Vitiano (2007)

September 24, 2010 — -

Friday night is finally here. What a busy week. The weather is still warm but there is a wind advisory and we can feel the cooler air moving in. Today was in the 80′s but the weekend high is going to be in the low 60′s.

So tonight I am having a glass of this Umbria blend of Cabernet, Sangiovese and Merlot. The Vitiano 2007 has a nose that is not particularly inviting, in my opinion. But, I have noticed this before with Italian wines so maybe it speaks more to a lack of sophistication on my part than to the actual quality of the aroma. However, I find the nose to be vegetal and musty. It is difficult for me to enjoy the taste of wine when I don’t like the nose. Nevertheless, this wine has good fruit flavor and a strong chocolately finish. It is decent but I probably won’t buy it a second time.

Looking forward to my weekend.

Posted in Blends, Italian wines. Tags: , , , . 2 Comments »

Bolla Chianti (2008)

September 12, 2010 — -

Sunday night cocktail hour is here. The picture was taken on the table next to my chair. That is my glass of wine in front of our Squeezebox, which is our music source. It plays all of our favorite tunes while we read the paper, talk, do crossword puzzles, etc.

So, I have chicken and rice casserole in the oven. I am going to make a salad or a vegetable . . . haven’t decided which. We had to search high and low for a wine for our dinner tonight. We were going to have a Pinot Noir but we only had cabernets and malbecs upstairs. So I went downstairs and found this Bolla Chianti 2008 amongst cabernets and malbecs. That is okay . . . we buy what we like and we like . . . you guessed it. . .cabs and malbecs.

This is a delicious chianti that will go well with our homey chicken and rice dinner. Although it is generally a pasta wine, it also goes very well with chicken dishes. This is fruity, dry, and robust with plenty of berries (particularly raspberries) on the palate.

What a lovely close to a beautiful day. Happy Sunday!

Posted in Chianti, Italian wines, Under $10. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Vitiano (2007)

August 26, 2010 — -

Happy Thursday . . .over-the-hump-day! Tom is out of town so I am having a quiet evening and trying to relax after a hectic day.  I worked late and then stopped at Plum’s Market on the way home and picked up a few groceries for dinner. Of course, I couldn’t walk past the wine without looking. I only bought one bottle and this was it. The blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet intrigued me. Good choice, Melody! The texture is soft and the flavors complex. The initial impression is ripe fruit and black pepper.  It took me awhile to nail the finish. . .but happily I did. . .celery! I can’t say that celery is a popular wine-tasting term, but I promise you, it is the perfect descriptor.

So, I grilled a burger for my dinner and had it with my fresh tomatoes from the garden. I have some watermelon waiting for me if I can find the room.

Posted in Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Italian wines, Merlot, Over $10, Sangiovese. Tags: , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Collezione di Paolo Poggerissi (2008)

July 30, 2010 — -

Ahhhh, Friday night after a very eventful and demanding week (which is why we haven’t posted in quite awhile). But, we made it through. We said goodbye to our youngest this morning (just writing this makes me want to cry). He is on a jet now to Seoul for one month and then on to Australia for who knows how long?  Be smart, be safe.  .  .

So, I just finished teaching a week-long graduate-level class in the evenings after my day job. What a great class! Loved it! And now we are winding down. I have a pot of spaghetti sauce with meatballs simmering. I chose this Italian Chianti made with 100% Sangiovese grapes for our dinner. This is a lovely sipping wine. I could just sit here and relax all night — and forget about dinner if I could! The color is a bright purple and the nose has opened considerably since I opened it, yet it is still quite subtle — a touch of cherry and vanilla. The taste is very smooth with a bit of caramel on the finish. This will be perfect with spaghetti and meatballs.

Happy Friday; here’s to a slow-moving weekend (let’s not let it end too soon)!

Posted in Chianti, Italian wines, Over $10, Sangiovese. Tags: , , , , . 2 Comments »

Placido Chianti (2008)

June 17, 2010 — -

A beautiful June Michigan evening. The sun is shining brightly at 8:00 p.m., the birds are chirping and the temperature is in the high 70′s. Tom & I just finished our (last Friday’s) Wall Street Journal crossword puzzle. I am mentioning this tonight because we sailed through this particular puzzle. So, therefore, we are celebrating (natch).

We are very much enjoying this Placido Chianti 2008. We bought this wine at our local grocery store for $8.95. It’s very good. Placido Chianti is a fun, light-hearted quaff with a touch of floral on the nose. The taste is dry and slightly tannic.

For dinner tonight, we are having some leftover casserole that I made a few nights ago. The casserole was made with ground beef, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, cheese, etc.,. . .all yummy ingredients. That is reheating and I am making a fresh salad with lettuce and green onions from my garden (and my homemade vinaigrette).

Tom: This Placido Chianti 2008 is a very pleasant red, quite dry, with a floral (I’m copying Melody’s word) and peppery nose and a medium body. Very drinkable. I’m sure this wine is very Italian food-friendly: fragrant, pleasantly acidic. A fun discovery for $9.

Posted in Chianti, Italian wines, Under $10. Tags: , , , , , , . 4 Comments »

Castello Montedoro (2006)

May 3, 2010 — -

It is a rainy Monday evening — but it was sunny and beautiful all day until now. So, home from work. . . I have meatloaf, butternut squash and potatoes in the oven. I have some fresh broccoli ready to steam. I chose this Italian wine for our dinner. This wine is from Italy’s Puglia region. Usually, I find Italian wines to be rather austere (in a good way), but this one is much fruitier than what I have experienced, generally. This is delightful! It’s a deep — blackish — color. The nose is plummy with some thyme. The taste is wonderfully fruity with some woodiness.

I am now the proud owner of a little stuffed koala and kangaroo (on my desk at work). Thank you, Jay! It’s a bloody ripper to have you in the USA!

Posted in Blends, General, Italian wines, Over $10. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Castello Montedoro (2006)

April 25, 2010 — -

It is Sunday evening and we had a lovely weekend. I have spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove for our dinner tonight. My sauce is a hodgepodge of onions, garlic, tomatoes, ground beef, thyme, oregano, parsley, brown sugar, red wine, red pepper flakes.  Makes for a spicy, substantial sauce.

For a spaghetti dinner, I chose this Italian Castello Montendoro. It’s a lovely deep red in the glass. The nose is plummy and the taste is a vivid blackberry with some cherry notes. The finish is oak and cherry.

It’s my brother-in-law’s birthday today. Happy Birthday, Bob! Can’t wait to see you in July.

Posted in Blends, General, Italian wines, Over $10, Under $10. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

A Papavero Primitivo Puglia (2008)

February 15, 2010 — -

It’s Monday night and we are relaxing after a day of work. Tom chose this Italian red for our evening. I like this very much. . .very old world. . .not particularly fruity. . . the tannins are smooth and the finish is elegant.

This will go well with our dinner. I had a pound of ground chicken in the refrigerator. I mixed it with 2 eggs, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, oregano, salt & pepper and made meatballs, which I browned in a hot cast-iron skillet. Then, I removed the meatballs for a bit, and sauteed onions and garlic, added tomatoes and pesto and then put the meatballs back in the skillet. This has been simmering for an hour. I am also making a salad to go with our spaghetti and meatballs. It smells so delicious!

It’s nice to start the work week with a relaxing evening and good dinner. The week ahead will be busy so this will get us off to a good start.

Posted in Italian wines, Over $10. Tags: , , , , . 2 Comments »

Chateau Fouzilhon Coteaux du Languedoc (2008)

February 2, 2010 — -

It’s Tuesday night and we just worked a bit on the Friday Wall Street Journal crossword puzzle. We are almost finished so we will have to wait for Friday to get our new puzzle. It’s fun to do puzzles with Tom because he is so smart!

So, it’s snowing in Michigan and I am glad to have made it home safely. I heard from two people that there was a fatal crash on M-14, which is a highway that I pass but don’t have to drive  on my commute. The roads were very slick tonight.

For dinner, I am making a penne pasta dish with pesto, tomatoes, onions and — I know this will sound strange — but, leftover meatloaf.  I had about a half of a meatloaf in the refrigerator and rather than reheat it I decided to crumble it in a tomato sauce; it should take a lot like meatballs. I added some penne pasta to cook right in the sauce. I am going to steam some spinach and make a salad, as well.

We had a martini and now are having a glass of this Languedoc. A lovely French wine — not particularly fruity, but full of flavors like bramble, a touch of blueberries, oak and spice.  Fairly complex, this wine offers grippy tannins and a strong finish. Tom is making happy faces with his wine so I know he is loving it; so am I. A great choice for a snowy, cozy night in Michigan.

Posted in Blends, Carignane, Garnacha, Grenache, Italian wines, Over $10, Syrah. Tags: , , , , , . 2 Comments »

Il Papavero Primitivo (2008)

January 23, 2010 — -

Saturday night . . .at last! What a busy work week. Today I went to our men’s basketball game and happily we won! Now we are settling in for a quiet evening at home. We have music playing, we’re working on the Wall Street Journal crossword puzzle, and dinner is simmering.

I chose this wine from our wine club shipment for tonight. This is very much like a Zinfandel — but Italian style. Fruity yet astringent. Rich color. Plummy nose. Lots of fruit on the palate with a dark chocolate finish and velvet tannins. This will be a good choice for our pork loin/mashed potatoes/sauteed spinach dinner. Nothing fancy but comforting food for tonight.

While I was at the game today, our son, Tony, Skyped from Ecuador. I am so sorry I missed his call, but at least Tom was here to talk to him. He is doing great and I miss, miss, miss him!

Posted in Italian wines, Over $10, Zinfandel. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »
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