I am making a steak stirfry with my local cow, local broccoli and tomatoes and whatever else I have in my refrigerator. It is me and the Wall Street Journal (and this delicious wine) for dinner tonight. Cheers!

So now we are home and having a glass of this Bogle Petite Sirah 2008. I purchased two bottles of this recently at World Market. Sadly, the first bottle had some cork issues and there was a less-than-desirable aroma and a musty finish. On the happy side, Tom finished the bottle for me. The second bottle is the Bogle I know and love. Delicious. Fruit forward, dark chocolate and coffee flavor with a strong chocolate finish.

A good choice to go with our pizza!

It is a great value. Lots of red fruit flavor with a silky feel and full body.

I did some baking this afternoon and took a picture of my homemade oatmeal, walnut and chocolate chip cookies and a loaf of whole wheat bread fresh out of the oven.

I opened this Bogle Petite Sirah 2007 because I wanted a good wine. We have been experimenting with some very inexpensive wines this week (that we bought at Trader Joe’s) and I haven’t been very enthused about any of them. But, I know I like the Bogle Petite Sirah, although I hadn’t had a 2007 until tonight. This does not disappoint. This wine is purple with good legs. The nose is vibrant with blackberries and plums. The taste is rather jammy with fruit and spice. The finish has some leather and bramble followed by caramel.

Tom: We’ve always liked Bogle Petite Syrah. It’s a great wine: available in many stores, big fruit, but still tannic and not fruit-bomby. This 2007 is quite good — good, dark fruit. (It has a concerning hint of a sugary/caramel taste but still…).

We’re enjoying our Christmas present to each other: the Logitech Squeezebox. We’ve been technologically old-fashioned with music — listening to CDs (CDs!) on a past-its-prime Bose. On the Squeezebox we can listen to music on Pandora as well as internet radio. We’ve listened to classical-radio programs from Paris and Melbourne this weekend.

This wine has a definite cherry taste. As of right now, I would choose not to get a second bottle, but that may change as it continues to open.

For dinner, I am making baked chicken and vermicelli. I also just took a cobbler out of the oven. I had some apples and pears that were not getting eaten, so I peeled and sliced into a casserole and topped with a sugar/flour/oatmeal combination.

I am going to make a salad, too. My salads this week have been so delicious; I just can’t get enough! I make a basic green salad with Romaine and leaf lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, avocados, green onions and my own, homemade salad dressing, which is olive oil, red wine vinegar, basil, oregano, rosemary, savory and thyme. . .all shaken in the remains of leftover spicy mustard. (When our spicy mustard get almost empty, I add all the salad dressing ingredients to it; perfect.)

My chicken is almost ready to come out of the oven so it is time to toss the salad. I will take my glass of wine with me and toss away. Cheers!

Tom: This Fife Petite Syrah 2007 is a pleasant, inexpensive ($5-6) Trader Joe’s wine. The first whiff felt a little rough, but air softened it a lot. The main nose and taste is cherries, medium body, medium tannins. This will turn out to be a fun table wine that will go great with Melody’s chicken.

The wine is quite lovely! Very dark purple in the glass with a nose of  stewed plum and blackberry jam. A  nice blueberry fruit finishing with soft tannins.

Tom and I went up north (Traverse City) to see my folks this weekend. My dad had saved me a newspaper clipping with a one-page advertistement from a wine shop. “The Blue Goat” had a wine sale that ended at 7:00 p.m.  So, the four of us took a drive over there and arrived with about 20 minutes to spare. Tom and I quickly chose a dozen reds that were on sale that looked interesting to us. This is one of them.

This Ten Mile Vintage Proprietary Red Wine 2005 is classic California red, a blend of old vine grapes of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Barbera, Malbec, and Carignane.  In the glass is very dark purple hues with a nose of pepper, and black tea. On the palate is plummy fruit along with dusty, smoky undertones. The feel in the mouth is supple and medium bodied, while the nicely-structured acidity provides a complexity that is impressive for the price. The finish is plums and licorice.

For dinner, I have chicken simmering in the skillet with potatoes (to mash). I am going to make some gravy from the chicken drippings and a vegetable. But, we are in no hurry. The chicken can simmer a long time and still be delicious!

For dinner I made a very simple soup, but one that I enjoy very much. It starts with browned ground beef and onions. Then I add canned tomatoes, beef broth, kidney beans, black beans, and barley. Although very simple, it is savory and satisfying. I will also add a few drops of hot sauce in a few minutes. I also baked a loaf of whole-wheat bread and that is out of the oven and cooling. So this petite sirah is the perfect wine for this meal of soup and bread. Cheers!

(By the way, I purchased this wine at Kroger’s; it was on sale. Marked down from $13.99 to $9.99.)

Mine is delicious. The tannins are pronounced and the taste of pepper and black fruit is predominant. I really like this one. Well, my oven is beeping so I need to put the vegetables on the stove. Cheers!

But, tonight will be different. I am having a glass of this Petite Sirah. It is a Thursday night during a very busy week. Tom is in California at a conference. Tony (our son) has safely arrived in Paju, South Korea, and has started his new job. Tommy (our son) is working tonight. So, it is me and Trigger tonight, enjoying the quiet autumn evening and this delicious wine.

This is a smooth-tasting petite sirah that is bursting with flavors of pepper and dark fruit. It is luscious and fruity. I love the peppery finish. I have put together a casserole tonight. This will be a great addition to dinner.