Feb 19
For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out how to get my Great Wine Source image at the top of my blog. I’m not familiar with PHP and so didn’t want to change the actual PHP templates.
Well, I took a chance and it worked!! I’m so excited. Now, I think I can actually finalize my store this weekend!
WordPress is pretty fantastic, and the best part of all …. it’s free!
Feb 17
It’s been a few days since I’ve posted, and I don’t want to neglect my blog (I am very busy!!), so I thought I’d post a really quick update.
I love being able to help others. One of the big benefits of having a team is that I get to coach my team members. I just got off a coaching call and am so excited every time I get to help one of them. I get to help them identify what is important to them and recognize what they want out of our business. It sounds selfish, but I get as much enjoyment out of watching them succeed as they do.
I have a team member who is getting restarted in the wine business. She’s going to “relaunch” herself in the beginning of March and we were brainstorming on ways that she can generate business and interest. It’s so great to hear the ideas! I’m so excited to see her grow.
That’s what is so great about the wine business! We get to drink wine! It doesn’t get much better than that! (Can I use more exclamation points? Probably!!)
Ok, I have to admit that as a wine consultant working with a Napa Valley winery, I have primarily focused on drinking our wines, only occasionally expanding my palette into the ever increasing world of luscious wines. That’s about to change. As a wine consultant, I feel it is my responsibility to know about many different wines, so I can truly compare and contrast and know what the right wine is for the right occasion and food and be able to recommend the right wine to my clients.
I’ve posted in other blogs about a few wines I’ve sampled and enjoyed. I have been receiving Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast magazine for quite some time and so it is my duty now to focus on finding and sampling the reasonably priced wines listed in the magazine and help educate you about those wines; whether they meet the mark for my unsophisticated palette and based on my experience what I think my readers and tasting guests would enjoy.
I often receive recommendations from my tasting guests and because all my tasting guests are so much fun and great people, I want to learn from them as well. One of my guests the other night recommended 7 Deadly Zins, and since I had not yet tried it, I went out and purchased a bottle.
Zinfandel is one of my favorite wines; I love the complexity along with the spicy finish. Last night I opened a bottle of 7 Deadly Zins. I found it rated on wine.com as a 90, but in searching through my Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast mags, can’t find it listed.
The first thing I noticed with this wine when I opened and poured it is the abundance of smoky aromas (almost like bacon). According to the winemaker, it is aged completely in American oak, loaded with berry fruit, pepper, spice, and earth characteristics.
When a wine is aged in oak, it pulls in many of the oak characteristics of the barrel, and this wine is no exception. It was highly aromatic, very interesting, and although the nose was strong and smoky, the flavors were somewhat more balanced, although a smoky flavor was still very apparent. I did find it lacking in the strong spiciness that is so wonderful about Zinfandels. It was a smooth wine, not overly tannic, and very drinkable.
Overall, the wine was very good, and on my rating scale, I’d rate it an 87.
Last night, my wine group had an event at Bogart’s again. Great wine bar by the way; definitely be sure to give it a try if you have not yet had the chance!
We did a flight of reds, and along with an Old Vine Zinfandel, Shiraz and Cashmere, I tried a Leese-Fitch Merlot (can’t remember if it was 2006 or 2007). Now, if you’ve read my blogs or we’ve chatted, you know I’m a fan of red wines — all reds. Most of the time, I’ll select a Cabernet and possibly an Old Vine Zinfandel depending on my mood. In other words, I would rarely choose Merlot for a glass, even though I do enjoy it occasionally. However, Deb at Bogart’s gave such high reviews to the Leese-Fitch, I had to try it.
I WAS AMAZED! It was fantastic! Just the right amount of tannin to give it perfect structure, and it was so smooth and fruit forward that it left me singing its praises and wanting more! This wine was sensual, with a fabulous velvety mouthfeel and deep, berry flavors with hints of cocoa. Merlot may not be my first choice in most situations, but I am definitely going to have to make a point to see if I can find this fabulous wine at a local wine store, or I’ll just keep stopping back at Bogart’s and enjoy a glass with Deb — always a good time. YUM!
The wine of the day today is a wine, and not simply a grape that is made into wine.
Meritage wines are blends crafted from Bordeaux grape varieties considered the best of the vintage. Meritage, pronounced like heritage, is a combination of the words “merit” for the grape quality and “heritage” recognizing old world blending traditions. Meritage wines are growing in popularity, recognizing for its cellaring potential, yet enjoyable in youth.
A Red Meritage is a blend of two or more of the red “noble” Bordeaux varieties — Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, St. Macaire, Gros Verdot and Carmenère. Red Meritage flavors and aromas will vary depending on the grapes used in the blend, but it is a highly rated wine, with favorable smooth texture and complex structure.
A White Meritage is a blend of two of three specific white “noble” varieties — Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon or Muscadelle du Bordelais. White Meritage flavors and aromas will lean toward honey and lemon grass, but can vary as well and contrary to many other whites that do not have aging potential, White Meritage wines can benefit from cellaring, adding dimension with age.
If the blend includes any other grape variety other than those identified, it is not a Meritage, and to qualify as a Meritage, no single grape variety can make up more than 90% of the blend.
Pair your Red Meritage with equally robust and rich foods: prime rib, Stilton Cheese, and Farmhouse Cheddar. Pair your White Meritage with lighter fare such as fresh seafood and poultry.
I do love a good blend; bringing out the beautiful notes, flavors, characteristics of each of the wines. Hmmm, I’m thirsty!
