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!

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Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat…

Was I so naïve to think that it was impossible to have a bad Argentinian Torrontes wine?  I know it must have been foolish thinking on my part, but it almost seemed automatic that whether it cost 8, 10, or even 20 dollars – I knew I was going to have a beautifully floral, fresh and electrifyingly acidic bottle of wine.  I believed this because I’ve been batting nearly a thousand with this fantastic type of wine for over a year.  With this in mind, I was really looking forward to opening the 2009 San Telmo Esencia Torrontes. 

As the saying goes, “there’s a first for everything” and inevitably I would have to taste the agony of defeat with my beloved white wine.  The 2009 San Telmo Esencia Torrontes really let me down.  It’s odd, uneven, lacks mile-high acidity and possesses tropical banana and coconut flavors that reminded me more of Tropical Flavored LifeSavers (in a bad way).  Incidentally, it also didn’t possess the signature floral bouquet of Torrontes wine.  Crash!

1 Star out of 4.  Shaken by the experience, but not deterred.
(Price: $8.99)

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 2 Stars out of 4.
(Price: $8.99)

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Life in the box is emerging and growing for lots of reasons:

• “The box” system reduces packaging waste by 92% and carbon emissions by 55%.
• By eliminating glass bottles, corks and closures – it reduces packaging and shipping costs.  In turn, this savings can then be passed along to customers.
• Consumers can receive the equivalent of four bottles of wine for the price of three in a nifty little 3L wine cask (i.e. bag–in-box).
• This packaging also allows your vino to stay fresh for up 6 weeks after opening.

Sounds great, right?  There’s only one little problem standing in the way of progress:  Too many wine drinkers are still of the mindset that wine that comes in a box is pure plonk!

I have to admit, I have been on the fence with my thoughts on box wine.  My box wine tasting experiences have been rather hit or miss.  While doing my best to keep an open mind, I recently had the opportunity to sample the 2008 Monthaven Winery Chardonnay from California’s Monterey County Central Coast.  Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of California Chardonnay.  Uh oh – do you see where this might be going?  However, to my pleasure and surprise, Monthaven Winery winemaker, Jeff Yamamoto did a fabulous job of allowing the natural tropical fruit flavors of this wine to shine through, while keeping that all too familiar Big California Oak trademark in check, to make a very pleasing and agreeable everyday wine.

This particular Chardonnay and all of the wines in this collection, come in a convenient 3 liter box system that’s called the Octavin Home Wine Bar.  This wine bar stores (20) five-ounce glasses of wine and keeps it fresh for up to six weeks after opening.   The 2008 Monthaven Winery Chardonnay is being distributed nationally with a SRP of $23.99. 

It’s a no-brainer folks – for what works out to be about 6 bucks a bottle, there’s plenty to like here.  If you’re an everyday white wine drinker that prefers a Chardonnay with a little less oak, often found in comparable or pricier offerings, then this is the box for you!

3 Stars out of 4. 

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Although Oregon is most recognized as a producer of high quality Pinot Noir, I was recently reminded of how good Oregon’s “other” wine truly is when I had the pleasure of sampling Willamette Valley Vineyards, 2008 Pinot Gris. (Retails <$15)

Willamette Valley Vineyards is best known for well…Pinot Noir.  But, I soon found out that they also make a pretty spiffy Pinot Gris that’s also deserving of some attention.

This white wine was like “two peas in a pod” when I paired it up with a slab of pan-seared salmon over an arugula salad.  I have to admit though, if you prefer your white wines blazin’ with acidity, this white doesn’t quite get to that high altitude on its own.  It’s definitely a wine that requires food like say – poached salmon, pan-seared salmon, broiled salmon, smoked salmon, breakfast, lunch and dinner salmon… or any other “Fresh Catch of the Day” for it to shine and show you what it’s all about.

If you don’t crave over-the-top acidity, but love multi-dimensional layers of tropical flavors then this Pinot Gris is a great alternative to some of the Pinot Grigio you may have been drinking.   

3 Stars out of 4.

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