Plungerhead Old Vine Zinfandel - Lodi 2010

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!

Sterling Merlot Vintner's Collection 2008

Two things, I love to eat and love wine. Simple right?  We love to visit a place in Anaheim for the best pizza, or at least we think so, Mama Cozza's. We've been visiting the restaurant for many, many years. In fact so long, that we are known as the "boys"! At any rate, we always order the same thing, a Gloria's salad and a pizza. Sometimes just a cheese pizza, sometimes half with pepperoni. Just depends on what "Big Daddy" is feeling like. The service is AWESOME and the pizza crust crispy and light.


They have also been featured on "Diner's, Drive-in's and Dives" with Guy Fieri. They've been around since 1965 and you should check them out. Here is there link: http://www.mamacozzas.com/

First, here is some info about Sterling Vineyards, "Perched 300 feet above the town of Calistoga, Sterling Vineyards offers panoramic views of Napa Valley. An aerial tram carries visitors up the hill to the winery, whose architecture was modeled after that of the Greek island of Mykonos, where Sterling founder Peter Newton once lived. The brilliant white stucco stands out dramatically against the rugged Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges that flank each side of Napa Valley. Mount Saint Helena makes a lovely distant backdrop."

When we go we always choose this wine, the Sterling Merlot Vintners Collection 2008. This wine is nice...real nice! It has the classic offerings of this varietal in a smooth, complex, fruit-intensive style. The aroma is WONDERFUL! You instantly can identify the black cherry and plum that join hands and starts you on your journey. When you sip you can taste the a hint of caramel, maybe a bit of mocha and little taste of y oak. This wine has great depth and silky body.  Let it breath for 10 minutes or so and then ENJOY!


Tasty, you bet. Affordable, you bet! I've also kept some at home and love it with some simple pasta dishes too. Perfect with spaghetti and meatballs and a nice garlic bread! The cost is about $13.00, so very affordable.

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!

Mint Julep - The Old Charles Family Recipe

While I know my mission is to review different wines and let you know what tastes great, however, I decided to publish a great recipe that I had while were down in Costa Rica. Now our friend Ben made up this drink for us and I have to say it was just wonderful. I will  also tell you to use some caution when you decide to "sip" a few of these. Whether it be out on your veranda in a rocking chair, or sitting having a conversation at your dinner table.Why you ask?  For once you sip the sweet concoction, it has a "power" over you. Not bad at all, just seems to make you really HAPPY!  That being said, that is what the world needs isn't it? MORE HAPPY!


So Mr. Ben (all the girls love Ben by the way) is an institution in Costa Rica, also known to many as McGiveer, thank you for your recipe, and more importantly, thank you for your friendship.





MINT JULEP

5 heaping tbsp confectionery (powdered) sugar
Add 2 cups bourbon on crushed ice to fill 12 oz. glasses
Our mint mixture through strainer over ice and stir
Freeze or refrigerate frosted glass or mug (metal is ideal)


(The photo shown is the offical mint julep pewter cup which is 8 oz and called Chesapeake Bay) 


Use straws for sipping.


Prepare for lift off...

Rodney Strong 2010 Chardonnay - Somona County

Whenever I go out to a restaurant I always look for specific names of wineries on the menu. So last night to celebrate our friend Mike's birthday, we visited the Blue Water Grill in Newport Beach. We had decided on later dinner and the place suited our needs just perfectly.  Located right on the water we enjoyed a great view and great weather.


Just a brief overview of the restaurant itself.  "we have two locations in Orange County ("the OC"), Newport Beach and "The District" in Tustin, and one in Redondo Beach on King Harbor. We also are located in Arizona in the "Valley of the sun" on Camelback Rd in Central Phoenix. We are the perfect spot for a casual afternoon or evening combined with a trip to the beach, a stroll along the boardwalk, or a day out shopping." The manager that night Rafael,also told us that they are opening another seasonal restaurant on Catalina.


They have an extensive list of great choices on the menu. I had the Lobster Bisque and the Sanddabs. Both were just perfect! Sanddabs are seldom on menus, which is really too bad, because they are AWESOME! The service was great and everyone really enjoyed their dinners. I would recommend that you check it out. Here is the link: http://www.bluewatergrill.com/reviews.php

Now onto the wine. Let me say that the meal was great, the wine, not so much. When I first tasted it, it had a great light and fruity fresh pear sense about it. A slight undertone of oak  as well. Very refreshing! It even had a slight dryness to it. The finish though was in a word...SHARP. At first I though it was me...so I turn another hearty sip and again tasted all the great pear flavor, with a bit of apple and oak. The finish though was again rough. As I sipped it with different parings from my dinner, it just did not cooperate. For a Rodney Strong wine, I was so disappointed. During the years, I have had so many great bottles from them.  Not sure what happened here, the wine just had a very poor finish.

With so many other great chardonnays in this price point, choose Le Crema, that is a GREAT wine for the same the price.


This wine definitely DID NOT MAKE "The Pig Jump Over the Moon"!

Pennywise Pinot Noir 2010

First, you have to ask yourself, what is in a name? When I came across this wine it was sitting next to a wine titled "Plungerhead"! I purchased both and I'll publish a review later regarding the "sister" wine soon.


When I opened it up and poured it into the glass, the first thing you notice is the color. It seemed almost ruby jeweled! Really a magnificent coloring. The aroma of the wine was red raspberry and touch of cinnamon. Once you taste it, your mouth savors the flavors of cranberry, as well as some tart cherries and just a hint of an oak at the finish. Pretty in the glass, tasty to the mouth and hard to put down!

The winery notes that the "2010 vintage Pennywise Pinot Noir has a core of fruit from the Merwin Vineyard in Clarksburg. This vineyard is mostly Pommard clone Pinot Noir.  The balance of this blend was mostly Monterey Pinot Noir for some added mouthfeel and nice delicate cherry fruit. And a touch of Paso Syrah was added for just a little structure to this Pinot Noir blend. The combination of the lots makes a crowd pleasing wine with great fruit and allows this wine to be served at any occasion." The taste is spot on! 

Additionally, the winery TOG is run by the 4th generation of  Sebastiani's, Mia and August. They have proven that great wine can still be made that doesn't hurt your wallet.

This was really a great wine and I bought it for $8.99!

I didn't have this with a specific meal, just in the evening while relaxing and watching Mob Wives. I kept thinking how much fun it would be to have the wine with all the "girls", Big Ang, Renee, Drita, Karen and Carla. Who knows, after a few bottles, the stories that could be told!  I can just hear "Big Daddy" now, "I'm going to make some meatballs and you tell me what you think." And you know what, they would love them, and this wine would be a perfect match for them!

So ladies, come on by with "Big Daddy" and "Big Ang" together...who knows what could happen!

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!

Challis Lane Old Vine Zinfadel 2010

When I'm looking to try a wine I like to read the "bio" that the store has written about it. When you read some of them you have to say to yourself, they tasted all that from this wine? In the tasting of Challis Lane Old Vine Zinfandel the answer is YES! This wine has excellent color and the ripe berry taste marries well with a bit of oak, be it ever so slight. I will tell you to let this vino breath a bit too. It seemed to me that by letting that bottle open for about 20 minutes really increased the depth of flavor. The wine pricing was really a great value as well.

Not too much information on the winery itself. A review of their website shows that it's located in Manteca, California which is south of Stockton. A quick check via Google indicated that their are about 5 other wineries in Manteca as well.

The price listed was FANTASTIC $9.99!

The meal I enjoyed this with was Rigatoni with Eggplant and Pine Nut Crunch which you can find on Big Daddy's Cooking Tonight. Here is the link: http://bigdaddyscookingtonight.blogspot.com/

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!

Vina Borgia 2010

Okay, I have to admit, the label on the bottle is what first caught my eye! The bright colors of what looked to be glass beads from Murano captured my attention as the wine was displayed on an end cap.  I picked up the bottle and read that the winery was from Spain. So I purchased the vino and brought it home for a taste.

I have to say that it was a "zippy" and tasty red blend! Full and ripe,this rich and exuberant wine offers lots of black fruits and some raisin is the taste as well. A slight taste of raspberries and blackberry competing with that raisin!  With the finish, I tasted some fresh mint and firm tannins, adding to the sense of play.

The flavor seems to really "open up" as the wine is exposed to the air. I would recommend to decant it as soon as you open it. Really let it breathe! 

The vineyards for this wine are located 1,200 feet in elevation on chalky, white limestone soil and sandy soils with some gravel. Bodegas Borsao demonstrates what can be done with the Garnacha grape. This wine is one of the best examples of the region known as “The Garnacha Land of Spain.”

Really though, this was an excellent wine and the price was really awesome as well. Just $6.99!  

The meal I enjoyed this with was a  nice juicy burger which you can find on Big Daddy's Cooking Tonight. Here is the link: http://bigdaddyscookingtonight.blogspot.com/

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


Get a few bottles and keep them around...I have!