Tag: food and wine


Oct
2016

Chateau St. Jean Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

categories: Booze, Wine

In the mood for a Cab, but not necessarily one inundated with chewy tannins or one that makes you work to taste the actual fruit juice? Yeah, me too. And for just such an occasion, I keep Chateau St. Jean Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon as a regular tenant in my cellar.

The first time I bought this wine, it was on a whim, thinking (as I always do) that Chateau St. Jean is a good, reliable vintner. I trust they know how to accentuate flavors when called for (as in their Chardonnay), and hold back when needed (hello, Fume Blanc). So, I put my trust in CSJ when picking out a Cab for the evening — something not too bold, but not too timid, but just right. Yes, the Goldilocks standard of Cab-perfection.

chateau-st-jean-sonoma-county-cab-2013

PS Yes, this photo is a little crookers…sorry!

(more…)


Oct
2016

Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2014

categories: Booze, Wine

I love that you can see the reflection of a tree in this shot and that the bottle just absorbs all the greenery around it. Because that is the essence of Kendall-Jackson’s Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc — fresh, crisp, and perfectly refreshing for a spring or summer evening. So, get comfy on your favorite piece of patio furniture and raise a glass with me.

(more…)


Oct
2016

Michael David Petite Petit 2014

categories: Booze, Wine

This is my “cheater” big bold red. Like training pants, this is the wine that subtly introduced me to the heartier wine style. So, now, when I’m in the mood for a good wine with substance — but I don’t want to fight with decanting an age-old cellar stasher or fight with the modern-day tannin bombs — I turn to Michael David Petite Petit. That’s a fact.

PS Yes I love elephants. Can you see my elephant drinking in the background?

(more…)


Oct
2016

Simple Life Pinot Noir 2014

categories: Booze, Wine

This is my ode to The Simple Life. Not just the wine, but the message it presents: wine does not have to be complex or expensive to be enjoyable. Sometimes it’s about popping the cork at the end of a long hard day and sharing a glass with the one you love over a mid-week meal while binge-watching Netflix.

(more…)


Sep
2016

Louis Jadot Chablis 2014

categories: Booze, Wine

Let’s talk Chablis! Chablis (a Chardonnay dominant wine region) is the most northern part of France’s famed Burgundy region. Although summers in this area can be hot, winters are long, harsh, and often bring frost well into the month of May — something vineyard workers often have to battle. But, because of these cool climates, the Chardonnay grapes yield more acidity and less fruit-forward characteristics.

Chablis is on the east edge of the Paris Basin, where soil dates back over180 million years ago to the Upper Jurassic period. The vineyard soil type is predominantly calcareous (chalky and clay-like), giving the wine a very distinct minerality — what is often called “goût de pierre à fusil” (tasting of gunflint).

(more…)