WineLife365

Archive for July, 2010

As I was drinking the 2004 Oriel Setena, the 2007 Vina Gormaz Tempranillo and the 2007 El Jamon Tempranillo, one word that came to mind:  Kryptonite.

All three of these red wines are products of Spain and all three tasted like minerals and rocks to me – more specifically, wet metallic stone.  Not that I’ve spent much time with rocks in my mouth, but there was an almost flinty kind of thing stirring around that completely overpowered any fruit and spice components that these wines might have possessed.  Although I embrace the infinite tastes and qualities offered by different types of wine, I have to admit that I’m a bit challenged by this characteristic.  For now I’ll keep an open mind, but in the case of the 2004 Oriel Setena  (MSRP $18.50*), the 2007 Vina Gormaz Tempranillo ($9.99) and the 2007 El Jamon Tempranillo ($9.99), the metallic quality was acting more like kryptonite robbing these wines of their ‘super powers’.

2 Stars out of 4.
* Sample

The flowers were in a full and glorious bloom in the backyard of our friends, Paula and Ryan Barry, this past 4th of July weekend.

And with nothing but clear blue skies, amber waves of cool night air, and a few shades of Spanish wines to taste test, we all agreed that dining al fresco would be a perfect and relaxing way to ease into the holiday weekend.

To kick things off, we started with a few cocktails…

…and made our way through some tangible heaven that consisted of Spanish Manchego cheese, Extra Sharp Provolone and a little something from Trader Joe’s that I personally never had before called Samosas.

If you’re not familiar with this popular TJ’s appetizer, it’s a flaky layer of pastry crust that houses a dollop of tangy, Indian-inspired vegetables in the center.  These crusty little triangles are totally addictive and if you’ve never tried them, you should definitely pick some up on your next visit to Trader Joe’s.

Before we could all just sit back, kick-off our shoes and bark at the moon, we decided to collectively review a few Spanish wines that I received as samples.

First up, was the 2008 Recorba White Wine from Rueda, Spain ($11 MSRP).

This white wine is a blend of 60% Verdejo and 40% Viura grapes that are from 60 year old vines located in La Seca, which is a small location in the heart of the Denomination of Origen Rueda.

So, what was everyone was sayin’ about the 2008 Recorba White Wine?

“A little bit effervescent, great fruit acidity.  Reminds me of a really good Sauvignon Blanc.”

“Awesome, razor-sharp acidity.  Really great lime and orange peel/tropical flavors.”

“I like this wine a lot and would definitely recommend it to a friend.”

“Clean, fresh – a perfect Spring or Summer white wine.  Very good.”

Personally speaking, I’d hook myself up to an IV and have it pumped through my veins on a hot summer day if I could.  I gave it – 4 Stars out of 4.  Paula was also a big fan of the 2008 Recorba White Wine and wanted to give it 3.5 Stars.  Unfortunately, we don’t do half stars here, so Paula opted to go with 3 Stars out of 4.  Both Ryan and Mrs. WineLife365 were in agreement and awarded our Spanish delight 3 Stars out of 4 as well.

Verdict: We all loved the 2008 Recorba White Wine.  Some a little more than others, but in this case, majority rules:  3 Stars.  It’s a terrific buy!

Our second wine of the night was from the same producer – it was the 2008 Recorba Red Wine ($11 MSRP).  This particular wine comes from Spain’s well-known Ribera Del Duero wine region.  The 2008 Recorba Red Wine is made of 100% selected Tempranillo grapes.

So, did everyone love the 2008 Recorba Red Wine just as much as the 2008 Recorba White Wine?  Here’s what we had to say about it:

“Nice vanilla and red berry flavors with a soft finish.  Good ‘starter’ red.”

“No flaws.  Just a more light-bodied wine than I was hoping for.”

“Doesn’t quite excite me in the same way that the white did.”

“If you enjoy a nice, clean, mild red wine for warm weather sipping – this is nice.  Should serve at 58 degrees F.  It’s a red wine drinker’s white wine for the summertime.”

This wine was a hit with Ryan – he gave it 4 Stars out of 4.  Paula, Mrs. WineLife365 and I all gave it 3 Stars out of 4.

Sorry Ryan…majority rules:  3 Stars.  The 2008 Recorba Red seems best suited for many as a starting pitcher rather than a closer.

Ok, I’m starving!  Can we eat now?

Caprese Salad (Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes & basil drizzled with olive oil)

Pisa Tower Salad (Eggplant, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, marinated roasted sliced red peppers tossed with chopped greens and balsamic vinaigrette)

Grilled beef tenderloin served at a perfect 140° f by Chef Barry

Don’t bother counting calories or fat content

Night, night! Sleep tight!

Thanks Paula and Ryan for a fantastic evening!

Don’t want the 4^th of July weekend to end?  Well, here’s a great way to keep the ‘par-tay’ rolling just a little while longer. 

WineLife365.com is teaming up with GourmetGiftBaskets.com to give away 1 delicious award-winning gourmet gift basket that’s packed with all sorts of tasty goodies!  Designed to satisfy any snacker’s sweet tooth, this gift basket includes raspberry honey mustard pretzel dip, gourmet dipping pretzels, key lime white chocolate chip cookies, almond pecan crunch, peanuts, trail mix, buttered pecan crunch, peanut roll, organic coconut bar and cheese biscuits!

Sound yummy to you?  Wanna play for this basket of goodies? 

Here’s how:
All you have to do to win the Snack Gift Basket – Classic from the nice peeps at GourmetGiftBaskets.com  is make a guess on the total number of wine closures that I’ve got stashed in my WineLife365 “Estimation Station” shown below.  That’s it!

Approximate dimensions of the container: 15 x 11 in. at the opening and 9 in. tall

 
The closest person to guess without going over wins this naughty little snack basket!
 
To Enter:

• The contest starts now and is only open to WineLife365 Facebook Fans and GourmetGiftBaskets.com Facebook Fans.  So, if you want to play, you’ve got to “Like” the pages!
• Place your guess in the Comment area of this post on the WineLife365 Fan Page.  Please limit to 2 guesses.
• This contest will close at 5:59pm ET on Friday, July 9th.  The winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

Good luck and happy guessing!

The 4th of July Holiday happens to fall on a Sunday this year, which for many means a much deserved 3-day break (Woo Hoo!).  This long Independence Day Weekend also means heaps of charcoal, an avalanche of meat being charred on the grill, ice-cold beer, smoking funny things and drinking copious amounts of cheap wine in the backyard with your favorite people in the whole wide world!

When it comes to cheap wine these days, the choices are endless:  One can choose from boxes, jugs, magnums – heck, there’s even wine that comes in a one-gallon paint can!?  And it’s all right there in aisle 10, waiting to be picked for one long and twisted weekend with some good friends.

One of my most recent and pleasant discoveries in this aisle of broken dreams was the 2007 Ampakama Syrah from San Juan, Argentina.  For those who wouldn’t dare drink wine from a box or touch a wine bottle with a screw cap, fear not, it comes packaged in a 1.5L glass bottle with a real cork closure!  It sells in most parts of the US for less than 10 bucks, and the best part – it actually tastes pretty darn good!

The 2007 Ampakama Syrah is a bottle rocket of juicy red-berry flavors fueled with a respectable amount of black pepper and herbal spices.  My only complaint is that it comes up a tad short before the expected big finish.  Nonetheless, the 2007 Ampakama Syrah is far from being a dud and should rise to the occasion with anything off the grill, or whatever else you’ve got cooking in your backyard this weekend.

3 Stars out 4.  For what works out to be less than $5 per 750ml, this juice ain’t half bad!  BTW – the 2008 is also a safe bet.

So…What inexpensive wines are you bringing to the BBQ this 4th of July weekend?

Cheers!