Hook & Ladder "The Tillerman" Cabernet Blend Russian River Valley
HOOK & LADDER'S BESTSELLER! The Tillerman is
a unique blend of Cabernet, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese from a single
vineyard -- The Los Amigos Ranch, where the family lives in Healdsburg. It is the wine families favorite and has layers and layers of lush red fruit
combined with complex olive and cedar notes.
$16.00
What is YOUR favorite Red Wine under $20?
Tell Us HERE
If you are serious about being able to identify the smells in great wine by their proper terms, you can learn the skill at home with one of these kits now available.
The Le Nez du Vin is a superb wine aroma kit that makes a beautiful gift for yourself or
someone you know. It has the appearance of a large hardbound book like
an Atlas or Dictionary. The vials are presented very attractively in
separate slots and are numbered so that you have to guess the aroma.
Then you compare the number to the master list to see if you got it
right. The vials and their holders take up the right side of the "book"
and pictures and descriptions of the aroma sources (fruits, flowers,
etc.) are handsomely presented on large, high-quality-printed cards on
the left side of the "book."
You use the vials by opening them and taking a whiff and then closing them to keep the aromas fresh. In other words, you don't ever pour the liquids out. The 54 samples give a very broad spectrum of aromas useful for wine tasting and are a great way to train your nose or keep it in "good shape" without having to open a bottle of wine. It is also fun for wine tasting parties, too.
It is expensive, but worth it.
You can also get the red wine only kit.
A less expensive option is Wine Enthusiasts Wine Essence Kit.
This unique and valuable kit allows you to speak about wine like a true professional. Learn how to taste wine while you are guided through its mysteries and pleasures. The kit is based upon international studies that have identified nine principal components of wine. The principal 'essences' along with their level of concentration and intensity are what ultimately determine a wine's flavor and character. The kit includes these nine essences sweet bitter sour smooth acetic flowery fruity oak and tannin individually bottled and carefully prepared so that the suggested dilution corresponds to their concentration in wine.
The more you use the kit the better you will be able to identify the
separate tastes in wine and understand the countless ways in which they
can be blended. You will also enjoy wine more and feel completely at ease
when you're ordering it in restaurants or discussing it with other Wine
Enthusiasts. Kit also includes a detailed instruction booklet all
necessary labels and a wine tasting glass.
2003 Hendry Block 8 Cabernet Sauvignon
Hendry Block 8 is located on bench lands west of the town of Napa.
The vines grow on thin stony soil between 200 and 300 feet above sea
level. Morning fog and strong afternoon breezes from San Pablo Bay
moderate the climate. The vines were planted in 1974.
The wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged for 22 months in 90% new French oak barrels.
This Cabernet Sauvignon, similar in profile to the 2002, has layered aromas of black licorice, cigar box, violets, caramel and dark cassis. Flavors echo the aromas, adding sweet dark berry and cedary fruit, mineral, mint and red dust. Tannins are present, firm but fine-grained. The alcohol is 14.5%.
960 cases produced.
Third edition of the definitive guide to the construction of
a home wine cellar. Over 20,000 copies in print. Chapters on
temperature, humidity, insulation, construction techniques, bins,
refrigeration, newsletter reviews, and much more. An underground
classic.
Robert M. Parker Jr., The Wine Advocate
"Worried about your wine? Don't call 911. Buy Gold's wine cellar book and save your treasures from any damage."
Turkey is poultry, so the go-to pairing selection is a white wine.
But the hitch is that a whole roaster yields both white and dark meat,
so the racy sauvignon blanc you chose for the breast meat may not play
well with that rich, savory drumstick.
Also, turkey is the great imposter of meats. It takes on the flavors of whatever it’s cooked with; that’s why we like to stuff it, baste it, roast it with veggies, and serve it with showy sauces. The result? You’ve chosen a rich California chardonnay to complement the Butterball and cornbread stuffing, but it clashes with the cranberry preserves. Or, you recommend a red Burgundy to go with the dark meat, but your guests reach for a dry riesling to cut through their mashed potatoes.
Here are my recommendations for your turkey-based spread:
1. Zinfandel
Here we’re going for ideology over substance. Zin is perhaps the only
“American” variety, that is, the only grape that we didn’t borrow from
the French and that we seem to bottle exclusively. So drinking zinfandel, like celebrating Thanksgiving
for that matter, is patriotic, maybe even nationalistic. Especially if
you can find a single-vineyard bottling — Ridge and Rosenblum
specialize in these, and you can tell it’s made from the grapes of a
single vineyard because the name of the plot will be prominent on the
label – you will find that its less jammy, more spicy flavors will go
great with turkey and all its dressings.
2. Old Cabernet
A California cab or a French Bordeaux with more than 20 years under its
belt will have enough fruit to enliven the dark meat of the turkey. But
it will also have the grace to complement the white meat. The only
drawback is that you need to have a good cold cellar (or you have to
invite someone who does, or pay a lot of money to a merchant or
auctioneer who bought hers from someone who does). In my case, I’m
bringing to my mother’s traditional dinner a Dunn Howell Mountain 1988, which I bought from the winery directly in 1997 and have lovingly cellared since.
3. Champagne
People think of Champagne as a wine you drink only to celebrate New
Year’s or a promotion. But they’re missing the fact that Champagne (and
sparkling wines made
with the same process but from areas other than Champagne) are super
versatile with food. I spotted J. Lasalle Impérial Préférence at a local wine shop for $29.25, which is a great price for a real, artisinal French Champagne. Or, if your budget is more limited, reach for Gloria Ferrer’s brut
sparkler – I often see it on sale for $12.99. Finally, if you’re really
trying to get the most fiscal mileage out of your holiday wine pairing,
think Spanish cava: I love Jaume Serra’s Cristalino, a Spanish Cava for $6.99 a bottle.
HT: Wine Girl Online
A Dark, Jammy, Caramel, Organic, Full-Bodied Wine from the Veneto region of Italy.
It was one of two favorite discoveries during our trip to Italy last month. It is hard to find in the USA, but HERE is a place you can get it.
I use this EVERY day. Keeps a partial bottle fresh for an additional 2-3 days.
We were enjoying dinner at Zollo's, a favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant last evening and realized our guests were intrigued that we were allowed to bring our own bottle (Rosenblum Cellars Rockpile Vineyards Zinfandel) to the restaurant. As I explained corkage fees, I realized that the explanation makes great WFN blog material.
Corkage is what restaurateurs charge to open and serve your wine. Here are a few guidelines.
This fine wine serves as our house wine (or as we learned in Italy "vino de tavola"), our table wine. It has been a favorite at our home for over two years and Wine Spectator and others now agree...
Best Buy - Wine Spectator
Excellent Value - Northwest Palate
87 points and Best Buy - Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
“ This pleasing Merlot offers intense aromas of spice, blackberry, and
raspberry with expressions of cocoa and soft velvet on the palate. A
hint of chocolate completes the lingering finish.” -Ray Einberger,
Winemaker
Price: $8.00
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Jay Mcinerney: A Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine (Vintage) (*****)
Sarah Mucha: Alphonse Mucha (*****)
Wine Spectator: Wine Spectator's Ultimate Guide to Buying Wine, Eighth Edition (****)
Wine Spectator's: Wine Spectator's Pocket Guide to Wine (*****)
Ed McCarthy: Wine For Dummies (*****)
Karen MacNeil: The Wine Bible (*****)
