Nights in White Wine: Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay

I'm getting behind on my blog here, in that I have been drinking a lot of wine and I haven't had time to post about it. I haven't even taken pictures of the bottles yet, so there are all these bottles on my counter. Gregory wanted to throw them out, and I immediately intervened, "No! I'm saving those!" And he said, "For what?" "I need to take pictures of them and post them on the internet." His response was, "That is not creepy at all. You're like a combination hoarder and serial killer." "Well, excuse me while I kill of this other bottle to add to my collection."

So on with today's post:

What better way to spend an evening with a blonde, than with a couple bottles of white wine? One for you and one for her.

My dear friend Catherine is visiting, and she was in the mood for white, so we started light with the Vampire Pinot Grigio 2009. This is a nicely rounded white, light citrus, refreshing. We were drinking more with the idea of drinking in mind. So we didn't really taste as much as we...drank it.

Next we stepped it up with the Orogeny Chardonnay. This is nicely oakey, like drinking roasted cashews. It isn't a big flavor, but nicely balanced and just wonderful. I had a handful of trail mix and it was quite lovely, salty and sweet flavors. I think the oakiness of the Chardonnay was made more distinct by the lightly citrus quality of the Vampire white we had before.

I'm not necessarily saying you will better enjoy these wines in the company of a blonde, but it can't hurt.

Bottom line: put on a wig and drink it.

Domaine Chandon Cabernet Savignon 2009

This cab is majestic and regal. It is very smooth and drinkable alone, or great with savory flavors. It opens very nicely. The bouquet seemed very tannin-y at first impression, but the flavors told a different story. Subtle cherry flavors make it an elegant pairing with almost anything.

It will be a wonderful way to dress up an evening where you don't feel like cooking. Recommended with pork rinds, trail mix, etc.

Bottom line: Put on a tube-top and drink it.

Because nothing says majesty like a tube top, pork rinds, and a Chandon cab. Am I the only one who can see that commercial?

Dear Chandon, Send me a million dollars for my marketing genius.

You're welcome,
Joe

Michael David Cabernet Sauvignon "Earthquake" 2010

Trust me, in this pic, there is a glass of dark deliciousness.

I am not as familiar with Michael David wines as I now want to be. After this delicious pairing with a giant rare steak at Mastro's in Beverly Hills, I am very eager to learn more.

The conventional rhetoric is to describe a pairing wine as "hungry," and it is hard to say this is one of those because it seemed lovely as is, but it did also go well with the steak I ordered.

What I remember of this was that it was complex, jammy, and generally wonderful. I was surprised that this tasted so mature for being a 2010. I don't quite know what that means.

Bottom line: Amazing when paired with steak. I'm willing to bet it is also amazing when bedrinkled alone.

Uppercut Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

This! Is good wine. Unique and savory. Very smooth and drinkable.

It is surprising how light it tastes versus how dark and rich it appears. It is pleasantly mature for being so young.

I didn't have an opportunity tonight to pair it with food, so I'll add an update soon.

Update: best with savory flavors. I was eating a crepe with sausage, Irish cheddar, mushrooms, and heirloom tomatoes. The wine tasted much better with the crepe than it did after a scoop of my caramel coconut flan ice cream. The sweetness kind of took the body out of the wine. Like having a phone call with a bad connection.

Bottom line: Wine: take off your pants and drink it.

Rose'N'Blum Pink Moscato 2011

While I was away this last week, Gregory surprised me with a bottle of this delicious gem. Rosenblum creates amazing Zinfandels. It is like they break out the Harry Potter wand to stir their blends, or have an enchanted blending vat. All I know is there is magic somehow involved. And if it turns out to be dark magic, I'm willing to overlook a little red candle wax or pentagram chalk that may have been mixed in.

This pink muskrat is wonderful, sweet and crisp. It almost has a lightly fizziness, which gives it a texture like a milk chocolate bar with panko flakes. And there are some elegant floral notes. I don't know if that light fizzy quality will disappear as this ages over time. My guess is definitely maybe possibly, bit who knows? I don't know.

I didn't have the opportunity to pair it with an appropriate dessert, since I was in the middle of the desert. I think I had a chocolate chip Clif bar.

Bottom line: Drink it and feel wonderful. I know I sure did.

David Fulton Petite Sirah 2006 (Personal Favorite)

Yesterday was my 4th Wedding anniversary. I do have to specify which kind of anniversary, because my husband and I have been together for 12 and a half years now. And we have three anniversaries: dating, domestic partner, and marriage. I love him more than ever. I sometimes feel like my heart will burst. We are just absolutely right for each other.

And there is no better way to commemorate an occasion than with our favorite wine, the wine that started it all for us both: David Fulton.

One of the oldest wineries in the Napa Valley, they make only one kind of wine: petite sirah, and the make it better than anyone. It is rare when I find a petite that can put in the company of this wine, and so far I have found only two: Rosenblum Pickett Road and Titus Vineyards.

This wine is dark, dark, dark, and thick and jammy, with just layers of delicious complexity.

My very first encounter with this wine was at a tasting several years ago, and they served the 2004. It was PHENOMENAL. It changed my life. Seriously. Sadly I haven't found any since, but the 2006 is amazing. 2007 less so, despite it being a "good growing season." I can't articulate why, but it just isn't my favorite. 2008 is lighter in body, but still full of wonderful deliciousness, like a naughty brunette that goes blonde for a weekend. Meow.

In conclusion: Wine is sexy. Drink it.

(The 2009 should be shipped to us in the next couple of months.)

Back From Vacation (aka What is the deal with this blog?)

I have been back from vacation for two days now, and my apartment is still a disaster. Completely for lack of trying. I'm exhausted. The only thing I was able to do is clean the cat box. Because damn. Other than that one accomplishment, I am still walking around in a fog, trying to figure out what the real world is about. I spent the last week at Burning Man. First time. More on that later.

I did just launch right in without introducing myself, or really explaining what I am going to be posting about, and arguably most importantly, what your expectations should be of me.

I'm not going to post regularly. Just whenever I feel like it. But I will try to at least be weekly. However due to intermittent vacations, there may or may not be periods of nothing. And I may or may not let you know in advance. I'm sure there's some joke about vacation or serial killer that I could make here, but I'm tired, and are serial killer jokes really that funny? Oh, I'm sure you'll be religiously browsing by daily, eager for new content only to be greeted by the same stale, rotting, moldy post, and your hard drive will start to stink like day-over broccoli every time you swing by, due to someone having forgotten to refresh the blog, and write out a fresh bouquet of whatever-the-crap this is.

I will try to keep to wine-related topics, however I am a gold-medal digressor. I try to be conservative when it comes to my personal life, but I wear my heart on my sleeve. And with all that is going on in my life right now, I'm bound to turn to you, oh blogosphere, to rant, or cry, or just bitch. Cause sometimes, you gotta.

So here's a bit about me: I am a gay man, and I'm married, bitches. It is a civil marriage, not sacramental--we are both atheist. We married in 2008 when it was legal for all couples in the US to marry equally. I'm not going to launch in to politics--indeed will try to keep the subject away entirely because wine and politics don't mix--but I will just say, I feel you either believe in equality or you don't. But we can disagree. If you look past the parts of my life you disagree with with, I'll agree to look past that ugly-ass sweater you insist on wearing. You know the one. Tragic.

My husband is a wonderful, understanding, saint of a man, who puts up with my insanity. He is amazingly patient, and just a wonderful, caring person. I also compose music. I also have a day job at Universal (corporate--not the theme park, so don't hit me up for tickets). I am trying to make music my full time job, as I have a degree in oboe performance, and I love everything about music. I also like working out and I do my best to live a healthy life. But I also like drinking alcohol, and in particular, wine. And I love cheese, carbs and fat. In fact if there is some kind of melted fat into which carbs can be dipped, I'm there.

So I'm not a crazy health nut, just reasonable. And I try to not preach. Everyone has to do what they think is best for the reasons they feel are most important. I like to be healthy, to sweat, and to eat a lot of high-calorie foods in large quantities. If I didn't work out, I'd be like those people who have to have walls taken out of their house so they can go shopping for a mu mu.

So what did we learn? Me: post when I want, gay, musician, workout, like real food and wine drinky drinky. You: still here for some reason, ugly sweater, reader I like, also wine drinky?

Good. I think we understand each other.