Celebrate the Little Things...with Wine.

As a counseling graduate student I need to complete a 8 month internship before graduating, and today was my first one-on-one hour with a client at my internship site. Over the last couple day my anxiety levels were fluctuating between low to moderate, so I was excited when I ended the hour with my client and realized my anxiety had hardly been present at all during our time together. Furthermore, it was affirming when he stated he was looking forward to our next session together. When I got home and shared the good news about my day with Jessi I thought it would be appropriate to honor the occasion with a nice bottle of wine.

A couple of weeks back, when I was at my new favorite wine shop Esquin Wine Merchants, I asked an employee if there were any screaming deals in the Australian wine section. (Yes, I actually used the words "screaming deals," and I immediately wondered why those words chose to come out at that moment. Then I remembered I am a graduate student and it all made perfect sense.) To my relief and delight my choice of language seemed to spark a flame of excitement in him. He immediately informed me that there indeed was a screaming deal in the Australian wines. He then quickly walked to this section and pulled down a bottle of the 2003 St. John's Road, a Barossa Valley wine. He then shared how a lady had just brought a case and a half back the day before because she prefered the old world Rhone style syrah's to the new world Australian Shiraz's. He shared how excited the staff was because they were then able to buy two bottles each of this wine. I was sold. For $13.69 I was told I would not be disappointed, and I wasn't.

Tonight was the night to let this wine shine. After 45 minutes in the decanter I poured Jessi and myself a glass to raise in celebration. Both of our noses spent several minutes in the glass before we remembered that there was a further step in the process; that being the tasting of the wine. The bouquet was powerfully opulent. Right away blackberry fruit sprung out of the glass, but this was quickly followed by the rich aroma of prunes and the smell of a cave, yes a cave. This bouquet has smitten me. When I finally found time to taste this wine I was equally impressed. This wine exhibited great fruit flavors, predominately flavors of stewed plums. It also tasted just like a freshly raked pile of autumn leaves mixed with a handful of dirt that had recently been rained on. That is what it would taste like if one were to taste such things. I really liked this aspect of the wine. The mouth feel was smooth, leaving a lingering hint of fruit for some time. I would rate this wine a solid 91 points, and recommend to anyone who likes new world fruit bombs to snatch this wine up if you can find it.

I could have easily overlooked my accomplishment today. All too often I do overlook the important moments in my life, but I have made a point of celebrating more of these moments in my life and the lives of those I know and love. Wine is one of the many things that helps mark a special accomplishment, occasion, relationship, etc. Next time you feel the beginnings of excitement regarding a major or minor accomplishment, excitement over a great relationship, or other occasion treat yourself to a glass, cup, or bottle of your favorite beverage. Just know that the celebration will be that much sweeter if you are drinking wine!

Second Time's a Charm

This last week I bought the most expensive bottle of wine I have ever bought. I have tried more expensive wines, but never purchased anything this expensive. I have kept my eye on this wine for the last 6 or 7 weeks. The wine I bought was the d'Arenberg 2005 Dead Arm Shiraz. I looked at several of the local stores comparing prices, which ranged between 60-65 dollars a bottle, except where I found it for 52 dollars. Now I have a 52 dollar bottle of wine. It's funny to think that I own a wine I won't be trying for a decade or longer. While I was buying this wine I also picked up a bottle of d'Arenberg's 2004 Footbolt Shiraz which retails around 18 dollars a bottle. Both of these wines are from the Mclaren Vale region in South Australia. I hold a special place in my heart for this region. I have toured this area three different times, loving it each time I was there.

I have just been waiting for an excuse to try this wine. Thursday night was the perfect time. I just started my internship, and since I didn't have to go in on Friday I thought it would be great timing to celebrate this beginning, or should I say, dampen the anxiety I feel due to starting this internship, with a bottle of red. Jessi and I were disappointed. There was a good bouquet of raspberries, and even some solid fruit on the palate, but there was a tidal wave of harsh acidity that ruined the wine for us both. I decided to give this wine another try, so I took the first bottle back and traded it in for another bottle of the same. I am so glad I did this. This evening Jessi and I were able to enjoy a solid wine without the harsh palate stripping tannins. The bouquet exhibited a simple, yet rich smell of raspberry, with a hint of black pepper as well. The mouth feel was definitely dry, yet full of body. This wine's black fruit, and cedar components left me chewing even though no food was in my mouth. In addition, I tasted the distinct flavor of the Mclaren Vale. I LOVE this flavor. It is impossible for me to describe this flavor to you, but it is there. While living in Australia we tried hundreds of McLaren Vale wines and we were able to distinguish the Mclaren Vale's unique flavor, imparted by it's unique terroir. It is amazing how wine can bring you back to earlier times, which are usually enjoyable because when wine is involved life is usually good! I would give the 2004 Footbolt Shiraz 89+. As Jessi and I were enjoying a glass together I leaned over and said we should get a case. She quickly reminded me that, although we enjoy good wine, we are still poor graduate students. A man can still dream.

Getting Smashed

Having a baby slightly changes things. The title and the first sentence are not completely accurate. One is a significant overstatement and the other is a monumental understatement. I will let you decide which is which! Jessi and I don't get out as much as we used to now that we are the parents of a beautiful 7 month old boy. When we do get out for a bite to eat or a coffee there isn't much charm or romance tied to the event. Last night was our first run at trying to incorporate a little charm into our evening out with baby in tow. What better way to infuse the night with a touch of romance than to incorporate wine into our plans. I read a review on a local wine bar, Smash Wine Bar and Bistro, and off we went. Things were different with a baby in the mix, instead of heading out at 7:30 or 8pm we made sure we were there close to their 5pm opening time. We were pleasantly surprised to find they had a great happy hour menu that included both wine and food. We both had a glass of French Syrah/Grenach mix and some delicious eats. The wine was flavorful, smooth, and very enjoyable. We also ordered a Washington state flight of 3 different wines, all were blends. One of the wines in the flight was a merlot/Zinfandel mix, I have never come across a blend like this before. I was not overly impressed. My favor of the three wines was one made by Alexandria Nicole, the 2005 Quarry Butte, a mix of several wines with Cab Sav leading the bunch. I would give it 85 points out of 100. Jessi, Lachlan, and I had a wonderful evening sipping wine, talking, eating, and enjoying one another's company.

When we got home a couple hours later the night was still very young. I opened a bottle of San Juan Vineyards 2004 Merlot that I picked up for just 10 dollars. We settled in to watch the movie Once, which was a great movie for those of you who enjoy a moving story line, and phenomenal soul touching music. The Merlot was as good as any other Washington Merlot I have tried in the 15-20 dollar range. This wine was a huge fruit bomb; not much complexity, but perfect for a quaffing wine that doesn't demand much time and energy unlocking its' secrets. I give this wine 86 points.

Wine always bring something special to all occasions it makes an appearance. I thoroughly enjoyed my evening last night, and I'm looking forward to future times at the wine bar...hopefully Lachlan will not always be joining us.

Wine for the Common Days

Sunday night is one of those nights where one tries hard to hold onto the feel of the weekend, but can't help but concede that the stress and responsibility of the work week is quickly approaching. What better way to fight back the stress of the impending work week than by popping the cork on a bottle of wine. This is exactly what we did this Sunday. Two years ago a friend gave me a bottle of Silver Lake Gewurztraminer 2002. My friend and I had plans to drink this wine together, but after his moving and both of our wives having a baby, this wine was moved to the "ready to drink" wine rack. This wine had a big sweet pear bouquet, and a satisfying sweet peach flavor. Although this wine was sweet, it didn't overpower the fruit. This wine was simply enjoyable; perfect for a quiet Sunday evening.

I rarely drink wine during the week but the perfect wine for a Monday graced my palate this week. A decent build up for one of the most ordinary wines being made. A friend shared a glass of Charles Shaw 200v4 Cab Sav with me. This wine is one dimensional, with its most noticeable attribute being its cloying sweetness. I recently hosted a blind wine tasting, and I threw this wine in for fun. Everyone thought it was Shiraz; nobody guessed it could possibly be a cab sav. This wine is just too sweet for my liking. I have to admit that although I name this wine as ordinary, it is drinkable. A 3 dollar wine that is drinkable! WOW. The interesting fact is that this wine tasted better when I was drinking it with my friend. I hear studies have shown that the same wine can taste significantly different based on the context in which the wine is drunk. I know that context changes the experience of wine, but a good wine is good everywhere, and a bad wine is bad wherever you are. Here's to hoping your wines are good to you.

The Good with the...

It has been several hours since my first sip of the 2004 Chateau de la Chaize. As I went back for my third glass of this wine Jessi (my wife) asked why I was still drinking the wine since I really didn't like it. There have been other times when I poured a wine down the drain because it just wasn't fair to my palate. When Jessi asked the question of why I was drinking this wine I realized that I was drinking this wine because drinking a bad wine once in a while helps me appreciate the good ones I come across. It's ironic that hard times really do make the good times good. If you happen to be drinking a less than desirable wine I hope your next bottle causes your to exclaim how wonderful life can be.

A Gift

It hasn't taken me long to open another bottle of wine. I remembered that I had a bottle of Gamay an old professor had given my wife and I as a gift about 5 months back knowing that I really enjoy wine, and being that I have been trying to find a time to drink this wine I thought tonight was as good a time as any.

The wine I am tasting is a French wine from Chateau de la Chaize; from the 2004 vintage costing around 16 dollars. I let this wine decant for about an hour before pouring myself a glass. This wine is medium red in color with a fairly delicate body. The bouquet roped me in right off; I detected aromas of shrill strawberry (what is shrill strawberry you may be asking yourself? I too am asking this very question as I write)! There was a faint essence of cotton candy in the bouquet for the first minute or two after swirling the wine, but it has morphed into the aroma of a decadent strawberry pie. I also detect the unassuming aroma of toasted oak. My first sip of this wine was quite disappointing compared to the bouquet. As the wine ran over and around my tongue I felt my mouth pucker up. This wine tastes a little young to me. It tastes as if there is not enough fruit to counterbalance the tannins. I can detect strawberry and cherry flavors, but they are quickly overtaken by the tannins, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. Overall, I will give this wine a pass if I run across it in the future.

Although I am not overly impressed with the wine, it is interesting how gifts bring back memories. While trying this wine I have been reminiscing about the time Dr. Colin Greene, (the professor who gave me this wine) another friend, and myself shared several bottles of wine after finals one semester. Dr. Colin Greene is one of the most engaging, open, personable people I have had the pleasure of knowing. It totally makes sense that he enjoys wine so much!

Drinking this wine also takes me back to the time I spent in France. I lived in France for eight months as an exchange student. I have also been a couple other times. I love France. France was where the seeds of my love of good wine were planted. Back then I didn't know much about wine. I was spending about 18 francs a bottle, which equaled around 3 dollars American at the time. I didn't know anything about the different grape varieties, grand cru's, terroir, weather affecting the grapes during the growing season, etc. But I learned to enjoy wine, and that was the start.

I never knew how enjoyable yet humorous it could be writing about wine. My review smacks of pretentiousness. I guess wine brings out the best in me!

Holidays

I love the holidays for many reasons; the food, the conversation, relaxing with friends and family, laughter, sharing gifts, but I also find I am excited about having an excuse to buy some decent wine to enjoy over the holidays. I bought my first Chilean syrah this holiday season, a bottle of Montes Alpha. I picked it up at Costco for 16 dollars. The wine I am most familiar with is Australian shiraz, so I was very surprised at how different Chilean syrah tasted compared to the massive, fruit forward wines of South Australia. The wine from Chile was earthy, with the fruit taking a very noticeable yet backstage role in this wine. I found that this placed the spiciness of syrah in a prominent role. Forgive me for the vagueness of impressions; Christmas was many days and many wines ago! I enjoyed this wine, but I think it will take me a little more exposure to come to a better understanding of Chilean syrah's. My brother-in-law shared a bottle of Reininger's Mr. Owl's 2002. A good drop of wine for sure.

Other wines I tried over the holiday season were: Beringer's Knight's Valley Cab Sav 2004 costing 27 dollars. I was pleasantly surprised by this wine, it was simple but not boring. My wife and I went out to dinner at friends house, and our job was the bring the wine; my favorite "chore." I found a bottle of Moon Mountain 2004 Estate reserve Cab Sav that was discounted from 50 dollars to 26 dollars. With the recommendation of the wine steward I bought this wine. My primary impression was that this was one of the driest wines I have ever had, yet there was an amazing balance of fruit that kept the wine from stripping all moisture from my mouth. I found that this wine grew on me as it got more air. I tried to find another bottle at the discounted price, but it just wasn't in the cards.

New Years Eve was a great night shared with a couple good friends, and several good bottles of wine. They brought over a bottle of Chateau St. Jean's 2004 Cab Sav Sonoma County, which retails for a little over 20 dollars. Yet again I was pleasantly surprised. I usually avoid buy the big name wines, because all too often I find that I pay for a name rather than a good wine, but this wine had good fruit and simple yet enjoyable integration. I would buy this one again. I also pulled out a bottle of Steppe Cellar's 2005 Semillion from the Yakima Valley. I really enjoyed this wine. The nose of solid yet unassuming melon, followed by a powerful and pleasant flavor and mouth feel. I will definitely pick this up again when I am in the Yakima Valley. Another highlight of the night was the DVX bubbly made by Mumm in California. This 1999 bottle was made with 50% chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir grapes. This is the first good bubbly I have ever had the pleasure of trying. At 55 dollars a bottle I don't think I will be buying a case anytime soon though. Thanks to my friends John for selling his kidney to get me this bottle as a gift last Christmas. Here's a glass to you my friend.

My hope is that this blog will challenge me to be more intentional about writing down my impressions, so I can remember more of the details I experienced while trying a wine. Also, pictures will hopefully be a regular fixture in the near future.

What's going on?

Wine has been a growing passion of mine for many years. Drinking wine with good food and great friends is a glorious experience. Every time I open a bottle of wine I become excited with the anticipation of how this wine will smell, taste and feel. There have been some wines where the bouquet has been so captivating that I have forgotten to taste the wine for 10 minutes or longer. Other wines have exhibited such powerful flavors, complexity, and overall depth of character they have left me in a state of awe and wonder. For me wine is a balm for my soul.

This blog is a way for me to keep a record of my impressions and thoughts about the different wines I have had, and will have the joy of trying. As the title suggests this blog will not just be tasting notes about the wines I have tried, but will also be infused with how life, and the relationships that bring meaning and energy to life, impact the way wine is experienced, and also how wine impacts how life is experienced.

Due to my chosen profession and my grad student status I won't be tasting wine most nights, but that just helps me to savor the wines I am privileged to try all the more. I am excited to see where life with wine leads.