Another week, another wine (or three - or four.)

So another week begins, and another glass of wine sits before me...this time Xavier Cotes du Rhone at my beloved Fig & Olive, a perfect blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.
Notes of blueberries round out this smooth and mellow red from my dear France. Hints of spice make this the perfect choice for reflection time on the last week which has offered more than its fair share of spicy drama. As long as you've had a little (or in this case a lot) you might as well round it out, right? Right.
These spicy characteristics are softened by silky hues of dark cherries, much like the heat that has put my life in kahootz has been softened on the edges by the little things that make these tumultuous times more manageable (enter those four wines mentioned in the subject line...) and that eventually lead to life lessons you become grateful for after enough time has passed. Perhaps a little like the time required for a heady, rich, and aged wine to breathe...
Breathing and letting things go - and learning from mistakes/bad choices is after all what embodies the development of our palette and fosters the expansion of (my) wine knowledge; what a perfect note to end on and also to begin the pursuit of my dream of a wine career in NYC...

The Toss Up...

Quelle 'blanc?'
It was surely a difficult decision Wednesday evening at Candle Cafe: French Sauvignon Blanc (appropriately named 'L'Atitude') or the other - sometimes more distinguished - Fume Blanc (Lololis) from Red River Valley, CA. Both the same vintage (2008) but each offering entirely different experiences in the mouth and on my contemplative mind.
One sip of L'Atitude and I was instantly transported back to the dog days that were this Summer where I wanted to drink nothing else but crisp, clean, light and fragrant 'blancs.' A fantastic sauvignon blanc, but just not quite on par with my autumnal state of mind.
One sip of Lololis and I was back into the crisp Fall air that breezes through Candle's entrance - and provided exactly what I was craving mentally and on my palette.

On the brink of yet another seasonal transition, this complex and heady blanc falls right in with the many changes that have come to pass in the last 6 months (which is also the last time I updated here...)
I make my return to the blogging world just as I make my return to NYC from a short but sweet trip home to Minneapolis. But this time I am sans soeur (I would have gotten a Sancerre if there was one on the list)
So what's taken me so long, you ask? Well, I think we all know the kind of mental, and frankly, emotional commitment this writing thing takes. But I guess the trick is to just get over it - just like we must get over our pre-conceived notions of the aromas, the nose and the mouthfeel of a wine we think we know.
So, suffice to say, many wine daze excursions (and hence tastings at Astoria Wine & Spirits) have gone undocumented. But that's about to change :)

I find myself with a solo glass of this remarkably and delightfully crisp fume blanc with an almost tangy intensity that lingers calmly on my palette. You'd think that this lingering mirrors a desire for the waning days of summer to last a little while longer, but think again...

So what is it that draws our perusing eyes to a particular wine on the list (or at the store?) Do we have subconscious wine desires, biologically engrained either from past wine daze(s) that reveal a hunger for that crisp white or silky smooth red of an emotional daze past, or is it pure instinct - a sporadic decision and impulse that just may reveal some inner workings waiting to be pronounced after that first sip (or couple sips, or couple glasses) settles in?
Whatever it is, that decision has got to be meant to be, right? If you feel that wine order envy setting in, fuhgeddaboutit! Enjoy the musing that perhaps this wine in front of you may not be the perfect decision; enjoy the nuances, the unexpected aromas, nasal and other sensory stimulations that - if you had chosen a different wine - you would have never encountered.

Okay, so let's get to the chase then - the wine chase that is...
Obviously (for those of you who know me well) I studied the list this morning (and again and again this afternoon, inbetween tracking Shel Silverstein and Fancy Nancy purchase orders - oops!)
As I said, I got it narrowed down to those two whites:

Option #1 Notes: In Lehman's terms, this French (Loire Valley) Sauvignon Blanc ($10/glass) had plenty of 'Atitude' but not quite the right angle of sass I was looking for. Revealing classic characteristics of a French Sauvignon Blanc: crisp apples notes on the nose, leading to a refreshing grapefruity 'zing' (perhaps that's where the attitude comes in?) that reminded me a little too much of summer's attitude this year

Option #2 (and the ultimate winner) Notes: Presenting the perfect equilibration between that all-too familiar taste of summer and that crisp haven of fall, infiltrated with that autumnal kick that I crave in these transitional days.

And speaking of transitions, I have no smooth one for the ending of my first blog back, so I hope you'll forgive me.

I am taking a leap: From the daze of wine musings to the full-on daze of reporting for the fantabulous wine Friday night wine tastings at Astoria Wine & Spirits.Please join me in this adventure as I highlight the wines from Fridaze at 34-11 Broadway, Astoria, NY, 11106

Friday, January 29th, 2010
The bitter chill from Old Man Winter did not prevent the brave souls from venturing out to take part in a warm night of wine tasting. Tonight's Feature: ITALY! Form the south to the north, to the south and back up again to land on a high note (of dark cherry) amidst the Barbera D'Asti grape of northern Italy.

Inzolia, Baglio del Sole, 2007
$10.99
A powerful and seductive Sicilian white with aromas of lychee and apricot that yield to a floral bouquet of smooth bliss. Dry on the back palette, a good way to whet the appetite for the evening.
Pairs with seafood, pasta, risotto, and appetizers.

Abbazia Di Novacella, Gewurtzraminer
$29.99
First and foremost, "There is nothing wrong with this wine." -YangWhen I first began working at Astoria Wine & Spirits, I asked Yang if he had a favorite wine in the store. He said "all of them." Until now...This Gewurtraminer has a finesses like no other wine. The gorgeous floral bouquet just "jumps out and onto our palette." With great minerality and smooth flavors of gooseberry, this is the perfect wine to sip and sip...and sip.
Pairs with seafood, white meat, great as an aperitif.

Baglio del Sole, Nero d'Avola, 2006
$10.99
Going back down to Sicily and the South to a wine that is a perfect everyday drinking wine. With bright, red fruits and blueberry notes on the palette, it is a versatile wine that goes beautifully with Italian dishes.With the fruit at the beginning, it leads to an unexpectedly dry finish.
Pairs perfectly with classic Italian dishes like pizza, pasta, and marinara.

Damilano, Barbera D'Asti, 2008
$17.99
Finishing on an note back up in the North, this robust Barbera D'Asti opens with aromas of licorice that quickly yield to notes of raisin and hints of dark cherry flavors. A powerful end to a night of North-South and back again...until the next Fridaze of tasting at Astoria Wine & Spirits.
Well-balanced with a long finish, this is a perfect accompaniment to cold cut appetizers, rich beef roasts, game, and aged cheeses

Stay Tuned!

Never Met a Wine I Didn't Like...until now...

It was a Montepulciano Monday, with plenty of mysterious aromas and much, much mouthfeel...

Sipping, waiting...thinking. Thinking about the events of the day, the week, the year...time passes quickly, (strangely) unlike this glass of Montepulciano that sits before me. 

I am waiting now, just as this bottle has waited to be opened for days, weeks in this apartment - and a year or so since the juices hit the mold of the bottle. And tonight the cap has been unscrewed, the evening begun...

I think this is definitely a first in my wine daze: I have actually come across a wine that I am not so keen on - so "unkeen" (yes, that is a made-up word, just for tonight) in fact that I stuck a bottle from Trader Joe's white wine into the freezer in hopes of relieving my palette when this glass has finally gone down (I am not disclosing the origin of this wine in front of me, at least not yet.)  Yet, I am not so put off that I am going to discard it down the drain...

My mind is piqued to wonder: What happens when you discover that a wine which you yourself has recommended on several occasions turns out to be one you shouldn't have been recommending all along and won't do going forward - at least to those whose preferred tastes lean towards the smooth and supple fruitiness of a Burch Hall Pette Sirah or a mellow yet meaty del sorvo Chianti? 

Two Options:

A) Question your own (wine) discretion and knowledge of this drink (glass, bottle) at hand and shy away sheepishly into the corners of marked wine mishap

B) Use it as fodder and testament to the idea (philosophy) that goes "to each their own." In this case, the confidence of one's own with which they make recommendations...I think I will take option B.

Ah, yes...at last the smooth texture of a welcome switch to the light, white goodness. The heater is gearing up for the night next to me, making this a very appropriate night for this glass of white that awaits before me (until I potentially switch back to red to test its pasta-pairing power - the whole reason behind my ill-fated recommendation(s) in the first place.

Montepulciano: Mysterious aromas of wood, moss, mold, and toasty notes...

TJ's white blend (tres pinos): Honey notes yield to a sweet first sip - a clear distinction: This is indeed a Trader Joe's white.

But sometimes that is just what the moment calls for.

The (Dreaded?) Return from a long, wine dazed Break...

...Though for sure and indeed not a break from the wine daze...
The holidays of 2009 - spent in the frozen tundra which is my "other" home - the lovely, albeit frigid, home town of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Luckily (and certainly not coincidentally) there was no shortage of wine (and occasional spirits) to help warm (all) our parts and souls - and to soothe and comfort the passing of our very own "Reine du Vin" - la maitresse who can be held accountable for the beginning of not only my - but that of our whole family line's wine daze.

Grandmere, ceci est pour toi...

...Not a break from the sipping, savoring, and, well, altogether drinking, of wine, but rather a break from reporting on it and about it; A break from the madness of the city, the banality (and occasional madness) of the 9-5 work day, and from the trekking and schlepping that comes with living in NYC - and Astoria...but no break - not a day or a meal - without the soothing and familiar feel and taste of wine on the pallet.
And now, for something I rarely do: A listing of all that was savored (to the best of my memory, which is focused wholly on memories made with my amazing family and trusted friends; memories in different settings, ambiance, etc, etc...

How the days pass and the daze continues on...

Such is life: I allow weeks to slip by, and many many different wines ingested and savored gone without mention on this so-called wine blog...but not to fret, there will always be another day and another wine to sip.

Tonight, I am breaking open a bottle to mark the new chapter that is opening up in front of me: A new residence, a new outlook, a new commute (um, so much better and faster btw!) a new (but old) roommate (Ahea, I am not calling you old; I am, of course, just referring to the fact that we have passed days as roommates in our blissful childhood daze) and, so it happens, the start of a new wine ritual.

I find myself in wine transitions, stages, whatever you want to call them...like stages in life, I suppose you could say. Going from a stage of being an utter lush, banking in on every opportunity to drink another sip; then onto a stage of so-called detox, when I challenged myself to break the cycle of sipping every night; then slowly back into phase of letting go and allowing myself to take part in that pleasure...which is where I find myself tonight: with an open bottle of Raimat Albarino (2008) that was an incredibly welcome thirst quencher for the end of a long work day and a long anticipated move into a new phase...

It will no doubt go unfinished tonight, left to sit in the fridge until I can come back to it next week after the Turkey Day celebrations. I have learned that the crisp taste will dissipate after three days of sitting there, waiting to be poured and sipped. I should know better than to open a bottle knowing it won't be nearly as spectacular when I get back to it. But I am doing a sort of experiment, seeing if indeed I can tell the difference. 

Guaranteed, my palette will be interrupted by the wines that will be tasted and enjoyed with my adoptive Thanksgiving family the Rosses this weekend; yet, I suppose this is also a test of how well my pallet is developing.

I will keep you updated (and I promise I won't let weeks and several wines pass without at least a brief posting...)

Cheers to a Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, 

Kristin

Fresh citrus notes yield to a tang of honeysuckle that lingers on the palette. Slight aromas of vanilla are barely noticeable, but definitely present in the mouthfeel. Promising to be a superb accompaniment to a whole gamut of culinary pleasures, tonight it will be paired with classic thai dishes: mixed vegetables and tofu and "healthy ginger" with chicken - with a definite kick that may clash with the citrus notes of my wine. We shall see...as is the case with every wine experience, right?

Fucking Merlot for the Fucking Rain! (But finishing smooth...)

Okay, excuse the language, but how appropriate (and typical I might add) for my last laundry session (or outing you could even say since it is indeed quite a spectacle walking back and forth, back and forth, with a laundry bag that literally is the height of my bitty self.) Which is why I find myself for one last time at my neighborhood Greek bar Stiniyamas. I already proved to myself that I could get through laundry sessions without a glass of wine in between loads (which I found myself having to stop after the toll on the cash flow - even at $5 a glass,) so what the hell! Why not make all the last neighborhood stops for old time's sake! I am glad I did, because the rain is coming down harder...
Okay, so for this Merlot, which is "really good for the price" according to my hot, blonde bartender: K242 (Korta For Two) from Chile: Scent is reminiscent of ripe berries, of course, that lead to hints of toasty oak that waft through the nose, all ending in a smooth finish - a mirror to my (fairly) smooth finish here in the 'hood.
It is almost exactly a year to the day that I began the series of laundry outings from 20-52 - getting better and more efficient each time with practice, just as I am (hopefully) getting better at recognizing and describing aromas and flavors each time a wine hits first my nose, then the inside of my lips, eventually leading to a full palette of ripe berry - or cherry, melon, apple, honeysuckle, grassy, herbal or toasty goodness.
in front of me the red juice of the (Greek?) gods sits quietly in the almost goblet-sized glass, leaving me puzzled (and either impressed or embarassed, depending on the mindset) how on earth I finished three of those on another laundry outing...
Wine that is soft, smooth, and delightful - a mirror opposite to the 'bottles in da club' thumping music that bangs in the background, grating against the monotonal drone of Mr. Kyclades' vocal notes over there at the other end of the bar...Oh, Stiniyamas, you will never change (even if your wine selction has, to which I can rightfully say a loud STINIYAMAS! (In case you haven't figured it out: Cheers! in Greek)
My grizzly surroundings areassuaged by the $5 glass of Korta in front of me, allowing me to focus in on the mouthfeel of the wine.
When the ambiance is 'meh' - (I say this with a back-and-forth tilted gesture of my right hand) it allows the mind to focus inward on the wine - and consequently, on the self. So many external irritations you can't control - especially in this city, this borough, this bar - yet it has taught me patience; patience with myself, patience with my loved ones, and patience with the daze of life...
The things I can control are my reactions and my decisions...and of late, my wine...But after a period of strict "I-shouldn't-drink-wine-every-night" period in my wine daze, I am ready to move on to a stage of letting go and purely savoring every moment (and every wine) I can - without counting, without stressing, without obsessing.
So what if I have wine every night? Right? Right. It is, after all, a part of my life, my day, my daze...obviously, it does many things...but I think most of all , it soothes and smooths - and that is okay with me.
Oh! and look...the rain has ceased...


Kristin