2007 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 Maipe Malbec Reserve

2009 Syncline Grenache-Carignan

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino County

 

 

 

2007 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon – $19.00

 

My comments

Something I knew way back but forgot was that Freemark Abbey was the only winery to have two bottles of wine in the 1976 “Judgment in Paris” tasting that put California on the world’s wine map.  After a few lean years, I think the winery has righted the boat and are again producing very nice, bargain priced wines.

 

Winery history

In 1967, seven partners purchased Freemark Abbey, setting the stage for a new era of creativity.  The winery earned the nickname the “University of Freemark” due to the sheer number of innovations and significant winemakers that emerged from our cellars.

 

In 1976, wine expert Steven Spurrier conducted a legendary blind tasting in Paris – pitting the upstart wines of California against the establishment of France.  Of the 12 American wineries chosen to compete, only Freemark Abbey had two wines represented – a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  In an upset that shocked the wine world, California wines won every category of the tasting, putting Napa Valley firmly on the world stage.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, ruby red color.  The very comforting nose has cassis, warm baking spices, tobacco, dried herbs, plum, licorice, and a touch of smoke.  This has medium body, fairly solid, ripe tannins, and very nice acidity.  The palate features bright and juicy berries, baking spices, dried herbs and a touch of oak.  The finish has nice length with the berries and dried herbs joined by a touch of excess spicy oak.  I would be nice if the touch of extra oak would integrate, but I really don’t see that happening.  No hurry on this one, enjoy it over the next several years.  This was a steal for $19.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Maipe Malbec Reserve – $11.39

 

My comments

When we’re having a beef based dinner but I’m in the mood for something different, more times than not, I grab a Malbec from Argentina.  The Malbec grape is one of the Bordeaux grapes, but it found a home in Argentina.  As with most other grapes, Malbec wines run the spectrum from easy drinking week night wines to full blown special occasion wines.  These Malbecs from Argentina should not be passed if you had one that didn’t meet your tastes, shop around and you’ll find a great wine that won’t break the budget.

 

Winery history

At the time of the financial crisis in 2001 that caused the replacement of 4 presidents in a month, violent attacks on bank offices and devaluation of the Peso to a quarter of its worth, Juan Pelizzatti was a telecommunications marketing professional in his mid thirties with a passion for wine, thinking of a project where he could invest his soul and his dreams.

 

The crisis, for a short period of time, gave many Argentines the impression that there was not much left to loose and that only a radically new vision of the future could help them survive it.  Juan was one of them: armed with his family’s life savings and a legacy of winemaking from his Italian grandfather, he took a month’s vacation from his job and literally walked the province of Mendoza in search of a new land.

 

Luck and some good advice helped him find the perfect place in Agrelo, Lujan de Cuyo: 150 ha of almost bare land formerly planted with Malbec vines where only 30 hectares had survived the very bad years preceding the crisis.

 

Many years and a lot of work later, this estate has become one of the most promising new wine projects in Argentina, representing one of the most successful business models of the new wine landscape in Argentina.  In the meantime, Argentine exports have sustained double digit growth, whilst Malbec, once a rare local grape, has achieved the status of an internationally demanded variety.

 

Much more information on the winery’s website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The very nice nose has blackberries, licorice, fresh ground dark roast coffee, dark bittersweet chocolate, baking spices, and plums.  This has medium body, soft but persistent tannins, and good acidity.  The palate has nice juicy berries but the savory notes of dark chocolate and fresh ground coffee and a lot of depth.  The finish has nice length and is an extension of the palate.  This is drinking very nicely but isn’t really built for the long haul, drink this over the next year, maybe two.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Syncline Grenache-Carignan – $19.94

 

My comments

If you’ve been reading my posts for more than just a couple of weeks, you’ll see I love just about all wines.  That said, my heart belongs to the grapes from the Rhone in France.  I think these are some of the most versatile grapes in the world.  These grapes seem to be able to adapt to where ever they are planted and can produce many different styles of wine.  I found this specific wine when a  friend tweeted he had this in his glass one evening.  I was able to track down a few bottles from a store in Washington.  A few days later, they were in my cellar.

 

Winery history

Birth of Syncline Winery: James and Poppie Mantone.

Poppie and James met during the harvest of 1997 while working together in the cellar at LaVelle Vineyards (Willamette Valley, Oregon).  Shortly after, they had fallen madly in love, married and began plans for a new endeavor: a winery of our own.

 

Four years later they relocated their home to the Columbia Gorge; where passion for Rhône wines led them to explore the emerging potential of vineyards in the Columbia Valley, Washington.

 

Inspired by early efforts of Rhone and Burgundy varietals sampled from Washington wineries, Syncline’s first vintage consisted of 76 cases of Celilo Vineyards Pinot Noir from vines planted in 1972.  The next year, production was increased to include Columbia Valley Syrah and Grenache.  At the same time they began working with vineyards to plant Viognier, Mourvedre, Roussanne, Cinsault, Counoise and Carignan.

 

They have kept production under 6,000 cases annually to ensure intimacy with each barrel and every vine.

 

Much more information is available on the winery’s website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a shade lighter than a medium ruby red color.  The bright and cheerful nose has raspberries, cherries, minerals, baking spices, licorice, wild flowers, and just a touch of underbrush.  This has medium body, fairly solid, ripe tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has nice red fruits, spice, and some earthiness with no rough edges.  The finish has decent length and again features the red fruit, spice, and a touch of earthiness.  This should hold for a couple more years, but is very tasty today.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino County – $30.00

 

My comments

I guess you can call this a Social Media relationship.  I learned of Jean Edwards Cellars via Twitter.  I read their Tweets and started following them, luckily they followed me back.  Over the last couple of years we have exchanged jokes and Tweets about just about everything.  I was finally able to order a few bottles of their wine, and after giving a bottle a good 15 minutes to recover from the trip half way across the country, I popped the cork.  I am now a big fan and I spread their name to anyone who will listen to me.  I highly encourage you to check out their website and join their mailing list.  These are two very nice people making some of the best wine in the Napa Valley.

 

Winery history

We are the owner/vintners of Jean Edwards Cellars – we share a passion for wine, a similar palate and a singular vision on the style of wines we produce.  We live by our motto that “you should only make wines you love to drink” and focus our production on artisan red wines that are full-bodied and classically styled.

 

Quality and heritage are important to us – our wines are reflective of their origins and are sourced some of the most prestigious vineyards (and vineyard blocks) throughout Napa Valley including Stagecoach Vineyard (on Pritchard Hill); vineyards on the valley floor in Rutherford, Oakville and Coombsville; and mountain vineyards on Howell and Spring Mountain.

 

Time really flies – we started producing commercial wines in 2004 but our dream of producing high quality Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon wines started much earlier when we traveled to the valley in 1985.  During that trip, we developed a true appreciation for cabernet sauvignon wines and decided we would some day be a part of the business and produce a wine called Jean Edwards Cellars (our two middle names).  It was a goal worth waiting for and twenty plus years later we released our first wine in the Spring of 2006.

 

For more information, to order wine, or to join the Jean Edwards mailing list, visit their website.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color, almost purple.  The very nice nose has blackberries, charred meat, smoke, roasted herbs, licorice, black pepper, minerals, brined olives, wild flowers, and a touch of mint.  This has medium to full body with fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has a nice blend between the juicy, crushed berries, and the savory elements of black pepper, roasted herbs, and charred meat.  The finish is long and layered with nice juicy berries adding sweetness to the savory elements.  This is drinking nicely, but will reward some additional cellar time.  (93 pts)

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

2010 Novy Family Wines Zinfandel Russian River Valley – $18.99

 

My comments

I’ve been a big fan of the Novy/Siduri wines from Adam Lee for several years.  For some reason, their Zinfandels seem to fly under the radar.  Their single vineyard offerings are some of the best values out there, grab one if you happen to see one sitting on a store shelf.

 

Winery history

Our winemaking goal is to produce wines that best capture the distinct flavor and character of a given vineyard site.  To that end, we focus on sites that provide us with exceptional fruit.  We are fanatical in our protection of the vineyard flavor and are determined not to let any overt winemaking components mute the personality of an individual site.

 

In the cellar, we vinifiy each wine separately by block, clone and barrel type in order to maximize the individual components and provide greater complexity to the final blend.  This approach also provides us with much more flexibility in crafting a wine using only the best and most harmonious lots.

 

Given that the majority of our wines are single vineyard offerings, it is critical for us to maintain the site’s individual character in order to provide you with a truly diverse offering of wines.  To that end:

 

• We believe in minimal intervention, “gentle” winemaking.  In other words, we let the wine make itself.  We do not want to do anything to the wine that isn’t absolutely necessary.
• We believe in bottling our wines unfiltered and unfined whenever possible, convinced as we are that fining and filtering strip wines of flavor and character.
• We believe that the best wines express their origins.  Our goal is not to produce the world’s best Syrah or Zinfandel but rather to produce the very best wine from a given site.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color.  The soothing and inviting nose has brambly berries, black pepper, warm baking spices, licorice, dried herbs, tobacco, dark chocolate and some red raspberries.  This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and tart acidity.  Spicy, peppery berries grab the palate initially with dried herbs and dark chocolate coming in on the mid palate.  The finish has decent length highlighted by tart red raspberries.  This has much brighter acidity than your usual California zin, which obscures any richness that may be present.  With the good tannins and abundant acidity, this should last in the cellar and improve for several years.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2004 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon – $19.79

 

My comments

Something I knew way back but forgot was that Freemark Abbey was the only winery to have two bottles of wine in the 1976 “Judgment in Paris” tasting that put California on the world’s wine map.  After a few lean years, I think the winery has righted the boat and are again producing very nice, bargain priced wines.

 

Winery history

In 1967, seven partners purchased Freemark Abbey, setting the stage for a new era of creativity.   The winery earned the nickname the “University of Freemark” due to the sheer number of innovations and significant winemakers that emerged from our cellars.

 

In 1976, wine expert Steven Spurrier conducted a legendary blind tasting in Paris – pitting the upstart wines of California against the establishment of France.  Of the 12 American wineries chosen to compete, only Freemark Abbey had two wines represented – a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  In an upset that shocked the wine world, California wines won every category of the tasting, putting NapaValley firmly on the world stage.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The very open and inviting nose has cassis, cedar, Asian spices, dried herbs, tobacco, black cherries, minerals, and fresh wild flowers.  This has medium body, fairly solid, ripe tannins, and very nice acidity.  The palate is greeted by loads of sweet, juicy berries, spicy oak, and dried herbs, with some cherry coming in on the back end.  The finish is fairly long and full of spicy, sweet, cherries and berries, with a touch of excess oak peeking through.  The bit of excess oak on the finish is minor since there is plenty of sweet fruit.  This is pure Napa Valley and would never be mistaken as a French Bordeaux.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

I selected the Freemark Abbey Cabernet to pair with a pot roast.  I seared the meat and braised it low and slow for a few hours on Sunday.  I tightly wrapped the meat and reserved the broth.  On Tuesday, I skimmed the fat off the broth and brought it back to a boil.  I cooked the carrots, potatoes, and onions in the broth until they were tender.  After removing them, I cooked some egg noodles.  While everything else was cooking, I cut the roast into chunks and removed the larger clumps of fat.  Lastly, I put the meat into the hot broth to reheat it.  Here is the finished product:

 

 

 

2010 Helioterra Pinot Noir Willamette Valley – $18.56

 

My comments

This was a new winery for me last year.  Since that time, I met the owner/wine maker Anne Ebenretier Hubatch when she returned to her home state of Wisconsin.  After tasting through close to a dozen of her wines, I became convinced this is an up and coming winery to keep an eye on.

 

Winery history

Helioterra Wines is a small, artisan producer of Northwest wines made at an urban winery in SE Portland, Oregon.

 

Our wines are pretty, elegant and graceful in style.  Winemaker Anne Ebenretier Hubatch partners with exceptional regional vineyard growers to craft wines that demonstrate the best that the Northwest offers.

 

The name draws on geological inspirations, symbolizing Heliolite, the Oregon state gemstone (more commonly known as Sun Stone.)  Helio and Terra combine the Greek words for sun and earth, natural partners for grape growing.

 

For more information, I highly recommend checking out their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light ruby red color.  The soft and feminine nose has cherries, minerals, damp earth, underbrush, strawberry, baking spices, smoke, and a faint, pleasing herbal note.  This has light to medium body, soft, ripe tannins, and very nice acidity.  The palate features spicy, earthy, cherries with nice minerality.  The finish has very nice length with the cherries carrying the major load and the faint herbal note once again coming into play.  This is a lighter body, nuanced style of Pinot, leaning more towards Burgundy than California.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2002 Château Potensac – $18.99

 

My comments

This is a winery I generally turn to for a reasonably priced week night, Bordeaux.  The wines are generally very reflective of the vintage, and are usually well made and very enjoyable without breaking the bank.

 

Winery history

Chateau Potensac is owned by the Delon family.  They are better known for their famous property in St. Julien, Leoville Las Cases.  Located in the Haut Medoc appellation, and Chateau Nenin in Pomerol.  Chateau Potensac has been in the Delon family hands for several generations.  The grandfather of Jean Hubert Delon obtained the estate through marriage, when he married into the Liquard family.  From that time on, Chateau Potensac has been passed down from father to son.

 

The 53 hectare, Bordeaux wine vineyard of Chateau Potensac consists of gravel based soils with patches of clay.  The vineyard is planted to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc with vines that are on average, 30 years of age.  The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 8,000 vines per hectare.  Over the past several years, in an effort to add softness to the wine, slowly but surely, more Merlot has been added to the vineyards of Chateau Potensac.  Chateau Potensac is vinified in a combination of temperature controlled, stainless steel vats and concrete tanks.  The wines are aged in barrels passed down from Clos du Marquis for between 14 and 16 months, depending on the character and style of the vintage.

 

There is a second wine, La Chapelle Potensac.

 

The wines of Potensac are structured, firm and often display an austere quality, especially in their youth.  Chateau Potensac is the perfect wine for fans of old school, classic Bordeaux wine making.

 

Winery info from the Wine Cellar Insider since the winery’s website is “under construction”.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly dark ruby, much lighter at the edge.  The seductive nose has cassis, cedar, melted licorice, dried herbs, warm baking spices, cherries, minerals, leather, and tobacco.  This has a medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  The palate features nice fruit and dried herbs, with a healthy dollop of spicy oak.  The finish has decent length with the spicy oak laced fruit carrying most of the load.  Not a show stopper, but a nice wine for the vintage.  This can probably last another year or two in the cellar, but I’d be afraid this would become too oaky if much more fruit subsides.  As is, a nice week night Bordeaux.  (87 pts)

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Wines bought or received this week

I received a couple bottles from Riverbench and a sampler set from Trione.  Reviews of these wines will be posted when I sample them, probably in the next couple of weeks.

 

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

This week was a bit light, wine wise.  We left for vacation on Saturday morning, so we dialed down the wine list a bit.  I selected wine we would like but with an eye towards value priced wines.

 

 

2008 Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red – $13.29

This wine is usually a house favorite.  This is a kitchen sink blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 16% Merlot, 7% Cab Franc, 3% Malbec, 3% Sangiovese, 3% Petite Verdot, and 1% Carmenere.  This is usually a very nice wine with fantastic QPR when you can find it for under $15.

The wine is a fairly dark ruby color.  On the nose, this has blackberries, charcoal, smoke, vanilla, meat juices, earthy underbrush, some cherries and a faint herbal note.  Medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Nice fruit and savory flavors on the palate which carries no extra heavy extraction or over ripe elements.   Decent length on the finish which again, shows no excess weight.  I think this is a wine most Francophiles would enjoy, to me it seems more styled like a French wine than one from California.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Schild Estate Shiraz – $19.00

This was a very highly rated wine that was a major disappointment when tasted not long after release.  This was very disjointed, syrupy, and tart.  After about a year in the cellar it started to come together.  It’s been several months since my last bottle, time to see if the improvement has continued.

 

This bottle was decanted about an hour.  The wine is a deep, dark, maroon color.  There are blackberries, baking spices, licorice, blueberries, vanilla, pepper, bittersweet chocolate, a touch of cherry, and a slight herbal note on the nice nose.  This is medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and tart acidity.  There is a big blast of up front fruit and spice with dark chocolate and herbal elements in the background.  The finish is again fairly tart with some herbal notes over riding the fruit.  This bottle was again a disappointment.  I will either not touch a bottle for another year or allow for a much longer decant.  (85 pts)

 

This wine was number 7 on the Wine Spectator, Top 100 Wines of 2010.

 

 

 

 

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvedre Ode to Lulu Rosé – $18.00

We’re on vacation in South Carolina and it’s a very hot and humid day.  That makes it a perfect time to enjoy a nice Rosé, and this wine is guaranteed to be a perfect way to tame the weather.   This is one of my summer Rosé wines we enjoy.

 

A nice, light, pinkish salmon color. Minerals, strawberry, white pepper, melons, orange zest, and a bit of dusty earthiness on the very appealing nose. Light body with crisp acidity. A very dry rose with nice minerality and fruit with the white pepper and citrus making an appearance on the back end. Nice, lingering, mouthwatering finish. The real deal. Even those who like a crisp French Rose will find pleasure in this wine. (92 pts)

 

** Note copied from the July 30, 2012 To August 2, 2012 edition of Cliff’s Wine Picks. **

 

 

 

 

2007 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon – $19.00

Freemark Abbey was a winery I used to really like, but they seemed to go through a few off years.  Starting with the 2004 vintage they seemed to change course and put renewed vigor and effort into their wines.  The changes were fairly obvious by what they put in the bottle.  To me, they are once again a good, value priced winery putting out outstanding values.

 

This was decanted about an hour.  The wine is a deep, dark, inky ruby color.  Cassis, cigar box, vanilla, dried herbs, cherry, plum, and just a touch of licorice are on the very nice and inviting nose.  This is medium body with fairly solid but ripe tannins and nice acidity.  There are nice berries and spice on the palate with just a touch of oak peeking through on the backend.  This has nice length on the finish which picks up some dried herbs.  This was an absolute steal at $19.  No hurry, a little more cellar time will be rewarded.  (91 pts)

 

 

2008 Stanley Lambert Chardonnay Pristine – $7.13

One of our favorite, inexpensive white wines.  This is an unoaked Chardonnay from the Barossa Valley in Australia.  This wine doesn’t have the greatest distribution network, but luckily it is available in Wisconsin.  I’ve met the now retired winemaker, Lindsey Stanley multiple times and he is the epitome of every Australian stereo types out there.

 

The wine is a yellow to straw color.  On the nose, this wine has apples, pears, orange blossoms, minerals, and orange zest.  This is light to medium body with crisp acidity.  Nice apples and pears on the palate with the citrus kicking in on the backend with some minerality in the background.  This has a nice finish with the orange zest and minerals lingering and slowly fading.  This is still drinking very nicely and for a low cost Australian Chardonnay, there is no hurry on killing these off.  (90 pts)

 

 

2008 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Prologue – $17.09

I took a bottle of this to a friend’s home not long after it was released and it was a bit hit.  We both wanted to load up, but unfortunately it was sold out at the local store.  Luckily, I had bought 3 bottles, so I still had a couple in the cellar.  Tonight is bottle number two.

 

This is from a bottle that had been opened about two hours, but not decanted.  The wine is a deep, dark ruby to maroon color.  A very nice and appealing nose of cassis, fresh ground espresso, dark chocolate, smoke, dried herbs, and a touch of toasty oak.  Medium body with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Nice spicy berries and oak influences on the very expressive palate.  One of the best California Cabs I’ve had for well south of $20.  I assume this has some purchased fruit since it is now designated as North Coast instead of Napa.  For the $17.09 I paid, I wish I had loaded up.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

Mailing Lists

 

 

Jean Edwards Cellars

This is the home of some fantastic Napa Valley cabernets at unbelievable prices.  Their latest offer includes their 2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet and the 2009 Seventy Four – Forty One Howell Mountain Cab came out of Friday.  If you can bribe your way onto their pre-release mailing list, these are 25% off the normal, release price.  As a bonus, they also have a Library Release of their first commercial offering, the 2004 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.  Visit https://jeanedwardscellars.com/ and tell Karen I sent you.  I have an earlier blog here with a review of the 2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.

 

Turley Wine Cellars

Turley’s latest release with a dozen assorted zinfandel and Petite Syrahs (their spelling) came out this week.  Am I the only person who loves a nice zin but just isn’t as enthusiastic over a new Turley release?  I may actually pass this time.

 

 

Keplinger Wines

Their Fall Release will open on Wednesday, September 12th at 8:30am PST.

This offer will include the first half of our 2010 vintage wines, all of which hail from our Sierra Foothills vineyards:

2010 Caldera, El Dorado

2010 Lithic, Amador

2010 Sumo, Amador

 

 

#CabernetDay

Save the Date: August 30, 2012 will be the third annual global celebration of Cabernet.  You have a couple weeks to pick out a bottle to open.  Let us know which wine you choose.  #Cabernet Day

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

Nice Wine Stuff

 

A Facebook friend, Heidi McLain, has a very nice product and is looking for some startup funding.  The product is the To Your Taste!® Wine Party Kit.  As an incentive to donate, she has some really nice “pledge rewards” for pledges of as little as $25.  Visit https://www.fundable.com/to-your-taste-for-wine-llc?_s=613 to see the marvelous product or even better to assist in the funding effort.  You can also visit the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/To-Your-Taste-Wine-Party-Kit/34193039949

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

Cheers!