I may have had something to drink over the holiday.

Casalini 2010 Pinot Grigio

Considering most of the holiday break was spent doing things around the house I had been neglecting the rest of the year, it wasn't quite the restful 10 days I had been hoping for.  Nevertheless, I found time to drink a bottle here & there.

The bottle was a gift and most likely a lift from our guest's own liquor cabinet.  Oh stop, we've all done this.  Re-gifting wine is as common as changing one's underpants...it happens everyday.  Moving on...

Contrary to the time of year, I was somewhat excited to enjoy a bottle of what I would typically classify a summer wine.  I drink so much of the red stuff that this was a welcome change of pace.

The Casalini was as expected.  Light & fruity (apple & lemon) with a crisp finish.  While I did find it to be a  bit flat at first, it is more obviously a fault of mine than of the wine itself.  I need a few sips to really find a wine's groove. Upon second & even thirds, there was a mildly grassy feel and even provided some of the bite I initially thought had been absent. 

Overall, I wouldn't classify this as one of the most complex wines I've ever had but it was bland fine.  Definitely not terrible.  Although, I would quickly suggest something else at this price point ($9.99).  Yet at the same time, I wouldn't expect that you would be kicked off the picnic blanket if you brought a bottle of this along to share.  Perhaps one of it's strongest qualities is that it's a screw off which makes it a little easier to pop on a whim.

I hope you all had a Happy New Year and look forward to what lies ahead.

Until next time.

Cheers,
E.S.

The LI vineyard closest to NYC is...

...Loughlin Vineyard.

I've heard the rumor of a vineyard in Sayville for a while but haven't really found the time to investigate until this past weekend.  Lucky for me I did a little research before hand or I would have never been able to find this shack in the high marsh grass of the south shore.  Now don't read that as a bad thing.  I am always up for a good adventure and this was no different.

A few traffic lights east of town, tucked away off a dirt road just north of 27A lies one of the most unexpected treasures in the quaint village of Sayville.  The family owned and operated Loughlin Vineyard has been producing a mix of red, white & blush since 1985. 

Estate grown & bottled in Sayville, the wine is strictly sold from this wood shack which is heated by an old wood burning stove and run by Mr. Loughlin himself.  With production hovering around 1000 cases per year Mr.Loughlin cheerfully proclaims, "that's why the wine is so expensive".  At $22 a bottle I'd say it was a bargain just based on the experience alone.  In addition to the non-existent tasting fee & free cup of wine "because it's the holidays".

Typically I would spend some time writing a long winded and partially inebriated review of the wines, but this is one time it has so much less to do with the product than it does the atmosphere.  On a biting cold day, walking into the charming rustic shack was shocking yet strangely homey.  Decorated with a pebble floor and some classic photos of days gone by we were immediately greeted by the old man who looks like he would rather be fishing than pouring wine into plastic cups.  Again, he could have poured me kerosene and I wouldn't have known the difference.  I was too intrigued with my surroundings.  *Don't worry, the wine was actually pretty good.

In the summer, there's a perfectly good stretch of vines with some lawn chairs scattered about for your enjoyment.  Of course there is music on the weekends & even a wooded path if you'd prefer to take in more of the Souci Lake nature preserve, but that's obviously for another day.

I suppose my only real advice is to get out and see this place for yourself.  If you're tired of the genpop madness of the NoFo, this place is the polar opposite of that.  Not a chance in hell I will give you directions because that's half the fun.  I expect that if you really want to get here, you'll figure it out on your own.

Chances are I won't be checking back in until after the holidays so I wish everyone the very best.

Happy Holidays!

-ES

http://www.loughlinvineyard.com/

Last Night's Bottle - Coppola 2009 Diamond Claret

As time goes on I'm getting much better at this.  Not the blogging, but the drinking. I used to only drink wine coolers & zima (insert sarcasm here), but now I blog about wine...go figure.

So as the title states, I popped yet another bottle of vino last night before wrapping multiple strands of white lites around the most oddly shaped Christmas tree in recent memory. I suppose I should have taken a picture to share with the group.

*This is not my tree.*

Coppola 2009 Diamond Claret

 

Winemaker's notes:

2009 was an excellent vintage that featured only light spring rain, warm summer weather and no abrupt climate changes at season's end. This allowed us to be highly selective during harvest, choosing the very best fruit only when completely ripe. The result of these amazing conditions is a perfectly balanced and elegantly textured wine with supple tannins, rich fruit concentration and alluring notes of spice and wood. It is a lovely accompaniment to filet mignon topped with bleu cheese, grilled lamb chops or truffle buttered potatoes.

My notes:

Nose consistent of fruity flavor with a helping of spice.  Well balanced & buttery with a perfect blend of acidity. Subtle oakiness (thats right I said, oakiness) with a sweetish & savory finish. $18.99

Grape for grape, Coppola puts out some of the most recognizable and well rounded wines for the value.  I rarely if ever find myself saying, "This wine kinda sucks".  While I will state that some of their pricier bottles are not that much better than their more common brands, the label itself is always a standard in my rack.

That's all for now.

Until next time,

ES

http://www.franciscoppolawinery.com/

Last Night's Bottle - Colores del Sol 2009 Malbec

The holiday season has officially begun. Last weekend turned out to be what felt like one of the longest ever with my cousin in town and I must say my old bones are still paying for it days later.  Or it could just be that I have been pre-emptively training before I dominate the holiday dinner table in two weeks. Either way, I'm psyched for the holidays.

Last night I sampled a bottle of Colores del Sol Malbec for the very first time.  I most likely bought it wandering around the wine store looking for something different to try.  This was probably one of my better blind purchases.

From the bottle:
The vineyards producing Colores del Sol, in Argentina's most famous Mendoza region, are among the highest, sunniest, and driest in the world. This memorable Malbec brims with the enticing aromas and robust flavors of dark cherry, juicy blackberry & delicate rose petals. Sweet oak & mocha notes, with hints of smoke, glide over rounded tannins for a bold , full-bodied wine.

From my senses to your eyes:
A plum, blueberry & floral nose. Initially there is a subtle sweetness with a smokey bite. Low acidity, somewhat on the lighter side, but ultimately smooth & supple on the palate with a soft finish. $6.99

I tend to be drawn to some of the S.American wines based on price alone.  And in this instance I am pleased to report that I made a fine choice.  Based on the value & quality this wine is an easy buy. For those looking at less expensive bottles, I would surely recommend the Colores del Sol.

Until next time, happy tasting!

-ES

www.coloresdelsolwines.com



Last Night's Bottle - More Organic Please - Bonterra 2009 Pinot Noir

I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving.  I sure as hell did.  It was surprisingly sane low-key this year. 

Moving on...

For anyone who hasn't already noticed, I've been on an organic kick lately.  Unfortunately, the choices @ the local wine shops are less than desirable.  In any case, I'm making my way through the few choices they do have to offer.

While better than Stellar Organics from last week, Bonterra's 2009 Pinot Noir still didn't live up to expectations. Not bad by any means, but definitely not great either.

Bonterra website tasting notes:
This Pinot Noir has aromas of strawberry, raspberry and cola accented with hints of oak spice and vanilla. In the mouth, this wine is rich with nice soft tannins with flavors of berries, vanilla and spice that fade into a lovely long finish.

ES tasting notes:
Ripe fruit aromas of berry & plum. On the thin side, but silky with a subtle hint of vanilla & oak. Smooth lasting finish. $18.99

Again this wine was superior to the bottle from Stellar, but I was still left dissatisfied.  The good news is that organic winemaking is gaining in popularity.  With that said, the only direction to go from here is up.  I look forward to discovering new labels of organics and reporting back to you. 

If anyone has any good organic recommendations, throw them my way. If I can find it, I'll try it and be happy to share my experiences with you.

Hope you all make the most of the last day of the long weekend.

Until next time,
ES

http://www.bonterra.com/

 

Last night's bottle - To be or not to be organic...that is the question.

It's fair to say that I often preach the benefits of fair trade, eating organic, being green etc.  But the reality is that it's easier said than done to just one day transform you daily habits to meet the goal of living a wholly organic lifestyle. So for me I simply do what I can, when I can to be a responsible human and minimize my effect on destroying the planet and or/my body.  And there you have my best attempt at a PSA for organic living.

Last night was one of the few times I decided to open a bottle of organic wine and grabbed a bottle of Stellar Organics 2009 South African Shiraz off the shelf.  For anyone who has read this blog, it's probably not a surprise to hear me say that I am a big fan of Shiraz.  I mean my blood is red for a reason, I keep my body properly stocked with red wine as much as I can. It runs through my veins.

As for last night's bottle, I wasn't sure what to make of it at first.  Organics are not my specialty.  So I can simply tell you what I thought and you can choose whether or not to try it for yourself. 

The color was deep and dark as you might expect, but the nose is uncharacteristically light and airy.  The palate not as deep & rich as expected but this bottle does in fact go down easy. Hints of dark fruit jump out with a hint of cedar which make way for an earthy finish. The acidity is low and not at all overpowering. Ultimately, I found the wine to be well balanced but lacking in depth.

In short, this is a "fine" bottle of wine.  Definitely worth bringing to impress share with friends that may or may not be @ the OWS rally this morning.  In all seriousness, this would be good addition to your rotation.  Its always good to be diverse and this pleasant organic is a good start.

Until next time.

Cheers,
ES

http://www.stellarorganics.com/

Last Night's Bottle - Layer Cake 2009 Shiraz

Last call before a much needed vacation. 

This is my first bottle of Shiraz in awhile.  I have been spending more time on the locals than just randomly purchasing bottles from the local wine-o.

Layer Cake Shiraz - 2009

Vineyard Notes: Layer Cake Shiraz is produced in South Australia which is arguably one of the top shiraz-growing regions of the world.  Within SA, the McLaren Vale is the most diverse and historic sub-region with vines dating back to the 1830’s.  The microclimates within McLaren Vale are what give Layer Cake Shiraz its complexity.  For our Shiraz, we pull from vineyards all over McLaren Vale; from the full-clustered, sandy soiled blocks on the sea coast of Gulf St. Vincent, to the Terra Rosa based, tiny-berried wind- blown hills across the Vale.  The vineyards are all within a few miles of each other, yet give us a broad array of flavors to blend into a complete wine.  Each year we pull a small amount of fruit from tiny vineyards in Padthaway and Wrattanbully for added layers; combined they represent less than 10% of the blend.

Personal notes: Deep & dark yet smooth. Fruity aromas of berry & plum mixed with a subtle potpourri of spice. This wine possesses a ripe fruity palate with mild earthy undertones. I got a kick out of the self proclaimed description of this wine being "A pure fruit bomb".  It is undoubtedly well balanced with a lingering finish.

For the price of $14.99 I would definitely grab a bottle or two next time to share with friends.

Until next time, happy tasting!
-ES