Month: May 2018

This Was Meant To Be Found

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Chateau3

Leave it to a wine that I didn’t bring to a party, and leave it to a wine that might seem out of place at the same party, on first impression, to end up being one of the better wines I’ve had in quite some time.

As we approach the Summer, you know it’s going to be out the whites, the lighter reds (if possible), and the rosé’s of course.  It wouldn’t be right otherwise.  So after a few weeks of the latter, we take it back to a red that had no business being here, if you believe that.

I believe otherwise.

The 2014 de Landiras Rouge, Graves is a wine that should never be lost in the shuffle, or caught in the mix of anything.  That analogy can be applied to daily life as well.

For outdoor parties, of course lighter fare, more sweeter varietals and cocktails are going to be the drink of choice.  That’s the point.  It’s your drink of choice.  I sound like a public service announcement, but it’s whatever you want, whenever you want, as long as it makes you feel good and the good vibrations are around you and all your pals.

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This more than standard Bordeaux with a classic blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon tastes like the first wine I ever had.  If that doesn’t make sense (or it does), it just tastes like a wine drinkers wine.  No matter what your level of expertise, or your palate, it just has that look and feel of an old world and old school wine.

My kind of wine.

Dark berries and cassis is what you might find on the nose, (well that’s what one synopsis says), but the blackberry and currant is what you taste (the palate) and it’s the best combination of the two that I can remember.

I love currant because it’s so common in some of my favorite teas, so to find it go well in certain wines makes me so happy.  And it’s a throwback, and old school taste that reminds me of drinking wine and sipping tea with family and friends.   And that’s so important.

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This is a wine that was shared, appreciated, and spoken in awe of family and friends.  I want to know who brought this wine, so I can personally thank them.  You should always say thank you when someone brings something to a party.

At a value of ranging from $12-18, I feel this would be worth over $20.  I believe I saw the price tag on this particular bottle say $22.  I’d pay that much for it, but of course I rather pay less.  Who wouldn’t?

I’ve never seen this wine before (that I know of), and have no idea where to find it.  I almost get the sense that it’s something I’m not supposed to ever see again, or not until the next time it randomly shows up in my life.   Sometimes life works out like that, and in a way, I’m ok with that.  Those make for the best stories.

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I still enjoyed this with some great party foods, snacks, and with plenty of great people to share the day with.  This was a party I was honored to have been invited to, and honored to discover this amazing wine, surrounded by amazing friends.  Even if only a few of us enjoyed this wine.

I would say back to your regularly scheduled whites or rosé next week, but you never know…

Peace Be With You..

Ideen

 

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Leave The Memories Alone

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PortlandiaRoseDisplay

What’s the title mean? I’m sentimental but then again, I can sense what’s real, what to feel, and what just feels uninspired and unimaginative.   It’s an intuition and clairvoyance we’re all capable of having.  Some better than others.  I honestly have no idea where this will go, except I’ll just keep going.

I’m big on memories, but only the good ones.  The bad ones or the experiences, are just those too.  Yeah.

I had a visitor from my past, more so from my childhood show up this past weekend.  The way I write that sounds mysterious, sounds cryptic, and sounds estranged.   It would be all of the above.   If this person reads this I think he would appreciate what I’m saying.  As the feeling is mutual.  I’ll leave that to your own interpretation, and maybe some of you reading this might relate to what I’m saying?

 

We move from one holiday to another.  Wait, no not yet.  There’s necessary lulls where we don’t have to talk about anything in particular except the day at hand, or well, what may be coming.   There’s things coming alright.  But I want to talk about a bottle that while I was looking for something else, essentially found me.

So we have the 2016 Oregon Rosé from Portlandia Vintners.  For more information, here are their wines, their story, and contact information.

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There’s just something about Portland that’s been on my mind lately.   Maybe it’s because there’s lots of rain in the forecast this week here in Maryland, and aside from sun today, it’s been mostly grey skies going back to this past weekend.  I take this all as a sign.  I take a lot of things as signs.  The universe is always speaking to us, whether we realize it, or are paying attention to things or not.

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On the nose, tells a story of a beautiful bouquet of spring, flowers, and fresh fruits.  Those are the standards of any good Rosé, or maybe I’m just talking nonsense, and pretending to give you some expert analysis.  Maybe all of the above.

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Jammy and fruit forward, sure why not?  Well yes.  I definitely tasted strawberries, but watermelon?  Maybe if I don’t think so hard.  This is a good wine, that’s worth paying a few extra dollars for.  At around $15, this is isn’t going to hurt you and it’s good to splurge here and there.  This is what life is all about.

Easy to drink, goes down smooth, and loaded with structure, depth, and character. That’s what you want in a Rosé, that’s what you want in a wine, and that’s what you want in anything.

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I don’t recall having a Rosé made from Pinot Gris at all.  There’s a first time for everything, or maybe I’m just oblivious to everything.  That sounded kind of funny.  Mixed in Rosé from Pinot Noir and Grenache, it creates a brilliant blend that I feel would work as a Red Blend equivalent.  Just a thought.   Maybe the rain and all of this eeriness is getting to me.

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If you’re looking for a fairy tale romance or heartwarming ending to a story, this one may do it for some.  Some just want a bottle of wine and not think so much.  Me, I think too much and I feel too much.  For feeling, this is absolutely a wine for that.  If you’re into emotions and being captivated, this might do it for some, and literally just be a wine to drink when the weather is nice, or it’s grey and murky like it is now.

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I love it all, and as we ride high into the season of Rosé, I don’t want to get carried away and make this a weekly thing.  More might be coming, as will more whites.   As for the reds, I can’t bit adieu just yet.  I never will.  There’s room for reds and there’s room for everybody.

Estranged or not.

Peace Be With You.

Ideen

Happy Early Mother’s Day!

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L'OliveToRoseWineWithFood3

As we approach Mother’s Day, I notice the sentimentality grows with my peers.  Mom’s of all kinds (of pets as well as kid! yay!) should be celebrated as much as possible.  Having a special day to commemorate everyone, everything, and all the good in between is what makes the world go round.

There’s so many ways to go about it, but as long as the intent is good and to make others happy, then I’m all for it.

Previous Mother’s Day stories can be found here.

It doesn’t take an expert of any kind to know that Mother’s Day and Rosé are synonymous with each other.  Any kind of sweet beverage and sweet treat can and should be used for this and many other festive occasions.

Seeing all the Rosé display cases in the local wine shoppes is one of those thing I now look forward to, and you can see them as early as before that other holiday in February.  I like to think of it as one of those post Christmas things that represents the days getting longer, the outdoor festivities and invitations picking up, and that means more chilled wines.  That’s exactly right.

Part of the fun, and sometimes part of the angst, is picking the right wine.  There is no right or wrong, unless you do something catastrophic.  And using that word is a stretch, but you know what I mean.

Most of our peers are just grateful that wine is available, at reasonable prices, and with so many wines, grapes, varietals, whatever to choose from.  It’s the kid in a candy store, the kid at Christmas, and the kid in (fill in the blank).  But for this one, it’s for mom.

 

The 2017 L’Oliveto Rosé of Pinot Noir from Brack Mountain Wine Company is along the lines of any solid Rosé that you could sip now, with mama, or whenever.  There’s nothing pretentious about it.

It’s a colorful wine with hints of fruit on the nose and on your palate.  But more importantly, at under $15, it’s not going to hurt you in the money department, and even feels like a bit of a splurge.

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Just like a Pinot Noir, it’s easy to drink, easy to share, and has the right amount of acidity that it will go down smoothly.

That’s all that most folks ask for.  The day itself might be stressful enough.  If you want a wine that’ll make it easy on your mind, heart, and soul, this is just as good as any.

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I say this realizing that Rosé is still not a wine I can compare with others.  I just can’t always tell you what’s good, great, or lackluster.  As I’ve stated in the past, so many factors go into how a wine is going to feel to you…

Were you in the right frame of mind? Was the present company spiritually and harmoniously making you feel good? Were you feeling good?

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How about the food?  Good food makes mama, and everyone else happy too!  This plate of fish, and healthy veggies pairs perfectly with this Rosé.

I’m asking the same questions with different wording, but it all connects.  You can have the same wine, the same food, and the same anything under different circumstances, and if one thing gets thrown off, then you may lose your center.

Part of my statements are projecting, as I’ve encountered this many times, lately.   No experience is ever the same.  I’ve had the same wine many times and it doesn’t exactly the same.  I find that so fascinating.  And it’s more than just your palate changing, it’s just symbolic of life and the experiences we go through in this journey.

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The journey is to be enjoyed.  So whatever wine you share with mom, family, friends, and anyone else, always know that it’s meant to be fun, and you want to feel good as much as possible.

It’s not always easier said than one. Sometimes it just is.

Peace Be With You.

Ideen

 

What Can I Say…

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SpyPigRoseWine&FoodDisplay

…I’m an animal lover.

But that doesn’t equate to expert wine analysis, but that’s not the point of this post, or many of my stories.  The intent is to give a lighthearted perspective with a bit of knowledge thrown in here and there.

I’m always learning, and when it comes to wine, it’s an going journey with a destination that hopefully never ends.  There was a dopey cliche somewhere in there, but it’s true.

The sun is finally out, and it took a lot longer, but good things come to those… Yeah another cliche.  But good things come to those who deserve it or don’t think about it.  It just comes, and it comes to them.

So it came to us and with a vengeance in some ways…  We’ve been bad and I guess we’ve finally been good and been rewarded with sun, life, daylight, and all the good things that Spring traditionally brings.

With that bring us Rosé season.   I know for many, it’s their favorite.  Folks that don’t fully embrace wine will drink Rosé for it’s simplistic qualities, for the color, the symbolism of Spring (and what’s to come), and all the good things in life.

Some take Rosé a bit more seriously when it comes to wine drinking.  It’s treated just like any other, like a peer, and like any wine that can be paired with a good meal or savored alone, or with dear friends.

Ironically the Syrah Rosé from Spy Pig (I get a laugh just typing that out and saying it out loud) is a lot more serious than on first viewing and initial sipping.  This is a solid wine at a reasonable price.  You should be able to find this for $10 and under at a retailer near you.  Here’s where to buy,  and more on their wines.

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When a label is that endearing, you might think that it’s covering up deficiencies with the wine itself.  This isn’t the case here.   And for something so affordable, you know what you’re getting it and depending on your palate, it’s either a pleasant surprise or meets expectations.

I’m not even the biggest Rosé fan, and I found this enjoyable.   Life changing it’s not, but it’ll make your day for sure.  And that’s an important of life.

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On a warm day like today, the color even looks more lively, and with red berries on the nose, and on the palate, it’s a simple, welcoming, and heartwarming wine that will make anyone feel good.

After an extended winter that has truncated Spring, this has been long overdue.  But like I said good things come, good things come in all kinds of packages and labels, and any chance to symbolically appreciate our animal friends, no matter how eccentric or enigmatic it might be, I’m all for it.

SpyPigRoseWine&Food

To say that my snacks (think you may recognize ’em) were subconsciously paired with my wine, could be an understatement.   In many instances, things just work out like that.

It’s those stories that might linger and feel memorable over time, as I look back and read memoirs from the past, or it could be a footnote.  I certainly doubt the latter.  Everything has a bigger meaning than just what’s right in front of you.  Sometimes what’s in front of you is all you have, and sometimes you don’t know what you have until after the fact.

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Where I’m going with this, I’m not quite sure.   This wine was simply fun, and I get the feeling this only the beginning with the Rosé wine discussion.

Only time will tell what’s next, and what will be discussed next week.

Peace Be With You.

Ideen