Supreme Mathematics

1 car.
3 people.
9 wineries.
50 tastings.

10:45am - Andretti
11:30am - Anderson's Conn Valley
12:30pm - Twomey
1:00pm - August Briggs
1:45pm - Frank Family
2:30pm - V. Sattui (Meats, Cheese, Bread)
3:15pm - Heitz Cellars
3:45pm - Rutherford Grove
4:30pm - Robert Mondavi
5:15pm - Alpha & Omega
6:15pm - Rutherford Grill (dinner)

Decant

A friend of mine knowing I was in the market for some Dr. Frankenstein grade laboratory beakers, sent me a link to the following website. This is some wild shit. How would you even clean it, as it most likely is not dishwasher safe. I think I will opt for a glass beaker instead. Still very cool.

simply amazing $2 chuck...

White Zinfindel...
truly a "porch" wine
go to trader joe's
buy a case (for god sakes it's $24 for 12 bottles)
put a few in the fridge....

pour a glass and enjoy the last few hot days in Cali.

Cameron Hughes Lot 73 Chalk Hill $13.99

There are times when I drink wine like gangbusters, the past month has been one of those times. Tons of whites, tons of reds, tons of international varietals.

Today's selection is from one of our most blogged about wine company, Cameron Hughes' latest offering, Lot 73 Sonoma County Chalk Hill Cabernet. Here is what their website had to say...

Taste: This colossal cab hails from the Bordeaux like climate of Chalk Hill in Sonoma. It presents a bouquet of freshly picked roses and black cherries. Its smoky earthiness gives hint to the volcanic soil composition of the area. The first sip will slam your taste buds with dark chocolate and big ripe blackberries backed by silky vanilla from new French oak. This enormous cab will pair well with…or should I say…a juicy rib eye, New York, or your favorite porterhouse will pair fantastic with this delicious Chalk Hill Cab.

Cameron Confidential: This wine is a monster. When we first tasted the barrel samples we were blown away. The broker who brought us the wine said that the owner of the vineyard had recently broken free of a contract with another winery and the wine could be available to us long term. Done, where do I sign?!!

The grapes are sourced from one of the most beautiful vineyards I have ever seen (grapes always seem to grow best in beautiful places). It’s huge - spanning over 500 acres, several hundred of which are planted to grapes, almost all of which are hillside with little nooks and crannies that create a variety of microclimates. The vineyard is the source of many different grape varietals for something like 20 small, ultra-premium brands (though we control all the cabernet off the vineyard). The winery that was previously buying the fruit was putting it into their $60 cabernet.

The wine is contracted through the 2009 vintage so stay tuned for additional offerings in future vintages.

While pretty good, I don't agree with the monster description, also at $13.99 it isn't really price friendly for those of us balancing checkbooks, clipping coupons and unemployed. ha! From a company like Cameron Hughes, you tend to think you'd get better value for your money, while Lot 73 is good for $13.99 you think you deserve more for that money. Does that make any sense? I sure hope so. I don't know if I'd buy it again, if I could i'd check to for Lot 71 Alexander Valley for $12.99.

Up next is a 2006 Louis M. Martini Sonoma Cabernet.

What are you drinking these days?

2006 Fontana Fredda Piemonte Barbera Briccotondo

Robert Parker put this in his Top 100 of 2007 and gave it a 90 point score. Not that someone elses opinion should matter all that much considering our unique palates but it's kind of nice to know that a wine you liked was also enjoyed by a douchebag like Robert Parker.

Besides a few Tuscan wines, a Chianti here and there and the ever so delicious house wine from Bucca de Beppo's, my knowledge of wines from the country shaped like a boot is fairly limited. While the name proves to be a mouthful, this is one wine well worth trying to pronounce.



Medium bodied and fruity. Very pleasant, again my almost heathen ways of trying to express what i've just tasted in my wine makes all these descriptions really similar. To put it bluntly, I would buy this again and drink it again without hesitation.

I made an Italian flank steak and some capellini pasta using the tomatoes from the backyard. Was it a good pairing? Hell if I know, the food was sort of Italian and the wine was Italian, sounds like a pair to me.

Another good value at $10 from Costco.

Tu Hablas Espanol?

Probably not Spanish but Catalan, at least in Barcelona. A quick rundown on 4 different Spanish wines i've had over the past few weeks.

Who can afford $20 California wines these days to drink on a daily to weekly basis? Times are tough, my Roth Ira ain't look good these days and 3% returns from Stability of Principal is not doing it for big Rich. Wheres a federal reserve bailout when you need one?


A Venta Mazzaron tempranillo. Smelled heavy on the coffee and tobacco, probably the first time I could actually discern those notes, tasted as such as well. A tad sweet and medium bodied but really good.


A Vina Nora albarino. Supposed to be the queen white grape varietal in Spain. Not feeling this one, really acidic.


An Allende rioja. Don't remember too much but I do remember I liked it. Hope that helps.


A Juan Gil jumillia. Not feeling this one.

All wines purchased for about $10 at Costco.

2005 liberty school

it's legit..drink it.

Amazon Is Getting Into the Alcohol Business

Amazon Is Getting Into the Alcohol Business
by Don Reisinger on September 11, 2008

Amazon has again announced that it will start selling US-produced wine to its American customers by the beginning of October.

But before you start getting excited about buying wine online, there’s one catch: it will only be available to people in about 26 states due to interstate regulations, but the company is working with New Vine Logistics, a firm that specializes in interstate transactions, to avoid any legal issues that may arise in the process and attempt to increase the distribution of wine as time goes on.

Amazon is jumping in on the wine craze at the right time. Annual wine consumption is on the rise and the Stonebridge Research Group said American wine sales last year were between $30 billion and $32 billion. But e-commerce sales accounted for just 7 percent of those sales and few services online can connect wine lovers with US-produced wine.

Age restrictions will obviously play a major role in Amazon’s plan to sell wine and there’s currently no indication of how it will stop the sale of the alcohol to minors. Regardless, Amazon thinks it’s on to something with selling wine on its site and wants to capitalize on the growing market.

Amazon invested $30 million into Wineshopper.com in 1999, but that site lasted one year. Now we’ll see if this venture lasts any longer.

FREE SHIPPING??!?!?!!?

Open a Wine Bottle Without a Corkscrew

Cool article from Wired.com on how to open a bottle of wine when you are sans a corkscrew. Of course this all could have been averted if you rocked wines with twist off caps. HA!

Which reminds me that one of the corkscrews I had at my moms house broke leaving the screw sticking straight out the bottle, with the help of some pliers I was able to safely open the bottle and save the cork. I was also able to open another bottle the next day using the same set of pliers and screw part before I got a new corkscrew.

Bender

Here's a quick rundown of wines drunk/drank over the last 14 days or so between me and my fam from Playa del Carmen & Tulum, Mexico to here in Northern California...

Domecq Rose/Tempranillo from Spain
Some sort of Argentinian Malbec from La Linda Bodega Luigi Bosca Familia Arizu
Concha y Toro Sauvignon Blanc
Bella Sera Pinot Grigio

Fetzer Gewurstraminer
Trefethen Dry Reisling
Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc
Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay
Gloria Ferrer Chardonnay

2002 Ridgeline Cabernet
2003 St. Francis Cabernet
Cameron Hughes Lot 71
Cameron Hughes Lot 61
Cameron Hughes Lot 56

A Greek Cabernet Domaine Skouras Aghiorgitiko
Santorini Greek White wine



Do not sleep on those Greek wines.
-Rich

Lot 61 & 71 & 91

Yeah, more Cameron Hughes action. They seem to be releasing a whole slew (yes a slew!) of wines lately and after a period of lackluster releases they are back to bottling decent to very good wines. Score for us, the value driven consumer.

2006 McLaren Vale Australia Cabernet aka Lot 61 is really good. A whopping 15% alcohol content, it doesn't drink that way. A solid cab to through into the mix at $9.99, sign me up. Eaten with puttanesca and caprece.

2004 Alexander Valley Cabernet aka Lot 71 was really good with beef tri-tips. Very dry, fruity and while it had a 14.5% alcohol level, it didn't taste like it. $12.99 aint bad, aint bad at all. Seriously good.

2006 Russian River Valley Chardonnay aka Lot 91 was okay. Lot 59 was really good but this offering from the same region had me disappointed. Priced at $9.99, I'm looking back and wishing I had snagged extra bottles of Lot 59 instead.

More wine blogging to follow, devoid of tasting notes and chock full of generic adjectives to describe wines. =)

Pockets Like Rabbit Ears

Times are tough but life is too short to drink shatty wines.


Drinking Good Wines During Rough Economic Times (Serious Eats)

Ten Recession-Proof Wines (Forbes)

I must say that Malbecs are my shit these days! Who needs overpriced Napa wines(Neel, Holla!). Where the value at playa! Two come to mind easily found at Costco. The Pascual Toso & Kaiken, both under $10. Now that's value. Any other wines below the $10 equator?

Nothing Says I Care Like...

Serious Eats!

Shocked!

Premiered at Sundance...
Official Trailers...
Grab your wine in a box or can or bag and head on down to your local cinema...

Compound in Red Wine Fights Ravages of Age

Compound in Red Wine Fights Ravages of Age

By Alan Mozes
Washington Post
HealthDay Reporter
Thursday, July 3, 2008; 12:00 AM

THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- A key compound in red wine known as resveratrol appears to protect against many of the health ravages associated with growing old, new animal research reveals.

The Whip Sippin' On Sizzzurp?

Prince Charles converts his beloved Aston Martin to a green machine... run on English wine

"As part of cutting his carbon footprint, the prince has converted the 38-year-old classic car - a 21st birthday present from the Queen - to run on 100 per cent bioethanol fuel distilled from surplus British wine."

This is some pretty baller shit! Prince Charles is riding dirty indeed!

Anyways, to think our blog was left for dead like those bank-owned foreclosures in Elk Grove, never that!!! Ain't no quick/short sale going on here. Rest assured folks, we have been drinking it the f**k up, it's just that the weather is too dan nice to be couped up indoors letting you know of our libations.

Anyways, we'll get back on the wagon soon enough. Sit tight, big things lay ahead. Maybe.

A Taste of a "Quiet" Wine

So not one week after pegging Columbia Crest as one of the weaker wines tasted at our "meeting of the wine minds" the other weekend, I find out that Chateau Ste Michelle, the producers of Columbia Crest (among many others), has signed on to be a sponsor of my theater. Looks like I am destined to give these Washington wines a chance.

My co-worker then tells me that the Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling is excellent. Okay, I tell her, I will have to give it a try. That same day, Danny tells me that my former secretary has given him a bottle of wine to try. Behold! It just happens to be the Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling, a 2006. How weird is that.

So we (or shall I say I) decided to open it last night. It was quite nice - peachy, with a hint of sweetness and very mild. Definitely a lot less sweet than your typical Riesling. I think I'm starting to get what Rich means by non-overpowering Washington wines. I would say this wine fits in exactly with that description. I very much got the "chill" vibe from this wine - very laid back, "hey, take it EZ man" libation. So interesting. Now I can't wait to try more and see if that character is consistent among all WA wines.

Danny did mention a slight bitterness to the wine, which I barely noticed. And I guess I should mention that the reason Pam gave the wine to Danny in the first place was because she didn't like it. I, however, give it a thumbs up. Definitely worth a taste, especially for appx. $8.99/bottle.

Glaxo Says Compound in Wine May Fight Aging

If you needed any other reason to drink wine...

Glaxo Says Compound in Wine May Fight Aging
By ANDREW POLLACK
Published: April 23, 2008

Like many aging pharmaceutical companies, GlaxoSmithKline has been looking for rejuvenation. Now it thinks it might have literally found the elixir of youth.

Glaxo, a British drug maker, said Tuesday it would acquire an American biotechnology company that is pursuing the notion that a compound found in red wine might retard aging and let people live longer.

Glaxo will pay $720 million in cash, or $22.50 a share, for the company, Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. That is an 84 percent premium to Sirtris’s closing price Tuesday of $12.23.

Sirtris, based in Cambridge, Mass., was founded in 2004 after Dr. David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School found that a wine ingredient, resveratrol, made yeast live longer. Subsequently Dr. Sinclair, a co-founder of Sirtris, showed that the compound could counter the effects of a high-fat diet in mice and extend their lives.

Christoph Westphal, the chief executive of Sirtris, said Tuesday that drugs that mimic resveratrol, by activating enzymes called sirtuins, could “treat in a safe, natural new way, many of the major killers of western society.”

Because the Food and Drug Administration does not consider aging itself a disease, Sirtris is testing its compounds against illnesses associated with aging.

Two early-stage clinical trials provided preliminary evidence that Sirtris’s formulation of resveratrol could lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. Sirtris hopes to soon begin trials of a synthetic compound that is much more potent than resveratrol.

Glaxo and other drug companies have been paying high prices for biotech companies to bolster their drug pipelines.

Moncef Slaoui, chairman of Glaxo’s research and development arm, said Sirtris had “potentially transformative science.” Sirtris will remain an autonomous unit within Glaxo, with Dr. Westphal in charge.

The Aftermath

I am happy to appear to be the FIRST! to report on the Norcal/Socal meeting of the wine minds that took place last weekend. First off, I would just like to thank Rich and Neel for making the trip down here with a great supply of wines for us to try. Despite my illness and semi-drunkenness, I do remember tasting six wines - 6th Sense Syrah, Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc, Twenty Bench Cab, Seriously Cab, The Show Cab, and the Washington "chill" Cab which I think was Columbia Crest?

I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the 6th Sense Syrah, despite my initial misgivings. I really don't like those syrahs. However, this one was quite nice. I immediately tasted the spice to it, and it had a nice clean finish. It started to taste bitter to me toward the end, but I think that was my cold coming through to my taste buds.

I just have one word for the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc: YUMMY!

The Twenty Bench, Seriously, and Show cabs were all very good, but I think my favorite was the Seriously.

Okay, I wasn't a big fan of the "chill" cab from Washington, but it could be that by that point everything was mixing into one big non-identifying taste. I've decided to give the "chill" cab another try one of these days.

After these six, it was on to the Santa Ynez wines that Alex brought, starting with the Foley Pinot, mmmm. Unfortunately, by that time my sickness was dragging me down and it was time for me to go. Sorry I couldn't forge onward guys; looking forward to our next trip.

Get it crackin'

'Yeah, ummm yeah... I'm gonna need you to come in on the weekend'
It's going down! The Norcal/Socal meeting of the minds goes down this weekend. Danny, Laurie, Neel & I will be popping corks, decanting, sniffing, tasting, pairing and buzzing all in the name of critical analysis. Look for the full update next week.

2005 Montes Alpha Cabernet

Straight outta Chile! Getting international on that ass. This was recommended by Neel's dad and I've always been intrigued by it as its usually covered with white tissue paper at Costco. Priced at $14.99, it's something new to try and I'm always down to try something new considering that it seems you can get really good value for your buck by going elsewhere other than California as long as you keep an open mind about what you're trying. This took a good hour of airing out before it started tasting better. Ass out the bottle but give it some air and it turns out to be a medium bodied, slightly sweet and fruity, not very intense but pretty subtle in the way it goes down, smooth, real smooth. Would I pay $14.99 again? That's the million dollar question with any wines, would you pay the money again to drink it again? And I'd say i'm 70/30, while pretty good, it didn't blow my mind enough to warrant another purchase considering it came from Chile and I think the dollar still reigns supreme over the Chilean Peso. As good as a Twenty Bench or a Seriously would be, just how many times can you possibly drink them? Throw in an Australian Shiraz blend here and there, maybe a Malbec or a Chilean Cabernet and things don't get so boring. Come to think of it, I DO recommend this too try at least once. It's not a huge financial risk, recession be damned, worth to try at the very least. Salud.

MALBECS SCHMALBECS

Malbecs haven't gotten much love from us now or ever. Laurie even posted sometime last year about it without much positivity. We've sh*tted on it in conversation heavily. Tsk Tsk. Is it time to revisit this much forgotten grape used primarily for blending and make amends? Possibly. 

I'd be lying to you if I told you I am not partially swayed by the Robert Parker, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator ratings you see all over the place. That rat bastard is regarded pretty freaking high in the wine world, to the point where his palate is insured, those damn numbers can make or break a wine. That makes him and J-Lo as the only people I know who have body parts insured too bad that dude straight up looks like a savage!!! He may be missing some teeth too, check out his webpage and tell me he doesn't look particularly caveman-ish. Anyways, now I probably won't take his word for any wine over $10 cause I ain't got scratch like that but tell me a sub-$10 wine got a 90+ point rating and I may do the math and check it out. Why not, low risk and isn't trying new wines half the fun anyways? Now there's always the question of whether the rating could sway your taste buds but for the most part ass sweat tastes like ass sweat, or so i'm told.

Now where was I going with this? Ah yes, back to Malbecs, sounds like Maybach almost. So while perusing the aisles at Costco, I'm disenchanted with the over-$10 wines they have as I've probably tried them all already or won't fork over $30 for everyday drinking. Most of the wines you'll see are from Napa but with Napa you will pay for Napa. Like pay for the winery property tax and the high cost of living etc. Now don't get me wrong, Napa is wine country blah blah blah but I think you'd be doing yourself a deservice if you neglected the other countless wine growing regions of the world. I probably would not touch a French wine just cause the labels are encrypted in some crazy ass hieroglyphics, have you seen a bordeaux label???? That shit is hella confusing. 

Again digressing, with a recession around the corner and the US dollar still stronger than the Argentinian Peso, I figure I'd try the Pascual Toso Malbec, it got a 91 point rating and at $7.99 priced nicely for my unemployed ass. Why not? Life is too short to drink the same wines and worst case scenario it would be a $7.99 learning experience. So how was the wine? Good. Better than you'd think a wine priced at $7.99 would be, better than any Malbec you've ever tasted probably. After an hour of airing out, it ended up being medium bodied, smooth, fruity and slightly sweet. Would I drink it again? Without a doubt. Please get past my unspectacular tasting notes as this is a winner, I freaking guarantee it.

2006 Henry's Drive Pillar Box Red

*edit* (This wine is even better the second night, that is after you twist the cap tightly back on!!! My parents were not too keen on this the first night as it was way too alcoholic but on the second night it smoothed out considerably and is pretty damn good. $7.99 peoples! Get at this! Also, there's a lot of sediment too)

Do not let the twist cap fool you, priced at $7.99, I am not mad at this at all. Out of Australia, this is a mainly shiraz blend which is the Australian equivalent to syrah. Priced nicely and easily found at Costco, my only complaint is the crazy 15% alcohol, it's pretty prevalent when you open it up, practically hot and bitter but does mellow out a bit after letting it sit for an hour or so. Once it does, it gets fruity, smooth and pretty deep and dark. I don't know what I mean when I say deep and dark but you'll figure it out when you try it. Not bold but deep, it may be the 15% talking which might explain the slight bite, but drinks freaking good. The longer I take to drink this, the better it seems to be getting, then again it may be the 15% alcohol. For under $10, this is a winner, a better value than the Blackstone Merlot even. Too bad it doesn't have a cork but don't let that dissuade you from trying it. Really. 

Blackstone Merlot

*edit* Costco now sells 1.5 liter magnums of this for $12.99, that is a whole lot of wine.

This was a recommendation from Neel's dad who said it was a good value for the price. At $6.99 from Costco, who can argue? You just need to keep in mind the price you paid otherwise you'll be disappointed.

Even though this wine cost $6.99 you probably should air it out regardless. Like a pair of stanky gym sneakers or like when Andy Dufresne crawled out the sewer pipe to freedom in Shawshank Redemption, give it some air. The wine most likely hasn't mingled with air since the time it was bottled and it could be anywhere from 6 months to maybe even years, so it couldn't hurt to leave a bottle be for a few minutes or maybe even an hour.

This sub $10 wine was no exception cause it tasted like watery ass out the bottle. After an hour it developed some body and went down a whole lot better, light and fruity. You just need to remember the price you paid and you'll be straight. Blackstone makes a few different merlots so make sure you grab the one that says California Merlot and not the one that says Napa or any other specific region.

Lot 57

Another Cameron Hughes chardonnay, this time from Carneros. Priced at $9.99 it was okay, not as good as the Russian River Valley Lot 59 which I would buy again.

This chardonnay smelled like crazy fruits but was not very sweet, very dry really. It almost tasted as though there was no acid and practically tasted oily if you can imagine. One thing you will be overwhelmed with is the oakiness. Like drinking mesquite wood chips.

Would not buy again but don't regret trying it.

In Your Face.

In Da Face! In Da Face! Good ole Akeem Joffer, the Prince of Zamunda. Todays post is about the...

2007 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier. Yes you heard it right, a 2007. It basically spent a little over 2 months in the bottle or steel fermentation tanks and into your hands. Outrageous. Or outrageously delicious. Priced at a cool $11.00, this smacks you in the face with crazy citrus and floral arrangements. Think of those Japanese 'My Shaldan' car fresheners. Anyways, nicely chilled but not too chilled and it will taste the way it smelled. Lots of citrus mainly grapefruit, I would say it tasted a lot like those New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs but without the scent or taste of grass and possibly feline urine. I don't know what a chenin blanc or a viognier is but it is not a chardonnay. No butter whatsoever, there is some acidity leaving you with a real crisp and refreshing aftertaste, although overtly fruity it won't leave you in a diabetic coma (i.e. not that sweet or sugary). This will definitely be in heavy rotation throughout the warmer months this year.

Lot 59

My parents really like white wines it seems. They are down with whitey. I will more than happily oblige as long as it accompanies a late lunch early dinner, it feels weird drinking white wine unless the sun is still up. They enjoy the reds I open for dinner but they were real enthusiastic with the two whites I opened the last few weeks. As long as they are drinking. I'm constantly trying to instill a daily wine drinking lifestyle with them. Like that of the Italians, Spaniards and the Frenchies who seem to live at a slower pace, not affected by outside influences. That's the life. 

Cameron Hughes Lot 59 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, its really good. Priced at $10.99 at your neighborhood Costco. It smells good right out the bottle and tasted oh so crisp. Lightly acidic and slightly buttery. I can't speak of pineapple notes or essence of other tropical fruits but I will say it isn't very oaky which might be a good thing. I found that once the wine warmed up a bit and got some air, it tasted a whole lot better. I know Neel isn't down with decanting white wines but I would let it warm up a tad after you take it out the fridge and give it some air. I don't think you can taste the wine if it's too cold unless it's wine ice cream. 

My experience with white wines isn't all that extensive but I'd say this is a keeper. It's hard to find good white wines under $20 and this priced at $10.99 looks like a winner.

Heads Up!

This throwdown occured while Neel's dad was in town, but I decided to make it it's own post for the sake of organization. Anal retentitiveness at its best, too bad we never tagged our blogs with labels from the get go, whatever. Hindsight is 20/20. So here's our cheap Stag's Leap comparison...

Cameron Hughes Lot 60 Stag's Leap Cabernet - $13.99 at Costco now, the label says Napa Valley cause they say they were contractually obligated to by the winery they sourced the grape juice from, not bad. Honestly, I though the wine was decent. On the light to medium body tip, somewhat sweet and smooth. I'd rather drink the Seriously, but if you don't have a Cost Plus nearby then this is fairly suitable. If it makes you feel any better, its a dollar cheaper and on a 'limited' time only basis. Neel found it drinkable whereas his dad found its nose a bit skunky due to the zinfandel grapes and a travesty that they were able to even classify the wine a cabernet sauvignon! It's cool. Nothing to go out of your way to find but probably fun to try and have it go heads up with the Seriously.

Chateau Diana Seriously Good Wine Stag's Leap Cabernet - $14.99 at Cost Plus! Don't let the name fool you, this is seriously good for the price. Everyone found it to be a solid bottle and worth finding if you're interested in trying wines from different appellations in the Napa Valley.

In conclusion, Seriously Good Wine wins the shoot out between cheap sourced wines from really famous Napa appellations.

A Round of Venture Capital.

This past week, Neel's pops came through and we were able to have a few bottles of wine with him. Granted he didn't come through with crazy bottles, it was still cool to talk shop with him and shoot the shit. He did however fund one of the bottles bought. Here's the run down...

2006 Orin Swift 'The Prisoner' Red Blend - $31.99, this wine was the one that Neel's dad wanted us to try. And after some hunting, we were able to track it down at K&L Wines in Menlo Park. This wine is what you'd call a total cult wine. It's revered in oenophile circles and gets crazy marks from wine critics. It's a red blend with the majority of the grapes being zinfandel, it's got some cool artwork and has been bottled for only a few years now. We thought it was crap. The wine literally took our taste buds 'prisoner'!!! And I do not mean that in a good way. It smelled highly alcoholic and was downright difficult to drink. It was like syrup, sizzurp, I likened it to a wine concentrate that you'd dilute with water to make a few gallons with. Holy hot damn, one of the hardest wines to drink, EVER! Whoa, highly not recommended.

2001 Beaulieu Vineyards Rutherford Cabernet - An oldie that Neel snagged from his pops' cellar and it went down smooth. One of those really large vineyard/winery name brands that consistently produce quality wines that some folks don't want to drink based on the popularity of their name brands. You can pick up a newer vintage for under $20. Sweet!

2005 Chateau Diana Seriously Good Wine Stag's Leap Cabernet - Cost Plus represent! $14.99 exclusive! We've already blogged about this one so you know the haps. 

On the Cheap

2004 St. Francis Red Table Wine - Priced at $7.99 at Costco, it was not bad at all. A wine for any occasion and for any tastes really. Think of the house wine at Bucca di Beppo's or any other Italian restaurant, it'll go well with whatever you're eating. Would I buy again? Perhaps, I had this along with a spinach-olive lasagna I made a few weeks back. Did I mention that i used a bechemel sauce for the base? Yeah, uh huh.

2002 Columbia Crest Two Vines Semillon Chardonnay - $2.99 at Trader Joe's. I actually bought this cause I needed a white wine to pair with a baked salmon in parchment paper I was making later in the afternoon for a late lunch early dinner for my parents. Yes, pairing foods is what's up, not really, I figure it was warm and I was cooking fish, whatever. Actually it was whatever. I didn't finish it and instead had some ice cream.

My Minds Hazy And My Bodys Lazy

I woke up this morning fairly toasty. 

2005 Groth Chardonnay - The first white wine of the season for us. Light, sweet and not very acidic. Not as buttery as I'm used to but still fairly good, might have been better if the weather was warmer. Hopefully we can elaborate more on white wines as global warming creeps up.

2005 Stag's Leap Winery Merlot - Yeah whoa. I'd much prefer the Pine Ridge Crimson Creek Merlot for the same price but sometimes it's nice to try something new. How else would any one discover something good? Honestly, I don't remember this too much which may mean it was unmemorable.

2004 Robert Mondavi Cabernet - Interesting. Lots of tannins, yeah I said that. Could even cellar this for a few years, yeah that happened too. Solid cab from possibly the largest Napa wine producer. Decent price but it's like eating at a chain restaurant, if that analogy works. I'm sure you can find other smaller scale wines to try.

Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale - Beer and wine don't mix. Although they are usually sold in the same establishments, they really don't work well with one another. This was good. Real good. Crisp with a slight Pale Ale like bite at the end. I could see this working well with a nice salty bowl of soba noodles and tempura. Although it didn't take me back to all those times i've had it at SobaYa, it was still went down well.

Three Wheelin'

I really need to upgrade my wine vernacular. Besides smooth, delicious, fruity and disgusting, my wine related vocabulary is pretty limited. I may invest in one of these to help with describing wines. What say you? It's an aroma wheel and was developed at UC Davis.

Not to be overtly pretentious, I don't want to bombard the small handful of readers to terra firma, terroir, bouquets in the wine recaps etc. Cause at the end of the day, your palate is your palate. Unique like a fingerprint. People have preferences in what they like and you shouldn't let anyone tell you otherwise. Two buck chuck to $1000 Bordeaux's, whatever floats your boat. 

Can You Stop The Rain?

Yeah this is kind of ridiculous now. Damn near excessive. I need to step back and reassess what's really going on here. I may have even gained a few lbs over the past week which is not good as I'm trying to get into bikini mode or banana hammock mode whichever you like to picture me in.

2005 Seriously Good Wine Stag's Leap Cabernet - This is win-win on all counts. At $14.99, it's taken the driver seat in the wines under $15 range, an unstoppable run away mack truck careening down the grapevine. So good.

2003 Trefethen Oak Knoll Cabernet - Ballin. I won't comment on why this was consumed but it was and on any other day it would have been drank first but the powers that be were what they were. Mad good.

2005 Les Caves Joseph Bordeaux - Trader Joe's oldie but goodie, revisited. Solidly good.

Don't Judge Me.

Yes, I read. Read good. I read books on wine even. Actually I've been reading a lot in general lately. Perhaps its the extra time one has when jobless. granted I probably shouldn't be buying so many books since you know, I'm unemployed but I rationalize it as calling those purchases educational allowances. Anyways, the Judgement of Paris was mentioned on the blog a few times before and how the hiSTORY of it all piqued my interest as it should all those who are getting into wines or like wines for that matter. After a few searches, I found that there was a book written detailing the accounts leading up to the event by the very journalist who covered the tasting in person. A very good read, part storytelling, part history lesson, I may have finished the book in a few days. A definite must read for those into California wines and wine in general. Available on borders.com for a cool price of $5.99. Say word!

Heineken Light

These are absolutely delicious. I know a light beer, are you mad?!?! Neel bought these a while back ago on a whim, cause they were most likely on sale, but they ended up being a such a winner that these are the only beers I will drink to help with my waistline. Unbelievably smooth, crispy and refreshing, you can down a six pack and not worry about being bloated. While regular Heinekens are a good beer, I can't drink too many due to the bitterness that develops, these Lights are the exception. Everything about it from the bottling to the advertisements say excellent beer, I don't know what took them so long to release them. Now if anybody knows how a human can easily drink 6 beers in half an hour but have trouble drinking the same amount of water in the same amount of time? Truly perplexing.

Double Up & Double Down

Two nights, four wines, one blog.

2005 The Show Cabernet - Neel really likes this wine, he says it's really complex while I thought it was good but a tad too smoky for my tastes.

2004 Hawk Crest Cabernet - This is the cheap off shoot label of Stag's Leap Cellars. Priced at a cool $8.99, I wouldn't pay more than $3.99. Now you know why they decided to unassociate themselves with such an inferior product. Smart move.

2004 Simi Landslide Alexander Valley - I am not down with the Alexander Valley. Every wine I've had has been fairly mediocre and overpriced. This one was no exception, priced much cheaper then usual at $29.99, there's a ton of other wines in that price range that would be preferred over it. Stick with Rutherford, Oakville and the Stag's Leap appellation.

2005 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet - This was fairly good, another Washington wine from the Columbia Valley, understandable smooth sh*t that murderer's move with. At $14.99, good value and we're all about value here.

Steller Wines for $10 - $15.

So we come to the conclusion that when you're kicking back multiple
bottles a week, you can't be ballin' too hard. Here are 4 wines under
15 dollars that will not see too often but can be found with some work
at Cost Plus or Bev Mo.

Liberty School Paso Robles Cab: Very well balanced wine. Very very

smooth, sweet and even. Good for a bottle to take over to a friends

for dinner where there is going to be a number of people drinking.

Will cater to a large audience. This wine does the things it does

very very good, and will be an instant hit. This is usually the first

wine I like to introduce to those that are occasional wine drinkers.

Always a winner.

Twenty Bench California Cab: Also very well balanced. A lot more bolder
then the Liberty School. This is the kind of wine you would graduate to
drinking for something like a Liberty School. Expect a bolder, heavier flavor.
Very good stuff.

Seriously Good Wine Co.Stag's Leap District Cab: A new wine that we

came across (as Rich mentioned before) Well balanced, but does take a
little time to open up. Finishes up with a strong flavor, and does

have a very slight bit. This wine will go over well with those wine

drinkers that are a little more experienced. Stag's Leap is a very
coveted wine region/appellation in Napa, and this is definitely the

best bang for your buck in that class. This wine is very Napa. This

wine will do well over time.

6th Sense Syrah. A totally different wine. Very deep and very

fruity. Very good wine to throw into the mix, especially with those

that like a deep wine with out much of the bark and bite that come

with most cabs. Very artisan, just look for the cheesy label.

The Show Cab: A very different cab. This is a good bottle for that

experienced wine snob, but still very cultish. Very complicated
flavors, lots of flavor with a nice oaky bite. Grapes from the central
and north coast of California, produced by 3 veteran winemakers. I
personally think this bottle will get a lot better over time. Can be

a little much at first, but I think there will be a lot of potential.

You can't go wrong with these wines. Guaranteed enjoyment.

Selecting a Good Year as they relate to Ageing

I dont usually write too many blogs, i usually let my amigo Rich
opinionate on my behalf, but I thought I should offer up some
advice/opinions of my own from time to time.

Rich does most of the heavy lifting when it comes down to individual
wines and such, I tend to keep my blogs more broad based. One blog
that I've been throwing around is selecting a good year and how to age

wines. So here is the breakdown, Napa/CA red wines (mainly cabs) are
very cyclical. I cant really speak on how to pick a good year, but I
can usually do a taste test and have some opinions based on that.
Wines that offer a sweeter taste tend to mature quicker and really get
as good as they are going to get after a certain period of time.

Wines that deliver an even flavor overall with some high notes tend to

do better with age. Peppery wines are usually pretty bad and wont do

well over time either. Then there's that oaky ass wine that Napa is

so famous for. These are the wines to keep your eye on. These are
your Silver Oaks, Caymus Cellars, Cakebeards that you find going for
such high prices everywhere. These are the ones that you can you put
away for a good 10 years and really get the full effect of the wine.
These wines are exactly what Napa is all about.

Most people are thinking, ok that's fine and great, but what years are
good? Well here's a breakdown of years and what i think of them.

2001: An excellent year for their ease of drinkability. These wines

are very even in flavor and offer a very full flavor. Remember, not

all wines from 2001 are going to be good (reference Rich's blog about
our older vintage disasters.) If the wine sucks when you try them,
it's gonna suck after 10 years.

FYI, many people consider the 01's to be an excellent vintage to put

away, lots of 90 point wines ranked in that class.

2002: Similar to the 01's, will do well with age. A little bit spicer
then 01 but still good.

2003: Spicer then the 02's, but still good. I think the 02 is a
better year, and may not do as well over time then the 02's.

2004: Sweeter wine and very even in flavor. I compare it to the 02's

and 01's, but not sure where they will fit in.

2005: Very well balanced wine and even flavor delivery. I also
compare this to the 02's and 01's as well, will be very interesting to
see how the later two years will play out. (editor's note: 2005 looks
to be another great vintage on par with 1997 a California El Nino
year)

In order to figure out what vintages will play out over time, I'm
doing a bench mark on a great bottle of wine: Groth Oakville Cab.
Easily my favorite bottle in the $50 range, and definietly in my top 5
over all. So far I have an 03, 04, and will be picking up an 05 next
time I hit up the Costco. Stay tuned for a report in the next 2-5
years on more thoughts.

Until we drink again.

I knew a girl named Edna.

The wine input has been pretty ridonkulous lately. I'll put back a few bottles with the holmes Neel and also drink a bottle with dinner with my parent's who seem to enjoy my selections. Probably not so much if they were a regular reader of the blog however. Sulfites are a bitch.

2005 Edna Valley Paso Robles Cabernet - $10.99 at Costco, like other wines from the central coast of Paso Robles near San luis Obispo, these wines are delicious and sweet. Wonderfully smooth and drinkable. Think Estancia, Liberty School & Justin.

My mom doesn't seem like she really cares but my pops does, so I'm more than down to try new bottles whenever i'm shopping at Costco or at the Korean supermarket. As long as the bottles are in that $8 to $15 range, I'm willing to experiment. They are really down with Washington State wines as they tend to be more subtle (there's a B in subtle?) and less in your face than napa cabs. Up next to bat sometime this week is a St. Francis Red Table wine, we'll see how that goes.

Side Note

As you all well know we like to drink...here at L-NRD we believe in alcohol and water. If its in there we'll drink it.

Many years ago my great friend Rich (also the biggest contributer to this blog) introduced me to a beer made from the same stuff the black noodle, aka soba is derived from...Buckwheat. He found this concoction at a Noodle shop called SobaYa located in Manhattan, NY.

Feeling like Rich hyped up this beer wayyy too much i decided that i needed to find out on my own how good this beer really is. I must warn you, it is not for everyone. I like to believe it wasn't because of the miles of walking in NY, the panging hunger pains, or the record breaking 26.9" snowfall (night of feb 12, 2006) that made the beer taste sooo good. I have since then searched high and low from my desk at work to find this beer.

All i can say is Rich has come through after numerous calls and emails to both Rogue Ales (the mfg. of this beer) and the actual restaurant itself, even with calls by yours truly, to find this magic elixir.

RICH IS DA MAN!!!!! stay tuned for a pic of the bottle from SobaYa

It's Super Official

From the outside looking in, it looks like a whole lot of wine. We call it research. Too bad it's not tax deductible. That would be pretty awesome. What are the logistics involved in calling yourself a WINE Think Tank? Doing 'research' etc and writing off the expenses involved in such a project? Anyways, here's the lowdown.

2002 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Cabernet ($13.99 at the super secret squirrel spot, you can find it much cheaper probably around for a Hamilton. It was relatively smooth yet slightly hollow. I've had much better Washington State wines then this one. But something different to try and report back on.)

2004 Barnwood '3200 Santa Barbara Cabernet (Neel's dad hooked up 5 bottles of this last year. 3 went down real good, I traded a St. Supery for one bottle and the last bottle went down yesterday night. Not too well, it definitely wasn't what we remembered. Let's hope the one last bottle measures up to the ones in the past.)

Snoqualmie

This might have been the 3rd of 4th Washington State wine i've had in the last few months and I have to say I am liking them. Granted they won't be in your face like a Napa cabernet but what they lack in full frontal assault on the palate, they more than make up for it in the smoothness department.

I picked up the 2004 Snoqualmie Rosebud Vineyards Cabernet for $9.99 and it was delicious. I honestly don't know the correct terms to use when describing wines and what I taste, so more often than not I probably sound like a drunken heathen. Besides telling you that a wine is well balanced, fruity, sweet, with bite or without bite and delicious or crap, I have nothing to offer you in terms of tannins, aromas or anything else. So until that refinement period comes, I hope you'll make due with my often lame descriptions. Ha!

I'm looking forward to some more wines from the Pacific Northwest, until then drink on.

Back on Track

After a short slump, it seems like we are back on track.

2003 Clos du Bois Reserve Alexander Valley Cabernet ($19.99, found of course at my secret squirrel spot and it was delicious. Smooth, sweet and fruity.)

2005 Seriously Good Wine Stag's Leap Cabernet ($14.99, found at Cost Plus and recommended to us by Neel's dads friend, the same guy who recommended the 6th Sense Syrah. This was a 'press rewind if I haven't blown your mind' wine. Well balanced and smooth, at a fraction of the price that wines from that region usually go for. This will be thrown into rotation for sure. Find it immediately!)

The Stuff of Legends

2004 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet - This was really good. I mean really really good. Very well balanced. Priced at roughly $30, this could be in regular rotation for sure. Some call it a baby Monte Bello and at the price, compares very favorably to other wines more expensive. Neel wasn't as a big fan as i was/am, I'd rank this right along with my other favorite, the Ridgeline Cabernet.

2004 Gundlach Bundschu Mountain Cuvee - Mainly merlot based, I have no idea what a cuvee is but it was in the cabernet secction so i'm assuming it's like a red table wine. Either way it was a great second rounder, developing a myriad of flavors. Yes, I said a myriad. It changed up a lot during the course of drinking it. How pretentious is that.

2004 Merryvale Starmont Cabernet - Smooth and delicious. Easily found at Costco for $18.99, a very solid wine under $20.

Slumping

It's been pretty hit or miss at the LNRD Norcal division on the wine tip. We've had some badass bottles and some that failed to live up to the potential that we envisioned before corking. Two bottles that we had the other night that didn't leave us very satisfied or begging for more.

2001 Chateau Souverain Alexander Valley Cabernet (I bought this for $19.99 at my secret squirrel spot thinking that 2001 will knock our socks off, after nearly an hour of decanting it lacked real flavour and after a few more glasses the bite at the end of the finish was pretty strong. A bit disappointed along with the 2001 Geyser Peak Alexander Valley.)

2003 Penfolds Bin 407  (Honestly, I don't even remember the vintage or bin number, I'm pretty sure I got it right. Usually Australian wines should be like Paso Robles wines, sweet but this one came at us like it had a grudge. A vengeful attack on the palate. Think durian fruit. Surprising as Robert Parker the Wine Spectator gave this one a 90point score. Goes to show what that fool knows and what that fools insured palate is all about)

Bear's Lair vs. Stag's Leap.

I just had to try it. I saw it at Trader Joe's for $3.99 and at that price who cares if it tastes like ass. The label straight up looked like Stag's Leap, except it was some odd shade of yellow, it had the same font and for all I knew it could have been the same wine but labeled differently as to not water down the prestigious reputation that it has. A bear instead of a stag, it had all the makings of a winner. Too bad it was LOSER, a vinegary mess, I almost could not finish it and regretted not getting 2 bottles of the 2buck chuck. Lesson learned, if you see the bottle above, stay away.

Outside Napa

2001 Columbia Crest Grand Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. I went outside of Napa for this one, heck I went outside of California too.

Found this one at my secret squirrel spot, I figure if 2001 was a good year for Napa, surely it should be good for the Washington region since we're all on the west coast anyways.

Priced at a cool $8.99 and an older vintage, I figure I'd roll the dice. Glad I did. Super smooth, well balanced and flavor neutral. Medium bodied, I'd compare it with a St. Supery cabernet but not as flavorful. Still a real nice drink considering the price point.

I don't know too much about wines from the Washington area but it is something that intrigues me as it seems they end up costing a lot less than the Napa ones.

Wine vs. Water

To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine... and those who don't.

Ben Franklin said "In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria."

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli)- bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.

However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking Wine & Beer or other liquors because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

So Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of shit.

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I'm doing it as a public service.

All Night Long

Blog post barrage.

The rundown with ribeye steaks, medium rare.

Justin Paso Robles Cabernet ($21, fragrant, fruity but not as sweet as most other cabernets from the Paso Robles region)
Pine Ridge Merlot ($20, yes a freaking merlot and it was delicious)

Cameron Hughes Vindicated!

Seriously, I was beginning to lose faith in CH Wines especially after the whole Lot 34, 35 & 36 debacle. Those 3 bottles tasted like absolute ass, one of them was so bad that it was thrown out after a few glasses were poured, and if you know us, WE DO NOT WASTE WINE, from malbecs to Mad Dog's, no wine goes undrunk! No wine left behind.

Thank god for Lot 44, a 2005 Rutherford Cabernet for $12.99 at a very select number of Costco's. I actually found mine while in San Francisco. Anyways, the wine drank pretty well. Took a good half hour before it opened up, the tasting notes say it was medium to full bodied but I found it more along the lines of a light to medium body with a lot of fruit and balance but left me a bit hollow. A solid bottle to try if you see it but not worth going out of your way to find it unlike lot 28 which was pretty awesome.

More Bounce To The Ounce

After Danny told us he had the Cameron Hughes Lot 43 zinfandel with ribs, Neel and I also had to get down with the 'itis. We've been craving some hardcore bbq'ed ribs for some time now and Danny's post put it over the top. Along with grub we had the following...

2003 Chalk Hill Sonoma County Cabernet (took a bit of time to open up but when it did it was very well balanced however it could have used a tad bit more sugar)
2005 Twenty Bench (a freaking workhorse! Big Bold & Beautiful)

2 Times a Charm

The other week, Neel and I went balls out on some older vintages.

2001 Geyser Peak Alexaander Valley Cabernet (I found this at an Asian grocery store for cheap)
2002 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet (I think Neel's pops hooked him up)

Thinking we had some baller ass bottles for mass consumption, we were fairly disappointed with both bottles.

Having had a 2004 Geyser Peak earlier, it strangely did not meet those same standards even though the vintage was from 2001. The Alexander Valley Vineyards also failed to wow the both of us.

Hopefully we can pop some bottles soon to help us forget the dismal performace we had this time around. More postings forthcoming, really.

2008 first post

unlike my cohorts, some of which make empty promises. I will not promise any update...if anything very few.

just so u know i will venture into making wine....i'll keep u posted.

the ultimate goal here is to graduate to making vodka. or some wine too strong to drink without mixing.

til next time. been keepin it real w/ the drinking
-Cameron Hughes Lot 43 Zinfandel drink it...while eating ribs...damn!

Bottoms Up

I honestly don't know why I didn't do this from the get go but hindsight is always 20/20. This past year has been filled with some ridiculous wines, granted we've posted here and there about some of them but I just don't know why we didn't just post the bottles, good or bad, with or without descriptions or opinions on the blog. I know up here in the Northern Californian division of the blog, Neel and I will meet up every 3 weeks or so and get our fill on grape juice or as some may call purple drank.

So with the start of 2008 which looks to be an even more awesomer year, hopefully we can post up all the bottles, good or bad on this bad boy for all to see. I'll get this rolling with the rundown of what was on the tasting menu the last time Neel and I met up.

1st Rounder - 2005 The Show Cabernet Sauvignon ($12.99 @ Cost Plus; decent more on this later)
2nd Rounder - 2005 Ridge (Ponzo Vineyards) Russian River Zinfandel (extremely spicy probably better with food)
3rd Rounder - 2004 Clos du Bois North Coast Cabernet ($8.99 @ Costco or wherever wine is sold)

Now some may see this and call it a bit excessive, damn those pundits! I say f*ck the pundits, thats why they're pundits! It's just a way to fight the good fight. The fight against free radicals as wine is jam packed with antioxidants.

Til next time.

(Currently listening to Frank Sinatra & the Count Basie Orchestra: Live at the Sands, Las Vegas)

Christmas Remnants

This entry is dedicated to Rich, who has been faithfully posting to this blog while all the rest of us have no doubt still been enjoying wine, but have been too lazy (or drunk) to write anything down.

Today at lunch I opened my mom's refrigerator and saw an open bottle of Maddalena Pinot Grigio (from the San Antonio Winery in L.A. - http://www.sanantoniowinery.com/). I gave this bottle to my mom for Christmas, which I think is when it was opened. Not one to shy away from a glass of wine at lunch, I decided to try it. A newly opened bottle of this wine is quite nice. It has a refreshing taste filled with fruit flavors. I'm still trying to perfect this tasting and identifying of the flavors thing, so I'll just include the San Antonio Winery's description of the wine here:

Maddalena Vineyard Pinot Grigio reveals aromas of citrus with hints of wildflowers. The mouth is filled with ripe fruit flavors, including melon and green apples. Bright acidity and mineral notes frame this structured and balanced wine.

I would say that's pretty close, as far as the citrus and fruits are concerned. Not quite sure what wildflowers taste like.

At any rate, the two+ week bottle of opened wine was not as bad as I expected it to be. It was actually still quite refreshing, although I think that the "bright acidity" mentioned in the description above turned into slightly "harsh acidity." But not enough to make it undrinkable.

My only other complaint about this old wine was that it did not leave me with any type of afternoon buzz whatsoever, but then again, I only drank about half a glass.

I'll try to be better about posting. I got a book for Christmas of "unusual" wines, along with what was considered a bottle of an "unusual" wine (Cardinal Zin), and have made a resolution to try and drink every one of the wines listed in the book!

Wine from the Rising Sun

This wine sucked. It may not be entirely representative of wines from Japan but the gold & silver sticker claimed it had won awards at major Japanese wine events. With a name like Chateau Mars how could it have gone so wrong? Granted I still have no idea if it was a Cabernet, Merlot or Malbec. It was red and cost only 1400yen so I tried it. It was red water. The alcohol content must have been 2.8%. It was almost undrinkable but with beer costs in Japan so high, I couldn't let it go to waste. I let it sit. Maybe it would open up with some air. I let it sit in my bag for 4 days. It opened up but just barely, still somewhat undrinkable but whatever. If you ever see it, no matter how tempted you are by the snazzy Japanese kanji and the awards it won, stay the f*ck away. What was I thinking drinking red wine from Japan while in Japan? Should have gone with rice wine, otherwise known as sake or nihonshu to the Japanese. Next time indeed.

Sangria

You can get with this? Or you can get with that!

I love me some sangria. I associate it with Spanish tapas of course, warm summer evenings, friends, great conversations and no cares in the world. Unfortunately, it's one of those drinks you always get at a restaurant or bar, considering just how easy and cheaply it can be made, why not make it at home? The ingredients vary from version to version but usually it'll contain some cheap red wine, some rum or brandy, fresh fruit, orange juice and some carbonated soda. Pretty easy and from what I can tell, it'll last in your fridge for a while. I suppose it can one of those things you can whip up if a particular red wine tastes like ass and you'd rather not drink it.

So where was I going with this? I just wanted to post some pics of tetra-pak sangria from Barcelona. I had the option of choosing one or the other as I was on the verge of going European bankrupt, the exchange rate sucked. Low on the Euro funds, I had to make an executive decision on one or the other. Carrafour vs. Don Simon. 78euro cents vs. 1.15 euros. You know what I chose, and considering the cost and the fact that I drank it room temperature, it wasn't half bad. Too bad the only sangria one can buy these days is from Target I think. Maybe you'll get a post about it in the near future once the weather warms up or better yet get culinary on that ass and make your own batch. Until next time. Salud!