awesome – One With Vino

I wish I had written about this entry sooner.

I made my first ever visit to New Orleans back in June of this year. And I got to experience so much in such little time, that I almost freaked myself out. There was so much to see, so much to eat, and yes so much wine to enjoy. I wanted to space out these posts so I can try to appreciate these moments even more.

For my previous NOLA wine post, you can click here.

On my final night I met up with a friend and per their suggestion we met up at Cafe Adelaide & the Swizzle Stick Bar, which is located inside the luxurious Loews Hotel.

I was grateful that I got to see a friend I hadn’t seen in a few years but our time was limited. No food was ordered but wine was on the mind. And I perused the menu and saw quite an extensive list. Seriously, this list is nuts! I kept scrolling and scrolling! This is a wine lovers dream. I would add to my knowledge base if I hung out here regularly.

No bottles on this day but I did settle on the 2012 LIOCO “Indica”, Old Vine Carignan/Petite Sirah. Only by mistake (or maybe not) they poured me the 2013. That’s not even a quibble, but only an observation. And at the time I was so oblivious to the fact that it doesn’t really matter. I only recall this when going through my notes.

Speaking of which, sometimes notes are helpful in referencing flavors and the like, but overall I don’t it can come close to telling the whole story. This wine could have tasted pitiful and I wouldn’t have cared. Honestly, I was in a wonderful city that I had always wanted to visit. And perception is key. I was in such a happy place that nothing was going to bring me down. I was on vacation and I’m going to find the positives in everything.

The positives for this wine were easy. This was not the aforementioned Carignan/Petite Sirah from 2012. But we move ahead one year. And I can’t pretend otherwise. I’d never heard of Carignan until that day. The bartender was helpful in explaining the details of that grape, that have since escaped my memory. There was no Petite Sirah with this on for 2013. Now I wish I had those notes.

It’s perhaps never been in a wine I had before or had since, but in this instance (or many others) does it really matter?

I’ve never noticed this or any of their bottles sold in stores near me or when I visit, but if you’re interested in purchasing any, here is the link.

The wine tasted light. I seem to recall some cherries and it did have that jammy connotation. There’s a term that has been thrown around many a time but does apply here. It had some oak, tannins, and all the stuff that makes me love wine. And how about that color? We have a purplish and violet look here. I find that delightful.

But most importantly I love wine because of how it makes me feel and the company I get to share it with. And I got to enjoy it in one of my favorite cities in the world.