wine list wednesday

a little chardonnay for this wednesday. the cameron hughes 2009 los carneros chardonnay pairs perfectly with this farm fresh salad. i really loves wines from the carneros region of napa. this white has a warm buttery profile as you would expect from a chardonnay with lovely creamy flavors of vanilla and pineapple with the right amount of toasted oak flavor, not too much. what i especially liked about this chardonnay is the unexpected, slightly citrusy burst at the end. its truly delightful and just picks up the whole in-your-mouth experience so beautifully. 

its really is a nice little wine and at around 15$ a bottle, its perfect for the upcoming summer salad and seafood season. i be it would also pair so well with mussels or grilled prawns. 

wine list wednesday

all of the fresh spring vegetable are bursting from the farmer's market - snow peas, mint, pea tendrils and lots of lemons - and so a crisp bright wines was most certainly the only option - 

Terra Robles made by the Robert Hall vineyard. 

its bright on the tongue - perhaps just a hair too acidic, but has nice citrus, grapefruit and pairs nicely with food. what i particularly liked about the terra robles is the lovely mouthful of orange blossom and honey - quite unexpected but very welcome - 

delightfully priced at 9$

pair with fresh pea and mint risotto. 

wine list wednesday.

ok kids. this little bottle of chardonnay is gonna knock your socks off. the 2007 Pine Ridge Vineyard Dijon Clones. its amazingly rich and has such elegance. I think if i had to pick one bottle to drink for the rest of my life this might be it. 

this wine tastes like the work of honeybees in a summer orchard. and it smells just as amazing. it all so well balanced, super super smooth and just the right hint of fruitiness(white peach, a little citrus, and pineapple) to compliment the oak - something that can be tricky with chardonnay. sometimes it just tastes like you are licking the inside of an old wine barrel, you know what i mean? but this doesn't its gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous and it lovely flavor just lingers on your tongue. it will be a hit if you bring it as a gift or the star of the party. 

serve with: mussels. or nothing at all. just enjoy it. 35$.

wine list wednesday : Ruston

im excited for my first wine list wednesday post. unfortunately im less excited about the wine i chose for this first post : 


Ruston 2008 sauvignon blanc. 6.99$ at trader joes. 

a plus for this wine is that the vineyard was certified organic in 2008, but it was a bit unbalanced for my liking and tasted the best on the 3rd night after i opened it.


it did have bright citrus fruit and was crisp as you would expect from a sav. blanc.  but right out of the bottle all of this was lost by the overpowering acidity. on the third night after opening however this overly acidic and slightly tart aspect of the wine had for the most part died away and it had a richer more honey based flavor. 


moral of the story. i might sight this guy on the shelf another 6 months and see what happens.