George Phillips Cellars Zinfandel (2004)

This California George Phillips Cellars Zinfandel is my choice for this Monday night. It is damp, rainy and cool in Michigan. And very dark at 7:30 p.m. For dinner, I have put together a large cast iron skillet with skinless chicken breasts, red potatoes and a chicken-broth & mushroom sauce. It is simmering now and I will add a vegetable in a few minutes. Nothing fancy but sustenance for this start-of-the-work-week evening. I took quite awhile to choose a wine for tonight because what we happen to have stocked right now are big reds typically more suited to red meat and/or cheese. But, I am glad I came across this Zinfandel; it will be perfect for tonight’s dinner.

In the glass it is not impressive; it looks rather thin and pale compared to the big, purple inky Cabernets we are used to. However, the color is deceiving. This is a big, jammy dry wine. By the way, this is the same grape that produces “white zinfandel” but that is an entirely different wine — the white zinfandel is made from the same grape but with the skins removed, which makes for a very different wine.

This Zinfandel has chewy tannins and great fruit flavor. It is smashing! Cheers!

Francis Ford Coppola Rosso (2006)

The Francis Ford Coppola Rosso 2006 is a full-bodied, vivid, tangy blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I really like this wine because it is bursting with fruit flavors. The tannins are grippy and the finish is woody. I bought this wine on sale at Kroger’s in Ann Arbor. I would definitely purchase this again if I can find it for under $10. I believe this was priced at around $13 and it was on sale for $9.99.

Tonight’s dinner is nothing to brag about: leftovers! I am going to heat up some leftover chicken and brown rice casserole and make a vegetable. I don’t know about you, but sometimes Mondays can be brutal and this is all I feel like doing tonight.

Ménage à Trois California Red Wine (2007)

This Ménage à Trois California Red Wine 2007 is a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I bought it tonight. I stopped at Kroger’s for groceries on my way home from work and couldn’t resist, of course, wheeling my already full cart through the wine isles to see what was on sale. This one was marked down from $13.29 to $9.99.

The reason it caught my eye is because my good friend, Vicki Voisin, loves this wine. Vicki is a remarkable woman and I love her to pieces! I know, however, that we don’t have the same tastes in liquid refreshments because she has tried my martini and doesn’t swoon. But I give her credit for this one.

Although at first breath it was bit hot and overpowering, after it had decanted awhile it became quite delicious.  This red blend has a fragrant nose of green peppers and strawberries. On the palate is a blackberry – like peppery spiciness as well as a mature fruity bell pepper quality. The finish is surprisingly sweet, which I didn’t care for at first, but now that it has had some air the finish is milder and less cloying.

It is Friday night and we are celebrating as we always do on the eve of our weekend! For dinner, I picked a bowlful of tomatoes and started a cast-iron skillet of delicious homemade tomato sauce. That is simmering and I just baked a loaf of whole wheat bread. I will serve the spaghetti with vegetables and our “Vicki” wine and it will be delicious – can’t wait!

(I miss you, Tony!)

Della Flora Zinfandel (2006)

This Della Flora Zinfandel 2006 from California is complex. It has equal measures of ripe fruit and spice. The finish is long and delicious.

Although it is mid-May in Michigan, we are having a very cool day. I decided to take advantage of the weather and make a pot of bean soup. I purchased a meaty ham shank from the local meat market, sauteed garlic and carrots, added Navy beans and chicken broth to simmer all afternoon. I have a loaf of whole wheat bread rising and will soon put it in the oven. It will be a cozy and delicious dinner. Tom made a good choice with this wine.

Sycamore Valley Paso Robles Zinfandel (2006)

This Sycamore Valley Paso Robles Zinfandel 2006 from California is a different and delicious wine. In the glass it is cherry red and the nose is pleasantly minty and spicy. The taste is eye-opening with raspberries, black pepper and well-water metal (like you would taste if you had a glass of well water out of an old, tin glass).

It is Friday evening and we are relaxing after a work week. Last night, I was in Windsor, Ontario with my sister. I won a free night at the Casino last summer at a golf outing, so I invited my sister to enjoy it with me. The free night was only good during a week night so she drove over (from Grand Rapids, Michigan) to see me after work last night. We spent one night enjoying each other’s company and even played a couple slot machines. It was great to see my sister. I am glad to be home. Dinner is on the stove and life is good!

Terre Nuove Primitivo Puglia (2006)

Although we received this Terre Nuove Primitivo Puglia 2006 from a wine club and paid over $10 a bottle, I have this tagged at under $10 because I believe it is available for around $9 a bottle at wine shops (based on a quick search).

This Italian red wine is soft in the mouth with smoky spice and fruit. The Primitivo grape is known as Zinfandel here in the U.S. I like this wine very much. For dinner tonight I have made a casserole of ground beef, unpeeled cubed potatoes, onions, pinto and black-eyed peas, and salsa. It’s a weird recipe that I found and seemed like a good idea for a Friday night. I think this wine choice is perfect for tonight!

Rancho Stella Cellars Paso Robles Zinfandel (2006)

Tom chose this Rancho Stella Cellars Paso Robles Zinfandel 2006 tonight to accompany our spicy sausage and potato stew that is simmering on the stove. It’s a Tuesday night and we both worked hard at our jobs. Trigger even took extra-long walks today so she is resting beside me on my chair.

I like this wine because it is dry with lots of pepper on the palate and juicy, ripe fruit on the finish. It will hold up well with our spicy dinner. This is a good Zinfandel.

Admission: Going to watch American Idol tonight!

Rancho Stella Cellars Paso Robles Zinfandel (2006)

This Rancho Stella Cellars Paso Robles Zinfandel 2006 from California is fabulous. Tom chose it for our Saturday night. We are celebrating the fact that our son Tony has returned safely from an “alternative winter-break” trip to New Orleans to work on a community-service project. He hauled junk, painted, and generally helped to clean up flood-damaged areas. Tony was gone for 10 days during his break between Christmas and the start of his winter term at Eastern Michigan University. Tony, we are so happy that you are back!

It’s a gray day in Michigan. The weather warmed up to 40 degrees (F) and our snow has started to melt. A good day for a pot of soup and a loaf of bread. I also baked a batch of oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies for dessert.

I almost forgot to tell you about the wine. There is nothing sweet about this wine (yay!). And it is dry. The nose is pleasantly spicy and the taste is lots of pepper and fruit. This is dry and lip smacking and delicious. Cheers!

Tom: This Rancho Stella Cellars Paso Robles Zinfandel 2006 is rich and jammy, lots of berry flavor. Nicely tannic. A very nice wine and it will be excellent with a spicy soup.

Il Valore Primitivo Puglia (2006)

This Il Valore Primitivo Puglia 2006 is a black-plum colored Italian wine with a nose of blackberries and cloves. On the palate is a very grapy fruit (almost like Welch’s grape juice) with a slightly fizzy quality. The tannins are soft and the acidity is high.

It’s a Monday night and we are having a well-deserved cocktail hour. All that shoveling yesterday made my shoulder muscles sore (if there ARE muscles up there)! I think Tom is fine because his arms are strong. . . but it feels very good to me to relax. I have some leftover vegetable soup on the stove with some good bread and cheese for our dinner.

Old Moon Zinfandel (2005)

It is Sunday night and we are relaxing after a very productive day. We cleaned closets, moved things downstairs (out of the garage) for the winter, and did myriad pre-winter chores. The lovely part of a hard-working day is getting to relax when it is done, which is what we are doing now. Trigger is on my lap and she is a little jealous of the laptop. She likes to try and move my right hand from the mousepad because I think she sees it as a distraction from me petting her.

Anyway, this Old Moon Zinfandel 2005 from Trader Joe’s, is just fine. It’s from California, with a nose of rasberries and a palate of grapes, pepper, and cherries. The finish is tannic. It is entirely satisfactory and an excellent value, as are many Trader Joe’s wines. At about 2:30 today, I started a pot of pinto bean/navy bean soup. I started with chopped fresh garlic and onions sauteed in olive oil, I then added the rinsed pinto and navy beans and a ham bone. I mixed that around and added chicken broth and it has been simmering all afternoon. I baked a loaf of whole wheat bread, and I baked some oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies for dessert. I chose this zinfandel purposefully to go with this pot of soup. Happy, happy Sunday!