Simple summer pasta salad

During the summer months, I tend to crave fresh vegetables and I visit the local Farmer's Market every Sunday morning excited to see what I can find. Sunday mornings are often spent in my kitchen preparing dishes for the next couple of days.

 

One of my favorite pasta salads to make for the summer is really easy to make and super yummy!

 

 

Boil half a box of orzo - according to package instructions.

 

 

Dice a small onion and saute it in olive oil until it gets soft and begins browning.

 

 

 

Toast a handful of pine nuts in the skillet. Do not let them burn.

They toast quickly so keep a close watch.

 

 

 

Chop up fresh basil. The amount depends on how much you like.



I often use juilenned sundried tomatoes but this time I had a fresh homegrown tomato on hand and decided to use it instead.  Dice the tomato if it's a fresh one. If I use the sundried ones I just cut them in quarters.

 

 

When the orzo is done, put it in a big mixing bowl and lightly coat with olive oil so that the pasta doesn't stick. Mix in the tomatoes, pine nuts and onions with a wooden spoon.

Add the basil and a generous helping of crumbled feta cheese.

 

 

(I didn't do it this time, but I have often sauteed some baby spinach as well to toss in.

Grilled cut-up asapargus is also a nice touch.)

 

Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for a few hours. I like to eat this simple summer pasta salad chilled but it is also quite good warm.

 

It doesn't last long in my house, that's for sure! It's so easy to come home from work at lunchtime, grab a spoon, sit on the deck with Prowler and enjoy!

 

 

Thanks for the memories, Olive Grove!

 

I often "save" a wine that is expensive for a special occasion. I will often "save" a bottle of wine that is important to me for one reason or another. I will often "save" a bottle because it was just damn delicious and there aren't many left in the world (i.e. Orin Swift wines)! But at any given point in time when I decide to save a wine, I have a legitimate reason (at least in my mind).

 

When I do such a thing, I am usually faced with a dilemma because I never want to open the bottle because when it's gone it's gone!  So, with Orin wines that I know I love, I purchase two at a time so I know that I always have one in reserve. Or I purchase two more at at time because I know I already have two in the cellar and God forbid I run out!

 

It's also a challenge to hold onto white wines because they don't age as well as red wines.
 Typically, white wines shouldn't be "saved" for more than two years.  I decided to tempt fate (or the wine gods) and preserved a Chardonnay for seven years. Gasp! Yep, seven years!  However, I also had this wine in a "wine fridge" at the proper temperature and have not touched it since 2007 (or maybe 2008).  I didn't know when, but I knew one day, the right day, I would open it and enjoy it (hopefully) again.

 

Sometimes I save a wine that I have had and loved because it's pricey and I justify buying it by waiting to open it for a particular celebration - a birthday, an anniversary, Christmas, Easter.

Sometimes I save it because my heart and soul just NEEDS it.

 

Well, when I got home from work this evening, I decided today was the day to open up that

2006 Olive Grove Chardonnay from D'Arenburg Cellars, Australia.
 

My heart and soul NEEDED it... more than I even realized.

 

 

 

To my sheer delight, this wine smelled EXACTLY like it did almost eight years ago.

Honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, perfectly buttered and toasted sourdough bread. 

It's golden color, like no other that I have seen before, was still perfectly shining. 

I was already happy and holding my breath that when I tasted one of my first ever favorite Chardonnays that the taste too would be exactly the same.

 

I cannot begin to explain that not only did it smell and taste the same but it took me back to a point in time where I actually started feeling the way that I did back then.

 

2007 was a tumultuous time for me personally, but it was also oddly balanced with hope, contentment, independence, strength and a sense of newfound, and much needed, peace. 

I often say, 2007, and he, gave me ME back.

 

With a simple sip and then finishing off a glass of this nostalgic Aussie wine, I was quickly taken back in time and reflecting without even realizing it.  This was one of the first wines I had ever come across at my "happy place" and quickly became one of my favorite wines.  One could say I found my happy place with this wine, figuratively and literally. 

 

Naturally, it was in high demand there and while I bought quite a few bottles, being a new wine drinker, I had no idea it would eventually disappear... forever.  Luckily, for me, my other happy place, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, had this wine and I was able to purchase a bottle a few years later - which is the one I preserved and opened this evening.

 

 

 

This wine came into my life for a reason, just like he did. 

I used to believe that when I finally opened this last bottle of Olive Grove that I would also be letting go of memories.  Knowing this was the last bottle, I tried to hold on to it as long as I could. It was silly to think that once it was gone, the memories would be gone as well. However, with that in mind, I decided today was the day to "release it" once and for all. Whatever will be will be.

 

This wine made me feel exactly as I did when I first tasted it and I am so excited and at the same time relieved.  This wine represents memories in a bottle; good ones. No, not just good ones....fantastic, irreplaceable ones.

 

This wine pairs well with Damien Rice, the everybodyfields, Joe Purdy and Jason Mraz music. It pairs well with solitude and moments of self-reflection. It pairs well with an open mind, an open heart and a beautiful July evening as the sun is setting and all becomes right with the world even if just for a moment.

 

While it is evident that over the years, my tastes have changed, this incredible Chardonnay, still evokes an overwhelming feeling of euphoria, contentment, appreciation and gratefulness for the love and memories it bestows upon me.  It also brought about a few tears but this comment from him, "It was a good one for sure" made my heart smile more than anyone (myself included) could ever imagine.

 

Love never ends; it just takes on a different form.

 

I can't go back.

I don't want to go back.

But it is so very nice to remember.

 

Thanks for the memories, Olive Grove.

 It definitely was a good one.

 

Let freedom ring! Let the wine flow!

4th of July weekend was spent at Colonial Beach relaxing with family, friends and wine!

 

Cheers to the USA!

 

2012

Silver

Unoaked Chardonnay

 

 

 

 The Evil Red Genius has actually found a white wine that she enjoys and has bought quite a few times!! Not only is it a white but it's a Chardonnay!
Silver is just as delicious as it is beautiful in its ceramic cask.

With aromas of lemon and tangerine, Silver is a very light Chardonnay and, while it is not oaked, it doesn't have a mineral taste either which pleased me. As I suspected, it begged for shrimp or some sort of seafood but was delicious with Kerrygold Irish cheddar cheese.  For those of you wondering what the difference is in an unoaked Chardonnay and a 100% stainless steel Chardonnay? The answer is nothing; using the term "unoaked" is purely a marketing tactic.
(Yes, I had the same question and confirmed with Arthur!)

 

grapes and cheese - yum!



2013 Linden

Riesling/Vidal Blanc
 

A friend of mine from work shares an interest in Rieslings with my dad.  One of his favorite vineyards in Virginia is Linden and he so graciously gave my dad a bottle to try. He said to thank Dad for his service (in the Army) so what better time to taste it but on America's birthday!
 

With an aroma of grapefruit, apricot and citrus, this Riesling is sweeter than the typical German one that dad enjoys. He said it has a "zing on the palette with a sweet taste."  The Evil Red Genius and I were not fans, but not surprised by that realization; however, cheddar cheese definitely made the wine better for us.

 I love playing the game, "What do you smell?" Sometimes it's obvious and sometimes it's not. But it's always entertaining!  Dad said that it reminded him of "uncooked lima beans"
I knew there was a distinct aroma but wasn't quite sure what .. lilacs maybe?

 

Cheers to the two whites of the weekend!

2010
The Prisoner
Orin Swift Cellars, Napa Valley

You may recall that The Prisoner is an Orin Swift wine that was sold by David Phinney to The Prisoner Wine Company (see previous post). It wasn't until a few days before the 4th of July that the Evil Red Genius first tasted this wine. She liked it and I was so pleased because I had already planned to take it to the beach for us to splurge on with my dad and a steak dinner!

 

44% Zinfandel, 26% Cab, 18% Syrah, 9% Petit Syrah, 2% Charbono, 1% Grenache

The Prisoner is delicious. Period.
It smells jammy - plum and berries with a hint of sweet oak.
It tastes similarly with a black pepper spicy kick to it!

This is one wine that I think is better without food. It became a tad bitter with steak but was not as bitter with the cheesy herb potatoes. If the first time I had The Prisoner was with a meal, I probably would not have enjoyed it.

2010
D66
Orin Swift Cellars

Next was another Orin Swift wine which I had never tried.
A friend who lives in California bought me two bottles (b/c I am always grabbing Orin wines whether I have tried them or not and evidently have others trained now to do the same) and shipped them out to me.

 

D66 is primarily a Grenache blended with some Syrah and Carignan. This vintage is the second release from Orin's vineyard in Maury, France. Its dark, almost opaque, color has aromas of ripe cherries and rotten plums with a burning scent.  When I first smelled it, my first thought was of ketchup and I wanted to put it on a burger.

(Yeah, don't tell me you haven't realized I'm strange by now...)

It has a burnt aftertaste and reminded me of a brandy with crushed cherries.

When paired with chocolate chips, and then Hershey's chocolate pudding, it brought out a licorice taste and was much better but still not good.

 

This is NOT a typical Orin wine to me. In fact, had I been blindtasting I would never have imagined it was an Orin wine. Perhaps because it's not from Napa like his others (well, the others that I have tried to this point). I don't like disapproving of an Orin wine, and this is the very first, and hopefully only, time I do. This was not good. Just not good.

 

 

 

 



Cheers to the reds!

Well, at least one of them.

Yay, Prisoner! 

 

Let's take a break from wine for a moment and appreciate some of the simple pleasures of this weekend:



 Early morning sun on the front porch




Banana pudding cake
 



home grown tomatoes and fresh basil

 

my ladybug shining down on us



cornfields

 

my duck friends




One afternoon we decided to check out a local winery which was about 15 minutes away. 

Oak Crest Winery in King George, VA

It started off nice. We were hopeful.

 

 

 

The grounds were pretty and inviting.

Then we went inside and started tasting the wine.......

and everything went down hill.

 

Well, not everything, just the wine......but isn't that everything?

I don't even know where to start. Just thinking about it makes me cringe and want to rinse my mouth out with soap.... again.  It's a shame such a beautiful place has such bad wine.  We should have known from the start when the first wine we tried was a Cab. You do NOT ever start a wine tasting with the biggest wine you have; nor do you start with reds! It was a travesty to call this a Cab anyway. Their Merlot tasted nothing like a Merlot and their red blend tasted like syrupy sweet cherries.  YUCK!

Oak Crest grows their only white grapes which they call Symphony; a hybrid of Muscat and Ganache. Sickening sweet to be honest. Every single white wine they make is sweet and a borderline dessert wine. The "Summer Medley" is made from Symphony and Virginia strawberries which was tolerable but just biting into a fresh strawberry would make more sense to me.  Their sangria was a disgrace, smelled like my Great Aunt Lil's (God rest her soul) perfume and tasted like watered down powdered Kool-aid.

The only wine worth tasting, and that was just because of the concept, was the "Hot Jazz" which is made from the Symphony white grapes and the skins of jalapenos. Yes, I said jalapenos as in jalapeno peppers!  While the wine smells like jalapenos, no doubt, it does not taste like it, thankfully, and has an interesting tangy kick on the finish which continues to increase after you swallow.

 

My dad was nice because he's a nice guy in general.

The Evil Red Genius and I just did our best to keep our mouths shut which you all know is not easy for me to do when I have a strong opinion on something. I did make a few wretched faces at my mom after a few of the tastes though.

 

We said our pleasantries as we left, declined on making any purchases and proceeded out to the vineyard to take photos. Like I mentioned before, it really is pretty there. 

 

Once we got in the car, we all made terrible faces and couldn't wait to get home and drink a ton of water or even turpentine for that matter! Something had to get this horrible so-called wine out of our mouths! I've tasted some unpleasant wine before but these were just terrible.

For the first time ever, I think, the three of us even agreed not a single one was even fathomable!! Usually there's a least one we can accept but not this time; not at this place.

 

 

The grapes were gorgeous which is a shame. Perhaps they should just produce grapes and sell them to other wineries so that people who know what they are doing can make the wine?

Wouldn't that be better for everyone? For the good of ALL mankind?

 

I'm always the one who says "you like what you like" and try my best not to come down on someone because their wine tastes differ from mine. There is enough wine in this world for everyone to find something (or a few somethings even) that they like but we all don't have to agree.

However this winery made me change that statement just a tad:

 "You like what you like but we DON'T like."

Thankfully, that evening we were able to redeem ourselves with some fantastic red wine that we had brought from home.

It was my night to make dinner and after that wretched afternoon tastingm, I just had to have a good bottle of wine while I prepared the meal. Thankfully, the Evil Red Genius had brought one of our

all-time favorite California Cabs.

 

2011

Cabernet Sauvignon

Franciscan Estate, Napa Valley

 

 

86% Cab, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Syrah, 1% Cabernet Franc

 

I first came upon Franciscan about five years ago at Firebirds Restaurant in Fredericksburg.

It is a wine that is easily drinkable on its own but absolutely divine with a nice juicy steak on the grill. Yes, we had steak the night before but I am so glad we saved Franciscan for the next day because we really needed something to wash away the disgusting wine we had so mistakenly put in our mouths earlier in the day. What better than this beautiful gem?

 

With earthy, cedar, tobacco and cinnamon aromas, this deep garnet-colored beauty has tastes of plum and dark berries with a hint of vanilla and a nice peppery bite on the finish. We aerated our next glass to see if it could make this already fabulous wine even better and to our surprise it didn't! It did exactly what it should have done by smoothing out the tannins but in return it took the peppery bite away that we enjoyed. No more aerating for this handsome wine! It is perfect just the way it is.

The wine gods were definitely on our sides with this one after playing that nasty trick on us earlier!

 

As I'm cooking, the Evil Red Genius is pouring and soon enough all becomes right with our world once again.  Dad came in from visiting with friends and he enjoyed a glass with us!

 

 

 

Typically, I would not suggest you do what we did. We started off drinking a big red blend, primarily a Cab, and then went to a much lighter Pinot Noir. Boys and Girls, do NOT do this at home unless you: 1) are supervised by a wine snob, aka me, or 2) your taste buds were in the middle of a warzone earlier in the day, aka BAD winery. 

 

However, I was making lamb stuffed peppers and had specifically chosen this wine to pair with it for dinner.  Our palettes could handle it, I was sure.

 

 

2009

Pinot Noir

Iris Vineyards, Oregon

 

 

Very light in color and light in taste

Aromas of light cherry, azalea bush and dirt after a light rain

 

This wine is much too light for me to drink on its own but it is a perfect food wine.

My parents love stuffed peppers and I wanted to do a Greek twist on their typical version.

 

Below is my ground lamb stuffed pepper with whole grain orzo, feta cheese and seasoned tomato sauce. The peppers stay crisp and there are tons of "guts" surrounding the peppers in the baking dish as well. Everyone was pleased with this dish and I was pleased that the wine paired wonderfully well!

 

 

 

 "Good wine is a necessity of life for me."  

- Thomas Jefferson

 

Cheers to the reds that saved the day!

 

 

After dinner, while playing cards, we needed something to have with chocolate cheesecake, so I found a Merlot in Dad's wine cabinet to try.

 

 

2011

14 Hands Merlot

Columbia Valley, WA

With aromas of plum and dark cherries and a tad burnt smell, this wine definitely tastes better than it smells. Blackberries, plums and spice make your taste buds smile with this wine that embodies the spirit of the wild horses that once freely roamed the beautiful hills of eastern Washington.  These small horses, measuring "14 hands" high, would come down from the hills every day to drink from the Columbia River, graze the riverbank and go back to the hills at night.
These little horses became known for their tenacity and wild spirit.

Who knew this Merlot not only has a sweet story set in nature but would taste fantastic while listening to oldies music such as "Our Day Will Come" and "Sugar Sugar" paired with decadent chocolate cheesecake?!  

Let freedom ring!

Let the wine flow!

 

 

Cheers to my land of the free, home of the brave! 

 

 

 

 

Like, Oh Mah Gawd, we're drinking wine!

 

About a week ago, I attended a premium tasting at my happy place with Huneeus Vintners.

Now, I didn't know anything about Huneeus or Quintessa or even Faust.

It was all.... wait for it....

 

GREEK

to me!

 

(The owners of my happy place are Greek. ha! Ok, so I won't quit my day job.)

 

The names that were familiar to me were The Prisoner, Blindfold and Saldo (which to our dismay was not available this evening). THOSE are the wines that made me run around crazy at work all day like a chicken with its head cut off so I wouldn't have to miss this event.

 

The "Valleygirl-esque" representative for the night was pleasant enough but definitely lacking her pom poms to go with her white lace dress. White lace dress? Did I just say that? Yep, she was wearing a white lace dress. Oh and no one is genuinely THAT happy either. They just can't be.

She was rather knowledgable though and that was impressive, or helpful at least.

 

Agustin Huneeus, born in Santiago, Chile, is one of the few vintners who has dedicated his entire professional life to wine.  Over 50 years, he has produced wine in more than 15 countries.  He is recognized as a driving force in how fine wine is produced, recognized, sold and marketed in the U.S.

The philosophy that great vineyards make great wine is his guiding principle.

 

I did not come to the realization until after this event, that Huneeus could be referred to as somewhat of a wine monopolizer. 

(He owned Concannon at one point, sold it, owned two others (I forget which ones) and then the one that was most interesting to me was Franciscan Estate. Funny thing is I'd take Franciscan Cab or Magnificat over any of his pride and joy Quintessa wines.)

Webster's dictionary's definition of monopoly: complete control of the entire supply of a good in a certain area or market; complete ownership or control of something. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad at him. Just wish I was a descendant or something.

 

Ms. Valley Girl also told us that the 81 year old makes the DosEquis dude seem boring! Hmmmm.....

 

 

 2013 Quintessa Illumination Sauvignon Blanc

 

 

If anyone knows me or has paid attention to any of my blog posts, you won't be surprised when I say that this Sauvignon Blanc smelled like GRAPEFRUIT. Again, the main reason why I do not like Sav Blanc - I HATE grapefruit. Sav Blancs always smell and taste like I bit into a grapefruit.

Why would I want to drink something that smells and tastes like something I don't like to eat?

 

Illumination shocked me though because while it smelled like grapefruit, it didn't taste nearly as bad as most Sauvignon Blancs. Perhaps it is because it also has Semillion and Sauvignon Musque grapes blended in which added a bit of honey flavor to temper the typical tanginess. However, it was still rather boring to me and looked like foggy water in a wine glass. This wine, from Napa/Sonoma is priced at $50 and Agustin's flagship wine.

 

 

 

One thing interesting about Illumination, though is that the winemaker pioneered the return of concrete egg fermentation to Napa Valley.  In 2003, this winemaker was the first to use concrete eggs in this area.  Concrete egg fermentation tanks add richness in the mouth similar to barrel fermentation, but without any oak components. The wine retains fresh aromas and clarity of fruit expression in concrete, and develops a broad mouth feel and complexity on the palate.

 

 Imagine the look on my face when Valley Girl said the words "concrete egg". I wasn't sure whether to believe her or not.

 

2012 Flowers Chardonnay

 

 

In 1989, after many trips to Napa and Sonoma, a husband/wife pair of nursery owners from Pennsylvania - yes - a flower shop for lack of a better word - purchased 321 acres, including a ridge top high above the Pacific Ocean on the northern Sonoma Coast.  Did I also mention that these nursery owners also had the last name of Flowers?  Ok, I'm not making this up.
 They had a long-time dream of combining their passion for agriculture with wine and today they produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from two estate properties in the coolest regions of the Sonoma Coast.

 

Valley Girl told us that the Flowers couple does biodynamic farming, is less than two miles from the ocean and she refers to it as VooDoo Farming. Ok, totally rad dude.

 

Ms. Valley Girl then proceeds to state that she is not a "Chardonnay girl" but loves this wine. One of the best quotes of the night though is when Connor (one of my absolutely favorite guys on staff at Winestyles) nonchalantly, under his breath, as he's pouring wine at our table exclaims,
"I'm not a Chardonnay girl either" as if it was the most natural thing for him to say.

Now I love a good Cali Chardonnay, no doubt. In fact a good Chard is one of my favorite wines ever but this did not taste anything like a Chardonnay to me. In fact, others must have thought the same thing because non-Chardonnay fans were loving this wine. Well, of course they were because it is simply a Pinot Grigio masquerading as a Chardonnay!

 

"Shame on you, Flowers!"


2012 Blindfold White Blend

Label look familiar? It should because I blogged about this back in March.
 Interestingly enough, this time I wasn't as fond of it as I was the first time I ever tried it. It had a sort of salty taste. The Valley Girl told us we should taste an intense baking spice because of the French and Hungarian oak barrels, but I didn't get that so much. I really wish this wine was creamier.  It has a tartness at the end and a distinct (and not necessarily pleasant) taste that the Evil Red Genius and I just couldn't place.
 Perhaps if the Prisoner Wine Company focused on making this wine better instead of trying to replicate Orin Swift labels it would benefit them. (oops, did I say that out loud?)

 

 

 

 

 2012 Flowers Pinot Noir

 

The other varietal that Flowers produces is a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. It is not as overwhelmingly cherry as most Cali Pinots but it still doesn't compare to the smooth, earthy Oregon pinots that I favor.  My first reaction to this was that it tasted like a "flat" soda; like someone had shaken up a soda and then let it go flat.

Oh well! Next......

 

 

 

2012 Prisoner Red Blend

 

Right as the Valley Girl was beginning to speak of The Prisoner, I shook our bistro table just a tad making the wine glasses on the table clink. The Prisoner is the reason the Evil Red Genius and I were looking forward to this event. Bring it on!

 In 2009, The Prisoner Wine Company took ownership of this wine (and Saldo) from Orin Swift. Knowing how important of a team they needed to continue this wine that was known as "one of a kind" since 2003, Jen Beloz became the ideal person to take the lead with a decade more of winemaking experience and crafting Zinfandel at Ravenswood. Jen wanted to stay true to The Prisoner's original style and vision so she worked alongside Dave Phinney, the founder of The Prisoner, for its first two vintages.

 

The Prisoner is a blend of Zinfandel (46%), Cab (22%), Syrah, Petit Syrah and Grenache. It's smell entices you upon first sniff with coffee notes and dark berries followed by an absolutely ravashing flavor of wild berries for a smooth and luscious finish. I have been fond of The Prisoner for many years, naturally because it used to be an Orin Swift wine......I still have three bottles of the Orin Swift vintage at home and I am super excited about it!

 

By the time we got to The Prisoner, I asked the Evil Red Genius what she smelled and tasted - my usual game when it comes to tasting wine. She responded, "After the Pina Colada, I was done!"

She was frustrated with Blindfold, can you tell? ha!

 

 

 

Now, things were starting to get good. I had my Prisoner, the Evil Red Genius liked it and it could only get better from here, right? Well, if Valley Girl would "hold her horses" as my mother would say and slow down just a moment. Let's not rush through the best wines; let's savor them. I would have taken more pictures but I was being rushed again. What is wrong with these people!? 

 

As you can see from below, I still had The Prisoner in one glass when the next wine was poured!

So, what did we decide to do? Take our time. The Velvet Devil does not like to be rushed!

 

 

 

 

Here's what we had left to try:

 

 

 

 

2011 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon

 

 

Agustin Huneeus created Faust Cab which holds his desire to produce a wine that emodies the most seductive characteristics of a Napa Cab. The Faust vineyard is located in Coombsville, Napa Valley's newest appellation located in the eastern foothills south of Atlas Peak, and consists of 110 acres of mature Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines.  It is distinguished from other parts of the Napa Valley by its slightly cooler climate and soil conditions. Coombsville’s climate allows for even ripening, retained acidity, excellent structure and results in layered complexity with rich, ripe fruit, earth and mineral flavors.

 

What is cool is the story of Faust which, evidently, everyone in the room knew but me.

Its inspiration comes from German poet, Goethe's, most famous work. The aging scholar, Dr. Faust, sells his soul to the Devil for eternal youth. He gets his chance but ultimately his soul is saved by love.

 

Agstin Huneeus' passion for fruit was supposedly renewed with Faust. The underlying premise for all of the wines he has ever produced has been that great wines must be a reflection of a great vineyard. But Faust is, instead, his tribute to Napa Valley’s noblest grape – Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Valley Girl called Faust the "little black dress" of Napa Cabs. It smelled like dirty feet and manure. Yep, THAT made me happy; however, it smelled better than it tasted in my opinion. It was good and easily drinkable but it's not the best Cab I've ever had. When asking if it would "get better" if I laid it down, I was told probably no more than two or three years. At almost $70, it's not worth it to me. Hey, Agustin! Go back to that old winery you used to own - Franciscan. Yeah, that one. THAT is a good cab at half the price! Glad I got that out of my system....

 

 

2010 Quintessa Red Blend

When introducing our last wine, the Valley Girl emphatically expressed,

"Now THIS is the reason you all came!" 

The Evil Red Genius and I looked at each other with perplexed looks and said, "It is?"

 

(If only someone had taken a picture of our faces! Classic, I'm sure)

 

Faust and this Red Blend are both crafted at the Quintessa winery in Rutherford, CA, a state-of-the-art winery with the most modern technologies.

 

In 1989, Agustin and his wife, Valeria, found the property that would become Quintessa,  One of the last great undeveloped properties in Napa - 280 acres of what they believed were the characterisics of a great wine estate - a valley, a lake, a river, five hills, four microclimates, and numerous different soil types. This was prime land in Napa Valley and "everyone" wanted to purchase it. It seemed as if everytime someone would get close to buying it, sabotage would occur.

 

That is, until Valeria, also known as "the earth momma" got involved.  The story goes that Valeria shared her vision with the owners of the property and she won their trust and their property in 1990.

She truly believed it was destiny that this property became hers after so many people had tried to acquire it and to no avail.

At this point in the evening, my table roared with subtle comments and giggles.

Most humorous of all was my friend with the New England accent stating,

"Suuuuure that's alllllll she did! Earth Momma got DOWN!" 

 

 

This wine is a blend of Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenere with 20 months in 100% French Oak.  With warm spice aromas and cola, this wine has nutmeg, floral and dark fruit flavors.

Quintessa was definitely the smoothest of the wines and while it was decent, I definitely would express that this is NOT the reason we came.
 

 I'd still take The Prisoner (and at least 3 other Orin Swift wines) over this red blend. But again, that's why we all have so many different tastes and there are so many different wines out there. There's something for everyone!

 

 

“Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup.

All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle.”

― Paulo Coelho