The Wine Dinner

One of my favorite things in the world to do is to sit down to a good meal with good wine. If I’m being totally honest that is probably the one thing that I miss most about dating my ex-boyfriend. Enjoying good food was definitely a love that we shared. For the past year and a half it has not been something that I have done that often because I haven’t thought about it. There are no more “date nights” so my fine dining experiences have been few and far between.

So when I got the email from the Cobalt Grille announcing their August Wine Dinner, I said to myself, “Why not?”

My daughter asked me who I was going with and I told her no one and she raised an eyebrow. I had to explain to her that I will not stop doing the things that I love to do just because I have to do them alone. I felt the same way when I bought my house. At first I wondered if I could take on something so huge alone. And again I asked myself, “Why not?”

As I was leaving the house last night for the dinner my daughter says, “Maybe you’ll meet a nice eligible bachelor.” I just smiled. That’s not really how my life works. Eligible bachelors don’t seem to show up in the places where I like to go. Like $90 wine dinners.

When I arrived, what I already knew was confirmed. I was the only Black person there and maybe one of two people that were under the age of 55. Why is that?

Whatever. I still had a good time. I’ll do a full review over at Delicious! but here’s a brief overview:

If you’ve never been to a wine dinner it is exactly what the name implies. It’s an opportunity for a wine vendor to present wine and give suggestions on what to pair the wines with. We were presented a five course meal and each course came with a different wine. The plates were small but the glasses of wine were not. These were not tasting glasses, these were full pours. Could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. Out of the five wines I really loved one of them (syrah), and really didn’t like two of them (chardonnay and cab). The other two were pretty good (sauvignon blanc and zinfandel). I am not a chardonnay drinker because it's just too acidic for me, but I was amazed at how palatable it was when served with fish.

First course: Seared scallops - Sauvignon Blanc
Second course: Pan fried branzini – Chardonnay
Third course: Wild mushroom and goat cheese tart – Syrah
Main course: Roasted beef filet – Cabernet Sauvignon
Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake - Zinfandel

Score!!!

I wanted a glass of wine yesterday. Not just any wine. I wanted a glass of white wine. A clean, crisp, not-too-sweet, white wine.

I'm not a huge fan of Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. They'll do in a pinch but I tend to gravitate toward Sauvingon Blanc.

Decisions, decisions.

I enlisted the help of one of my co-workers because he is a collector and I asked him for some suggestions. Armed with those suggestions, after work I headed to my favorite wine store.

Here's what I got:

2009 Cloudy Bay Sauvingon Blanc:

It was just what the doctor ordered: crisp, clean and perfect for sipping with water crackers and havarti cheese. Which is exactly what I did while I was preparing dinner.

I also took a suggestion from one of the wine store experts and snagged this gem:

Matariki Sauvingon Blanc (can't recall the year, but I think it's 2008)

He said it was one of his favorites because there was less of a grapefruit taste. I'll take his word for it.

And just for good measure, you know because I was in the wine store after all, I had to pick up a bottle of my favorite bordeaux

2005 Chateau La Papeterie:

I love this wine so much. I know I went shopping for white but like I said, I love this wine so much. It's full-bodied and flavorful and ... just delicious. Besides, I don't get to the wine store that often because my grocery store carries a pretty good selection ... but they don't carry this.

Not bad for a day's work.

But wait, there's more.

When I arrived at work this morning, the co-worker that I got the recommendations from went into his cellar and brought me this:

2008 Conundrum. This is a California blend which he swears by. I'll take his word for it.

Life is just so good!

We're Almost There

Yes. I am working for the weekend. I am quite grateful for my job, but let’s face it: if I wasn’t getting a check I wouldn’t go there everyday.

My baby is traveling this weekend with her step team. Since I won’t be accompanying her, I’m hoping she’ll have a chance to hook up with her father while she’s away. She mentioned it to him but I don’t think they’ve nailed down any definite plans. I’ll miss her. She introduced me to another show on MTV called “If You Really Knew Me” I watched it with her yesterday before I went to the gym and cried like a baby. Seriously. I tried to hide it at first because they always laugh at me when something on television makes me cry, but this was crazy. The show spotlights high school students and encourages them to really talk about what is going on with them. Some of these kids are really hurting. We had a chance to talk afterward and of course, she wouldn’t finish the sentence, “If you really knew me …” but watching the show together was a start.

Anyway

I have a few things planned for the weekend. Number one on the list is to change the handles on my kitchen cabinets. I know right. Not exactly filled with excitement but I’ve wanted to do it for a minute. I’m tired of looking at the same thing. If I can handle this project successfully, I may attempt to replace the kitchen flooring. I have a small kitchen but sometimes what appears to be a small job turns out to be a monster. Like when I painted the downstairs bathroom. Trust me, it was awful. Wish me luck.

I haven’t written a restaurant review in about a month so I’m going to check out this place down the street called The Broken Egg Bistro. They serve breakfast all day but in the evenings it turns into Bistro 501. The menu looks interesting and contains plenty of chicken dishes, pasta, seafood and even an etouffee which I may try. I’ll post the review next week. After I buy another camera. My Polaroid kinda died on me. I think I’ll get a Sony this time.

I’m also going to pick up an Italian travel guide. Because, you know, I’m going to Italy next year for my birthday.

I was thinking about this year’s birthday. Just two and a half months away. For the past several years my ex and I traveled to Virginia’s wineries for my birthday. It was always a great time. Needless to say, that won’t be happening this year. No worries. The Virginia Wine Festival just so happens to be on my birthday this year (and every year). So instead of traveling to the wine, the wine is traveling to me!

Ain't life grand?

Drinks On Me

On the right is a normal sized bottle of wine. It's a blend called Menage a Trois. It's delicious and I love it.

On the left is a ridiculously large bottle of wine that I won at Sunday's event. It's a 2007 cabernet. I'm confident that it will be good but I have no idea when or if I'll ever open it.

Clio 2007

I have the best co-workers ever. One of them is a wine collector and he just received three bottles of this:

Read about it here

He asked me if I wanted to have a bottle to try. Can you guess how I responded?

Cheers!

Yummy!

This is one of the better tasting red wines that I have had in a long while. One of the things that struck me right away was the rich, fruity flavor. It was so good ... Shiraz is usually best served with spicy food because it's a bit spicy itself. Here are some notes from the website:

The generous flavours and contemporary, easy-drinking style of Lindemans Bin 50 Shiraz combines easily with food and most social occasions to deliver maximum enjoyment from the first glass to the last. Berry, liquorice and spice flavours

Tasting notes:
Colour: This wine is crimson red in colour and shows excellent depth.

Nose: Aromatic varietal shiraz: fruits of blueberry and blackberry notes along with rich stewed plum are balanced with integrated vanillin oak.

Palate: A vibrant fruit driven style shiraz, which shows soft fruit flavours and a touch of liquorice and spice. Careful oak maturation adds structure and integrates balanced tannins with a subtle savoury oak finish.

Vino! Vino! Vino!

It’s April and that means my self-imposed alcohol fast is over.

I will admit that I slipped twice but those were work-related slips and couldn’t be helped. I had to review two restaurants and for one of them I had to solely focus on the wine selection. But for the entire month of March I did not purchase any wine for my home.

Until yesterday.

After work I visited my local wine shop and picked up the following:

2 bottles of my favorite Bordeaux: 2005 Chateau La Papeterie

1 bottle of Woop Woop which is an Australian Shiraz

1 bottle of Chateau St. Michelle Gewurtztraminer which is a semi-dry white wine

and 1 bottle of Pinot Grigio – I don’t remember which one because I only picked it up to serve to my sister if she drops in.

Cheers!

Beautiful Friday

Sometimes I feel bad for Monday. Friday gets all the glory and Monday gets zippo.

Whatever ... I AM SO HAPPY IT'S FRIDAY!!!

Go Friday! Go Friday! Go Friday!

After work today, I'm going to a wine tasting with my sister. The last time I went I discovered this great Australian Shiraz that I just love.

I think the rest of the weekend is going to be pretty quiet ... just like I like it. I may stay in my sweats all day Saturday.

Hope you have a good weekend!

Wordless Wednesday - The Wine Cellar

I'm down a bottle. I only have a zinfindel and a meritage left.
Those are my stemless wine glasses plus other accessories.

Well, We Could Always Discuss Wine

I have nothing to talk about.



I have too much going on in my head and I don't really want to talk about any of it:



My son's graduation ... pending a passing grade on a Chemistry exam

My family coming to town for said graduation

Coming up on the fifth anniversary with my guy ... holy geez

My current job

Freelancing is a submit-wait game



So, let's talk about wine.



Last month I tried something new (for me) called Viognier. My expert called it "Chardonnay's Sexy Sister" ... uh no. Viognier is not awful ... just a little dry for my taste. I bought two bottles to try and after the first sip I knew it wasn't for me. Of course, that did not stop me from finishing the bottle :) I gave the second bottle away.



This month's wine is Riesling. This has to be the total opposite of Viognier because it is more sweet and acidic, and usually classified as a dessert wine. My expert says it's a great wine for picnics because of the relatively low alcohol content and it goes with anything. I like Riesling. I've only tried one and that was because my name was on the bottle and it was a very pretty bottle . I'm such a dork, I know.


Riesling is a major grape grown in New York State (believe it or not!). It is also produced in Washington State, Oregon, California, Austrialia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. It's very popular in Germany and France as well. When looking for a Riesling, reach for those from the northern regions of wine growing countries. Expect to spend between $10 and $25. It pairs well with Asian food so this month's recipies are: Vegetable Sushi Rolls, California Sushi Rolls and Spicy Tuna Sushi Rolls. I love sushi but for real, I'm not making any.


While I was waiting for the end of May I was sipping on a Chardonnay-Riesling blend which I love. I'm looking forward to trying the different Rieslings. You should too.

February

Finally February.

The LOVE month.
Black History month.
At least one long weekend.
And one romantic weekend.

February is also Cabernet month. The wine guide suggests a cabernet from Napa Valley. Today, I chose these two:

Smoking Loon 2005 - New to me, but the bottle was pretty. How's that for a reason? I like to try new things.

Kendall-Jackson 2002 - This one was more recognizable and a little more pricey. We'll see.

I cheated and bought a bottle of cab in the middle of January just to get started. I chose a 2004 Robert Mondavi. I loved it. The taste was HUGE. I don't know how else to describe it. Big flavor so it's best to pair it with food that also has big flavor. Because the alcohol content in a cabernet is high (between 12% - 14%) it generates heat, so you won't want to pair it with spicy food.

Each of the wines that I've listed here were under $20. That's usually my limit unless it's a really special occasion.

Anyway, it's Saturday and the Prince is at work, the Princess has a step show, my guy is working so I'm about to sit under the dryer and enjoy the solitude. I'm so glad the work week has ended ... the only way I'm going to survive this thing is to really take advantage of my off time. Even though it was a long stressful week I went out last night and got my sing on. That's one of the benefits of dating a musician -- I can always crash one of his gigs if the spirit moves me.

Have a great weekend.

p.s. - 148 pages/29,780 words!!

Cheers!

This book has got to be one of the better Christmas gifts that I received this year. One of my favorite things to do, is to curl up on my couch with a nice glass of wine. I have a few favorites but I'm open to try almost anything. I enjoy wine tasting and when I find something really tasty I'm just overjoyed.

I'm not a wine expert by any means but the learning process is just so much fun. Last year my guy took me to a winery up in Charlottesville. We did some tasting, settled on a bottle of Meritage (combination of merlot and cab franc) and just enjoyed the scenery and each other. It was the best day.

I love this book so much because not only does the author suggest a new wine each month, but she also pairs each suggestion with several great recipes that go so well with each choice! How many times have you asked yourself if what you are eating really "goes" with the wine you are drinking? Or is it just me? Anyway, January's choice was champagne (obviously) and I made the spicy-sausage stuffed mushrooms to go with the champagne. Yum-Yum.

Here are the rest of the suggestions:

February - Cabernet Sauvignon

March - Syrah

April - Merlot

May - Viognier

June - Riesling

July - Chardonnay

August - Sauvignon Blanc

September - Dessert wines

October - Zinfandel

November - Pinot

December - Reader's choice

I'm so excited! New wines, new recipes ... it's going to be a good year. Cheers!

With love,

chele