Monthly Archives: December 2009

Wine and Champagne for New Year’s Eve

Posted on December 30, 2009 | 2 Comments

It’s hard to believe that we are already celebrating the arrival of 2010.  It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were getting panicky about Y2K and the impending end of civilization.  So lets celebrate that not happening!

I know times are tough, but you know what?  Sometimes you just have to go out and treat yourself!  Plus the economy depends on it.  So I suggest that everyone spends at least 2 times what they would normally spend on a bottle of wine or champagne.   You only live once, you can’t take your $$$ to heaven and numbers like 2010 don’t come around very often.

In no particular order: (I’m not going to get into flavor profiles, because these suggestions are all based on “prestige, $$$, and point scores) Those are the things that you are going to  brag about at your New Year’s parties when someone asks you what you are drinking.

1. d’Arenberg “The Dead Arm”  Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia.  Retails for around $60 (US). Consistent 94,95 point scores.  Big bold Shiraz

2. Elderton Wines, Barossa Command Single Vineyard Shiraz. Saw it at Costco for about $80. 97 points Robert Parker.  Buy one for New Years, and hold the other because they say it’ll be good through 2035.

Those are two good suggestions if you like big bold wines and Shiraz in general. But what if you don’t?  How about something like a Cabernet Sauvignon then?

1. Chimney Rock, Stag’s Leap Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon.  Retails for around $50. Nice 90 point wine, great with grilled meat, or by itself.

2. Spring Mountain Vineyard, 2004 Cabernet.  Great for drinking slowly over the course of the night, maybe get two bottles if there is more than one true wine lover at the party.  Retails for around $60

**Note** I would be suggesting the much less expensive  Cameron Hughes Wines but they are not available at most retail outlets, so I’m just going with wines everyone should be able to find at their local wine merchant.  If your local merchant doesn’t have these wines, it might be time to think about shopping elsewhere. (wow how wine snobby does that sound?!)

Okay so Shiraz and Cabernet are still just to big and acidic for you.  You need Pinot Noir.  You still want to be featured on Robin Leech’s Life Styles of the Rich and Famous though, so don’t be skimping and buying a regular $15 bottle of Pinot okay?

1. Hartford Court, Pinot  Noir, Land’s Edge, 2005 Sonoma. Retail $55.  96 points

2. 2006 Cambria “Julia’s Vineyard” Santa Maria Pinot Noir.  Retail $25.  I know this one isn’t that expensive but the accolades are impressive.  93 points, Editors Choice and #1 wine of the year in Wine Enthusiasts top 100 for 2009.

Okay on to Champagne!  What no white wines?  Yup thats right. No whites.

If you want to make a big impression and look like a super star you need to pick up a bottle of Dom Perignon.  And if you want to take it even farther and really rock it this New Year’s you need to pick up a bottle of Cristal.

1. 2002 Louis Roederer “Cristal” Brut Champagne.  98 points about $200+  but I have seen it at Costco in the metro Phoenix area for $167.  Nothing says “It’s good to be the King” like Cristal.  Name that quote…

2. Okay so the Cristal might be a couple bucks too much so try Louis Roederer Brut Premier instead.  90 points and about $40.  42,000 cases were imported so if your local wine merchant doesn’t have it then maybe it’s time to find a new place to buy your wines.

2010 will hopefully be a better year than 2009.  Let’s drink to that this New Year’s Eve.  Or if you had an awesome 2009 then drink to that.  All joking aside, I am serious about laying down some serious dough for some seriously good wines this NYE.  We all deserve it!  You can’t just keep squeaking through life missing out on the finer things, something has to eventually give!

Cheers, Happy New Year!

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Champagne, Pinot Noir, Shiraz

Tagged , , , , ,

Cameron Hughes Lot 116, 2007 Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon

Posted on December 28, 2009 | 4 Comments

Alcohol: 14.5%

Production: 1012 Cases

$22

From the company literature:

“Deep, dark brooding Cabernet, ruby-plum color with deep crimson rim. On the nose blackcurrant hits you right between the eyes with Cassis intermixed with blackberries, chocolate, and damp earth.  Nuances of moist underbrush are braced by cedary oak and excellent fruit purity…charming texture…rich mid-palate tannins…lingering finish and full-bodied elegance…”

Once again this is another wine sourced from an $85 dollar bottle-program.  The wine maker sourced the blend from the vineyards in Mount Veeder, Oakville, Rutherford, and Spring Mountain.  Under it’s original label it receives consistent 91, 92 and 93 point scores.  And this is the really GOOD part… many of Cameron Hughes wines are made from leftover barrel lots from high-end wineries, however, this wine is the actual bottling blend.

It’s tough to decide which one I like more, Lot 164 or Lot 116.  Lot 164 is immediately amazing whereas this wine becomes more and more amazing over several hours.  Until it reaches a peak which I enjoy more than Lot 164.  Great nose of blackcurrant, doesn’t quite hit me like I expected.  And I’m glad it didn’t, I don’t really want to be completely whacked in the face by the wine. Not right away anyways…

definitely rich mid-palate tannins.  And later on they become richer and richer, until the concentrated chocolate is so awesome it literally began to give me goosebumps!  I had this wine with slow cooked Tri-Tip, sautéed mushrooms in worchestire sauce, a green salad and a little bit of Quinoa.  It was awesome!  The wine really came alive and made my steak taste better too. In fact it made it taste so good that I ate a second steak!  It’s the kind of wine that turns you into a ravenous carnivore.  And later on I had to bake some chocolate chip cookies.  I am putting this wine in my top 5 favorite wines of all time right now.  Wow!  Incredible, and by the end of the bottle I was wishing for more, but alas it was about 2am.

Update:

2nd tasting:

I paired it with a slow roasted Filet Mignon.  Once again, it really made the steak come alive.  Rich rich mid palate tannins, but not harsh tannins.  Very well done.  2nd night of the 2nd tasting is fantastic as well.  The blackberries and cedary oak are coming through and it has now been 24 hours since I opened the bottle.  Still no trace of alcohol!

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Wine Review, Wines over $20

Tagged , ,

Wine Review | Cameron Hughes Lot 121

Posted on December 28, 2009 | Leave a comment

Cameron Hughes, Lot 121  2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain, Napa Valley

Cameron Hughes Spring Mountain Cabernet

1 of only about 5,500 bottles made

 

 

Alcohol: 14.2%

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

460 cases made.

Rating: 90 points Wine Enthusiast

$20

From Cameron Hughes Literature:

“…incredible fruit, colossal structure, gorgeous oak (80% new and 20% one-year old barrels for 20 months) and a remarkably supple mouthfeel for this district.  Deep purple red color and gorgeous nose reveal red stone fruits on the palate with plenty of tannin…’03 and ’04 recieved 92 points from The Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.

I really have to agree that this wine is very accessible for the Spring Mountain District. The tannins are a little more laid back than the Spring Mountain Vineyard 2004 Cabernet that I reviewed a while back.  Equally delicious though, and needs similar amount of time in the decanter.  Minimum an hour, but two would be better.  I am always really interested in the story behind the wine.  Cameron always has a “Cameron Confidential” on his website where he gives you some clues and insights into the wine.  The remarkable thing about this wine is that not only does it come from the anonymous wineries $85 program but it is also the wineries entire production for 2006!

2nd Review

November 2010.

I made this!

After holding onto this wine for a year I recently celebrated the Weekly Wine Journal’s 1st birthday.  I went all out and bought a Kobe New York Strip to pair with this wine.  I also grilled some golden beets and carrots on a cedar plank, and also sautéed red onions and mushrooms in Worcester sauce.  This wine was an incredible pairing with the tender fatty juicy steak.  The bold chewy tannins were able to cut through the fat.  Absolutely fantastic!

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Wines under $20

Tagged , , , , , ,

Christmas Dinner Wine Pairings

Posted on December 23, 2009 | 3 Comments

For those of you searching for something other than the traditional Christmas Dinner Wine Pairings, see my post Not the Same Old Wine Pairings.

So you’re having turkey dinner…

For those of you who want to show your guests that you have absolutely zero imagination or tolerance of risk, and that you have an almost maniacal disregard for their well-being,  I suggest you serve pink Zinfandel all day and all night.

If you want to go with a little more risk and pizzaz, try serving a fruit forward Red Zinfandel or Primitivo.  Layer Cake makes a decent $13 Primitivo.  It has a fairly light alcohol content at 13.5% and gentle tannins.  It’s a little bit sweet and generally happy to play second fiddle to the rest of your holiday meal.  For white you could serve a fruity Riesling.  I suggest Sofia (Coppola) Riesling at about $13.

If you want to step it up a little more and show some creativity, while still conforming to the wine pairing rule book you could serve a dry Pinot Noir.  I suggest Luigi Bosca Reserva 2007 Pinot Noir from Argentina.  90 points from Jay Miller for Robert Parker.  Retails for about $15-$20.  For white go with 2007 Chateau St. Michelle Riesling Eroica  (NOT their regular Riesling) 91 points and about $20-$25.

there you have it, short and sweet.  Merry Christmas everyone!

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Pinot Noir, Riesling, Wines under $20, Zinfandel

Tagged , ,

Cameron Hughes, Lot 164, 2007 Napa Valley Rutherford Cabernet

Posted on December 23, 2009 | Leave a comment

The Technicals:

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol: 14.5%

Production: 650 Cases

From the company literature:  “Black center with dark reddish rim; beautiful nose of violets and crushed stone fruits, most notably black cherries.  Full bodied…outstanding overall structure and balance with fine tannins, subtle and well-integrated.  Gobs of black cherry and old-world complexities flesh out the mid-palate…finishes smooth with notes of that classic Rutherford dust.”

Cameron Hughes sourced this wine from a “very famous” wine-maker from Rutherford who had intended this for his $85 program but the economic conditions called for a change of plans.  Lucky for me, and for you-dear reader.

I bought it with my own hard-earned money for $18.70 off the Cameron Hughes Website and had it shipped to Arizona.  The shipping was prompt, the wines were properly packaged, and nothing was broken.  The wine is only available on the website.

I got home from work a little after 4 in the afternoon and opened the bottle poured half in the decanter.  I paced around the house waiting, typed the title to this post and then I had to have  a sniff and a sip.

Right away, I thought to myself  “Wow I think the wine is actually black”  It was sitting next to the kettle…

I picked up on the “Beautiful nose of violets”   and a hint of cherry and plum. This after only being decanted for about 10 minutes.  I took a sip…

Yea!  It had been raining all day in Phoenix and I suddenly felt a ray of sunshine burst through the clouds and hit me in the forehead. Full bodied? Absolutely.  Lots of black cherry on the palate, and SUPER smooth.  I mean flawlessly smooth.  Surgical grade smoothness.  The wine is still young, and tannic, squeaky teeth tannins but very rich with concentrated fruit.

So then I had to run a few errands.  I always do things this way:  Come home, open the “serious” wine, then go back out and run errands while it breathes.  While I drive around in rush hour traffic salivating thinking of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  So I went to the Mercado, which is about a mile away and I could still taste the wine in my mouth when I arrived, even though I had rinsed my mouth out before I left!  Ran a few errands, all in all it took about an hour, came back and poured a glass.

The nose had opened up a bit more, the “dusty” tannins were more present on the back end now, which I like.  This wine is still just a bit young for me, (imagine Randy from American Idol saying that)  for me, dog, it’s still just a bit young.  But give it time and this wine will blow your mind.  It will blow your mind that you paid twenty bucks for this.  In fact you’ll look like a genius.  I was thinking about that while I was on my errand trip, at Chase bank.  I was trying to figure out how I would word my request for a loan to buy a few dozen cases of this wine and a home improvement loan to build a cellar to store it.  But I knew the answer the second I walked in the door.

6 hours later this wine is still incredibly full bodied, it actually seems even bigger than before, like it’s still opening up and beginning to ignite.  It is a fiercely good wine.  I would recommend this to any wine drinker who says they like big monster California cabs but done with an uncommon elegance for something so powerful.

(Update)PART TWO:

I saved about 2 glasses of this wine for the next night.  It tasted every bit as good as the first night, if not better.  The pretty nose is still very present, and so is the smooth rich concentrated fruit.  I was sad when it was all gone :(

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Wine Review, Wines under $20

Tagged , ,

A small airplane and free wine

Posted on December 19, 2009 | 4 Comments

In the spring of 2000 something happened with a credit card company and their travel miles and some kind of notice went out that the unused miles had to be used soon or they would be lost.  I don’t even know if that’s the story, but I know this.  I had to fly from Terrace, British Columbia, to Vancouver for a training course and my dad had these extra air mile points that he couldn’t use so he asked me if I wanted to upgrade to first class for the trip.  Fore sure! Awesome!  The flight is only about an hour, about 500 miles over mostly ice.  Terrace has always reminded me of the David Lynch creation “Twin Peaks”.  A logging town with a bit of a weird side to it.  The plane that usually flies out of Terrace holds about 50 people,  and I didn’t even realize there was a first class.

I don’t know why I did this, but I guess it’s my nature…

I decided to dress up in a full on business suit for the trip.  It was the heady days of the dot com stock market too.  I waited in the tiny terminal in my super awesome business suit and when they announced boarding and first class I was the only passenger to board first class!  I sat down in my big soft seat, I think there were 8 first class seats, and relaxed.  Then I purposely pulled out the newspaper and opened it to the stock summary page, you know–really businessman like.  That’s weird actually if you think about it, do they still print stock prices in the newspaper and if they do, what the hell for?

So when all the regular passengers started boarding there I was, mr important business traveler reading his stocks and bonds in the newspaper…I could see the other travelers out of the corner of my eye sneaking a peek at me…all the while inside I was laughing my ass off!!  The plane took off and then the in flight services began.  Now this is the awesome part:  I had my on personal stewardess!  She asked me if I would like some wine, and I asked what kind it was.

“Wolf Blass Presidents Selection, 1998″

I’ll have a glass, thank you.  It tasted awesome! that’s really all I remember because right after I finished that glass the stewardess brought another and I realized we were already half way through the one hour flight, so I began to drink faster and faster.  All of a sudden the business schtick was gone, and I was just a guy trying to guzzle as much of this delicious and expensive wine as possible before the table trays had to go up.   So I drank that whole bottle  in one hour, which isn’t really a speed record but I was sure happy when I wandered out of the airport.

Just looking at snooth.com while I am writing this, the 1998 Wolf Blass President’s Selection was rated 95 points by Wine Spectator and 93 points by wine advocate and is currently going for $244 a bottle, although I think it was closer to $90 when I drank it.    If I could, I would do it all over again!

snooth

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Shiraz

Tagged

Not the same old Holiday wine pairings

Posted on December 18, 2009 | Leave a comment

I am tired of the same old wine pairings for the traditional Christmas Dinner.  So this year I am looking to try something different.

Shiraz before dinner, Cabernet Sauvignon with Turkey Dinner and Muscat after dinner (which is probably not that unusual).  And for Christmas morning, at the suggestion of Tony from Yalumba, I will enjoy Viognier for breakfast!

The details:

Before I leave for work in the morning (around 7:30am) I will put a bottle of 2006 Marquis Phillips, Shiraz 9 in the decanter.  I’ve had it before, and it weighs in at 16% alcohol.  It is MASSIVE.  It’s not a fruit bomb either.  I brought it over to a friends for a dinner party and the quote of the evening from my friend who generally likes Pinot Noir: “This wine is hurting my mouth!” I laughed mercilessly at him.  I’m interested to see what 12 months has done to the wine.

I’ll probably get home from work around 3 in the afternoon, and by then that Shiraz 9 will be ready for conspicuous consumption.  I might have to share a little bit of it with the other Christmas dinner guests when they arrive at around 6pm.  I am choosing this wine because of its sheer intensity, but also, from what I remember last year, it tasted really good.  Sorry, I’m also a bit tired of the same old wine descriptions so I’m not going to elaborate on the taste in this post

At around 4pm I will open up the remaining two bottles of Chalone Vineyard Cabernet that I bought recently.  If you read my review of it, you’ll know that I recommended about 3 hours in the decanter for this wine to truly open up.

Christmas Dinner will consist of Turkey, ham, stuffing, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, salad, and probably something else.  It’s always a potluck dinner so I never know exactly what to expect. I will gorge myself on Christmas dinner and wine, and then for dessert I will open up a little bottle of Yalumba Museum Reserve Muscat.  I pour myself a tiny glass and also drizzle this on Hagen Daz vanilla bean ice cream.  This wine tastes like strong black tea and sweet dried apricots.  It’s enough to leave you twitching in a diabetic coma by the end of the night. Yum!

Christmas morning I might be feeling a little rough, and so that’s when I will pop and pour some Yalumba Viognier, and have it with a toasted bagel and plain cream cheese.

Tim

Links:

Yalumba Museum Reserve

Chalone Vineyards Cabernet Review

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Food, Shiraz, Viognier, Wines under $20

Tagged , , , , , ,

$1000 of wine for $250!

Posted on December 17, 2009 | Leave a comment

Yes, it’s another plug for Cameron Hughes! And no I am not getting paid to do this.

I ordered myself a case of wine for Christmas…here’s what I ordered:

2 bottles of Lot 100, 2006 Stag’s Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon  $21 each

2 bottles of Lot 116, 2007 Napa Valley (Mt. Veeder, Oakville, Rutherford, Spring Mountain) Cabernet  $22 each

3 bottles of Lot 121, 2006 Spring Mountain Cabernet $20 each

one bottle of Lot 143 2007 Napa Valley (Howell Mountain) cabernet   $22

one bottle of Lot 149 2007 Napa Valley (Mount George) Cabernet $22

3 bottles of Lot 164 2007, Napa valley Rutherford Cabernet

Almost every one of these Lots were taken from $85 + programs, and some of them are actual bottling blends, not 2nd and 3rd run.  The shipping was free.

I am going to drink these over the holidays and post reviews in the new year.  In the meantime entertain yourself by clicking on the links below for more info on these wines…like how many cases were produced, what the Wine Enthusiast rated them ect ect.

Lot 100

Lot 116

Lot 121

Lot 143

Lot 149

Lot 164

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Wines over $20

Tagged

Thank you to Cameron Hughes Wine

Posted on December 17, 2009 | 6 Comments

Near the end of May 2008, I responded to a Craigslist post seeking part-time wine sales people.  The down turn in the economy was having a serious impact on my finances and I needed a secondary source of income to try to make up the difference.  I was hired one Sunday at the end of May, and the rest is history.   Well here’s the history.

When I first started we were selling Lot 35, Yountville District, Cabernet.  Cameron Hughes wine, as of December 2009, is now selling Lot 164!   In the span of 19 months, working just 2 days a week, I have sold over 1,100 cases of wine to tens of thousands of customers.  I have learned an incredible amount during this time.  I have developed the confidence necessary to talk with hundreds of people a day.  I have learned first hand what sells.  I have read a lot of books over the years about how to be a salesman.  All of them have been utterly useless compared to actually going out and doing it. And instead of writing a book full of fluff while holding off on telling you the “secrets” to sales until the very end I am just going to sum it up like this:  Enthusiasm sells.  And you can’t be truly enthusiastic about something if you don’t truly believe in it.  It’s that simple.  I truly believe that there are almost no wines  that can compete with Cameron Hughes Wine at the same price point.  His wines drink like wines that sell for two, three four even five times the price!

I have also learned an incredible amount about wine.  The thing that I really like about Cameron Hughes is that I don’t have to wait until next years vintage to try out one of his new wines.  He is a wine negociant and therefore can release wine anytime he acquires its, which is usually every 6-8 weeks.  So every 2 months I have been enjoying about 4-5 completely new styles of wine that I would have had little exposure to otherwise.

So why am I thanking Cameron Hughes and everyone that I have met there?  Because I am stepping back from wine sales.  I have been working 2 jobs, 7 days a week for almost 20 months now.  I am burned out.   I am going to take some much needed time off, and spend time with family and friends.  I would like to travel to Napa!  Yes it’s true, I have never been there, weird?  And yes, I am going to continue with this blog!

I want to thank Jessica for helping me out with a whole bunch of paper work!  I want to thank Rob for helping me to be less verbose!

I especially want to thank Terri Reed.  Without her guidance and patient mentoring in the art of “hand selling”  I never would have lasted this long.

VISIT THE CAMERON HUGHES WEBSITE HERE!

→ 6 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized, Wine News, Wines under $20

Tagged , ,

4 Awesome Wines under $20

Posted on December 11, 2009 | 5 Comments

The down-turn in the economy has provided me with some amazing opportunities to try high-end wines.  The metro-Phoenix area has been hit very hard by the recession.  A lot of grocery stores and warehouse stores have reduced their high-end wine inventories, slashed prices, and replaced the floor space with things that people might buy more of in a recession.  Things like bread and vegetables, instead of second-growth Bordeaux.

As a result I have been able to pick up some of these $50-$100 wines for about half price, and I have been reviewing and enjoying them.  It occurred to me last week that not everyone can get their hands on these mark-downs. I decided to balance out my reviewing with some great under $20 bargains.

So, just in time for the Christmas season, here are some awesome wines under $20

#1:

Cameron Hughes, Lot 140, 2007, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill, Sonoma County.  $13.99 at select Costco’s.

On the nose: Raspberry,  Bing cherry and Anise.

On the Palate: Cocoa and a hint of mint

See my review of it full review of it here .

.

.

#2:

Next up is d’Arenberg’s “Laughing Magpie”

one the nose: floral notes with cranberry and cherries

on the palate:  Ripe and juicy, velvety mouth-feel

full review here

$18.99 at Costco

#3:

And thirdly, just to switch things up a little bit (I have been reviewing mostly reds)  it’s a Sauvignon Blanc from Titus Vineyards:

Deliciously smooth with ripe fruit and well balanced acidity, more on this wine here.

It’s $20 on their website and most wineries websites are a little higher than the average retail, so you could probably find it cheaper than $20 at a retail outlet.  But you’ll have to be quick about it, there were only 380 cases made!

#4:

And last but not least:  Chalone Vineyard Monterey Cabernet, 2007

$16.99 retail, although with coupons and discounts I ended up paying about $7.56 a bottle

13.5% alcohol, vanilla oak, well balanced oak and fruit, see full review here

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Wine Review, Wines under $20

Tagged , , , , , ,

Chalone Vineyard, 2007 Monterey Cabernet Sauvignon

Posted on December 10, 2009 | 4 Comments

I was in the grocery store earlier this week picking up items to make “Tim’s $5.75 Spaghetti” when all of a sudden I had a hankering for some Tri-Tip.  So I picked up a little 2.5lb steak for 10 bucks and carried on with the shopping.  I ended up in the wine department, as always, and did a quick scan for new items and mark-downs.  I came across a coupon hanging on a bottle of wine, it read:

Buy 3 bottles of Chalone, get $7 off meat purchase.  The Chalone Monterey Cabernet was $16.99 a bottle, but with my VIP club card it was down to $9.99 a bottle. So I bought 3.  One way to look at it is I paid $7.56 for each bottle of wine.

So, was it worth it?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer:

I let the wine breath for 30 minutes while I searched the internet for some information on the wine.  I couldn’t find any reviews or anything!  I found their website but it didnt seem to be working properly.  Wiki provided me with the history of Chalone Vineyard which is quite interesting.

13.5% Alcohol.

First sniff, not much going on.  Really almost nothing.  First taste and swirl, also nothing going on.  I read  the back of the bottle while I pondered whether I had made a wise choice in buying 3 bottles of this wine.  It mentioned vanilla oak.  So just as a test, I decided to add a few drops of pure vanilla extract to the wine!

It gave the wine a definite vanilla aroma, and made the tannins far more chewy.  but it didn’t taste particularly good, so I poured out the glass and rinsed it out and went back to blogging for an hour while I baked my Tri-Tip.

Eventually after close to 4 hours in the decanter this wine revealed itself.  The full force of the vanilla oak was present, the tannins were alive, the fruit and oak were in harmony, and it was actually an amazing wine even I had paid the full price.  It’s definitely not a “pop and pour” wine.  It requires a significant amount of patience if you want to enjoy it right now. Buy and hold.  Who buys $10 wine and holds on to it??  I do that’s who!

Tim

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Wine Review, Wines under $20

Tagged ,

The Great Recession Cookbook: Tim’s $5.75 Spaghetti

Posted on December 9, 2009 | 3 Comments

Like many people, 2009 has been a very rough year for me financially.  Luckily for me I am able to draw on my experiences as a starving musician to help stretch those food dollars farther than I ever thought humanly possible.  5 years of living in the Downtown East Side of Vancouver B.C.  taught me everything I know about the value of a dollar.

For those of you who know the area and would like to entertain yourselves with a little field trip visit the following addresses: 816 East Hastings Street and 550 Prior Street. Send me photos proving you were there and I might buy you a bottle of wine.

Let’s get to it shall we?

Supplies: (some of these are in metric and I don’t feel like converting, most canned items have both units)

2 quarter pound hamburger patties…………..$1

170 grams of Mexican style Chorizo…………..$1

250 grams no name tomato sauce……………. 56 Cents

411 grams whole peeled tomatoes……………. 67 cents

737 grams no name spaghetti sauce………….$1.27

half a yellow onion, diced………………………. 16 cents

a third of a green pepper diced………………. 25 cents

box of no name brand spaghetti noodles…  88 cents

In a big sauce pot, turn on to medium heat, let warm and then add olive oil, then pour in the contents of the whole peeled tomato can including the water.  Turn to medium low and cover 10 minutes, then add Chorizo, cover 10 minutes.  Then add uncooked burger patties.  With a sturdy spatula break apart beef and Chorizo and quarter the whole peeled tomatoes.  Continue until the beef is cooked.  Then add Italian spices and 3 shakes of salt and some coarse ground black pepper.  mix and immediately add tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, cover and cook on low heat 30 minutes.  Add green peppers and turn burner to really low heat and cook uncovered for another hour.

It is important to keep the heat low so the sauce is not boiling or simmering.  Every couple of seconds you should see a “plop” in the sauce, a bubble.

Boil the pasta, drain and add your sauce on top.

This recipe should make enough to feed 6 Adults for less than a dollar each!

enjoy!

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Recipes

Tagged , ,

d’Arenberg “Laughing Magpie” Shiraz-Viognier, 2007

Posted on December 8, 2009 | Leave a comment

I have been drinking the “Laughing Magpie” for  years now.  It is one of my all-time favorites.  It is consistently great.

2004: 92 points, 2005 93 points, 2006: 92 points, 2007: 92 points.

The 2007 vintage is 90% Shiraz, 10% Viognier.   I usually pair this wine with a rich meaty tomato based pasta dish (I will post my recipe later) and topped with aged Parmesan Reggiano.  A side of steaming warm buttered garlic bread is nice too.  Anyone that knows me knows that anytime I am cooking a big pasta meal for my family or friends I always have Laughing Magpie on hand.

Why do I like it?  It is dark and rich.  I like the ripe and juicy texture in my mouth.  I like the tart cranberry juice mixed with blackcurrants and even a hint of apricot.  The tannins are like black tea and there is a white pepper finish.

$18.99 at Costco (I bought a dozen when it when it was on – for $12.97 a bottle!)

The Laughing Magpie is so versatile that it even pairs well with my favorite dessert, cheesecake.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Shiraz, Wine Review, Wines under $20

Tagged ,

Cameron Hughes, Lot 140. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill, Sonoma, 2007

Posted on December 8, 2009 | 9 Comments

Currently this wine is only available at select Costco Wholesale Stores.

From the company literature: “…aromas of raspberry, Bing cherries, and roasted herbs, accompanied by delicate undertones of anise and hints of mint…vibrant mouth-feel and substantial tannins, the palate enjoys cocoa and cherry, with a distinct coffee finish.  Nicely balanced, with good acidity and well integrated oak…mid-palate is fruit-driven and lush, leading toward a more structured, textural finish…”

I decanted for an hour before my first sip.   I was in love with the aroma of this wine right away.  I really picked up on the raspberry and anise.  On the mouth a definite cocoa and cherry, ripe Bing cherry.  A little later on, the mint started to make a subtle appearance.  The oak is really well balanced, (there is no “Oak Monster” lurking in the bottle as Gary Vaynerchuk would say)  This wine is a lot more to my liking than the William Hill Estate Cabernet that I reviewed last week.  Lot 140 blends the pretty aromas of Chimney Rock Cabernet with the big fruit-driven tannins of Spring Mountain.  It’s everything I like about wine, all in one bottle!  Even more amazing is the alcohol content… 14.9%!  I had no idea it was that high, there is absolutely no heat present.  And here’s the kicker… it retails for $13.99 at Costco!  How can it be so good and so cheap??!  You can find Cameron Hughes Wine Lot 140 at select Costco’s in California and Arizona.

P.S.  (Dec 16th–just found out–total production on this wine is 8,000 cases)

Has anyone else tried Lot 140?  What do you think?  Go ahead and leave a comment!

→ 9 Comments

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Wine Review, Wines under $20

Tagged , , ,

William Hill Estate Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005

Posted on December 4, 2009 | Leave a comment

Part one:
I picked this wine up the same day that I picked up the bottle of Spring Mountain Cabernet that I drank last Saturday.  I remember the wine steward at the grocery store pointing this out to me and saying what an incredible price it was.  It was $29 with a 25% discount.  I just visited the William Hill website and I see they have it for sale for $60 ($30 if you buy 6)…so she wasn’t kidding, I got a smokin’ deal! Not so fast there Timmy, let’s see how it tastes…
But first, the technical data:

Blend of grapes:     94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot
Production:             1,000 Cases
Alcohol Content:   14.7%
27 months in French and American oak

From the company literature: “…an abundance of black and blue fruits in the aroma, layered with licorice and spice. The concentrated palate finishes long with a balanced expression of elegant tannins.”

I wasn’t picking up too much on the nose, but that’s not bad, pretty much like the Spring Mountain, and less obvious than Chimney Rock. On the palate I picked up on the licorice and spice, especially as it had more time to breathe. Black licorice has a slightly gritty texture to it, I was picking up on that with the tannins. Maybe dusty is a better description not gritty. Actually clay has that fine texture to it.  When is the last time you ate clay??    I did notice a tiny tiny little bit of heat from the alcohol later on. The finish was powerful and laser focused.  I saved half  the bottle to drink the next night. I wanted to see how 24 hours of air would affect it and also just because it’s “#winewednesday” on twitter, doesn’t mean I can polish off a whole bottle and arrive at the widget factory at 8am Thursday morning and operate the discombobulator without killing myself.

Part Two:

The second night and the wine has been open for 26 hours. The wine has warmed up (I kept it in the fridge last night).  The tannins are making my teeth squeaky.  I can really taste 27 months of oak, just about but not over-oaked…more than I’m used to though.  Reminds me of Raymond Vineyards Reserve Cabernet.  No heat from the alcohol tonight, maybe I was just imagining that last night?  very squeaky teeth though, like when you grind your teeth a little bit after drinking a Coca-Cola.  All in all, enjoyable.  Not as hyped on this wine as Spring Mountain, but it is pretty good.

Tim

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Wine Review, Wines over $20

Tagged , ,