April 24, 2006
Springtime in Colorado
Nice-weather park time yesterday- 80-degrees
Rainy-weather backyard this morning - 38 degrees
Never get comfortable with the weather here in the Rocky Mountain State. We have been enjoying great days for the past few weeks. Full sun, temperatures in the mid-70s to the mid-80s. Great for the trees, grass and flowers.
Until today. Well, last night, actually. Around 5:30, the front moved in and hail pounded down (twice) and the temps plumeted. It is now in the 30s and is not likely to reach the 40s today or tomorrow, possibly. It really does feel like England again! I wen to out to start Steph's car for her to warm it up this morning and actually had a little flash-back to living in England (too bad it was only a flashback).
Here are more nice-weather pics from yesterday...
Just hanging out
Gotta love the park
Loving the slide
Going for a walk to the park
Concerned Alex
April 22, 2006
The Editors and Stellastarr*
The Editors
The Editors
Stellastarr*
Stellastarr*
Really looked forward to this show. The Editors enjoyed exposure and radio play in England while we lived there, but not too much here until lately. I had never heard of Stellastarr* before, but they put on a headliner-quality show and really made it tough for Editors to follow it up. Plus, it never hurts to have a girl bassist in the band that can put many male bassists to shame. Nonetheless, Editors kicked it into high-gear and put on a fantastic show. The evening really delivered as anticipated.
The night started very nicely, indeed, when we met up with Brett, Lisa, Heather and Rich (plus Ethan, Aria and baby Nick) at a great little French Bistro downtown called Bistro Vendome. Sitting out on the patio/courtyard with appetizers, fresh bread and a great Rhone rose called Tavel, it was a brilliant evening. The kids were fantastic and the company was too.
Brett, Dan, Lisa and Rich
All of us at Bistro Vendome
Aria had fun under the table
April 19, 2006
Wednesday Wine of the Week #13
2005 Amador Foothill Rosato Sangiovese
Today's wine begs to be featured at this time of year. The mighty... Rosé? Yes rosé. It is time to debunk the myth that rosé wines are sissy wines or nothing more than overly sweet, spineless wines. Ok, I admit. When I started to become interested in wine, I sipped an occasional White Zinfandel and cut my teeth on wines of that nature. It's true, in the early university years, it was really a step into the grown up world and a chance to impress the date by ordering a glass of wine at dinner instead of the ubiquitous brew. No matter that it was a White Zin, it was wine. I can still remember going on a date with the University of Iowa baton twirler (Don't laugh. There is a certain amount of required beauty to be one of those, and she had well more than the required amount!) to a very nice restaurant and having a bottle of Beringer White Zinfandel patiently resting in the Champagne ice bucket. Ahh, the sophistication.
Oh how times have evolved. Wait. Nothing has evolved. Rosé wines have always been brilliant, just less en vogue than they are today. But, because of the dreaded candy wine, it has been branded with a stigma that has been hard to dismiss in the American wine market.
If there is anything that I would hope people would get from this review is that they simply go out and give a DRY rosé a chance. The key word is DRY. I cannot stress this point enough... ALL ROSÉ WINES ARE NOT SWEET WHITE ZINS! This wine that I am spotlighting today is a dry rosé made from the Sangiovese grape which is indigenous to Italy. Amador Foothill Winery in the Amador County foothills of California has an affinity for the grape with a fantastic red made from it. In fact, it is my opinion that it is the best domestic Sangiovese I have ever had. So, in keeping in the Italian frame of reference, they use the Italian word for rosé, Rosato.
Rosé wines are wonderful wines that have just as much complexity and versatility as quality white and red wines, alike. Rosés are made using red (black) grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Grenache. The key point is only letting the skins stay in contact with the juice for a short period of time (20 minutes to a few hours depending on the intensity of color and flavor characteristics desired). All those are hearty full-flavored wines that are most often accompanied by food. However, rosé wines are superb consumed just by themselves without the accompaniment of food. There is something about just sitting on the porch or patio with a glass of rosé on a hot spring or summer day while the kids run around in the yard. It makes you feel good almost like you were sitting on the veranda of your villa in the South of France or something.
As mentioned, rosé wines are quite versatile. Pairing a food course with a rosé can be a delight, or a conundrum, depending on your point of view. Anything from seafood like shrimp (prawns) with garlic and/or chili accents or grilled fish to hamburgers and even a grilled steak. Depending on the body of the rosé (the weight and feel of the texture in the mouth), it can stand up to both grilled rainbow trout or grilled flank steak. The choices are limitless and a refreshing departure to the ages old question - white or red - when choosing the wine for the food.
On to the 2005 Amador Foothill Winery Rosato Sangiovese tasting notes...
This wine is brilliant strawberry-red in color with a moderate color intensity. In other words, it is not a candy-striper pink, but deeper than that. A bold rose color that seems to just shout "I am a rose to be reckoned with!" Some long and slow moving legs indicate a good body to this rosé and a pretty significant alcohol content for a rosé (13.5 %, actually).
The nose of this rosé is quite pronounced and bursting with aromas of strawberry shortcake, watermelon and summer fruits. I can hold this wine to my nose and take in the aromas of the wine for a long time, indeed. Intended to be drunk young, this wine is mature, but not in the sense that we speak of mature for a red wine. It is mature in the sense that there is no "green" or sharp developing scents. Rosé is typically not a wine to be aged, so drink it now.
This, once again, is a DRY rosé. This is not sweet in any shape or form. Full bodied, the wine fills the palate and lends a lot of weight, or mouth-feel. Complex, yet accessible, flavors of strawberries and watermelon. This wine is pronounced in intensity with vibrant acidity and lively fruit characteristics. The alcohol is high, as mentioned, but there is no indication of alcohol on the palate which contributes to the accessibility and fresh drinkability. The finish is long and refreshing which makes this so wonderful with or without food.
Overall, a superb wine that pays to always have on hand during the warmer months. It is a fun wine that will play well in a myriad of situations - BBQs, poolside, after work downtime, etc. Enjoy this wine! And for roughly $10 to $12 a bottle, you will not be spending a lot to drink a truly worldly beautiful wine. So, debunk the myth and give rosé a chance!
April 17, 2006
Easter visit
This past weekend, we had the pleasure of having Steph's father, Steve, and aunt Kim here for Easter. A quick trip, Thursday through Sunday, a lot was packed in. Go to the GALLERY for more pictures...
April 05, 2006
Wednesday Wine of the Week #12
2004 Susana Balbo Malbec Mendoza
"And now for something completely different." The time has come to do a feature about a wine that, mark my words, will enjoy much more time in the sun in the not-to-distant future. With wine popularity as a whole growing exponentially every year, drinkers are going to be more curious and interested in trying wines that they have never heard of or that are from regions that they are unfamiliar with. The Mendoza region of Argentina, and the whole of South America - Argentina, Chile and even Uruguay are regions that are and will continue to enjoy explosive success very soon.
It has already started. Not only will these wines begin to enjoy more prolific exposure, but the prices will also reflect this success as well. A few years ago, it was possible to get a blockbuster wine from South America for relatively little expense. It was an opportunity to explore these wines with minimal risk of losing too much cash in the process. Now, you are going to see prices rising dramatically, reaching levels enjoyed by quality wines from more "traditional" areas such as France, California, etc. Just as little as fifteen to twenty years ago, it was possible to get a top-line Aussie Shiraz for under $30. Now, those top wines from Down Under are topping the $100, $200 and higher price tags. Look for the same trend in wines from South America over the coming years. It isn't that the wines are not price-worthy NOW, it is just that the market is just now beginning to take notice and prices just haven't caught up yet.
Today's wine, a 2004 Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina, is a great example of a textbook Argentine Malbec. Deep and concentrated, Malbecs are superb alternatives to the traditional Cab or Merlot when enjoying anything that you would eat with those wines - steak, game, burgers, roasts, etc. Especially, as noted, budget is a concern. Last night, we enjoyed this wine with grilled steak with a Portobello mushroom and black pepper whisky cream sauce. Something of this structure almost commanded a dish that can carry the wine. The cream sauce and the richness of the mushrooms effortlessly combined with the smooth tannins of the wine that it really meshed harmoniously in the mouth. A big wine with a big steak. A great combination.
On to the tasting notes...
Deep inky purple and touches of maroon color in the core that blends out to a thin, almost fluorescent violet rim. Deep intensity, almost opaque. Long thin legs on the side of the glass.
Clean nose. Quite rich and enveloping. Still developing, this is a young wine, being a 2004. However, it is not youthful and "green". This wine shows prune and raisin notes plus touches of mineral scents - much like rain-soaked rocks. A bit of leafy herbaceous notes, cedar and spice on the nose, as well.
The wine is dry. Full bodied. Pronounced intensity. The wine is nicely balanced with engaging fruit and lively acidity. The alcohol is a bit forward with a touch of heat on the back of the palate. There is a lot of fruit as well. More of the same prune and raisin characteristics plus fresher fruits like blueberry and blackberry along with a touch of the vanilla and cedar spice from the oak aging. The fact that French and American oak is used (new French barrels along with used American barrels) imparts a refined smooth wood feel. No harsh green tannins, just smooth and soft. The finish is long and smooth, but still showing a touch of the hot alcohol at the end. Still, this is clearly a food wine and the heat dissipates when combined with food.
Overall, a superb wine. Roughly $25.00 in the wine shops, this wine may or may not be out of your price range. Never fear. There are loads of lesser-priced Malbecs on the market now. You may sacrifice some of the complexity, but as mentioned, the prices are still lower than other wines of comparable quality from other regions of the world. But don't wait. Prices are gonna rise.
Cheers!
