Wine Bar Discoveries

Some of our best wine finds have been discoveries while attending events at local wine bars.  Many of them offer special tasting events or even just a wide selection of wines by the glass.  Both are a great way to explore wines you may never find, or try otherwise.  Here are a couple of wines we discovered while attending local tasting events with friends. 

2011 Tomàs Cusiné “Auzells

We discovered this wine at a Spanish wine tasting event at Village Vino.  It is a blend of 31% Macabeu, 27% Sauvignon Blanc, 16% Riesling, 16% Chardonnay, 5% Albariño, 3% Müller Thurgau, and 2% Muscat. If you are like me, I didn’t know what half those grapes were, much less how to pronounce them.  The important part was that it tasted really darn good.

Auzells is a medium body white, with aromas of citrus and pear.  We found these flavors to carry over to the palate.  It was delicate, but not bland.  Light and crisp, with flavors that stayed strong throughout.  It paired very well with maple mustard chicken and roasted root vegetables. 

This wine is distributed to restaurants and specialty wine shops. Keep an eye out for it, it’s really quite tasty!

2010 Writer’s Block Cabernet Franc

We discovered this wine at a Cabernet Franc tasting at Bacchus Wine Market & Tasting Room.  I love Cab Franc, but it is harder to find this varietal not hidden as part of a blend.  This event was an opportunity to taste 6 in a single setting.  Count me in!  

Writer’s Block is produced by Steele Wines, in the Lake County area.  The 2010 is a blend of 92% Cab Franc, 4% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.  It did not disappoint.  Thick, full flavors that hit you from the time you pop the cork.  We immediately smelled green pepper, coffee, and a little tobacco that carried over with a growing flavor of rich, dark berries that finished with bold tannins.  Excellently balanced, with no burst of alcohol. This is a very solid wine, and at under $20 a bottle, an excellent anytime wine. 

Check out your local wine shops and bars for upcoming events.  You never know what you may discover! 

Upcoming Events

Village Vino (full list and details)

April 2: Oregon Pinot Tasting with Raptor Ridge

April 12: Cune Winery with Lucia Ramos

April 15: Patz & Hall with owner Anne Moses

Bacchus Wine Market (full list and details)

March 28/29: Wines from Eastern Europe

April 4/5: Wines from Portugal

April 11/12: Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Oscar Party Wine Winners

Oscar Night is a fun night in our house.  It’s a perfect evening to celebrate what we love… movies and wine!  We’ve hosted this event a number of years (2013 Results, 2012 Results).  Whether it is who takes home the Best Picture award, or which wine is the favorite of the evening, each night brings different surprises.  All wines selected are under $20, and ones we’ve shared or discovered with friends. 

While the food pairings give a good hint to what’s inside the bag, it is always fun watching friends guess the varietals.  This year had a little twist, as they were all blends.  I must say, the surprise for me was how many of our friends came pretty darn close to nailing every single wine!  After tasting all the selections, and before the reveal, votes are cast for the favorite.  This year’s winner…

4^th Place: Gruet Blanc de Noir

We first discovered this wine as part of our “Coast to Coast, Champagne Toast” New Year’s Eve parties.  At these events, we shared sparkling wine from each time zone, welcoming the New Year on each hour (including Hawaii!). It was a tough challenge to find a decent selection from each US time zone, but this one was a winner for the Mountain region.  It has rich and toasty flavors, smooth and refreshing finish, and a great deal. Retails $17.

Food pairing: Ginger-Soy chicken wraps, vegetable spring rolls, parmesan cheese

3^rd Place: 17^th Edition Sokol Blosser Evolution

We discovered this wine while visiting their tasting room.  It is one of my favorite “summer” wines.  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 enjoyable all on its own.  Retails $14

Food pairing: Bacon crostini, butternut squash tartlets, baked camembert with roasted garlic onion jam

2^nd Place: 2009 E. Guigal Cotes Du Rhone

We first shared a bottle of this wine with our friend Darren, in Dublin.  It is a versatile, light-bodied red wine blend of 52% Grenache, 45% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre.  It tastes well on its own, even better with food.  It’s a crowd pleaser in flavor and price. Retails $12

Food pairing: Italian sausage pigs in a blanket, port salut cheese

1^st Place: 2010 Wattle Creek Kristine’s Cuvee

This is another one we discovered at the tasting room.  It is a Bordeaux blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 14% Petit Verdot, 13% Merlot, 13% Malbec.  Friends enjoyed the aromas and flavors of plum, cherry, and caramel, and lower alcohol and light tannin profile. Retail $20

Food pairing: Balsamic beef sandwiches, aged cheddar cheese

The Wine Trifecta

Last Wednesday, Sally and I had a trifecta of great wine experiences. We explored new wines, enjoyed some great food, and shared a bottle of wine with a friend.

Can it get any better on a Wednesday night?

We met our friend Yolanda after work at Village Vino to taste some Spanish wine that had been brought in by wine importer Valkyrie Selections. For $15, we each got to taste five wines ranging from a light Rosé to a robust red blend. The wines had all received a rating of 90 points or higher from wine critic Steve Tanzer, the editor and publisher of International Wine Cellar. It was a good learning experience since we're not very familiar with Spanish wine.

Here were our favorites:

2012 Raventos I Blanc Rosa 100% Pinot Noir.

2011 Tomàs Cusiné “Auzells.” 31% Macabeu, 27% Sauvignon Blanc, 16% Riesling, 16% Chardonnay, 5% Albariño, 3% Müller Thurgau, and 2% Muscat.

2007 Joan Simó “Sentius.” 48% Grenache, 15% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah, and 10% Carignan.

The Sentius was the consensus top pick, so we purchased a bottle to share. Village Vino has a nice selection of finger foods that are perfect for pairing with wine and we decided on a cheese plate and their salumi flatbread. 

The wine tasting was a little too successful because Village Vino had sold out of several of the wines by the time we wound down our evening. We did pick up a bottle of the 2011 Tomàs Cusiné “Auzells and plus a 2011 Domain Girault Le Grand Moulin Sancerre to replace a bottle we had recently consumed. (The Sancerre was a discovery from another Village Vino event.)

One of the nice things about the event was your tasting fee was refunded if you purchased a bottle. Village Vino's wine prices are already very reasonable, so this was just icing on the cake.

We've had several posts this year about events at Village Vino. I highly recommend checking out their events calendar if you happen to live in San Diego to see if you can score a wine trifecta of your own.

Enjoying Spanish wine at Village Vino with our friend Yolanda.

Favorite Oregon Wines

May is Oregon Wine month.  What better way to ‘celebrate’ the occasion than by drinking some great Oregon wines!  Here are a few of our favorites, all under $20:

All are available at BevMo, Specs, TotalWine

Sokol Blosser Evolution ($13-$18)

A favorite summer wine. Flavorful white blend with big tropical fruits up front, and a crisp, clean finish.  Poor a glass and go chill on the patio.  Food optional. 

A to Z Pinot Noir ($16-$19)

My brother Greg, and his wife, Jennifer shared this wine with us.  It is one of their ‘go-to’ wines, and after tasting it, you’ll understand why! It is a classic Oregon pinot, and hits three high notes for me:  enjoyable ‘ingredients to dessert’, under $20, and screw cap!

Erath Pinot Noir ($14-$19)

A regular favorite, and the wine that changed my mind on screw caps.  A lighter, fruitier pinot than what typically comes from Oregon. While it does pretty well on its own, it is best paired with food. 

What are your favorite Oregon wines? 

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