glass but they have a more extensive list for those wanting to purchase a bottle at the table.

I also compared this with Skipjack’s Seafood Emporium’s wine menu. They served a few types of sparkling wines along with Chardonnay, Reisling, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and even Viognier. Their reds consisted of Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The majority of their selection consisted of light to medium bodied wines with only a few choices of heavy wines listed on the menu.

Boston is known for their seafood and most of the restaurants specialize in serving lobster, crab, oysters, mussels, scallops, clams and various types of fish. What I noticed when eating at many of the restaurants in the Boston area, is that the wine menu differed from wine menus that I was used to seeing in most other parts of the United States, where meat and not seafood is mostly served. The Boston restaurants had a larger variety of white wines and light or medium bodied red wines as well as sparklers, than the other areas of the country that do not serve seafood as their main dishes. Even in Florida where we have a lot of seafood, we still also serve a lot of meat and keep the heavier reds as a larger variety on our menus. What a refreshing selection of wines to be paired with Boston’s fresh seafood dishes!

You really didn’t think I was only going to drink beer while in Boston, did you?

Tell me what you would pair with your seafood dishes! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 39: When in Boston…

Blog 39 When in Boston…

This week, I am in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. Yes, it is cold compared to my home state of Florida. The Boston Wine Festival is taking place at the Boston Harbor Hotel. It started in January and ends in April of 2010. The nation’s longest running food and wine pairing series. Some of the wine owners that are showcasing their wines this week in the festival are Alex Gambal, Truchard Vineyards, and Arrowood Vineyards & Winery. Tickets are in the $100 and $200 dollar range and consist of the wine and food pairing as well as the winery owners themselves in attendance.

Little did I know that they have about 30 wineries in the surrounding area of Boston? Some specialize in blueberry wines and they have some hard core cider makers. There is even one winery called the Boston Winery where you can go to make your own wine. You can start by helping out with the crush and end up with the bottling of the wine.

Boston is known for their sports and beer. The Boston Celtics for basketball, the Boston Bruins for hockey, the Boston Red Sox for baseball, and the New England Patriots for football.

When you talk about beer, you are talking about Boston. Harpoon Brewery is a Boston original which has been opened since 1986. It is New England’s largest craft brewery. They brew Harpoon, IPA, UFO Hefeweizen and their variety of brewery-fresh beers.

When you order a beer in Boston, it is best to order on draught where your choices will be plentiful. If you order by the bottle, you may end up with typical Anheuser-Busch and Miller products; however, they do have a nice Sam Adams Light in the bottle. Samuel Adams originated in Boston in 1985 by first selling beer door-to-door to about 25 restaurants. They finally purchased a building and built a brewery in 1988. Their microbrew or craft beer consists of Boston Ale, Cream Stout, Double Bock, as well as a line of seasonal beers.

So, when in Boston, you may want to put your wine aside to try fresh microbrew ale.

Tell me if you love beer! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 38: How did America devastate the European wine industry?

Blog 38 How did America devastate the European wine industry?
In the Xplorador wine video, the 3 Wine Girls wanted to extend their apologies for something that happened way back in the late 1850’s. America caused an unintentional devastation to the wine industry in France and throughout Europe.

Phylloxera is a louse that lives on different parts of the vine. It will also live on the root system, and sucks the sap from the roots. Its waste is distributed back into the roots of the vine. This is poison, and causes the vine to die within a few years.

In the late 1850’s, vines from the United States were shipped to France with our insects on the vines. No one was aware that these insects were on a free voyage to a new land to spread their deadly blight onto the vines across Europe. They would devastate and destroy when placed in French soil.

Phylloxera had already run its course in America, and the vines in America eventually developed immunity to the insects. Many of the grape growers throughout Europe had to graft their vines onto the United States rootstock as a solution. This was a devastation that took years to get over.

The 3 Wine Girls would be more than happy to extend their apologies by being invited to any vineyard across the world. They would like to extend their deepest United States apology for the unintentional universal devastation caused by our lousy insects.

Tell me why you love wine? I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 37: For the love of wine. What makes you love wine?

Blog 37: For the love of wine.
There are certain things that I think about when I think of wine. I think of the wineries that I have visited and the ones that I have yet to visit. I think of the friends that I shared a bottle of wine with. I think of the good memories that I have had when I drink a glass of wine that reminds me of something. It brings me back to the last time that I tasted or smelled a wine like that. I think about what went in to making this particular glass of wine. I think of how many hands it must have gone through to turn these grapes into such a great tasting beverage. And, I think of the passion and hard work that was put into making this glass of wine different than any other.

What makes you love wine?

For me, it is:

Fresh air
Bud break
Rolling vineyards
Bunches of grape varietals
The smell of French oak barrels
The aroma of the wine as you breathe it in
The taste of the wine and the texture once it hits your mouth
The friends that you meet and enjoy while tasting your wine
No two wines are the same
There are so many choices

Tell me why you love wine? I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

Xplorador Winery Tasting Part 1 & Part 2

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 36 Tasting Xplorador Wine Part 2

Blog 36: Tasting Xplorador Wine Part 2 with the 3 Wine Girls Alma, Veronica & Lindsay

The 3 Wine Girls ventured out to talk about Xplorador wines. We tasted a Malbec from Argentina, and a Carmenere and a Merlot from Chile. In the Xplorador Wine video Part 1, the 3 Wine Girls gave the Malbec a 3 thumbs up and Veronica rated it with 92 points on her rating scale for tastability. We also gave it five stars and five diamonds for whichever rating scale you go by. Lindsay stated that she likes diamonds.

3 out of 3 Wine Girls recommend Xplorador Malbec!

The 3 Wine Girls then tried the Merlot which had a deep, red color to it. The aromas noted were earthy (good earthy), soil, green pepper, rose, spicy and a vegetal smell. The taste had a kick to it with soft tannins, but was not as smooth as the Malbec.

The 3 Wine Girls went on to taste the Carmenere. The color of crimson. The aromas noted were soil and earth, but not as earthy as the Merlot, some spice, cherry and vanilla. The finish lingers in your mouth pleasantly. Lindsay also smelled a soapy (good soapy) smell to it and Gardenias. Veronica felt it was velvety in the mouth with a silky feeling. Alma felt the Malbec had a silkier feel to it. We then tasted some plums and chocolate on the finish.

Carmenere was fantastic. It had a big color and a big taste. It might end up climbing like the Malbec did as it becomes known again throughout the world.
Xplorador makes affordable wines that produce results! We clapped and we liked it!

Veronica wanted to know where Tito (the winemaker) was. She then spoke some Spanish. She wanted Tito’s autograph for making some incredible in-demand wines. You can purchase all three wines for under $20 and have something that you want to serve to your company. Veronica gave the Merlot 89 points and the Carmenere 92 points on her point scale. The Carmenere is a gem and can’t be produced by many others. Alma gave the Malbec and the Carmenere 95 points on her point scale.

Xplorador is one of the best values in wine right now! The 3 Wine Girls felt that the quality in the making of these wines was just perfect.

3 out of 3 Wine Girls recommend it.

Xplorador is Wine Girl approved!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 35 Tasting Xplorador Wine Part 1

Blog 35: Tasting Xplorador Wine Part 1 with the 3 Wine Girls Alma, Veronica & Lindsay


The 3 Wine Girls ventured out to talk about Xplorador wines. We tasted a Malbec from Argentina. Malbec is the main grape varietal of Argentina. You can find Malbec in California, France and throughout the world. We tried a Merlot made in Chile. Merlot is a universal grape. We also tasted a Carmenere which is a varietal from Chile.


Carmenere was originally a known varietal from France over 100 years ago. Phylloxera was the fault of the United States. We pretty much spread it throughout the world. It killed off the Carmenere grape in France. However, in Chile, in the 1990’s they found a grape that they thought was Merlot, it happened to be the long lost Carmenere. If you look at the leaves of the Merlot and the Carmenere, they are different. The underside of the Merlot leaf is white, and the underside of the Carmenere is a reddish-orangish color.


Carmenere was a little bit of a struggle to grow for France because of the colder weather, the weather in Chile improved the quality of the Carmenere grapes. They thrived on a bit of warmer weather. The Merlot and the Camenere grape also peaked at different times; they ripened about a month apart. Chile was calling the Carmenere grape the Merlot Select.

We then started the tasting, finally, we determined that the bottles were opened and aired prior to drinking. We swirled and smelled. We determined that it smelled pretty and had a great nose. We immediately smelled cherry or black cherry, vanilla and a tobacco scent.

The 3 Wine Girls tasted some red fruit with a very silky feeling to it. It had some spice in it too, like pepper and a little oak. It was also juicy and smooth. We love, love, love the Malbec. Veronica thought it was tweetable. Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina is assured to be smooth, silky, inexpensive and good. Argentina is the pro on Malbec. This $6.50 bottle can stand up to many $30-$50 bottles of California Malbec.

The color is deep plum-berry with lots of fruit. You smell everything that happened in the making of this wine. I don’t think that Alma accidently poured an exceptionally huge glass of the Xplorador Malbec. She knew exactly what she was doing. She is no dummy. After filming, she did drink the entire glass.

I rated this wine with 92 points, even though many others may not agree with me on a $6.50 glass of wine, but for my taste buds, it gets the points. Smooth and silky with a smooth finish that brings out just the right flavor in your mouth. Xplorador makes a great Malbec! Now, will the Carmenere and Merlot pass the 3 Wine Girls test!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 34 Robertson Winery Pinotage vs. Cabernet Sauvignon Part 2

34. Robertson Winery Pinotage vs. Cabernet Sauvignon Part 2

We tasted the 2008 Robertson Pinotage from South Africa and thought it tasted mmm mmm good. We then tasted the 2008 Robertson Cabernet Sauvignon. I wanted to compare it to the 2007 that I had a few days before.

Alma jump-started the tasting. She felt that wine C, the Cab, had a smoky and spicy nose. Veronica felt it smelled like cassis. Alma felt the taste was good, smooth and silky on the tongue, and barely medium-bodied like skim milk or 1 per cent. Lindsay and Veronica felt that it was heavier than the Pinotage. It had a lighter texture. The colors for both wines are see-through plum. The taste to Veronica was plumy and berry.

Alma and Lindsay felt that they would like the Pinotage with a steak and cracked pepper. Lindsay felt the Pinotage also would be good with a smoked sausage or pork. Veronica loved the nose on the Pinotage. She felt the Cabernet Sauvignon had a heavier nose, taste and mouthfeel. Alma felt that both were good and it depended on the occasion, but she liked the spices in the Cabernet.

Lindsay thought that the Pinotage had a unique nose. I told her that our viewers wanted to know what we meant by unique and distinct. We are used to our United States wines and our California wines. The nose is different on the South African wines. They have more smoky and toasty notes that we are not used too. The chocolate and plum taste has flair to it. The color is also different, when we have a heavy Cab, our Cab is very heavy and very dark. They are just big.

Veronica can tell the difference between the 2007 and the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from Robertson. The 2007 is better. Veronica would not bring it in to share with the group, because it is her favorite and she is stingy. (We all know that I am Veronica.)


Veronica liked the Pinotage better and Alma and Lindsay liked the Cab better for an everyday choice. The Three Wine Girls then said “Cheers!”


We decided that we were not done with the video and we started talking even more. Then, Ryan (“the guy” behind the camera) snuck in when the girls left and stated, “for the record, I was saying ‘pin-oh-tauge’ the whole time, not ‘pinot-tauge’!” The nerve of him!

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 33 Robertson Winery Tasting: Pinotage vs. Cabernet Sauvignon Part 1

33. Robertson Winery Tasting: Pinotage vs. Cabernet Sauvignon Part 1

The Three Wine Girls are ready to taste some more wine. You can view the video Part 1to go with Blog 33 and video Part 2 to go with Blog 34. Pinotage is not pronounced “pinot-tauge,” it is pronounced “pin-oh-tauge,” according to a good friend of mine. Here in America, we don’t say anything right. Spain should really be Espana and Italy should really be Italia. Being American, it is hard to pronounce other country names. So, we have officially decided to pronounce it correctly, hopefully we have it right this time.



Our tasting consisted of the Pinotage and the Cabernet Sauvignon. Both wines are vintage 2008, from Robertson Winery in South Africa. Both bottles were about $9.99 each and are drink now wines. The Pinotage is made using Pinot Noir and Cinsaut. Cinsaut is pronounced “sin-sew” in South African and in France, the spelling is Cinsault and the pronunciation is “san-sew”. Cinsaut and Pinot Noir used to be called Hermitage in South Africa but it is now known in South Africa as Pinotage.

We did not do a blind tasting this time. We compared the B wine, which was the Pinotage, to the C wine, which was the Cabernet Sauvignon to see which one we like better. The night before the tasting, I had a Cabernet Sauvignon from Robertson Winery that was a 2007. I don’t know if wine critics want to hit me over the head for loving it so much, or if it’s a brilliant choice. I think that the wine is affordable and one of my favorites. The 2007 Robertson did not have a twist cap like the 2008. The Three Wine Girls feel that it is nostalgic to have a cork. It’s a ceremony! What is the world thinking with the twist cap? It is fun to try to find a bottle opener in the middle of the night.

Lindsay started the tasting with wine B first, the lighter wine, the Pinotage. We got some air in our glasses by swirling glass B around, looking for color and clarity. We then held it up to the light with our white background. We felt the color of wine B looked like a plum. Alma felt it was not that thin. She liked the smell and felt it was not that strong. She really liked the nose on it and felt it was smoky. Veronica noted that it had toasty oak and a great smell. She also smelled banana, chocolate and coffee and it tasted that way too. Alma felt it had the perfect amount of sweaty man. It tasted pretty light, medium bodied with soft tannins. It was not bitey, it tasted plumy and was pretty good with a nice mild finish. It also lingers a little bit.

I like to look at my fingers through the wines by putting my fingers behind the glass to see the weight of the wine. If you can see your fingers through the wine, it may not be very heavy. The Cabernet Sauvignon and the Pinotage were not heavy because we could see our fingers through the wine in the glass. We have those darker colors in many of our California Cabs including dark, rich, deep reds and heavy oak with spice.

We felt the pin-o-tauge was…mmmm…very good! Part 2 is the next blog where we will taste the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica