Once again I found myself perusing the wine aisles of Trader Joe’s looking for a the perfect pairing for a mi-week meal. I can honestly say I don’t know what made me pick this bottle up. Maybe it’s because I didn’t know quite what I wanted and the prospect of these two varietals blended together sounded summer-time perfect. Plus, I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for a good back-flap story synopsis (you know…the mini-story on the back of books… and…wine…).
I don’t know if it was my recent visit to the Rhone Rangers seminar and tasting or what, but lately I’ve been super into experimenting with French and French-inspired wines. I had such a great experience with Louis Jadot’s 2012 Pinot Noir and, as I was researching more about the vineyard and available wines, became quite curious about their Beaujolais.
As luck would have it, a contact from Louis Jadot was kind enough to provide me with their 2013 Beaujolais to sample and review. I must admit, I held on to this wine, wanting to make sure I enjoyed it thoroughly — with the right food and mood. And I did! Louis Jadot 2013 Beaujolais is yet another excellent example of a regularly available, affordable French wine that tastes like it came straight from the Motherland.
It’s the middle of the work week — #winewednesday, or maybe #thirstythursday – and you’ve earned a glass of wine for making it this far. And that’s all you want, one glass. But is it worth opening up a whole bottle for just that one glass? Will the rest of the wine wait for the weekend, for friends and family to enjoy with you? Or will you be serving vinegar with Sunday supper?
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.
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…