InTo Zin

Yep, yesterday at the grocery store I found a Zin from Lodi...one of our favorite wine countries. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as good as I wanted it to be.

In To Zin was a smooth wine, but not as big & bold as I expected. The label at the store said bold, but it was more grapey and lite. It would be a nice sipping wine on the deck. It might be good the next day. We let it breathe for an hour, but still didn't have that zip or spice I expected in a Zin

Working at the Wine Bar

I had a meeting with an attorney downtown and decided to stop by the wine bar and work a little more before I went home. I'm at Downtown Uncorked, looking out the front window.

I've been sipping on a Chardonnay...
Castillo de Molina 2008
Casablanca Valley, Chile

It's a nice drinking chardonnay. Not much on the nose, but a smooth, buttery taste. I like a buttery tasting chardonnay. It's not for everyone, especially if you like a non-oaked, fruity chardonnay. I've had this before and am glad I started with this wine. Although I'm enjoying it inside on a cool, crisp November day, it would be fantastic on a summer day on the porch.

Hinojosa Malbec

A few weeks ago at Downtown Uncorked, we tried a nice drinking wine (& affordable, too)

Hinojosa is a nice malbec that has enough flavor to enjoy, but not too complex. You'll taste plum & vanilla. Of course, it has a good volume of oak, but not overpowering.

We've had this wine several times since that day...and will enjoy again & again.

Hinojosa
Malbec Roble
2008
Mendoza

Zinfandel for New Years Eve

Steve and I enjoyed a delicious dinner last night at Luigi's in College Station. We ordered a Zinfandel, but they were out of it. So they substituted a more expensive Zin for the same price. Pretty Cool! We both loved it because of the complexity. With my first sip, there was a deep fruit flavor on the finish. The next sip was spicy on the finish. Overall, we enjoyed this wine through our entire meal. We'll look for it again.

Adelaida Zinfandel
Paso Robles

Silver Oak Cabernet - Christmas Eve

I cooked Beef Wellington for our Christmas meal and wanted a great wine. I chose our Silver Oak Cab which was yummy. It was very smooth & full-bodied, perfect for our tenderloin cooked in puff pastry. Loved the fruit and velvety tannins

Silver Oak
Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2004

a little bit about Silver Oak...
Silver Oak Cellars was founded with a dedication to produce only one wine, Cabernet Sauvignon. We have been steadfast to this commitment since 1972.

Winemaker's Notes:
The 2004 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a refined and complex wine that combines subtlety and depth. It has a dark ruby color with a deep red edge and displays aromas of fresh blackberries, violets, cola, nutmeg and licorice. In the mouth, the wine has a juicy attack and offers great expression of fruit and spice on the mid-palate. Its fruit-driven finish is long and elegant.

Wine Tasting for Wedding

A few weeks ago I bought several bottles of wine at Sam's so we could have our personal tasting and decide which wine to serve at Ashley's wedding. That first night we opened Paul Newman's red. It's just a plain wine...no pizazz. I thought I could donate to charity if we used this wine, but it is not good enough to share.

Next we had Inkberry that I bought at our local grocery store. It was pretty good. Ashley really enjoyed it and we all liked it better than Newman's.

Inkberry
Mountain Estate Shiraz Cabernet
Central Ranges Australia
Delicious, dark flavor. Small clusters of grapes with fantastic dark "inky" color. Will enjoy again

Since that time, I discovered that our wine club has a not advertised special on several wines. Since Lava Cap is one of my favs, we decided to order a case of each of their reds at 50% off. Now we have a variety of wines: Syrah, Merlot, Cab Sauvignon & Cab Franc. Can't wait to get them and share with our friends.

More Tastings

After drinking another bottle from Sam's Club, I decided I won't be trying their wines. The wines at the local HEB (Inkberry) are better & less expensive than the ones from Sam's. Tonight we opened Greg Norman's Cabernet. It was just a plain wine with not much body to it. There was a lightness about it that I wouldn't expect from a Cab. Needless to say, we won't be getting more of Greg Norman wines.