As you might notice, I use Sitemeter. It tells you what brought people to your website or blog, within some level of detail. The vast majority of my visitors (who don’t comment for some reason) come from Google searches. My public service announcement about how to make ringtones for my Sony phone seems to be a top traffic point, as is my post on wine koozies, Black Mountain Pinot Noir, and what to eat with chicken marsala. Of course things like salmon and chardonnay, or specific searches for wine come up, how to age wine, etc, are searches as well.
However, a recent review of my sitemeter referring urls revealed a search for “wine in the morning”. Well. I just don’t know what to say. Don’t get me wrong, I drink in the morning sometimes, and no not just on St. Patrick’s Day or vacation. Sometimes, particularly if my parents are in town, we’ll have some Godiva & coffee or even a shot of Rumplemintz in the morning. (yes, I know having a shot of Rumplemintz in the morning with one’s parents seems very odd, but that’s another post) But this search made me think about all the drinks I’ve had in the morning. Probably the closest to wine in the morning I’ve had is a Mimosa (sparkling wine/OJ). I feel like I’m letting someone down though. I mean, they came to me, Wine Lush, for an answer and I didn’t provide them with one.
So here I am, at 7:58 in the morning. I didn’t drink anything last night, so I’m not hungover, and I’m looking in my wine fridge to see what sounds good. Now, I’m not actually going to open a bottle of wine. I don’t work today-Thursdays I stay at home, do school work, run errands, etc. So I could if I wanted to, but I’m not going to. But if I were to drink, what would I open? Red wine doesn’t sound good. Well, certainly not a Cab Sav, maybe a Beaujolais, something lighter and fruity, I suppose would be ok. Chardonnay doesn’t sound good, of course Sauvignon Blanc doesn’t sound good. But, a fruity Riesling sounds pretty good, or some wine that would go good with spicy food. Of course, with or without OJ, a sparkling sounds nice, although not a brut.
So, dear reader from Oregon, should you search again, my morning wine recommendation is something fruity, such as Beaujolais, Reisling, and a sec or semi-sec sparkling.
Regular readers, feel free to offer your suggestions and to all my passerby readers, please, stay a bit and comment, even if you disagree!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Hold the grass, Sauvignon Blanc
Its probably no secret that I'm not a Sauvignon Blanc fan. I don't hate all sauv blancs, just mostly dislike AU & NZ, and don't care much for CA and find White Bordeaux (blend of Sauv Blanc and Semmilion) to be the most tolerable. That being said, I don't voluntarily purchase them. However, we do occasionally get some in our wine clubs. One of which was Niner, from California. Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of being with S
auv blanc fans and so I brought it, in hopes it would be well liked and enjoyed by all, or at least most, minus me.
Here's the skinny on the wine:
Grown in conditions similar to those in Bordeaux, France, the Niner Wine Estates 2006 Sauvignon Blanc was produced from the leading Paso Robles vineyard Bootjack Ranch. Planted mostly to red varietals, a small portion of the Bootjack Ranch property is planted to Sauvignon Blanc, as is typical in France since the grape thrives in the same conditions. Cool nights and warm days contribute to a long growing season, ultimately yielding grapes of deep color and concentrated flavors. This award-winning vintage received a Gold Medal from the Central Coast Wine Competition, a Silver Medal from the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, as well as a Silver Medal from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Fresh and rich in texture and flavor, the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc is aromatically lively with aromas and flavors of pear, grapefruit, and pineapple that are juxtaposed by persimmon, lemon meringue and buttery nuances. It is refreshing, with a good mouthfeel, full body and a nice acid balance. The soft citrus candy finish lingers on the palate. Winery food pairing recommendations include cheese tortellini with pesto and toasted pine nuts, grilled swordfish with olive tapenade, and pizza with spinach, bacon, and caramelized onions. 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Enjoy now until 2010.
Back to the tasting....By itself, I thought it was fine. It wasn't grassy at all, and the citrus was fairly minimal. I had hopes reading the description (buttery nuances) that I might actually like it. Then we had it with some bacon wrapped dates and then some salad with figs, goat cheese and a mustard vinagrette. It was really good with both, but it was best with the salad. It moved to one of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs. Mind you, its a short list, but the acidity was just enough to cut through the fat/oil, but not so much I felt like I was drinking lemon grass. I like wines I can drink with or without food. I'm not sure if I would purchase it again, but I would certainly recommend it for someone who tends to dislike the grassy Sauv Blanc style.
auv blanc fans and so I brought it, in hopes it would be well liked and enjoyed by all, or at least most, minus me.Here's the skinny on the wine:
Grown in conditions similar to those in Bordeaux, France, the Niner Wine Estates 2006 Sauvignon Blanc was produced from the leading Paso Robles vineyard Bootjack Ranch. Planted mostly to red varietals, a small portion of the Bootjack Ranch property is planted to Sauvignon Blanc, as is typical in France since the grape thrives in the same conditions. Cool nights and warm days contribute to a long growing season, ultimately yielding grapes of deep color and concentrated flavors. This award-winning vintage received a Gold Medal from the Central Coast Wine Competition, a Silver Medal from the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, as well as a Silver Medal from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Fresh and rich in texture and flavor, the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc is aromatically lively with aromas and flavors of pear, grapefruit, and pineapple that are juxtaposed by persimmon, lemon meringue and buttery nuances. It is refreshing, with a good mouthfeel, full body and a nice acid balance. The soft citrus candy finish lingers on the palate. Winery food pairing recommendations include cheese tortellini with pesto and toasted pine nuts, grilled swordfish with olive tapenade, and pizza with spinach, bacon, and caramelized onions. 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Enjoy now until 2010.
Back to the tasting....By itself, I thought it was fine. It wasn't grassy at all, and the citrus was fairly minimal. I had hopes reading the description (buttery nuances) that I might actually like it. Then we had it with some bacon wrapped dates and then some salad with figs, goat cheese and a mustard vinagrette. It was really good with both, but it was best with the salad. It moved to one of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs. Mind you, its a short list, but the acidity was just enough to cut through the fat/oil, but not so much I felt like I was drinking lemon grass. I like wines I can drink with or without food. I'm not sure if I would purchase it again, but I would certainly recommend it for someone who tends to dislike the grassy Sauv Blanc style.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Guessing with a reason
I know in a post last week I mentioned that I had two blind tastes last weekend so I want to tell you about them. Well the first was one organized by a wine shop. I didn’t do so well. I didn’t get any totally right, as in both location and correct varietal(s). On one, I got the country right and got one grape right, but it was a blend. On another, I knew the country, picked the wrong grape. And one, I was close, I had it narrowed down to two and picked the wrong one in my “final answer”. Frustrating, but I should see it as I am getting better.
Another one was my wine club’s. Mr. Lush picked 3 new world and I picked 3 old world. And you know what? Even though I knew what I had, I still only got one right of my 3 right. However, I am getting a bit better, I have an idea, I’m just not good yet.
I could say that October’s not over yet, but it is almost over. I still have a chance of having it all come together in some way, but at least at this point I can say I’ve gotten better, because in the beginning of the month I was really just blindly guessing. Now I’m actually guessing with a reason. Maybe guessing correctly in a month is too much to hope for?
Another one was my wine club’s. Mr. Lush picked 3 new world and I picked 3 old world. And you know what? Even though I knew what I had, I still only got one right of my 3 right. However, I am getting a bit better, I have an idea, I’m just not good yet.
I could say that October’s not over yet, but it is almost over. I still have a chance of having it all come together in some way, but at least at this point I can say I’ve gotten better, because in the beginning of the month I was really just blindly guessing. Now I’m actually guessing with a reason. Maybe guessing correctly in a month is too much to hope for?
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