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Pairings October 28, 2011

Texas-Style Chili Paired with Huguenot Cuvee de Rouge, Santa Ynez – California.

This last Monday, I had the privilege to attend my first ever Monday night football game! Suffice to say it was probably the most American thing I’ve done all year! For the first time since I’ve been living in Jacksonville, the Mrs and I decided to take a big leap of faith, and become season ticket holders for the Jacksonville Jaguar’s (whom I still insist on pronouncing JAG-U-AHHHS). I can’t say why I thought season…

Reviews October 22, 2011

Veramonte “Primus” Red Wine Blend from Colchagua, Chile.

Grapes 65% Cabernet, 20% Syrah, 8% Merlot, 7% Carmenere Facts In 1960, a relatively unknown gentleman by the name of Agustin Huneeus burst onto the Chilean wine-scene. He purchased part of the Concha y Toro winery operation, became the winery’s CEO, and is credited with turning it into the largest wine producers in the country. By the 70’s however, things in Chile had gotten kind of crazy! Pinochet had overthrown the Government, and Agustin…

Reviews October 13, 2011

Can Blau 2008 from Montsant, Spain.

Grapes Mazuelo 40%, Syrah 40% Garnacha 20% Facts I’ve been on a bit of a Jorge Ordonez (the importer of this wine) kick lately! As the “bringer-inner” (I just made up that term) of some of the best Spanish wines in the U.S, he’s been fighting to help the wines of Spain wines out of obscurity since 1987. When looking at a bottle of Spanish wine, look for the Jorge Ordoñez importer information on the…

News September 12, 2011

A Tour of the Languedoc

Pick up any wine book, and flip to the page on the Southern Languedoc region of France. More often than not, the term “wine lake” or “ocean of vines” will be used, usually within the first set of paragraphs. No-doubt, the Languedoc certainly has some marketing challenges on its hands! With wine history in the region dating back to Roman times, the Languedoc has had plenty of time to practice the art of winemaking. However,…

Reviews August 11, 2011

Dante Robino Syrah, Mendoza, Argentina

Grape 100% Syrah Facts In France, Syrah dominates the Rhone region where it’s often blended with small amounts of Viognier (a white grape) in order to add “aromatic complexity”, and mellow the wines out a little. Dante Robino was born in Canelli in the Piedmont region of North-West Italy in 1885. After learning the art of turning grapes into wine, he emigrated to Argentina, starting his own winery in 1920. …

Reviews June 30, 2011

Orin Swift The Prisoner 2009 Review

Grapes 51% Zinfandel, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah, 7% Petite Sirah, 3% Charbono, 1% Grenache, 1% Malbec, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree. Facts The label for The Prisoner was work of Spanish artist Francisco Goya. For the 2009 vintage, the debut tasting apparently took place at a prison location in San Francisco’s Presidio military base near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Reviews June 5, 2011

Layer Cake Shiraz, South Australia 2009

Grapes 100% Shiraz Facts The popularity of Layer Cake really seems to have exploded over the last couple of years, and why wouldn’t it!?!? There’s picture of a delicious looking cake on the front label! People are suckers for good-looking wine labels (myself included). Layer Cake is a winemaking venture from Jayson Woodbridge (no connection to Woodbridge wine), who first first came onto the radar in 1998, with a little-known wine called Hundred Acre. He…

News June 3, 2011

Gary Vaynerchuk’s Daily Grape Feature – Azur, Rose Syrah, California 2009

This post is another feature from Gary Vaynerchuk’s Daily Grape wine newsletter. 2009 Azur Rose Syrah, California Varietal: 90% Syrah, 10% Semillon Gary’s explanation of the wine: With spring in full-effect, it’s getting to be rosé season. Ladies, this will go great with all those outfits. And guys, don’t be afraid of the pink stuff! On a more serious note, there’s so much more out there than just that sweet, White Zin your Grandma used…

Funny April 6, 2011

I think the guy who made the label had been sampling the product…

Reviews March 9, 2011

Hedges C.M.S, Columbia Valley – Washington State, 2008

Grapes 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet, 6% Syrah Facts The name C.M.S. comes from the blend of grapes they use i.e. Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah. This makes sense considering they are the leading the grapes in the Columbia Valley region. The Hedges estate also make a white blend of Chardonnay, Marsanne, Sauvignon Blanc. The CMS has been made since 1987, and is recognized as one of the big value-driven wines coming out of Washington State.

Pairings December 22, 2010

Braised Duck with Pinot Noir, Cherry Tomatoes and Grapes Paired with Landmark Vineyards Grand Detour Pinot Noir 2008

I can’t remember the last time I had duck. I know it must have been at a restaurant, but it’s been a while. Anyways duck is my favorite bird, to eat at least… This was a very cool recipe that I found for Braised Duck with Pinot Noir, Cherry Tomatoes and Grapes. It actually requires a whole bottle of Pinot Noir poured over the duck into a casserole dish ,and then braised in the oven….

Facts December 21, 2010

A Few Facts About Syrah / Shiraz…

Syrah / Shiraz is a dark black grape with a very thick skin, and depending on the soil and climate the flavors and tones will change greatly, creating distinct wines between their regions of origin. It’s worth noting that the vast majority of the world’s plantings of Syrah are located in France, primarily in the Rhone region which extensive DNA testing concluded is where the grape originated. Syrah and Shiraz are used interchangeably around the…