Red, Rosé, White

June 2020 Wines

July 1, 2020

June has been a whirlwind of a month. Restrictions have been lifting on stay-at-home orders, and then almost immediately they were being put back in place as virus cases shot up. There is a lot of discord related to the wearing and not wearing of masks. People are making a real effort and showing up for the Black Lives Matter movement. June also marks the summer solstice as well as National Rosé Day. My husband ran a 100-mile race in less than 24 hours, and I tried three different Rosés. We’ve got some different priorities. Haha! Browne Family Vineyards 2018…

Red, Rosé, White

May 2020 Wines

June 3, 2020

Another month has gone by. I think people are finally settling into this quarantine/social distancing zone. I’ve started seeing many more people observing the distancing rules and wearing masks when in public. As summer creeps in though, it’s starting to feel like more of a loss. The weather is nice and there’s an increased feeling of the need to be outside and around others. It’s a good thing there is good wine to distract us with! I’m hoping most everyone has a place they can enjoy the outdoors though. Kirkland Signature 2019 Rosé – Rating 4/5 This wine was from…

Red, Sparkling, White

April 2020 Wines

May 6, 2020

April seems to have flown by, but at the same time lasted forever. It’s all a bit of a blur at this point in these quarantimes. I’m thankful that my wine clubs are still shipping, the temperature is getting warmer, and the sunshine is lasting longer. I also don’t mind my social media feeds being filled with photos of bread baking. I hope everyone is still staying safe and sane in these wild times. Dom Perignon 2008 – Rating 5/5 This wine was from Champagne, France and sampled on April 3, 2020. This celebratory bottle was a gift from my…

Red, White

March 2020 Wines

April 15, 2020

Well, I thought February was a long month, but now it seems like a distant dream. March has been absolutely unprecedented. COVID-19 is rapidly changing the world as we know it. Everyone is now practicing social distancing and working from home when possible. As someone who already worked from home, I haven’t had as much of a transition as most people. I’m very thankful for that. However, as a usual work-from-homer, I fully encourage the wearing sweatpants daily as well as picking up a new hobby. I suggest wine tasting! Silicon Valley Wine Co. 2017 ONESandZEROS Red – Rating 4.5/5…

Red, White

February 2020 Wines

March 4, 2020

I know February claims to be the shortest of months, but to me it always feels like one of the longest. At least that groundhog finally told us that Spring would be coming early! I cannot remember the last time that happened. Fortunately, I had a few wines to help me make it through the month! Vinaccio Rosso (Tim Manning) Non-Vintage Nerello Mascalese – Rating 1/5 This wine was from Sicily, Italy and sampled on February 5, 2020. I haven’t had many Italian wines, but I regularly hear good things, so this one interested me quite a bit. I was…

White

Chateau Ste. Michelle Viognier

Chateau Ste. Michelle Viognier paired with Holiday Leftovers
January 8, 2020

It’s a new year and with that comes new wine! This is an out-of-the-box week with a white wine from the new wine club my husband joined, Chateau Ste. Michelle. My husband is a HUGE fan of sparkling wines. He really loves the Luxe Brut they make at Chateau Ste. Michelle. It’s the wine that sold him on joining his first wine club. He has also made a resolution this year to try a new sparkling wine every week. That’s right! That means I get to try 52 sparkling wines this year! Needless to say, I’m super pumped! Chateau Ste.…

Red

Hightower Merlot

Hightower Merlot paired with Brisket & Duck Fat Potatoes
November 20, 2019

The days are ending very early on this side of the world right now. It was time to start thinking about adding a little bit of winter weight. I generally stick to sweet potatoes when cooking at home, but I was accidently delivered some regular white potatoes this week. However, this worked out perfectly as I still had plenty of duck fat left in the fridge from the duck I roasted a few weeks earlier. I let my husband choose the wine this time and then I set to work. My husband chose a Merlot from the wine fridge to…

Red

Barnard Griffin Mammoth III

Barnard Griffin Mammoth III paired with New York Strip Steak and Sweet Potato Fries
October 30, 2019

This week’s wine marks a very significant happening for me. The journal that I purchased to log my wine tastings is now officially complete. This wine marks the final entry in that journal and completes a journey that began almost two years ago. I’ve learned quite a bit since I originally bought the journal. I know the difference between Syrah and Petite Syrah. I know never to scoff at a wine blend. I know that Rosé is more than just summer water.  My journey won’t be ending here though. I’ve already purchased a new wine journal from Wine Folly, an…

Red

Barnard Griffin Cabernet Sauvignon

Barnard Griffin Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Pancetta Deli Sandwiches
September 25, 2019

You can really tell the seasons are changing when one week you’re reviewing Rosé, the next week it’s Sauvignon Blanc, and the next it’s Cabernet Sauvignon. This Cab is another out of the box one from our wine club with Barnard Griffin. This marked one of the first nights that it actually felt a bit chilly. It was rainy most of the day and by the evening; we were just looking forward to some comfort food. Luckily, we had some Pancetta and my husband felt like frying it up. Cabernet Sauvignon feels like a comfortable old stand-by at this point,…

Red

Barnard Griffin Merlot

Barnard Griffin Merlot paired with Steak, Sweet Potato Fries, and Parmesan Green Beans
May 29, 2019

With visitors in town and steak on the menu, I knew it was time to pull out a specialty wine for the night. Fortunately, my Barnard Griffin shipment had just arrived, so I reached for the 2015 Merlot that we had tried while on our visit to the winery in March 2019 and knew that it would be the perfect night for it. Cody and I visited the Barnard Griffin vineyard while we were in Richland, Washington, for his Badger Mountain 50 mile run. After his race on Friday, we went winery hopping on Saturday and Sunday and we absolutely…