Recently, Mr. Lush and I went to a winemaker dinner. I've had their wine before and enjoy them. The winemaker was fun, the wine was great, and the food was good. A good Lush time was had, so we signed up for the wine club, which sends things not available here in Lou.
Well, Friday the 13th my wine was sent to my house, which of course I wasn't there. I returned home to find the Info Notice on my door, called, and requested the wine be held for pick up that night. They called me and said to come after 7. I arrived at 8:30....and waited....and waited....until 9:45 when I was told, sorry, we don't know where your wine is and there's nothing we can do because I'm not the shipper.
A-W-E-S-O-M-E. That's exactly how I wanted to spend my Friday night - waiting for wine I wouldn't get.
So I leave, furious, and write an email to the wine club marketing manager. Long story short - I feel that I deserved a little something from them. It wasn't their mess up, but they choose who to ship through and they are the ones who have recourse to get shipping fees back. I don't have either option. I didn't want a lot....half of my shipping charge ($8) back, or a bottle of their merlot (on sale for $12) included in my next shipment. She can't give me back my lost Friday night, nor my valentine's day without the wine we wanted, but she could've given me something to say, hey, we're sorry, we value you as a customer and let me make it up to you.
But no. She told me "you are free to resign from our club without penalty".
So I did. But not before I wrote an email stating why I was cancelling - solely because of her lack of customer service. (and bcc'd the winemaker)
Maybe it was omen-getting my wine on Friday the 13th it was destined to be cursed??
I don't know if its unreasonable to expect a little something, I don't think so, but feel free to weigh in with your thoughts.
***note, I did actually get the wine, on Monday. UPS just didn't know where it was that night***
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Noteworthy reds- Cal Ital and Cab
Recently we had a couple of nice wines, courtesy of Gold Medal Wine Club shipments. One was available through their Plus program: Brutocao Cellars' 2005 Quadriga, a Cal-Ital.
“…..a triumph of four Italian wine varietals portraying a unique blend of aromas and flavors that have resonated throughout the Mediterranean for centuries. It's a wine that will remind you of authentic old-world Italian field blends, but with richer, brighter and more fruit-forward flavors making it a favorite among many top wine critics. Wine Enthusiast magazine rated the 2005 Quadriga 91 Points & Editor's Choice and says, "This Italian-inspired blend from Brutocao gets better every vintage." The fantastic blend also garnered 91 Points from the California State Fair Wine Competition, a Double Gold Medal from the Tasters Guild International Wine Competition, and 2 Gold Medals from state competitions - wow! With a rich earthy quality to the cherry-blackberry fruit, the 2005 Quadriga has a great balance that's championed with dark stone fruit flavors, soft pepper notes, and plush, velvety tannins that lead into a complex and lingering finish. Try pairing Brutocao's 2005 Quadriga with beef stroganoff and rich pasta dishes. 35% Sangiovese, 31% Primitivo, 18% Barbera, 16% Dolcetto. Enjoy now until 2012.”
We had it with some cheese and crackers and it was really good. I don’t know if it would hold up to too rich of dishes, its not that full bodied, but we really enjoyed it. I can re-order it for about $18 + shipping and we’re thinking about it.
Another was the Winsome 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, part of a regular shipment.
“….produced from the winery's Home Ranch Vineyard in the heart of the San Joaquin
Valley and styled to empha rich varietal character and body in a classic California style. A stunning first release from Winsome, this Cabernet Sauvignon received a Gold Medal from the Lodi International Wine Awards, an Honorable Mention from the California State Fair, a Silver Medal from the San Francisco International Wine Competition, and another Silver Medal from the Orange County Fair. Fragrant aromas of cassis and black fruit are complemented by hints of vanilla, all spice and coffee that carry into ripe and intense berry fruit flavors on the palate. The Cabernet's structure is firm and well balanced, with excellent depth and supple, generous tannins that lead into a lengthy finish with complex notes of dark fruit and oak. Try pairing the Winsome 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon with lamb chops, beef, and rich marinara dishes. Aged 24 months in oak. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot, 3% Syrah. Enjoy now until 2015.”
I decanted it for about an hour, and it was really nice with a grilled filet. Very good deal for the price. The Winsome is available for right about $20/bottle, about half off the winery direct price, probably because they negotiated such a good deal with it being the first release. We're also thinking of getting some of this. So much wine, so little money.....
“…..a triumph of four Italian wine varietals portraying a unique blend of aromas and flavors that have resonated throughout the Mediterranean for centuries. It's a wine that will remind you of authentic old-world Italian field blends, but with richer, brighter and more fruit-forward flavors making it a favorite among many top wine critics. Wine Enthusiast magazine rated the 2005 Quadriga 91 Points & Editor's Choice and says, "This Italian-inspired blend from Brutocao gets better every vintage." The fantastic blend also garnered 91 Points from the California State Fair Wine Competition, a Double Gold Medal from the Tasters Guild International Wine Competition, and 2 Gold Medals from state competitions - wow! With a rich earthy quality to the cherry-blackberry fruit, the 2005 Quadriga has a great balance that's championed with dark stone fruit flavors, soft pepper notes, and plush, velvety tannins that lead into a complex and lingering finish. Try pairing Brutocao's 2005 Quadriga with beef stroganoff and rich pasta dishes. 35% Sangiovese, 31% Primitivo, 18% Barbera, 16% Dolcetto. Enjoy now until 2012.”
We had it with some cheese and crackers and it was really good. I don’t know if it would hold up to too rich of dishes, its not that full bodied, but we really enjoyed it. I can re-order it for about $18 + shipping and we’re thinking about it.
Another was the Winsome 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, part of a regular shipment.
“….produced from the winery's Home Ranch Vineyard in the heart of the San Joaquin
Valley and styled to empha rich varietal character and body in a classic California style. A stunning first release from Winsome, this Cabernet Sauvignon received a Gold Medal from the Lodi International Wine Awards, an Honorable Mention from the California State Fair, a Silver Medal from the San Francisco International Wine Competition, and another Silver Medal from the Orange County Fair. Fragrant aromas of cassis and black fruit are complemented by hints of vanilla, all spice and coffee that carry into ripe and intense berry fruit flavors on the palate. The Cabernet's structure is firm and well balanced, with excellent depth and supple, generous tannins that lead into a lengthy finish with complex notes of dark fruit and oak. Try pairing the Winsome 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon with lamb chops, beef, and rich marinara dishes. Aged 24 months in oak. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot, 3% Syrah. Enjoy now until 2015.”
I decanted it for about an hour, and it was really nice with a grilled filet. Very good deal for the price. The Winsome is available for right about $20/bottle, about half off the winery direct price, probably because they negotiated such a good deal with it being the first release. We're also thinking of getting some of this. So much wine, so little money.....*Side note for my chard lovers - we’ve also had the Winsome chardonnay and love it as well.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Dirty martini showdown
Mr. Lush and are fans of dirty vodka martini's. Extra dirty, actually, as you can see in this picture. We have vermouth, but normally we just mix vodka and olive juice for a dry dirty martini.
Why are there two bottles of vodka behind my extra dirty martini? Because in true Lush Style, we had a Dirty Martini Showdown last night. I made one with Ciroc and one with Belvedere. I made sure to measure both so they had the same amount of vodka and olive juice proportion and we tasted both back to back.
The results- Mr. Lush blindly tasted and came up with Ciroc as the clear winner - I liked both but preferred Ciroc slightly as well. Which is good, as its a few dollars a bottle cheaper than Belvedere, probably because its less known. Never heard of it? Its made from grapes, not potato, as most vodka is made from. Here's another tip- Sams Club sells is for $27/28, a steal from the regular $33-35 you'll find at most liquor and grocery stores. If you're a vodka fan, I highly recommend picking up a bottle.
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