aka Wine Steve

Thai chilis. They go well with beer, not so much with wine.

I had the 2020 a few years back. Probably drank it too soon, but the notes I wrote are very similar. I like the lower alcohol, lighter wines that come from the region. They are a welcome change. Glad to see your bottle aged nicely. I enjoy a touch of vegetal green in my Cab Franc, just a touch!

Nice reviews, I shall be on the lookout for this brand. I really adore Finger Lakes wines, hard to source though.

Friends are members at the Union League- might nudge them for an invite. The white, aged, is worthy.

For sure- Musar is a love/hate wine. The Brett is loved or hated. When I visited the winery we drank vintages back to late 90’s plus newer bottles. Their white, aged properly, is stunning and different.

Chateau Musar 2004

Back in the early 2000’s we would pass through the Dubai Duty Free, pick up a bottle of Musar for $25, and pair it with pizza in the crew room that night. Times/prices have changed but this epic wine is steadfast, age-worthy and amazing. 95 points from me. Lots of life left imho.

Santa Carolina Carmenere

Carmenere is to Chile what Malbec is to Argentina. Dark fruit driven, easygoing structure, affordable and the flagship variety of the country. This one runs $13 and gets 90 points. Need to get more.

These Cape Gooseberries remind me of the time I was studying for my wine certifications. I would buy any and all fruit to taste and calibrate.

Have you tried the Cab Francs from New York Finger Lakes? Delicate, pale, elegant and well priced. I prefer mine with a bit more heft, like this one.

An Argie Cab Franc for Sunday Roast-spectacular. A touch of capsicum, silky tannins, balanced and showing cellar-worthy structure.

One of my favorite wines, period. Some love the style, others....

Smoked Duck breast with fig reduction paired with Napa Cabernet. Stunning how well they went together.

I think I was really looking forward to the perfume tbh. I could almost taste the lychee and rose water as I strolled down the aisle. I'll be on the lookout for said orange wines.

I did the same the other day.... it's like playing "Chopped" at home. From now on, a black marker with the date and contents are a must on any bag that goes into the freezer.

Alsace Gewurztraminer- not many regions do it this well. I had a long think about this pairing- Gumbo. This off-dry wine will do wonders to the dark roux, chicken, Andouille and shrimp methinks. It ran me $27 and is the first of several that I bought to try out. I had a Gewurz hankering per se.

$30 gets you a delicious Napa Cab blend that shows off Cali sunshine, deft oak, great primary flavors and decent cellaring capacity. Brought over to the SB party by a friend. I'll get it again for sure.

Further to my earlier post on Grifone and their "1967" cuvee- I present the Primitivo (aka Zinfandel). Priced at the same level ($7 at Trader Joes), it delivers an unfettered, lowish alcohol quaffer that I really enjoyed with our Beef dinner. Not jammy or heady- easygoing and smooth.

Slight, but more so an orange marmalade note. It was gold in color, but not as deep as I would have imagined.

Had a delicious dinner at a new restaurant in Aldie, Virginia. The owner treated us to a taste of this beauty- still fresh but developed with gorgeous marmalade, honey and wild flower notes. A special bottle for sure.

The missus asked me to get this $7 Sangiovese blend from Trader Joes. I gotta say, it's very serviceable and may be added to the weekday pounder rota. What it lacks in structure and depth, it makes up for in smoothness and personality.

Braised Pork cheeks and a Margaux my buddy brought over. Sunday cooking....

I don't get it with this wine. Second try , different vintage, same conclusion. There's not much there. No intensity, lacking concentration and certainly not true to form structure-wise. It's easy to drink, true. Is it me?

Finally- a decent Saperavi for $15. I like that it runs at 12.5% ABV yet delivers a medium bodied, red fruit driven wine with decent tannins and a nice finish. Paired it with peppers and Andouille.

On sale for $7, down from $10 at my local Costco- this Kiwi Sav Blanc rocks. The acidity was en pointe, the aromas/flavors were delicious and the finish was decently long. What more could you want?

I taught this class in DC. A client runs an apartment building, for their tenants.

Taught my Wine Tasting 101 class last night, it's been a while since I did the last one. Tons of fun, great students and delicious wines.

I have a few bottles of their Kupe, stunningly delicious.

My last bottle of the 2000 vintage- this Shiraz is stunning. I recently drank a 2014 which was one of my favorites of the year but this one is next level. Baby brother to The Armagh.

Never had an orange Gewürtz. The pairing sounds awesome.

Icee what you did there