Rodney Strong Chardonnay Sonoma County 2009

I picked up this lovely bottle the other day because when I think of the Rodney Strong winery, I have good feelings. Somewhere in the amazing brain I have, there are memories of drinking Rodney Strong wines and liking them. I just know it. So, I went with my gut and grabbed this Chardonnay to have with a pot of ham and beans. That sounds gross now that I typed it, but it wasn't in real life.

Rumor is, this is another silver medal winner and 87 point getter. There are a lot of contests and people who get to assign point values. One day, perhaps I'll figure out just how many. I used to ignore these things and go with the bravado of  "Who cares what some crusty old man in a windsor tie thinks? I'm going to drink what I want. Dammit." Then, I realized I liked all the wines that win awards and get big points. So, you do the math. For the record, I also like a man who can tie a windsor knot. He's in the shower right now, presumably not wearing a windsor tie.

Anyway, totally loved this wine. It was the perfect blend of crisp and fruity and dry - which is the Chard trifecta for me. I also love a buttery Chard but that makes 4 adjectives and there is no "trifecta" sort of impact to a quadfecta. And, besides, this wasn't buttery.

I served it really cold, which might be a no-no, but I like it that way. Plus, the steaming hot bowl of ham and beans demanded an icy cold sort of beverage.

Would absolutely drink this one again-- looking forward to it, in fact. Try it out for yourself. I'd like to try the '08, too.

Retails between $12-$14. Bought locally on sale for $9.99. Worth every penny!

Toasted Head Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

I've been avoiding this winery for years now, I admit. From a distance, the label looks like it has a bear vomiting fish. Only upon closer inspection do I realize the bear is actually breathing (or eating) fire. This is preferable, naturally, to a vomiting bear. Once I cleared this up, I bought a bottle of North Coast Cabernet to go along with my favorite TriTip roast for dinner the other night.

The fruit for this wine comes from the Lakes Region, a bit farther north from the Napa-Sonoma region I've been tasting wines from. Yes, I know I could rework that sentence so as to not dangle my preposition, but I'm feeling wild this morning.

I liked this wine in a "it's decent" sort of way. I don't really mean that as a slam - it was a decent cab and I was able to immediately drink it - no decanting. Sometimes, this is very much appreciated. It was a bit....man...I don't know the word I need here. It was a bit too light, or something like that. I like big, heavy cabs and this was sort of a nice and easy version. It smelled good and tasted good, though -- also did a great job standing up to my roast and brussel sprouts. That's right. I eat brussel sprouts. Shut your mouth!

For under 10 bucks, it's not a bad choice. I'd drink it again but it wouldn't be my first choice. Too many fantastic cabs out there.

Wattle Creek Sauvignon Blanc Mendocino 2007

The other day as I was standing there staring at all the fabulous wines I have yet to try, my eyes settled on this one. It has a couple of strange things going for it. First, let's be honest. The label has a picture of something that seriously looks like a penis and three balls. And we all know how rare a three baller is. Then there is the name. When I hear the word "wattle" I think of my chin and this is NOT a pleasant experience. I'd rather think about a three baller. So why would I pick this wine, you are asking. Well, I was intrigued by all that strangeness and by a sauv blanc from Cloverdale, CA. I don't even know where that is - pause while I go find out...got it! Northwest of Napa, straight up the old 101.

Anyway, enough about three balls, my chin, and locations. I really enjoyed this wine. It's a silver medal winner of some contest, which seems right to me. I must say though, that had it been a blind taste test I probably would have guessed it to be a Chardonnay. This says a lot about how totally unrefined I am. Whatever. But, the wine had a bigger, bolder and almost but not quite buttery sort of taste..like you'd associate with a Chard. I'm wondering if this is something  more common in Sauv's from this particular region. I can't wait to find out.

I drank this wine by itself and with a homemade pasta dish (sauteed chicken breast over angel hair pasta with vodka sauce) and it stood up quite nicely. I'd definitely have it again.

Retails for around $14. Bought at Raley's for $8.99.

Domaine Chandon -- Chandon Extra Dry Riche Sparkling Wine

Yesterday, I spent a little time at one of my new favorite places - Sepay Olive Oil Company. You can taste olive oils and vinegars, learn a TON about the industry, health benefits, etc., and shop to your heart's content. Truly a gem in Fairfield. Fresh off of that, I went grocery shopping. I knew I wanted to get some bread so I could dive right into my fabulous new assortment of oils and vinegars. As I was perusing the bakery selections, I spotted some fondue. Ah.....fondue. Dinner came together rather quickly after that.

When I was a kid, we had fondue with some sort of regularity. In other words, I don't see it as a special or extravagant thing. It is a fabulous rich and hearty winter time meal for any night. For our dinner, we had fresh bread cubes, a Bosc pear (cubed), a pink lady apple (cubed), and some leftover Thanksgiving ham. Somewhere in there, I decided we should have champagne with it. Why not class it up a bit?

I selected this sparkling wine because I've driven passed the winery numerous times and it was on sale. Yes, those really are the criteria. It was fantastic! We both enjoyed it tremendously. We don't like sweet wines, so I purposely chose the extra dry on this one. Top notch! I could drink this every day. It was crisp and flavorful and perfectly bubbly. It worked so well with the heaviness of the fondue. And, nothing says class like eating fondue out of a soup pot and drinking champagne out of cocktail glasses. (Somewhere I have a fondue pot and champagne glasses, but not in this house) Apparently the experts agree with me on this one -- it is a 92 pointer!

This sparkling wine is made in Napa, CA by the Domaine Chandon Winery. It retails for around $20. I bought it locally for $12.99.