I'll Be In The Kitchen

Yesterday I received in the mail a new book "The Joy Of Home Winemaking" by Terry Garey. No, I wasn't in the kitchen all night working on my first batch....but I can't wait to get started!! I will definitely keep everyone posted on my progress.

On a separate note, Wednesday/Thursday I went on a camping trip. I have not been in years!! Had a great time.....maybe the bottle of Sangria had something to do with it!!!


CHEERS!

Top Chef

Well, maybe not Top Chef, but I even surprised myself on this one (for a first try!). Last night for dinner I prepared seared ahi that turned out quite well!! Perfectly cooked...nice searing on the outside and wonderfully pink on the inside. I served it over a white cabbage salad with a wasabi vinaigrette. The wine I chose was Hogue Late Harvest White Riesling Columbia Valley 2005. This wine was wonderful with its honeyed peach and apricot flavors. After I finished, I thought to myself why pay $$$ when I can prepare the same thing at home for less than half the cost! This may become a habit!!

CHEERS!

Maui Eats

While in Maui, we had some wonderful food. Especially the fish...it was FANTASTIC! We pretty much stayed out of the larger touristy restaurants and went for the small local places. If you are ever in Maui and are looking for a good place to eat, here is a list of the locals we visited;

The Fish Market Maui - Honokowai

Penne Pasta Cafe - Lahaina

Aloha Mixed Plate - Lahaina
Old Lahaina Luau - Lahaina

Beach Club Restaurant at The Kaanapali Shores Resort - Honokowai **Jamie makes KILLER Mai Tais!!**

We also had a few beverages while we were there (as you can see!)

Cheers!!

Ahhh....Much Better

I have been sipping on a wine this week that I really enjoy. It is New Gewurz 2006 North Coast Gewurtraminer. It is refreshing with its pear and citrus flavors. Always a pleasure to drink a good wine.


Tomorrow my sister and I are going to The Wine Tailor for Wine Tasting 101: Exploring White Wines. They'll be exploring how white wines are made and the taste profile of the varietals that make them. Looking forward to learning something new and, of course, tasting the wines!!


Saturday evening, we are headed to the 20th Annual Flashback Classic Car and Motorcycle Show. Gee, I have been in the area just about that long and have never heard of it...haha! They will be having the car and bike show, trophies will be awarded and entertainment by the group The Answer. Sounds like a good time!


Cheers!

This Was Just Plain BAD!

Before I left on vacation, I purchased this wine from Trader Joe's. I was looking for something different, but not THIS different!! It is "Zarafa Pinotage 2005". Says to have "a fruity, plummy nose with soft tannins and a lingering aftertaste". A lingering aftertaste it had....not a good one. It smelled and tasted of pepper. Very strong at that. I even put it in a decantor, thinking it needed to breathe, but it never got any better. What an experience to have with my first dinner back home. I am just glad I wasn't offering it to others!

Back From The Island

Aloha.....I decided to come back. HaHa...as if I had a choice! It was a great trip. Beautiful sights, gorgeous weather, FANTASTIC food, excellent mai-tais (thanks Jamie!) and yes, a few bottles of wine. I'll go into more detail in a later post as I am still settling in and on Maui time....ho-hum.....

Cheers!

Aloha!

Well everyone, I am headed for beautiful Maui!! I have been there on one other occasion and love it! We, my sister and I, have rented out the same beachfront condo that my husband and I stayed in when we visited a few years ago.
I will be returning on August 16, hopefully relaxed and refreshed with adventures to share!

Cheers and Aloha!!

The Good & The Not So Good

Last night was the Concert at the Park. I had picked up a couple of wines, which I had not tried before, to go with our picnic. The first was a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc '06. "Concentrated and complex, with vivid passion fruit, grapefruit and tangy peach flavors". Everyone liked this wine. It went very well with our Chicken Cesar salad. To go with dessert, I had purchased a BV Muscat de Beaulieu. Full of ripe apricot, honey and citrus flavors. This wine did not fare so well. I believe the problem was that it was not sweet enough to hold itself up against the fruit and cheese we had for dessert. The cheese was a white stilton with apricots. It was wonderful!!
Overall the evening was a success. Good food, good wine (well, one anyway....), good music and good company.

Until next time.....
CHEERS!

Friday Night Wine

Last night I had sushi and the wine choice was a Leitz Riesling Dragonstone '05. This wine was wonderful! Very refreshing. "Full of ripe apple flavors with notes of pears and peaches" was the description. The peaches are what grabbed me. I would definitely recommend this wine and it was under $20 ($15.99 at BevMo). Try a bottle during these warm months and enjoy!

CHEERS!

Another Vine....a Different Wine

I just had to have it......another vine!! This time a Chardonnay. Keep those wine jugs handy!

Yesterday I purchased a few new wines that I had not tried before. For Friday evening, I will be opening a Leitz Riesling Dragon Stone '05 - Rheingua, Germany. I will be having this with Japanese and I think it will be a good pairing.


Sunday evening, I will be going to Concert in the Park, so I picked out a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc '06 - Marlborough, New Zealand. For dinner I am preparing a Chicken Cesar Salad and fresh bread. I also think these two will be a good match.


For dessert I chose a Beaulieu Vineyard Muscat de Beaulieu - California, USA. With this I will be having fresh fruit, nuts and cheese.

In a later post, I will give my opinions on these wines. If anyone has tried these wines, or have other selections you enjoy, please feel free to post your comments.

CHEERS!!

My Merlot

Yesterday I planted my first Merlot vine!! This is a new venture for me and I am fairly excited! Now I'm not expecting to be bottling anything, it is just for my personal joy if any grapes happen to grow. (Hey, it doesn't take much for me to get a thrill!!)

Tomorrow night is "Chocolate Decadence" and I am wondering what wine they will be serving. Chocolate can be one of the quickest ways to kill off a good wine. It is going to need to be a very sweet & powerful wine to cut through the sweetness and the mouth-coating effect of the chocolate. A Muscat or an aged tawny port would work well. We shall see!

Now, get your glasses ready for some Merlot!!
Cheers!