2008 Chariot Gypsy Red Table Wine

So today is Sunday. Today is also been a prefect day here in Orange, California. I did some errands in the morning, for me it's the usual. Some coffee in the morning a quick review of the Target sale flyer then off to start my routine. For years I've worked 6 days a week, and Sunday was my only day to do what I wanted. Well not exactly what I wanted, we have a system here. Whereby one Sunday is mine, and one Sunday is Big Daddy's. What that translates to is, one Sunday I get to garden or go to the beach, and on Big Daddy's Sunday, we do things like, Venice Beach or art and food venues.

This is my Sunday! Woo Hoo! So after several hours gardening, I am out enjoying the fruits of my labor. Sitting out on the deck relaxing as the sun starts it's decent to close the day.

As I sit and relax I wanted to write about the wine I'm enjoying. It's a great red blend. The menu later is for some wonderful slow cooked ribs, twice baked potatoes, corn on the cob and an heirloom tomato salad. (I just received confirmation from Big Daddy before publishing this.)

So here is some info on the wine:
"A red wine blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Sangiovese, sourced from vineyards in Napa Valley, Sonoma, San Joachim and Monterey, California."

That being said, it is a fantastic value! The color is a dark opaque crimson red. The nose is dark fruit, plums and light herbs. The taste is so rich and tad spicy. A bit of black cherry, strawberry and some blueberry as well. It has a very creamy finish, with a little bite at the end.

I think this is a great value. It retails for about $4.99. Yes, that's not a mis-print $4.99.  Once it comes out at the retailer though, buy it. It runs out really fast. We're lucky, our dear friend, Miss Lynn works at the store so she usually buys a case for us. ( I hope it's ok to say that, I think so, no last names were used!)

So when you do find it, BUY IT!  We served this at my birthday party a few years ago, and it was a smash! The theme was the "The Big Night",which was film a few years back, great movie, great food!

This wine is definitely one that "Made the Pig Jump Over the Moon".

California Conspiracy White Table Wine

The weather has been in the news here in southern California. For the last 10 days the weather has been over 90 degrees and so humid, I had to check to make sure I wasn't in Central America. That all being said, I wanted something refreshing that would go with the dinner Big Daddy was making.

So I found the bottle of California Conspiracy White Table Wine. Is was nice and chilled and ready for the taking!

I opened it up and poured a nice glass. As you lift the glass the aroma is really fruity, even a bit of vanilla. The taste is really, really nice. You can taste the fruit and it has a nice smooth bouquet. The taste renders a nice pineapple, with some honey dew and cantaloupe. Very tropical, very easy to drink.

As far as information on the wine, that seems to be a conspiracy as well! While the back of the bottle says that it is bottled by California Conspiracy Cellars, Santa Rosa, California. A search on the web finds nothing! I mean no specific wine cellar that I could find!

I would pick up a bottle or two, it is a great value at $8.99! It might be difficult to find, but if you are interested, let me know. I'll let you know where I found it. This wine really made THE PIG JUMP OVER THE MOON!

A funny story...

So I was away on business trip to Dallas. There is a two hour time difference and many times because of meetings and so forth, I was unable to get the phone.

I looked and one of the missed calls, and it was my friend Bill. As soon as I saw his number, I smiled. As I've mentioned in a prior post, Mr. Bill loves a good vino...he also loves a great gin gimlet, that however, is another story!

His message just had me laughing so hard! Here are some of the highlights:

"Just tried the Gen 5 Old Vine Zinfandel 2010, excellent and not too shabby by along shot! Be sure to pick up a bottle, or you may already have received a case! Drink, enjoy, have fun and have some Lasagna."

That all being said, I know need to make sure to try the Gen 5 Old Vine Zinfandel 2010. Who knows I might even make my old world lasagna to go with it!

Don't ever change Bill, you really put a smile on my face.

Santa Alicia Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

When I purchased the Santa Alicia, it had some great notes about it from Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator. While not wildly highly rated, it still looked interesting. It was awarded a 91 by the folks at Wine & Spirits.

I opened it up and poured it into my glass. There is a hint of spice as well as some vanilla and mocha. Once I tasted it , you can savor the rick plum and blackberry. A spice flavor adds to the the hint of raspberry. The flavor is thick, don't be fooled. This Cabernet has a great palate. It will finish with just a hint of oak.

Just looking at that brilliant color in the glass, it is so dark, yet the deep ruby color shines through. The more you let this baby breathe, the better it becomes! Here are some notes about the wine and the area it is from:

"This brilliant Chilean is ripe with well integrated tannins. Santa Alicia have been producing wines in the heart of Maipo Valley since 1954. With grapes from three select communes, a state of the art winery, and judicious use of the finest American and French oak barrels, we believe the wines represent the highest price/quality ratio in Chile. In 2007, they were named Chilean Wine Producer of the Year for "best overall results from a Chilean winery" in the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition in London."

So when you see this Cabernet, pick it up. You will not be sorry you did. As I mentioned earlier, let it breathe a bit in your glass or decant it. It is a nice full body. My next bottle I'm going to pair it up with the Grilled Fillet Sandwiches with Maytag Blue Cheese Sauce. Check it out, here is the link: http://bigdaddyscookingtonight.blogspot.com/2012/05/open-faced-grilled-fillet-sandwiches.html

Yes this Cabernet definitely "Made the Pig Jump Over the Moon!"

Picket Fence Pinot Noir 2010

So when I see a Pinot Noir that has it's roots in the Russian River Valley I pay special attention. Why? If you haven't been there, let me give you a brief overview, which will still not do it justice.

The Russian River Valley is unique and the Picket Fence Winery has captured it best in saying "The Russian River Valley is one of the coolest appellations in Sonoma County with diverse soils and micro-climates because of its tumultuous geological history. During the evening the valley is covered by thick fog sometimes dropping the temperature 40 degrees. The fog steadily retreats to the coast by mid-morning and the afternoons are warm and sunny allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. The long hang time creates full, rich flavors. The yearly flooding of the river renews the land with youthful river bottom soils supplying rich, rocky alluvium soil that nourishes vine growth.
These make for some of the best conditions recognized for growing world class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir." With that being said, they have a WINNER with this wine.

When you open the bottle the aroma, the first sniff of this lush pinot, which bursts with big juicy blackberry aromas and a hint of black pepper as it tumbles into the glass. Luscious blackberry reigns on the tongue, too, tempered by a bit of clove. The long silky finish introduces intriguing late notes of black coffee and dark chocolate cherries. In a word, PERFECT! So tasty that it really is hard to put the glass down. Alison Crowe the winemaker has done an OUTSTANDING job in this wine.   It also is a great VALUE! It retails for about $16.00.

When you serve this, everyone one will ask you about it! Be sure you have PLENTY on hand!

This vino...MADE THE PIG JUMP OVER THE MOON!  Try it yourself and let me know what you think!

Beringer Knights Valley Reserve Cabernet 2009

Let me start this post by saying, Big Daddy came home from doing some grocery shopping and said " I have a real taste for some good steak". I of course suggested that he barbecue some. He then said, "I was at the store and they didn't have the cut you like, so I took that as a sign." I love that answer it reminds me of the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, one of my favorites! Anyway, so we ventured to a great place in the canyon, the Trabuco Oaks Steakhouse. If you haven't tried it, you should! Here is the link: http://www.trabucooakssteakhouse.com/  So Mr. Mike, we are making a date for you try it because we know how you like your steak! They really have GREAT steaks and they have really GREAT service.

We decided to bring a wine with us. I chose the 2009 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet. This was an absolutely perfect wine for a rich aged steak too! The flavor was really, really rich! It was a very ROBUST Cabernet! The aroma of the wine was really WONDERFUL. Plum, black cherry and hint of vanilla. The taste was really full and and mimic the fruit in the aroma perfectly. The finish was very smooth and polished. Very firm and nice...If you want a great wine for a nice aged steak, this is it!

Price wise, well our bottle was a birthday gift. Its over the $20.00 budget but this is really a great value. Retail wise it is about $40.00. The new 2010 is out so I am planning on buying a bottle. If you do see this one though pick it up...you will so enjoy it!

This really wine made THE PIG JUMP OVER THE MOON!

Gen 5 Chardonnay 2010

As summer has heated up, I always like a nice refreshing beverage that I can enjoy and wind down with. So I went over to have a look at what would satisfy my thirtsy palate. As I moved things around in the wine refrigerator (another project I need to tackle) I pulled out the bottle of Gen 5. So glad I chose this bottle too, because I am here to tell you that this is a FABULOUS Chardonnay that is really refreshing and "OH SO TASTY" ! The flavor is well balanced with the crisp fruit of pear, guava and a touch of pineapple. The aroma is NICE too! You can smell the hint of vanilla as well sweet lemon blossom. A GREAT creamy finish as well.

The definitely opened up as it sat out a bit. So my recommendation here would be to let it breathe a bit, the taste really enhanced and the tropical fruit taste really came alive.

Here is some information from the winery: "For five generations our family has lived and worked our land in Lodi California, always striving to leave the land in a better state for the next generation. Grapes are harvested cold in the middle of the night and received at the winery immediately after picking for gentle pressing. Juice is cold settled for 48 hours then inoculated with special yeast that enhances varietal character and sur lie aging. Juice is fermented at 55F for 20 days, then wine is sur lie aged for 12 months."

They have a real winner here and I look forward to trying the Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet. They certainly have produced a REAL TASTY Chardonnay!


This is a really great wine and for the price of $14.99, it really has VALUE!

This really made "The Pig Jump Over The Moon"!
                         Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Cala Blanca Tempranillo 2010

About 6 months ago I was walking through the store and noticed an end cap that had the Cala Blanca line of wines displayed. The wine labels are the first thing that will catch your eye! They are colorful and in my case, really made me want to read more about them. I tried both the Tempranillo and the Old Vine Garnacha, which I'll share my notes on that in the future. 

So I purchased it and I have to tell you, I am so glad that I did. Once I opened it and poured it into the glass, you can't help but notice the very deep garnet color. Then as you lift the glass up to your nose, there was a sweet spicy smell with a great black cherry undertone. The I tasted it and, and WOW! Black cherry and currants really make this a bold tasting wine. The fruity flavor, with a great finish! As you let it open up the flavors become more apparent. I would use an wine aerator he next time for sure. I think that would really enhance the flavor.

This wine has a great taste is SMOOTH!  Affordable, you bet! Try under $10.00!  So be sure to check this wine out the next time you are shopping for a great wine to have around. You'll be glad you did!

This wine definitely MADE "The Pig Jump Over the Moon"!

Try it and let me know what you think.