In this episode, Jeff and Angel taste another Colorado wine from The Infinite Monkey Theorem…
Wine Tasted:
The Infinite Monkey Theorem 2012 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon
After the Fact:
Check out Jeff’s review of The Infinite Monkey Theorem 2011 Cabernet Franc here.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
A few weeks back, the fine folks at Trione Vineyards & Winery contacted me to see if I wanted to sample their wine.
I was all, “Heck yeah!”
Early last week a package from TastingRoom.com arrived at my door. Inside were six 50 ml samples from Trione.
Trione via TastingRoom.com
Surely, when a grand total of 300 ml (less than half a bottle) of wine is placed before you, one could be tempted to taste them all in one sitting. However… with the diversity of styles, I figured it would be a better idea to taste them two at a time.
So…
The other day, Kara came home with a wicked cold.
In the Rad house… when you’re sick… there’s only one cure…
Pho!
While Kara was nursing herself back to health with her Vegetable Pho, I paired my Spicy Beef Pho with the first two wines from the Trione set.
First up…
Trione 2010 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc
The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc was tank-fermented and barrel-aged. It used a mixture of three different yeasts for fermentation, including the South African Alchemy II in order to impart a grassy characteristic. It retails at $23.
Color: Pale. I mean… look at it. It is a Sauvignon Blanc after all.
Nose: Crisp lemon and grapefruit notes to go with a nice minerality.
Palate: There’s a good viscosity to this wine. It is grassy, but not in an over-the-top type of sense. Nice tropical fruit flavors transition into a crisp acidity.
With the Pho: This wine begs for spicy Asian food. The heat from the Pho helps in highlighting some big grapefruit flavors and minerality in the wine.
Score: 89 points for this one. Nerdier than your average Sauvignon Blanc… At 23 bucks, this wine is just interesting enough to make it worth it.
Next up…
Trione 2008 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
These grapes were hand-harvested and whole-bunch pressed before transfer to new and used French oak. They used the lees from the previous vintage to get fermentation started. I’m pretty sure that’s the same process that Dave TheVegetarian uses to make bread dough. It retails for $30.
Color: On the pale side of golden-yellow.
Nose: This wine is straight up butterscotch and popcorn. Depending on who you are, this could be a great thing.
Palate: To those of you that love buttery Chardonnays, this is the wine for you. All butter, but not in a goopy sort of way. There’s a nice, crisp green apple frutiness and acidity.
With the Pho: Upon tasting the wine, I was fearful that the pairing would be a disaster. When’s the last time you had Pho with a side of buttered bread? That being said, the wine did not overwhelm the Pho. The soup actually highlighted some surprisingly enjoyable green caramel apple flavors in the wine.
Score: More and more, I find myself seeking out Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. Always balanced. Always complex. Always enjoyable. This wine falls into my wheelhouse. It’s definitely a croud-pleaser, and a solid effort from Trione, but I could find you something just as enjoyable in the $20 range. 88+
Two wines down.
Four to go.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Have you ever had Trione before? What’s your favorite wine and Pho pairing? Who makes your favorite Californina Sauvignon Blanc? What’s your go-to wine region for Chardonnay? Have you ever used TastingRoom.com? Leave a comment, and let us know.
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In this episode, Jeff blind tastes a GV Special…
Wine Tasted:
To see the wine, scroll down…
Hunt Cellars 2002 Outlaw Ridge Vineyard Zinfandel
Stay Rad,
Jeff
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In this episode, Jeff tries a tasty Napa Cabernet for #StayRadDay…
Wine Tasted:
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Find this wine and help support Stay Rad Wine Blog on Amazon.com.
By now, you’ve got to know that I am a HUGE fan of the San Francisco 49ers…
So when my buddy Dave TheVegetarian invited us over on Sunday to watch the Niners play in NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons, I was all like, “Heck yeah, Foo!”
I had another sample from Cornerstone Cellars, so I decided to bring it over for some good football mojo…
Cornerstone Cellars 2009 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
Howell Mountain is one of the more prestigious regions of the Napa Valley when it comes to Cabernet Sauvignon. This effort from Cornerstone has 5% Merlot blended in.
Color: Super dark ruby-red to purple.
Nose: Brambly blackberry and plum fruit with herbs of mint and tobacco and a crack of black pepper.
Taste: Big tobacco and leather notes up front. Very spicy, but rounded out with good fruits of cranberry and orange zest. There’s a really good integration of oak, mint, and herbs. In spite of its big time structure, this wine is mad silky and smooth.
Score: If you’re looking to splurge on a Napa Cab, this is the wine for you. Big enough to be the star of the night, and stand on its own, this Howell Mountain Cabernet has the balance and acidity to pair with a variety of foods. I’d love to try this next to a Flank Steak with Chimichurri. This bad boy deserves all of the 93 points I am giving it.
Speaking of food…
We ate a lot…
A lot of food!
And speaking of scores…
The Forty-Niners won the game, and are going to the Super Bowl!
I wonder what I should bring to the next game?
Stay Rad,
Jeff
While in Las Vegas for a wedding a few days back, we noticed that Gordon Ramsay had just opened up a new restaurant in the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. Since we were staying there, we were all like, “What the heck? Let’s check it out!”
Gordon Ramsay BurGR
Our view from the table…
To start the meal off right, we ordered up some beer…
And BOY did they have a lot of it!
I got me a Stone Pale Ale
Here’s what we ate…
This Salt and Vinegar Hummus was out of this world…
The Truffle Parmesan Fries were legit…
But this Artisanal Burger with Shaved Prosciutto, Dried Salami, and Reclette Cheese is one of the best burgers I have ever tasted.
Everything about BurGR is fantastic.
The food.
The service.
Even the menu…
I mean… Come on… How cool is this?
Yesterday, we flew from Las Vegas to Reno, Nevada to visit my folks.
After picking us up from the airport, we headed out to dinner at Beaujolais Bistro.
Yes…
This French restaurant does serve Beaujolais, but I was in the mood for something different…
The Saint Cosme 2011 Coetes-du-Rhone is full of bright red fruit, but has a great herbacious, spicy, earthy sensibility. Highly recommended.
Here’s what we ate…
Olives. I love olives.
Mixed Lettuces with Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and a Creamy Lemon Dressing
The Muscovy Drake Duck Breast in Blood Orange Sauce was ridiculously juicy and flavorful. The richness of the duck was evened out by the tangy blood orange. The wine made this dish sing.
Oh man…
It’s not that often that one can tout having had two of the best meals of their life in the same week…
I can.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Look…
I love San Jose.
I love it.
It’s where I went to college.
It’s where I work.
It’s where I lived for my entire 20’s.
In late 2009, Kara and I moved to the neighboring city of Morgan Hill.
As much as I love MH, it’s a world away from SJ.
Unlike other bordering cities like Los Gatos, Campbell, and Santa Clara, Morgan Hill has a good stretch of country between it and San Jose.
Consequently, outside of going to work, I don’t spend as much time in San Ho as I used to.
Luckily, there are plenty of places that keep calling me back to my favorite city.
About a year ago, my buddy Dave introduced us to The San Pedro Square Market. It’s a collection of shops and eateries in downtown San Jose where you can meet up with friends to get a bite to eat, some dope drinks, and just hang out.
Last night, Kara and I decided to hit up a wine bar inside the Market called Vino Vino.
The slogan of this place is “Wine Without Attitude”. The idea is that they focus on serving good wine and food in a laid back “neighborhood bar”-type of environment.
While they do offer wines by the bottle, most folks tent to gravitate towards the local wines that they offer on tap for eight dollars a glass.
Wines on Tap
Before I get to the wine, I wanted to show you the dope Panini I had for dinner…
Italian Meat and Cheese Panini and Seasonal Mixed Greens in Lemon Vinaigrette
A textural and flavorful sensation…
But that wine looks good too…
I was very familiar with the majority of the local wines that they had on tap, so I was stoked to see that they carried a few wines from Nottingham Cellars of Livermore… A winery that I’d never heard of.
My first glass was the Nottingham Cellars 2010 Awakening GSM. This Rhone style blend is made of 57% Syrah, 28% Mourvedre, and 15% Grenache. I was very happy with its balance of juicy red fruit and racing acidity. It’s a perfect wine to pair with (you guessed it) an Italian Meat & Cheese Panini.
Next up, I tried the Nottingham Cellars 2009 Aguirre Vineyard Malbec. This one showed much more restraint in its red fruit… While present, the juice gave way to a nice, earthy herbaciousness. This is not an Argentinian fruit bomb. It’s much better.
I recommend trying either of these wines on tap. For eight bucks a glass, you really can’t go wrong.
In fact…
I kind of wish I had one right now.
Yet another reason to take a quick trip to San Jose.
Good thing I know the way.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
So…
Some of you may know that Gary Vaynerchuk (of Wine Library TV, Daily Grape, and Crush It fame) is my wine hero.
I liked wine before I ever watched an episode of WLTV, but Gary Vaynerchuk helped me love it.
You’ve gotta know that I was stoked to find out on Twitter recently that Gary was looking for old 80’s toys… and that he was looking to trade wine for them.
I ran over to my closet, picked out some of my old toys that were gathering up dust, and hit up @GaryVee on the Twitter.
After a little negotiating back and forth, we came to an agreement, and I shipped my stuff off the next day.
Well…
Take a peek at what showed up on my doorstep today…
Twenty-One Bottles of Wine, Picked out by Gary. Why 21? Well… It’s football season, and Frank Gore is my favorite player.
Check out some of the bad boys that Gary sent my way…
Russiz Superiore 2005 Collio Cabernet Franc
Barossa Jack 2008 Shiraz
L’Argentier 2009 Vieilles Vignes de Cinsault
Hella nerdy.
Hella fun.
And I can dig it!
I’m looking forward to tasting and reviewing a bunch of these wines for y’all. In honor of Gary, I will be referring to these wines as GV Specials.
Here’s hoping they bring the thunder.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Ever since Kara and I spent a weekend in Bodega Bay, I’ve been thinking a lot about Malbecs from Argentina.
Most all of them are made at Bodegas.
I’ve been sitting on this one for a while…
Bodega Norton 2010 Mendoza Malbec
Anyways…
The other day, I decided to make some carnitas in my crock pot.
While walking through the wine section at Trader Joe’s, I was thinking of a nice Riesling to pair with the spicy white meat of the pork, but nothing struck my fancy.
Then I was all, “I do have that Malbec at home. I don’t think it’s gonna go that well with the carnitas, but what the hey. I’ll give it a shot. What’s the worst that could happen?”
So I went home and put the carnitas together…
Pork Carnitas on a Corn Tortilla with Greek Yogurt, Hot Sauce, and Cilantro
I’m usually not one to toot my own horn, but…
Toot toot!
This was the bomb!
Tender, juicy, and spicy pork. Delicious earthiness.
Just great!
The wine wasn’t bad either…
Color: Dark red to black. Inky.
Nose: Oak, tar, raspberry, and blackberry.
Taste: There’s a good bike tire type of note that I always like. I like the play between all the red and dark fruits. Cranberry, blackberry, pomegranate, and black cherry for days. My only concern is the astringency of the tannins.
Score: This is a solid $10 Malbec. 88 points.
As good as the carnitas and the wine were, the pairing was awful.
The wine lacked the acidity to cut through the fattiness of the pork. The spice of the dish paired with the astringency of the wine tasted reminded me of a ripe armpit… Not that I’ve ever tasted one of those.
I’ve always heard that two wrongs don’t make a right…
But…
Sometimes, two rights make a wrong.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
In this episode, Jeff dives into two wines for #CabernetDay…
Wines Tasted:
Franciscan Estate 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Wild Horse 2010 Central Coast 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Stay Rad 