I was having just such a moment the other night, driving home from work and realizing “hey, it’s red wine and chocolate weekend!”  Nearly immediately after that I remembered we had just paid bills and I had almost no spendable cash till next payday. What to do, what to do…Then in a flash of glowing red neon, there it was: Walgreens.  I pulled in, & here’s what I found:

Red Diamond Winery is out of Paterson Washington and, until recently, totally unknown by me. Now, it’s almost a regular buy. When I think of Merlot, I want something fruity, smooth and drinkable all by it’s lonesome and that’s exactly what I get out of this little gem. While not a pure merlot, the added cab and cab-franc balances nicely on the palate. Cherry-vanilla on the nose with a velvety cocoa berry finish makes this wine perfect when paired with a 1.99 Whitman’s Sampler…or with nothing at all.  Plus, at a price point that usually sits below 10 bucks it’s easy to buy a bottle, even when you’re watching the wallet.  Bottom line, even if you include a wine line item in your budget, make sure you include this local treat in your next trip to the local drugstore.

~Cheers!

Snobby Specs

Vines: Somewhere in WA

Varietal(s): Merlot

Vintage: 2008

Price: $10

Meaning when I decide to relax on the couch after a day of work and a fairly evil Business Law mid-term, my wine of choice would usually be 2 things: red and blended.  Tonight, however, I deviated from the traditional winter  wine and in celebration of Mr. Groundhog not seeing his shadow, I decided to enjoy something light…something that says “spring”.  Now yes, I know, it’s 27 degrees outside right now and I’m under a blanket even as I type, but my palate is warm, sitting outside in the sun, enjoying a glass of 2008 Fidelitas Semillon.

I like my whites chilled a little colder than most people, well, who am I kidding a lot colder than most people and unfortunately this means that quite a few wines can’t stand up to the task of keeping their flavor being so cold. This wine however, does just fine. Fresh grass, and pear on the nose, and a beautiful almost liquid gold color leads into an almost effervescent splash of fruit and a little bit of lemon squeezed ever so carefully onto some earthy soil. The wine is a slight bit too acidic for my taste, but not enough to ruin my spring getaway in my head. Sweet wine lovers should stay away, and if you really want to turn up the fun, try this wine with some fresh cheeses and salty meats. You’ll have your friends saying “fideli-toss me another bottle of that!”     *eye-roll*

All in all, a nice choice for a warm, fresh day getting ready for the first yard sale of the year.

~Cheers!






Snobby Specs:

Vines: Stillwater Creek, Columbia Valley, WA

Varietal(s): Semillon

Vintage: 2008

Price: $18

“what the heck is a Ruah?”

Well, don’t worry, it’s not some new grape, and it’s not some city in India…Ruah is actually the Hebrew word for “spirit” or “breath“…but I ramble.  As I was saying, I had the pleasure of opening a bottle of this wonderful blend awhile back and I remember it being a great choice, so I was definitely ready to try it again when the lady told me she was picking up a bottle tonight.

The Ruah is almost equal amounts of Merlot (45%) and Cabernet (40%) with a kick of Cab Franc to finish it off.  The experience begins with an aroma of rich chocolate and dark cherry.  The flavor is deep, starting with a bright raspberry and turning to an almost peppery finish. Pairing well with most anything off the grill, the wine has earthy aspects, but only in the slightest. With a gorgeous color that’s as deep as it’s flavor profile, and a price point of under 20 bones, the 2008 Ruah from Desert Wind is sure to delight the palates, as well as the wallets, of Bordeaux-blend lovers everywhere.

~Cheers!

Snobby Specs:

AVA: Wahluke Slope, Columbia Valley, WA

Varietal(s): Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc

Vintage: 2008

Price: $20 or less

We’re back up and running on sweet new servers, with some awesome folks hosting us. Our events section works again and I’ve personally weeded out some things that I felt the site didn’t need.

So please, friend us up on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and comment on our posts. We’d love to hear from you!

Happy #WW or #WineWednesday! (however you take it).

Cheers!

Entering Picazo7Seventeen in Prosser at around 5:45 we were greeted right away with a smile & a glass of wine along with an invitation to dive right in to the appetizers. Chef Frank Magana and his staff had everything under control. The Chef himself was out front, greeting guests along with his staff, making introductions and was very cool and composed the entire evening.

The smell from the kitchen was tantalizing, I could smell all sorts of good things cooking and I was ready to begin.

From here the Chef introduced himself, along with Scott & Vicky Williams, owners of Kiona Winery on Red Mountain. The next 2 hours were filled with great food, great wine & great conversation with excellent people. I also had the pleasure of meeting Melodie Smith (@cellardoorgirl), the winner of our latest contest!

Here’s what was on the menu:

Course One: Strawberry, Cucumber & Feta Salad – The taste was crisp, fresh & light. Everything mixed well together, & I was left with wanting more strawberries. The feta cheese was a great touch, and tasted fantastic. The dressing mixed with the feta created a texture not to my liking, but my taste buds were happy anyway.

Wine Pairing: 2008 Kiona Estate Dry Riesling – The citrus notes here paired nicely with the salad. Green apple, pear, and a lemon/orange peel aroma were nicely presented. The slight “effervescence” of the wine along with the fresh cucumber in the salad were perfect together.

Course Two: Goat Cheese Souffle – Something I’ve never had, nor thought of trying that suprised me. It came served hot, in an espresso cup. The breaded outside had a wonderful spice to it, then I hit the warm goat cheese center…I could have gone back for seconds on this one.

Wine Pairing: 2005 Estate Chardonnay – When it comes to chard, i like ‘em steely and crisp. This wine took me by surprise. The slightest hint of oak yet lacking the “buttery” complexion that I try to steer clear of. Turns out the winemaker aged this particular blend in both oak and steel, with steel being the prominent device. As for pairing with the souffle, the spice in the crust was a good friend to the light oak in the wine.

Course Three: Alligator Jambalaya – Yes, you read it correctly, Alligator! I had no idea what to expect here, but here’s the result. The gator had the consistency (and slight taste) of fish! The flavor is almost impossible to describe, but it was damn good! The jambalaya also had a spicy sausage with rice and other additions. An eclectic mix of flavors were a complete success here.

Wine Pairing: Kiona 2006 Estate Lemberger – A wine that holds it’s own with a blend of spice & old earth. A warm, soft body with currant and dark cherry flavors. Paired fantastically with the spicy sausage in the jambalaya, but was a little bit tough on our poor friend Mister Gator.

Intermezzo: Blackberry Sorbet – A nice palate-cleansing, chilled blackberry sorbet. I’m a sucker for dark berry anything, & this did not disappoint.

Main Course: Rack of Lamb with Apple-Mint Chutney – Hoh-boy, this was a real treat! I love a good rack (of lamb) and this was no exception! Crisp on the outside, succulent and juicy on the inside. This Chef knows his meats! The risotto as well, was perfectly cooked for my tastes, slightly sticky but not at all hard or grainy, with plenty of flavor. Well done Chef!

Wine Pairing: Kiona 2003 Estate Cabernet & Kiona 2003 Estate Syrah – This was a close battle, but in the end the syrah won by an inch. Both wines full bodied, keeping in check with the lamb. The cab showed me cassis, with cherry-chocolate earthy goodness. The syrah complemented the lamb a little better in my case, blowing a little spicy-tobacco over my nicely cooked lamb.

Dessert: Riesling Poached Pear with Gorgonzola Sauce – As if we even needed (or had room for) dessert, out came the final presentation of the evening. First of all, if you had told me I’d be eating alligator tonight, I would have told you to pack your bags. If you had told me I’d be eating a poached pear with gorgonzola cheese and balsamic vinaigrette as a dessert, I would have told you to get outta town. Chef Magana stretched the limits of my palate yet again with this dessert and succeeded! Tasted sweet, and juicy, with the gorgonzola mixing with the balsamic nicely and quite honestly, if you had told me it was cream and chocolate and I would have believed you.

Wine Pairing: 2008 Late Harvest Riesling – Dessert wine normally completes my cycle from “a little buzzed” to “okay, someone get him a cab, and I mean the kind you drive, not drink”. The sugars, combined with the alcohol just wreak havoc on my bloodstream, but let’s be honest, it tastes really good! This wine had what I was after, and paired wonderfully with the pair pear. A nice hint of grassy lemon and citrus, cut through some of the sweetness and let me enjoy this particular wine.

All in all the evening was a great one! Lots of good times with good people. For a quick look into the evening check out my video, here!

Cheers!

Picazo717

Anyone who wants a pair of tickets to Chef Frank Magana’s Wine Dinner with Kiona Winery on Sunday, March 14th raise your hand! Don’t know what I’m talking about? Click here…

Okay, now everyone who has their hand up go to Twitter.com right NOW and follow @PalateBomb (that’s us) & post the following tweet (w/out quotes):

“Win a pair of tix to wine dinner with @picazo717 & @kionawine from @chefmagana & @palatebomb! Pls RT. Info: http://bit.ly/aB3EPX”

It’s THAT easy.

We’ll draw a winner live via Twitter after #socialwine on Wednesday, March 10th at 7:30pm! Stay tuned!

Congrats to @cellardoorgirl for winning! Look for a DM on details to claim your prize! Stay tuned for more contests coming up!

Couple details:

• You must have a Twitter acct to participate. It’s free and you can get one here: www.twitter.com
  
• If you’re already following @palatebomb on Twitter you do not have to un-follow & re-follow.
• Only post the above tweet once please. Posting more than once does not increase your chances to win, plus your followers might dis-own you and we can’t have that now can we;-)
• This contest is only open to those that are 21 and over, and is void where prohibited by law. This contest is open to anybody of legal age worldwide, but it IS for a pair of tickets to the March 14th wine dinner at Picazo717 in Prosser, WA USA only. Ticket’s cannot be transferred or traded for a cash value.

Here’s the transcript of tonight’s Twitterstream:

5:58pm -

Craig: Welcome to #socialwine tweetchat with special guest @palatebomb. Need help? Click http://ow.ly/1dY2H

Craig: @stephenhartley is the owner of Palatebomb.com, a wine website with the mantra “Raise your glass, not your nose“.

Craig: What are you drinking right now?

Me: ATM I am enjoying a glass of ’07 Sagelands Vineyard “Freddie’s Blend”…a wine from the Columbia valley. It was left over by @sdub101 from @nikkiceline‘s baby shower:-) If you’ve never tried, it’s a red blend from 6 varietals. Very smooth, with rich berry, and a VERY floral nose (smell).

Craig: At 20 something I drank Riesling. Are 20+ers drinking more sophisticated than when I was 20, or is that profile still holding?

Me: In todays youth, the “sweet is safe” idea still holds, however it’s not hard to help a 20-something into something new. A lot of 20ish are really enjoying red blends now as the wineries get more and more adventurous in making them:-)

Craig: How does PalateBomb help its readers understand wine?

Me: With PalateBomb currently undergoing a “re-birth”, that answer is still being formed;-) However I will say one thing: PalateBomb’s writers are 20ish in age, their writing styles are all different, and they all compliment each other well. We strive to take the “snobbery and mystery” out of the wine experience. By having our writers just “tell it like it is” with very little editing involved, we reach a whole new group of people who were before intimidated by the whole idea of wine in the first place. To round-up that answer, we’re not only trying to help people understand wine, but also just show them how easy it is to enjoy!

Craig: Who inspires your wine passion?

Me: Lol, I honestly have to say my passion comes from growing up around it with my father, however my passion to really get into it comes from watching people like @garyvee just go out there and enjoy it and have SO much fun! He really inspires me to make something like PalateBomb grow and explode (no pun intended) into an informative, and FUN source for today’s youth.

Amber Fries: Besides using Twitter and Facebook, what other avenues should wineries use to tap into this hot consumer group?

Craig: @amberfries great question, ill get involved in that one as well, ill let @palatebomb have a swing first.

Me: Honestly Amber, Twitter/Facebook is an amazing source to reach a huge niche in today’s youth. Other avenues? You’re already doing what I would suggest. Bridge the gap between social media and just social. With @desertwindwine’s “wine-tweetups” Looks like you’re already doing just that:-) Check this out tweeps if you don’t know what I’m talking about: http://bit.ly/8YayvS

Craig: I would add that it is also about how you use those tools, good preparation for engagement is everything in social media.

Craig: When wine tasting, what do you look for – your favorite, something new, price, value?

Me: When I (or most that I talk to) shop for wine, the gut reaction is to shoot for a favorite, pop the cork. Enjoy. Sometimes it’s hard to break out of the box and try something new, but just do it! It’s so easy to find great wine here in WA state that you shouldn’t be too afraid of just trying a new bottle. Or, if budget allows, when you’re going to grab a favorite, grab a stranger to your shelves too. You might be surprised:-) One thing to keep in mind though, price is important to a group like us 20ish. If it’s too pricy, odds are, we won’t be buying anytime soon, even if it’s really good.

Craig: With Q6 in mind, whats a good price point?

Me: Speaking just for myself I am comfy in the 20-40 $ range. If it’s much more than that I get buyers remorse after I purchase, which sort of spoils the whole idea of wine. It’s for fun and friends, not for worrying if I can make the next car payment:-)

Craig: What does @palatebomb do for wine restaurants here in WA Wine Country?

Me: Hopefully, as we get back in the swing of doing reviews of specific wines, and start referencing where those wines can be found, it will help let peeps make an (informed) decision at the table in bars/restaurants.

Craig: I’m having a 20 something party, what wines should I serve?

Me: Cater to the crowd! Have at least one sweet(er) white, a red blend (or 2), and a Syrah or Merlot for easy drinking.

Craig: Are labels important when choosing a wine?

Me: Absolutely not, some of the best wine’s I’ve experienced are in “not-so-attractive” labels. However, a lot of peeps (myself included) are swayed by labels. Wineries take note: classics are great, but when I’m browsing you need to catch my eye!

Craig: Thank you for being involved in today’s #socialwine, next week @onerichwineguy will be our guest then @desertwindwine‘s own Greg Fries!

-7:02pm

Editors Note: I’ve edited the layout and removed the ending hash-tag in each tweet to make it more readable here, but not the content itself. #socialwine is an open forum “tweetchat” and others did participate that i did not include here. Check out the original by searching the hash-tag “socialwine” via Twitter.com!

PalateBomb.com is your number one spot for wine reviews, event commentary, and THE place to check out what’s coming up in the local area. We’re going to be working hard over the next few weeks to update the events calender, get some reviews up and just get things moving again.

PalateBomb.com is all about you! If you have a wine you’d like us to try, feel free to suggest away by sending us an email or leaving a comment on an existing article. If you know where the next winemaker dinner or awesome event is going to be held, let us know and we’ll help spread the word! Got a hot topic you’d like us to discuss? Start the conversation…we’re listening…

Oh, and just to get you started, here’s a hot new event that’s coming up very soon:

Click Me!

]]> http://www.palatebomb.com/posts/not-wine/this-just-in/feed/ 2 http://www.palatebomb.com/posts/canyons-edge-cabernet-2005-red-wine/ http://www.palatebomb.com/posts/canyons-edge-cabernet-2005-red-wine/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:27:45 +0000 Stephen http://www.palatebomb.com/?p=375

Canyon's Edge Cab 2005

The USA has a president, Canada has a prime minister, but in the world of wine, Cabernet is king.

Yes, if I had to appoint a “type” of wine as high council, it would be cab…hands down. Why, you ask? Robust, full bodied, and has the air of someone who knows that they’re just a little bit better than the others.

A little history:

The grapes we known widely as “Cabernet Sauvignon” are derived from two other varietals called Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. This was discovered just recently in the late 1990s with the use of DNA typing. Before this discovery it was rumored the grape had ancient origins, even dating back to Roman times being used to create an ancient Roman wine.

Cabs traditionally have a dark, dense, and highly tannic profile. It’s easy to find cabs that give off flavors like black pepper, current, asparagus, and jam. Cabernet has an affinity for oak. It ages extremely well in traditional oak barrels, however lots of winemakers use larger barrels, as to bring less wine in contact with the wood resulting in a less dramatic oak influence.

One of my favorite cabs in the last couple years, has been the Canyon’s Edge Cabernet Sauvignon from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. This particular cab has taken home silver in three different competitions locally in 2008, and has been recommended by master sommelier Angelo Tavernero. I poured myself a glass just the other day and I was delighted to see that it was still incredibly good. Here’s what I experienced:

Blackberries, dark current, and a hint of nutmeg on the nose with plenty of oak.

Canon's Edge Cabernet Grapes

Raspberries, and a full, dark chocolate on the tongue, and a nice spicy, chocolate finish that’s smooth, drinkable, but holds up GREAT with a nice thick steak. With such a complex flavor profile, I would recommend opening this up early, and even decanting as to let all the flavors come out to breathe. Grill up your favorite cut of beef, and go heavy on the spices if you want. Don’t worry, the king can take it…

The Canyon’s Edge Cabernet is a wonderful wine at any vintage, and it has yet to disappoint my palate. It may be hard to find so call around ahead of time to your local stores and ask for it so you don’t waste a trip. Why are you still here?! The king is waiting…