The first time we drove through the Sacramento Delta, we were so surprised to find this completely unique part of California tucked between Sacramento and San Francisco Bay. A few minutes south of Sacramento, starting in Freeport, begins this lush, rural bayou, a network of canals and islands running from the Sacramento River and flowing out toward the Bay. Lining the levee roads are vineyards, pear and nut orchards, and marinas with everything from slapped-together floating shacks to expensive cruising boats. It's a magical place that beckons you to slow down, enjoy the sights, and perhaps pull over and enjoy a picnic next to the river or canal.
Off South River Road, just south of Clarksburg on the tiny, winding County Road 144, is Bogle Winery. We first were introduced to Bogle when their merlot was recognized in Consumer Reports as being a Best Buy, and indeed it was. I think that was 2005, and it started a love affair that continues to this day. As you might have guessed from the CR Best Buy award, Bogle wines are not high-end, most are under $20. These wines are proof that the price on a bottle is not always an indicator of quality - in this case, a low price does not mean a low-quality wine. Now, I do have friends who will not drink inexpensive wines, and I think they are missing some really wonderful experiences as a result.
So today, a beautiful sunny early-spring day with the almond trees in bloom, we headed to Bogle to pick up our Bogle Bandwagon club wines and taste what's new.
What we drank:
Blanc de Blancs, 2009, sparkling wine
Lovely, light nose of toast and cream, leading to a citrus palate with notes of lemon, mandarin, and toast. A lighter sparkling wine, this is quite young with a very tart finish. I gave it a 6 out of 10.
Sauvignon Blanc 2009
This had a very light nose with just a hint of pineapple. Overall, the wine was very light, with just hints of pineapple and lemon. The finish was much too light. This was aged in stainless, and I did not care much for it. It might be good on a hot summer day, although I think most foods would overpower it. I gave it 3 out of 10.
Ghosts du Blanc 2008
This is a chardonnay/viognier Bogle blend that they produce every year. This version had almost no nose, although it was quite chilled and in my opinion served too cold. The front of the wine had a burst of oak, followed by lemon and peach, ending with lingiering notes of oak and peach. Once the wine was warmer, the flavors really popped. I gave it 7 out of 10, and think it would stand up well to smoky, spicy food.
Merlot 2009
This is the wine that started our love affair with Bogle. This vintage has a very oaky nose, and opens with the same oak flavor, progressing to plum and black cherry. The wine has medium-strength tannins, and the tannins carry through the finish, which is nicely smooth. I don't think it is their best merlot, although I do like it. I gave it 7 out of 10.
Ghosts du Roam 2007
This is the red blend for Bogle. It starts with an oak and cola nose, progressing to cassis, cherry, and cola flavors and a nicely balanced palate with medium tannins. There was a nice burst of cherry on the finish that I loved. I gave it 7 out of 10.
Reserve Zinfandel 2007
I have always been a fan of Bogle's zinfandels, particularly their Old Vine Zinfandel. This reserve starts with a light oak and blackberry nose, with a big burst of vanilla on the front. The flavors progress nicely through the wine, developing notes of juniper and blackberry. The tannins are nicely balanced and present but not dominating. The finish has a strong note of black pepper that lingers on the palate, I cannot wait to try this with grilled pizza. 8 out of 10!
Bogle wines frequently win local wine competitions and are noted as being excellent "value" wines. This is why I love wine, though. A well-made wine does not need to make you weep when you buy it, and might make you love it all the more when you drink it.
Get out there! Taste wine! Have fun! Find those great bargain wines that you love and can drink every day.
February 27, 2011
February 20, 2011
Love, Italian Style: Blind on the Vine Barolo Tasting
Our wine tasting group, Bline on the Vine (BOTV,) met on 2/19/11 for a Barolo tasting. Al Reynaud, the oenophile who leads our group, and I collaborated on this one, and I have to admit to a moment of fear when we selected Barolo. The only Barolo wines I've had were in Italy, because the grape is grown where my relatives live in the Piedmont (Piemonte) region of Italy. Barolo is the typical table wine served in most restaurants and homes. I'd never bought any here in the U.S., and I had trouble finding a wine that met the parameters for the tasting: vintage from 1999 - 2005, price point at $60 and up. Finally, I found one bottle, and without knowing anything other than the wine was rated 95 points by Wine Spectator, I bought that one.
So, twelve of us met at Il Forno Classico, in the warm and comfortable wine shop attached to the restaurant, and tasted the following seven wines. It was a hugely successful evening, we all struggled to pick just one favorite out of the group. I had four tied for the top and was forced by several members to pick a winner.
Wines we tasted are in no particular order, and I have given both my ranking and the group's top five (six really, because two tied for fourth place) rankings. BOTV ranks on a twenty point scale, with five points for aroma (nose), five for finish, and ten for taste. We do a blind tasting, with the wines decanted and numbered.
1. Bricco Cerretta 2004
The wine had a more floral nose with a hint of tar. The wine was nicely balanced with flavors of bright cherry, raspberry, and pink rose petals. The finish was tart with lingering cherry and rose. It was still rather hot, and I thought this could be a great wine with a little more aging. I rated this 16 points, 5th, and the group rated this as tied for 4th place.
2. Pio Cesare 2004
The nose had stronger notes of tar and pine, along with a hint of rose. The front and mid-palate were largely cherry and rose flavors. The finish was a bit rough at first with a big punch of alcohol. However, the wine improved as it sat in my glass and although I only gave this 14 points and ranked it 6th, I tried it much later in the evening and liked it enough to buy a bottle of the 2005 from Scotty (owner of Il Forno Classico) who had it in his nicely stocked wine shop. I plan to age this for several years. This wine was very good with food. The group rated this tied for 4th with the Bricco Cerretta.
3. Pranotto Bassia (sorry, I somehow missed the vintage on this one)
The nose was a lovely floral blend of roses and violets. This was a delicious, smooth and well-balanced wine with flavors of bright cherry, rose and a hint of oak. The finish was lighter than others, and very smooth, like cream on the tongue. I loved this wine with food. I gave it 17 points, and ranked it 4th. The group ranked this last, at 6th, and I speculate it was because of the lighter finish.
4. Paolo Scavino 2000 - this is the wine I selected for the tasting
Without knowing this was my wine, I ranked it #1. The nose was full and round with notes of tar, rose, and a hint of menthol. A well-balanced and smooth wine, the flavors were of cherry, violets, and a little oak. The finish was still a little hot, which surprised all of us when we found out it was one of the older wines. You could lay this down for a few more years and it would be perfect! What really sold me was that I loved this wine with Il Forno Classico's risotto balls and marinara sauce. I gave it 19 points and ranked it 1st. The group ranked it 2nd...so I didn't win, but was oh-so-close. Rats.
5. Corino 2005
We all agreed this wine had a flaw in the aroma. Some said wet socks, I thought it was carroty, or earthy. We suspected perhaps a bit of cork contamination, but the wine tasted fine, so no one was certain in the final analysis. The flavors in the wine were of cherry and rose, with interesting hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. While it was not typical of Barolo, we all seemed to like the differences. A well-balanced palate that finished round and smooth and somewhat hot, again indicating more aging could benefit the wine. I gave this 13 points, knocking it down on the nose, and ranked it 7th. The group ranked it 5th.
6. Sori Genestra 1999
The oldest of the wines, this was delightful. Starting with a nose of rose with hints of pine and mint, the front of the palate had a delightful creamy vanilla flavor that developed into stronger notes of tart cherry and oak, and finished with a stronger note of oak. This wine was very smooth, and the only reason I ranked it 2nd was that I thought the Paolo Scavino was slightly better with food. It was a tough call, I gave it 18 points. The group ranked this 3rd.
7. Renato Raitti 2005
Oh the sadness of having to pick just one to win. This was the group's #1 wine and my #3, but only because I had to rank the top four - I really liked them equally, and it was like picking a favorite amongst one's children. This wine started with a nose of rose, violet and tar, very typical of a Barolo. The front of the palate had lovely, balanced flavors of cherry, vanilla and rose, and these flavors developed nicely and intertwined mid-palate. The finish was very smooth with lingering flavors of tart cherry and a hint of oak. This also was very good with food. I gave it 18 points, so it really tied with #6 for me.
What a wonderful evening, and a great example of why I love the Blind on the Vine group. Wonderful, friendly, fun, knowledgeable people whom I am so happy to have in my life. Special thanks to Al, who as always did a marvelous job of orchestrating an enchanting evening. And of course, if you ever find yourself in Rancho Cordova/Gold River, CA, be sure to stop by Il Forno Classico, have a wonderful meal and get some great wines from Scotty.
So, twelve of us met at Il Forno Classico, in the warm and comfortable wine shop attached to the restaurant, and tasted the following seven wines. It was a hugely successful evening, we all struggled to pick just one favorite out of the group. I had four tied for the top and was forced by several members to pick a winner.
Wines we tasted are in no particular order, and I have given both my ranking and the group's top five (six really, because two tied for fourth place) rankings. BOTV ranks on a twenty point scale, with five points for aroma (nose), five for finish, and ten for taste. We do a blind tasting, with the wines decanted and numbered.
1. Bricco Cerretta 2004
The wine had a more floral nose with a hint of tar. The wine was nicely balanced with flavors of bright cherry, raspberry, and pink rose petals. The finish was tart with lingering cherry and rose. It was still rather hot, and I thought this could be a great wine with a little more aging. I rated this 16 points, 5th, and the group rated this as tied for 4th place.
2. Pio Cesare 2004
The nose had stronger notes of tar and pine, along with a hint of rose. The front and mid-palate were largely cherry and rose flavors. The finish was a bit rough at first with a big punch of alcohol. However, the wine improved as it sat in my glass and although I only gave this 14 points and ranked it 6th, I tried it much later in the evening and liked it enough to buy a bottle of the 2005 from Scotty (owner of Il Forno Classico) who had it in his nicely stocked wine shop. I plan to age this for several years. This wine was very good with food. The group rated this tied for 4th with the Bricco Cerretta.
3. Pranotto Bassia (sorry, I somehow missed the vintage on this one)
The nose was a lovely floral blend of roses and violets. This was a delicious, smooth and well-balanced wine with flavors of bright cherry, rose and a hint of oak. The finish was lighter than others, and very smooth, like cream on the tongue. I loved this wine with food. I gave it 17 points, and ranked it 4th. The group ranked this last, at 6th, and I speculate it was because of the lighter finish.
4. Paolo Scavino 2000 - this is the wine I selected for the tasting
Without knowing this was my wine, I ranked it #1. The nose was full and round with notes of tar, rose, and a hint of menthol. A well-balanced and smooth wine, the flavors were of cherry, violets, and a little oak. The finish was still a little hot, which surprised all of us when we found out it was one of the older wines. You could lay this down for a few more years and it would be perfect! What really sold me was that I loved this wine with Il Forno Classico's risotto balls and marinara sauce. I gave it 19 points and ranked it 1st. The group ranked it 2nd...so I didn't win, but was oh-so-close. Rats.
5. Corino 2005
We all agreed this wine had a flaw in the aroma. Some said wet socks, I thought it was carroty, or earthy. We suspected perhaps a bit of cork contamination, but the wine tasted fine, so no one was certain in the final analysis. The flavors in the wine were of cherry and rose, with interesting hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. While it was not typical of Barolo, we all seemed to like the differences. A well-balanced palate that finished round and smooth and somewhat hot, again indicating more aging could benefit the wine. I gave this 13 points, knocking it down on the nose, and ranked it 7th. The group ranked it 5th.
6. Sori Genestra 1999
The oldest of the wines, this was delightful. Starting with a nose of rose with hints of pine and mint, the front of the palate had a delightful creamy vanilla flavor that developed into stronger notes of tart cherry and oak, and finished with a stronger note of oak. This wine was very smooth, and the only reason I ranked it 2nd was that I thought the Paolo Scavino was slightly better with food. It was a tough call, I gave it 18 points. The group ranked this 3rd.
7. Renato Raitti 2005
Oh the sadness of having to pick just one to win. This was the group's #1 wine and my #3, but only because I had to rank the top four - I really liked them equally, and it was like picking a favorite amongst one's children. This wine started with a nose of rose, violet and tar, very typical of a Barolo. The front of the palate had lovely, balanced flavors of cherry, vanilla and rose, and these flavors developed nicely and intertwined mid-palate. The finish was very smooth with lingering flavors of tart cherry and a hint of oak. This also was very good with food. I gave it 18 points, so it really tied with #6 for me.
What a wonderful evening, and a great example of why I love the Blind on the Vine group. Wonderful, friendly, fun, knowledgeable people whom I am so happy to have in my life. Special thanks to Al, who as always did a marvelous job of orchestrating an enchanting evening. And of course, if you ever find yourself in Rancho Cordova/Gold River, CA, be sure to stop by Il Forno Classico, have a wonderful meal and get some great wines from Scotty.
February 11, 2011
Hula Grill and Barefoot Bar
Of all the restaurants and bars we visit on Maui, Hula Grill and Barefoot Bar is our favorite. First, the location is perfect. The Barefoot Bar, with its sand floor, is right on the Ka'anapali walkway and commands a beautiful view of the beach and ocean. It's great just for staring off into the sunset and for people-watching. On day one of every Maui vacation, we check into our hotel, toss our stuff in our room, and head here, where we have our first mai tai to celebrate Maui and I have the fruit taster, which has fruit unique to Hawai'i. At that point, I feel the stress melting, my shoulders dropping from my ears, and the voices in my head finally stop shouting at me to remember things and do things and analyze things. SO nice!
The restauarant part of this establishment is Hula Grill, where the friendly service and classic local fish dishes perfectly prepared mean we always leave happy and satisfied. We ate here on 2/4/11, and again were reminded why this is one of our favorite restaurants.
What I drank:
Zaca Mesa Viognier (by the glass, no vintage listed)
The nose was a burst of apple that was carried throughout the wine. My initial impression was that this wine was very light, although the flavors of apple and pear with a light note of peach, were very good. The finish was light without much in the way of lingering flavors or scents. The wine paired very well with my perfectly seared, melt-in-my-mouth yellowfin ahi, enhancing its flavor and revealing deeper flavors in the wine. This was a very nice wine-food synergy, with both the better for the pairing. Initially, I gave this wine a 6 out of 10, and with the food, I would give it a 7 out of 10. I would have liked a bit more body and finish.
Bill liked this wine better than his chardonnay, and ended up ordering a glass in between dinner and dessert, and he thought it was more like an 8 out of 10. That reminded me that perhaps I was still under the effects of the nasty flu, and not tasting everything in the wine. Worth another look after I am fully recovered.
The restauarant part of this establishment is Hula Grill, where the friendly service and classic local fish dishes perfectly prepared mean we always leave happy and satisfied. We ate here on 2/4/11, and again were reminded why this is one of our favorite restaurants.
What I drank:
Zaca Mesa Viognier (by the glass, no vintage listed)
The nose was a burst of apple that was carried throughout the wine. My initial impression was that this wine was very light, although the flavors of apple and pear with a light note of peach, were very good. The finish was light without much in the way of lingering flavors or scents. The wine paired very well with my perfectly seared, melt-in-my-mouth yellowfin ahi, enhancing its flavor and revealing deeper flavors in the wine. This was a very nice wine-food synergy, with both the better for the pairing. Initially, I gave this wine a 6 out of 10, and with the food, I would give it a 7 out of 10. I would have liked a bit more body and finish.
Bill liked this wine better than his chardonnay, and ended up ordering a glass in between dinner and dessert, and he thought it was more like an 8 out of 10. That reminded me that perhaps I was still under the effects of the nasty flu, and not tasting everything in the wine. Worth another look after I am fully recovered.
Tropica at the Westin Maui
I haven't posted in almost two weeks, in part due to the horrific flu I contracted, rendering my senses of taste and smell useless, and in part due to my vacation on Maui. Yes, sadly the illness and the vacation overlapped; however, what better place to recover from illness than a tropical island? I ate plates and plates of tropical fruit loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants, drank lots of OJ (in the form of mai tai, so I got both vitamin C AND alcohol), let the warm ocean water do its magic on my respiratory system, and began feeling better after a few days.
The first meal I ate where I could taste and smell was at Tropica, the upscale restaurant at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa. We have stayed at the Westin for our last three trips to Maui, as its location and amenities are about as close to perfection as we can afford. (I hear the Ritz and the Four Seasons will make you weep when you have to leave, and I don't want to be too deeply disappointed to return to my life after vacation!) In any event, Tropica has a beautiful view of the Ka'anapali Beach and walkway, and although it is expensive, the creative menu and superb service make this restaurant worth the expense. The wine list had a very nice selection and range of prices, although I wish more were available by the glass.
What I drank:
Pighin Pinot Grigio (by the glass, no vintage given)
Please take into account my senses were still somewhat impaired. I did get a nice nose on this wine of apple and pear, which carried into the front of the wine. Crisp flavors and a light body developed into additional flavors of lemon and grass, and the wine was light on the tongue. The finish was smooth and light, with lingering fruit. This paired very well with my mussels and clams in coconut broth. I gave it 7 out of 10 points, and note I would like to try this wine again when the nasty drippy stuff clears out of my system.
Watching the end of the sunset, listening to the waves crashing on the beach, sipping a good wine and eating a delicious meal is my idea of a perfect moment on vacation, and Maui provides many opportunities to have these moments, which is why we return year after year.
The first meal I ate where I could taste and smell was at Tropica, the upscale restaurant at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa. We have stayed at the Westin for our last three trips to Maui, as its location and amenities are about as close to perfection as we can afford. (I hear the Ritz and the Four Seasons will make you weep when you have to leave, and I don't want to be too deeply disappointed to return to my life after vacation!) In any event, Tropica has a beautiful view of the Ka'anapali Beach and walkway, and although it is expensive, the creative menu and superb service make this restaurant worth the expense. The wine list had a very nice selection and range of prices, although I wish more were available by the glass.
What I drank:
Pighin Pinot Grigio (by the glass, no vintage given)
Please take into account my senses were still somewhat impaired. I did get a nice nose on this wine of apple and pear, which carried into the front of the wine. Crisp flavors and a light body developed into additional flavors of lemon and grass, and the wine was light on the tongue. The finish was smooth and light, with lingering fruit. This paired very well with my mussels and clams in coconut broth. I gave it 7 out of 10 points, and note I would like to try this wine again when the nasty drippy stuff clears out of my system.
Watching the end of the sunset, listening to the waves crashing on the beach, sipping a good wine and eating a delicious meal is my idea of a perfect moment on vacation, and Maui provides many opportunities to have these moments, which is why we return year after year.
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