Tom and Melody’s wine blog

This Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2005 from southeastern Australia is normally over $10 a bottle but Tom found it on sale today for $8. This wine is purple in the glass with a nose of oak, black cherries, bing cherries, and a touch of smoke. The finish is robust and lengthy with licorice and oak.

I made us a rather healthy martini tonight because I have an end-of-the-winter cold and Tom told me that “gin is the answer.” I’m sure he is right! Now we are having a glass of this lovely wine while I finish making our dinner. Cheers!

Okay, everyone. I know that I tend to be a very positive wine reviewer. But that is because I appreciate most red wines. But THIS wine deserves accolades. The Nine Vines Shiraz Viognier 2006 is an unusual combination of 94% Shiraz and 6% Viognier. Viognier is a white wine that tastes much like a red. This combination is shockingly delicious. On the nose I note fruit and flowers. In the mouth the wine is juicy apricots and black pepper. It has a delicate feel with moderately-grippy tannins. This wine makes me swoon, quite frankly.

For dinner, I used the leftover roasted chicken from two nights ago and assembled a chicken casserole with broccoli and pasta. This wine will be perfect for this dinner. I highly recommend this wine.

This Simunye Shiraz 2004 from South Africa is a delightfully different Shiraz. This is our second or third time to have this wine. The nose is freshly cut wood. On the palate is velvety tannins and exceptional fruit flavors. The finish is luscious and long and has a taste of brush and bramble.

It has been a tough week in our household. Just very long work days and short nights. But, the good news is that it is Wednesday and soon the weekend will be upon us. We are having a storm tonight. The roads were very bad - it took me more than twice as long to drive home tonight. A car in front of me swerved and then did one donut after the other (I think I counted 4 complete 360’s) until finally coming to rest on the right side of the expressway. Glad you didn’t get hit, little red car in front of me!

We are enjoying this Red Heads Studio The Red Sedan 2006, a blend of Shiraz and Malbec, on a Monday evening. This is the third time we’ve tried this delicious wine from Australia. Tonight we will have this with sauteed chicken, brown rice, and a green salad.

It is a very cold night in Michigan and we are thankful to be warm and cozy. This red blend is big and fruity with hints of woods and a lovely, long finish.

This delicious Cerro Campana Shiraz 2005 from Spain is dry with a mouthful of berries. I can taste cranberries and licorice and a pretty good dose of pepper. On the palate it is velvety smooth and full bodied. Interestingly, I chose this wine to accompany a pot of spicy chili only to realize that the last time we had this wine (in November) it was also with chili. I guess I like a good Shiraz with my spicy soup!

I also made an apple cobbler, which is baking in the oven. I have discovered that I can make my favorite apple cobbler without the stick of butter (called for in the recipe I use). I substitute applesauce for the butter and fruit juice for the water. . .yummy! It is Sunday night and we have had a productive, but lovely, weekend. Yesterday I ran nine miles with my running partner Christi. We are training for a race in April.

This Red Heads Studio The Red Sedan 2006 is a blend of Shiraz and Malbec from the southeastern region of Australia. This is our second bottle of this wine. We had this last month and I loved it. Who wouldn’t love a blend of Shiraz and Malbec? The color is purple and dense. The taste is very fruity and rich with hints of woods and shrubs and the finish is long.

It was -9 degrees (F) this morning and not much warmer tonight. I have the leftover beef barley soup heating on the stove. This wine will pair perfectly with soup, bread, and cheese and will warm us from the inside out.

Last night Tom and I went out to dinner at the Common Grill in Chelsea. We sat at the bar where we could watch the activity in the kitchen and also do some people watching from our perch on the stools. We both enjoyed the evening out.

I ordered a glass of the Rock Rabbit Shiraz Central Coast 2004. It was mellow and round, with a nose of bacon and pine trees. It went well with my whitefish entre.

Tom ordered a Francis Coppola Syrah-Sirah 2006 with his chicken dish. It was intriguing, a big wine. It combined the chocolatiness of a syrah and the spiciness of a shiraz.

This Red Heads Studio The Red Sedan 2006 is a blend of Shiraz (77%) and Malbec (23%) from the southeastern region of Australia. I was excited to taste this wine because it is a combination of two of my favorite red varietals. Sure enough, I am not disappointed. This wine is fruit forward and filled with brush- and briar-tasting wood flavors. The finish is long with a spicy, coffee-flavored savoriness.

For dinner, I have brown rice simmering. I have two boned chicken breasts (which I have cubed) to stir fry in my trusty cast-iron skillet with fresh broccoli. I will mix this all together for what I hope will be a tasty and nutritious meal.

On Saturday night we attended a party at the home of Tom Crawford. His home was decorated absolutely beautifully! And he had prepared delicious food. I was so impressed with his cooking skills. He is a superb host. He also had many lovely red wines on hand. He is the host extraordinaire. It was an absolutely enjoyable party! It was fun meeting Lisa and Frank, Karl, Boyd, and Brian! I hope we will see them all again.

Tom: This Red Heads Studio The Red Sedan 2006 is a fruit-forward blend tasting of chocolate, coffee, and berries. It’s very appealing and drinkable, on the soft side with noticeable fruit.

This Simunye Shiraz 2004 from South Africa is delicious and satisfying. In the glass it is a fresh garnet. The nose is freshly-cut wood. In the mouth is a medium-bodied red with supple tannins and explosive fruit flavors. The finish is cedar and bramble. This is a wine that you can’t ignore. Love it!

Tom: This Simunye Shiraz 2004 is big. Its nose is chocolate and coffee. Its taste also has some cherry and vanilla. An intriguing and very drinkable shiraz.

This Simunye Shiraz 2004 from South Africa is quite luscious. In the glass it is a youthful ruby red. The nose is all oak and cedar (like a freshly-built deck). On the palate is lots of fruit — raspberries and blackberries — with structured tannins. The finish is full and rich.

We will have this tonight with a roast beef that I have had cooking at a low temperature for several hours. It is Friday night and we are celebrating!