Wander & Wine

Get it before summer’s over – L’Ecole Chenin Blanc

written by W&W

Just because September is approaching and Fall’s around the corner doesn’t mean you need to retire the white wine quite yet! Now is the perfect time to really savor those quintessential summer whites before the leaves start changing and the red wine starts calling. This Chenin Blanc I recently tasted is a great one to try before summer’s end – the 2012 L’Ecole No. 41 Chenin Blanc ($14). It’s not uber crisp like a Sauv Blanc, but this slightly off-dry wine has enough tart acidity for it to be refreshing on a hot summer day… plus it’s tasty and food friendly. I thought it had lovely aromas of apricots, tangerines and roses with flavors of white peaches, tropical fruits, and a minerally finish.

August 20, 2013 0 comment

Tasting Notes

Hollywood Wine Done Right – Miraval Rose

written by W&W

There are a lot of celebrities out there with their own labels – Drew Barrymore, Fergie, Dave Matthews and Antonio Banderas to name a few. I haven’t tried their wines, but I definitely have my doubts about a few. On a whim, and because I was very curious, I opened up a bottle of Brad and Angie’s (that’s Pitt and Jolie) much hyped about rosé yesterday. And, in honor of Hollywood’s power couple, I paired it with brie and US Weekly just because.

August 13, 2013 0 comment

Napa Wineries Tasting Notes

A Summer Sipper and More with Round Pond

written by W&W

Round Pond is one of my go-to places to taste wine in the Napa Valley. It’s beautiful (check out that gorgeous driveway leading to the tasting room!), there’s a large outdoor terrace overlooking the vineyards, and they provide fun food pairings with the tasting (bonus!). It also doesn’t hurt that they make two of my favorite things ever – wine and olive oil – and they do it well.

August 8, 2013 0 comment

Tasting Notes Wines Under $15

Fabre Montmayou Malbec

written by W&W

When you think of Malbec, you probably think of Argentina, right? Did you know that Malbec originated in France? There, it was used mostly as a blending grape, but it’s surely found its home in Argentina. Typically, Argentinian Malbecs are mouth-coating and voluptuous, with ripe plum, dark berry and mocha flavors and noticeable tannins. Sounds good, right? I think the best thing about Malbecs from Argentina is the cheap price tag – you can usually get a good Malbec for less than $20! Why? Because of Argentina’s inexpensive land and good exchange rates. Hooray for affordable wines!

August 1, 2013 0 comment

Tasting Notes Wine & Food Pairings Wines Under $15

Birthday Wines

written by W&W

I’m not one of those people who hates birthdays. It doesn’t matter if it’s my birthday or someone else’s, I love to celebrate big. This week, I got to ring in another year, and you better believe that I’ve been celebrating all week! So what did I drink to celebrate? A whole lot of wine, naturally!

July 28, 2013 0 comment

Party & Entertain Wine & Food Pairings Wines Under $15

Summer Wine Pairing Dinner

written by W&W

My friends all know that I’ve always been a fan of throwing parties and getting people together… from book clubs to wine clubs to white elephant parties, it’s something that I love to do. And since moving out of San Francisco, I have totally embraced being able to eat outside in the summer (yards! no fog!). I heart that city, but I sure do love eating outside!

July 18, 2013 3 comments

Uncategorized

Wine and Beer in Sandpoint, Idaho

written by W&W

Recently I was in Sandpoint, Idaho, a tiny town about 60 miles south of the Canadian border, for a quick visit. It’s a picturesque and quaint town, with a popular ski mountain (Schweitzer) and the 5th deepest lake in the US (Lake Pend Orielle). Since I’m always looking to taste new wines wherever I’m at, I wanted to pop into the town’s only winery to try some out. Pend d’Orielle Winery (pronounced Pond-doh-ray) is conveniently located in downtown Sandpoint, and since the downtown really only consists of one main street, you definitely can’t miss it. Remember, I said this town was really small. :) Owned by Steve Meyer, who also makes the wine, the winery seems to be doing quite well and will be expanding into a larger space across the street this Fall.

July 26, 2013 0 comment

Tasting Notes Wine & Food Pairings Wines Under $15

Red, White, and Blueberry Fun

written by W&W

I heart July… not only because it’s my birthday month, but because it’s usually warm, people are out and about, and because of the Fourth of July holiday! This year to celebrate the 4th, I spent the day with some friends out at their lake cabin. We pretty much spent most of the day either lounging on the dock or chilling on the deck cooking food. It was fun and relaxing and probably one of the top 4th of July holidays I’ve had in a while. If you’re wondering, my favorite 4th of July holidays were also spent at a lake (Tahoe) but didn’t involve as much wine as they did Rum Runners, followed by rafting on the Truckee (and falling out of said raft) and laughing so hard that no sound actually came out. Those were some of the memories that made my 20’s!

July 7, 2013 0 comment

Tasting Notes

On a boat with Dog Point Vineyards

written by W&W

Ah, summer. Time for sun, bbq’s, fresh fruit, and flip flops. One of my favorite things to do in the summer, though, is to be out on the water for a sunset cruise. It’s a relaxing and very fun summer outdoor activity! In my opinion, no sunset cruise is complete without a good bottle of wine and a picnic dinner, whether you’re with your significant other or a group of friends. As you can see below, we don’t mess around with our picnics – the key is to have a fully equipped basket that’s well stocked with wine, cheese, and other snacks!

June 29, 2013 1 comment

Tasting Notes

Blind Tasting Diaries: CA & WA Syrahs

written by W&W

Remember my posting on blind tastings? In case you missed it, I described my love for switching it up and tasting blind once in awhile (you can read more here). It’s actually quite fun to dissect a wine’s aromas, flavors, body, acidity, etc. without the influence of a label or vintage or price. Come on, you know you’ve done it before… liked a wine just because it was a big name with a big price tag and your brain forced you to think positively about it? It’s human nature! And you know what, sometimes it’s just plain fun to want to like a wine so much that you end up liking it… no one wants to be let down.

June 14, 2013 0 comment

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