So this morning my telephone rings at 7:30am as I'm getting ready for work. Now, the telephone does not usually ring in the mornings at our house unless there is a "situation". Growing up, if the phone rang that early it usually was bad news. Kind of like the scene in the movie Moonstruck, where Cher and Vincent Gardenia wake up Olympia Dukakis. She opens her eyes and says "who died". When I answer the phone, it was in fact good news. Actually, a great friend giving me a call and laughing. Always great to hear laughter first thing in the morning. Puts a smile right on your face!
It was my friend Bill who I've known for many years. Bill and I worked together years ago and maintained a great friendship. We both hail from Chicago and enjoy the food from there as well. Many a discussion has been had on the best places for beef sandwiches, hot dogs, pizza and of course, the Chicago tamale. (See now that I'm writing this, I'm thinking about all that stuff and getting hungry...thanks Bill). Oh and of course talking about Marshall Field's big beautiful store on State Street and special trips to the Walnut Room. Really great chats that make me smile thinking about them.
So Bill whose laugh is infectious, says "I just opened my e-mail and saw the link to your blog; I didn't know you were the wine connoisseur in Orange County". I told him I'm not, but decided to write about some reasonable wines that I've enjoyed and wanted to share with everybody. We talked about some of the posts, including the "Charles Family Mint Julep" where here recommended the Knob Creek and generally just caught up on what each other has been doing. He then mentioned his love for Zinfandel, and I said have I got one for you to try!
Now I've mentioned a few postings ago that I really like the TOG wines that are being produced. For the overview of the company, check out my posting for "Pennywise - Pinot Noir". Now I want to say that this Pinot is an "Old Vine" which, Bill you mentioned you like. That being said, I checked the website for TOG Wines and here is the breakdown, 92% Zinfandel, 6% Petite Syrah and 2% Syrah. Once you open the bottle, you can smell the smell ripe red raspberry, clove, slight citrus, and cinnamon. The aroma intensifies in your glass. The color is a rich purple, with a velvety sheen.
Once you taste it, your taste buds and palate will awake to the flavors dried cherry, chocolate, espresso, and currants. A WONDERFUL finish with a nice pomegranate background note. Can you say TASTY!
All of this is packaged in a wine that retails for about $14.00! As far as some food pairing ideas, I tried it with Marinated Flank Steak with Chimchuri Sauce. Big Daddy's Cooking Tonight. Here is the link: http://bigdaddyscookingtonight.blogspot.com/
So Bill, give this one a taste... Let me know your thoughts! You know I always value your opinion!
This wine definitely MADE "The Pig Jump Over the Moon"!
Try it and let me know what you think. Great price and a great wine!
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