What are you drinking?

Chateau Ste Michelle 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (Indian Wells). That's what I'm drinking. Delicious. Very rich and lush with hints of really ripe red berries. Luxurious, actually. Not much spice and the tannins aren't overpowering the finish.

~~~~~

This weekend the family and I visited the Novelty Hill Januik Winery tasting room in Woodinville, WA. The facility is a contemporary design as opposed to the Chateau Ste Michelle Winery just around the bend. Jim and I tasted several and brought home a few. One of which we opened that night -- Novelty Hill 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (Stillwater Creek). All of the above regarding the Ste Michelle '05 Cab applies, but this Cab was waaay more complex. What I mean is it was more dense and spicy. The flavors were more concentrated in this cab, but the finish was like velvet.

I'll dig out my notes and write up what we tasted, but go see for yourself. The place is wonderful and such a contrast from the Columbia Winery and Ste Michelle.

Two-Buck Chuck

Okay. So once in awhile I talk myself into trying this and then I remember why I decided I wouldn't buy any more. Kind of like Kentucky Fried Chicken. It always looks good late at night when you are hungry. Then you run out and eat it and immediately wish you hadn't. Your gall bladder also wishes you hadn't.

But this time? This time, I bought a Shiraz rather than the Cab. And I thought I might as well give it a fair shake. BTW, this wine is sold exclusively at Trader Joe's.

So, here are my notes:

Charles Shaw '07 California (Napa) Shiraz

Visual: clear, red [duh], lacking deep brilliance, appears watery
Aroma: [vigorously swirling] Aroma? Waitaminute... Er, faint? [shrug and sip]
Body: [pours more in glass, another sip] flat [another sip] limp [another sip] Hee. I just wrote "limp"
Taste: [another sip] less tannic than I though an '07 would be [another sippy sip] Schmooth. [hic -- pours more, sips more]
Finish: Cherry aftertaste. [sip, sip, sip] Dude, it tastes winey. Winey, winey, winey. And limp. Bwahahaha. Limp. [downs third glass]
Food it pairs well with: Food? Oh. Oops. I don't know. [hic]

Zinfandel in Washington?

You don't say.

But Zin is California's grape. Isn't it? Turns out a few regions in Washington are looking to grow Zinfandel. I read this happy news in winepressnw.

Blueberry Martini Recipe

1.5 oz Blueberry Vodka
3 oz Blueberry Juice
Club Soda

Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add vodka and blueberry juice. Add a splash of club soda. Shake until your hands are frozen.

Makes one. They go down easy.

Photo credit: jenny / http://creativecommons.org/

Mojitos. So yesterday.

Caipirinhas are where it's at.

Well, okay. Mojitos are still great, but a caipirinha (pronounced kye-per-EEN-yah) packs a punch like nothing else. This cocktail made from limes, sugar and cachaça is relatively new to the bar scene. In fact, I doubt I could walk into just any bar in my neighborhood and order one.

Cachaça (pronounced ka-CHA-sa) is fermented and distilled sugar cane juice and it's produced in Brazil. ("Have you been to Bahia, my friend?")

The cachaças we get here in the States usually consist of two mass produced brands. Cachaça 51 and Pitú. Both of which are perfectly fine for making a caipirinha, but I wouldn't dare sip them. They're pretty bitey.

Which brings me to my next point. I'm not sure even native Brazillians sip the stuff. I recently read an article in The New York Times Dining and Wine section about how folks in the U.S. are increasingly interested in cachaça. In fact, distilleries in Brazil are producing cachaças aged in cherry wood and French oak casks. Yeah, I'd sip those.

So next time you're out try one.

Wine of the Day

Zinfandel.

Somehow we ended up with a bottle of Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve '05 Zin and I have to say I've quite enjoyed it. This award-winning wine is a bargain, really, at only $11 per bottle at Safeway and $16 online at the K-J website.

Why hadn't we really ever bothered with Zinfandels before? Because it doesn't grow here in Washington. The tasting rooms we frequent are mainly near Leavenworth, WA and Woodinville, WA. Clearly, we need to get out more.

While this one is a blend of Zinfandel, Pinot Meunier, Petite Syrah, and Syrah, the Zin certainly shines through. This light and young tasting wine has hints of cedar, blackberry and plum with a nice spicy zing at the finish. Drinkable on its own, I definitely wouldn't mind having it with a nice, big dish of gnocchi with pomodoro sauce.

Two thumbs up.