Thirsty Thursday: Tritano Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 2009

Bellissimo! I love a great Italian wine.This is a scrumptious red wine with violet hints and notes of dark fruit such as currants and blackberries with subtle hints of chocolate and mint. Pair this wine with Italian cuisine, meat sauces, red meats and mature cheeses such as Camembert. Cheers! 

Price: $13.00 and up

Thirsty Thursday: Biltmore Reserve Pinot Noir Russian River Valley (2010)

We're coming up on the holiday season and we have quite of few of our fabulous favorites that we'll be sharing with you in the coming weeks. Call me crazy but I had no idea that the gorgeous Biltmore Estate sold wine! Their pinot noir is absolutely to die for! With lovely aromas of strawberries, raspberries, vanilla and oak, this is will be a sure fire hit with company over the holiday season. Cheers!!!!

Price: $24.99

Thirsty Thursday: 2011 Menage a Trois Red Blend

I was first introduced to Menage a Trois wine in 2005 and have been a fan ever since. As some of you already know by now, I am an enormous fan of wine blends. This has some of my personal favorites~Zinfindel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Here's a medium-bodied wine that offers ripe jam, blackberry and raspberry flavors with a hint of black pepper spice ~ A great pairing choice with chicken and grilled meat. A guaranteed party favorite! Enjoy!

Price:  Under $11.00

Thursday's Wine: Sheridan Vineyard L'Orage Yakima Valley 2007

Wow! This wine from the Yakima Valley (Washington State) is absolutely fantastic. This big red wine blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Rich in black fruits, exotic spices, coffee and cocoa. Each sip will leave you wanting more. 

Price: $54.00

Thursday's Wine: Oriel Palio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2005

 

Today's wine is a full bodied wine from Italy. With its blackberry, strawberry and cherry flavors, Oriel Palio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo happens to be a choice of celebrity cook phenom, Rachael Ray. 

 Price: $17.00

Thursday's Wine: Santa Rita 120 Carmenere 2010

Our wine choice this week hails from the vineyards of Vina Santa Rita in Maipo Valley, Chile. Personally,  I have long been a fan of Chilean wines (Anyone who knows me, knows this) and I was thrilled to finally get the chance to try a with from the Santa Rita 120 line. Fruity aromas and spicy hints tantalized my nose. This is a smooth wine that is delightful to serve with just about anything or you can drink it alone. We on the other hand had it with Penne alla Vodka! Try it today! This wine definitely will not disappoint!

Price: 12.00 and up  

Thursday's Wine: Amancaya 2009 Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza

This weeks wine choice is is not only a blend in flavor but it was developed by two of the most celebrated wine families in the world. The Catena family (widely known as the first family of Argentine wine) and the Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) family of France.

Blended with 70% Malbec and the 30% Cabernet Sauvignon--this is one outstanding glass of wine! Lovely full flavors of mulberry, black currant and juicy plums enrich this wine. Notes of dark berry fruits and black spices on the nose.

Price: $14.99 and up

2005 Vigne E Vini Schiaccianoci Negroamaro del Salento IGT

Today's wine is from Southern Italy's Puglia region. This rustic red wine boasts a earthy but spicy quality.

Price: $10.00



Thursday's Wine: Wine Choices for Easter and Passover

One of our absolute Easter favorites! Rutz Cellars 2005 Maison Grand Cru Pinot Noir is a fantastic wine to serve with your Easter lunch or dinner. From the Russian River Valley, this wine has aromas and flavors of cherry, raspberries and spices. Dry and earthy with but has a silky smooth finish.

Price: $25.00-$30.00

Recommended by Food and Wine, the 2003 Bartenura Moscato d'Asti is a lovely wine for Passover. It's light, sweet and slightly fizzy. Also doubles as a perfect apertif.
Price: $12.00

Thursday's Wine: 2007 Acorn Medley Alegria Vineyards Russian River Valley Red Blend

 This is truly a blended wine. Take a look at how the process took place. After that you'll have to go pick up a bottle!

Lot 1 was a field blend that included Syrah, Cinsaut, six Muscat varieties, Mourvedre (Mataro), and Viognier. For Lot 2, a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, and other varieties from their old Zin field blend were crushed and co-fermented along with several table grapes. A blend of Cabernet Franc and Syrah was crushed and co-fermented for the third lot. The three lots were fermented in ¾ ton open top fermenters with a combination of native and cultured yeasts and gently punched down several times a day to extract color and flavor. After the completion of malolactic fermentation, the three lots were racked and blended. Later, more field-blended Zinfandel and Syrah were added to the base blend to create this elegant and complex wine.  

Excerpt from Tasting Room

Price: $32.00

Thursday's Wine: Vago Rojo Temparnillo-Malbec 2006



 From Argentina, this is a finely constructed effort, the charming New-Old World 2006 Vago Rojo exhibits ripe flavors that are accented with a touch of mocha and minerality; excellent with grilled beef.

Price: $19.99

Thursday's Wine: Casa Silva Reserva Carmenere 2008

Bright and intense ruby red. On the nose, aromas of black cherries and plums with hints of spices. On the palate, flavoursome: round, powerful, with sweet soft tannins and balanced acidity. Long finish.

An amazingly diverse variety which will accompany a broad range of dishes. Excellent with beef and steak, it also works perfect with Mexican fajitas, kebabs and souvlakis. Also enjoy it with lamb ribs, grilled chicken or ravioli with bolognese sauce.

Photo courtesy of Wine.com 

Thursday's Wine: 2007 TAZ Vineyard Pinot Noir {Santa Barbara County}

Believe it or not, this cranberry and rasberry flavored  pinot noir from Santa Barbara County has an interesting history.  The winegrower, Bob "Taz" Steinhauer, earned his nickname because of his resemblance to the Looney Tunes character. 

 TAZ

Price: $17.00

Valentine's Day: Pink & Red Inspiration from Oh How Posh!

Many thanks to our friends at Oh How Posh! for these fabulous Valentine's Day ideas! With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we hope that you draw some inspiration from these drink and dessert ideas.

1. Cosmospolitan Champagne

2. Pink and White Coconut Ice

3.Pink Grapefruit Jellies with Liqueur Cream

4. Pink and White Chocolate Mousse

5. Pink Guava Sparkling Champagne

6. Pink Vodka Cocktail

7 Pink Lamingtons  

Thursday's Wine: The Velvet Devil Merlot 2008



This Charles Smith Washington state wine's opulent cooked cherry and chocolate aromatic profile gives new life to this scorned grape variety.

Price: $12.00

Thursday's Wine: Miguel Torres Celeste 2006

We hope that you're enjoying our 12 Days of Christmas Gift Selections! We haven't forgotten about our fans that love our Thursday's Wine Selections so here's one you will enjoy just in time for the holiday season!

Miguel Torres Celeste Crianza 2006
 Bright ruby-red. Pungent aromas of dark raspberry, mint, spices and dried flowers. Tangy, finely etched red berry flavors are complicated by notes of cinnamon and white pepper,.

Price: $12.00-$14.00

Thursday's Wine: Valle Reale Vigne Nuove Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2008

Brilliant garnet in color with intense purple tones. This lovely red wine offers explosive aromas of blueberries and sweet cherries, with notes of licorice and spices. Easy going and ready to be enjoyed, this is a versatile, authentic Italian red: delicious by the glass and perfect with hearty food such as eggplant parmigiana, meat-based pasta, sausages, meatballs and salami.

Price: $11.99

Thursday's Wine: Vega Escal Priorat 2006



Todays wine is a lovely red wine composed of 60% Carinena, 30% Garnacha, and 10% Syrah. Offers a gentle spiciness of cedar, mineral, plum and black cherry.

Price: $19.00

Thursday's Wine: 2008 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Pleasant Hill Vineyard

High-toned nose of bing cherry cola, soy and asian spice, and bergamot. Luxurious mouthful of dark cherry and blackberry with a touch of baker’s chocolate on the finish.

Pair with anything not too spicy -- roast meats, cold cuts, grilled vegetables, pasta. Cheese, nuts, and fruit after a meal or -- add some crusty bread -- as a meal.

Price: $45.00

Thursday's Wine: Yalumba Barossa Shiraz + Viognier 2006

This wine is deep purpley red in color, displaying an aroma of sweet fragrant plums and bright red-berried fruits along with a fine cedar tone and just the subtle floral notes of Viognier. A medium to full bodied wine, showing red fruits, fine spices, cloves and peppers. Perfect year round - light but full bodied. Great alone or with cheese and/or meals.

Price: $16.99