7 Heavenly Chards

Last night we had a yummy Chardonnay! We found it at our local Wine Styles tasting several months ago. It's one of the few wines we really liked. This is a very rich, buttery Chardonnay that is extra smooth. Also has slight pear/peach flavor. If you're looking for a rich wine, this one's for you. We really enjoyed it with our chicken & artichoke dish.

7 Heavenly Chards
2006
Michael & David
Lodi, California

from the winemaker:

Heavenly Chards of an angelic line,
Each with a task, simply divine.

Chardonnays Justice, balanced and true,
Resurgence of light, life brought anew.

Chardonnays Temperance, patient and mild,
Riding the storms and taming the wilds.

Chardonnays Prudence, cautious and wise,
Embracing the earth, arms to the skies.

Chardonnays Faith, the intangible shield,
Solid as stone, refusing to yield.

Chardonnays Endurance, the river within,
Rising to flow, again and again.

Chardonnays Hope, a spark to ignite,
An unquenchable flame, a beacon of light.

Chardonnays Love, reigning supreme,
Uniting them all in this heavenly dream.

-Kevin Phillips

Thursday Wine Tasting

Last night we visited Wine Styles, our local wine shop that offers weekly wine tasting. We decided to go even though we didn't see any wines particularly interesting to us on the email.

Were we surprised!!!

Two of the wines were actually ones we would enjoy again.

Peirana Estate, The Other Red
Lodi, California
This wine is listed as mellow, but neither of us thought it was completely mellow. It is between mellow & bold with a great berry taste. Even has a little spice or smoke flavor. A really good value at 15.99. Here's the description we received:
Aromas of black cherries are complemented by spice, toasty oak, and cedar. Waves of crabapple, plum and candied fruit with a hint of smoky, dark oak and a long seductive finish.
This was a fun wine to taste.

Our favorite of the night was a Chardonnay, surprisingly. When the server poured our glasses, she said it was one of her favorites and it has a banana & caramel taste. I thought, "I'm not so sure about a banana taste". As we walked back to our seats, I sniffed and there was a definite banana aroma. I told Steve that he needed to smell this wine before he tasted it.

Michael David Vineyards
7 Heavenly Chards
Lodi, California
This Chardonnay has a great flavor & mixture of banana, caramel and cream. It was great to drink and we even bought a bottle to enjoy later.
Aromas of vanilla, peach & banana entice a sip. (That's for sure) The mouth fills with peach, apple & lime while flavors of cream and caramel round out the wine and leave a long finish. A little more pricey, but well worth it at 20.99

Oak Lane Chenin Blanc

We joined a local wine club that allows us to try their wine tasting each Thursday night for free. Wine Styles is the local store & you might have one in your area. Steve & I had fun at our first one. Each month we also get 2 bottles of wine from different wineries. It's fun to try something new from a wide variety of vineyards. We're also looking forward to their monthly pick-up party where wine members get to taste wines they are considering stocking in the store. Hopefully we will make the April party.

The first wine we tried at home from our wine club is Oak Lane's Chenin Blanc blend with Sauvignon Blanc. It's a nice wine that I could enjoy on a summer afternoon. Just enough fruity taste to keep drinking.

Oak Lane
Chenin Blanc-Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Stellenbosch, South Africa

For centuries, Oak Lane has been the majestic BEau Joubert entrance. It symbolizes the historic & long-standing dedication to creating award winning wines, demonstrating a rare combination of early drink ability & longevity.

A crisp, medium-bodied dry white wine made in a new world style. Enjoy now or cellar under optimum conditions.

Wine Styles in our hometown

On our way home, Steve stopped by Wine Styles. It's a cool store here in College Station, Texas. They divide the wine according to tastes, fruity, rich, bold, and so on. That means a bold merlot may be mixed with a cabernet. The store manager pointed out some wines and gave us some tastes. We settled on a Cabernet Cauvignon.

Maxwell Creek 2004
Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa

Steve & I both liked the various flavors this wine provides, making it a complex red wine. I liked the deepness of each flavor, too. When we had some the following night (tonight), I noticed a woody, piney taste that I hadn't noticed the day before.

Maxwell Creek recommends pairing this Cab with beef & barbeque.

We will definitely enjoy this wine again, especially since we can get it locally.