Brooks Riesling, 2006

(Willamette Valley, Oregon)

Producer: Brooks Winery (http://www.brookswine.com)

This wine is not your typical Riesling… it is an initiative to restore the reputation of old world German Rieslings and to showcase how well old vines can grow in the Willamette Valley. It reveals terrior more than any other white varietal and carries through with finesse and elegance.

Immediate aromas of green apple, minerals, white currents, raspberries, cherries and citrus. After some time in the glass chestnuts, honey, slate, lime and mint all make an appearance.  The focus pushes the wine into the mid-palate with concentrated flavors of stone and honey. There is great power, succulence and depth in this gorgeous wine.
 My Notes:  Interesting Riesling, but found it was  a bit mixed up in its aromas and tasting with lemons and fruits with hints of earthiness (which now I know could be the taste of wet-stone).  I might buy this, if there is no other options.

Cost: $15.99/bottle ($18/bottle from the winery directly).

Inman Pinot Gris, 2006
(Russian River Valley)
Bermans Notes: The wine is well balanced, clean and refreshing. Typical of Pinot Gris, it is showing stone fruit and a zesty citrus tang on the palate and finishes with a flinty mineral character. The mouthfeel is generous for a Pinot Gris and the finish is long. Less than 500 cases produced.

My Notes: This must have just gotten old and pathetic. I dipped my nose in the tasting glass and balked! I am not going to hold it against this winery or this particular wine. But it was just horrid.  I could not bring myself to taste it. I was not alone in this judgment. A fellow taster sipped it and wrinkled her nose.

Cost: $19.99/bottle

Two Chardonnays to compare, this is awesome! One from Monterey, California and the other from Maconnais, France. One grape, two completely different styles, processing, growths and everything in between. 

Mount Eden Chardonnay, 2007  

(Arroyo Seco, Monterey)
(http://www.mounteden.com/)

Mount Eden Vineyards is a treasure of a California winery. Everything they produce is of quality and offers value. And what they do offer is the exact opposite of mass produced. Jeffrey Patterson  has been wine maker at the estate since 1981. Jeff, like many Burgundians, believes in non-interventionist wine making, handling the wines as little as possible. He is uncompromising in attaining the highest quality grapes for his various cuvees.  Rated 92 points by Wine Enthusiast. 

My Notes: If you are looking for a really 'loud' Chardonnay, then this is your choice. It lemony-yellow colored, full-bodied, mouthful of delight. Pairing with this would be hard, but I can see herbed roasted-lamb bits on biscuits holding up with this. Personally, I prefer the subtle flavors, but on its own this chardonnay is a drinkable good bottle.

Cost: $17.99/bottle

Mâcon-Chardonnay, 2008

Cave de Lugny, Maconnais , France 

An excellent value from the Maconnais appellation, this a chardonnay that expresses the beautiful, subtle flavors of the fruit followed by a bright, crisp finish that leaves your palate asking for more!

My notes: Now this is my kind of Chardonnays, straw colored, lime-lemony with hints of flowers and fruits and just delicious! Clean, clear and classy, should pair well with grilled white fish with lemon-pepper.

Cost: $12.99/bottle
 

Apaltagua Reserva Chardonnay, 2008  

An un-oaked Chardonnay from Chile, this wine delivers the fullness you would expect from Chardonnay, but also has spring in it. The lively acid level is a refreshing touch. Honey and pineapple notes make it an easy drinker, as well as a great match with

with food.
Cost: $12.99/bottle

Langhorne Crossing White Blend, 2006 

This blend of Verdelho (76%), Riesling (17%), and Chardonnay (7%), is a crisp, fresh, dry white wine displaying attractive fruit salad aromas and tropical fruit flavors.  It is best drunk while young, when the lively citrus and tropical fruit characters prevail; it will develop more complex flavor with bottle maturation. A lovely accompaniment to Chicken Salad, Waldorf Salad, and fish, chicken and pasta dishes.

Cost: $12.99/bottle

Langhorne Crossing Bleasdale Red Blend, 2006  

A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Malbec, 15% Shiraz and 6% Petit Verdot,

This wine has an expressive bouquet of red and dark berries, along with subtle floral and mineral nuances. Sappy, smooth, and fruit-driven, with palate-coating raspberry and blackberry flavors, this blend has no obvious tannins, and finishes with good clarity and length

Cost: $12.99/bottle

Donna Laura "Ali" Sangiovese di Toscana, 2007   
Donna Laura, based in the Castelnuovo Berardenga area of Chianti Classico, crafts this versatile Sangiovese.  It's aged in stainless steel tanks for a year before bottling, giving the wine a dark-toned fruit flavor. Pure, true terroir-based Sangiovese delivered at an affordable price is the calling card of this terrific new Tuscan producer.  Donna Laura produces three cuvées of exceptional flavor and intensity. Owner Lia Tolaini-Banville utilizes two distinct Sangiovese clones to achieve both earthy, peppery depth and a lively fruit aspect. This cuvées, Ali (named for Lia's daughter), boasts dark-toned fruit, evenly moderated in the mouth by a slight spice and nice acidity.

Cost: $11.99/bottle

De Bortolli Brut Chardonnay

(Australia)

Terrific sparkler from Australia that is not a wallet breaker. The sparkler is clean, refreshing and bright. It is a great summer bubbly.

Cost: $9.99/bottle

Ranga Ranga Sauvignon Blanc, 2008
(Marlborough, Australia)
Ranga Ranga is a Maori term for "Gentle Breeze". But this one is anything but gentle. Light yellow and very clear colored white. A full aroma of limes-lemons and freshly cut grass. Very clean, clear and citrusy and simply great summer wine. I am sure will pair very well with coconut curries, thai seafood.

Cost: $12.99/bottle

Fenestra Riesling, 2007

(Arroyo Seco, California)
A lovely strong Riesling. At first wiff, it shows as a riesling with soft flowers, with no indication of following sweetness. Unlike the german ones, this one is a mouthful. It is sweet, almost a late harvest grape, with added residual sugars. It does show off touches of citrus, tropical fruits with vast minerality. Should be good with curries or sushi, but I think it would be just stunning with mixed tropical fruits put together served with a splash of this wine added and a glass of this alongside. Another idea of pairing this with kiesh also sounds great.

Cost: $16.99/bottle

Three others.... which as I write this have misplaced the sheet for the same! and it is late and I don't want to go looking for the same.

Allegrini Valpolicella, 2009
(Italy)
The Valpolicella is located in the Veneto region (northeast Italy) and wines made here are mostly based on three varietals. This one uses all three; Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinera. This is a pleasant red, with just right mix of fruits and cherries, and perfectly palatable for a lazy but cooler summer evening. They are not heavy and overbearing, but simply yummy. I would pair this with chicken-pizza, or light pastas.
Cost: $17.99/bottle

Pavilion Merlot, 2006
(Napa, California)
A 100% Merlot from Napa valley. This wine was 'berrier' that the previous tasted Allegrini, with notes of cola, unsweetned chocolate (hmm!) and hints of spicy oak. Soft tannins with dense blueberry flavors, well balanced. This is another good wine to pull on a summer cool evening paired with a little heavier chesses like gorgonzola. I would pair this with Apple-Gorgonzola added to spinach salad or toasted on a english muffin. Another idea being meatloaf

Cost: $14.99/bottle

Ed's Red Blend

(California)
After the two mellower reds, this one just shouts out loud! it is called a wild wine from Napa and Russian River Vallues. It is a blend of Syrah, Zinfandel, Petit Shirah, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot! Whoa! No wonder it is loud! Incredibly rustic, richly red, plently of plums and cherries and spice to go with it. The wine maker suggest to pair this with something robust like a Mammoth (hmmm... roasted?) or for the vegetarians amongst us.... portabelo mushroom stuffed with mammoth! (lol). Really though this would be perfect with spicy lamb kabobs with mint-chile sauce!
Cost: $16.99/bottle.

What did I finally pick? Coming soon, as I taste in detail, pair it with something nice, pictures and more in the next coming months.

A while back I posted A trip furthest from here. I had an plan then and the plan is being blessed by several powers that be (thank you!).

I am going to Sydney, Australia! No jokes, I am going for two-and-half weeks.  More on this shortly

Duke Amongst English Ivy

Every year, my company (mostly the management) does this incredibly generous thing of giving five-fridays-in-summer free. This is over and beyond normal earned time, holidays, etc. That is awfully nice of them to do so. This year, we had two fridays in June, one in July (because the we got 3rd July off for independence day) and then two in August.

I kind of remember taking one June friday, I think, I don't remember. Work has been keeping pretty dang busy. Busy enough through weekends and holidays (official ones and these fun-fridays). But all that changed today. I planned not to open the computer for work. Err.... I did open the same for writing this blog, catching up on facebook, emails - friendlies (non-work), and browsing on Amazon. But that is it, the rest of the day was spent in perfect relaxation.

A lazy start of the day with Duke (my cat) meowing every 10 mins or so at my head. He was like a persistent alarm clock whose snooze time was perfectly aligned to exactly the moment I had drifted into peaceful slumber. Every 10 mins or so he would come paw my face or stare at me, and meow until I patted his noggin (hoping that was a snooze button) and negotiated another 10 mins. When Princess came around meowing, I knew it was time to get moving. It was 8 am when I finally did get out of bed. This has not happened in the longest time. I haven't lazed in bed past 6:30 am, this is a new record.

The day (in the morning, at least) promised to beautiful, warm, dry and perfectly blue skies with few wandering white clouds. Too perfect to be indoors. After cutting some more gladolias for the house, I took my coffee and just chilled on the deck. Of course Duke and Princess had a great time hanging out with me outdoors.

I had a plan for the day: Cut and rearrange gladolias for home, drop gladolias at office, mail out bills, go to the movies, go the groceries, hang out at home.

Who knew that the day would go from perfectly warm and dry to perfectly monsoon day, with torrential rains? I did not, but that did not stop me from going to the movies and groceries and all other errands in between.

So, at the movies I watched Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince, and came away with mixed feelings. It was not as super-charged as earlier two movie were. It was definitely really cool to see Harry and friends in their teens and more mature themes in it. It was missing powerful soundtrack that I have come to relate with these movies. The scenes with Dumbledore and Harry were less profound than before, and maybe that was because I was coming out of seeing Angels and Demons with such a powerful soundtrack, or perhaps I went in with higher expectations. The end scenes were just right, but not as dark as I had imagined. But, all in all, it was a wonderful movie.

Tomorrow I go the movies again.... for another one, not Harry Potter. :) Anyone want to go, I have not yet decided what movie yet, so company and suggestions are more than welcome.  

Ok, the glads have officially gone nuts..... they are flowering and toppling over themselves faster than I can churn out vases to hold them!

So, I am cutting and bringing them in and putting them in every possible vase that can hold them. Last week, I took just about 10 of brilliant yellows and whites to office for the front desk. Office mates loved them to death (er.... no one really died, but they loved them). Early on, I was harvesting mostly whites and yellows, and now it is mostly pinks and really deep reds...

    

I never see TV series when they are in season. I usually catch them or rather the series usually catches my eye after one or two seasons. Some say, I am not in with the times or such-and-such series is old and there is a newer one that I should see. To them I say .... 'hogwash!'.... It is not old for me, if I have not seen it. It is not a re-run if it is the first time I am seeing it. Besides who 'times' are we talking about anyways? It is not like high school where we critique the past nights soap! So, I watch out of season, I watch when it makes me happy!

All that venting to simply say.... I am watching NCIS and loving it. :) It is a CBS prime time series, that is in season 6! I am watching season 2! Nope, I don't jump ahead and watch it out of sequence. Jumping out of sequence hasn't the sort of appeal for me. I don't read the end of the book before starting the booking! I really don't need to know how it ends, I want to enjoy each and every moment!

What caught my eye about NCIS? Several things:

1. It has Mark Harmon as lead cast. I rememer seeing him in the movie called Presidio and totally found him adorable

2. It has 'rules'.... 'Gibbs Rules'. For those who don't know, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs is Harmons character, he is a no-nonsense, go by the gut, electronic gadget challenged, and near perfect naval criminal investigator. And he has rules which all the team learn to love and live by. The team dynamics with Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), Tim McGee (Sean Murray) and of course the adorable M.E Dr Mallard (David McCallum) is like a disfynctional family that really really works well together... through thick and thin!

I don't think I have caught on with what all the rules are! anyone? That as got me to think what should my rules be? Do I have any? I am pretty sure I do. So, I am going to think about them rules.....

3. Did I say it has Mark Harmon... now he is eye candy!

PS: I am writing this as I wait for 6 pm tonight when I start do some upgrade work.... whoa! It is 6.04 PM....