Its all about Wine...

Casa Silva, Semillon Gewurztraminer, 2007, Late Harvest, Colchagua Valley, Chile

2009-12-20T18:50:00.002+04:00

Name: Casa Silva

Country: Colchagua Valley, Chile
Grape(s): Semillon & Gewurztraminer
Vintage: (Late Harvest) 2007

Colour: clear, medium intensity, golden colour

Smell: This was a clean, light and fruity flavour. The first aromas were like a fruit cocktail aroma with a strong pineapple scent. A deeper insight into this smell we picked up vanilla and cream. Great scent overall and quite appealling that my mouth was beginning to water.

Taste: This was a sweet, low acidic light bodied flavour. Its flavour spoke volumes of honey, caramel, candy even a light port interpretation. If you have heard of a drink called Irn Bru (an export from Scotland) it really tasted like that. The length of this wine was short.

Conclusion: An acceptable wine. It had been a long time since I had drunk a dessert wine and so it was a pleasant reintroduction. I was very surprised by the differences between the scents and the flavours. I was expecting a fruiter/floral base and was shocked to taste more sweeter flavours. We opened this bottle with the intention of enjoying it while we sat and enjoyed the evening however, it clearly was too sweet to be a bottle we were about to finish, so we stop drinking it. If we had been enjoying a dessert, maybe a chocolate moose, fruit cake or a nice creme brullee this would have been a very complimentry drink.

WINEDEX: 6 out of 10.

Final comments: Sweet wines are very much a personal preference. This was the first sweet wine I had from Chile and I it could definately stand on its own. Again Chile does a great job at presenting a great wine. Chile is definately a great wine producer and I look forward to trying a lot more.

Had a Baby....

2009-12-15T16:20:00.000+04:00

The reason for me not posting for a while is that I had my daughter, Jessica. Thus wine was off the menu for a while, but now I can now get back to one of my great pleasures when she goes down at night.

Christmas is coming and I am looking forward to the staples that we have but also hoping to try out some new ones.

So, lets get drinking and writing....cos 'its all about the wine'

Merry Christmas folks.....let me know what you are drinking this christmas and if you have comments to share please do.

x

2007 Laurenz und Sophie, Niederosterrich, Austria, Singin Gruner Veltliner

2009-05-05T11:58:00.005+04:00

Name: Laurenz und Sophie
Country: Niederosterrich, Austria
Grape(s): Gruner Veltliner
Vintage: 2007
Colour: a light bright lemon colour. Quite bubbly too??
Smell: This had a very busy aroma. There were lots of levels and notes that made our initial introduction into this Austrian wine quite exciting. We had earthy, damp notes. There was smokiness as well along with a fruity citrus hint, particularly gooseberries. With all these aromas, my flavour expectations were a bit confused.
Taste: A dry, low acidity and light body. This was a very fruity flavour. We could taste gooseberries, green apples and grapefruits. Disappointingly this had a very short length. It also had this fizzy flavour aswell….weird!!

Conclusion: It was a good wine.

WINDEX: 7 out of 10.

Final Comments: Again this was a first for me. I had never drunk wine from Austria and so as a first impression it was really good. It tasted from very springing and fresh and was ready to show itself off. This was would be great either as stand alone sipping wine or even as part of a meal.

Morrocco, Merlot 2006

2009-05-05T11:20:00.005+04:00

Name: Havana,
Country: Morocco, Beni M'Tir appellation
Grape(s): Merlot
Vintage: 2006
Colour: nice deep purple
Smell: first instinct, very nice! A clean, light aroma with a lovely airy fruity scent. Blackberries was the first level of aroma. Infact it was a bit like smelling ribena. Then as the aromas developed we could smell more earthy tones, more peaty in depth. I was a bit confused by this scent because I thought morocco had a warmer climate.
Taste: This was a off dry, low acidity, low tannin, light bodied flavour. But I was a bit disappointed with the flavour. It tasted quite watery and had a honey flavour. The length was pretty short.

Conclusion: It was OK wine. The aromas were more exciting than the flavours.

WINEDEX: 4 out of 10. (But I wont mix with fruit juice….)

Final Comments: I was so excited about this wine because it was an African wine and I totally love trying new regions and see unknown wine regions make their mark in the wine world. This was my first Moroccan wine so to be honest as a first introduction it was disappointment but I wont give up I want to try others and never let the first variety lay claim to be representation of the brand.

2005, India, Chateau Indage Estate, Chantilli Chardonnay

2009-04-21T13:51:00.002+04:00

Name: Chateau Indage Estate Vineyards, Chantilli
Country: India
Grape(s): Chardonnay, (IWSC – Bronze Award, 1995)
Vintage: 2005
Colour: a pretty golden colour.
Smell: I have to admit the first aromas didn’t speak volumes to me, but then that was me. The aromas were earthy and musky with notes of lemons and also a marginal smokiness to it as well. Wilma picked up a more medicinal scent – sort of like the smell of a band aid. I was confused – put it that way. With the aroma not being a particular favourite of mine I was hoping the taste would take this wine out of the attic.
Taste: This was a off dry, low acidic light bodied flavour. Its flavour spoke volumes of honey blossoms with a green apple hint. There again was that cough mixture tendency. The length was reasonable.

Conclusion: I struggled with rating this wine as it was the first chardonnay I had tried from India and I didn’t want this to reflect badly. I would say this was an OK wine.

WINDEX: 3 out of 10.

Final Comments: Well first impressions from India were not good. I was quite disappointed as I was so impressed with the merlot that came from the same vineyard. In some ways it reminded me of watered down of apple juice. However, it wasn’t disgusting and if you like the earthy, musky type wine flavours you may enjoy this better than I did. Again this all comes down to personal preferences, cos that is what wine drinking is all about.

2005, Spain, Catalonia, Coronas, Torres, Tempranillo

2009-04-21T13:21:00.006+04:00

Name: Coronas, Torres
Country: Catalonia, Sprain
Grape(s): 86% Tempranillo, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2005
Colour: A beautiful intense ruby colur that reminded me of a thin port.
Smell: Yummy, was my first thought and the excitement just to taste at that point was killing me. But I waited a bit because the aromas need to have their own lime light, even if its just for a brief moment. Spiciness was the first level of aromas really elegant black pepper that made me want to sneeze. Then as we moved through the ladder of aromas you could also smell the black berries to give it that fruity sense. Geoff (glugateer member) picked up the scent of chillies. Wilma (glugateer member) seemed to find another level of aromas. She found hints of roses, earthiness and even a yeasty tinge. Interesting, I thought. Different paletes different impressions.
Taste: This was a dry, low acidity, medium bodied wine. With deep prominent flavours of blackberries – a realy fruity consistency. I expected a longer length with this 4 year old bottle but it remained short. The biographers of this wine suggest a long length but this probably applies to a much older wine.

Conclusion: A good wine.

WINDEX: 7 out of 10.

Final Comments: Old world wines have never been a priority with me but I remember trying a varietal of Torres a few years ago so I thought I would give this a whirl. Secondly this was a grape variety that I had always had that was part of a blend and not being the majority of the flavour. I thoroughly enjoyed this grape variety and I would have it again. Very nice

2008 Chilean, Central Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon

2009-04-09T11:25:00.009+04:00

Name: Sunrise
Country: Chile
Grape(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2008
Colour: a beautiful dark crimson colour that smiles when the light catches it…its really pretty.
Smell: This wine has a number of aroma levels to it. On first impressions it speaks volumes of black pepper spiceness but as the aroma develops in your nose you begin to capture fruit hints of black berries and plums. I even picked up a mild buttery scent…this was quite a bouquet of scents.
Taste: This was an off dry, low acidity, low tannin light bodied wine. Its flavours were set in black pepper and black berries. The length of the drink was short but the after taste was delicate and pretty.
Conclusion: A good wine.

WINDEX: 7 out of 10.

Final Comments: I really liked this cabernet sauvignon. It was a pleasure to drink and completely glugable. I would really recommend this. The label spoke of notes of chocolate but I couldn't taste it....I guess it depends on who's chocolate you are comparing the tast with. I think its one of those wines that if you didn’t know what to buy and you saw this brand and grape then you know you were being safe and would happily serve it up at a party. IN addition to that they price well. They are not overally expensive. This is the second variety from Sun Rise vineyard from Chile. I am really impressed with all their characteristics. I look forward to tasting their Merlot and thier Chardonnay.

According to their website this is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Carmenere. The Merlot has a similiar consistency with 90% Merlot and 10% Carmenere.

Chile, Central Valley, Sun Rise, Sauvignon Blanc, 2008

2009-04-07T20:33:00.004+04:00

Name: Sunrise

Country: Chile

Grape(s): Sauvignon Blanc

Vintage: 2008

Colour: clear crispy lemon colour…..

Smell: A real clean fresh scent, which is light and airy. You get an instant hit of citrus flavours – lemon and grapefruit were my first thoughts. This developed into aromas of nettles, pineapple and gooseberries. But there is another level to this and I could pick up hints of black pepper.

Taste: Very dry and quite acidic. The flavour was more on the light side and was very much a citrus taste. Lemons and grapefruit were very pronounced and then hints of gooseberries.

Conclusion: A good wine.

WINEDEX: 6 out of 10.

Final Comments: Unless you really really enjoy the citrus sharp flavours then I think you are on to a winner with this one. It had all the classic signs of a young Sauvignon Blanc. What you smelt is what you tasted however, I didn’t taste any pepperiness which I picked up on when I was smelling it. I would highly recommend that you drunk this ice cold as I felt that has the bottle warmed up the flavour became a bit denser and the citrus flavour was not so entertaining anymore.

India, Maharastra - Chantilli, Merlot, 2005

2009-04-06T20:30:00.008+04:00

Name: Chantilli – Chateaux indage
Country: Maharashta, India
Grape(s): Merlot
Vintage: 2005
Colour: reddish with with brown tinge around the edges
Smell: very clean, light, fruity scent, very pleasant. 1st hint is black current but on another 2nd level there is a ck ppery scent….very nice. Quite a friendly smell.
Taste: Off dry, low acidity, low tannin, light body and a medium length.
Conclusion: A good wine…one that could compete well with other new world wines.

WINDEX: 7 to 8 out of 10.

Final Comments: I was surprisingly impressed with this wine. I had set myself for sharp, bitter tasting urine which was going to completely unpalatable however, the complete opposite was experienced. This was a very impressive wine. I would happily serve this up at a dinner party. The initial thought of ‘indian wine’ would be a negative set of words but I am sure on smell and taste the drinker would be surprised. This was back on my wine shopping list for round 2 as I only bought one bottle…however, on returning this wine was sold out. If folk have caught on to this quiet surprise then at Dhs. 15 a bottle…it’s a hot seller. Hmm…may be I should keep this too myself. Have bought the Indian white from this same vineyard….I am looking forward to opening that bottle.

Chile - Villard - Merlot - 2006

2008-12-03T12:14:00.003+04:00

Name: Villard
Country: Chile, Casablanca Valley
Grape(s): Merlot
Vintage: 2006
Colour: Dark ruby colour
Smell: Lots of things happening here. I found it fruity, yet spicy and vegetable levels of the aroma and then a buttery scent would also come through. It was quite pronounced aromas which made me think that this would be a much heavier merlot.
Taste: Dry, medium acidity, medium tannins with a long length. As predicted it was a heavy merlot with lots of body but still tasted velvety. Its thicker denser body made it very smooth and not a rough wine.
Conclusion: An good wine
WINEDEX: 8 out of 10
Final comments: Well we couldn’t hold out too long challenging a Uruguayan Merlot to a Chile merlot. Both very distinct flavours. I really liked this merlot I loved the full body of this wine and really fancied a nice piece of steak to go with it. This was my type of merlot and thoroughly enjoyed drinking it.

If I was to compare them, well they were very different. You could tell that the Chilean merlot came from a cooler climate and the Uruguay was from a warmer climate.

We intend to challenge a few merlots from this region …so let’s see how that goes down. Watch this space.

Uruguay, Ariano, Merlot, 2005

2008-12-03T11:54:00.004+04:00

Name: Ariano
Country: Uruguay, Canelones Province
Grape(s): Merlot
Vintage: 2005
Colour: Crimson /ruby colour on the light side of these colours
Smell: Very berry aromas which were quite light. It smelled very clean and had fresh crisp finish.
Taste: Dry, low acidity, low tannin with a light body to it. Flavours were more on the vegetable flavour and oaky touches. Mummy mentioned that for her they had a buttery/creamy finish.
Conclusion: An good wine
WINEDEX: 7 out of 10 for Muscat grape but 8 out of 10 for Uruguay
Final comments: This was my first Uruguayan Red and I have to say I was impressed. This was a light bodied merlot which would be great drunk on its own or with a poultry dish. The label advises that it has a more herby scent so we pulled out some sage, thyme and mint to bring back those smells but to be honest my nose picked up the fruity berry area. Again as a Uruguayan wine I was impressed…it does stand out and was very glubable. I also want to challenge this wine to its neighbouring countries….I think a South American Merlot drink fest is on the cards. Well Done Uruguay.

Uruguay - Ariano, Muscat Ottonel 2005

2008-12-03T11:40:00.003+04:00

Name: Ariano Muscat Ottonel
Country: Uruguay, Canelones Province
Notes: This grape is a member of the muscat grape variety. Originally from France it was first cultivated in the Alsace region of the Loire valley. This is commonly a dessert wine due to its perfume aromas.
Grape(s): Muscat Ottonel
Vintage: 2005
Colour: Dark gold colour – sort of like the colour of 22 Karat gold. Mummy said it looked like beer which it does actually.
Smell: The first scents were the flloral aromas, sort of like a bouquet of young roses. Very typical of the Muscat family. Smelling more deeply you could pick up the mild aroma of a fruit cocktail…a mixture of tropical fruit flavours.
Taste: Off Dry and acidic with prounounced grapefruit/citrus base at the same time you did think you were drinking roses!!! This had a short length to it.
Conclusion: An acceptable wine
WINEDEX: 6 out of 10 for Muscat grape but 8 out of 10 for Uruguay
Final comments: This was my very first Uruguay wine I had EVER had. I was really looking forward to opening this and see what the Uruguayans had to offer considering their neighbouring countries offered excellent wine. Comparing it to other Muscat wine I gave this 6 out of 10 because I am not keen on the floral aromas and tastes. I love roses but not in my mouth. However, it was a nice wine and I can see why it works well as a dessert variety. I commented that this was an off dry taste but I think really it heads towards being more medium in flavour. It is quite deceptive and it does confuse you….you can think about it one way and then you sip it again and it gives you something else to play with. However, given that this was a Uruguayan wine I was impressed. I would buy this again….and try others. It was surprisingly good. I want to try another Uruguayan wine and compare it to chile and argentina….its going to be good.

Jordan - Grands Vin de Jordan - Machareus Region, Madaba, Chardonnay & Sauvignon Blanc 2003

2008-12-03T10:46:00.004+04:00

Name: Grandes vins de Jordanie
Country: Jordan – Machareus region, Zumot Vineyard of Madaba
Notes: A jordan wine which is situated on one of the best lands in this area.
Grape(s): Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2003
Colour: Light golden lemon colour
Smell: A light earthy aroma which is a strong indication of the chardonnay grape in this blend. The scent is not very pronounced. You do really have to sniff this drink to pull in the aromas. I was expecting more heavier aromas given that it was 5 years old
Taste: An off dry mild grapefruit flavour, light in intensity – The length of the drink was also quite short. A nice taste which was quite distinct from its aromas.
Conclusion: This was a acceptable wine.
WINEDEX: 7 out of 10
Final comments: This was my first Jordanian wine I had ever tried. My initial thoughts were that this was going to taste vile. Jordan is not exactly famed for wine. However, I have to say that I was quietly impressed. Given that it was already 5 years old I was expecting stronger more intense flavours but not at all it had a short length and really tasted like it was only a few years old…if that. It held all the characteristics of a chardonnay and a sauvignon blanc. It was unpleasant at all and really held its own. I would buy this again and I would serve this up to folk at a dinner party because of its blend it would smell and taste great for both Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc drinkers. I saw on the Zumot website that they have a red which is a blend of pinot noir and Cabernet sauvignon so I look forward to drinking that one.

France, Fat Bastard, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007

2008-11-27T09:20:00.003+04:00

Name: Fat bastard, Thierry & Guy
Country: French Wine
Notes: Thierry Boudinaud is a French winemaker who believes that "the average consumer hated the traditional intimidation heaped upon them by most of the wine industry." He partnered with British winemaker Guy Anderson to produce and distribute FAT bastard wine, which is labeled by the variety of grape from which it is made.
FAT bastard is a French wine produced and distributed by a British and French partnership. A 2005 survey found that 72% of the adult French population finds it difficult to understand French wine labels, and the problem is not unique to that country. Research found many consumers, disliked wine labels that picture chateaux, that appear elitist, and that are difficult to understand. FAT bastard appears to solve that marketing problem. The label reflects the fact that most New World (and many Old World) consumers prefer to buy "brand name" wines that are labeled by the variety of grape from which they are made. (source: Wikipedia.org)
Grape(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2007
Colour: Deep ruby
Smell: Its has very much a black berry, cherry flavour. – There was a kind of vegetal taste as well but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Taste: : This was as the label said a rich, round full body wine. Lots of tannin and very much on the dry side of taste. It did have good length to it too. Again the flavours were fruity based.
Conclusion: This was a acceptable wine.
WINEDEX: 6 out of 10
Final comments: I bought this because I had never seen a bottle called “Fat Bastard” before and I really wanted to know what this tasted like. I am also have fan of Caberne Sauvignon. This was a young Cabernet Sauvignon and too be honest this bottle may have been smoother had it been a bit more mature. The youngness of the drink (2007) could have meant that the full body flavour wasn’t as smooth as it could be or even as I would have liked. It was on more on the rough side. I would definitely buy this bottle again but leave it a few years to see if letting it sit for a few years helps this flavour. Anyway it will be cool to have a bottle sat there called Fat Bastard…people will remember it!! Good marketing ploy!!

Spain - Navajas Crianza, Rioja, 2005

2008-11-26T10:27:00.001+04:00

Name: Navajas Crianza
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja: Denominación de Origen: Calificada
Notes: A "crianza" is wine aged for at least two years, at least one of which was in oak. Navajas is a family-run estate, situated just outside the small town of Navarrete in La Rioja Alta.
Grape(s): Tempranillo 85%, garnacha 15%
Vintage: 2005
Colour: Ruby
Smell: Fruity scent initially but then you start to smell a more sweeter constituation with a vanilla or buttery aroma. Daddy said he interpreted some of the smells as being like oily fish….hmm..interesting.
Taste: A really nice early spring in its taste – real fruity flavours and hints of watermelon were something I picked up on. A nice rounded flavour with an off dry flavour and overall a medium body
Conclusion: This was a good wine –
WINEDEX: 7 out of 10
Final comments: I don’t really know a lot about Spanish wine - I am more of a new world drinker, but I wasn’t disappointed with this wine. It stood nicely on it own and was a great flavour. I would by this again and try more from this region for sure.

Argentina, Zolo, Mendoza, 2004, Malbec

2008-11-26T09:41:00.004+04:00

Name: Zolo
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Grape(s): Malbec, Red
Vintage: 2004
Colour: Crimson/ruby
Smell: A very pronounced spiciness to this wine – full of cinnamon, gloves, nutmeg. Daddy picked up a touch of petrol!!!! Really lovely aroma – smells like christmas
Taste: The flavour was very berry flavoured, I could taste black berries, cherries – was just lovely. The flavour was very much an off dry flavour with a short length meaning that it the flavour didn’t hang around in the mouth for too long. It had low tannin levels too giving it a lighter body and completely glubable. Very nice indeed.
Food ate with wine: A light cheese fondue. The combination of this light cheese and read wine was really fantastic Conclusion: A great wine.
WINEDEX: 9 out of 10
Final comments: Malbec is clearly one of my favourite grapes in the world. It never lets me down. The spicy/fruity aromas and flavour create a beautiful velvety flavours and lots of movement in the drink. As it sits and the air gets to it I really do think the flavours get better and more intense. I would recommend this bottle and this brand. A great wine. This malbec was 4 years old I would like to try a young malbec and see if there is a contrast and see if age really does made the malbec a better mature drink or a young drink. Watch this space.

France, Rhone Valley, Grand Reserve Cairanne, 2005,

2008-11-26T09:20:00.002+04:00

Name: Grande Reserve Cairanne, A.O.C Côtes du Rhône" denomination
Country: France
Region: Rhone Valley
Grape(s): Grenache white, Clairette white, Marsanne white, Roussanne white, Bourboulenc white, Viognier white, other white grape varieties tolerated 20% maximum.
Vintage: 2005
Notes: Remember that French Wine go by region so Cairanne is a region of the Rhony Valley
Colour: Gold
Smell: Lots of citrus based flavours. I could smell, green apples, gooseberries with hints of grapefruit and a wiff of pineapple just underneath. This was a very light scent and not very pronounced.
Taste: Off dry heading down the road to medium, low acidity. Unexpected different taste to the scent was more floral in nature. Wasn’t a very exciting blend it felt kind of flat in the mouth and didn’t have many high or low notes which would interest me.
Food ate with wine: WE had chicken with a slight Bbq flavour, I added sprinkles of Tabasco sauce to the chicken to give it a kick and that really went well this is wine. My other suggestion for food would have been a nice light flavoured white fish. Hammour I think would work well here with a lemon based sauce.
Conclusion: An acceptable wine.
WINEDEX: 5 out of 10
Final comments: It’s a blend – I am not familiar with all these different grapes apart from the Grenache so I am not in a position say if this is a good blend of these grapes or not. However, I can comment on taste which is probably more important. Personally I thought this was ok…but it didn’t really inspire me. Dad, on the other hand thought this was an excellent wine and commented that this would be a nice drink to have on its own while watching the footy. I thought the wine was bland on its own however with the combination of BBQ chicken and Tabasco it did lift up a bit more.

New Zealand - Cape Campbell - Sauvignon Blanc - 2007

2008-11-16T11:33:00.004+04:00

Name: Cape Campbell
Country: New Zealand
Notes: New Zealand wine really is one of my favourite's when it comes to new world wines. There is just something fresh and invigorating about a new zealand wine. I have never been disappointed with one. I find most New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs do have similiar citrus flavours that sometimes make the wine sooo good I can't help but drink it quickly. Its just so good. They all hold that citrus backbone with a few twists of their own distinct flavouring. Its always nice to open a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and wait to see what the citrusy flavour is shared with. The other great thing about a New Zealand Sauvignon blanc as I always find a a wine that is an easy introduction into drinking white wine. Very few people do not like the flavour - and so those that aren't sure about what to drink - this is always a good starting point.
So - what have we here? This particular Savvy I had never bought before however, I did start with certain expectations and intended on see them and looking to surpass them. It promise of citrusy, "spark up your taste buds" wine was kept. And I wasn't disappointed. That whole New Zealand flavour came through and with its own unique characteristics as well.
Vintage: 2007
Grape(s) Sauvignon Blanc
Colour: It had a lovely light lemon/golden colour - Very pretty indeed.
Smell: It was very fragrant but it was light and fruity. What I was expecting. You could instantly tell you were going to have citrus flavours of grape fruit, gooseberry...etc.
Taste: Yummy. my expectations were met. Grapefruit flavour was very distinct followed by a gooseberry hint. The citrus flavours were just fantastic. It was definately on the dry side of wine with quite high acidity level as well because the flavours of grapefruit/gooseberries and hints of green applies were quite sharp. But all that was expected from this wine. It had a light taste initally which did pack a wee punch but also sat on the margins of having a medium body. Overall its length was short...its didn't last long in the mouth.

Conclusion: This was a good wine. It did everything you would expect from a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. It was citrusy, you wanted to drink more of it and it had a warmth to it which made it feel comfortable and "feel at home". We had a roast chicken with this meal and had squeezed some lemon over the chicken as well as put the lemon wedges and garlic into the chicken cavity. The wine compliemented this dish very well.
Windex: 7 out of 10

Final comments: My favourite New Zealand Wine is Montana Marlborough and this has remained top of the pile for about 5 years. I enjoyed this Cape Campbell sauvignon blanc but it still not as great as my montana marlborough.

France - Piper Heidsieck Champagne

2008-11-15T12:33:00.001+04:00

We went to the JW Marriott all you can eat champagne brunch. Ken had his best friend out Des and his wife Mary and Tracey, mark, Charlotte, B and I all joined them. It was an excellent afternoon full of eating, drinking, dancing on the stage, just plain sillyness. At the end of the evening having ate tonnes and drunk tonnes we finally found out that between 8 of us we had consumed 10 bottles of champagne. Well......what's new....really!!

The champagne on today's menu was a Piper Heidsieck. Its not one that I would buy regularly I have only drunk it at the JW Marriott. Its a beautiful sight a glass of champagne - everyone smells and yells when the bottle pops...its always synonymous with some kind of momentus celebration. OK we were at brunch - nothing major to celebrate but the thought of great company, good food and you know a great afternoon is ahead.

So what was this champagne like you ask......??

Appearance.
Really pretty light golden colour - filled with bubbles just rising to the surface. To watch the bubbles in motion can be some what hypnotic....you are waiting in readiness for the toast so you can taste this pretty drink...

The bubbles did last a good while another indication of a good champagne.

Nose
I always find it difficult to smell a champagne. The bubbles get in the way and interfere with the smelling. It has rather light smell...but enough to ensure its present was known.

Taste
IT WAD YUMMY!!As the first drink of the day i did find it a tad strong. it kind of kicked up a bit as if to wake up your taste buds and lift them from their hibernating state.
It was definitely on the dry side of life.....but champagne that is dry is always good....its kind of my preference.
No tannin going on....
It held a very grapefruity position..that was what I picked up first...citrus was definitely the flavour of the day. Possibly some hints of green apples and gooseberries too.
It held its own and fairly medium bodied to me..and had a sort of medium length....

Conclusion
I ate primarily fish with this champagne and I have to say it did go very well. I would say this a good quality champagne. Well its history proves it, its been around since 1785. It was great and was also nice as a buck fizz as well. check out the website..the music alone is great and the content is interesting...

WINDEX:8 out of 10

My only complaint and this is purely me...i am still not in love with French wine and champagne. I am definitely a new world wine and sparkling wine drinker....I will continue to tackle the french wine and champagne...I have got to get over this ....xx

Argentina - Santa Julia - Mendoza - Cabernet Sauvignon - 2007

2008-11-15T12:03:00.003+04:00

Santa Julia was served up with a really yummy chicken wrapped in bacon with a tomatoe and mushroom sauce with a side dish of potato wedges. The meal was compliments of Tracey - who cooked this meal. She is a great at putting on a great meal.

Name: Santa Julia
Country: Argentina
Grape(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Colour:It was a lovely ruby colour - nice and deep. On appearance it looked like it would be a light red wine.
Smell: Its smell was light again adding to the thought that it would be a light red wine to drink. Its smelled quite spicy with a distinctively black pepper flavour. The label said black currents but I couldn't identify with that, but we could pick up a hint of cranberry - that was charlotte's suggestions and I thought that was very good. For me it was clearly on the spicy side of life.
Taste: It was definitely a full bodied spicy/black peppery Cabernet sauvignon taste. Lots of vegetable hints - not overly earthy but defintaly on that route. which was surprising given its light scent. Again proving that smell and taste can be distinctly different. It was definitely dry - not doubt about that It was very acidic either given it spicy smell and taste and its tannin levels were high. The taste lasted a while suggesting a some what medium length considering it full body attitude it was unusual.
Conclusion: This was an acceptable wine. I think maybe having it with chicken wrapped in bacon may have not been a good match. the wedges did well particularly as they had a lot of of salt and pepper seasoning. It was fine - it didn't stand out, it tasted average and OK. I think I would probably give this a bash again with a slightly heavier dinner to see if it reacts better. I don't know the price because it was bought by Tracey. But I will check that up next time.
Winedex: 6 out of 10
Final Comments:"Its good, I would drink it again, if there was nothing else on the menu that I liked I would probably have drunk that" I just looked up the wine buyer to see what they had to say about this wine. I was right i think a stronger meat will make this wine perform better. On the first introduction thought I am going to stick with my windex at this time until future notice.

WINDEX

2008-11-15T12:00:00.000+04:00

Here is my quick reference WINDEX. Just in case you want to use it.

o - awful...just awful...never touch the stuff again.
1 - Nope...its not worth it really.....
2 - why do people bother to make wine this bad....the smell should be enough to put you off.
3 - I think we got something there but really...there is better...
4 - Its OK...I would drink it again but I would want to mix it with a fruit juice or soft drink just to bring it too life.
5 - Not bad - not my favourite, not my worst choice. Its definately glugable and I would serve this up at a party cos it would suit lots of people and wouldn't hurt them
6 - Its good, I would drink it again, if there was nothing else on the menu that I liked I would probably have drunk that.
7 - We are on to something here. It taste great, and I am impressed. I would buy this again for sure...
8 - Very acceptable. This looks great, smells lovely, the drink is very enjoyable and I am about to open the second bottle on this one...
9 - A great wine. Taste and smelt great. It was such an enjoyable drink. Am not really keen on sharing...people should get their own bottle...
10 - An outstanding wine. These wine folk really know their wine, it smells fantastic, it taste great, it just outstanding. I need to buy more of this...this did it for me..

Chile - Paso del Sol - Valle Central - Carmenere 2007

2008-11-14T08:43:00.001+04:00

This was one of those..."never seen - need to try" bottles. I had never heard of the Carmenere Grape so I thought I would give it a whirl.

Appearance
it has a beautiful deep crimson colour and looks like it could be quite full bodied round flavour.

Nose
It smells not too intense but definately has a number of different aromas going on. I could smell cherries, but at the same time at a very vegetal/spicy flavour. It kind of reminded me of a Cabernet Savgignon variety

Taste
- it was a off dry flavour and felt kind of velvety and smooth in my mouth.
- it had low acidity flavours (it didn't have the sensation of the opal fruit sweets)
- it was low in tannin (it didn't make my mouth feel at all furry)
- I was expecting a rich heavy flavour but infact it was more of a medium flavour
- it didnt have much length but the flavour just didn't disappear so I am going to go with medium cos it did hang around a bit.
- It kind of went through a number of flavours, my first thoughts were cherries, black berries type fruit but as I drunk more the flavour became more spicy sort of black pepper and it was also a bit veggy - I couldn't identify a vegetable so I would say it was quite an earthy flavour....not so bad that you felt you were eating the ground..it was nice.

I had never head this grape variety before but I would buy it again...its very similar to a Cabernet sauvignon but from reading up on it it seems to get mixed up with the merlot variety. I disagree I think its more cabernet savgignon than merlot.

WINDEX: 9 out of 10.

I thoroughly enjoyed this bottle. We had a roast beef dinner with it and it was a good match. roast vegetables really matched well with this Carmenere grape. I would recommend this grape variety for sure and I will be looking out of more of it ..... It wasn't that expensive either. I can't remember the exact price but it was around Dhs. 30 - 40 which is a nice price. So, cant find a cabernet then try this ......its stands on it own and had made a great impression on its first introduction... But once again a fantastic wine from Chile....they are unstoppable this chilean wines...

Want to know more about this grape then visit Carmenere Wine on Wikipedia which talks about it in greater detail. It has French origins but is extinct in France and primarily grown in Chile now.

Wine and me

2008-11-14T07:39:00.000+04:00

I had always enjoyed a glass of wine but I never really knew what to choose or what to drink...it was one of those..you just were served a glass..you either liked it or not. B was usually my wine picker choosing from his knowledge which wine I would like from the menu. Then there were those nights out when you would ask for the house wine and you would be served the equivalent of gasoline. I would happily drink it thinking it was what wine was like and just think this is what "wine connoisseurs" enjoyed to drink. They knew what they were talking about..... God what a idiot I was back then...and I can't believe some restaurants/hotels have the nerve to serve such drink and charge Dhs. 30 a glass.....

Why did I drink it....well, I don't like beer and was going off spirits. I didn't enjoy the "alcopop" drinks as I was bothered by the sugar levels and their high GI content. I had recently also stopped drinking coffee....all in an effort to save my digestive system. So wine was my last hope of an alcoholic beverage. I would always order the chardonnay..cos I was nervous about trying other wine in case I didn't like it. Red wine was just a no no....I hated the fact of drinking a room temperature drink....it always needed to be ice cold...

For me, my relationship with wine began in Perth, Australia in 2002. We were at the Burswood Hotel. Given we were in wine country I thought well I will give the local wine a bash. B did the ordering....cos I had no idea what to choose. So he chose for me an "Evans & Tate, Chardonnay". B did the tasting and checking and then it was served up. OMG...what a beautiful flavour....I couldn't believe wine could taste this good....I finished the bottle...it was like a whole new world opened with that bottle. A few days later we went on the Sandleford wine tour which involved a boat trip down the swan river to the Sandleford vine yard. We learnt all about wine, how its made, how it tasted, what to taste for, characteristics....everything. Infact we had a game on board afterwards to test us on what we had learnt and I was so pleased cos I won and got a free bottle of Sandelford Verdelho. I was so chuft with myself.

I knew from that point..that wine now had a different meaning to me and that there was a whole world of wine out there that I hadn't tapped or even seen. Now, I was prepared to take it on. Chardonnays, turned to Savignon Blanc, then to Chenin Blancs... I took on the red wine world....now I drink more red than white. My favourite grape currently is Malbec...

Earlier this year I took my wine enthusiam to the next level and got myself the WSET - intermediate level. This the the Wine, Spirits and alcoholic beverages education training. Its always a running joke now that I have a qualification in wine drinking but it really was a fantastic course. I wanted to learn more about what I was drinking and expand my knowledge and understanding of what to look for when I am choosing wine and drinking it.

Now I just pick up bottles, read the label and buy it. "Give it a try" I say. If you don't like it you never have to buy it again. You get the pleasure of trying different flavours and types...and since then I have tried not only australian and new zealand wines, but wines from california, from chile, from south africa, from argentina. I have to spread further now and try lebanon, jordan, Indian, European wines all sorts. I recently saw wine from Uraguay..so next time I will buy that. My fantasy choices are english wine and ice wine from canada. Why do I call them my fantasy wines, well because I can never find them and the thought of seeing and trying it is all just in my imagination. One day ...this wine fantasy will come true....

So, what is this blog all about. Well I have decided to document the wine that I drink and hopefully over the fullness of time I will have a diary of my wine drinking adventures. I will write about what i liked, what I didn't like and see how it related to the food I was eating with it. May be even give the wine my own "windex". This is my WIne index rating. It out of 10, pretty simple to rate...its in the end all about the taste. Here the index

o - awful...just awful...never touch the stuff again.
1 - Nope...its not worth it really.....
2 - why do people bother to make wine this bad....the smell should be enough to put you off.
3 - I think we got something there but really...there is better...
4 - Its OK...I would drink it again but I would want to mix it with a fruit juice or soft drink just to bring it too life.
5 - Not bad - not my favourite, not my worst choice. Its definately glugable and I would serve this up at a party cos it would suit lots of people and wouldn't hurt them
6 - Its good, I would drink it again, if there was nothing else on the menu that I liked I would probably have drunk that.
7 - We are on to something here. It taste great, and I am impressed. I would buy this again for sure...
8 - Very acceptable. This looks great, smells lovely, the drink is very enjoyable and I am about to open the second bottle on this one...
9 - A great wine. Taste and smelt great. It was such an enjoyable drink. Am not really keen on sharing...people should get their own bottle...
10 - An outstanding wine. These wine folk really know their wine, it smells fantastic, it taste great, it just outstanding. I need to buy more of this...this did it for me..

So here is my Windex....this what i will rate my wine against. Remember wine is all very personnel, just cos a wine is expensive doesn't mean its good but just cos a wine is cheap doesn't mean its good either.

Buy it, try it and drink it.....is my motto.....

If its a great wine hopefully you will associate really happy memories with it too....

happy wine drinking....