Monasterio de Santa Cruz (2008)

June 28, 2009 — Tom & Melody

This is a Spanish wine that recently arrived at our house as part of a wine club shipment. This wine is made in the region of Tarragona on the Mediterranean, near Barcelona.

I chose this wine for our summer Sunday night dinner. This is a deep red, delectable and elaborate big red. The texture is smooth and the finish is woody.

I didn’t know what to expect from this wine because the label did not reveal any grapes or varietal for which I was familiar. Well, is is sumptuous. This is a complex wine with layers of fruit and oak.

I didn’t feel like grocery shopping today so I took  two steaks out of the freezer. We grilled those and I made steamed brown rice and sauteed mushrooms (in Malbec wine) and a salad from my garden (with my homemade viniagrette [olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, horseradish mustard, basil, oregano, rosemary, savory & thyme]). Dinner was delicious and the wine was a perfect match for a steak.

Posted in Monastrell, Over $10, Spanish wines. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Granrojo Rojo (2007)

March 6, 2009 — Tom & Melody

Well, here we are; another Friday night after a long work week. We are listening to music and reading the newspapers. . .the neverending dismal news. . .but there is still so much joy and happiness; we just have to keep our eyes open.

I am finishing the bottle of  Granrojo Rojo 2007, a Spanish blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, to go with our dinner of a steak stir fry — steak, green onions, fresh spinach, tomatoes — served over pasta tossed with olive oil.

When I first opened this wine (earlier this week), I noted cherries on the nose; but tonight (after having been opened) I do not detect cherries, but instead, waxy crayons. There taste has cherries and basil with a minty finish.

Cheers!

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Spanish wines, Tempranillo, Under $10. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Baron de Barbon Rioja (2005)

January 27, 2009 — Tom & Melody

Baron de Barbon Rioja 2005

It is Monday night and we are enjoying this Spanish Tempranillo very much. This will be a fairly quick post because I have some dinner preparations to monitor!

Yesterday (Sunday) I made oven-baked ribs; I started the process at 2:00 in the afternoon and took them out of the oven at 8:00 p.m. They were delicious and I will share my recipe with anyone who is interested. It’s definitely a weekend kind of meal if you work during the week.

Tonight I am making a pasta dish with fresh vegetables. I already have yellow and red peppers, leeks and fresh spinach, chopped, washed and ready. . .

The wine is very good with hints of licorice and blackberries.  It is light-to-medium bodied and dry. Lovely!

Posted in Rioja, Spanish wines, Tempranillo, Under $10. Tags: , , . 3 Comments »

Luzon Jumilla Spain (2007)

January 22, 2009 — Tom & Melody

luzon-jumilla-2007I stopped at the Plum Market in Ann Arbor on my way home from work tonight. I bought one large bag of groceries, mostly produce. But, of course, I slithered by the wine aisles to see what looked interesting. I bought two bottles, one of which we are tasting tonight.

This Spanish beauty Luzon Jumilla 2007 is 65% Monastrell and 35% Syrah. The color is inky with a violet rim. The aroma is spice and cherries with a bit of freshly ground peppercorns. The taste is refreshing and crisp, bursting with cranberries, plums, and mild spice. The tannins are subtle  but balanced. The finish is a curious combination of spice, tobacco, and thyme.This is quite a find! It was on sale at the Plum Market for $6.97. (I also purchased a $40 bottle on sale for $19; can’t wait to try it!)

For dinner tonight, I made a dinner from the groceries I picked up at the market: a steak stir fry with steak, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes (marinated in olive oil, cracked salt, and pepper), served over penne pasta and fresh beets, which I steamed for one hour (during cocktail hour, natch). It was delicious! Now, I am waiting for our son Tommy to come and eat the leftovers! He usually does a pretty thorough job! :)

Posted in Blends, Blogs, Monastrell, Spanish wines, Syrah, Under $10. Tags: , , , , . 2 Comments »

Solar de Estraunza Crianza (2004)

December 18, 2008 — Tom & Melody

solar-de-estraunza-crianza-2004Tom selected this Solar de Estraunza Crianza 2004 from Spain for our Thursday, December evening. I am home late tonight because this was a teaching night for me. We are awaiting a big snow storm — the reports say a storm warning with snow arriving at 4:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. tomorrow. Fun, fun, fun!

We purchased this wine when we were up north visiting my parents in Traverse City. We had stopped in a wine shop called “The Blue Goat” and purchased a variety of red wines. This was one of them.

This is yummy. This Crianzas is a vibrant-flavored and easy to drink. The flavors are vanilla, spice, cherry and black dirt.

Our son, Tommy, just came home with a new CD that he recorded with his band, “The Ben Daniels Band.” We are listening and it is very good!

Posted in Crianza, Rioja, Spanish wines, Under $10. Tags: , , , . 2 Comments »

Gran Feudo (2002)

December 13, 2008 — Tom & Melody

gran-feudo-navarra-2002I don’t think I have ever seen my refrigerator as empty as it was today. I just never had time to get to the grocery store in about the last 10 days. So, today, Tom volunteered to go with me and we each took a cart and had little organizational meetings in the aisles. It feels good to be stocked up with nutritious food, once again.

As we shopped, Tom, of course, perused the wine selection and purchased this Spanish Gran Feudo, which we opened tonight. This is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s nice!  The wine is medium-bodied and well-balanced. On the palate it is fruity and spicy with firm tannins. The finish is long with oak and vanilla notes.

For dinner, I am roasting a whole, stuffed chicken. I started the chicken in a 425 oven for about 40 minutes, then I flipped the chicken (it was getting nice and crispy), seasoned the flip side, drizzled with olive oil, turned the oven down to finish cooking slowly. I have some leftover mashed potatoes and gravy, which will go well with this dinner. I am either going to make a salad or a vegetable.

Stay warm and enjoy the weekend; cheers!

Posted in Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Spanish wines, Tempranillo, Under $10. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Abrazo Del Toro Cariñena (2007)

November 6, 2008 — Tom & Melody

abrazo-del-toro-carinena-2007Tom took a rare mid-week trip into Ann Arbor for an appointment and made a point to stop at Trader Joe’s for some serious wine shopping. When I came home from work, I was delighted to see he had purchased 13 bottles of wine (and two loaves of sourdough bread). This is one of his finds.

Very reasonably priced at $6.99, this Abrazo Del Toro Cariñena 2007 is a Spanish wine that is quite nice. It is always tempting to judge a wine by its price (and I have a propensity for assuming the higher the price, the better the wine), but I aim to be objective–so, here it is. The nose is subtle. There just isn’t much in the way of aromas here. Yet while the bouquet is modest, it is entirely pleasant. The taste is also quite subtle but charming with hints of dark chocolate.

One might describe this as a bit thin but I think it is an excellent mid-week quaff. For dinner tonight I am making a skillet of goulash. I have a great recipe (my own) that is so yummy (definitely comfort food). I will also steam spinach. And maybe a piece of that sourdough bread that Tom brought home from Trader Joe’s. A comforting wine and a comforting dinner for a Thursday night. Cheers!

Posted in Cariñena, Spanish wines, Under $10. Tags: , , . 2 Comments »

Opera Prima Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

November 3, 2008 — Tom & Melody

opera-prima-cabernet-sauvignon-2007We purchased this Opera Prima Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 up north in Traverse City (at the Blue Goat) when we were visiting my parents. This was the most inexpensive wine we purchased — on sale for $3.99!

In the glass it is a deep cherry red. The taste is fruity with raspberry and smoke. This is a full-bodied wine with a long finish.

I taught a night class tonight so we are going to have leftover chili from last night (and the leftover whole-wheat bread that I baked yesterday).

This is a decent red wine. For the price, it’s pretty impressive.

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Spanish wines, Under $10. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Baron De Barbon Tempranillo Rioja (2005)

September 7, 2008 — Tom & Melody

Baron de Barbon Rioja 2005

We have been so, so busy and my blogging has taken a back seat, lately. But, it is Sunday night and Tom & I are enjoying an extended cocktail hour. I spent my day yesterday driving to my uncle’s funeral in Northern Michigan and, thinking I would stay in a hotel, I decided to drive all the way back home. Although it was a very long day, I am so happy to have made the trip. He was my favorite uncle and my mom’s twin brother. I connected with his three daughters, my lovely cousins.

It was raining when I got up this morning and I wanted to go for a run. I talked my son, Tony,  into accompanying me on his bike. It was great!

It is a beautiful evening in Michigan. We had rain this morning but the sun is shining and the sky is blue now. Neighbors are out and about grilling and enjoying the evening.

This wine is an elegant Spanish tempranillo that is dry and understated with licorice undertones. This is a perfect red for a special Sunday evening. Cheers!

Posted in Over $10, Rioja, Spanish wines, Tempranillo. Tags: , , . 2 Comments »

Iglesia Vieja Reserva (2003)

August 10, 2008 — Tom & Melody

Iglesia Vieja Reserva 2003This Iglesia Vieja Reserva 2003 from Spain is a blend of 68% Mataro, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Tempranillo. The color is pure purple! The nose is a refreshingly soft spice. And the taste is fruity and succulent with a peppery finish. It is Sunday evening. I have a fresh, organic chicken (from a local farm) roasting in the oven. I used an entire garlic bulb as I prepared the chicken — put about 8 cloves under the skin and the rest of the garlic in the vegetables surrounding the chicken. I have potatoes and carrots tossed with olive oil and garlic cloves in the skillet, too.  Talk about fragrant! I started the chicken in the oven at 425 degrees for 45 minutes to make sure it would be crispy on the outside; then I turned the oven down the 325 to let it bake for 2 hours. It’s a long time in the oven, but I like the chicken falling off the bone. We’ve had a lovely weekend and anticipate a busy week ahead. Cheers!

Posted in Blends, Spanish wines. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »
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