In this episode, Jeff takes this Ferrari for a spin…
Wine Tasted:
Ferrari NV Rose
Links:
Ferrari NV Rose sample provided by Gregory White PR.
Don’t forget to visit Jeff Eckle’s blog, The Lonely Vine.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Leave a comment, and let us know about the last, legit, pink, sparkling, Italian wine you had.
In this episode, Jeff recommends this Cotes du Rhone for your Thanksgiving feast…
Wine Tasted:
Le Clos du Caillou 2009 Cotes du Rhone
After the Fact: Jeff hasn’t done any videos in a while, so he’s a bit rusty. Please forgive him for referring to this wine as a Cotes du Rhone Villages, when it is obviously a Cotes du Rhone.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
What do you want to see on Stay Rad Wine Blog. Leave a comment, and let us know.
Sometimes…
I drink White Zinfandel.
Yeah…
I said it.
Considering that 10% of all wine sold in the United States is White Zinfandel, it’s hard for me to imagine that anybody reading this post right now has never had a taste of that sweet, pink, fermented grape juice.
Considering that you are the type of wine drinker that reads blogs, it would be hard for me to imagine that your personal wine cellar has anywhere close to a 10% composition of White Zinfandel. In fact, I doubt that your collection has any White Zin at all.
Why would you?
It’s pink. It’s sweet. It’s one-dimensional.
Dare I say…
In my neck of the woods, you’d get your ass kicked for drinking that stuff.
So…
What the hell was I thinking when I brought home this?
Sutter Home 2012 California White Zinfandel: The Original
Now…
I know that most of us say that we would not be caught dead with this sweet stuff in our houses, but you’ve gotta know that there is a time and a place for White Zin.
A while back, I went to a wedding in Phoenix, Arizona (and wrote about it here). It was 95 degrees out, and I was wearing a warm-ass suit.
They were serving some White Zin at the bar, and I decided to go for it.
And…
It was exactly what I needed.
Cool.
Slightly sweet.
Versatile.
It was exactly what I needed at the time.
From that moment forward, I swore that I would never overlook any type of wine just because it’s not en vogue.
There is a time and a place for everything.
Now…
It’s been quite some time since my last White Zin experience, so I thought I’d try my hand at a food pairing with the original pink stuff… Sutter Home 2012 California White Zinfandel.
First, let’s give it a taste, and see what we’re working with…
Color: Pink. I mean… seriously. This is what you would expect White Zin to be.
Nose: The fruit is definitely present on the nose. Big, juicy strawberries, with a bit of lemon/lime soda poured over the top. There’s a surprisingly nice minerality here.
Taste: More of the same. Sweet strawberry juice with lime citrus and some nice mineral notes.
Score: There’s nothing that exciting about a wine like this. It’s neither an in-your-face mind-blower, nor is it a nuanced thought-provoker. It just is what it is… A delicious, and refreshing, adult beverage. Crack one open right after finishing some yard work, and you’ll be stoked. It’s an easy 82 for me. That’s right. I said it.
Now…
On to the food!
Cabbage and Carrot Slaw with a Spicy Peanut Dressing. The acid of the wine, elevates the peppery notes from the slaw.
Hot and Sour Soba Noodle Soup with Peas and Gyoza. The wine provides a refreshingly fruity note to the sour and earthy edges of the soup.
Seriously, guys…
If it’s been a long time since your last White Zinfandel, you may want to give it another shot.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Okay, guys… Here’s your homework assignment. Head on down to the grocery store with five bucks, pick up a White Zinfandel, and leave your tasting notes below. We want to know your take on the pink stuff.
In this episode, Jeff dives in to a nice Rosé.
Wine Tasted:
Sables d’Azur 2012 Cotes de Provence
Stay Rad,
Jeff
What’s your favorite Rosé wine? Leave a comment, and tell us about it.
Hey all!
Just chiming in to give away $50 of free wine from Underground Cellar.
Keeping It Underground. Keeping it Real.
Over the last few weeks I’ve been keeping track of all the readers who entered the contest. This past Saturday morning I ran all of the names through an online randomizer, and I now have a winner.
So…
Ladies and Gentlemen…
Let’s give a rip-roaring round of applause to…
(Drumroll)
Frances Deleon!
Congratulations, Frances. I’ll be sending you an email shortly with your coupon code, so you can start filling up your virtual cellar… or your literal stomach. It’s up to you.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
In this episode, Jeff breaks open a sample from Stickybeak…
Wine Tasted:
Stickybeak 2011 Toscana
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Don’t forget to enter the Stay Rad Free Wine Giveaway for a chance to get $50 in free wine.
What’s your favorite Super Tuscan? Leave a comment and let us know.
Underground Cellar is the most exciting way for you to buy amazing wines online from your favorite wineries at the lowest price. Through the Underground Cellar community of wine lovers, members interact directly with prestigious vintners and aficionados, get access to private stashes of small-production wines from high-end wineries and receive free upgrades on wine purchases. Better yet, members can store their wine in their very own temperature-controlled state-of-the-art Wine Cellar In The Clouds, for as long as they’d like (for free! forever!). If you love wine and want unprecedented access to excellent wine at great prices, jump on the bandwagon for free at www.undergroundcellar.com to start reaping the benefits.
In this episode, Jeff tries a $5 wine with no detectable sulfites…
Wine Tasted:
WELL REaD 2012 California Red Wine
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Have you tried this wine? Leave a comment and tell us about it.
Jeff takes a break from packing boxes for the big move to review this French sparkling wine…
Wine Tasted:
Jaillance Cuvee de l’Abbaye Cremant de Bordeaux Brut
Stay Rad,
Jeff
What’s the last wine that moved you? Leave a comment, and tell us about it.
Yesterday was a great day.
Yesterday was pay day.
Yesterday, Kara and I got our Sushi on at CreAsian in Morgan Hill.
Normally, when we go out to sushi, I just get myself some beer or some hot sake. You’ve seen me bring my own wine out to sushi here and here.
But…
Yesterday I was feeling luxurious!
At least… a little more luxurious than normal.
Peep this cold sake I ordered up…
Yaegaki Filtered Sake
Like most sakes that you order up in the U.S., this rice wine was made in America. Now, while some of us may be bummed to find that our sake isn’t Japanese, you should be happy to know that this particular sake was made by Kushibiki Reiko… The first female sake master in these United States. This split of sake cost me eight bucks.
Color: Not much color at all. Pretty clear.
Nose: The nose on this sake is more floral than anything else. There’s tons of lavender here, but it is quite fruity. Think dried apricot and a bit of plums.
Taste: This wine is very viscous and oily on the palate. Again… it’s very fruity. More of those plums, along with a bit of juicy fruit gum. At its core, the sake is earthy and hearty, with just a touch of white flowers.
This is some good, crisp, lively, and exciting sake.
Now, let’s get to the food…
Sashimi Salad
I’ve always been a fan of sashimi. Just give me some raw slices of fish, and I’m good to go.
But…
Sometimes, I want to eat a little bit more than what is offered up on a traditional sashimi plate.
This is where the sashimi salad comes in!
This thing has just as much, if not more, tuna than the normal sashimi plate, plus a ton of lettuce, seaweed, and rice. Add the fact that they give you a huge squeeze bottle of sriracha to go with it, and you’ve got a fantastic bowl of Japanese comfort food.
Man!
I was lovin’ that sashimi salad…
Almost as much as I was lovin’ that sake.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
When was the last time you had some sake? Leave us a comment, and tell us about it.
Stay Rad 