April 2010 - Syrah/Shiraz - "The Red Hot Red"

Syrah is the must-have red accessory. Just as a garnet handbag, crimson scarf, or scarlet lips make an outfit sizzle, Syrah adds a dash of sex appeal to any meal. Peppery, smoky, and powerful, Syrah is exotic but approachable. Like wearing that splash of red, sipping Syrah is wildly fun. Store shelves are full of versions from Australia (where it's called Shiraz), France, California, Washington and even Chile. With styles ranging from plush to elegant and price tags from designer to discount, there's a bottle with your name on it!

We enjoyed a delightful evening at Lorraine's home sipping on several of these fine wines while sitting outside in the amazing weather. We enjoyed a starlit night full of good food, great wine and even greater company. Thanks for hosting, Lorraine!

Here are the wines we sampled for the evening:

1. Gumdale Reserve - 2007 Shiraz - Australia

2. Rapel Valley - Ona Awakena - 2007 Syrah - Chile

3. Buffalo Grove - Syrah - Vintage 2007 Syrah - Caliifornia

4. Michael Garnes - Les Piliers - 2006 Syrah - France

March 2010 - Riesling/Gewurztraminer - The "Spring Dresses" of Whites

After oak-laden whites and rich reds imbibed during cold weather, uncorking a Riesling or Gewurztraminer is like putting on that breezy spring clothing. With seductive scents of honeysuckle and orange blossom and delicate flavors of peach and spice, these aromatic whites are a wine wardrobe's breath of fresh air.

Both Gewurztraminer and Riesling are highly aromatic varities, but have uniquely different personalities. The two share intensely floral, spicy, and fruity qualities and an uncanny ability to age, yet Gewurztraminer shows its appeal the minute it's poured. Riesling tends to be more reserved, revealing itself slowly in the glass.

Riesling is a versatile wine for pairing with food because of its balance of sugar and acidity. It can be paired with white fish or pork, and is one of the few wines that can stand up to the stronger flavors and spices of Thai and Chinese cuisine. A Riesling's typical aromas are of flowers, tropical fruits, and mineral stone (such as sate or quartz).

Riesling is almost never fermented or aged in oak (although large old oak barrels are often used to store and stabilize Riesling based wines in Germany and Alsace). This means that Riesling tends to be lighter weight and therefore suitable to a wider range of foods. The sharp acidity/sweetness in Rieslings can serve as a good balance to foods that have a high salt content.

We had a wonderful evening and Will and Alex did a fabulous job as our hosts this month! It was fun to be at a different location and we definitely had a full house! We munched on a great spread of mixed cheeses, salmon, salami and chocolate. Thank you to Alex and Will for opening your home to us all. What an awesome time we all had!

Here are the Rieslings we sampled from the evening in order of our most favorite:

Melanie and Brad: Vin D' Alsace Reserve - 2008 Riesling - France - $15.99

Jean: B Lovely - 2008 Late Harvest Riesling - Washington - $11.99

John: Dr. Loosen - 2007 Riesling - Spatlese Graacher Himmereich Mosel - Germany - $31.99

Erika: Blue Moon - Bridgeview Vineyard - 2008 Riesling - Oregon - $8.99

Krystal and Cody: Hanwood Estate - 2008 Riesling - South Eastern Australia - $12.99

Chad and Renee: Mirassou - 2008 Riesling - California - $7.99

Here are the Gewurztraminer wines we sampled in order of our most favorite:

Andrew: Petals - 2008 Gewerztraminer - Germany - $8.99

Shannon: Fetzer - 2008 Gewerztraminer - California - $5.99

Lorraine: Gundlach Bundschu - Sonoma Valley Rhineform Vineyard - 2004 Gewerztrminer - California - $24.99

February 2010 - Malbec

In reading Leslie Sbrocco's book Wine For Women, Malbec is a traditional component in the blends of red Bordeaux and is famous as part of the “black wine” of France’s Cahors region (though rarely found in this country). Save for a few brave Californian and Chilean winemakers, Malbec is rarely bottled alone outside of Argentina.

Argentina’s top wine-growing regions are essentially high deserts with rocky soils, loads of sunshine, and dramatic differences in day and night temperatures. Malbec flourishes in these conditions, getting ultra ripe but maintaining vibrant levels of acidity and developing smooth, almost sweet tannins.

Malbec is like a cross between the intensity of Syrah and the finesse and brightness of Sangiovese. Its natural companion is beef, but it is found that Malbec is easily paired with duck, various cheeses and olives, pasta, pizza and other tomato based dishes like chicken cacciatore.

Tonight was a smaller gang and Andrew was the only guy who was able to make it (way to hang with the ladies, Andrew!). We missed all of the regulars but had a wonderful evening filled with good food, wonderful people, great conversation and of course, amazing wines!

Here are the wines in order of what we liked the most to the least (although it was difficult choosing because we enjoyed all of them very much!):

* Courtney Benham – Santa Ynez Valley – 2006 – California (Andrew) $15.99

* Atrium Georges Vigouroux – Vintage 2006 - Appellation Cahors Controlee – France (Erika) $11.99

* Cruz Alta – Reserve 2008 – Mendoza, Argentina (Erica) $12.99

I think it was a unanimous vote that there was not one bad bottle of wine in the bunch. With the coolness of the night and subtle sounds of the rain outside, it was an enjoyable evening learning all about Malbec.

January 2010 –Dessert Wine –“The Pajamas of Vino”

As Leslie Sbrocco stated, “Whether its silky Sauternes or soothing tawny Port, sipping a little “sugar” is the ultimate stress buster. Not only does dessert wine finish your dinner with style, but a glass enjoyed in your pajamas works wonders for your love life.”

While we thought later that we should have hosted this wine night with the prerequisite of “must wear pajamas” it was a great night of wine! Melanie and Brad Trautman were kind enough to have us to their home this month where they had prepared an amazing array of food to pair perfectly with our wines!

The Wines:

Jennifer Shaw: Kafer Munchen Rheinhessen “Eiswein” – Germany

Jean Ahsmuhs: Resplandy Musact de St. Jean de Minervois “Muscat” – Marbonne France

Cody and Krystal Staggs: Chateau de Grand Carrety 2006 Alfio Moreconi Selection “Sauternes” – France

Erika Jeffries: Cardinale Lanata-Moscato D’Asti 2008 “Sparking White Muscat”- Italy

Jean Ahsmuhs: Casa San T’Orsola Brachetto D’Acqui “Sparkling Red” – Italy