2012 Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon

A great treat last night was to be had by enjoying a wonderful Filet Mignon steak, fresh corn on the cob, homemade potato salad, baked onion rings and grilled asparagus. I know, I know, what the celebration was! None. BD felt like creating a feast. I think he's been driven to the kitchen as he perfects his fair entries that are right around the corner! The fridge is packed full of provisions! The trips to Tom's Farms have yielded a plethora of fresh vegetables that look and taste just fantastic.

So back to dinner. A few months back I visited a local wine shop to get some recommendations for a red wine that would pair well with beef. The plan was to get a few bottles as we were heading up to visit some friends up in Woodland Hills for dinner. Mr. Bill likes good vino and we chat about different discoveries. So, when I met the salesperson I told him my budget and off we went into the labyrinth of wines housed in every nook and cranny of the store. We reached the Cabernet Section where he dutifully pulled out a bottle of Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon. Now, the label alone is attention grabbing all on its own! We chatted about it and then he said the magic words "would you like to taste it?" Really? A free wine sample, of course I would like to taste it, and whatever else is open and being tasted!

We went over to the tasting area of the store and he did a hearty glass of the Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon. In a word, it was AMAZING! So rich in flavor and dark fruit flavor of cherry, plum, pomegranate and smoke and great hint of spice and oak. This has crisp finish also, lingers in your mouth and you can't get the glass back up to your lips fast enough!
Here are some notes from the winery:
"Cabernet Sauvignon with some Petite Sirah blended in is aged 14 months in French oak. Little rain during the 2012 harvest made for one of the most reliable vintages in years. Blackberry, dark cherry and pomegranate are backed with smokey vanilla oak, spice, and cassis pop on the front with nice tannings and a lingering finish. The FREAKiest thing about this wine is the value the brothers have jammed into this bottle with all that structure and fruit. A Lodi lover’s dream!"

The wine was a perfect pairing for the fantastic dinner we had.


This is one tasty vino. The retail is about $17.99 and well worth it! Great taste, and this vino definitely made the Pig Jump Over the Moon.

2011 Liquid Velvet

When a person decides on a wine, it's very interpretive. Some go on reviews, some go on suggestions from a friend or the store they are shopping in, or via reading the web. It's selective. Fortunately, recently we took the recommendation of our friend Lynn.  She said that a wine at Trader Joes was quite tasty and in fact brought us a bottle to try. So glad she did!


This past Monday BD made a nice pasta dinner. Peas, chicken sausage, orecchietta noodle, an ear shaped pasta that holds the sauce so each bite is a symphony of mascarpone cheese and herbs. Simple and so delicious. He had tasted a similar recipe and decided to create it himself. Of course putting his own "Big Daddy" touch on it. Now reflecting back, it always seems that the recipes with some fresh simple ingredients are the very, very best.



The 2011 Liquid Velvet Red Wine is a blend.  the winery is Lockwood and the vino




Deep and rich in color, Liquid Velvet Red Blend showcases aromas and flavors of dark, rich fruit such as cherry, a hint of dark cocoa and spice. It finishes with a velvety smooth texture, balanced structure and a satisfyingly long finish. While this may be a red "blend" this baby gives you a really robust flavor!

Here are some notes from the winery:


The 2011 growing season experienced cooler than historical average temperatures.  The cooler weather delayed the harvest by nearly three weeks for many of the Monterey area. Although there were rainstorms that threatened the harvest due to the late timing, it ended up causing little trouble. Even with all of the unpredictable factors that occurred, the 2011 vintage will be recognized as one of the best.


Now here is the really great news people, this fine vino beverage retails for about $7.00 a bottle!  Not only did I call the local TJ's here, I have some on hold at an undisclosed location as well! Do yourselves a favor, this a great value and will be gone soon. Try yourself and see if this doesn't make The Pig Jump Over the Moon for you also.

2013 Blanco Buscado

Today is Sunday, Flag Day, according to the calendar. Our flag is centered over the garage door, gentle breeze makes it sway and I'm on the front porch enjoying the late afternoon. We met friends earlier today at the Javier's on the Newport Coast for a brunch to celebrate Mariana's birthday. What a great way to start the day.  Some great food, great drinks, and great friends. I've realized that by combining all of those together, it makes for memories that will last you forever. The laughter and the smiles and stories, well you can't get it any better than that.  One thing that was hard to believe is the amount of time that has passed since we all started getting together.  Mary (as we called her) and I worked together part time almost 20 years ago! Wow, how the time flies! Great memories all the way also. Adventures here and in Costa Rica and on a trip to Greece. Makes me smile and laugh as I think back about it.




So here I sit, enjoying the time, watching the multitude of hummingbirds that play in the fountain that faces the front of the house, and thinking about publishing a review or two of some wines we recently tasted and thought were great.




Recently on shopping trip to my local beverage store, I came upon a white wine that looked quite interesting, a 2013 Blanco Buscado. The reviews for looked favorable so I picked one up.  Once I returned home, I loaded it into the wine fridge with the other purchases.  You can't ever have enough wine ready for whenever you might need it.




Later last night after BD came home from work we relaxed out on the deck. Decompressing from the day. I dutifully worked in the garden during the day, which is really more relaxing for me than work. Yes, I get pretty filthy, especially working in let's say the more mature areas of the garden, however, some sweat equity is always worth it when we and friends can enjoy it.  BD had a packed day of clients so needed some time to unwind as well.




The 5 o'clock cocktails were a Flor de Cana on the rocks for me, and a Vodka soda for BD. We relaxed with cocktails, reading, Instagraming and just listening to the birds and fountain.


Later BD made some wonderful chicken lettuce wraps. Perfect light dinner with tasty pot stickers. The chicken had been perfectly diced and seasoned, a bit of heat at the end to let you know that you were alive.


I opened the 2013 Blanco  Buscado, which had great aroma, so fresh and so crisp!
The color in the glass is beautiful golden yellow that shimmers in the light. this Spanish wine is a blend of 70% Macabeo, 20% Verdejo and 10% Sauvignon Blanc. Green apple and tropical fruit flavors. So light yet robust, it has a great finish that really lets the flavor of your dinner come through as well.  That slightly sweet crispness of the green apple really paired well with the heat of the chicken. BD and I agreed that this vino had some great taste and some great body!


The best part, this vino is priced to enjoy at less than $10.00 a bottle!  Yes, not a misprint!  Don't you just love a tasty bargain. 


Yep, this vino made the The Pig Jump Over the Moon. Enjoy!

Capellini de Forno and 2012 Adored Red Wine Blend

Wednesday night is my night to put dinner together. So over the last several months I have been gradually gaining confidence and working towards more complex meals.  So far, I've been able to pull off some dishes like Chicken Parmesan, Pasta Fagioli, which by the way, was excellent, however the very best is made at Genovese in Orange, Marge has that one down, and it is delicious.I might also throw in that it has addictive qualities. Isn't that right Mike?



So through my progression of cooking, that is documented on InstaGram via Big Daddy, it really has been rewarding. I've learned that by reading a recipe and really putting passion into the dish, being happy, perhaps listening to some music, like Andre Bocelli,  it makes the experience SO ENJOYABLE. The part that I don't really like is the grocery shopping. Which if I have chosen my recipe, I can run through Big Daddy and he will pick up whatever ingredients are needed.



So our dinner was Capellini de Forno.  Yes, made lovingly by myself.  It is a layered pasta dish with prosciutto, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, baked in the oven and served with a red marinara sauce. I also made a side salad of baby arugula with shaved Parmesan cheese and Italian dressing. Simple. No bread, I mean with the amount of cheese that I put in this dish, bread WAS NOT an option!

Prior to Big Daddy's arrival home, I looked at the varieties of wine we had to choose from and selected the 2012 Adored Red Wine Blend. The wine is made by the folks at the Trinchero Family Estates in St. Helena California. Which after looking at the website, is the producer of some fine vino! Like Joel Gott, a really great Zinfandel that I am very familiar with.  Auntie V was the first person to turn me on to that wine a few Thanksgiving's ago!  Anyway, back to the Adored Red Wine. It's a blend that has a really robust and refreshing taste.  I think that by letting it open up for about 15 to 20 minutes, before pouring it, really made it so much more tasty!

It's velvety ruby color,when you look at it through the glass, it shimmers and it looks very bold.  The wine itself has a wonderful nose of candied fruit notes and subtle hints of spice. On the pallet, it's all berries and more berries. In your mouth, the wine is silky with a nice lengthy finish. This is a very good anytime sipper.  This paired so nicely with the dinner as well.  The spices and fruits really complimented the cheese and prosciutto in the pasta and the arugula salad.  What also was great about the flavor, was the under tone of blackberry and cherry flavor. This vino was really well balanced.



Now this wine retails for about $9.00 a bottle. Yes, this is not a misprint, $9.00 a bottle!  For a staple to have around in your house, this is perfect.  I went back to the wine rack to pull another, however, this was the only one!  Yikes!  Need to pick more up this weekend. So to all you reading this, the Adored Red Wine Blend definitely had The Pig Jumping Over the Moon!