Drink 43 different wines

this may the finest wine in its class

it is relatively inexpensive and stands tall and broad shouldered in the crowd.

Pretty presentation in the gold basket string. Bold, assertive, nuanced. I won’t get into all the words for the flavor. We had it tonight with island eggplant in a parmesan style but with other cheeses. Then chocolate. Great with both.

Mr M made a remark about this wine being not special and then had to take it back after he took a sip. If you look closely at the label you will note it has been tampered with. Mr M tried to remove the label. I think he had in mind folding it into his wallet so next time he is somewhere he thinks he can find this wine, he can be sure it is the very same wine. He likes it a lot.

This is volcano blush. It is a bit different than the Sofia of the prior entry, but similar in spirit and tone.

We have a winery here at Volcano that grows grapes and makes wines. Not all its wines are made from grapes. If you were to pair a Volcano wine with a Northern California wine country feast you would go “paaawhhh!!!”

But with fried rice and sambal and a side of sliced mango, or seared scallops with seaweed bits and taro home fries, or anytime on the lanai watching the apapane, Volcano Blush is very nice indeed. Even Mr M agrees.

This is a flouncy pink. No prom girl she, but a gorgeous full bodied red with the skins pulled from the mix early on, leaving this see through fantasy that is perfect for a warm afternoon.

Sorry we drank so much before I thought to photograph the wine. We had it with salad dressed with nasturtiums, lavender, violets, and rosemary flowers, a squeeze of meyer lemon over it. Tritip and fingerling potatoes.

This wine is just right for the afternoon, and can hold its own into the night too. Neither wimpy nor sweet, Sofia.

Yesterday we must have had at least a dozen different wines

Yep, wine tasting in both Napa and Sonoma, with friends.

Here’s where we began the day, at Franciscan. This is a 2005
Cabernet Sauvignon, signed by the winemaker. Those are rose petals. And that is an empty box of special chocolate.

Yes, the day started with wine and roses in the Napa Valley.

Last night we opened this Rubicon Estate Captain’s Reserve to taste next to the Coppola from the night before.

Rubicon Estate took over the winery from Coppola, and not surprisingly, the two are similar. The Rubicon is smoother, subtler. But very close…

Last night I was feeling under the weather after a morning in an ultra cold conference room (why oh why do they do this? It was seventy degrees or more outside, and in the room, cold air was blowing) so it was a perfect night for a nice cabernet sauvignon.

This 2005 from Francis Coppola is a decent every day red. It is smooth with meats, edgy with tomatoes. We had both. My guy thought it was too astringent, I found it a bit too round. Different palates, evidently. Also, with the start of a head cold, my taster could well be off.

The grapes are grown in various California locations – the bottle does not specify. I am thinking some may be from the Lodi region, based on the lack of edginess in the taste. Bottled in Geyserville, northern part of the Napa Valley.

This is the sort of wine you can often find for $14 – $17 depending on where you shop. Costco, Safeway, maybe Trader Joe or Cost Plus discount wines and will likely carry it.

You all made me do this.

I cannot resist.

It is after all a very festive season, and having already had some wine tonight, I am susceptible to suggestion.

Tonight, we had Kim Crawford 2006 Marlborough Pinot Noir. A screw top from New Zealand. To me, it tastes like lemonade. Boldly acidic, heavy on the tannins, the sort of finish you like in a picnic wine, the sort you’d enjoy with wild blackberries. You would be indulging in the summer fruit, hoping for a berry that is sweeter than the wine, and when you get one, ooooohhhh.