2 Year Anniversary - Cabernet Sauvignon

So, I have to apologize for not posting anything in MONTHS.  I really have no good excuse so I won't bother making one up.  I'm going to make a concerted effort to do a better job posting regularly, even if I have nothing good to say.  Yeah, you're excited about that one, eh?

This month we got together to taste Cabernet Sauvignon from either California or Australia, hoping to learn the real role of terroir on the flavor of the same varietal.

I'll have more details about the wines soon, but overall we decided that California Cab Sauv's are significantly more dry and tannic than those from Australia.  Not in a bad way, just a noticeable way.

We had a great food spread:
Date, Walnut and Blue Cheese Ball
Cauliflower "Caviar" with Frizzled Proscuitto
Caprese Salad Skewers
Mini-Quiches (cheese, spinach, and mushroom)
Tzatziki dip with carrots and celery
Baguette slices

Cheeses: Aged Gouda, Aged Cheddar, and a Cave-aged Blue

Desserts: Chocolate Cake from Modern Pastry and chocolate fondue with pineapples, strawberries and blueberries

I'm more than a little ashamed that I remember more about the food than the wine... OH THE HORROR!

Boston Wine Week

I just heard about this awesome event going on Sept. 20-26th..... Boston Wine Week!  According to the website:

"The first annual Boston Wine Week kicks off a week-long celebration of handcrafted wines by winemakers and growers from around the world, served by the glass or bottle at some of Boston’s top restaurants. Proving that great wine doesn’t have to be a great expense, all wines (some of which retail up to $90/bottle) will be offered at $9/glass and $32/bottle.  Participating restaurants will offer a minimum of six wines, available at a substantial discount."

How cool does that sound???

Here's a list of some of the participating restaurants:

WHO'S WITH ME???? 

c'mon, you know you want to.....

Blind Taste Test

This month we did a "Blind Taste Test" where we all brought wine and Lindsay organized them, put them in paper bags, and assigned each wine a letter, A-G.  We each tried a few sips then rated them on appearance and taste, then tried to guess what the major flavor notes and aromas were.  Ultimately, we attempted to guess the wine.  This was much easier earlier in the night when our palates were fresh, but still, it was a great exercise.

Our scoring sheet, created by Lindsay

The Whites:

Most of the girls guessed the Sauvignon Blancs (Chateau Ste. Michelle & Harbor Town), and I'd like to believe it's because of our "Sexy Sauv's"-themed wine club meeting back in March.

The Riesling and Chardonnay were slightly trickier, but a couple girls were able to pick them out as well.

The Reds:

The reds were much more difficult for people to pick out, but I was pleasantly surprised that at least 3 girls guess the 2005 Campo Viejo Tempranillo correctly. Hilariously, I brought the Concannon Petite Sirah, which I've drank many many times before (see here), yet, I got this one wrong!  Too funny.

The Food:

Lindsay, Master of Ceremonies

Once the coals were nice and hot Lindsay cooked up some delicious veggie kabobs with goodies from her own garden, along with some jerk-marinated chicken.  We also had some delicious bread and dipping oil, a variety of cheeses (Gouda, Gorgonzola, Chevre, and Brie), and some tasty deviled eggs.  To finish things off, Katie made an awesome vegan chocolate pie. I had a great time this month and I think we all learned a lot!  I'd like to try and do more focused blind tastes tests throughout the year, as I'm sure they will improve our palates and force us to really think about the flavors and aromas that we sometimes take for granted. Good job Girls!  Next month.... Rose' tasting maybe?

Great Article on Wine Accessories

Ten @ 10: Wine stuff you don't need. Really.

Posted by Bill Daley

"A jug of wine, a loaf of bread – and thou," that old Persian poet Omar Khayyam had the right idea. You don't need a lot of fussing and fidgeting to throw a memorable party, whether for 200 or 2.
Wine drinkers out there could be forgiven for not knowing this considering the wide assortment of the oenological paraphernalia on the market. All promise to make you a better host, a more savvy connoisseur. Some of these devices and gadgets are handy and can make entertaining easier. But you can get along without them – even a corkscrew.

The Stew staff joined me in thinking up all the wine "thingies" aspiring hosts can live without. Really, you can.

1. Wine bucket. You can chill bottles in a large pitcher or vase, even a wok piled high with ice (the wok works particularly well with those fat bottles of sparkling wine).

.....Click to Continue Reading at The Stew!!!!

Wine Name Win

Just a little something to make you guys laugh.

Domaine St Peyre Syrah Rose

I keep hearing more and more about the return of the Rose'.  I hear it is the best summertime wine, and I should not compare it to other "pink" wines.  So, at my last trip to the Wine Press, I decided to pick up a bottle.

Saint-Peyre Syrah Rose (France) - good price, tart, not sweet at all, slight nose of strawberry jam and a great finish.  For my first Rose in as long as I can remember, this one was a fantastic starter.  It was a great beat-the-heat wine and with every sip I enjoyed it more and more.  Had this with dinner the other night and it was a great complement to my Gingered Risotto and Scallops.

I might be a convert....

Showdown: California vs Argentina

This month we kinda borrowed an idea from The Second Glass and did our own "Wine Showdown" pitting California versus Argentina in a Battle Royale.  We came, we drank, we judged, we drank, we drank some more, and more, and.....

....and it was awesome!

THE WHITES:

Round 1: Crios Torrantes (Arg) v. Dancing Bull Savignon Blanc (Cali)

Winner: Not a terribly close race, Argentina won 4-2

Round 2: Murphy-Goode Savignon Blanc (Cali) v Byron Chardonnay (Cali)
Unfortunately this is the only place where we didn't have an Argentinian wine to compete with the Californian... so we just compared the two anyway.

Winner: Not surprisingly, but California won :)  Specifically, the Byron Chardonnay!  See, Chard doesn't have to be feared.


THE REDS

Round 3: Llama Malbec (Arg) v Five Rivers Merlot (Cali)
Winner:  Argentina won with a score of 5-3.  Everyone just loves a Malbec.

Round 4: Domaine Jean Bousquet Cabernet Savignon (Arg) v 90+ Merlot (Cali)
Winner: In a similar battle, Argentina pulled through here with a score of 5-3

Hmm... This is a tough call to make, I'll have to think on it.  Should I include the food pairings in the decision?

THE FOOD

California-inspired salad of arugula, beets, walnuts, avocado & goat cheese in frico (Parmesan cheese cups), for recipe click here:

Hummus and chips
Antipasti (peppers, marinated artichokes, olives, etc)
Broccoli & Cheese bites
Asian Veggie Dumplings
Fruit (pineapple, strawberries, melon, etc)
Bread
Cheese (Queso Fresco, Manchego, and 2 others that I can't remember the names of....)

And for dessert, adorable little cupcakes:

All in all, it was a great night and I can say that after some deliberation, I'm ready to declare a winner:

ARGENTINA

Happy drinking!