Christmas at Biltmore® Wine 2011

Many of us carry an idyllic image of the perfect Christmas. Majestic tree reaching toward the sky, beautiful, gleaming ornaments, an abundance of food on a table set for royalty, snow kissed landscape, beautifully wrapped presents under the tree, surrounded by family and friends and of course plenty of spirits (err, the drinkable kind). While I may not have the type of ceilings that allow for an enormous tree or a table that seats sixty, I can still capture some of that Christmas cheer with my latest sample, Christmas at Biltmore® 2011.

Nose is full of orange blossom, rose and honey notes. Flavors of sweet honeysuckle and apricot make way for a delicate citrus finish. The wine is a little on the sweet side but sipping fireside it was a delight and at $11.99, you don’t have to be a multi-millionaire to enjoy. We paired the wine with Brix Chocolate for Wine Milk Chocolate for a lovely decadent combo.

Varietals – Gewürztraminer, Muscat Canelli, Chenin Blanc and Riesling

Region – California
pH – 3.38
TA – 0.58
RS – 4%
Alcohol – 12.5%

One of these Christmases, I’m going to make the pilgrimage to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. The estate and grounds are full of magic and wonder bringing you back to a scene out of America’s Castles. George Vanderbilt opened the Biltmore home to family and friends on Christmas Eve 1895. Guests were greeted by a large Christmas tree placed in the Banquet Hall. The oversized table held a feast that could probably feed a small country and after dinner, George's mom read stories to the children. I wonder if George had maps made so no one would get lost on their way to the bathroom or there beds.

Last year I’m told it snowed on Christmas Eve here in the Georgia Mountains. Yesterday the high was sixty-five and I have to admit, I found it delightfully warm as I ran from store to store taking care of a little Christmas shopping for both myself and my husband. Never thought I would be visiting Tractor Supply for presents but they do have a little bit of everything. I suppose in the spring when we have our first round of chickens, I’ll be spending even more time and money at good ole’ Tractor Supply!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah and while we’re at it, Happy Festivus, All Ya’ll!

If you would like to send samples for my review, please contact me at kstargaard@yahoo.com.

2011© Kellie Stargaard.  All Rights Reserved.

http://winechicksguidetoeverydaywines.blogspot.com/

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Zonin Prosecco and Brix Chocolate for Wine

It’s that time of year again; time to pop open the holiday bubbly! As I’ve mentioned in past bubbly blogs, I don’t wait for special occasions to delight in the effervescent wine, any occasion will do like; it’s Monday, I woke up that day, the day ends in a “y”, etc. I do most of my bubbly drinking after dinner but sparklers can lend themselves to food, you just have to do your homework. I recently received a sample of Zonin Prosecco and a new edition to the Brix Chocolate for Wine collection, Smooth Dark Chocolate.

Now my friends know that I’m not a lover of sweets. For birthdays, I ask the office celebration be with cheese and crackers versus the lard like butter cream sheet cake from the local supermarket. Over the years I’ve learned, it’s not that I don’t like chocolate, I just don’t care for the cheaply made chocolate widely available. I do however enjoy chocolates that have been made with carefully selected cocoa, the kind that can be eaten on its own or paired with a bottle of wine. In this case, I paired with a bottle of Zonin Prosecco.

Prosecco is a dry sparkling wine but seems many American and Italian producers still produce overly sweet varieties.  Zonin Prosecco does not follow that train of thought. The wine is dry and tantalizing with loads of fruity flavors. Paired with the Brix Smooth Chocolate, both were divine but even on its own, the tiny little bubbles made just sitting at home on the couch a little more festive.

Casa Vinicola Zonin S.p.a., Italy’s largest privately held wine company, prides themselves on producing quality Prosecco. Their intention is to make all of life’s little moments more enjoyable with a glass or even a bottle of Zonin Prosecco. The Prosecco grape is native to the Veneto region where the Zonin family just happens to own the largest Prosecco vineyards in Italy.

So what do cocoa and wine have in common? Tannins. Brix has four flavors to accompany different wine varietals, the darkest reds, fruitier reds, lightest reds and dessert wines. The natural tannins in the cocoa prepare the palate for the tannins in the wine. Brix uses single-origin chocolate from Ghana, chosen for the bright, fruit forward flavors complement the complex flavors in wine. The Smooth  Dark Chocolate pairs best with Champagne, Prosecco, Riesling and Moscato.

So there you have it, the perfect pair, Zonin Prosecco and Brix Smooth Dark Chocolate. Raise a glass, break a piece off and enjoy!

If you would like to send samples for my review, please contact me at kstargaard@yahoo.com.

2011© Kellie Stargaard.  All Rights Reserved.

http://winechicksguidetoeverydaywines.blogspot.com/

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Clif Family Winery Kit’s Killer Cab Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Tuesday I felt like a kid waiting for Santa, except I was waiting for a little snow fall. Is there any better way to get into the holiday swing than a nip in the air, tiny little snowflakes and a little something in your wine glass? I can’t think of a single thing. To help get us in the mood, I chose a wine that I hoped stood up to its name and did it ever! Clif Family Winery Kit’s Killer Cab was like an early Christmas present. My husband and I needed a little pampering after spending 30 hours with no running water. Ah, the joys of living in the country and getting water from a well. Seems one of the hoses had a quarter size hole that for two days allowed sediment to come into the pipes and mid-Sunday, allowed no water at all into the house. You never really appreciate in-door plumbing until it’s gone. Heck, I would have been happy with outdoor plumbing at that point. All is well now so back to Kit’s Killer Cab.

Seductive plum and leather aromas draw me in for the first sip. Flavors are full of cherries, cocoa and vanilla. Well structured tannins and a long spicy vanilla finish. A great holiday splurge to bring to the table or just to drink on its own.

Appellation – Napa Valley

Varietal Blend – 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cab Franc
Alcohol: 14.1%
Release Date: Spring 2011
Cases Produced: 250
Winemakers: Sarah Gott and Bruce Regalia
Suggested Retail Price: $38

When I first wrote about Clif Family Wines, I was two days away from moving from warm, sunny and flat Florida to sometimes warm, sometimes sunny always hilly and mountainous NE Georgia. I spoke then about how the Clif Family embraces a certain lifestyle and I longed to have a different way of living myself. In the three months we’ve lived in our home, we’ve taken to more of a living off the land and buying local lifestyle. We’ve purchase 1/8 of a cow from Loganberry Farms in Dahlonega, my husband planted a small winter garden and plotted where multiple gardens, berry patches, fruit and nut trees will be planted in the upcoming months.

As I look out our front window, I marvel at the thousands of leaves blanketing the lawn. Every day the landscape takes on more of a wintery look. Makes me wonder, will the last of the leaves still clinging to their branches be covered with a fine white snow later today? No, I guess not but I look forward to waking up to a wintery wonderland in the near future. Just hope I don’t have to drive anywhere that day! Good thing I always have plenty of wine in the house.

If you would like to send samples for my review, please contact me at kstargaard@yahoo.com.

2011© Kellie Stargaard.  All Rights Reserved.

http://winechicksguidetoeverydaywines.blogspot.com/

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Thanksgiving Wines Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling and Candor Lot 3 Merlot

On your mark, get set go! It’s here folks, I saw it slowing sneaking up since mid-September and now it’s finally arrived; the kick off to the holiday season. After having Christmas shoved down our throats since before Halloween, I’m finally beginning to get into the Christmas spirit. Hold on, I’m doing just what retailers do, I’m skipping forward and forgetting there is a holiday before Christmas that is the perfect time to slow down and enjoy family, friends and life. That holiday of course is Thanksgiving, a day of over eating, over imbibing in drink and for some over shopping. For me, it’s a three days of sharing my love of wine. This year I’ll be serving Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling and Candor Lot 3 Merlot.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling 2009

Citrus and tropical aromas, honey and pineapple flavors wash over the palate. Hints of green apple and peach provide for a lingering finish. The hint of citrus pairs well with turkey, the clean feel of the wine helps to cut through some of the heavy flavors of the dressing and other fixings. For more on Chateau Ste. Michelle, click here.

Candor Lot 3 Merlot

A blend of three vintages, 2008, 2009 & 2010 this Merlot can sit at my table any day. Bordeaux like aromas full of black cherry and currant. Sensual black fruits, plums and cherry mingle with a vanilla and woodsy finish. Full bodied, this wine is the perfect finish to a perfect meal and truly feels like Thanksgiving in a glass. Even my husband who is not a huge Merlot fan thought this one was great. I know this is a short one and promise will write more on Candor wines soon.

What are you thankful for this year? I’m thankful for my husband, my family and my friends. I’m thankful my husband and I not only made the decision to move to the Georgia Mountains but that we had the ability to do so as well. I’m thankful our house in Florida sold within 6 weeks of going on the market and thankful we were able to find 3 acres of wooded land in a quiet and somewhat secluded area. I’m thankful my parents are able to spend Thanksgiving with us this year, I’m thankful my 19 year old cat, Katundra, is still with us to enjoy some left over turkey pieces (although she prefers cheese and her treats).

Most of all, I’m just thankful to be in this place in my life. I don’t want to be 23 again, although I wouldn’t mind the thinner body and the younger looking face, but I’m happy I’m at a place in my life where money is not as important as it once was and climbing the corporate ladder is no longer a priority. It’s this time when you can slow down and begin to evaluate the truly important things in life. Those to me are family and friends to share great moments with and in those moments, share great wines.

If you would like to send samples for my review, please contact me at kstargaard@yahoo.com.

2011© Kellie Stargaard.  All Rights Reserved.
http://winechicksguidetoeverydaywines.blogspot.com/

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Simi Landslind Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

I’ll admit it; I’m a sucker for packaging. Not so much how it’s displayed on a shelf in the store, really more how I carry my goodies out the door. Some tissue paper and ribbon really goes a long way with me. I know some will say I’m paying for that little happiness with higher store prices, well so be it! It’s a small price to pay when you think about it. Why should our bundles be shoved into a plastic bag, don’t we deserve to feel a little special every now and then?

Several weeks ago I received a wine sample that was packaged not in the usual Styrofoam or cardboard form but in heavy card stock box, cushioned in shredded paper and wrapped in a mock newspaper detailing SimiWinery’s 135 years in the wine industry. I have to tell you, I don’t know if it was the packaging but Simi Landslind Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 was one of the finest wines I have tasted in some time.

As the aromas waft out of the glass I think, “oh, this is going to be something special.” Aromas full of black fruits and oak. First sip is pure ecstasy with black cherry and delicious oak flavors. Tannins are bold yet smooth and elegant. Finish goes on and on, I never want this wine to end. We paired the wine with a cut of meat from our 1/8 of a cow purchase. A wonderful grass fed filet made this pairing a match made in heaven. 

Appellations: Alexander Valley
Varietal composition: 80% Cabernet Sauvginon, 9% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Tannat
Fermentation: 34 days on skins
Aging: 26 months in 78% new oak
Total acidity: 5.8 g/L
pH: 3.61
Alcohol: 14.5%

Simi is Sonoma County’s longest continually operating winery. Founded by Italian immigrant brothers, Giuseppe and Pietro Simi in 1881. The brothers left their home in Tuscany following their quest for fortune in the California Gold Rush. After making a few bucks selling wine on the streets of San Francisco, the brothers purchased the winery in Healdsburg and planted their first vineyards in Alexander Valley.

The first harvest was in 1890 but their run was short lived. Both brothers died in 1904 from the Spanish flu, leaving Giuseppe’s daughter, Isabelle, at the reigns. During Prohibition, Isabelle sold the vineyards but held onto the winery by making sacramental wine. This decision among others allowed the winery to continue making wine and once Prohibition ended, the winery had an abundance of wine to sell to the thirsty public.

Fast forward to 1970 when Isabelle retires after selling the winery to Russell Green. Green, a leader in obtaining AVA status for Alexander Valley expands by purchasing  vineyards in the Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley. This is in keeping with the wineries tradition of obtaining quality grapes from top growing regions. Simi now owns 600 acres of vineyards in Alexander Valley and 100 acres in Russian River Valley.

Cheers to one of California’s oldest running wineries!

If you would like to send samples for my review, please contact me at kstargaard@yahoo.com.

2011© Kellie Stargaard.  All Rights Reserved.

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Roots Run Deep Winery’s Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

I’m slowly realizing the additional expenses that come with living in a colder climate. Had our chimney cleaned yesterday at a cost of $150 and was told our rain pan was rusted and the seals were broken. I thought, how much can this be, $125? Oh I was way off, $550 to replace. Have to wonder if I can live with the possibility of rain, snow, bats and squirrels making their way down the chimney. It’s an insert with a door, what’s the harm All this was enough to make me grab for the bottle right then and there. However, I was able to hold off until dinner. Then I reached for Roots Run Deep Winery’s Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon 2009.

Blackberry and juicy plum aromas. Cherry, vanilla and chocolate flavors remind me of chocolate covered cherries in a glass without all the sweetness. Hint of mint in the finish provides a nice lingering finish.  We paired with homemade Pad Thai and the combo was wonderful.

Region - 100% Napa Valley

Appellations - 89% Rutherford and St. Helena, 11% Yountville, Oak Knoll and Calistoga
Varietal - 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
12 Months French and American Oak
SRP - $20

Founded in 2005 Roots Run Deep set off to produce great tasting wines at affordable prices. Educated Guess Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the winery’s first release and their flagship wine. The name came about after discussing winemaking processes and the art versus science argument. Proprietor, 15-year veteran, Mark Albrecht and winemaker, 30-year veteran, Barry Gnekow, use knowledge and experience when creating wines for their portfolio, but like all farming, it’s an educated guess as to when the grapes are at their peak and ready to be picked.

For those of you chemistry challenged wine drinkers, the label represents the science used in winemaking. It shows you actual winemaking formulas that are either induced or naturally occur during a specific winemaking process. If you want to learn more about the 5 formula strings on the label click here.

Me, I’m just going to reach for another glass of Educated Guess. I’ll need it after the mess I’m creating; sanding down joint compound to cover up the grooves in the very dated paneling. My house is now a whirl of dust. Hope I can find my wine glass in all this haze.

If you would like to send samples for my review, please contact me at kstargaard@yahoo.com.

2011© Kellie Stargaard.  All Rights Reserved.
http://winechicksguidetoeverydaywines.blogspot.com/

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Darcie Kent Vineyards Grüner Veltliner Black Jack Vineyard

While my body is struggling to adjust to the recent cold temps, I find I’m not quite ready to pack up the white wines for the season. Maybe I’m just trying to hold on to some remembrance of summer and warmth. But as October comes to a close, I realize, I never made it to the big Oktoberfest in Helen. So my husband, the cook in the family, whipped up a platter of Wiener Schnitzel and potato pancakes. While choosing the perfect wine for the occasion, I found one I received as a sample quite some time ago, 2009 Darcie Kent Vineyards Grüner Veltliner Black Jack Vineyard.

Aromas are a little closed at first; but maybe my nostrils are just frozen. After some swirling, I pick up a faint hint of honeysuckle. Delicate peach, floral and lime flavors wash over the palate. The wine is slightly dry; with a well balanced acidic finish. Easy drinking and delightful.

Appellation – Montery, CA

Varietal – 100% Grüner Veltliner
TA - .64
pH – 3.32
RS - .75g/100ml
Alcohol – 13%
SRP - $18

For too many years, German wines lived under a stigma, one of a cheap and overly sweet variety. Luckily many German wine drinkers now seek out complex and flavorful wines and winemakers are responding. Now German wine drinkers can find a wide selection of wines that can be consumed young or those that can be aged for years.  Grüner Veltliner is currently Austria’s favorite white33+3 wine. The citrus and acidic flavors lend themselves to a variety of food pairings. The varietal can also be found in array of styles from light-bodied and easy drinking to full-bodied and complex, as well as sparkling. This means there’s also a price range for everyone.

While Grüner Veltliner may be Austria’s most popular white wine, Darcie Kent Vineyards Grüner Veltliner Black Jack Vineyard is made right here in the good old U.S. of A.; Montery, California to be exact. Established in 1996 in Livermore's Crane Ridge foothills, Darcie and her husband David focus on single vineyard wines. Grapes are sourced from one of the Kent’s vineyards or from local family vineyards. Darcie, an artist, designs the labels for each of the vintages.   

My husband keeps telling me I’ll get used to the cold. I’m not so sure it’s going to be that easy. After spending the first well, just say the first half of my life in a sub-tropical climate where it’s not unheard of to take a dip in the family pool on Christmas Day, I think I’m in for a long bone chilling winter. Feel free to share any tips on making through the winter in a cold climate, I’m pretty sure I can use them. Until then, maybe I’ll break out the Port.

If you would like to send samples for my review, please contact me at kstargaard@yahoo.com.

2011© Kellie Stargaard.  All Rights Reserved.

http://winechicksguidetoeverydaywines.blogspot.com/

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