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.

2008 Monogamy North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

The other night I was hunting for a new cabernet to try and found myself eyeball to label with this one. I've seen its clever little label before and never been interested. This time, I was. Partly because it was on sale. I was getting some "take out" for dinner last Friday. We've discovered that Raley's, our closest market, makes a stupid good BBQ TriTip roast. They can be found near the rotisserie chickens. I don't know why these things are so dang fantastic, but sweet mama dog, they are. So, TriTip roast in my basket I scoodled over to the wine aisle. Someone should analyze why I choose the wines I do. Someone -- but not me. The results sound interesting but not the work in getting there.

The Monogamy winery is in Santa Rosa, CA. Relatively close to my house, though on the other side of Napa and Sonoma. Haven't been there yet.

The wine was lovely. It was dry and had a nice deep, robust lingering sensation to it. That sounds...really like something else. But, I'm still talking about the wine. Really. Very enjoyable. Not over powering or too bold. Newer cabernet drinkers would likely be just as happy as self-proclaimed big cab lovers.

I would and will happily get this one again. For the money, it's right on. Got it on sale for right around $10. Normal retail around $14. And yes, it was super yummy with the roast. I can almost smell that roast. Mmmmm.....

2007 Seven Terraces Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough

Another joy of living in Northern California is the abundance of interesting groceries. A new favorite of mine is a chain called Grocery Outlet. They operate in a couple of western states, but I'd never been in one till moving here. Love! You literally never know what you are going to find there, because of the very nature of their business. Therefore, you must go often just to see what's there. Thankfully, I'm extremely good at going into stores and buying nothing. I do this more often than not. So, no harm done in going in a lot. Boy, what a digression. Anyway- the Grocery Outlet carries wine! Be still my heart! This is where I found a new fave, Seven Terraces Sauvignon Blanc.

This is a New Zealand wine. I don't think I've ever had a NZ wine I didn't like. You'll be the first to know should I encounter one. I felt confident about trying it for three reasons. I like sauvignon blancs. I've enjoyed sauvignon blancs from the Marlborough region before. It was cheap. There it is.

Fabulous. Truly. It is so good that Lance finally agreed to try it. He was stunned. He loudly exclaimed, "Write this down as my favorite and only sauvignon blanc. And go buy a case of it."

Dry. Crisp. Perfect.

The first time I had it, I munched my favorite meal of cheese, fruit and homemade bread. Last night, I had it again with some spinach tortellini. Wonderful in both cases.

Should you see this, get it. Air high 5  me  right in the store and go home happy.

Paid $4.99. Apparently, it usually retails around $15.

I am soooo behind and the bottles are piling up

Perhaps you thought I hadn't blogged lately because I hadn't had any wine. Silly, silly you! Now I have so many bottles laying around my office that it is getting to be a hazard. It will take me awhile to catch up, but thankfully we've got a break coming up. I've been drinking a lot of bad wine, lately. Not on purpose, certainly. To help myself out, I'm just going to list the wines I have added to the Avoid At All Costs list so that you too can avoid. What else needs to be said?

Rachel's Avoid At All Costs List of Wines from Fall 2010
2008 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon, Founder's Estate - this one surprised me because I have enjoyed many of their wines and love cabs. However, it tasted almost sweet to me and I do not like sweet wines. In fact, I dumped out my glass and the entire bottle. Shame.

2009 Wente Louis Mel Sauvignon Blanc -- as we know, sauv blancs are almost always winners for me. This was was really something though. Really, really not good. It was my first sampling of anything from the Livermore, CA area and by all means won't be my last. Sometimes you just find a bad one -- no reason to avoid that winery or that type of wine. But this particular one...yup, I'm done.

2009 Sutter Home White Merlot -- caveat on this one....I actually did think this wine tasted really good. However, it is much too sweet to me. I could make a killer wine spritzer with it and some club soda. If you like sweeter wines, this is your baby. Too much for me.

Alright good. We've got those out of the way. let's move on to "Meh" wines. These aren't bad, but they are just...well...non descript. If you are going to pay money for a beverage, by golly I want something for it. I need an experience! Otherwise, I could drink water for free. When I taste the wine and someone asks me how it is, the answer should NEVER be. <shrug> "It's ok".

Rachel's Meh List of Wines, Fall 2010

2007 Guenoc Petite Sirah -- did nothing for me. Nothing at all. I have REALLY enjoyed wines from them before, so I'm not scared to try again.

2008 Beringer Chardonnary, Founder's Estate

2008 Mark West Pinot Noir -- like it needed to open up and never got there

2009 Gosford Reserve Shiraz (Australia)

2008 Castle Rock Barrel Fermented Central Coast Chardonnay


Never fear, all 2 of you dear readers. I have enjoyed some good wine as well. back with full reviews on those soon!