Tom and Melody’s wine blog

I bought two bottles of this Lindemans South Africa Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 today at the local grocery store because it was on sale. A good choice! The nose is fresh and lively and the taste is bursting with berries. This is a delicious “drink now” wine that requires no cellaring. The taste is fruity and friendly and, as my brother-in-law Bob says, “it drinks good.” The predominant taste is strawberry and the finish is velvety smooth.

I taught a class this weekend (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) so I did not get my normal down time this weekend. And, it is back to work tomorrow. At least I have this evening to unwind and rest my brain.

I was in the mood for a good home-cooked meal so I stopped at the grocery store on the way home from teaching and purchased ground beef, pork and veal. I mixed up two meatloaves and put one in the oven and one in the freezer. It smells good. Just what we need after a long weekend of work! For my meatloaf, I add oatmeal, milk, eggs, onions, spicy mustard and tomato juice (and lots of pepper). Delish!

This Argentinian Elsa Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 arrived in one of our wine club shipments. I have tasted and blogged about his wine before and I think this is our last bottle. We are celebrating a Friday night, although I am working all weekend (because I am teaching a summer term weekend class).

I like this wine very much. On the nose I detect smoked meat — such as ham. In the mouth, I taste cherries and black dirt. I know I had rated this finish as moderate when I tasted it the first time, but I would have to say it is a rather short finish. Nevertheless, it is a taste that I love and I would purchase this wine again, absolutely.

This morning before work, I assembled a beef roast in the crock pot along with potatoes, carrots and onions. I knew it would be a long day and it is nice to know dinner is ready when we finish reading the paper and having our cocktail. So, I chose this Cabernet to go with our pot roast dinner. Nothing like a good, old-fashioned pot roast to end the work week!

This Rancho Eleora Vineyards Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 came to us via a wine club. I chose it tonight (a Monday) to serve with a delicious dinner that is on the stove. This is our kind of wine in every way. From the moment the black and inky liquid was poured into the glass, we could tell we would love it. The aroma is heavenly with a fresh, spicy fruit on the nose. The taste is absolutely luscious; it is very fruity, but also dry and tannic with a very long and velvety finish. I have a hunch we will finish this bottle and let dinner simmer a bit longer.

For dinner, I brined some chicken before drying and seasoning. Then I browned the chicken in hot olive oil until crispy on all sides. After it was browned, I added cubed, freshly-chopped potatoes and parsley and covered the skillet. It’s been simmering for over an hour and I know the chicken will be off-the-bone tender and the potatoes will be infused with the broth of the chicken. I also harvested some lettuce and green onions from my garden. I will make a salad with that — along with some avocado and yellow peppers. For the salad, I make an oil-and-vinegar dressing consisting of olive oil, red wine vinegar, poupon mustard, horseradish, basil, oregano, savory, thyme, and rosemary. Yummy. Cheers!

It is a beautiful June Saturday evening. We started the evening with a refreshing gin and tonic with plenty of fresh-squeezed lime. Now, we are having a glass of this Columbia Crest Two Vines Vineyard 10 Red Wine 2005, a delicious blend of Syrah, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Sauvignon. This Washington State blend is luscious and fruity. The nose is a delicate whiff of vanilla and cloves. The taste is plums and spice. Tom purchased this wine for about $8 from Polly’s (our local grocery store).

I harvested some lettuce from my little garden for our salad tonight. I am also marinating pork chops, which we will grill. I have brown rice steaming now. Cheers and happy summertime!

This Beaulieu Vineyard Coastal Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 is quite nice.

It’s quite fruity but still tannic, with hints of berries and maybe a touch of vanilla.

Very pleasant and drinkable.

It was on sale and thus a good value at under $10.

We’ve opened this Rancho Eleora Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 to go with shish kabobs on the grill.

It is a very nice, big cabernet, tannic, but also with something of a New-World, big-fruit taste of blackberries and plums. We’re really enjoying this before dinner, and it’s bound to go well with the shish kabobs.

I have been saving (hoarding) this special wine for a long time. The Cherry Creek Montage has been my absolute favorite Michigan wine and I was waiting for a special occasion to open this Proprietor’s Reserve, which we purchased during a wine-tasting expedition to Cherry Creek Cellars. John Burtka, the winemaker, does not disappoint! The wine is complex and acidic with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. The Cabernet contributes color and tannins; the Pinot contributes the soft and velvety feel in the mouth. This is an old-world tasting wine that reminds me of the Italian wines we have enjoyed. This is the opposite of the Australian fruit-forward wine — complex and tantalizing.

It is the close of Memorial Day weekend so that is one reason to celebrate. The other reason is that this is the weekend that Tom & I met (years ago) via being introduced by mutual friends. Who knew that a blind date could be so wonderful? Thank you, Will & Shirley, for getting us together that memorable Memorial Weekend.

It is Wednesday evening and I had today (and the rest of the week) off from work. I needed to get a long run in today because I am training for a half marathon and I can’t run long this weekend because I am attending a yoga retreat (my first — I have no idea what to expect). My son Tony, who is home briefly in between graduating from college and starting his summer job, rode my bike along side me today for 12 miles. It was so great to have his company. It rained, it thundered, but we just kept going and going and I got it done. Woo hoo! Tony was a great coach. He talked me through hills and rough spots and even made me do a “kick” as I was in sight of home. Thank you, Tony! You were a magnificent coach and great company. I enjoyed the chance to talk to you for two hours!

Tom chose this Tres Valles Curico Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 from Chile for tonight because we are going to grill steak for dinner. I am going to make a nice salad and keep it simple tonight. The wine is perfect for a steak dinner. The color is purple and dense. There is a touch of bacon on the nose. On the palate it is full of berries and chocolate. The finish is raspberries with a nice round feel in the mouth.

I am totally loving my time off and looking forward to another free day tomorrow.

It is a Monday night and Tom chose this 180 Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 from California for us tonight. I have fresh mushrooms simmering in wine (red, natch), steaming brown rice, and thick pork chops marinating in Sze Schuan and white-wine vinegar. I also have fresh spinach washed and ready to saute. Dinner will be delicious!

This wine is one of my favorites. The color is magnificent — deep violet. The nose is raspberries, blueberries and subtle black licorice. The taste is very satisfying. I can taste mint, fruit and tobacco. The finish is velvety smooth with plenty of coffee and chocolate. You can’t go wrong with this wine if you are a red wine lover. Ooh-la-la!

Tom has started the grill so I need to bring him the marinated pork chops. Cheers!

This lovely Argentinian Elsa Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 was included in one of our wine club shipments. I have been saving it because I had a feeling it was going to be a wine we would very much enjoy.

Well, I was right, natch. It is a delicious cabernet. The nose is pine trees and blackberries. In the mouth it is full bodied and bursting with black fruit and structured tannins. The finish is moderately long and quite lovely.

Tonight I mixed up a meatloaf (ground beef, ground pork, oatmeal, eggs, onions, tomato juice, spices) and put that in the oven. Because I had the oven on, I also cut up an acorn squash. Also, my neighbor Michelle, who belongs to a food co-op, brought over Swiss Chard and two large beets. So I washed the beets and they are roasting in the oven with the meatloaf and squash. When the beets are roasted, I will remove the skin and dice. I will steam the Swiss Chard. This should be a delicious dinner by the smells in the kitchen.

Tom: This is a great wine with a powerful, chocolaty nose and a very nice tannic taste of berries with hints of vanilla. Very nice, very interesting.