Tom and Melody's wine blog » Sangiovese

Poggio Vignoso Chianti (2008)

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:23:10 +0000

I stopped at the Plum Market on my way home from work to buy ingredients for my dinner tonight and I picked up this Chianti because I thought it would be perfect for this dinner. And, yes, it was! Really quite delicious. (Such a welcome change from last night’s wine which was not drinkable for me.)

This Italian Poggio Vignoso Chianti 2008 has a fragrant nose of violets and licorice. The palate is fruity without being the least bit sweet, which I love, with a mineral finish. This complemented our dinner beautifully. We enjoyed dinner which was a new recipe. I made penne pasta with sauteed garlic, fresh tomatoes, baby spinach, and feta cheese tossed with some crispy italian sausage wheels. Now (I shamefully admit) I need to see who makes it to the top 24 in American Idol!

Vitiano (2007)

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:27:27 +0000

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.

Collezione di Paolo Poggerissi (2008)

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:13:50 +0000

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)!

Il Papavero

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:21:01 +0000

We have had this Italian red table wine, Il Papavero, before and really enjoyed it. This is delightful; a juicy cherry-flavored quaff; dark and spicy with ripe fruit and chocolate.

For dinner tonight, I am making baked, spicy chicken, steamed brown rice and vegetables. I also baked some brownies with chopped walnuts. Tom was craving my brownies. . .

We both had busy weeks. Tom was in Montreal on business and I was up north to see my folks and to watch our son, Tommy, play his bass guitar in The Ben Daniels Band at “The Loading Dock” in Traverse City. My 77-year-old mother came with me to the bar; the band started playing at 11:00 p.m. and my mom was as lively as can be. What fun!

I am missing our youngest son, Tony. Hurry home, Tones!

Torciano Crete Rosse Chianti (2007)

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:43:05 +0000

I chose this Italian Torciano Crete Rosse Chianti for our Sunday night supper. I am enjoying being home after a 2-day trip to Indiana, with my school’s Gymnastics team (it was our conference championship meet). I didn’t get home until very late and was unable to unwind enough to sleep — so, a short night for me. Then, up and out the door for my long run (11 miles). So, dinner tonight is simple: A batch of bean soup and a loaf of whole wheat bread. The soup is simmering and the bread is baking. . .and Tom and I are watching some of the basketball games (just watched Michigan State beat University of Southern California and Louisville beat Siena.)

So, back to the wine. This is a light wine. The nose is barely discernable. Perhaps it needs to open for awhile longer. The taste is understated and thin. This would be a great wine for new red-wine drinkers because it has a very mild taste. I’ll bet, though, that tomorrow the wine will have more character than it does tonight.

Sangiovese Rubicone Vezzani

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:46:38 +0000

This is our second bottle of this Sangiovese Italian red wine. A medium ruby red in the glass, the nose is a lovely fruit — very delicate and inviting. I like the taste of this wine very much. This has as much to do with the structure as it does the taste. While it is quite dry, it is also softly spicy and fruity. This wine has a somewhat austere, old-world quality to it that is quite wonderful.

We are enjoying this wine at the ideal temperature for red wine — thanks to Tom’s brother and wife, Bob & Suzanne, who gave us a wine refrigerator! Thank you, Bob & Suzanne!

Columbia Crest Two Vines Vineyard 10 Red Wine (2005)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:38:03 +0000

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!

Vezzani Sangiovese Rubicone 2007

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:07:13 +0000

We opened this Vezzani Sangiovese Rubicone 2007 to go with spaghetti tonight.

It has a dark-ruby color, a pleasantly mild but distinctive Sangiovese nose (that certain yeastiness), and a nice dark-berry fruit taste.

This is a great example of an Italian table wine, and it paired beautifully with our spaghetti, spinach, and salad (from our garden). We both loved it.

Il Valore Sangiovese 2006

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:14:09 +0000

We opened this Il Valore Sangiovese 2006 last night to have with pizza. (It even says, “Serve at room temperature with red meats, pastas, and pizza,” on the label!)

It’s a very pleasant Italian red table wine. We’ve reviewed it before. It’s medium bodied, medium dry, and medium fruit (blackberries), with some tobacco flavor.

It complemented the pizza nicely last evening (as the label promised!) and is a pleasant cocktail-hour quaff this evening; a wonderful value at way, way under $10 from Trader Joe’s.

Il Valore Sangiovese (2006)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 10:50:01 +0000

This Il Valore Sangiovese 2006 from Italy is a delightful, light-bodied quaff. Not a big red, it paired well with our roasted chicken dinner last night. Tom purchased this bottle from Trader Joe’s while I was in Austin last week. He is such a good shopper!

Tom: This Il Valore Sangiovese 2006 is a very nice, dry, light table red. Very easy drinking. It is from the Puglia region of the Italy (the heel of the boot). The Sangiovese grape is the main component of Chianti. A wonderful value at way, way under $10.