Tag: Christmas

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

 

Hope Yours Was Great Too

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We’re so fixated and caught up on Thanksgiving that I don’t think Thanksgiving ever gets the love and credit it truly deserves.

I will do a brief review of my family’s gathering and of course talk about the wine that was drank. There was a lot of that but I barely got to have any myself.

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The 2013 El Libre Malbec from Revolution Wine Company was my contribution to this 15+ gathering of family and friends.  I would say it was a hit since I had all of one glass.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Revolution itself as it’s a very good and affordable wine in its own right.  I’ve seen it was low at $7 at certain retailers (and it’s likely at one near you) and the price tag alone is worth buying it for. But it’s a really good and affordable selection to any collection.  I drink this semi-regularly myself.

The El Libre is another one you can find at many wine shoppes all over the place.  That and the Revolution are approachable standard labels that can complement many a party, gathering, feast, or enjoyed in solitude.

This Malbec tastes lighter than most and had a very strawberry-jam like taste at times.   It was noticeably different at our feast than when I’ve enjoyed under different circumstances.

The food and the heavy eating that can bring about different flavors and scents in many bottles. We enjoyed quite a few appetizers beforehand so that plays a factor.

Not as much French Oak or any oak for that matter but that’s just fine. There’s enough cherry to make this bottle endearing and simplistic for any get-together.  And isn’t that the point of all this?   You betcha.

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The wine was so good it lasted all of 5 minutes within our party. Thankfully, other bottles were there to be consumed and reveled in.  The acidity was just right that even a non-wine drinker may like this.  And that may have happened here.

And speaking of thanks, my cousins are always creative in how they want us to give appreciation and gratitude ourselves.  This year it was a tree were we could write a couple of notes ourselves. I did and will leave that up to the universe and my own internalization to see that message is delivered.

I included some photos of the food, which includes sweet potatoes, salmon with rice, and some butternut squash with pesto lasagna.  We had the standards.  The turkey, cranberry, salad, and rolls.  However, there would be no photos allowed at the actual dinner, so imagination is key here.

My favorite part was the evolution of the table-setting which I did my best to capture here.

Our gathering went over four hours and I cherish every moment of it.  I cannot stress enough how important feeling good and spending it with the ones you love is.  I’m overstating the obvious but it still needs to be said.   I  told my family I wish I saw them more than a handful of times a year.

The holidays are a reminder that we shouldn’t just do this once or twice because a calendar tells us too.  We should do this organically, naturally, and perpetually.

I look forward to spending as much time with dear family and friends, not just throughout the rest of this year, but beyond.

I hope the same for you.

Best,

Ideen

 

 

Williamsburg – Post Holidays

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I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and are enjoying the New Year.    It feels bittersweet for them to be over.  But onto another positive write up about wine!   In a previous post, I mentioned how the vibe and wines of the town of Williamsburg and their respective winery felt like Christmas.

So we enjoyed the Susan Constant Red, but this time we did have the 2011 Lord Botetourt Red.  It tasted even better than last spring.

I am glad we save special bottles like this for special occasions.  We have gone past Christmas, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have amazing wines with just as inspiring meals.

I had mentioned previously that there was a grass/straw component to the wine.   There is something different about this taste.  It tastes like this earth.  It tastes natural. It tastes heavenly.  Unless I am tricking myself, this could be it!    The toastiness is easily detectable and the medium tannins were a great complement.

We enjoyed this wine with a great London Broil, potatoes, broccoli, and fresh baked bread.  A hearty meal which gives justice to the meal and bottle itself.  Tremendous stuff.

To me, this isn’t the typical full bodied, peppery, oaky red wines I enjoy the most.  But, this is on par with some of the best wines I have drank.  The winery states that it’s a fuller bodies red but for me it tastes more medium bodies, and that’s cool. These will all taste different to us.

I look forward to finding more wines containing Petit Verdot and more with these ingredients of the earth.   Another intriguing bit is the description says there is a hint of veginess.   Where that is I don’t know. Maybe I’ll detect it in the future.

All I know is I cannot say enough good things about the 2011 Lord Botetourt Red.  This is an absolute gem.

I can’t wait to head back to Williamsburg.

Happy New Year.

Best,

Ideen

Williamsburg – Feeling Like Christmas

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I had the great fortune of visiting The Williamsburg Winery in April of this year.   The winery, in addition to the town feels very homey and Christmasy.  The town has a great energy that feels authentic.  It’s a town I would say I wish I was from or grew up nearby.   There is a strong sense of community and togetherness that happens, not just during the holidays, but all year round.  A template of Williamsburg; with its shops, restaurants, and year round festivals is the perfect blueprint for what all wonderful places are like.

Now their wine is wondrous too…

I wish I had taken photos of my visit here.  But the charm level is in full effect.

The two wines I purchased were the 2012 Susan Constant Red, which is a Sangiovese and the 2011 Lord Botetourt Red, which is a 7% Malbec and 93% Petit Verdot. The latter is a new one for me.

I gladly tasted both before purchase.

The Sangiovese is a simple everyday wine.  I drank it rather quickly compared to other Sangiovese’s I’ve had, or other lighter reds in general.   The synopsis reads that cherries and raspberries can be detected.  I tasted some berry or fruit flavors but wouldn’t be able to say that they were those berries for sure.   I did not discover the hints of cloves or tobacco. The suggested pairings were with grilled meats; such as lamb, ham or tuna.       I enjoyed it with a cheese and three cheese white pizza slice respectively.  I thought the duo tasted stupendously.

The Lord Botetourt tastes like all of my favorite wines.   The label reads that there is a nice straw/grass character to the bottle.   This is new to me and I am excited for that.  There mentions some red fruits and a hint of green apple.  I’ll see if I can detect that next time.  This is an incredible wine that deserves to be paired for celebratory occasions.  I drank this back in the late spring so a cold weather experience may give it a different taste.  So I will enjoy soon.   Christmas Eve dinner may sound about right.

I intend to make a return to Williamsburg in the near future.   A place with this much character, deserves a larger recap and plenty of photos.

What is most important, in the end, is to drink what makes you feel good.  If there is a wine and food pairing you want to try, then go for it.   Of course, certain bottles shall be reserved for special occasions.  But that special occasion is whatever you want it to be.  In the spirit of Christmas and the holidays, it’s even more of an incentive to have something that brings you joy.  This is what this time of year is all about.  That’s what this life is all about.   Have something that makes you feel inspired.

Have a great holiday.

Best,

Ideen