An Organic Experience

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Leave it to near where I live to have a wining and dining excursion that wasn’t just authentic but felt as spontaneous as any night out I’ve had in some time.  Based on that picture above, I would say that’s quite the understatement.

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One Eleven Main Street, in well, Main Street, Bel Air, MD has been open for several months.  I’m slightly embarrassed to have not this restaurant even existed.  I live minutes away from historic Main Street and had passed through recently.  I guess I just never noticed it.  Shame on me but this is why you have good friends to steer you in the right direction.

In terms of unplanned, I had a peaceful night of doing nothing at home.  Sometimes we need that.  I had zero intention of going out.  I was at peace with watching a cinema, eating some processed food, and calling it a night.

But you know, when you’re at peace with yourself and your plans for the evening, that’s when your friends want to hang out.  And this is from one the more unlikely folks.  It made my night.

I have a few friends who live near me, and when I do get a chance to hang out with them, I take full advantage.  I initially met them at a one locale and thought this was perfect.  It was a beautiful and brief encounter of dear friends I don’t see enough.  I thought a good hour was just right.  They had started earlier and looked like they were ready go to home.

This was organic in its own right.   So many of our plans are constructed via invites and messaging feeds that this was a rarity that I missed.  I was at peace.  Fortunately, they wanted more and I was along for the ride.  One Eleven Main was an inspired choice.

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I just figured a glass of wine and small plate would do the job.  So much for that.  We got a little carried away.  But it was a celebration of sorts.  My dear friends’ were celebrating a wedding anniversary all week and I’m grateful to have been able to be a part of that.

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After trying one or two wines, there was some hesitation on where to go.  We all were in the mood for something medium bodied, and I noticed the Don David Reserve Malbec 2015.

Over a year ago, I reviewed the 2013 version and loved it.

After a bit of deliberation and sampling that’s what we went with.  But as you can see, that’s not all that we went with.

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The cheese and charcuterie board looked like it was good for six people.  It took three of us to finish it.  But we took our time.  We savored this thing.  Aside from taking few pictures, we enjoyed this moment for what it was, an organic experience.

In this instance, like many others, it doesn’t matter what was in the mind.  You may get your darker fruits and earthy undertones, but none of this mattered.  To me it tasted like a full on Malbec, and a full on great wine.   For under $30 this was fantastic, but you can’t put a dollar amount on a great adventure.

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I was blown away.  This is a restaurant I may have not encountered for a long time, if it wasn’t for my friends.  It’s good to have good friends. But it’s not about me.  It was about all of us.  It was an experience that will resonate with me for a long time.

And the staff was incredible.  The cozy atmosphere lends itself to a sense of community, a sense of love, and a sense of friendship.

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We were the only three people at the front bar.  For a few moments it felt like we were the only people on Earth.  I’m not exaggerating at all, but that’s the feeling I got at times. That’s when you know everything is going right and nothing can bring down this natural high.

For more on Don David, click here.    I wish I could find a list of stores that carry the wine, but perhaps online ordering may work as well.  Here’s one link where the price is listed at $17, which is a solid value, or maybe this link at $15, even better.

If you’re in the area or planning on travelling to the Harford County and Bel Air, MD area, here is One Eleven Main Street’s location and menus.

I will be back  but this evening will be hard to top.  You know when you have a great meal and vino that you’ll be talking about for a long time?  Yeah this is that.  I’ve had a few of those and I’m thrilled to have this join the list.  I could talk about this forever but you know, some parts of an amazing memory should be kept internal.

How do I top this?   No need to top it.   More awesome experiences to come.

 

Ideen

 

Wonderful, Incredible

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I adore Vin 909.  I was in love with it before I even set foot into the building.  For the past couple of years I would take the drive past Downtown Annapolis into Eastport, and would always stare in awe of the building the wine cafe is housed in.  It was one of those things that I romanticized without ever getting out of the car and having a glass of wine myself.

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Well one time last Summer I actually got out and was all set to walk in.  You know what happened though?  It was in between the hours of lunch and dinner.  Of course it was closed.  Of course it wasn’t supposed to happen then.   Was it ever going to happen?  You know I could just plan ahead, make reservations, and make all the proper arrangements to walk in.  But isn’t it more exciting for the spontaneous?

So I kept on making a few more drive sand remained enamored with the restaurant.  And I’ll be honest many of those times was when business was opened.  I just wanted to amuse myself, but also build anticipation for there would be day I walk in and hopefully it lived up to the immense sense of hype I’ve given this place.

Over two years later and the goofy build-up later all finally ended last Thursday.

And it was done in style.

This was a momentous occasion to be shared so thankfully I did have company.  I was forewarned that it’s best to make reservations or otherwise the wait will be 30 minutes or more.

That’s about the amount of time we waited but no big deal.  It gave time to peruse the menu. admire the bar, the two dining rooms, and the waiting area.  It’s a sight to behold for sure.  I didn’t picture the place be as big as it was either.  Absolutely beautiful.

This is a wine blog first and foremost.  There was wine had, as well as a nuts, olives, an incredible salad, and a world class pizza.  More on the pizza later.

How was the vino?    We went with a bottle based on name.  We didn’t see a label but the name Incredible Red by Peachy Canyon was enough to win us over.   This was without even reading over the grape.  It’s a Zinfandel by the way.  I haven’t written about many so this was a great opportunity to discover.

Traditionally this has not been one of my favorite grapes.  The Zin’s I’ve had have been met with mixed reviews.   Not this one…

The 2014 Incredible Red from Peachy Canyon is a break from that mold.  Oh it tastes like a Zin alright.  But the scents of blackberry and black cherry were immediate upon uncorking.  I’m not that much of an expert to detect nutmeg and vanilla.  Actually vanilla makes sense based on the theme of the day.  (For more on that click here) The synopsis mentions a smoky aroma taking over.  I did taste smoke.  It was earthy to me as well.  But that also could be the taste of pepper on the palate.  There’s so much to this wine that if I have it again it’ll taste differently.

But the olives and nuts that were paired with this wine brought about new flavors, and also showed me that this wine was anything but a disappointing Zin.  This was a grower.

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The salad that paired with the wine isn’t listed on the online menu but it was incredible. Are you detecting a theme?  The title of this one says it all.  The wine, the nuts, the olives, the salad, and that pizza were all shall you say, wonderful and incredible.

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I will get to more on that pizza later.

I neglected to mention there was tea and dessert.  To read more about that part of the journey, click here.

When the food is this extraordinary, when the company is great, and the whole vibe of the evening is off-the-charts, this wine goes to a whole new level of awesome.

I haven’t seen this wine on my radar anywhere.  If it’s been at sitting at a local wine shoppe it completely went overlooked.

That’s a topic for another day.  There’s a plethora of wine that many of us walk right past not knowing,  We don’t even think about it.  We have our favorites, are willing to try new ones, but so many go unnoticed,  or this is all part of the journey.  Not every wine is going to be had but many wines are meant to be tried.

And at only $15 retail, this is as a good a deal as any.  At Vin 909 it was only $28.  To be less than twice the bottle price at any restaurant is a heck of a deal.  Leave in it to Vin 909 to do it right.

For their seasonally changing food menu click here, for their beer and wine list click here, contact info, and more about them.

This is hopefully the first of many visits.  Since this is wintertime and our dinner was at night, the outdoor dining area was unavailable.  I intend for my next review and recap to take place during the warmer weather months.  The romance continues.

And any place that supports a close friends’ organization, which is Anne Arundel County CASA, is deserving of all the praise and all the business.

For more on Peachy Canyon, click here, here is their wine list with options to purchase online,   and a map and tracker on where to buy.

More to come on Friday.

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Thanks so much,

Ideen

Best of Both…

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Happy New Year everyone.  There’s so many posts that I let linger too long that they no longer become relevant. It could be because seasons have changed, too much time has passed, or the time of year would become compromised.

If I let the wines I tried from Red Red Wine Bar of Annapolis, MD remain uncorked and without the proper review, then I would ruin Christmas and the holidays forever.  That was a joke by the way.

I was of course going to write about my experience a few weeks back, in conjunction with the fabulous pizzas we had, but all of the holiday everything took over.  That might be me making excuses but it also gave me time to reflect a little more on this experience, and see if these wines I tasted resonated with me into the new year.  And has it aged well with me.

A great wine ages well but so does an organically awesome experience.

And I always attempt to write about wine in a way that is approachable, relatable, and accessible to everyone.

Little did I know that I would get such a valuable lesson in New World Vs. Old World.

It’s one of those things we often taken for granted.  When we sip wine we usually just want it to taste a certain way, and for us to feel good about what we’re drinking.  How often do we think about where the wine is coming from?

For me I’d like to know the source.  Knowledge is power.  But knowledge when it comes to wine is even more invaluable.  It opens so many doors and steers conversations in regards to food and beverage into magical places.  I’ve found myself in riveting discussions because of what I’ve learned about wine and even more what my peers have taught me, whether directly or by happenstance.

So without getting any more long-winded I’m happy to write about a new world and an old world varietal.

The 2015 Penya Viognier is a treasure.  And as much as it paired great with the pizza we had, I can only imagine how great this would be in the summer.   With its inclusion of summer fruits like mango, pineapple, and peach this is perfect all year round.  But when it’s warmer in climate I can only imagine how joyous this is with a less hearty meal.

And the novice in me also thinks of New World (which is what this wine is) is the addition of fruits, more oak, and more creativity than it’s Old World counterparts.  I also think many New World wines want to please many people at once.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.  Wine is intended to make as many people happy as possible.

For more on this wine, which is distributed by Regal Wine, click here.

Now for the Old World.

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The 2012 Villa Puccini Toscana is what old world is all about.   It’s a medium bodied wine that is easy to drink and easy to drink now.  I found it just as light if not lighter than the Viognier.  But that could be because of the heavy holiday eating going on at the time.  And what else screams Old World more than Italy.

90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot seems simple enough.

However, I’ve had the Villa Puccini countless times in the past.  It’s just one of those wines that I tend to see everywhere. I’ve had it at restaurants, seen it at parties, and swear I’ve seen it sold in many a wine shoppe.  And it has always been reasonably priced and easy to drink, and to pair with everything.   If that isn’t old world then I don’t know what is.

But what’s old world and new world to me may be different for you, and different or everyone else.  And that’s the joy in wine drinking.

And more for on this wine which is distributed by HeyDay Corporation, click here.

I want to once again thank Bethany at Red Red Wine Bar for a world class experience that will forever stick with me as a great memory for this past holiday season.

I’ve seen both wines priced in stores anywhere from $9-$12.  Both are bargains for what you’re getting.

This is only the beginning. Their wine list is loaded with goodness and an inspired collection of wines that I won’t be able to ever do in its entirety.  But I can try a few.  And I hope to revisit this within the next month or so.

One wine I forgot to mention was their Chardonnay on tap.  I may have actually enjoyed it more than the others.  Not for the fact that it was on tap (well maybe).  But for the simple flavor.  It’s my fault I didn’t investigate further.  But it was wonderful.  Just another in the many reasons I will be back.

To be continued.  And this is likely the last holiday post for a while.

But for old times sake, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

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Ideen

 

 

 

 

Christmas Eve Comradery

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I’m glad I got to save one of my more enjoyable wine tasting experiences for the end of the year.  Well when it’s the holidays, and even more specifically Christmas Eve, it makes the occasion all the more merrier and the wine taste so much better.

What makes it all the more special is the wine I’m going to write about will go down as one of my favorite wines I’ve had, not only this year, but in a long while.

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The wine in question (well not in question, I just said that for dramatic effect) is The 2014 Lost Colony Wine from Virginia Dare Winery out of Geyserville, CA.

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Now I know what you might be thinking.  It’s The Lost Colony, it’s Virginia Dare Winery, and isn’t the state of Virginia one of the original 13 colonies?  My first reaction is this winery is a reasonable drive away.  Well just a few more hours have been added than originally presumed.  I’ll let you read the synopsis since I’m not the best at history. Instead I’ll stick with the wine and the spirit of Christmas.  Yay Christmas!

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So what inspired me to bring this wine to a dear friends’ Christmas Eve gathering?  Well the kind folks who were hosting prepared a pork crown roast.  And when you get invited to an event with a carefully prepared main course, the wine has to at the very least complement this meal that took days to prepare with love and care.

In advance of this gathering of loved ones and friends, but more so family, I did my research on the proper wines to pair with this dish. Syrah came up a lot and that was more or less in lines what I was thinking.  There were other suggested pairings but I was set on Syrah. And my local wine shoppe came through once again with a massive selection of bottles to choose from.

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Within seconds I spotted The Lost Colony and was in awe of this label.   I mean I was in love.  I had to take pictures.  Well I always take pictures.  But in this situation how could you not admire this work of art?  I’m sounding like a novice that only picks wines based on the label, but that’s a huge part of the fun.  It’s what draws you in.  And no, never judge anything by its cover, but when it looks this good, how can you not be the least bit fascinated?

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To be factually correct, this wine is a Red Blend (45% Syrah), and the fact sheet can be found here.

And when I saw the price listed at only $16 (more on this shortly), I was thinking it’s the holidays, it’s my dear friends’ Christmas Eve Party, and its this portrait and this wine that I want to bring to this assembly of awesomeness.  After all the build-up, this wine better be good.

Thankfully, I can safely say this wine was stupendous, tremendous, and I’m so grateful to have shared it with a few friends at the party.   Was I thinking of keeping it all to myself? Well…

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I was clutching this bottle like it was my baby.  Even the host of the party told me I should bring a cheaper wine out of the cellar, and to save this for later.  He had a point.  So I got a more standard label out and popped it open, and was done with it.

But I really wanted to open my wine.   So even after opening up the el cheapo, I went ahead and opened my Last Colony wine way ahead of dinner time.

This was a fruit forward gem that didn’t need any time to air out or open up, as it was amazing immediately.

The aura of this wine was something.  Lots of friend, old and new, were asking about this wine.  They were also intrigued by the label.  I felt proud that I brought such a wine that led to such a discussion.  It became an ice breaker which I didn’t expect at all.  Well it’s Christmas and the magic of the holidays shined through again.

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I poured cups for folks who were interested and was happy to do so.  And yes, dinner was nowhere close to being served.  But it paired well with the mammoth amount of appetizers and treats sprawled all across the kitchen counter.

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I did save a little wine for the crown roast.  And to say the pairing was amazing only tells a small percentage of the story.  I believe half the bottle was still there when I departed.  I hope my friends got to enjoy it.  The reviews I heard were strong across-the-board. It was so easy to drink.  It tasted more light bodied than I anticipated.   This may also due to the fact that the incredible amount of holiday parties leading to this one has made everything taste differently.  I’ve been feeling full most of the time so this wine may have had the opposite effect than if this were a more relaxed time of year.   And I still loved it.  Perhaps the Malbec in the blend gives is a lighter on the tannins feel.

Remember how I said I purchased this wine for $16?  It just had this feeling of tasting more than that.  But as you can see on the link to their own site, the price is $28.  How can this be?  I feel like I committed winery robbery.  And even though we spend like crazy on Christmas, I fully appreciated the savings in hindsight.   Even on reseller sites I see the prices listed in the $22-$25 range.  So is this an anomaly?  I may need to buy a few more of these bottles for future consumption.

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What’s funny is that if this bottle was over $20 I likely would not have purchased it.  It goes against my purchasing habits.  But here it is.  I was meant to buy this wine on this day, and I’m glad I did.  I’m happy to share this wine with dear friends and family a like.

And everyone at the party did the same.

That’s a testament to all of us.  We all came together to share in this wonderful couple’s home.  They wanted to share the holidays with us.  And we gave back in all the ways we could.  We all brought something to the party, whether it was a side dish, appetizer, sweet treat, liquor, and of course wine.  And that’s not only important during the holidays but all year round.   This group knows the meaning of sharing and caring throughout the year.

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And the hosts of this party go above and beyond in ways I have never seen.  It’s a blessing to know our party hosts, who are more than just hosts, they are family.  This whole group is a family.  And there’s nothing more important than family.  It’s amplified during the holidays and with this crew, the whole year through.

I will always remember this holiday season for a lot of things.  This party will be one of the highlights.

For more on Virginia Dare Winery click here.  They have charming music playing on the main page so beware if you’re looking at the workplace.

To purchase directly from the website, go here.

Here’s a behind the wines and then a history lesson.

If you live near the Baltimore area, I’ve seen this wine at the great Wine World in Abingdon, MD.  I’ve not seen it anywhere else but if I do, I will update it here.

This was fun and I can’t believe another year is in the books.  I can’t wait to see what comes next.  I may revert back to some old posts I never got around too and of course take some unexpected twists and turns throughout the duration.  I look forward to you joining me.

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But for now I will savor what’s left of the holidays and appreciate the fact that I got to be a part of this gathering, and that I got to share this with you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Ideen

 

 

 

Hip Hip Hooray For…

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Well ordinarily I wouldn’t dig fruitier and sweeter wines.  But that’s always been the point of this journey.  I like getting out of my comfort zone as much as possible.  Essentially every wine is at least worth a try.

Not that long ago I would embrace sweet wines, because they’re accessible and endearing to so many.  It would be perfect and most likely affordable to bring to holiday parties, birthdays, and any gathering where not everyone enjoys wine.  But they would enjoy the sweet and tart varietals.  So it was a win win for everyone.

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As time went by it felt more like a loss.  I enjoyed the dryer reds and then started to appreciate the whites.  That much has remained the same.  But I’m no wine snob nor do I ever intend to be.  But the sugary content in the sweets began to give me a headache and became a chore to drink than anything else.  That’s not the point of this thing.  Wine is meant to be enjoyed.  And no time rings truer than the holidays.   Yet it’s with great pleasure that I say that the Cranberry Wine from St. James Winery is a winner.

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What’s not to like?  Look at that color.  It looks deceivingly like cranberry juice and not much else.  If you poured me a glass and didn’t tell me otherwise, I wouldn’t know the difference.  Only until sipping do you begin to realize that this is anything but just juice. You want to take your time with this one or it’ll creep up on you.

I love the tasting notes.  It literally is all cranberry all the time.   Cranberry acidity with a cranberry finish is what’s written.  Can you get more approachable and simplistic than that?  And around this time of year, with all the frenzy of running around like a fool shopping, errands, and looking for just a few minutes to relax, this is the kind of wine and synopsis you want.

This wine is so good I’ve gladly decided to give them buy a few and give them as gifts to people.  My hunch is the people I’ve purchased for may not be reading this blog.  So I hope I haven’t spoiled anything haha.

But I did bring it to my traditional gathering of dear friends.  We exchanged gifts, ate food a little too fast (or maybe that was just me), and sipped on this wine ever-so-slowly.

What’s funny is I think I only had one glass.  That is more due to the fact I was appreciating what I was drinking.  There’s nothing especially life-changing or monumental about this wine on the surface.  But if you’re enjoying this glass with the people you care about this much, then it will take on a life of its own.  And that’s how every wine and every experience should be, and is capable of being. The charm of that label helps too.

With this wine, you can also be creative, and make your favorite festive cocktails.

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Short and sweet, to the point, and happy holidays.

For more on our happy gathering, here’s the tea that we had.

For my festive friends in the Baltimore area, this bottle is available at Wine World in Abingdon for the low price of only $11.00.

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And to everyone else in the states and locally, here’s the link to search for it at a retailer near you.

You can also order this and all of their festive wines online, and their contact info is all over the page.

I wish you a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all the joy that it’ll bring you.

Happy Happy and Merry Merry,

Ideen

 

 

A Very Special Label

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I’m calling another audible.  I had something in mine for this week, but I will be able to get back to that at a reasonable time.

This is an addendum to another post I made about this decorating party, which can be found right here.  And even with all the sentiment and heartwarming situations, there is room for laughs.  We all need some comedy and laughter in our life.  If not, then what’s this all for.  And is there a more necessary time than during the holidays?   This post might end up being funny, or just a bit dopey depending on where this goes.

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The title of this post might be misleading, but the label for the Happy Holidays Sparkling Wine is art.  What else needs to be said.  There is such care and precision put into this design, how can you not be drawn to it?

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For folks who love the entire wine experience, presentation is almost as important as the wine itself.  First impressions don’t necessarily tell you the whole story, or even offer up some semblance of what’s really going on.  We’re only scratching the surface.

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When you see a label like this, and at only around $11, it’s not worthy of a buy, it’s a must buy.  That’s what happened to me.   I got a little too excited that I made an impulse buy without stopping to check of the details of the wine itself.  And that’s where disappointment is likely to set in.  But we can also find the positives in any situation.  I’m saying all this before I’ve even opened the bottle.  But wait…

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After the euphoria wore off, I read that this was an Italian Sparkling Wine, which would go perfect for the brunch or light appetizer part of the party I was headed to.

This looked too good to open and too good to be true.  I wanted this to remain a mystery.  I wanted to romanticize all the beauty inside without ever uncorking.

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But that wasn’t going to happen.  The mimosas and various champagne drinks were being guzzled at rapid-fire rates that it was only a matter of time before my bottle would be unveiled to the world, or an audience of 10.  Either way this wasn’t good.  After the dramatic build-up I really wanted to like it.  But not even close.  And the host of the decorating party was the first to lash out.   My feeling weren’t hurt.  They all can’t be winners.  It tasted nothing like champagne, sparkling wine, or some other facsimile.

It was too thick and too heavy to be considered champagne or anything remotely close. Like I said, I wanted this to be one of those bottles that you’ll be talking about for years to come.  That’s not even close.  But the fact that it was hard to drink is what made this so funny.  We had a bunch of cheap and standard-label champagne to start off, that served its purpose and went down smooth.  That’s all we want in a champagne brunch.  Maybe the sparkling wine would have been better served in another capacity, but I don’t see it.

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The hostess was great to find the positives in this.  The bottle had already been open, and we waited until all the other champagne tapped out to finish this one.  It just sat there looking lonely.  No one wanted any.  But that label can’t be disputed.  I could stare at that for a while, or until I got restless and wanted a good wine or champagne.  It was funny trying to avoid drinking this until absolutely necessary.  It was tolerable enough to finish but a struggle at the same time.  That’s not an endorsement.

If I were to talk badly about a wine, I wouldn’t want it to be during the holidays, but I gave myself much higher expectations.  And because of the imagery, I doomed myself with such lofty expectations.  I would say I’ve learned my lesson, but I wouldn’t want to.  It may be a novice thing to buy a wine based on a label but the heck with it.  Buy what you want, drink what you like, and take some chances.  I did and I’ll do so again.

I can’t find much about this bottle online, except for this link.  Not sure this can help.

More on the winery itself, Villa Jolanda, can be found here.

For my friends in Maryland, I found this at Wine World in Abingdon, MD.

If you would like to see my friends’ party recap from last year, this is the link for YOU!

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I will bid farewell with a few more pictures from the decorating party.  Regardless of how the wine was, everything about the event was perfection.  I can only hope the next wine I bring to one of these affairs will be the same.

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As always, happiest of holidays to you.

Ideen

 

 

Holiday Party Season

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Here’s the exciting yet confusing part of the holidays for me.   I have a plethora of options to go with for this week.  That’s also the dilemma.  Which one feels right?  No matter what I go with, there’s going to be second guessing.  It’s the Christmas season.  Would you expect anything less?  And I think we can relate to that with just about any scenario. What’s the perfect gift to give someone?  What’s that perfect note, card or message that we would like to convey?  What’s that perfect fill-in-the-blank?

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Perfect is a relative term.  We have to be careful with setting ourselves for a colossal letdown or disappointment.  I’ll tell you something, the wine I’m going to write about is anything but a letdown or a reason to fret.  The Lost Order No. 191 from Boordy Vineyards is close enough to the perfect holiday wine that you forget about all the other hangups and insecurities that may come into your life during this season.  I may be projecting a bit but someone out there must relate.  If not, then this post is in vain.  But I’ll continue nevertheless.

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This continues my posts in support of local business.  I’ve written about Boordy countless times before, but figure it’s been long enough that it didn’t run its course.  I hope so.   Circumstances prevented myself, along with good pals, from attending the last couple of wine club parties, but sometimes life throws you a bone, or a bottle.  And your fellow winos share with you their love of wine.

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More importantly than how good this wine was.   This was a gift from some dear friends that are fellow Landmark Reserve Club Members.  Automatically this wine contains an attachment and memory of giving and of sharing.  And that’s what this season is truly all about.

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300 words later and I’ve yet to actually talk about the wine itself.  It’s a Red Blend that wine lovers and newbies will both adore.  Last weekend I brought it to my local gym’s (for more on Peak Performance, click here) holiday happy hour, and it went over very well.   I had debated on where the most fitting place to bring this invaluable vintage.   This needed to be an organic  experience.  So what better place than the gym.

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This red blend consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and one of my new favorite grapes, Petit Verdot, tastes surprising lighter than what I expected.  Yet it was refreshing and perfect (there’s that word again) for this or any holiday party.  It pairs with the lightest or heartiest of foods.

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I laugh because we work our tails off here, with our weights, rowing machines, and treadmills during the day.  However, in the lobby area we gorged ourselves on loads of food and drink that it felt like I undermined all my hard work for the day, or that week for that matter.

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Ah but that’s the holidays.  Your stomach is supposed to beg for a reprieve.  And one day here and there is not going to be the end of you or me.  Isn’t that what we tell ourselves?

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Well the party was fun.  The dynamic was different as we were revelers as opposed to fitness fanatics.  And that led to a different level of conversation.  And this season leads to a sense of love and community that I wish would permeate all year round.  Sometimes it does.  It’s up to me and you as individuals to spread that cheer for the duration of the calendar year and in this thing called life.

A wine like that certainly helps.  My bottle is still waiting for pickup, which just means I need to share it with close friends and family at the next of hopefully many holiday gatherings.  It’s early December and I love this time of year.  The more parties the merrier. I’m glad I was gifted this wine to share with these good folks.  And I can only assume the good times will continue to present themselves.

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For more on Boordy’s Landmark Reserve Club, click here.

For more on Peak Perfomance, click here.

 

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Have a Safe and Blessed Holiday,

Ideen

 

Thankful Thursdays

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I love Thanksgiving.  I can easily say it’s one of my favorite holidays.   However, every year has a different feel for you, for me, and for everyone.  One persons joyful celebration may be a time for reflection and realization for some.   For me, this year, I find myself doing both.

I’m big on tradition.  And I’m grateful to have so many good people in my universe.  And sometimes I don’t realize it or fully appreciate it.  At other times, there’s a mood that hits me.  It goes all over the place.  I want to see everyone in my family that I can.  I want to pay visit and respect to all my dear friends, not just during the latter stages of the year, but the other ten months to.  I do but I know it’s never enough.  That’s the holidays.

We’re so busy and find ourselves playing catch up.  But catch up from what?  A lot of our business is our own doing.   Yet, at other times, things can’t be helped.

Do any of us have an answer on how to handle life and the holidays?  I think the secret lies within all of us, and while the answers are different, they’re also all so relative.

This year, tradition took a different turn.  I have a wonderful family in Baltimore.  I have a wonderful set of relatives back where I grew up in Montgomery County.  And I pray I see them soon.  In past years, I would see both.  This year, things have changed.  I was meant to stay in Charm City.   Despite the tennis match in my head, it was meant to be.

And what else is meant to be, is two more wines to honor Beaujolais nouveau.

Two more, because in case I run out, I always carry reserved me in my car (unopened of course).  And in case I have the honor of going to another party, I know not to come empty handed.  This applies to any party,  not just during the holidays, but throughout this ride.

The bottles were split over the appetizer and than full dinner portion of the party.  But due to the fact that Thanksgiving means stuffing ourselves till we can’t physically move, they did overlap a bit.  However, for the sanctity of the blog, I’ll make it look proper and wholesome.

The 2016 Domaine Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Nouveau is exactly along the lines of the sweet, fruity beaujolais nouveau you’ve come to expect.  All the berries and all the goodness make this a winner.  And I tasted something else on top of that.  There was an even more sweeter goodness in the underbelly of this bottle.  Maybe there were some summery fruits on top of cherries and raspberries.   Whether or not that’s the case, or I tricked my mind into thinking is for me to figure out.  You may draw your own interpretations.  But it paired well with all the amazing appetizers that were served.  My family and friends can cook.

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For the official dinner, I opened up the 2016 Domaine Descroix Beaujolais Nouveau 2016. This felt heavier than the previous bottle from tonight’s festivities.   The traditional Thanksgiving favorites were there, along with some other yummy foods.  And the wine and the meal clicked perfectly.  Having great people to share the experience with heightens all of this and then some.

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One synopsis mentions bubble gum on the nose.  What makes me laugh is I thought the aforementioned Domaine Manoir actually tasted like bubble gum.  And here we go. Certain wines have certain flavors, but our interpretations might be (and should be) all different.

And on the notion of interpretations, the holidays mean so many different things to all of us.

I don’t know where the time went.  I felt like I wrote about last years festivities a mere few months ago.  Events from last week felt like last year.  And that’s time for you.

All this is saying is we should appreciate the moments we have, with the people we care about, as much as humanly possible.  And for me (and maybe for you) there may never be enough of that.  Being kind to each other is what life is all about.  And this applies to our entire life, not just the holiday.  Before I sound too preachy, I’m saying this to myself along with saying this to you.  We all deserve to give love and get that love back.  It makes the world a difference.  Life is all about good wine, but more importantly it’s about good times too.   Not to say that wine, good times, good food, and good people are mutually exclusive, but I’m going to safely assume you know what I mean.

To my fellow wine lovers looking for these respective bottles, hopefully this link will help out.  And this one.

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For my friends in Baltimore, these wines, along with others, can be found at the Wine Source in the gorgeous Hampden neighborhood.  They have the most beautiful of displays for Beaujolais nouveau. And many of the bottles, including the two I purchased, can be found for under $10.00.  That’s a holiday celebration I can get used it.

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And I will revisit the Wine Source sooner rather than later.  They have always come through in the clutch when other wine shops fell short.  I’ve found some gems at their store.  I’ve also found it to have the most welcoming and approachable energy of just about any wine shoppe I’ve been to.  And this is not just during the holidays but throughout the year.

beaujolaisthanksgiving1So in the spirit of giving and celebrating, I hope you all had a happy and blessed Thanksgiving with good friends and good family.   We all deserve a little kindness during the holidays.   A great wine might do the trick, but a simple gesture as saying thanks does so much more.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Ideen

 

 

I Love Thursdays

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As a kid, and now as an adult, I’ve always looked forward to Thanksgiving.  The fourth Thursday is one many of us mark on the calendar as a day of eating, celebrating with people you care about, drinking, eating, and more eating.

But in what has now become a preview of things to come, the third Thursday, Beaujolais Nouveau Day, has almost become the launching pad of the holiday season, at least here in the states.  And of course for others, the holidays started right after Halloween, if not before.   Nevertheless, I’m happy to have found two unique bottles versus last year, and thankfully two gatherings to bring them to.

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I love Friendsgiving, or Friends Thanksgiving.  I love how we all embrace each other a little more during this time of year.  There’s a natural energy and progression that hits us for a couple of months.  It’s the height of love.  I want to believe it permeates throughout the year.  Some would say it would talk away some of the shine and uniqueness of this time of year.   I would venture to say that being good to each other should be exclusive to the entire year.  And it can be.  With that being said…

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The 2016 Beaujolais Nouveau from Bouchard Aîné & Fils was my favorite of this season thus far. This was brought to a Friendsgiving this past Sunday. So yes, I cheated.  I broke the tradition of only having this on that faithful Third Thursday, but good wine is meant to be drank.  And it was still at the store, so it was meant to be bought, meant to be savored, and meant to be appreciated, all year round.  Ok that was a bit dramatic.

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But this wine had a sweetness about it.   I should have figured out that besides blackberry and cherry, which is synonymous with these wines, was some white peach.  This made the wine alone.  The synopsis which is listed also mentions flavors or smoke.  You would think smoke would undermine the sweet and fruity principles that these wines bring forth.  This was not the case.

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I loved it and was happy that my friends enjoyed it too.  The bottle barely made it through dinner.  You know when you bring a bottle and no one drinks it, feelings may be hurt.  It’s happened to the best of us.  So I’m happy other people enjoyed it and are now fans.  I’m a huge fan.

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I was a huge fan of the feast.  Everyone made or brought some awesome foods.  Pictures are all over this writing, and I don’t need to explain everything on my plate.  Hopefully the pictures do them justice.  But everything was wonderful.  The hosts are great people who I consider close friends, it was nice to reconnect with friends I don’t always see, and I’m happy to have met some new ones.  This is the point of the holidays, and the point of this thing of course called life.

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Can you spot the green eggs and ham?  Haha.

So that was dinner.  And after dinner comes sweet tooth time.

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Bottle #2 is the Beaujolais Noveau from Joseph Drouhin tasted a bit more standard and more of the wines that are in line with this event.  That’s not to say it was bad.  The dark fruits, blackberries, and cherries made this wine a little more fuller than I expected.  I didn’t love it at first, but it was a grower.  A few of sips were better than others. And that could entirely be based on the pastries that were paired with.  The sweetness may shown itself when it otherwise wouldn’t.

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This was a smaller gathering with good friends.  I feel like such a grown up going to another party for dessert and vino.

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These wines are meant to be paired with heavy meats and cheeses.  But there are never any rules to this thing.  Well there might be one.  These wines are meant to be drank now. I have bottles from a couple of years ago that are probably lost causes.   They were meant to be brought to various holiday parties and events.  I won’t make that same mistake by letting them collect dust.

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We got a long season and that means these youthful wines are meant to be had immediately.  And most go for under $15.  And some under $10.  Those are my kind of price points.

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The holidays are about getting carried away, indulging yourself like there’s no tomorrow (or until the next party), and spending time with the people you care about the most.

I would strongly recommend the Bouchard Aîné & Fils, and I think many others will love the Joseph Drouhin.

As an aside, I did taste the Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau, and it left so much to be desired. It’s the weakest I can recall in sometime.  I would say it lacked the fire and enthusiasm of previous years.

So you might be asking where you can find these bottles?  The respective websites are not the best of help in that regard. All I know is that in Baltimore, you can find them at the fine folks of Canton Crossing Wine & Spirits.  I’ve always had a great experience there. Online sites may list this at various prices.  If I can track down where else they can be found, I will update this list.

Here is my Beaujolais Nouveau post from one year ago.

Happy Third Thursday to you and Happy Thanksgiving Eve!   And if you read this after that, Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays, and Happy Wine Drinking!

I Love Beaujolais Nouveau!

Best to you and yours,

Ideen

Basement Party

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This was supposed to be the  calm before all of the holiday themed posts.  We’re way past the point of no return.  And I’m glad.  We got nearly two months of this and it’ll fly by.  So this is all about embracing community, the ones you love, whether it be your friends, family, your pets, or all of the above.  And we’re going to get all of the above and so much more.

Highlandtown is a a part of Baltimore that is near and dear to me.  In a previous life I actually did leave here.  But at the time it was just on the verge into becoming the flourishing and thriving neighborhood it has become today.  And it seems like they’ve only just scratched the surface.

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I’ve been a sucker and lover for festivals, community events, and neighborhood block parties for as long as I can remember.  So it comes to my surprise that it took me this long to fully partake in their annual Basement Bar Tour.  And what a beautiful congregation of people it has become.

In previous incarnations I only was able to make it to the tail end and only make a couple of the houses and the post party celebration at DiPasquales.  Oh how I love DiPasquales.  I wrote about them once.  You can read that here.

But before I go on any more tangents, lets focus on the topic at hand.  The basement tour was genuine and loaded with soul.

We all put down a relatively cheap $20 to participate in the tour and all the houses (not so much basements anymore) welcomed us with open arms.

Many had snacks, comfort food, beer, mixed drinks, and of course wine.   Yes I need to talk about wine. That’s important to this post and to the integrity of this blog.    Most important of all, there were friendly faces and friendly conversations with everyone.

I got to reconnect with friends I haven’t seen in a while.  I got to bond with friends in a way that I ordinarily wouldn’t if we were at a crowded bar or party.  Not that either is right or wrong.  But there is something that much more authentic about a neighborhood of friends all gathering for the same reason.   What it led to me is what is symbolic of what the holidays and what the true meaning of life is all about.  I don’t know the exact words as to what life is all about.  But the terms good, community, friendship, and family come to mind.

I’ll leave most of the houses to your imagination.  Many of my experiences on this day are for my and my friends’ internal memories.   But of course one house did that stand out that’s worth sharing…

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It’s never too soon for Mulled wine.  Well it may taste funnier in the normal months but I think you catch my drift.  But if not than that’s cool too.

This was house number, (hmm.. I forgot) on the tour.   My friends and I were already in a good place based on the last few residencies.  I kept wondering what surprises each house would bring next.   At this house we got macaroni and cheese, chili, and pulled chicken.

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Just when you think you’ve seen it all we get  fresh baked cookies and that mulled wine. Oh my goodness.  The host kept having to refill because it was going so fast.

He went over the recipe as he was replenishing the wine, but it has completely escaped my memory.  That’s my fault and I take full responsibility for not being able to share that with you.   I even saw the gentleman later on and thanked him for making such an awesome concoction.  And of course I once again forgot to ask him what it contained.

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It’s safe to assume the Bota Box wine was used, since you can see it in some of these photos.  And it was neighbors to that amazing contraption making the mull.  I’m savoring some right now.

Which leads me to say I want to make some mulled wine.   And I fully believe the possibilities on how to make it are endless.  It’s to your discretion.  The wine is readily available to you.  All we have to do is throw in some fruit, spices, and anything else palpable till your hearts content.

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This made my day and we were only around the halfway point.  Four hours plus flew by. And with any fun event time doesn’t stand still.  It accelerates at a scorching pace.  And I fully intend to do my best to slow some of it down and appreciate all the moments.  Not everything will be captured in my blogs but I’ll do my best to share some of the best.  The Basement Bar Tour is some of that best.

In the spirit of community I’d like to promote some of the local businesses in the neighborhood.  Some I’m proud to say are great friends of mine.  Some I’m proud to say I support on at least a semi-regular basis.  If you’re in and around the area, definitely check them out before the holidays and the year is out.  And this will be edited to add more over time, so my humblest of apologies if I leave anyone out.  That is not my intent.

Links will be listed where available :

Peak Performance Training

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RoofTop Hot – Urban Farm & Sustainability Services

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Highlandtown Gallery/Magnolia Designs/Night Owl Gallery

Rust-N-Shine

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Y:Art

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DiPasquales

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A huge thanks to all the houses that welcomed us in and seemed genuine happy to be a part of this.  And to DiPasquale’s for an amazing celebration by the fire, at the end.  And of course the Highlandtown Community Association.

I’m ready for the holidays.  Oh wait, they’re already here!

More cheer to come,

Ideen