{Wine Wednesday} Napa Nostalgia: ZD Wines

Happy Wine Wednesday!  I am opening a bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet tonight to toast my upcoming trip (TWO DAYS!!!) but right now I am wrapping up my Napa Nostalgia countdown series.  We will soon start packing and getting together our tasting itineraries and as we look forward to our first tasting of our Summer 2013 trip, I am going to write about our last tasting of our Summer 2009 trip.  

Some memorable tastings happen completely on accident, and that is the case in today's featured tasting room at ZD Wines.  Why I say this happened on accident is because we hadn't planned to stop here at all, but because we had an extra hour to kill before packing our things and heading back east, we decided to visit a winery we had spotted on our very first day in the Valley.  ZD happens to be my husbands first and middle initial, and that is what spiked our curiosity to come in for a visit.  We learned there was more than the initials my husband had in common with the vineyard - turns out the founders shared the same profession with my Z as well.  They are all aerospace engineers.  Talk about coincidence!  

We visited during harvest!

The wines we tasted were spot on and we enjoyed everything we tasted for our $10 traditional tasting fee.  I especially liked the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, their specialties (you may remember my ZD Chardonnay post from a few years back).  While tasting we became friendly with the couple tasting next to us and they told us ZD was their favorite winery in all of Napa.  They had been celebrating their wedding anniversary in Napa every summer and ZD was always a stop on their tour.  We ended our quick tasting with a few orders including pinot noir and their awesome wood wine storage boxes with the ZD logo.  They look great in our wine storage area, located in Z's man cave! 

The greatest thing for us about visiting the Napa Valley is that each time we've visited, we've found a wine that we previously hadn't known about and ended up loving.  ZD Wines was no exception.  What happened to be a stop based on fun and curious coincidence ended up being one of our favorite wine tastings of that summer.  I'm excited to try the new wines on my upcoming itinerary, and am confident I will bring back new memories, and hopefully a few new bottles!  Blog posts to follow!  

All photos: my own

 ZD Wines

8888 Silverado Trail

Napa, CA

$10 traditional tasting/$20 reserve tasting

Various tours also available

Cheers!

Ana

{Wine Wednesday} Napa Nostalgia: Cakebread Cellars

There are things you are eternally grateful for in life and for me, I feel like I owe gratitude to a former executive I once worked for who always made sure Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon was served at his functions.  I had never tried the wine at any of these functions and never tasted any of the brand’s varietals before visiting the Napa Valley for the first time in 2009.  Regardless, it was on the top of the ‘must taste’ list my husband and I created prior to that trip.  

There are a lot of excellent wines in California.  A lot.  But Cakebread Cellars set themselves apart from the other delicious wines we tasted on that trip for several reasons.   First, the grounds are impeccable both inside and outside.  I mean, you can literally eat fondue off of the floors where the wine is made.  I have not seen a cleaner wine production area to date.  Second, they have a fantastic chef.  I’ve never attended their special culinary events at the winery, but I have tried many of the recipes posted on their site (remember the post about my favorite crab cakes?). Third, their tour is straight forward and to the point, which matters when you’re trying to squeeze in as many tastings as you can on a weekend visit.  Something else I just loved about the tour was that they offered recipe cards with all of the wines we tasted.  I grabbed one of each! Fourth, their wine club is worth it.  Not only do you get a sizable shipment of quality wines, but you also get tasting notes, delicious wine pairing recipes, and general winery updates.  Included are also order forms with discounts for members and they also offer members an inexpensive flat rate shipping cost.  Oh and they have wine club events all over the country, not just in Napa,  which is particularly rewarding when you live on the ‘other’ coast.  And last, but certainly not least, rarely does a winemaker do everything, and I mean everything, well.  While I prefer full bodied reds, I have tried and thoroughly enjoyed different vintages of all of the following: the Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, the Chardonnay Reserve, the summer ‘porch wine,’ the Merlot, the Pinot Noir, the Rubaiyat, the Zinfandel and the Cabernet Sauvignon.  There wasn’t a bottle that I thought was lacking.  This is a tasting room where you will genuinely enjoy everything your fee buys.  I was sad to deactivate my membership to the wine club when I became pregnant but I did give myself several bottles as a ‘new mommy’ gift to myself.  I call it catching up on lost time.  Nothing pairs better with motherhood than fine wine!

Wouldn't you like to eat here one day?

The super clean facility with the recipe cards next to the wine.  

 

My 'new mommy' gift to myself.  We've enjoyed many of these!  All photos: my own

Writing this post is making me super excited for my next visit to California Wine Country!  The official countdown: 7 days!!!

Cheers!

Ana 

{Wine Wednesday} Napa Nostalgia: Honig Winery

On this Wine Wednesday I am sitting in my wine room admiring my collection of Napa Valley wines that have been sent to us through the various clubs we’ve joined over time.  I just can’t wait until my next wine tasting trip and since I have to wait another 25 days to be reunited with the Napa Valley, I am going to write about my favorite Napa experiences in anticipation of my trip.  

One of my favorite stops on this adventure to savor the gift that is wine has been to Honig Vineyard and Winery, a small stop just off of Rutherford Road in Napa Valley that offers big, big flavor. Our December 2012 tasting was set up by a sweet and friendly hostess, Kelly.  I made reservations a little over a month in advance and they were able to seat our group of 7 for a memorable tasting.

Photo: Google Images

We tasted five wines: The Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc, the Cabernet Sauvignon, the Campbell Vineyard Cabernet and the Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc (a sweeter wine that was thoroughly enjoyed) - all from their regular tasting menu and a bonus Cabernet Pink that they were offering at the time.  True statement: During our visit, I REPEATEDLY commented positively on the wine.  ALL of it was delicious and I was beyond impressed with both the quality and taste of the wine.  Added to the friendly and welcoming staff in the small tasting room, the personalized signs posted for their tasting groups, and the fun takeaway cork key chains that we were each given, this made the experience one to remember.  

I love that they reserve tables with tasters' names on cute chalkboard signs!

Above: visibly enjoying Cabernet Pink; I still have my adorable key chain

I came home from this trip to the latest issue of Wine Spectator and saw that one of the wines we tasted there was rated in the top 100 wines of the year.  I’m glad I’m not the only one who agrees the wine here is spectacular!  At the time the tasting was a bargain at $10 per person, but since we’ve visited they’ve raised their prices to $15 - closer to what most wineries in the area charge for a tasting. I don’t recall the exact price of the bottles, but I do remember noting that for the high ratings, they were priced much lower than similarly rated wines in the area.  

Honig Winery

850 Rutherford Rd

Napa, CA

I'd love to hear about your favorite tasting experiences, I'm constantly looking for places to add to my list.

 

Cheers!

Ana 

{Wine Wednesday} Forefront by Pine Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

First of all, the HAPPIEST of Wine Wednesdays to my fellow Good Grape Lovers.  And what a happy Wine Wednesday it is!  Without stalling further, let me tell you about a love story.  

My dear friend Sarah and her lovely beau recently celebrated their engagement.  It was fortuitous that I was able to leave the party with the beautiful bride to be, her fiance and their closest friends and walk to the nearby Jefferson Hotel in Washington, D.C.  First of all, I'm NEVER out late and second, I NEVER stay out long enough to have a THIRD glass of wine, so it was my good fortune that brought me to this wine. 

Enter love story number two of the evening.  I reviewed the wine list and had already heard from friends that there isn't a wine to disappoint.  When I know this, and when the wine list is THAT well curated, I'm not going to lie - I usually just order the least expensive one.  But then I noticed they had Forefront by Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon and it happens that this winemaker follows me on Twitter, so I felt I owed it to them to try out their glass.  

My goodness, this is by far the best glass of wine I've enjoyed in a few months, in all honesty.  I must have looked foolish clutching my glass so tight, savoring every sip, but that is exactly what the wine called for.  It was beautiful.  Everything a Cabernet needs to be and everything you wish all wines to be.  This wine was rich, full bodied, and intense with flavors of fruit, but low on acidity and smooth, and I mean SMOOTH, on the finish.  And to think, if it weren't for Twitter, I would have never ordered the most expensive glass on the menu.  I'm not only thankful for a new follower on Twitter, but for the opportunity to connect with wineries I am not familiar with, including Pine Ridge and Forefront Vineyards.  

Cheers!

Ana 

{Wine Wednesday} Wine 101: You Can't Take the Heat

Wow, has it already been a month since this series launched? I can't believe it, but it's true!  Happy May, my friends.  In DC, we are used to May being our last taste of tolerable weather before the unbearable and humid months of the summer so graciously greet us. 

We wrote a little last month about the importance of storing wine at the right temperature, but today we will give you the reasons behind this guidance.  Wine is complex, and not for any intimidating or discouraging reasons, but because, like our mother reminds us often, that is the way it is.  Think of wine as a temperature-controlled chemistry experiment and the change of a single element (heat) will change the 'chemical makeup' of everything else in the bottle. 

Storing, or even exposing your wine to heat, can cause all sorts of problems and quickly turn an unsuspecting bottle into an undesirable, and often undrinkable situation.  This is known as 'cooked' wine.  While wine ages slowly, and very well, in desirable temperatures, heat swiftly speeds up the aging process and causes its deterioration.  Have you ever heard of someone saving a bottle of wine for years and years only to open it and taste dirty grape juice?  Well, that is what even the best bottles of vino can become when left in extreme heat from 75 degrees F and higher for several hours.  

Signs of cooked wine include a pushed cork (when the cork looks like it's trying to open itself off of the bottle), or worse, the wine will bleed through the cork and begin to spill all over the place - be it the trunk of your car or your wine storage area. 

If you don't have a proper way to cool down your wines from that brutal summer heat, invest in a wine fridge, or, unscrew those corks and start drinking!  What are you waiting for?

Our basement - naturally cool and a great home for our wine collection

Cheers!

Ana

{Wine Wednesday} El Cortijillo Tempanillo

Happy Wine Wednesday!

Sometimes, Wine Wednesday feels like a long awaited holiday and that's exactly how it went this week.  In fact, I rushed to my computer late last night frantic about forgetting to post on Wine Wednesday.  Then I realized it was ONLY Tuesday.  Pour me a glass anyway, please!

This week I'm enjoying a favorite varietal, Tempranillo by El Cortijillio.  I've enjoyed Tempranillo by the bottle before, as Spanish wines are a go-to for me, but this time I noticed the "Denominación de Origen" (DO) was La Mancha.  I've never noticed this on a bottle before, but now I'll pay attention, as I've come to find out that La Mancha is the LARGEST designated wine region in Europe and home to some of my favorite wines!  Sounds like paradise. 

Here is what I taste in a sip of this wine: tannins, bitterness, heat, spice, earthiness.  It is a plump wine, and ruby in color.  I enjoyed a glass with beef empanadas and frijoles negros (black beans), because hey, when in Rome La Mancha, right?  

Photos: my own

Cheers!

Ana

{Wine Wednesday} Fancy Pants

I totally bought today's wine pick because of the label.  And when I say I bought it, I mean the Easter Bunny did, ooops.  But seriously, how cute is this? And the tag line, I Wear the Pants, um, hello?  That's ME!  I TOTALLY wear the pants in our house.  That is, when it comes to picking out and buying our wine.  So needless to say this pretty little lady came home with me while I the Easter bunny chose something a little more 'macho' for Z's basket. 

By printing the question, "Who Wears the Pants?" the cork becomes a conversation piece

So while the gorgeous label and pretty packaging are what sold me on this wine, I found it to be a pleasantly versatile red, dark in color but light on the nose and in body.  With the sun staying out long enough to enjoy some time on the patio before bed, I'd say this is a perfect patio red wine.  And how appropriate would this be on a girls' night?  

I have no idea who produces this wine, but I know it is produced in St. Helena, California. I had a hard time finding this bottle for sale online but I heard the Easter Bunny has been spotted at Target lately.

Cheers!
Ana 

{Wine Wednesday} Wine 101: Storing Wine

Welcome to the new monthly Wine 101 series, appropriately posted on Wine Wednesdays on the first Wednesday of each month.  Here you'll learn the quick and easy wine basics so that you can save time and savour the wine.  

Today's topic: Wine storage.  We'll get into the more important reasons for storing wine and how extreme temperatures and temperature swings can ruin your wine (I cry!), but for today, here's what you should know.

1.  Store wine bottles on their sides.  This keeps the cork moist and sediments from falling to the bottom and staying there for long periods of time.

2.  Store wine away from sunlight or windows and in a moderate and stable temperature.  The ideal temperature for wine is 50-59 degrees Fahrenheit.  Storing bottles even in your fridge can break down a bottle's unique complexity and cause it to do all sorts of things but mainly form little crystals out of the acids that give the wine its flavor and body.  

3. Wine advocate after wine advocate recommends opening bottles of white wine within a year of purchase and reds within 5 years.  

So there you have it.  A semi-wine course summarized in a few short sentences.  And we couldn't end our little series without posting some pictures of our favorite ways to store wine.  Weather it's a part of your home (think built-ins), a special wine fridge (I DIE for a sub-zero wine fridge in my house!), or a storage cabinet, there are infinite ways to store wine.  But let's not be silly, wine was meant for drinking!  

Great use of otherwise wasted space.  And next to the seating area.  This is a smart home!

Wine storage for both long term keep and short term enjoyment.  Steps away from the table.  Ana approved for sure!

OMG wine stored under stairs.  Brilliant use of otherwise wasted space.  We have wine stored under our stairs at home.

GORGEOUS!  I mean, I want this home for this room alone.  Notice the doors close  - likely refrigerated to keep the temperature in the wine cabinet consistent and the harmful sun rays from damaging the wine

What do I need to accomplish in life to have one of these???  LOVE at first wine.

Furniture ranging small to large in size can serve as nifty wine storage units

For the space saver.  Images via google

Tell us, how do you store wine?  Where do you keep it?  And what can we answer for you on this series?  We'd love to hear from you!

Cheers!
Ana

{Wine Wednesday} O'Brien Estate

Happy Wine Wednesday Good Grapes!  The past few weeks, I've been enjoying truly delicious selections from Napa Valley's O'Brien Estate.   We were fortunate enough to visit this romantic vineyard and tour their winery during our Napa family vacation in December.  I loved everything I tried so much that I joined the wine club.  Good thing I did, too, because these have been my favorite bottles to open the last two weeks.  We've already enjoyed five bottles: We shared the full, rich Seduction over a classic steak dinner with our friends, I opened a bottle of their intense and elegant Merlot when I hosted two of my girlfriends for home made pizzas last week, and finished this rich Chardonnay that accompanied our roasted whole chicken dinner.  And then we've had a couple for no reason at all except that we were in the mood for good grapes.  We've gone through our two shipments so quickly that I'm just counting down the days for the next club shipment to arrive! 

The gorgeous vines that surround the property

I want that many O'Brien bottles in my house!  And the barrels, too.

Did you know I wear a serious face all of the time?

Except when I am drinking a great wine, as I am here with my bro-in-law

Cheers!

Ana

{Wine Wednesday} Sparkling Red

I have been plagued with oh but the worst of problems lately. Dallas is having some fabulous evening weather lately and I have been frequenting a lot of patios for happy hour. So what's the problem? Well I'm a big red wine drinker and not a lover of white. Jackie keeps telling me that as soon as I turn 26 I will fall in love with Whites because that's how it happened with her. Well, dear sister, I am a mere couple months away from that day and I have yet to fall in love--so we'll see. But I digress....

The problem? A glass of red just isn't as refreshing as you want it to be while enjoying some time on the patio. Beer makes me feel fat (and I have to drink a lot of it just to feel a good buzz), and any sort of cocktail at happy hour renders me completely unproductive (and drunk) by the time I make it home. So what's a girl to do? Drop a few ice cubes in the vino tinto and hope nobody sees you? WRONG.

On a trip to the oh so so so fabulous The Cedars Social I was explaining my dilemma to the ever patient waiter when he assured me he had the answer to all my problems. He quickly reappeared with a bottle of Red Engine Sparking Shiraz. That's right. A sparkling red. I can remember it perfectly, the way the sun hit the bottle. It was almost celestial. With the first sip of the delicious, refreshing treat--I knew my problems had been solved.

So here's to you lovers of red looking for the perfect refreshing summer drink--try some sparkling red. You won't be disappointed!

Oh, and have no fear--our favorite vendor, wine.com has a lovely sparking red for purchase on their site. Check out the Fizz 56. I just ordered a bottle (or two!) for myself.

Engine Room Sparkling Red

Alianca Tinto Bruto

Fizz 56 Sparkling Red found on wine.com 

Cheers!
Cristi

{Wine Wednesday} Kris 2010 Malbec

Today's wine selection is a sweet little ode to my best friend Kris. I mean, not really but I was enjoying a delicious pizza out with some friends at Grimaldi's Pizzeria when the waiter suggested this great Malbec and lo and behold it had the same name as my bff. What are the chances that two things I love would be named the same?! I lift my glass of Kris and toast to you, Kris!

Cheers!
Cristi