Fetzer Cabernet and my avoidance wines

There are a few wines that for whatever reason during my wine drinking years I have avoided. Some are for obvious reasons, Sutter Home, Gallo and Paul Masson fit under this category as they’re starter wines in my book. These are the wines the non-drinking American house frau picks up for a dinner party. She has no idea these wines are terrible, she just knows she’s heard of them. Then there’s the other category where I would list tonight’s wine, the “I don’t know why I avoid this wine” category.

Maybe it’s the name, Fetzer sounds too much like fester but to my surprise it wasn’t all that bad. The aromas smell like other wines with ripe berries, plums, spice and oak. Flavors consist of oak more berries and vanilla. The tannins are firm but balanced making this a medium bodied wine.

Fetzer Winery started in 1968 in Mendocino County and began growing their own grapes in 1984. Fetzer has a commitment to the environment and sustainability through green packaging, solar energy and waste reduction. Through these efforts the winery has won many Environmental accolades.

This is the second “avoidance” wine I’ve tried, first being Barefoot wine and it is something I will try again. Stepping outside of your comfort zone whether it be in the wine you drink or the life you live, isn’t always a bad thing….who knows something good just my come of it.

Alcohol – 13.49%
T.A. - .63gms
pH - 3.47
R.S. - .06gms

Phrase of the day:
“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance” – Benjamin Franklin

Copyright ©2009 by Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.

2008 Phebus Malbec

I better write this quick as the sun is going down and our area is experiencing a power outage. We’re approaching the second hour of the outage and yes I paid the bill. I was just about to do some farming on Farmville when the whole house powered down. Good thing wine opening and drinking doesn’t require electricity.

I feel around in the wine refrigerator and grab the first bottle, ah Phebus Malbec, a wine I have not yet had. Berries, strawberries and oak hit my nose, the wine is fruit forward with a smooth finish. I can’t tell you anything about the color or viscosity other than it’s dark, much like the rest of the house. Here’s something interesting, the bottle states 70% Malbec, 15% Merlot and 15% Cabernet however the website lists the wine as 100% Malbec. Not sure which is correct but I can tell you the winery is located in Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina. Grapes are hand sortted prior to the destemming. With a second hand sorting table for the grapes as they come out of the destemmer. This process ensures only the highest quality grapes go into the wines.

Lights are back on and we don’t have to worry about stumbling anymore (at least not due to darkness). Whether the wine is 100% Malbec or a blend, it was very drinkable and I would purchase again. I picked this wine up at Total Wine for $6.99.

Wine info:
Mendoza, Argentina produces 70-75% of Argentina’s wine and 85% of its quality wine.

Copyright ©2009 by Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.

2007 Oak Grove Petite Sirah

After three months of being dragged through the mud, strung along, benefits stripped earlier this month, I’m still on the same account 100%, full time…..this has to stop. I sent an email to my boss and advised her as of Monday, my new hours will be 8-2:30 and I will no longer be the point person on said account, she said, “ok”. After suggesting she draft an email to sales advising them of the change, I’m finally feeling in control of my life again. I decided to celebrate with one of my new “go to” wines, Oak Grove and in honor of new beginnings, I chose to try something new, the 2007 Reserve Petite Sirah.

In staying with trying something new, I decide to experiment with using a wine aerator.
Prior to aeration, the aromas are earthy and lots of oak but I detect only a hint of fruit. Flavors are floral and oaky with soft almost delicate tannins. After aeration, the aromas come alive, I still pick up on the oak but I swear I detect orange blossoms. Flavors have increased with cherries, raspberries and spicy, tannins are more pronounced and the wine has much more body. The wine in the glass shows thick viscosity, deep crimson red with hues of purple.

Oak Grove was founded in 1999 by proprietor Jeffrey Dye and the grapes are grown in the cool California appellations of Monterey County, Arroyo Seco and Paso Robles. The wine make up is 13.6% alcohol, 3.72 pH, .65 T.A., .3 R.S.

While the cabernet is still my #1 “go to” wine, I need to branch out and try new things. Accept what life throws at me and be prepared to throw some inexpensive empty wine bottles back. I must tell you this weekend I had one of the most relaxing weekends since my honeymoon in May. Sunday evening I sipped on a bottle of Sparkling Wine and felt all was right again.

Wine Chikadees words of the day (bonus word)
Residual Sugar (R.S.) – also called reducing sugar natural grape sugar fermented at the end of the fermentation process or added back into the wine.
Titratable Acidity (T.A.) – also called total acidity is the sum of the fixed and volatile acids which is determined by a chemical process called titrable (very scientific words!)

Copyright ©2009 by Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.

Wine aeration, how and why

Why should you aerate your wine before drinking? The reason for aerating or letting a wine breath is to allow the wine to be exposed to the air and thereby softening the wine characteristics, the oxygen brings the wine back to live so to speak. Aerated wines release more aromas, have a softer feel, and are better balanced versus a wine that is poured straight from the bottle. There are several methods you can use to aerate your wine making them more enjoyable.

Decanter – you don’t have to go out and buy a fancy decanter, although they can be found for as little as $10. Use a vase, clean please, juice pitcher or anything with a wide enough opening that will allow the air to mingle with the wine. Most wines will typically begin to soften within an hour so decant well before sitting down to enjoy your wine.

Wine glass- you can simply pour the wine in the glass and let it sit for a while but then you have to do this with each glass. Another wine glass option is to swirl, everyone has seen this at some point in time. It does work but you really have to get a good swirl going and if you are unaccustomed to swirling the wine can come too close to the rim of the glass and that’s just bad form.

Aerators – these little contraptions are great and come in a variety of forms. They also work immediately so you can enjoy your wine as soon as you uncork. There are aerators that fit in the spout of the wine bottle and aerate as the wine passes through into the glass. Most of these are simple to use but there some that are a little complicated. Other aerators you hold over the glass as you pour the wine, the wine is then pushed through a small mesh screen creating bubbles in the wine. These can be a little cumbersome since you have to hold the aerator in one hand over the glass all the while pouring the wine into the aerator but can make a noticeable difference versus spout attached.

Some purist say you shouldn’t rush the natural opening of the wine and opt for decanting only. I think this is personal preference so use what works best for you and allows you to enjoy your wine the most.

2006 Blackstone Merlot

After my not so fond reunion with Blackstone Cabernet, I decided it was time to meet up again with the flagship wine that started it all; Blackstone Merlot. Here’s something interesting, the 2007 Blackstone Cab had a synthetic cork but this vintage still has the natural cork. Here goes, aromas earthy, spicy and cherries. First sip and the flavor feels flat and flabby. I do get the berries and oak some fine flavors but it’s still missing that little something. It feels like when you talk to someone you used to be great friends with and now all you can do is make awkward idol chit chat.

At least I found the man that started Blackstone, Derek Benham and discovered the latest wine under his leadership, Mark West. I also now know you can find it at BJ's Wholesale for $7.99 or Total Wine for $8.99, such Wine Chick budget friendly prices.

Chickadee word of the day:
Flabby – wine that is heavy on the palate, caused by a serious deficiency in acidity and subsequently affecting flavor.

2009© Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved

2005 R.H. Phillips Night Harvest Merlot

As Fall officially begins at 5:18 p.m. EST, it seems only fitting to talk about R.H. Phillips Night Harvest Merlot. The wine in the glass has a deep Ruby color and shows medium viscosity, indicating high alcohol content (somewhere around 13%). The wine was aged in oak barrels for 14 months making it silky and full-bodied with layers of strawberries, oak and a hint of coffee. The grapes actually were harvested under the stars at night between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. allowing the cool California air to chill the fruit and preserve the acidity.

The label is eye catching with its black back ground, a man standing on a ladder picking a large grape bunch, a brilliant moon on one side, a star on the other. It truly does make me think of fall and cooler nights, the perfect wine drinking weather.

R.H. Phillips opened in 1983 and started selling wine in 1984. The company’s founders originally set their sights on sheep herding but quickly changed direction and began planting grapes. The company was founded by John and Lane Giguiere, and John Giguiere’s brother, Karl. The brothers then named the winery after their grandfather, R.H. Phillips. The winery was sold in 2000 and the Giguiere’s now have a new winery called Crew Wine Company LLC.

Sadly on 09/01 of this year, the winery’s parent company, Constellation Brands, closed the winery. Production of the winery’s Toasted Head label and other R.H. Phillips wines will continue in Acampo at Robert Mondavi’s Woodbridge winery. Two of the R.H. Phillips winemakers are also moving to Woodbridge. In recent years R.H. Phillips has become my “go to” wine. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into another Blackstone. Woodbridge winery hopes to maintain the same quality and passion that has made this wine so enjoyable....we’ll see………

You can find this wine and other R.H. Phillips wines at Total Wine and ABC Fine Wine & Spirits.

Chickadee word of the day:
Silky – Wine that is incredibly smooth, lush and finely textured.

Copyright ©2009 by Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.

2005 Surf Point Merlot

Thanks to some computer geeks who think it’s fun to create viruses that infect your PC, block you from accessing anything, cost you time and money….the Wine Chick was only able to get 4 blogs out last week. I’ll try to make it up to you this week though. Thanks to the good folks at Citrus Park Computers, virus has been removed and PC is up and running.

After another long emotional rollercoaster at work, Hubby returned home with a bottle of 2005 Surf Point Merlot. I love when he buys the wine since it really is more of a blind tasting for me and for you too. The color in the glass is a deep red. The aromas are faint but I detect blackberries and currants. The flavors are soft with hints of oak, vanilla and cherries.
Surf Point grapes are grown along the warm inland valleys of California’s north and central coastal regions, providing longer growing seasons resulting in fruit-intense wines true to varietal character. Surf Point Merlot was night harvested so the grapes reach an optimal temperature for fermentation.

In my research I find Surf Point is Food Lion’s private label wine. We found this at Sweetbay for $5.99 which makes sense since Food Lion and Sweetbay are both under the Delhaize banner. I also learn Surf Point, recently received recognition at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. Surf Point’s Pinot Grigio received the gold medal, Surf Point Merlot (silver medal) and Surf Point Chardonnay (bronze medal). While I wouldn’t consider this my go to wine, it was very drinkable and priced right.


Wine quote for the day:
“Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world, that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly any other purely sensory thing.” – Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon.

Copyright ©2009 by Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.