Wine of the Week: Sexual Chocolate

February 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment

“It’s not getting routine; it just keeps getting better.” This is the tagline for Sexual Chocolate from SLO Down Wines. This is a fantastic red blend of mostly Syrah and Malbec that is the perfect drinking wine. It is smooth and fruity with a hint of chocolate. As you can see from SLO Down Wines’ promotional video, this wine doesn’t take itself to seriously.

I stumbled upon this one a few different times with friends and then it became one of my go to favorites. It doesn’t hurt that they sell it at the store in my office building so it’s easy to pick up on the way home. At $24.99 a bottle, it is the perfect wine to bring to a party or share with friends, not to mention it is delicious.

In 2008, Brandon Allen started SLO Down wines with 93 cases of Sexual Chocolate, which he named after his love of Mad Libs. (There’s a thought for my next wine night!). The label looks like it was written with a No. 2 pencil, but it speaks to how the wine was founded – by two people not taking themselves to seriously. According to the founders, it pairs well with Wednesday nights and pizza.

As I was checking out SLO Down Wines’ website I noticed that they have an amazing wine club! I might have to sign up because you get two bottles of Sexual Chocolate along with two other wines four times a year! They’ve also added Stand Out, a red blend, and Broken Dreams Chardonnay to their lineup.

Have you tried Sexual Chocolate yet? I highly recommend it for your next girl’s night in.

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Find Your Perfect Wine at Vinotecca Birmingham

February 2, 2018 by Leave a Comment

I was invited to the opening event by Vinotecca. All opinions are my own. 

I was disappointed when Vinotecca announced that it was closing in Royal Oak to make way for the new Jolly Pumpkin. I’ve had a lot of fun attending their Black Wine Night over the years. But my frown was quickly turned upside down when it was announced that Vinotecca would be moving to Birmingham instead.

One fun element about Vinotecca is the owners are a father-daughter team (my dad and I are obviously doing the wrong types of bonding activities). John Jonna has 40 years of experience in the wine business and is a sommelier and cheese expert (who knew this was a thing?). His daughter, Kristin, is a certified specialist of wine. I had no idea that John founded Merchant’s Fine Wine (one of my favorite places when I lived in the Dearborn area).

When I RSVP’d for the opening event, I had no idea I would get the wine education I did. My friend and I decided to cozy on up to the bar and we ended up getting a personal wine education from John himself. He shared some of his favorite wines with us and the best part was that for every wine he poured us he had a story to go along with it either about the wine or how he first discovered it. If you are an expert or a novice you will definitely learn something at Vinotecca. Here are a few of the wines John selected for us and some interesting details about them.

Don & Sons 2015 Pinot Noir

This winery is now in its fourth generation and the family has definitely got the hang of it if their namesake wine is any indication. It’s based in Sonoma and the grapes are sourced from the Coast and the Petaluma Gap and Russian River Valley. This is a varietal so it is 94% Pinot Noir blended with Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvingon and Zinfandel which makes it great for everyday drinking. This is also a good one to serve to newbies or if you are having guests over and aren’t sure what they will like.

Stephanie Aviron 2015 Chenas

Now here is where I really learned something. John gave us a brief history of what a Beaujolais wine is and why they are so interesting. I had never heard of Beaujolais, so this was a treat for me. This wine is made from the Gamay Grape and gets its name from the Province of Beaujolais in France. They use a different technique in the winemaking process called semi-carbonic maceration. They put the whole grape into a stainless steel tank to ferment and the bottom grapes get crushed and essentially the carbon dioxide they create starts to saturate the grapes that didn’t get crushed and makes them ferment. There are all different types of Beaujolais wines and the different strains/versions are called crus (like crews). From what John told us finding a good Beaujolais is something of a treasure hunt and people spend years trying to find one that speaks to them. This wine did that for him and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Chateau d’Orignac Pineau Des Charentes

This was another gem, something I had never heard of before which isn’t surprising as the Pineau isn’t very well known outside of France. It even has a legend surrounding it! Apparently in 1589, a winemaker accidentally added grape must into what he thought was an empty barrel, but it was full of eau de vie (or a fruit brandy. They put the barrel in the cellar to ferment and when they brought it out a few years later they had made a Pineau! It contains 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon with about one-third Cognac. You serve it chilled and is wonderful with desserts and cheese. It should be as it takes nearly 10 years to make!

2014 Triton Tinta de Toro

This Tempranillo was made in Spain and John had visited this vineyard and had a lot of fun stories to tell around this wine. During the Middle Ages, Toro was Spain’s most famous winemaking region and these wines accompanied Spanish explorers to the New World. This is a hearty red wine with an elegant finish. The wine is named Triton after Neptune and his son from Roman Mythology. They were the gods of rivers and lakes and the river Duero plays an important part in the creation of this wine.

I had a lovely time at Vinotecca and guarantee you that I will be back again. I’m always looking for a good wine bar, and Vinotecca gives you wine and a little education to go with it.

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Wine of the Week: Delaney Vineyards Texas Rose

December 20, 2017 by 4 Comments

When we went to Texas over Labor Day, we visited the Delaney Vineyards and tried their refreshing Texas Rose. It was so good that I even brought a bottle home with me and decided to make it the Wine of the Week. I had no idea that Texas had a wine industry, but according to the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, Texas is the site of the first vineyard established in North America by Franciscan priests circa 1662. Who knew? Imagine my surprise when we had a delightful day at the vineyard in Texas. I just thought it would be too hot to grow grapes there, but the climate is actually a lot similar to California’s climate.

The Delaney Vineyard is over 20 years old and Jerry Delaney owns two vineyards, one in Grapevine, the other in Lamesa. The Texas Rose wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Muscat Canelli and Petit Verdot grapes from their Lamesa vineyard. It’s received a number of medals in wine competitions and I can see why. It is a fresh blend with fruit and honey notes.

Texas Rose would be great with some Texas BBQ and they even came up with a fun drink called the “Jerry Delaney.” Think Arnold Palmer and mix ½ Texas Rose and ½ lemonade. In the cold winter of Michigan, I’m already dreaming of summer with a Jerry Delaney in hand. If you have a chance to visit the vineyards, I highly recommend it! The winery looks like an 18th century French chateau and is a fun place to hang out with friends for the day.

Have you tried any of the Delaney Wines or any other Texas wineries? Let me know your favorites.

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Wine of the Week: Gothic Nevermore

August 16, 2017 by 1 Comment

I’ve had this post in my drafts since 2015 and keep meaning to write it around Halloween, but it’s too good to hold any longer, especially in light of some of the new information I have.

This week’s wine is Gothic’s Nevermore Pinot Noir. Gothic Wine launched in 2009 and is the creation of Josh Nadel, who I just discovered was the wine consultant on the AMC show Feed the Beast starring David Schwimmer. the hubby and I loved this show! Even though we only got one season of the show, you can still enjoy it on Hulu with a glass of this wine. Gothic is located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

Nevermore blends fruit from several places within the the Willamette Valley to create a wine of depth and character. It is sleek with scents of raspberry, cherry and spice and notes of vanilla.

You could enjoy this bottle, with this custom Raven Wine Glass Holder ($7) and I was thinking this would make a great gift for any English buff or the Poe Society (from Gilmore Girls, haha):

I love the idea of including this in a Black Wine night event. I was also excited to see that they make a Telltale Rose and an Ophelia Chardonnay which I will absolutely have to try!

Have you tried Gothic Nevermore Pinot Noir? I would love to hear what you think about it.

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Wine of the Week: Belle Glos Pinot Noir Blanc

August 3, 2017 by 5 Comments

I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite wines is the Belle Glos Pinot Noir. Well imagine my surprise when I saw this in my Facebook feed!

As this was the first I had heard about it I immediately had to have it and found and online retailer that sold it. Craft & Curd had it for $18.99 and I bought three bottles just in case it became unavailable.

The Belle Glos Pinot Noir Blanc is special because its grapes were grown specifically with the intention of making a rosé wine. On the label, you’ll notice that it says “oeil-de-perdrix” which translates to “eye of the partridge.” This is how rosé is traditionally known in France. I was even more thrilled to discover that a portion of the proceeds for every bottle sold go towards breast cancer research!

This wine is crisp with flavors of pink grapefruit, lemon zest, orange creamsicle and hints of dried apricot and sweet spice. Drink it chilled preferably on the patio with your girlfriends.

The glass is from Detroit Scroll in case you’re interested.

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Wine of the Week: Justin Cabernet Sauvignon

May 17, 2017 by 4 Comments

I stumbled on this wine randomly, via Facebook. I follow my husband’s fraternity (Delta Sigma Phi) on social media and one day they posted an alumni profile, which just happened to be Justin Baldwin, whose vineyards were named 2015 American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast. I told John he was holding out on me – who knew they had a winemaker in the organization and how had we never heard of Justin before?!

The following interview is a few years old, but I thought it gave a great overview of how Justin got started and what sets his wines apart from others. What you need to remember about this wine is that it is a Bordeaux style wine in Paso Robles, which is unique to this area. In 1981, when Justin started the winery, Zinfandel was wildly popular and this was a departure from the norm.

I was excited to find the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon at a wine bar and since then I’ve seen it at a number of wine stores in the area. It is classic Cabernet, clear with a dark ruby purple core. It has notes of ripe black cherry, blackcurrant and berry fruit with vanilla, cinnamon and subtle dried fall leaf accents. It is smooth and supple with a clean finish. This is a go-to choice for any food from pizza to steak.

The 2015 version of the Cabernet Sauvignon runs for $26.25 or $21 at the Wine Society price. If I decide to join another wine club I would definitely choose this one. It would be fun to have these on hand for gifts and housewarming parties for our fraternity friends.

If you ever make it to Paso Robles, Justin has a restaurant, an inn called the “Just Inn,” and tasting room to enjoy.

Have you tried any Justin wines before? Let me know your favorites.

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Wine of the Week: The Bachelor Wines

April 19, 2017 by 2 Comments

I’ve mentioned my Bachelor wine nights a number of different times here on the blog. My friend and I watch the Bachelor/Bachelorette every Monday night with wine. I’ve always thought that the Bachelor franchise was missing out by not selling branded wine. Well ask and you shall receive, because now we have The Bachelor Wines.

Before Nick’s season started, I scooped up the Collector’s Pack for $47.88 and would drink them as appropriate during each date. I like that you can buy these in a pack or one-on-one. I will definitely need some replacements before Rachel’s season starts. I will say that the Chardonnay really surprised me. I am not a huge fan of the buttery flavors of a normal Chardonnay, but these were really understated and I actually really liked it. Here is the breakdown on each wine:

One-on-One Chardonnay

Will you be the chosen one? After reading the wine details, I discovered that the juice was fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks to harness the inherently bright fruit flavor and character of Chardonnay. This is why it didn’t have a strong buttery flavor. Usually they use oak barrels for that which explains why I loved this version. Described as sunshine in a bottle, you’ll taste ripe apple flavors with notes of lemon, pear and a hint of cream.

 

The Fantasy Suite Cabernet Sauvignon

The grapes from this wine were crushed and cold soaked for several days to harness color and flavor intensity resulting in a beautiful, deep ruby red color. It has aromas of black cherry, blueberry and dark plum with hints of savory dried herbs. It is easy to drink due to flavors of blackberry and plum.

 

The Final Rose

The grapes from this one come from Lodi, one of California’s oldest premium winegrowing regions. The skins remained in contact with the juice just long enough to leave a soft shade of blush pink. It has aromas of strawberries, red cherries, and rose petals. Flavors include raspberries, strawberry jam, and a hint of spice.

All of these wines are great and perfect for a Bachelor/Bachelorette viewing party, I used my Coravin so I could enjoy the wine throughout the whole season. I will say that they need to add more options to this and I have some suggestions:

  • The Right Reasons Riesling
  • Paradise Pinot Noir
  • Group Date Gewürztraminer
  • Neil Lane Sparkling Wine
  • Two-on-One Tempranillo
  • Cocktail Party Chianti
  • Villian Viognier

Let me know if you think of any other ideas. At the very list we definitely need a sparkling wine to add to this collection. Maybe one day each lead will get their own special wine, how fun would that be?

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Wine of the Week: Failla Pinot Noir

August 24, 2016 by 9 Comments

I was thrilled when John and I stopped at random liquor store on the way to a party and I found a bottle of 2013 Failla Pinot Noir. I couldn’t believe my eyes, so I had to buy it and save it for later. When we visited Napa and Sonoma in 2012, we were introduced to Failla Wines (pronounced FAY-LA) as one of our first stops.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures from that first stop as I was more interested in tasting the wine, but I will do my best to describe it to you. Failla is a small-family owned winery that’s been in operation since 1998. Ehren Jordan and his wife Anne-Marie Failla are the owners and winemakers.

Failla

Our wine tasting was outside at a picnic table and we also got to tour the wine cellars. It was so rustic and peaceful – I highly recommend it if you are visiting Sonoma. I found the above picture on their Facebook page and am guessing that it’s probably the same table we did our tasting at.

Our host told us that Failla was best known for its red wines and Pinot Noirs, which peaked my interested because those are my favorite. You normally can only get these wines by visiting Failla or through their mailing list. They recently launched a Wine Club. This is why I was so pumped to find it at that liquor store. Additionally, you can read more about the different varieties they have in this fact sheet.

Failla Pinot Noir

This wine is BIG and BOLD. It has a lot of flavor and runs about $35. You’ll taste an earthy Pinot Noir with notes of cardamom, spices and fruit flavors. We enjoyed this over Chicken Parmesan and it was amazing paired with the sauce John made.

Failla Cork

If you are in Sonoma, make sure to stop at Failla and if you see Failla around the metro Detroit area, let me know and I will head there to stock up!

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Wine of the Week: Chateau Chantal 2013 Ice Wine

April 20, 2016 by 6 Comments

I was thrilled to hear that a Michigan wine was selected for the White House state dinner for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Chateau Chantal’s 2013 Ice Wine was selected to pair with dessert, Maple Pecan Cake with Cocoa Nib Wafer and Butterscotch Swirl Ice Cream.

Image Credit: 9and10news.com

Image Credit: 9and10news.com

Chateau Chantal is a winery and bed & breakfast on Old Mission Peninsula. The winery was founded by Robert Begin, a former Catholic diocesan priest and Nadine, previously one of the Felician Sisters. How cool is it that they both decided on a different life and got married in 1974? They ended up following Robert’s dream of building a European style winery chateau.

Chateau Chantal

There were only 500 bottles made of the 2013 Ice Wine. It comes in a special wooden box and is made from grapes frozen on the vine, and then pressed while still frozen. It is described as having “incredible sweetness and fruitiness, with all the delicateness of a fine Riesling wine.” It has notes of decadent apricot, toasted caramel, and baked apple. The wine retails for $70.

 

ice with box bottle

The wine graced a stunning tablescape:

A place setting during a press preview ahead of the state dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the State Dining Room of the White House, on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

A place setting during a press preview ahead of the state dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the State Dining Room of the White House, on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The full menu and details of the evening can be found here.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 09: A display of bite-size sweets uses a photograph of the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop for the state dinner honoring Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the State Dining Room at the White House March 9, 2016 in Washington, DC. The White House chose the colors, flowers and menu with 'an ambiance that reflects the scenic beauty of our shared border and celebrates the coming of spring.' The son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and the leader of Canada's Liberal Party, Trudeau is visiting Washington this week for the first state dinner for a Canadian leader in almost 20 years. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A display of bite-size sweets uses a photograph of the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop for the state dinner honoring Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the State Dining Room at the White House March 9, 2016 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Have you tried any presidential wines? If so, I would love to hear the details! I have mentioned the Casa Nuestra Chenin Blanc wine before that was featured at a White House picnic. Maybe someday I will try them all!

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Wine of the Week: Veuve Clicquot

February 17, 2016 by 6 Comments

I was first introduced to Veuve Clicquot when we read The Widow Clicquot for my book club. I absolutely LOVED the book and I learned so much about the history of champagne, which made me appreciate it even more. When we met up for book club it was a given that we had to try Veuve Clicquot for ourselves. One of the things that got me fired up was the girl power in this story. Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin took over the business after her husband passed in a time where few women were in leadership positions.

The Widow Clicquot

This YouTube video gives you a brief overview of the the history of Veuve Clicquot:

We were able to try both the Yellow Label and Rose bottles. The Yellow Label is a perfect blend and might be my new favorite champagne. It has notes of fruit followed by aromas of brioche and vanilla. The Rose has notes of raspberry, wild strawberry and cherry and is described as elegant and sensual. I was a huge fan of the Yellow Label. I would absolutely get this again for a special occasion.

Veuve Clicquot

Here is a painting of the Grande Dame herself. You can see also see this on the cage of every bottle:

the grande dame

Clicquot Cage

Here are a few tidbits about Veuve Clicquot that you may not have known:

  • The anchor, the Christian symbol for hope and rigour, was chosen in 1798 by Phillippe Clicquot.
  • Non-vintage wines are aged in the cellar for a minimum of 30 months, more than twice as long as the champagne regulations require.
  • To taste Veuve Clicquot, you must keep it between 10 and 12o C, serve it around 8o C and taste it between 9 and 10o C. If the temperature is too low it will prevent the development of aromas.
  • Veuve means widow (named after the Widow Clicquot).
  • They were the first champagne house to produce rose Champagne.

What wines are you planning to try in 2016?

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