tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27350664951906982632011-11-27T17:43:53.030-08:00Wine in moderation: just one per week!MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.comBlogger3151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-19421289179636719322011-04-16T12:51:00.000-07:002011-04-16T13:18:35.803-07:00

By the title, some of you may have surmised that the reason for my absence of posts on this blog is because I've been enjoying the sweet life in Paris. La Dolce Vita, so to speak. Well, if that is what you surmised, then you surmised incorrectly because as you see, I don't even know what the French term for "sweet life" is and thus had to resort to Italian. No, mi vida loca has just kept me from

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-77255978204258298782010-01-26T02:00:00.000-08:002010-01-26T02:00:00.955-08:00

A short while ago I was contacted by a representative from Jacob's Creek who asked if I would be interested in samples of some of their wines. What the heck, it's free, right? Well, that isn't really the attitude I have towards samples; I honestly receive very few but am kind of glad about that because I don't want to get a whole bunch of wine I really don't want and then feel like I have to

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-9429413260748967522009-12-17T21:14:00.000-08:002009-12-17T21:24:19.292-08:00

Wow, TWO posts within the space of ONE week? Yes, 'tis the Christmas season and I am feeling generous with the words so I thought I would alert you to what I think is a bargain buy on a Pinot Noir that can be found at Trader Joe's. Well, perhaps can be found, since I bought this a few months ago.The Picton Bay 2008 Pinot Noir comes in a screw-top bottle, something I find very convenient since

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-52881345085570416372009-12-13T20:42:00.000-08:002009-12-13T21:21:09.594-08:00

Here I am, emerging from the woodwork for a rare appearance to provide those of you who are stumped for a wine-related Christmas gift with a suggestion.Living With Wine: Passionate Collectors, Sophisticated Cellars, and Other Rooms for Entertaining, Enjoying and Imbibing is an elegant coffee table book authored by Samantha Nestor and Alice Feiring. Ms. Feiring's name may have rung a bell with

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-38252703143856784112009-10-20T21:01:00.001-07:002009-10-20T21:11:44.406-07:00

Well folks, my post today isn't really about wine but it's about a wine accessory that you can use as an economical tool to keep your foods fresh, as well as your wine!Most of you are probably familiar with the Vacu Vin, the device that is designed to keep the remainder portion of wine in the bottle fresh by pumping out the air and then sealing the bottle with a rubber stopper. There's a lot of

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-8703828135701218782009-10-03T21:42:00.000-07:002009-10-03T21:50:54.785-07:00

Hey I am back but only briefly! I've been drinking wines consistently since my last post ages ago but have just been too lazy to write about them.I felt I needed to do this short review as a public service, though. I bought a bottle of 2006 Cherry Hill Pinot Noir Papillon from Trader Joe's a few weeks ago. It's an Oregon wine.Pouring it in the glass, it doesn't look like a Pinot Noir. It is too

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-15307460392628195832009-06-09T21:23:00.001-07:002009-06-09T21:32:29.464-07:00

I'm making one of my now infrequent appearances just to wave at you and let you know I am still here and enjoying a glass of wine as always even though I am not writing to tell you about it.But today I am.. I just feel like writing, and luckily it is about an enjoyable bottle I have been drinking over the past four nights. Tonight is the last 6 oz, sigh.The wine is (was) the 2004 Murgatroyd from

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-7843687280691339012009-05-19T16:31:00.000-07:002009-05-19T16:47:27.414-07:00

As is obvious from a quick scan of my site, I hardly do any sort of updating here. I still have a glass of wine per night (which equates to 7/4 wine per week since each glass is 1/4 of a bottle) but I haven't felt particularly motivated to do any wine-related writing. In fact I have not felt motivated whatsoever to write about things wine-ish.I haven't gone surfing around wine-related sites

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-18284568249947658302009-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:002009-05-02T08:10:43.736-07:00

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while, but I came down with a case of the Wine Flu.Joe Biden didn't make things any better, flapping his jaws on national television telling everyone not to drink wine in any enclosed area, and that people shouldn't even take wine to school with them. Obama and his cohorts had to move quickly to do their damage control on him before the angry winemaker's lobby

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-13787218786107080152009-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:002009-04-06T06:00:00.877-07:00

I am very pleased to introduce my new line of MONSTA ® brand wine glasses to my faithful One Wine Per Week readers and allow you first crack at the first ones off the conveyor belt!"There's already so many different wine glasses on the market, so what makes yours even worth looking at?" You might well ask.You hit the nail on the head. My new glasses are worth LOOKING at.Wine is not only a

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-47060964172989759662009-04-04T15:00:00.001-07:002009-04-04T15:10:32.349-07:00

Folks, today's post has nothing to do with wine, but it is something that makes me so very angry (and while I know this blog has a lot of leg-pulling, this time I am serious) that I had to write about it.Are you familiar with Monster brand cables? They are those overpriced ripoff cables sold by overpriced ripoff places like Best Buy, cables that perform no better than ones that cost 1/10 or even

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-11096122592796360822009-04-01T06:00:00.000-07:002009-04-01T06:00:01.803-07:00

I had the grand fortune of being invited to a tasting of wines from the Domaine de la Romanee Conti (DRC) a couple of days - actually evenings - ago. In a gorgeous room in a gorgeous house with a gorgeous view from the hills above Laurel Canyon, our gracious host opened bottles of the entire DRC line from the 1985 and 1989 vintages.Starting with the Echezeaux and proceeding upwards all the way

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-64133019789634516632009-03-20T07:35:00.000-07:002009-03-20T09:15:50.831-07:00

So today is Pink Friday - the day everyone is supposed to pop that cork on a bottle of White Zinfandel (should the "W" in White be capitalized? Should there be no caps as an indication that white zin gets and deserves no respect?) as a show of solidarity that even in such turbulent times of our economy, we can still uncork our wine and drink it, too.Did you pop that cork or are you going to pop

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-8854496549852413552009-03-16T06:00:00.000-07:002009-03-16T06:00:01.488-07:00

You may have read about it or even seen it on the news - March 13, 2009, aka "Pink Friday," the day teachers gathered to protest the pink slips many are receiving because of layoffs brought about by the faltering economy.It is indeed unfortunate that many have to lose their jobs like that - good teachers are hard to find. Of course if any bad teachers got the ax, then fine. Their union makes no

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-41627005667828272832009-03-15T06:00:00.000-07:002009-03-15T06:00:00.163-07:00

Yesterday I announced my comeback after being rescued with a small allocation of Economic Stimulus money from the Obama administration and let me tell you, I am hard at work to bring back One Wine Per Week to the same status it was before I went broke. Uh, that is, I guess I am actually closer to that status than I thought because $800,000 seems to disappear pretty quickly. I guess I had better

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-4306650304373177432009-03-14T06:00:00.000-07:002009-03-14T08:05:47.102-07:00

Wow, was the last time I posted anything way back on December 23??? Well hello again!I am sorry, I must profusely apologize for my long absence. The truth, I am embarrassed to say, is that I uh, went broke. I showed up to the 2005 Bordeaux and Burgundy party too late and was unable to purchase any futures in this great vintage. I hate getting left out, though, so I came roaring back by buying

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-6070945345959802062008-12-23T09:58:00.000-08:002008-12-23T10:39:39.746-08:00

Recently I was provided with a review copy of Wine, edited by Andre Dominé.The most obvious thing about this book is how heavy it is! I put it on the bathroom digital scale and got a reading of 8.2 pounds. This is a massive volume.So is there enough substance in the book to justify the weight? I'd say definitely yes, there is. This is a work along the lines of Jancis Robinson's Oxford Companion

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-65718926644451678772008-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:002008-12-13T06:07:01.785-08:00

Back in the middle of 2007 I purchased a couple of wine coolers under the Emerson label from Target. Each holds 8 bottles and works under the thermoelectric principle. I like to call them my "Emerson Suites." Wine suites, that is.Well, 16 slots is not a whole lot. Finally I decided to purchase another wine cooler unit, this time a little bigger. After doing much perusing on the internet, I

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-62421176545257135382008-12-11T20:37:00.000-08:002008-12-11T20:37:01.661-08:00

Another quick note here.. I purchased this from Jill at Domaine547 and, like the other wines that have come from her, it was a good one.It looked like a Pinot Noir - that is, it wasn't some deep, dense-looking thing but it had an attractive color. It also smelled and tasted like a Pinot Noir. My initial impressions were strawberries with a creme soda aspect. Along with it were flavors of spice,

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-54870527038215498012008-12-03T20:30:00.000-08:002008-12-03T20:41:04.602-08:00

Well I guess it had to happen sooner or later. Last night I was rinsing my Riedel Sommelier series Burgundy glass when I clinked the faucet hose against the inner rim. I heard a sickening dull cracking sound and my worst fears were realized. The thin crystal had cracked!Am I going to replace it? I doubt it. The risk of breaking such a delicate stem compared to its cost, which based on my

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-88250430486875996952008-12-02T21:21:00.000-08:002008-12-02T21:29:39.223-08:00

Just a brief little post here.. The other day I opened a bottle of Cameron Hughes' Lot 41, an Australian Shiraz.For 12 bucks it was definitely a good buy. Full bodied, lots of chocolately fruit with notes of tobacco, a nice texture and good Shiraz character. It's drinking well right now but should keep for a while, too.

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-21843757755423223192008-11-25T09:45:00.000-08:002008-11-25T09:45:00.908-08:00

My posts have become much less frequent, although I did act like the Eagles or Sean Connery and learned never to say "never again," having returned to posting after bidding adieu.Since cutting way back on my activity, I've noticed that the number of page hits has escalated greatly. Hmm.. is that like those artists and writers who can't seem to sell a painting or a book until they drop dead?

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-19254192128645850332008-11-19T22:08:00.000-08:002008-11-19T22:15:27.196-08:00

I'm back for another infrequent appearance. I had to put in a good word for the bottle of wine I'm telling you about today..I paid $13.99 for this bottle of Chablis from Garagiste. You'd be hard-pressed to find a bottle of chardonnay this good for anywhere near the price. It had obvious Chablis character - the steely, flinty aspect, crisp, well balanced acidity, and a green apple peel / lime /

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-8440256379687302012008-11-10T08:31:00.000-08:002008-11-10T21:04:48.760-08:00

I know I bid farewell from this blog but every now and then I'll post something when I run across a wine worth writing about and I feel like writing about it - notice the "and" rather than "or" clause, haha. That second part is the real qualifier because I still don't feel much like writing anything yet.This is the economy version of the blog - no pictures and no YouTube matching video. I'm just

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-1307841164279236812008-11-06T09:18:00.000-08:002008-11-06T09:25:34.469-08:00

Hello? Status update..

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-47293826281247959702008-10-16T06:00:00.000-07:002008-10-16T06:00:01.021-07:00

Well just like the economy, it looks like the idea bottle has run dry for One Wine Per Week. The site's proprietor, MonkuWino, made the decision yesterday to stop posting new entries and instead allow the site to become a wasteland on the web."Posting reviews of wine got to be boring," said MonkuWino to reporters gathered at the press conference. "The real purpose of this site was to have some

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-37486756284940721642008-10-10T07:00:00.000-07:002008-10-10T07:00:00.732-07:00

Tablas Creek turns out some very fine wines, and here's another one. This one was $21.60, straight from the winery.Light yellow gold in color, the aromas were subdued. There was a bit of flowers and some spice but they were muted.The wine was subtle on the palate, as well. Apple peel, a taste reminiscent of those hard candy lemon balls dusted with powder (do you know what I'm talking about?),

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-62476043996214051982008-10-08T07:00:00.000-07:002008-10-09T20:59:45.549-07:00

The inaugural wine under my new rating system is a good one - the 2005 vintage of the unpronounceable red blend from Twisted Oak.This one I purchased from WineQ last year and it set me back $27.99.There was a lot going on in the aromas and flavors - cedar, smoke, soy spice, pepper and abundant berries all wrapped together and getting along with each other, no less. It had a very long smoky berry

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-81126478423091609082008-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:002008-10-06T07:00:00.823-07:00

Actually I'm just trying to post an entry so as to not get knocked further down in the search engines or lose my already sinking place on the highly subjective Alltop wine page.The wines I drink at home are consumed over the course of four evenings. I open the bottle, fill up three 187.5 ml bottles for subsequent nights, and then pour the remainder into a wine glass to enjoy that same night.As

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-15602472247487289432008-10-03T07:00:00.000-07:002008-10-03T07:00:01.073-07:00

Russ the Winehiker sent me a nice direct message from Twitter yesterday: Hey Rickie, we haven't seen you for such a long time, and we miss you here on Twitter, man! C'mon back and let's have some fun!! Thanks, Russ! I guess it has been quite a while since I've Twittered with the other Twitwits. I still get notices from Twitter telling me that so-and-so is now following me; most of the time I will

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-64088278615820936602008-10-02T07:00:00.000-07:002008-10-02T07:00:00.264-07:00

Today's review is of an unusual wine, one that is 100% from the Negrette grape. I'd never heard of it until I received an offer for the wine from Garagiste. I forked over $11.84 to give it a try based on the prose in the e-mail.This is what Cellar Tracker has to say about the Negrette variety:Negrette is a varietal originally planted just to the side of Toulouse by settlers from Cyprus during

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-25080779867913421332008-09-26T21:01:00.000-07:002008-09-26T21:17:07.152-07:00

If you got here by typing the name of this wine into a search engine, congratulations on your typing abilities!This is the third of three bottles of older German Riesling I purchased from Garagiste, the others being the Kabinett version from the same producer in the 1994 vintage, and a 1990 Spatlese from this producer.Like the others, this one belied its age. Initially the color in the glass was

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-18212677212561111122008-09-24T07:00:00.000-07:002008-09-24T07:00:01.023-07:00

This bottle came from Garagiste (so did the wine inside of it) and was a reasonable $13.99.My main impression of this wine was minerals. Lots of minerals, chalk, concrete and slate. That ought to give you some idea of what I thought was its most prominent characteristic - I use that in the singular because they all sort of lump together.On that taut framework there was also crisp fruit. Other

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-9041093779086151052008-09-22T07:00:00.000-07:002008-09-22T07:00:01.106-07:00

The blend of 50% Cabernet, 30% Merlot and 20% Sangiovese came from Gargiste for a tab of $19.99.There was a lot going on in both the aromas and flavors. On the nose I picked up cedar, rose petal, earthy plum, strawberry and raspberry. This carried through on the palate, along with bittersweet chocolate and coffee. It had a lingering cranberry-like finish.I feel this wine is drinking nicely

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-49259031796887032332008-09-19T07:00:00.000-07:002008-09-19T07:00:01.912-07:00

The financial markets have been hit hard by the recent subprime mortgage crisis, but it has not been confined solely to that sector. Even the wine industry has been negatively affected to a great degree.Consumers simply have less money to spend on wines. Large corporations that normally would spend lavishly on office parties and customer entertainment by purchasing the most expensive bottles of

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-41857447245310486322008-09-17T07:00:00.000-07:002008-09-17T07:00:00.862-07:00

Today's wine is made from the not-often seen (at least in this country) Verdelho grape, produced by the not-seen-enough Twisted Oak Winery.Pale in color, on the 1st night I would have mistaken this for a Sauvignon Blanc, with its grassy, herbal aromas and grapefruit character on the palate.On subsequent nights the grassy character faded and a more fruity character emerged. The herbal element

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-39860158037582339762008-09-15T07:00:00.000-07:002008-09-15T07:00:01.146-07:00

Jill of Domaine 547 recommended this wine from the overlooked 2004 vintage, which set me back $17.99.Nice aromas of cedar, cigarette smoke and dark berries rose from the glass. There was more of the same on the palate with predominately plum and black cherries fruit-wise, along with a hint of soy sauce. The aftertaste lingered.Texture-wise, this wine was smooth and silky, even a bit leathery or

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-1889084907102646792008-09-12T07:00:00.000-07:002008-09-14T21:44:58.369-07:00

This one came winery-direct from Tablas Creek with a $21.60 tariff.The wine was a clear light gold color. Aromas were on the reticent side. It had a creamy mouth feel, with flavors of pear, roasted nuts, spiced lemon and some anise; it had chardonnay character but was not the fruit-forward type. This one leans to the subtle side.This would do very well with fish or chicken in a mild cream sauce

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-7226086184229599632008-09-10T07:00:00.000-07:002008-09-14T21:43:15.272-07:00

Today's wine came from Garagiste and set me back $16.83. I wonder how he comes up with his pricing - there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the last two digits. Maybe it's some sort of secret code.Overall it had a nice purple color but was a bit light around the edges. Initially I sensed soy sauce and worcestershire sauce on the nose. The palate was like molasses that you find in barbecue

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-40679261111899245142008-09-08T07:00:00.000-07:002008-09-08T07:00:00.475-07:00

Napa Valley's Metachange Winery raised many an eyebrow when it burst on the scene a couple of years ago seemingly out of left field with its debut wine, a 100% Monastrell from the 2004 vintage. Critically acclaimed, this wine has picked up a near-cult following and the once nearly-unknown varietal has now become a household name among wine enthusiasts across the U.S."Consumers had grown tired of

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-84032565725849444942008-09-05T07:00:00.000-07:002008-09-05T07:00:00.593-07:00

I read about this list on Sonadora's Wannabe Wino website so I thought I'd give it a try. The original idea was posted by Andrew of the Very Good Taste food blog, and basically, here are the rules:1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.4) Optional extra: Post a

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-49929110814252946532008-09-03T07:00:00.000-07:002008-09-03T07:00:01.238-07:00

Hey, how's that for a long title for this entry?I've had dry versions of Savennières before, but this the first time I've tried one with noticeable residual sugar - it was definitely different from the stony, minerally ones of the past!The color of this wine looked like a not-so-healthy urine sample - ewww. Amber, even orangeish, it matched the orange border on my box of Kashi Go Lean Crunch

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-10055600513891971072008-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:002008-09-01T07:00:00.924-07:00

This particular Lot from the popular line of Cameron Hughes wines comes from the Rutherford district of Napa. I purchased this one direct from Cameron Hughes for $14.00, although I saw it at several local Costco locations for $11.00.On the first night, I sensed aromas of sauteed bell pepper and onions, mixed with some smoke and ground beef - a casserole in a glass! Tastewise I got graphite and

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-43696698789377341072008-08-29T07:00:00.000-07:002008-08-29T07:00:06.164-07:00

I was surprised to see a Pinot Noir offered for $18.99, especially one from the Carneros region of the Napa Valley so I snapped this one up from Garagiste.This one had nice, easily identifiable aromas of a Pinot Noir (easy for me to say since I knew what it was): cherry, strawberry, rose petals and spice. It was spicy on the palate with loads of smooth, viscous, ripe mouth-filling fruit and a bit

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-10803872127998827182008-08-27T07:00:00.000-07:002008-08-27T07:00:00.690-07:00

Not that long ago I had the 2005 version of this wine. It was a big, bold, mouthfilling experience. Good, but to tell you the truth, I thought I would try the 2006 relatively earlier in its life because I wanted something a little leaner, crisper and more youthful.I think I caught this one just at the right time, although on the first night I wasn't sure. There were more of the bold, rich

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-65100819404312317922008-08-25T07:00:00.001-07:002008-08-25T08:49:24.128-07:00

Breaking news: MonkuWino and his One Wine Per Week empire were notified yesterday that they have been named joint co-defendants in a suit brought by Consumers For Honesty Is The Best Policy (aka "CHIP") who claim the title of the blog is fraudulent and misleading.Richard Owens, attorney for the plaintiff CHIP had this to say: "Look at the title of MonkuWino's blog. It clearly says "One Wine Per

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-11924010161253420262008-08-23T21:32:00.000-07:002008-08-23T22:01:31.806-07:00

Today's post is wine-free. The Mrs. and I ate lunch at a place that I felt was worth mentioning on the blog so here's a special weekend edition of One Wine Per Week.Homegirl Cafe is a part of Homeboy Industries. Their Mission Statement explains them very well:Jobs not Jails: Homeboy Industries assists at-risk and formerly gang-involved youth to become positive and contributing members of

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-43108348129960263562008-08-22T07:00:00.000-07:002008-08-22T07:00:00.659-07:00

The Gamay grapes that went into this wine hail from the St. Porcain region of France.In the glass, it had a lighter, translucent color. Light in body as well, it had natural, slightly tart berry fruit backed by lemony acidity. Although light, it didn't lack for purity or concentration. I also got a sense of oregano and savory meatloaf in the finish, which might sound weird but I'm just the

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-32457874517199199332008-08-20T07:00:00.000-07:002008-08-20T07:00:00.356-07:00

One of the controversies at this year's Olympics is over medal counts. Are the medal rankings by country supposed to be based on total medals won (gold, silver and bronze) or solely on gold medals?If you go by total medals, then the United States is in the lead but if you go by gold medals only, then that puts China into the lead.It seems like most of the world is leaning towards emphasizing the

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-44574304713947941252008-08-18T07:00:00.000-07:002008-08-18T07:00:00.047-07:00

First it was the lip-synching incident that marred the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. It was revealed that the 9-year-old girl who apparently sang a patriotic song during the ceremonies was in fact lip synching the vocals that really were done by a 7-year-old. Because the 9-year-old was deemed more attractive and a "better actress," she got the exposure while her

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-20792441198264039262008-08-15T07:00:00.000-07:002008-08-15T07:00:00.720-07:00

First of all those little white spheres in the picture are not planets or satellites orbiting the wine bottle, they're little styrofoam balls that stuck to the label and I was too lazy to pick them off.My streak of thumbs-up wines resumes today after getting derailed by the WBW #48 White Zin a couple of days ago.I drank this wine over the course of four evenings. The first evening it had fruit

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-90304299216338726342008-08-13T07:00:00.000-07:002008-08-13T07:00:02.152-07:00

Today marks the 4th anniversary of Wine Blogging Wednesday, a monthly event launched by Lenndevours and, in honor of it being the anniversary, also hosted by him this month.The theme he chose for the 48th WBW is to go back to your roots. Your "wine drinking roots." As he says in his announcement for this particular WBW, I just want you to pick one of the wines from the beginning of your journey,

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-87230143202308513242008-08-11T07:00:00.000-07:002008-08-11T07:00:01.197-07:00

On Friday I reported to you about the nice Laughing Raven Barbera that was received as a sample from My Wines Direct, and here's my report about the other bottle they sent me.Unlike the Laughing Raven, there are more tasting notes about Mill Creek on Cellar Tracker, including notes about this particular wine. It's listed for $17.99 on the My Wines Direct web site, while the average purchase price

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-88272284120710212282008-08-08T07:00:00.000-07:002008-08-08T07:00:12.526-07:00

Todays wine was received as a sample from My Wines Direct. I'd never heard of them before one of their reps contacted me about sending the sample.I checked out their website and found a lot of wines that I had never heard of before - but then that's not saying much! I did notice that the site appears very user-friendly and has a good selection of varieties available.I received two sample

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-83524388737013501652008-08-06T07:00:00.000-07:002008-08-06T07:00:16.512-07:00

Am I sounding like a broken record? Here's another winner that I want to report to you.I've been pondering that - how it seems like I've had a long string of wines that get the thumbs up from me, that I would recommend to you. Am I not discerning enough? Are my tastebuds in disarray?No, I think it is a matter of there being plenty of good wines out there, and my good fortune of having excellent

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-64478346288152738442008-08-04T07:00:00.000-07:002008-08-04T07:00:01.203-07:00

So far I've had nothing but good experiences with Tablas Creek wines and this one continues the string.Light in color, it smelled and tasted like a Viognier with ripe and natural apricot, peach and flowery aromas and flavors. Richly mouthfilling and creamy at first, buoyant acidity emerged to balance it all out.I liked this wine because of the pure, flavorful fruit and its balance. I would

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-48336504154661718182008-08-01T07:00:00.000-07:002008-08-01T07:00:00.733-07:00

I've been reflecting more on the conversation I had with my buddy Mike at dinner last Monday, and that I wrote about in my previous post.He's recently become a wine enthusiast (I use that because I can't spell afficianado correctly) and is very excited about trying different wines. He was most enthused about the 2005 Caronne Ste. Gemme he tried, and he told me very clearly why he thought it was

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-87128579287287939732008-07-30T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-30T07:00:00.819-07:00

I had dinner with a friend the other night who has recently become excited about the wonderful world of wines out there just waiting to be tried. He said he never realized how many different kinds of wine there were, and how good they could be. I told him welcome to the club!We met at Macaroni Grill, which has a so-so wine list but we were looking to just catch up on the few months it had been

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-83090054844553566592008-07-28T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-28T07:00:01.452-07:00

I'm still on summer vacation, just doing wine reviews until the inspiration hits me to do more of the silly-type posts I was doing before.Meanwhile, at least there have been some worthwhile wines to write about! This one is no exception.Lovely dark color, it had pleasing aromas of white chocolate, smoke, plum and stone fruits balanced out by oak. On the palate add graphite and juicy lemony

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-66623781656518852722008-07-25T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-25T07:00:00.723-07:00

This was my first bottle of Muscat so while I have nothing for comparison purposes, it tasted good!Pale in color, it had perfume, peaches,grapefruit, citrus, honeyed and flowery aromas - lots of nice things coming up from the glass.On the palate it was crisp, fruity and refreshing. Initially it was like Squirt soda but then other less tart fruit filled in as well to round it out. Good

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-27879421283130511502008-07-23T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-23T07:00:04.502-07:00

This one came from Jill over at Domaine 547 and what a great value for $14.99!Mainly dark berry aromas but there were also smoky, meaty components as well as a small trace of fertilizer. Lots of deep, ripe plum and berry fruit on the palate, underlain by spice, white pepper, cranberry and mineral components. I just wanted to keep taking in the aromas, then keep rolling the wine around in my

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-9951477332452118312008-07-21T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-21T07:00:02.090-07:00

Sorry, no wine-related post today. It's break day. But it's food-related, the next best thing!I recently found a thread in Chowhound about a new restaurant called Merengue that had a Porto's-like menu. For those of you outside of Southern California, Porto's is a famous bakery and cafe in Glendale (with a more recently-opened branch in Burbank) that has many Cuban-type items on its menu. It's

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-74447625962349923752008-07-18T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-18T07:00:02.232-07:00

I paid $28.00 for this wine directly from Tablas Creek. I had been impressed with all of their wines that I have tried so far and this one turned out to be no exception.Initially there was a really fresh aroma that I had trouble pinning down - it reminded me of barbecue sauce. That is, the molasses and citrus part of it (like a Hawaiian barbecue sauce). That toned down to more of citrusy,

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-76635280067150569812008-07-15T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-15T07:00:00.700-07:00

This wine came from Garagiste and set me back $16.84.The aromas were really nice, mainly of flowers, plus raspberry and strawberry fruit. That continued on the palate, along with a smoky, minerally aspect that I really enjoyed. There was a long, lingering fruit and mineral aftertaste.No need to wait on this one, it's drinking very well right now. The wine had an excellent balance of fruit and

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-90791994691234622832008-07-11T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-11T07:00:12.943-07:00

Gee, I didn't even realize it but this past Tuesday (July 8) marked the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY for OneWinePerWeek! And it's been a blast doing this. Thank you, dear readers!I have had the fortune of drinking many excellent wines, a fortune made better by the fact that most of them were not real expensive. I was mulling this over the other day and it occurred to me that the factor that

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-46460173782211333482008-07-10T07:00:00.001-07:002008-07-10T07:00:00.314-07:00

This white Rhone blend of Grenache Blanc and Clairette was produced from organic, biodynamically farmed grapes.The aromas were initially closed but after some violent swirling I must have made the wine seasick so it coughed up some very nice flowery honeysuckle and pear aromas.On the palate the flavors were also initially tight but with some air time and swirling they turned really generous:

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-85543587754923739462008-07-09T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-09T13:47:35.185-07:00

[Note: Aiyah, I completely forgot that this is another WBW - Wine Blogging Wednesday!!! Oh, well.. this month's theme is the letter "S" so thankfully that is broad enough to encompass the wine being reviewed today. "S"-wise, today's wine comes from Spain, and it had a certain unusual taste that you will see in the below description that starts with an "S" as well. So thank goodness for loose

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-15110327442411931112008-07-08T07:00:00.001-07:002008-07-08T07:00:00.672-07:00

Why is it that one day you try a wine and it is absolutely fantastic, yet the next time you eagerly imbibe the same one, it disappoints? Sometimes it may be due to bottle variation but most of the time it is because of bad timing. The wine you chose was, on the first sampling, in line with the stars but the second time around, it was not. It's as simple as that.J. Addison, the Hedonistic Wino

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-84849408047669415932008-07-07T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-07T07:14:45.164-07:00

Yesterday we had a lunch gathering at my sister's place, and one of her friends brought this wine.It certainly has a distinctive label! Since it is easily peeled off, it can be put to other uses, as well.I didn't know from where it was purchased or for how much, and given the label, I didn't expect that it was very expensive.The wine didn't have much in the way of aromas, and it had a

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-79363053888062757812008-07-04T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-04T07:00:00.996-07:00

We've all heard about the famous revolt by American colonists that took place in 1773 known as the Boston Tea Party. You can read more about what led up to this event here; what most people recall is that a huge amount of tea was dumped into the sea by the protesters.Not many are aware of a similar incident that occurred in that same port with not tea, but wine.Angered by overly complex and

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-64062833568154122562008-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-03T07:00:55.606-07:00

This is the last of my three-part blog about our recent weekend cruise to Ensenada via Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Sea vessel.One of the day's activities was a wine course. For an extra $9.95 I felt it was my blogger duty to enroll and report back to my faithful three or four readers on what took place.There were about 60-70 of us placed at various tables in one of the dining halls. In

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-5630468005712032712008-07-02T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-02T07:00:38.436-07:00

I had this wine during our Ensenada cruise last weekend. The waiter was nice enough to save the remainder each night, so this was consumed over the course of three evenings, Friday through Sunday.It was $26 from the wine list (plus 15% automatic gratuity plus tax). Retail price? I did some searching on the internet and came up with a range of $10-$12.On to the wine: initially it was pretty

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-62002430114117439112008-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-01T07:00:37.804-07:00

My wife and I had the pleasure of taking a weekend cruise down to Ensenada, B.C., sailing on the Royal Carribean Cruise's Monarch of the Seas ocean liner.This is the first of three blog posts about our journey.One evening we ventured up to the karaoke lounge to check out the brave (or drunk, or both) souls who took up the microphone to share their singing abilities with the audience.One girl,

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-31944646308082978862008-06-30T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-30T07:00:02.311-07:00

$17.55 direct from Tablas Creek and worth every penny and then some!Roasted nut, chocolate/caramel and peach aromas started things off nicely. This carried over onto the palate, along with butter, ripe pear, melon, and citrus fruit combined with lots of minerals that filled the mouth, everything balanced out by good acidity.The finish lasted a long time.This was one flavorful and complex wine

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-10705730022495227282008-06-27T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-27T07:00:03.023-07:00

Do you remember a Dallas Cowboy defensive end who played for them in the 70's and 80's named Ed "Too Tall" Jones?Well this review is about Brooks "Too Tall" Riesling, the 2006 vintage from the Willamette Valley, to be precise.I purchased this bottle from Domaine 547 (wonderful delivery service, Jill!) and hadn't planned on drinking it that soon, but the darn bottle wouldn't fit in my wine cooling

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-10099982638349695172008-06-26T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-26T07:09:08.858-07:00

As I had warned people in my Monday post, Twitter is going to have to make some changes if it is going to handle the huge traffic that flows through its servers. Above is a screen print taken around 7:00 in the morning, a time when people should either be sleeping (lucky folks!), getting ready for work, or driving to work!Does this mean people are already Twittering on their Blackberries and

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-35558308003778674642008-06-25T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-25T07:00:02.038-07:00

Amazon.com's marketing causes me problems. Viewing one product always leads to viewing another and that's how I ran across this book and couldn't resist adding it to my cart.This is a followup to author Máté's The Hills of Tuscany, which I haven't yet read but am now going to have to.A Vineyard In Tuscany traces the Máté family - Ferenc, wife Candace and son Buster - as they search for their

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-27612334651901962652008-06-24T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-24T07:00:00.693-07:00

Here's some words of wisdom for you: never lock yourself in with a title because you never know when it's going to need changing.Haha, this is OneWinePerWeek yet, why so many wine reviews lately? Well, I still only have one 187.50 ml glass of wine per night, thus taking four nights to drink one bottle, but I have a glass of wine six or seven nights per week.So do the math: that means the title

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-29275553335366730042008-06-23T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-23T07:37:38.244-07:00

It had to happen sooner or later and that sooner (or later) has finally arrived.Twitter, the online social networking phenomenon that allows people to broadcast short messages that answer the simple question, "What are you doing?" has, as many of you know, been malfunctioning as of late."Our robust system of servers was simply overwhelmed, and overwhelmed by one group in particular," was the

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-62239991475096886292008-06-20T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-20T07:00:00.413-07:00

I'm a bit miffed at my own stupidity. The wine reviewed today isn't the one I thought I was reviewing and I didn't even notice until I started writing the review.I purchased two different bottles produced by Chateau Courtnant, both from the Saint-Pourcain region of the Loire and careless me just looked at those two identifying features on the label to confirm my choice, and not the vintage or

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-12438837900019683942008-06-19T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-19T07:09:12.798-07:00

Yes, this week is contradictory to the title of this blog - one wine per week is actually four wines this week. But I had some extra tasting notes I wanted to share with you so I put them all together into one week.This is another wine that came from Garagiste. For $11.99, it represents a terrific value.Very nice aromas of a subtle grassy/herbal character that said it was Sauvignon Blanc, but

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-49730277111936893352008-06-18T07:00:00.001-07:002008-06-18T07:22:44.489-07:00

I had already scheduled a blog post for today, but after reading this article in the L.A. Times, as well as a few comments from wine bloggers (comment a, comment b, comment c), I thought I would throw in my two cents, aka comment d. I'm not gonna summarize the article; please read it then mosey on back here.Comment a and comment b both took umbrage at Joel Stein's article; comment c was more

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-42998097912524091112008-06-17T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-17T22:10:04.497-07:00

Normally there's just one wine review per week except when it is Wine Blogging Wednesday, but I have a couple that I need to post to catch up on things. Plus it gives me something to post, haha.Principally Grenache with a portion of Syrah (I think the mix is either 80/20 or 84/16 but unfortunately I discarded the bottle without writing it down), this Rhone blend was $13.99 from Garagiste.Lots of

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-156054666218969552008-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-16T07:00:01.655-07:00

Question: If we did not know exactly what bottle of wine we were drinking, would it enhance or detract from our enjoyment of it?Do we set ceilings on how good a wine can be based on our knowledge of which wine it is? So in other words, can a bottle of Two Buck Chuck only aspire to be only so good, whereas with a bottle of Screaming Eagle, the sky is the limit?To a certain extent that is true,

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-13656818324356535392008-06-13T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-17T22:15:18.406-07:00

From what I understand, there are just 900 acres in the world planted with the Moristel grape (according to Jon Rimmerman of Garagiste, where I purchased this bottle for $9.99).This particular bottling comes from the Somontano region of Spain, specifically the town of Alquezar. It's the result of a collaboration between Classical Wines and the local grower's co-op.In the aromas I sensed earth,

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-31956655210689318072008-06-12T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-12T07:00:01.655-07:00

I was doing some more thinking about “natural” wines.Ideally, I am thinking a wine ought to be authentic with respect to the grape variety, location of the vineyard, and the vintage. That is, the wine should be a reflection of all three rather than being manipulated into something that alters these demographics (do wines have demographics? I’m too lazy to look up the definition).Using this sort

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-29865066370030328722008-06-11T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-11T07:00:03.067-07:00

Yup, it's time for another Wine Blogging Wednesday and this time it is being hosted by Dr. Debs who produces the most excellent Good Wine Under $20 blog. This month's theme: a wine made with one or more traditional White Rhone varietals.My pick: The 2006 Viognier from Twisted Oak, a blend from five different vineyards in Calaveras County, $17.60 direct from the winery.Light gold in color, it had

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-28543008373804134762008-06-10T07:00:00.001-07:002008-06-10T07:26:31.739-07:00

Jill from Domaine 547 told me that we had been tagged by Dr. Debs. I didn't know what she was talking about at first and had been so busy yesterday that I hadn't looked at any wine or other blogs yet.So then I took at look at Good Wine Under $20 and saw what she meant. I will take the liberty of copying a portion of Dr. Deb's site that explains what this is:...tagged me for a book meme (one of

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-58314799061116508022008-06-09T07:00:00.000-07:002008-07-09T21:36:48.203-07:00

Here in the west, the most likely image a person has of a wine-tasting gathering is that of sophisticated wine connoisseurs acting in a most dignified and reserved way, sniffing and swirling while adhering to every rule of etiquette. Or, some might picture Gary Vaynerchuk instead.But whatever the perception, it is totally different from wine tasting in the east, particularly Japan.In Japan,

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-22293171276817939012008-06-06T21:34:00.000-07:002008-06-06T21:49:20.583-07:00

I guess this would have made a good entry for next week's Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW #46) , this time hosted by Dr. Debs, but I've got something for that already.The 2005 Grenache Blanc from Tablas Creek Vinyeard weighed in at 15.3% alcohol but that wasn't apparent. Light yellow gold in color, it had very nice aromas of creamy blossom, peach, pineapple, orange and jasmine. This was joined by

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-69885570041730895462008-06-05T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-06T21:58:04.502-07:00

he full title of Alice Feiring’s book that I am reviewing today is, The Battle for Wine and Love Or How I Saved the World from Parkerization.Is it worth reading? Yes, it is.Most of you already know what Parkerization is, but for those who don’t, Wikipedia says it very succinctly: the widespread stylization of wines to please the taste of influential wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. To find out

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-85334522249336215152008-06-04T07:00:00.001-07:002008-06-04T07:00:02.228-07:00

Many, many years ago I dropped by my girlfriend’s house. Something about her seemed different but I couldn’t pin down exactly what it was.Finally I had to ask her. She laughed and asked me just what about her seemed so different that day.“I’m not sure,” I said, “but it's something about your eyes. Like they look uh, smaller.”After going back and forth for a while, she told me. “I’m not wearing

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-69842129379751042142008-06-03T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-03T07:00:01.004-07:00

In 1958 a campy little Sci-Fi movie premiered that launched the career of Steve McQueen. That movie, in case you didn’t know, was The Blob and it went on to become a cult classic.Here is the synopsis from Imdb.com:A mysterious creature from another planet, resembling a giant blob of jelly, lands on earth. The people of a nearby small town refuse to listen to some teenagers who have witnessed the

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-45825317119295767072008-06-02T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-02T07:00:02.197-07:00

People were quite surprised by my post last week – they had no idea that the Sci-Fi classic movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers was based on a piece about wine entitled, Invasion of the Bottle Snatchers, in a now defunct wine magazine.This is not the only movie whose plot is actually a reworking of a story or article originally dealing with wine. In case you didn’t know, here is another one:

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-2529954439113999772008-05-30T20:31:00.001-07:002008-05-31T11:42:45.615-07:00

Here's a not very common wine both in grape varieties ("Vinho Tinto" - this is a blend of 41% Tempranillo, 41% Touriga, 16% Tannat and 2% Souzao - originally I was thinking Vinho Tinto was a variety itself.. shows you what I know!) and the winery (Barreto Cellars), which is a shame because they did some good things with these grapes.Earthy, cigarette smoke, oak/wood chip, roses and concord grape

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-22188618825094015412008-05-29T07:24:00.001-07:002008-05-29T07:53:57.363-07:00

Few people are aware that the 1956 sci-fi/horror movie classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, was actually based on a short fictional piece that appeared in the now defunct Wine Examiner magazine in 1953.It’s also commonly believed, and mistakenly so, that the movie was a thinly veiled criticism of the McCarthy era. The truth is the Wine Examiner article was amazingly prescient, focusing on a

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-75280148112388165832008-05-28T07:32:00.000-07:002008-05-28T07:39:35.948-07:00

Not much to say today. Just thought I'd post the shipping label from a wine order that arrived last week that I found amusing (see REF 2 at the bottom). Is that sort of like those signs that say "warning, carry pizza horizontally, not vertically," or "warning, coffee may be hot?" But then I live in the looney bin state, California, where you have to warn everybody about everything lest vulturis

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-67691073384974527122008-05-27T07:21:00.001-07:002008-10-15T11:48:24.252-07:00

Riding high on the huge box office take during the Memorial Day weekend premier of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount Pictures announced today that it has signed Harrison Ford for yet another sequel in the enormously popular Indiana Jones series.Indiana Jones and the Chateau of Shadows is set to begin filming sometime later this year. For the first time in the series,

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-10158019830038693312008-05-23T20:54:00.000-07:002008-05-23T21:18:35.438-07:00

Lot 38 of this Cameron Hughes release is 100% Shiraz from 100-year-old vines in Australia's Barossa Valley. The way Cameron raved about it when this wine was released, I couldn't resist risking the $20 he was charging to see what all the fuss was about.Well Cameron was right. His lauding of the wine was not hyperbole, and this was not a fat fruit bomb like one might be expecting, but instead a

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735066495190698263.post-70478806318316810862008-05-22T07:49:00.000-07:002008-05-22T07:56:14.863-07:00

Yesterday I posted a review of Benamin Wallace’s book, The Billionaire's Vinegar. It’s an excellent book and I highly recommend it even for those who know little or nothing about wine.What struck me from reading this book is how little regard there is to the provenance of the old bottles that are purchased by wine collectors. Now I suppose some of them buy the wines merely as trophies, but as I

MonkuWinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13750846389749495527noreply@blogger.com0