Selecting wine in a restaurant when you know nothing

The other night we encountered a restaurant wine list that had absolutely nothing familiar. This rarely happens to us but we know what to do when it does. We immediately skip to number two on our list of three ways to select a wine from a restaurant wine list. (See the full list here.)

Number two is "try before you buy." The trick here is to look for wines that are sold by both the glass and the bottle. The restaurant will have bottles of these wines already open, so you can taste a few possibilities before making your final selection.

In our case, we narrowed our selection to two contenders. One was an Australian Shiraz and the other was an Italian Sangiovese. Both were reasonably priced and the varietals in theory would pair well with both our meals. Our server brought us a glass with a splash of each one and we picked the one we both liked best - the Italian.

The wine turned out to be a Terra Alta Red Wine. We took a picture of label thinking we could easily research the winery online at a later time, but our search has been fruitless. Does anyone recognize this wine?

August 30 is Cabernet Day

Yes.  It is true.  Today is Cabernet Day!  Today is a day to celebrate and appreciate all things cabernet ~ including cab franc, and cab blends.  August 30, 2012 marks the third annual International Cabernet Day.  According to organizer, Rick Bakas, “The idea came about in 2009 when the wine economy was in the toilet and I was trying to find ways to connect wineries with consumers. It helps the industry and doesn’t cost anyone anything.”

So, how do you celebrate?  It’s easy.  Open a bottle of cab, drink, and share.  Join the conversations on twitter using the hashtag #CabernetDay.  According to wine-searcher.com, last year more than 6,000 people shared over 17,000 tweets using the #CabernetDay hashtag, reaching an estimated 4.2 million people in one day.  That’s some considerable wine sharing!

Check out prior posts on some of our favorites cabernets:

2006 Cade Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Plumpjack Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

2004 Plumpjack Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Ehlers 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon "1886"

Cabernet Franc ~ tasty all on its own

Call Me A Cab Party

Wild Horse – 2008 Unbridled Arroyo Grande Pinot Noir

On our trip to Paso Robles last year, we had a great tasting experience at Wild Horse.  While they produce a wide range of wines, they are best known for their Pinot Noir.  The day of our visit they had five on the tasting list ~ their widely distributed pinot, along with selections from their unbridled and cheval collections.  Zach, our host, provided us with a very cool tasting experience.  He lined up five glasses, and we tasted them all side by side.  They were all quite good, but our two favorites were from the Unbridled series ~ the 2008 Bien Nacido Vineyard and the 2008 Arroyo Grande.  Of course, we brought some home.

This weekend, we shared our 2008 Unbridled Arroyo Grande Pinot Noir with Jeff’s parents.  The wine has stayed very true to our original tasting notes.  It is a traditional California Pinot Noir with a wonderful balance of fruit and earthiness, both on the nose and in taste.  It is more fruit forward with hints of blackberry and a little dark cherry.  The finish is exceptionally smooth. 

The one problem with this wine… they produced only 400 cases, and we purchased only 2 bottles. 

The Saga of the Most Shared Bottle

(as written by Jeff)

A number of years ago, my parents received a bottle of Maurice Car’rie Sara Bella blush wine from a dinner guest. Blush wine isn’t on the menu in their house, so the bottle made its way into our Yankee swap (i.e. white elephant) gift exchange at Christmas. Somehow, I ended up with the bottle. And thus began the saga of the most shared bottle.

It started innocently enough. I didn’t want to be saddled with it, so I snuck it into my parents’ wine rack when they weren't looking. They vowed revenge and the bottle wound up in the bottom of a gift basket my parents gave us for Christmas the next year. This escalated into a tit for tat exchange where the couple with the bottle re-gifted it to the other at the next Christmas in increasingly surprising ways.

Here are just a few ways the bottle was shared:

It was delivered to my parents as an amenity when they checked into a hotel for a get-away weekend.

My parents shipped the bottle to my in-laws’ house and had them put it under their Christmas tree when we were there for Christmas one year. It totally caught us off-guard.

We hid it in their house at Thanksgiving and waited until Christmas to email them a video that showed where they could find the bottle in their guest room.

Finally, it came to the inevitable end. My parents gave us a really nice bottle of 2008 Gypsy Boots Pinot Noir as a peace offering in exchange for officially retiring the shared bottle. We agreed to accept the olive branch under one condition – we had to open the bottle and try it. 

It wasn’t good.

More Fun White Wines to Beat the Heat

A refreshing glass of white wine is an excellent way to cool off during the summer.  Last year we shared some of our favorite fun white wines to beat the heat discovered while exploring California wine regions.  Here are a few more of our favorites ~ all under $20, and available at stores like BevMo and Specs.  Grab a bottle, and relax in the summer sun! 

Sokol Blosser Evolution 15^th Edition ($14)

One of my favorite wines this summer.  Intense tropical fruit notes up front, with a nice crisp, clean finish.  Blended from 9 grapes, this smooth, layered white is an excellent food wine, and is great all on its own. 

Conundrum by Caymus ($19)

Silky smooth with a lit bit of sweetness that is mighty tasty.  This California blend pairs so well with so many foods, it’s a conundrum deciding whether to enjoy with a sampling of cheeses, chicken and veggies right off the grill, or all of the above!

Miner Viognier ($20)

Aromatic, creamy with a crisp finish of tropical and stone fruits.  This is an excellent pre-dinner wine to enjoy with appetizers out on the patio, and would pair well with a creamy pasta dish, with chicken or seafood.  This wine is sold out through the winery, so if you find a bottle in your local store, snag it!

Rusack Chardonnay ($20)

Crisp, refreshing wine with flavors of honeydew melon and pear.  Well-balanced with light acidity, and dry finish.  The summer months can be busy, and this is an excellent wine to pair with Chinese take-out!  

Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio ($20)

Dry white wine with hints of apple.  Pack up a picnic ~ this versatile white pairs well with soft cheeses (especially goat), pasta, salads, seafood, even fried chicken!

What wine are you enjoying this summer?

Our Summer Line Up