A Little Birdie

Last Monday was the beginning of a slower period at work, which, I admit, was a huge relief. I’m not entirely sure how I started a new job and immediately felt like I had fallen behind in my work, but that’s exactly what happened. Thankfully, with things slowing down a little, I finally had the time to start playing catch-up. By the time I left work on Monday night, I was feeling like I’d accomplished a lot and that I was ready to go home and put the finishing touches on my take-home final before lighting the Chanukkah candles, tasting the last bubbly to try before my condo association’s holiday Bubbly & BBQ Bash, and enjoying a nice dinner with Hubby.

The La Tordera Valdobbiadene Prosecco (winery, snooth) was almost clear, it was such a light, straw yellow. The bubbles in the glass were big, bountiful, and beautiful. On the nose, there were grapefruits, lemons, and yeast, followed by a touch of white peaches and white flowers. In the mouth, there were slightly under-ripe white peaches, lemons, white blossoms, and a hint of nectarines on the finish. The sparkler had a nice, crisp acidity and a light-to-medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $18, this Prosecco was surprisingly complex, fresh, and fruity. I enjoyed drinking it on its own, but when I paired it with flounder stuffed with spinach and feta, it was absolutely gorgeous. I admit that I didn’t end up using this sparkling wine for the Bubbly & BBQ Bash, but that was because it was a little harder to find than the Canella Prosecco di Conegliano, which I ended up using because I really wanted to provide sparklers that could be easily purchased. That said, if you see the La Tordera, don’t pass up the opportunity to taste it. It will be the perfect addition to any brunch, particularly mixed to make a Bellini/mimosa, or to a relaxing evening after a hard day of work. A special thanks to Schneider's of Capitol Hill for recommending this great wine.

Overall: 4.5 Corks

Chanukkah Chianti

***I received this wine as a sample***

Last Friday, after a week of ups and downs on my big work project, everything was completed, submitted, and out of my hands. Admittedly, I made a few mistakes during the process, but being new, those were easily forgiven, and, overall, everyone seemed pleased with the end result. Normally, after a hard, but successful week, Friday would have been about relaxation and celebration, and add to the fact that it was the first night of Chanukkah, it would generally have been down right festive. However, I had a take-home final to tackle, so, instead of lighting candles and opening presents before enjoying the evening with Hubby, I cooked dinner, opened a bottle of chianti, and worked on my final.

The 2007 Ruffino Aziano Chianti Classico was 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Canaiolo grapes. The wine had a nice, deep color and an aroma that instinctively made me say “Mmmmm.” On the nose, there were cherries, cedar, strawberries, and tobacco mixed with a touch of black pepper, smoke, cocoa powder, and something meaty. In the mouth, there were strawberries, meat, tobacco, and violet petals with a touch of smoke, and cocoa powder. The wine had a bright, lime-like acidity, low tannins, and a medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $15, this is a complex, yet easily accessible and enjoyable wine that pairs amazingly well with Italian food. The Chianti’s true colors showed when I paired it with cheese ravioli in a tomato sauce and garlic bread. Truthfully, on its own, the Chianti is just ok, so if you don’t intend to drink it with with a good Italian dish, grab a differently bottle because you’ll be doing yourself and the wine a disservice. The food brought out basil, violet, and rose petals flavors while tempering the acidity in a way that made the wine sing in my mouth. The Chianti and ravioli provided the perfect diversion from my final and was great way to celebrate the first night of Chanukkah.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

Hope everyone celebrating Chanukkah had a wonderful 8 days!

Popping the Cork on a Wednesday Night

For as smooth of a day as last Tuesday was, last Wednesday was exactly the opposite. Taking over a 271-page document that was originally drafted by someone else, but became my responsibility when I started my new job, was no small task. I not only was responsible for familiarizing myself with the original document and the background information that the document was based on, but also making changes to the draft document to improve it, as I thought necessary. Thankfully, one of my fabulous co-workers helped with the task, but at the end of the day, the project was all mine. So, after my co-worker and I finished discussing the last round of major changes and minor edits, I set about the task of actually documenting our conversation. At 9:00pm on Wednesday night, when I finally had a “final” document ready to go, I emailed it to the necessary higher-ups and headed home feeling exhausted, but satisfied with the work. When I walked in the door of my condo, I greeted Hubby and popped the cork on a bottle of Champagne that was a candidate for my condo association’s Bubbly & BBQ Bash. It seemed like tasting the Champagne would be a nice way to celebrate my sense of accomplishment.

The Taittinger Brut La Francaise (winery, snooth) is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay grapes with a medium-to-deep gold color and a lot of small, persistent bubbles. On the nose, there was an entire fruit bowl— green apples, pears, peach, and apricots, with a touch of toast. In the mouth, there were granny smith apples, pears, and peaches, with a touch of something yeasty. The sparkler had a nice acidity, although there was something funny that I couldn’t identify on the finish.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll definitely have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $40, this sparkling wine offers everything you expect from a traditional Champagne, but nothing more. It was enjoyable on its own and would probably pair well with Red, Hot, and Blue’s southern BBQ, but for my condo association’s holiday party, I’m looking for something that is less “average” and “knock-my-socks.” In this price range, there are other traditional Champagnes that I’m going to turn to, but if you end up with a bottle of the Taittinger Brut Champagne, you won’t be going wrong.

Overall: 3 Corks

No Bubbles, No Bubbly & BBQ Bash

This time of year is generally a period of craziness at work and at home. At work, there’s usually an end-of-the-year push to finish major projects before we enter a 4-week slow period. At the same time, there are also work-related holiday parties almost every night, so while work pulls in one direction, the social aspects of my job pull in another. None of that even begins to take into account the personal parties that Hubby and I are invited to, so with all of the work and festivities, life quickly gets complicated. Last week was a particularly busy one because my largest project since starting the new job was due Thursday. Fortunately, on Tuesday, I had a good, solid day of work and was able to make significant progress before heading home at a not-too-late hour. I used the evening to focus on planning my condo association’s holiday party—a Bubbly & BBQ Bash. Of course part of planning means tasting all of the sparkling wine before purchasing it in large quantities, and what better way to spend the later part of my evening than tasting Prosecco.

The Vignal Prosecco la Delizia (winery) ­­was a medium lemon color with surprisingly few bubbles that streamed up to the top of my glass in a slowly rising, single column. One the nose, there were apricots and peaches mixed with an artificial lemon scent. In the mouth, the sparkler was fizzy instead of bubbly and tasted like licking a lemon-scented handi-wipe, with the slightest hint of nectarines and peaches on the finish.

Is this worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but I wouldn’t go searching it out either. At $12, this Prosecco wasn’t expensive, but it also wasn’t very good. I was really glad that I tasted this sparkler before the Bubbly & BBQ Bash, since there are other Proseccos at the same price point that I think would be more enjoyable and a better match with Red, Hot, and Blue’s traditional smokehouse Southern BBQ. Don’t get me wrong, I finished the bottle, but I prefer less handi-wipe flavors and more intense bubbles and fruit characteristics in my Prosecco.

Overall: 2 Corks

Woody Woodcutter's Shiraz

After a crazy first two weeks at my new job, things have quieted down a little. In fact, I’ve realized that in a strange way, I miss the constant buzz of the bullpen, even when I’m enjoying the quiet of my new office. Substantively, Tuesday was a fairly quiet day in terms of my workload, but it was a particularly good day because I found out that I will be receiving a small holiday bonus at the end of December. I was shocked, to say the least. It will be small, but that’s not the point. To find out 9 days into my new job and immediately after delivering my first big project that I was being recognized for the hard work I’d already done was a wonderful feeling. Then, as if that wasn’t good enough, I met up with a former coworker for a couple of hours of good girl talk. After that, I was off to a condo board of directors meeting. When I finally walked in the door, I was exhausted. It was a good exhausted, but I was still just ready to put up my feet and relax. As I really enjoyed previous wines that I’ve had from Torbreck Vintners, I open a bottle of the 2005 Woodcutter’s Shiraz to help warm me up and settle into what was left of the evening.

The 2005 Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz (winery, snooth) was a deep ruby color with purple flecks. On the nose, there were big, juicy blackberry, plum, and blackcurrant leaf aromas, which were followed by a tough of eucalyptus. In the mouth, there were heave smoky and cedar flavors, which matched the name of the wine. Those woody characteristics were followed by black cherry, blackcurrant, and medicinal flavors. The finish was dominated by the medicinal flavors. The wine had a surprising amount of acidity, medium body, and firm tannins.

Is this worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but I wouldn’t go searching it out either. At $23, this wine was a disappointment. I was looking for a woody, deep wine with hints of dark fruits to sink into and instead the Shiraz tasted like something that I bought at a pharmacy. I tried drinking the wine with food in an effort to tone down the medicinal characteristics, but had no such luck. It is rare that I don’t finish a bottle of wine, but unfortunately, this is one that I just couldn’t get into. If you’re looking for a good wine from Torbreck, I definitely suggest sticking with 2008 Torbreck Cuvée Juveniles, which costs the same, but is significantly better.

Overall: 2 Corks

Fun & Fruity Beaujolais Nouveau

A week and a half ago, on the third Thursday of November, the 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau was released. That particular Thursday was a busy day at work for me, as it was the delivery date of my first big project at my new job, so by the time I left work, I was far too exhausted to buy a bottle to taste, although I mentioned to Hubby that I was sorry to miss the release. Friday, though, was a different story. I spent the day playing catch-up at work, as well as reading a few reviews about the latest vintage. When my boss let us leave work a couple of hours early, before heading home, I couldn’t resist a visit to my local wine store.

The 2009 George Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau (winery, snooth) was 100% Gamay grapes with a nice, deep purple color. On the nose, there were aromas of the strawberry jam you get from the little diner packets mixed with some grapes and cherries. In the mouth, not only wasn’t there a jammy taste, but also there was very little strawberry flavor. Instead, the wine tasted like sour cherries, tart raspberries, and a hint of cinnamon. The wine had a good, substantial body and a surprising amount of acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. For $13, the 2009 George Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau is a fun, fruity wine. It’s not complicated, but still is very pleasant both on its own and with food. Beaujolais, and particularly Beaujolais Nouveau, are meant to drink young, so this is a wine that you should buy and enjoy now rather than keep… and it’s definitely one that is enjoyable.

Overall: 3.5 Corks

A Storybook Day & A Storybook Wine

My second week had a phenomenal start. On Tuesday morning, I was sitting in my office, listening to my favorite NY radio station on the Internet, drinking my coffee, reading the morning work news, and loving my job. Sure, things were crazy (the rapidly approaching holidays, a special condo board meeting that night, my project deadline looming at the end of the week, deliverables for my school group project due Thursday night, and the final term paper for my class due Monday), but I felt good. I only belong to one wine club—Storybook Mountain Vineyards—and I was able to pick-up the latest shipment before heading home. When I walked into the condo, still glowing from the fact that my commute is 10-15 minutes shorter every day, I couldn’t help but gush about everything to Hubby before collapsing on the couch with a glass of wine. Could life be any better?

The 2006 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Estate Reserve Zinfandel (vineyard) was a deep ruby with a garnet rim. The wine smelled like a warm, baking spice cabinet, mixed with big, juicy blackberries and blueberries. There was also a hint of mulch and earth. In the mouth, there were nice spices and berries, but they were mixed with prunes. The wine had high acidity and medium tannins.

Is this worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but I wouldn’t go searching it out either. At $35, I was expecting lusciousness like I found in the 2007 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Mayacamas Range. Instead, the 2006 Estate Reserved tasted more like prune juice and less like jammy goodness. I hate to say this, but this wine was a bit of a disappointment. If you’re looking for a great Zin from Storybook Mountain, a I do mean a GREAT Zin, skip over this one and grab their 2007 Mayacamas Range; it will be everything you want from a California Zinfandel...and more.

Overall: 2.5 Corks

Quintessential Chianti

***I received this wine as a sample***

Last Friday brought an end to the first week at my new job, and what a wonderful and crazy week it was. Admittedly, I arrived bright and early on Monday morning to an empty office, as there was some rearranging of space and furniture being completed. By mid-morning, though, everything was moved from the hallways into my private space, which is as different from the bullpen as could be. Soon after, things started to fall into place, as my computer was set up, I unpacked, I was thrown into several meetings, and I was given my first several projects, one of which had with a tight 1-week deadline. Tuesday was more of the same, as I tried to get my footing under me, meet my new coworkers, and figure out where the cafeteria was located. Thankfully, Wednesday was a federal holiday, so I had a chance to recuperate. By the time Thursday and Friday rolled around, I was making significant progress on the project, settling into my new space, and running full-steam ahead. By the end of the day on Friday, I was happy, but exhausted, so I made the predictable end-of-week stop at our local pizza place before heading home and opening one of the bottles of Chianti that I received earlier in the week from Ruffino Vineyards.

Now, I must admit that the Ruffino sample package is one of the best that I’ve received. Not only did it include 4 wines (3 Chiantis and 1 Pinot Grigio), but also it included, Pasta Sfoglia, an Italian cookbook by Ron and Colleen Suhanosky, and a box of pasta. The cookbook, which sells for $18 on Amazon, but is listed at $30 inside the book flap, doesn’t assume that you have any knowledge on how to cook Italian food, which is helpful; however, it does assume that you have some cooking talent, which may present some difficulties for me. I’m going to try, though, because as Hubby and I sat on the couch reading the recipes, we were practically drooling on the book. Pasta Sfoglia starts out with a description of pantry essentials and directions on how to make your own pasta—everything from the traditional egg pasta to the less traditional sweet potato gnocchi. From there, the book builds on the Italian cooking experience with recipes like the less complicated Fettuccini, Lemon Cream, and Toasted Almonds on page 34 and the more complicated Goat’s Milk Cheese, Pumpkin, Cannelloni, Béchamel, Pumpkin Seeds, Breadcrumbs on page 121, both of which can be made with the fresh egg pasta, obviously. The pictures themselves are inspiring, as all of the food looks absolutely scrumptious. I will have to try one of the dishes with one of the other bottles of Chianti, though, as there was definitely no way that I was cooking last Friday.

The 2008 Ruffino Chianti (vineyard, snooth) was a bright, but deep ruby. On the nose, there were cedar, ripe cherry, and black pepper aromas, followed by the slightest hint of violets. In the mouth, there were big, Bing cherry flavors, followed by black pepper, rose petals, and tobacco. The Chianti had a high acidity, low tannins, and a light-to-medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll definitely have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $9, which is the suggested retail price, this wine was perfect for a relaxing evening of talking with Hubby over mozzarella sticks and a pepperoni & sausage pizza. The high acidity in the wine actually helped cut down some of the grease from the sticks and pizza, while matching nicely with the acidity in the tomato sauce. After dinner, I continued to enjoy the rest of the bottle over a trashy vampire novel, which also made for a great pairing.

Overall: 3 Corks