River’s Edge Pinot Noir (2007 – Red Wine)

Jul 29 2009

What do you get when you take great soil, lots of sunlight, and some hard work? Oregon wine! What do I think Oregon does REALLY well? Pinot noir!  Yes, today we talk a little about Pinot Noir.  Specifically the River’s Edge 2007 Pinot Noir, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

A little history: Pinot noir (pronounced Pino nwar), is a red wine grape.  The name is French, coming from the words “pine” & “black” or “dark”.  While grown in many places of the world, a couple that really stand out to me are the Burgundy regions of France and of course the Willamette & Umpqua valleys of Oregon.

Now, on to the tasty part.  River’s Edge winery, really does sit on the edge of the Umpqua River and produces some very fine wines.  One of my favorites from this particular hotspot, is the 2007 Pinot Noir.  Here’s my thoughts on it:

Bouquet. Aroma. Nose. All the same thing, but all VERY important in this particular wine, and in any wine or food really.  If you can smell something, you can taste it THAT much better.  Get into this bottle.  Open it up, let it set, or better yet, dump the whole thing into a decanter and give it a nice rough swirl.  Don’t be shy, you wont hurt it.  Now, pour yourself a glass, stick your nose into it, and let the smokey, fresh cigar aroma get you ready for what comes next.

Your first sip.  I’m talking earthy, dark current, cherries, and a slight vanilla undertone that pairs AMAZING with a nice seasoned pork chop.  Hell, I’ve even cooked pork IN this wine. Have a glass with a crazy goat cheese, or a nice creamy brie.  As with many pinots, it goes amazingly well.  You may notice a buttered toast finish if your palate is extra sharp!

Go out and grab a bottle for around 18 bones. You’ll be glad you did!

Pio Pinot Noir (Red Wine – NV)

Jul 27 2009

Pio Pinot Noir – Invoking a Passion

All I wanted was a nice glass of wine when I finally arrived in Philadelphia. The Pio Pinot Noir delivered exactly that. Its scent foreshadowed a tart first note, and I wasn’t deceived. As the first drops hit my tongue, the tartness brought back memories of cherries and berries. The sip ended with a smooth finish without many tannins. The bright, deep red looked darker late at night than I expect it would during the day.

I formed an initial impression of a strangely light Pinot Noir, strange because I expected something a bit heavier, with more body. As I sipped my glass of wine, hints of coffee said hello. As I continued to sip, the coffee notes further developed and balanced out the tartness.

For someone who loves her coffee, a wine like this pleases the palate. Now all I need to find is a coffee with hints of wine.

An drank the Pio Pinot Noir from Italy ($6.00/glass) at Vintage, blocks from Philadelphia’s City Hall. She paired the Pinot Noir with gorgonzola and fig bruschetta on toasted baguette, topped with a drizzle of olive oil and slivered walnuts.

For taste, color, scent, experience and complexity, An gives the Pio Pinot Noir a 3.5 of 5.

PalateBomb.com Explodes Into the Wine Scene

Jul 22 2009

PalateBomb.com Explodes Into the Wine Scene

Last night at Bookwalter Winery in Washington’s Columbia Valley, family and friends surrounded us as we launched an effort to share information, experiences and thoughts about wine. With helium-filled balloons in the PalateBomb palette adding a festive touch and Fenix Sound & Vision providing a chill background vibe, we shared some appetizers and a few bottles of red and white.

Bookwalter Winery + PalateBomb.com = Experience to Remember

Last night, the food, wine and beginning of a new venture brought us together; the conversation and company made it memorable. Everyone I spoke with at PalateBomb’s launch shared so many interesting perspectives on wine, food, wineries and regions, that I had more things to think about than I have shoes!

One lady I met kept me in stitches, with a sharp, witty perspective on life. She clued me into a white sangria that I can’t wait to try and share. Another person I met develops food – she’s a senior food technologist whose anecdotes about various dining experiences inspire me to think about food in a different way, more analytically. I’ve only scratched the surface of the stories everyone shared as we partook of delicious wine from the Columbia River Valley from Bookwalter Winery.

I had a glass of the Subplot 23 Columbia Valley Red, an intense red that started out sweet, but not too sweet. Interestingly complex, it hit the palate with hints of spice and fruit. I thought it would pair well with chocolate covered espresso beans.

Alas, I had none. However, Bookwalter provided hummus served with warmed bread, a selection of cheeses, grapes and meats as antipasta. The meats and grapes paired well together – the contrasts won me over. Take a succulent, tender and sweet grape and wrap a dry, cured and salty slice of salami around the grape. Bite. Savor. Enjoy.

Thank you to everyone who came out last night to celebrate PalateBomb’s launch – please don’t hesitate to let us know if there’s a wine you think we should try or a pairing you’d like us to explore (and write about!)

Also available at the PalateBomb launch, a white Chardonnay-Viognier blend.