It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

     “Wine is bottled poetry.”

- Robert Louis Stevenson

     That's right, in the world of wine, winter season is my favorite. In the past, I attempted to convert my palate to the healthy alternative (compared to white/blush wine) of red wine, during the winter months. Why you ask? For me, it was a personal preference to ensure that I would give the reds a valiant effort in the most dormant time of the year; today, I gladly sip on reds, especially in the winter time because I have grown to appreciate them. Perhaps it is the cold of the winter that encourages me to grab a room-tempertature bottle instead of a chilled white, but whatever the reason, I save the reds for the cold.

     Since I have not written in a while, and am on the verge of 2,000 views (yay!), I decided to dedicate an educational post to a new red, a 2009 Bordeaux Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Chateau Bonnet (thanks, Brian! :)) *Side note, for those interested: Bordeaux is pronounced as if you were saying, "bore-dough"*. This wine was juicy, with a bit of earth, and a simple finish. We paired it with Monterey jack cheese (I recommend) and a good movie. In my opinion, this wine is one for hosting or gift-giving, as was the way I received it: as a gift. Immediately upon getting the wine, I exclaimed, "2009 is a great year for Bordeaux, right?!" After consulting my favorite pocket wine book, it was confirmed- 2009 is indeed a great year for Bordeauxs. "What is a Bordeaux?" you may ask. A Bordeaux is a wine from the Bordeaux region of France, known for its unusual wines created by blending different grapes (hence the 50%-50% mix of this). I personally love red blends, because blending helps smooth out the overpowering flavor of a singular wine. 

     Fun fact for all those red-wine loving, health nuts: according to a Purdue University study, "piceatannol, found in red wine, grapes and other fruits, and similar in structure to resveratrol, is able to block cellular processes that allow fat cells to develop, opening a door to a potential method to control obesity" (See the full article here). While the health benefits of red wine continue to pop up, it is always important to drink in moderation (e.g. no more than a 1/3 glass of wine). 

Source: http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/12/chateau-bonnet-reserve-bordeaux-rouge.html

     For this wine, we listened to Pandora, "Zero 7" playlist, a classic. A favorite of mine to listen to while drinking this wine? Breathe Me by Sia.

Happy wine Tuesday! 

Starry Night Never Fails

     I am usually not a big fan of Pinot Grigio; I am  Sauvignon Blanc kind-of-girl. However, I am also a BIG fan of art, so when a bottle label strikes my eye, my grape varietal loyalty goes right out the door. This has gotten me in trouble before, but this time my love for art made me stumble upon, what I consider, the best Pinot I have ever had.

     Those that know me well, know that I love Vincent Van Gogh's work. Starry Night, in my world, is one of the most simplistically incredible pieces of artwork of all time. So, you can imagine that any sort of decoration, label, painting, chair, shoe, that represents or looks anything close to Starry night will catch my eye. This is the case with Bella Serra Pinot Grigio. The label paints a beautiful picture of an Italian Chateau at night time, inviting the drinker-to-be to romanticize a situation in which we are somewhere in Italy, drinking a luscious glass of Pinot, while admiring the moonlit rolling hills around us. Oh, the powers of art.

So how was the wine? Simply put, I loved it. It was crisp and clean, not tangy at all (like some Pinots I have had) and paired exceptionally well with the chicken dinner we had. The wine had soft notes of pear and lemon and an easy finish. How would I summarize this wine? It is a great date wine (take notes, men). The bottle was only $12 and was accompanied with a beautiful, starry night-esk label. What more could a girl ask for?

Since I was such a big fan of this wine, I had to pair it with one of my favorite artists, Wax Tailor. "Que Sera" is a uniquely awesome, perfect song to pair with Bella Serra Pinot. They both require an artistic appreciation, which is probably why I love them both.

Weird Bottle = Weird Wine

    "Where's your will to be weird?"

-Jim Morrison

     I have a thing for saving wine bottles. Not all of them of course, but ones that I can reuse for decorations or crafts. If I had a Pinterest, I think mine would consist mainly of wine, crafts, wedding decor, and knitting. Wait. Isn't that what almost every woman's Pinterest is comprised of?

    Needless to say, I sometimes take the aesthetic appeal of the wine bottle into consideration when I make a purchase. Bad idea. I recently went shopping and ended up purchasing wine, wool socks, and a rose plant; random, but I digress. The wine bottle (Italian Bottarro Red Table Wine) is what caught my attention- a perfect, vintage-looking, candle holder for my kitchen table. I was, well, inspired. The wine however, now that is a different story...

    Tasting notes: Not a favorite. In fact, I would give it a 2 or 3 out of 10. This wine was very young (despite the dust all over the bottle), very acidic, and had a terrible finish. I was not even able to finish my glass. I am assuming the nose was supposed to smell like red fruit, but I just got a whiff of rubbing alcohol. Maybe if it were bottled for another 2-5 years it would not taste so much like pure alcohol. I would probably not buy again...unless I need another candle holder.

     But there's good news! Even though the wine wasn't amazing, it appears that I may have made a good investment, considering I paid $8 and the empty bottle is being sold on Ebay for $11 + shipping. Oh, the things we do for unique wine bottles. I also have paired this wine with a great song, which is always good news.


Hue: Red
Tune:  Ungodly Fruit- Wax Tailor (because a wine this bad needs a good song).

When Wine Gives You Lemons...

Before I begin my pairing, I thought it would be fun to share an interesting medical finding, because, who doesn't want to hear that drinking wine is good for their health?

"Individuals with the habit of daily moderate wine consumption enjoy significant reductions in all-cause and particularly cardiovascular mortality when compared with individuals who abstain or who drink alcohol to excess" (German, 2000). 

This statement, along with the numerous other articles I have stumbled across, is music to my ears. Not only do I enjoy my 1/3 glass of wine almost every night because it is delicious, I drink it because of the multitude of health benefits associated with it (primarily red wine). Speaking of red wine, I feel that my journey since last February in hopes to become a regular red wine drinker have succeeded- I now grab the red bottle over the white 9 times out of 10. 

This news, along with the fun adventure of trying new flavors, has led me to my next wine, a 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (my favorite white). The wine's name is what grabbed my attention, mainly because I collect sea glass from every place I have visited near water. From France to Virginia Beach, I have a heaping pile of sea glass. To no surprise, the wine's name is Sea Glass and is produced out of Santa Barbara, CA. I was immediately intrigued and decided to purchase.

The taste of this was good- not great. For a Sauv. Blanc, it was somewhat harsh on the finish and a little too lemon-y. I like the citrus flavor the be an undertone but this was very pronounced. I found myself having to eat dinner along side this wine- definitely not one to sip on alone, at least for me. If acidity is your "thing" and you enjoy a tart finish, this wine is for you. 

What did I learn from this wine adventure? Definitely do not judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a wine by its label. 

Price: $10 (Sam's Club)
Tune: Sour Times by Portishead (this may be one of my BEST pairs of wine and a tune; I love Portishead. the vibe and melody of this song are perfect for this wine, not to mention the title is spot on).