July 2016 - Page 4 of 6 - Briscoe Bites

11
Jul
2016

Betwixt 2014 Pinot Noir – A Notch Above the Rest

categories: Booze, Wine

I first met Tim and Melissa of Betwixt Wine during the 2016 Pinot Days in San Francisco. During that conference I had the opportunity to try their 2014 Pinot Noir from Lester Family Vineyards. When I visited their downtown SF winery a few weeks later to taste a line-up of their current and up-coming releases, somehow this Pinot Noir still stood out as a notch above the rest. Take a bottle home? Yes, please!

And so I did, bring it home, share it, and enjoyed it. Now I must write all about it so you, too, can procure and enjoy Betwixt’s 2014 Pinot Noir.

(more…)

11
Jul
2016

Seghesio Family Vineyards 2014 Zinfandel – Great Mid-Week Wine

categories: Booze, Wine

Today I sing the praises of Seghesio Family Vineyards 2014 Zinfandel – a truly indulgent Zinfandel that will enliven a mid-week meal, add calm and comfort to the work week, and just make you feel good all around for drinking it.

This is another ode to the half-bottle. Oh how I love thee during my mid-week wine adventures. And with all the wine tasting I’ve been doing lately, I’ve actually become quite picky with what I drink — even if it is a “daily drinker.” With the half bottle, it’s all about quality, not quantity. Yes, that’s a cliche phrase, but it’s true. And the quality of Seghesio’s Zinfandel was quite a pleasant surprise…

(more…)

11
Jul
2016

Betwixt 2014 Grenache – Betwixt Two Worlds of Flavor

categories: Booze, Wine

After my private tasting at Betwixt Wines, winemaker Tim and his wife Melissa were kind enough to send me home with a few complimentary bottles. It must have been my reaction when I sipped on their 2014 Grenache from Monterey County’s Boer Vineyard that made Melissa insist I take home this bottle…

(more…)

08
Jul
2016

Floriana 2014 Gruner Veltliner – Fun Drinking

categories: Beer & Cocktails, Booze

I never heard of this varietal before I was perusing my Twitter feed and this recommendation came up from Reverse Wine Snob, Jon Thorson. It just so happened I was looking for something exactly like this for my dinner that day — something light, refreshing, perfect for a hot summer’s evening.

At first my mind ran down the list: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Reisling? But none of those flavor profiles truly met the brief for my dinner-pairing…

I was at my local Trader Joe’s when I remembered the review I had read that morning. I picked up that bottle and, true to my book-nerd form, read the back of the bottle: “light-bodied,” “dry,” “fresh and lively” — sold!

(more…)

08
Jul
2016