Wine Lovin Women

Wine scoring… who is scoring and what do they mean? You will see mostly Wine Spectator or Wine Advocate scores mentioned at most retail wine stores which is a great marketing tool.   What do the numbers represent? v   95-100: Excellent, Classic, a great wine (never seen 100) v   90-94: Outstanding, exceptional, and well made v   85-89:   Very good to above average ( may be a great value if the price is right) v   80-84: Average little distinction   Wine Advocate Robert Parker is a well recognize wine critic, tasting are done in peer group, single blind tasting, the scores represent the cumulative average. Wine Spectator is scored by the editor in the wine region in his jurisdiction, all tastings are blind.   If you know what you like, read the tasting notes, such as; spice, berry, smooth finish or mouth feel and other subtle characteristics. I notice that when tannins are mentioned as “smooth” this usually means the ta...

Cheers, Chin-Chin, Salute! The sound made by the twisting of a cork, followed by a loud pop and the crackling of effervesce means there is a celebration to come, christening an important moment and memory’s to be made.   Significant occasions warrant a significant bubbly selection, here are a few notes to help you make your selection: Spumante is Italian sparkling wine, means “foamy” which can refer to all sparkling Italian wines, tends to be sweet. Presseco is an Italian sparkling dry white wine made from Grera grape primary grown in the Presseco region of Italy. Brut is a term used sometimes for the driest sparkling wines which means it has less sugar than those labeled extra dry. Champagne is a wine producing region in the far north of France near Paris.   Though used as a term to describe sparkling wine, true Champagne is aged longer than sparkling wine so can be dryer in taste. The most prestigist brand of Champagne Don Perignon is produced by ...

Sangiovese Sangiovese is my first love, it happened in Napa Valley; I was at the Culinary Institute at Greystone for lunch.   They paired one of the courses with a Sangiovese from Charles Krug, and I have been in love with Sangiovese ever since.   Charles Krug does not make a Sangiovese anymore so I have been on a mission to find that special one again. Sangiovese is one of the most planted red variety grapes in Italy. The Sangiovese grape changes in response to its environment, which is why it so diverse, elegant and complex when well-made. The flavor profile of Sangiovese is generally not assertive it can show a strawberry, blueberry, faintly floral, violet or plumy character. Some of my new discoveries are: Walla Walla river winery by cougar crest Sangiovese has a soft nose and silky feel on the palate, with expressive fruit….a dream in a glass. Elegance Winery Sangiovese is gorgeous and rich with body, persistence that is loaded with plush personality. ...

Happy Thanksgiving!  We suggest to pair with your holiday dinner would be a Pinot Grigio, Rose or Pinot Noir.  My favorite pinot's come from Oregon.  We are thankful for all our blog views...Cheers!

Sinister Hand A gruesome tale for you in time for Halloween, sit back pour a glass and I will share the story of the Sinister Hand . Two rival families had a rowing competition for rights to some highly regarded land, the first to touch the land, after rowing across the lake, would become ruler of the land. One boat was falling behind so a member of the crew grabbed his own sword, cut off his hand and threw it ashore, winning the title to rule the land. Own Roe Winery in Saint Paul Oregon produced Sinister Hand with a beautiful full red color and generous fruit is expressed from the onset with a harmonious blend of   63% Grenache, 19% Syrah, 16% Mouvèdre and 2% Cinsault.   Fruity notes of raspberry and blackberry warms the palette with silky light tannins that persists thru the long smooth finish. Sinister Hand is amazing wine with an unforgettable tale…..Happy Halloween Denise Read the entire tale and more on Owen Roe website http://owenroe.com/

A sommelier friend once said, “Drinking wine should be about the emotions you experience as the wine crosses your lips; glides over the palate; slips down the throat and says farewell.”   I have always enjoyed tasting wine and the emotional experience that comes from each sip and appreciate the nurturing care and emotional structure the Vintner crafts into each bottle. In the Walla Walla Valley, a couple of Vintners allowed me to tag a long one fall evening as they tended   their vats of fermenting grapes.   Harvest had just begun and I was giddy with the excitement of what I would see and experience by this unexpected adventure……… As the winemakers performed their punch downs of the grape vats, the CO gases were released and replaced by heady aromas of grapes and yeast working together. Slipping my arm into a warm vat of fermenting grapes, I could feel the yeast and grapes working together to create the foundation of the perfect nectar.   A smal...

Wine Lovin Women set out for Walla Walla, WA again for another adventure.   This time was for Fall Crush , where we visited some of our old favorite wineries, Tero Estates and Dumas Station.   Both wineries had amazing releases to sample, if you haven’t been there yet or tried their wines you are missing out….so get started on making some plans to check them out.   During our visit, we discovered a new favorite, El Corazone, which has a tasting room in downtown Walla Walla.   We walked into an eclectic, packed out showroom which made you realize great things were about to happen…no wine snobs here. El Corazone has been producing since 2007 and during our visit we tasted: ♦      First Crush , Malbec (Walla Walla Valley) - Stronger tannins and bolder fruit flavor   ♦      Supernova , Malbec, (Columbia Valley) - Beautiful color, smooth tannins, full fruit and a slight spice on the pallet ♦  ...