Winning Wine Wednesday!

Woop Woop 2010 Shiraz

While staying in New York City for the marathon we were right around the corner from Nancy's Wines!  AND with a name like that how could I resist!  I love wine.  This place was fun to browse and check the selection, none that I have seen in my area, with a lot of variety.  They were very helpful in picking out wines & champagne for our celebration and have a great wine club too.  Hoping Tabi will jump on that one and we can taste some great wines. All selections we bought that day were fabulous!  Including this Woop Woop bottle of Shiraz. :)  

My rating:  85  :)  Flavorful and bursting with berry just like a great Shiraz should!  :)  We need to buy a case! :)

Empty bottle of Woop Woop  :(

Vintage:	2010
Wine Type:	Red Wine
Varietal:	Shiraz (100%)
Appellation:	Southern Austrailia Price: $10.99  /  Bottle $113.28  /  Case (discount) -- The Ultimate Wine Shop
Tasting Notes:	This is another delicious Woop Woop Shiraz. It is deep in color and the nose is inviting. With oodles of rich, opulent Shiraz fruit the palate delivers a lush mouthfeel, bursting with blackberry fruit juice, blueberry jam and licorice - chock full of quintessential Aussie character.
Winemaker Notes:	A full-bodied and flavoursome wine, deep-hued with richly scented aromatics and a long, soft and juicy palate. Of lush mouthfeel, bursting with blackberry, blueberry jam and liquorice, this wine guarantees a true Australian Shiraz experience for consumption over the next 5 years. The fruit is sourced from some of South Australia's best growing regions including McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek. The wine is matured with the light use of French and American oak.
Food Pairing:	Enjoy this Shiraz with pork grilled & a nice fresh organic tossed salad with balsamic vinaigrette & crumbled blue cheese. About Woop Woop: Slang for "in the middle of nowhere", Woop Woop isn't a bad name for a ripper Aussie wine. Woop Woop is a collaboration between Ben Riggs, winemaker and Tony Parkinson, vineyard owner. They sourced grapes from the backblocks - outside their normal area of operation – they almost went to Woop Woop and back to find the right fruit. Nearly to the Outback, way past the black stump. Woop Woop wines capture the essence of ripe grapes sourced from Currency Creek, McLaren Vale and the Riverina, together with a good dose of Aussie humor. MORE bang for the BUCK! Woop Woop 2004 Shiraz In 2004 it was scored 89 points. This 100% shiraz from South Australia sees some oak, a small amount of which is new wood. (New barrels impart more flavor than those that have been used before.) Notes of flowers, black currants, licorice, and road tar are discernible, but the emphasis is on oodles of up-front fruit, an opulent attack, sweet tannin, and a lush, heady mid-palate and finish. This is the type of everyday red that will be exceptionally popular.

Winning Wine Wednesday

My choice this week: 

		Wild Horse 2008 Chardonnay Central Coast Price: $16.00  /  Bottle $192.00  /  Case About This Wine The newest release of one of our most renowned wines. Boasting bright and beautiful flavors of pear, apricot and pineapple. This crisp Chardonnay is perfect from beginning to end. Wine Profile Vintage: 2008 Wine Type: White Wine Varietal: Chardonnay Appellation: Central Coast PH: 3.45 Alcohol %: 13.9 Tasting Notes: 94% Chardonnay, 5% Roussanne, 1% Viognier Our 2008 Chardonnay is a brilliant wine with aromas of apple, pear, and pineapple with a hint of vanilla toast. Full of green apple, peach, and lemon in the mouth, it is rich, crisp, and seamless from beginning to end. Ratings: Wine Spectator - March 2010 Rated 87 Points "Rich, intense, and full-bodied, with spice, baked apple, melon, and creamy pear notes that are fresh, clean, and vibrant." Awards: San Francisco Chronicle - Silver Medal Winemaker Notes: Grapes for this 2008 vintage came from small vineyards in Paso Robles, Santa Maria Valley, and San Benito County. The Paso Robles and San Benito regions offer warmer climate characteristics of tropical fruit and fuller mouth feel while the ocean influence in the Santa Maria Valley provides the uniqueness of citrus, pear, and apple coupled with good acidity. Food Pairing: Enjoy this Chardonnay with aged cheeses or roasted lemon chicken.

How you were introduced? 
An all time favorite wine.... first introduced by a roomate in Colorado - Sharon.  She loved this winery and all their wines.  I am a chardonnay fan so this one stuck with me.  It is recently on sale at our favorite Liquor 44 store in Hadley so we had the opportunity to drink some last ni





And a little history to share ...
Love for Wine Started …

Nothing more excellent nor more valuable than wine was ever granted mankind by God."
Plato, 400 BC


"No poems can please for long or live that are written by water drinkers."
Horace, 65BC


"It has become quite a common proverb that in wine there is truth (In Vino Veritas)."
Pliny the Elder, 79AD


“In victory, you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it.”
Napoleon


“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance."
Benjamin Franklin.

Winning Wine Wednesday ! Kendall Jackson Chardonnay

Here it is ---- a concept to share along with all the memes for blogging in the virtual neighborhood --- This is a day to share your favorite wine for the week.  Please comment if you have had this wine, like this wine, hate this wine or have some other wine story to share!  :)

  

My choice this week: 

Winery: Kendall Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay 2008

Acclaim Double Gold - 2009 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Wine Competition Highly Recommended - Newsday, November 2009  Wine Statistics Appellation: California Composition: 100% Chardonnay Growing Regions: 61% Monterey County, 33% Santa Barbara County, 5% Mendocino County, 1% Sonoma County Alcohol: 13.5% T.A.: 0.69g/100ml pH: 3.45

How you were introduced? 
An all time favorite wine....  to order at restaurants, to get on sale at Liquor 44 and store it by the case.  So refreshing and ALWAYS consistent.  Hence my quote that KJ is the Coca-cola of Chardonnays.  You can buy it anywhere and be satisfied with the taste.  They make a LOT of this wine which make it a great value wine for the price.  We used to be able to get it for 9.99, but the lowest I have seen it lately is 11.99. 

Cellar/Tasting Notes

Oakey and citrus make this a nice compliment to any meal, especially seafood and chicken.  Serve as cold as possible in my book --- I love cold chardonnay and have been known to return it if it was not up to my level of coldness. Honestly - the reserve, the grand reserve and the just plain old KJ all taste about the same to me, so enjoy any of them --- you won't be disappointed.

KJ Website Tasting Notes
"This Chardonnay bursts with tropical flavors such as mango, papaya and pineapple with citrus notes that explode in your mouth. These flavors delicately intertwine with aromas of green apple and pear to create depth and balance throughout. A hint of toasted oak rounds out the long lingering finish." – Randy Ullom, Winemaster

Winning Wine Wednesday ! St. Suprey Sauvignon Blanc

Here it is ---- a concept to share along with all the memes for blogging in the virtual neighborhood --- This is a day to share your favorite wine for the week.  Please comment if you have had this wine, like this wine, hate this wine or have some other wine story to share!  :)

  

My choice this week: 

Winery: St Suprey Vineyards - Sauvignon Blanc 2007

 

Region: California , America
Vintage:		2007
Size:		750ml
Wine Type:		Sauvignon Blanc / Fume Blanc

Value/ Price:  $11.99-19.99

How you were introduced? 
A great summer time wine to enjoy with friends!  Steve and I love to enjoy this one with a 3 egg omlett on the deck overlooking the rocks!  :)  A great tasting fresh flavorful wine!

Cellar/Tasting Notes

Aromas jump from the glass with abundant fresh green lime and grapefruit, combined with subtle notes of melon and orange rind. The flavors are full, round and vibrant, textured with the same green lime and grapefruit, and followed by refreshing tones of citrus and crisp acidity.

Links of interest:

Wine Searcher.com = to find the best price, where to buy your favorite wine and vintage!

Winning Wine Wednesday ! Edna Valley Chardonnay

Here it is ---- a concept to share along with all the memes for blogging in the virtual neighborhood --- This is a day to share your favorite wine for the week -- >>

My choice this week: 

Winery: Edna Valley Chardonnay Paragon San Luis Obispo 2007 750ml

 

Varietal:  Chardonnay

Region: California , America
Vintage:		2007
Size:		750ml
Wine Type:		White

Value/ Price:  $9.99 - $15.99

How you were introduced? 
This wine is an all time favorite back from my waitress days .....  I think it was Hawk Resort in Plymouth, VT that serves this fabulous wine... but we recently rediscovered it at FH Gillingham's in Woodstock, VT and then at Liquor 44 in Hadley, MA.  It is a favorite and stocked in our little wine cellar downstairs.  Yummy!

Edna Valley Chardonnay Paragon San Luis Obispo 2007 - Bright tropical fruit, fresh peach and green pear mark this fruit-driven Chardonnay. Subtle oak nuances add depth and round out the body with vanilla, caramel and nutmeg. The intricate interplay of lively fruit and barrel-influenced complexity develop across the palate and linger through the finish, leaving the suggestion of pineapple and coconut playfully dancing off the tongue. A perfect complement to chicken salad or fresh grilled salmon.

Please leave a link and comment to your favorite wine selection for the week!  I would love to hear from you!  Thanks for stopping by.

Winning Wine Wednesday! Titus Zinfandel

Here it is ---- a concept to share along with all the memes for blogging in the virtual neighborhood --- This is a day to share your favorite wine for the week -- >>

My choice this week:

Winery:  Titus

Varietal: Zinfandel / Petite Sirah

Region:  Napa

Year:  2006

Titus Zinfandelhttp://www.whwc.com/p/304838?utm_source=Vinquire&utm_medium=WineFeed&utm_content=2006+Titus+Zinfandel+Napa+Valley&utm_campaign=base&v_traceback=c0328_2347_f0329_0652

Value / Price:  $25 per bottle or in a restaurant $45

How (or who) you were introduced:  My friend Judy Reichling

Drank this wine with Iris & Judy - March 24, 2010
Where you first tasted this wine:  Giovanni''s on the Hill in St. Louis, MO

Tasting notes: 
Producer notes: "Aromas of boysenberry, raspberry, and fresh black and white pepper are wrapped in dark baking chocolate and spices on the nose and translate through to the palate. A solid tannin structure integrates throughout but does not overpower this nearly full bodied dark and brooding Zin. With generous complexity and red fruit concentration the long finish is enhanced by barrel spice, vanilla and coconut notes imparted by the American Oak used to age this wine. Recommended drinking time is three to five years from vintage with a maximum suggested aging time of eight to ten years from vintage. We also recommend decanting this wine for about an hour prior to drinking. 86% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah. 1,835 cases produced."

Share a wine or a comment below!  :)  If you blog this on your blog --- please share that link as well!

"Adelsheim"

Judy chose the wine - Adelsheim- a dinner with the Erev crew at the South City Kitchen in midtown Atlanta was a great time with colleagues, having a good time in the snow storm (yes - who brought SNOW to Atlanta???). The city will probably shut down tomorrow because of the wet ground and the excuse because the white stuff is falling from the sky - not a normal sight for folks here. Grits, crabcakes, lots of mashed potatoes and fried chicken rounded the table, after the fried cheese balls and salad with pomegranite... hmmmm .... yummm? I loved the salad and was so full I couldn't eat but half my meal.

Photo of the day - not to choose the people shots - that is worth a different post.

The great bottle of Pinot - thanks Judy! By the way it was very scientific how we chose who got to do the tasting.... take a look at the label. She kinda looks like me.... so I got the first taste. Very yummy - you must try it - straight from Willamette Valley in Oregon - - the site of the National Tri Championships from last June - lots of great memories there! Check out their website - - very cool artsy labels featuring portraits of women....

"CSJ"

Chateau St Jean
We went their to the winery while in Sonoma after the Mac conference and the Rohnert Park Relay... The wine is magnificent and just recently we found this "value" chardonnay that in our books is a clear 92 wine spectator rating... we shall see when the new ratings come out - a great wine we have truly enjoyed many nights by the fire, watching movies and a case for Mt. Snow on those snowy, ski days... try it - you too will love it!

Great value at Liquor 44 @ $9.99 (regular $12.99)

Below is a review of the 2004 vintage that I thought I would share:
Chateau St Jean Sonoma Chardonnay 2004

Once again, with the 2004 vintage, you can count on Chateau St Jean to put out a richer Sonoma Chardonnay than most under $15 bottles.

Margo van Staaveren has stuck it out with Chateau St Jean since joining up as Lab Tech back in 1979. Now, as head winemaker, she draws on her experience and delivers continuity of quality and house style.

Grapes were sourced from Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley and Carneros. Vinification included barrel fermenting, with a majority undergoing malolactic fermentation, and sur lie aging.
Tasting Notes. Color: Light golden straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Spiced peach and pear, tropical pineapple notes, plus hints of buttercrust and a whiff of educated smoke. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with round smooth texture. The spicy tree fruit flavors are rich like homemade pie yet the finish is crisp, tart and dry.

Closure: Real cork.

Excellent value ($13).