Chalone Vineyard Syrah (2008)

We are back from our Christmas travels to family in North Carolina where we were snowed in for two days! It was great fun. Tom and I braved the snow and cold to walk 1.5 miles to a gas station to get milk for our nieces, Katie and Emily. A fun and invigorating adventure!

And now here we are in balmy (relatively speaking) Michigan. I have pot roast in the oven and we are enjoying this Monterey, California Chalone Vineyard Syrah 2008 that I purchased at World Market in Ann Arbor. It was priced at 24.99 but it was on sale (natch).

This Syrah has a grapey nose with robust flavors of grass and minerals. We like this one and it is perfect for our pot roast tonight.

A shout out to Bono tonight!

Pillastro Primitivo (2008)

We opened this Italian Puglia Pillastro Primitivo 2008 on this Tuesday-before-Christmas work night. When I got home from work today, I immediately set to work getting dinner in the oven so that we could relax and process our busy day. We also needed to think through the week ahead because — right in the middle of our holiday break — I have to make a 2-day business trip and we needed to figure out how to make it work.  We have it figured out now so that is a load off my mind. So, with that resolved, I made the most delicious baked spaghetti along with sauteed baby spinach and garlic toast. I must say, it was delicious. This wine was perfect with our meal. Unusually fruity for an Italian wine, the taste is bursting with plums, raspberries and vanilla. If I had done a blind tasting tonight, I would not have said this was an Italian wine because it is lush with fruit. It is delicious and was the perfect choice for our pasta dinner.

Clos du Val Pinot Noir (2007)

It is Saturday night and we are having a well deserved cocktail hour. I have chicken and potatoes simmering in my skillet. We spent this afternoon at my parents (they just moved to a retirement community about 1.5 miles from us) and we worked getting their office organized. A couple more afternoons and they will be in really good shape.

I purchased this Clos du Val Pinot Noir 2007 on the recommendation of the wine stocker at World Market in Ann Arbor. Priced at $27.99, but on sale for less, this is a good buy. He was right. . .delicious. It is delectable with a fresh, floral nose and a fruity palate. The finish lasts a long time.

This is going to be a lovely evening as we bask in the glow of getting things done for my parents and enjoying the quiet evening.

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (2009)

We are in the midst of a full- blown winter blizzard. The wind is gusting and the snow is horizontal. We have shoveled twice.

I planned ahead and made the perfect dinner for tonight. I started a loaf of bread first thing this morning. And by tonight we had a crunchy, fragrant loaf to go with the pot of chili that I started this afternoon.

This South Australian Penfolds Koonunga Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 was on sale for $9.99. We bought it today while we loaded up on a cartful of groceries to carry us through the week.

The wine is delicious. Lots of fruit, especially blackberries and cherries, with just a feint touch of licorice.

What a beautiful winter night. In spite of the blowing snow, I can see the Christmas lights across the street!

Casillero del Diablo Carmenere (2008)

This is a momentous Friday night for us. This coming week my parents will be moving to our town to a retirement community. I have not lived near my mom since I was 16 years old.  I am really looking forward to having my folks close. We are busy planning to ensure that their transition is joyful.

We are relaxing, reading the paper and listening to music. For dinner, I have made a chicken casserole with fresh mushrooms (from the food co-op), broccoli (food co-op) and a green salad (food co-op). Wow, I guess one of the great things about the food co-op is it forces me to prepare meals using the food!

This is a great wine. We have had many times before. I never buy this but Tom always does. I always forget how good it is. This is a spicy, fruity wine with a coffee and chocolate finish. Tom bought this on sale at our local grocery store for $9.99. A great value.

Bogle Petite Sirah (2008)

It is a very, very cold night here in Michigan. The weather turned bitterly cold suddenly after a beautiful, mild autumn. I am now on a new quest to convert to Catholicism and we went to mass tonight. I sure do have a lot to learn. I do not know when to speak or what to say. . .but Tom reassures me that I am doing well and that I will learn.

So now we are home and having a glass of this Bogle Petite Sirah 2008. I purchased two bottles of this recently at World Market. Sadly, the first bottle had some cork issues and there was a less-than-desirable aroma and a musty finish. On the happy side, Tom finished the bottle for me. The second bottle is the Bogle I know and love. Delicious. Fruit forward, dark chocolate and coffee flavor with a strong chocolate finish.

A good choice to go with our pizza!

Chateau Mont-Redon Cotes du Rhone (2007)

I welcomed Tom home tonight from his trip to West Palm Beach to visit his mother. He came home just in time for cocktails and the smell of dinner in the oven. We had a great cocktail hour catching up on all the news.

We had this French Chateau Mont-Redon Cotes du Rhone 2007 with our roasted, stuffed chicken, and baked squash. For dessert I made an apple crisp. Dinner was delicious and so was the wine. The color in the glass is brilliant; the nose a fragrant and clove-ish. The taste is somewhat old-world — complex with some fruit flavors and structured tannins. This finish is spicy and satisfying. Tom bought this wine for $14 at our local grocery store. Very good; very French!

Tilia Malbec Syrah (2009)

This Tilia Malbec Syrah 2009 is our choice for our Tuesday night. I had a demanding work day so I am reheating soup and baking some rolls for our dinner.

I purchased this wine last weekend at World Market. It is a good buy at $10.99 a bottle. This is rich with coffee and chocolate flavors with a substantial finish. The only thing that I don’t like about this wine is the label, which is kind of amateurish in my opinion. I would not have chosen this based on the label, which shows MY amateurish-ness. . .but the wine rep at World Market told me this was a good one. And it is. It is delicious and I will buy this one again.