{ lunch with a view }

We took a cold, snowy drive up the road to Maine today and had a super lunch with a spectacular view at Jackie’s Too Seafood & Grill in Perkins Cove, Ogunquit, ME.

Mussels, wine, falling snow and a churning ocean-front table (indoors, of course) made the experience just about perfect. And when the friendly wait staff oohed and ahhed over Paige, insisting on holding her so we could eat, I almost wept with gratitude (as I ordered another Chardonnay).

I can’t wait to return during the summer months ... again and again. What a fantastic spot in an awesome little town.

vampire wine society

Just in time for Halloween ... here's a club where the dues are worth every penny. The Vampire Wine Society is comprised of "enthusiasts, friends and family of Vampire Vineyards family of wines."

For $105, buyers get four shipments per year that include a combination of Vampire, Dracula, Chateau du Vampire, and Trueblood wines (plus a bunch of other fun perks).

If you've never tried a wine from Vampire Vineyards, you're missing out. I was introduced to my first bottle several years ago when Costco carried it, and I've been a fan ever since.

Deliciously vampy. :)

cheese heaven

When I die, I'm quite certain that Someone will greet me at the Pearly Gates with a platter of delicious cheeses and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

I adore cheese -- cheese of any kind. I'm not too picky, although the British girl in me often opts for "the stinkier, the better."

When I was in elementary school and learning about the treacherous voyage on the Mayflower, I have a distinct memory of reading about how the only thing the Pilgrims had to eat was cheese and bread. My thought/reaction, even as a young girl: "That's not so bad. I'd love that!"

Anyway, given the choice, I'd choose a good cheese tray and cocktail over just about any other food and beverage combination. So imagine my delight when I discovered that our new town, small as it may be, actually has a cheese shop! Yippee! C'est Cheese is a little wine and cheese establishment located in North Hampton, New Hampshire, and quietly doing what my own dream would be -- selling wines, cheeses and related goodies.

When my mom and sister were here staying with us last week, Mom (the good Brit that she is), stopped by C'est Cheese and picked up some munchies for us. We nibbled on Cranberry Stilton, Tintern, horseradish cheddar, Cahill's Irish Porter Cheddar (veined with Guinness and Irish porter!), and Fourme d'Ambert. Divine.

wine, cheese and baseball

It just doesn't get much better.

This Saturday, my hometown Houston Astros are hosting their inaugural Astros Wine and Cheese Night, just prior to the game against the visiting San Diego Padres at (game at 6:05 pm). The festivities will be from 4-6pm in the Union Station Lobby.

Ticket and pregame event includes:
* Two glasses of wine
* Light hors d'oeuvres
* Wine sampling
* Wine classes with Texas' first Master Sommelier Guy Stout
* Wine glass charm
* Silent auction to raise funds for Breast Cancer research

How great is this event?

Proceeds will benefit the Astros in Action foundation with a portion of the proceeds going directly to Breast Cancer research. Go pink for a great cause and enjoy a great event at Minute Maid Park!

cowboys and cabernet

If you're looking for a beautiful weekend get-away, The Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio offers a great escape in the majestic Texas Hill Country.

Something that recently grabbed this wine-lover's attention is the wine tasting opportunity offered at La Cantera, featuring eight Texas vintners. From resort sommelier, Steven Krueger:

The other Texas wine opportunity we offer is the afternoon Texas wine tasting; from 4:00pm to 5:00pm on Wednesday through Saturday everyone is welcome to come to our bar, Steinheimer’s, where I am pouring two ounces of three different Texas wines for a nominal charge of five dollars. We offer three different wines each day, so if a guest came all four days they would taste twelve different Texas wines from seven different wineries! I am really enjoying pouring the Texas wines and I am encouraged by all the very positive compliments the wine receive. If you are in the area, please come by and say “hello.”

The twelve wines in the Texas Wine Tasting are (in no particular order):

1. Super Texan, Sangiovese Blend, Flat Creek Estate, Texas Hill Country, 2008
2. El Guapo, Tempranillo, Alamosa Wine Cellars, Texas Hill Country, 2004
3. Viognier, McPherson Cellars, Texas, 2009
4. Viviano, Sangiovese Blend, Llano Estacado, Newsome Vineyards, Yoakum County, Texas, 2005
5. Provencal, Dry Rose, Grenache, Becker Vineyards, Texas, 2008
6. Viognier, Alamosa Wine Cellars, Texas High Valley Block, Cherokee Creek Vineyard, 2008
7. Cornelious, Tempranillo, Inwood Estates Vineyards, Newsom Vineyards, Yoakum County, 2007
8. Sangiovese, McPherson Cellars, 2008
9. Viognier, Becker Vineyards, 2009
10. Raven, 80% Malbec 20% Petite Verdot, Becker Vineyards, Tallent Vineyard, Mason County, 2007
11. Syrah, Alamosa Wine Cellars, Tio Pancho Ranch, Texas Hill Country
12. Viognier, Brennan Vineyards, Texas, 2008


La Contera Wine List information courtesy of VintageTexas.com.

I've blogged before about my love of rosé wines (no, NOT the same as a white zinfandels!) , so I'm always excited to try a new one. It seems that most of the good rosés I've had have been French, so I'm happy to be writing about one that's from a totally different part of the globe.

A trip to Leibman's (one of my favorite little staycation get-aways in Houston) yielded a whole new crop of fun wines in the rosé family. Tonight we started things off by opening a bottle of a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé -- have you ever heard of such a thing?! I love it!

To be exact, the wine is called La Playa Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé. It's from the Colchagua Valley in Chile and is harvested by hand. It's so much drier than I would have expected. So if you shy away from rosés because they're too sweet for your palate, I'd definitely give this one a shot. It surprised me.

Here are the winemaker's notes:

"Vivid pink color with violet hues. On the nose it is very expressive, showing rich fruit aromas with distinctive notes of candied raspberry, strawberry and underlying touches of herbs. This is a well-balanced and attractive wine with structure, good persistence and a pleasant finish."

one of my favorite after school treats

I've never been a chutney person. For some reason, it's always reminded me too much of fruit cake, and that's a major culinary negative in my food repertoire.

A few years ago however, I found a jar in my mother's refrigerator (which always has a random and various assortment of British-like stuff in it) that for some reason, appealed to my senses that day. To be exact, it was Patak's Hot Mango Chutney, and I fell instantly in love. You can pick it up at just about any grocery store (except for Thriftway in Forks, WA), and it's very reasonably priced. Nothing fancy -- just chutney.

So I put some on a cracker with a chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano (one of my favorite cheeses on the planet ... you can buy a big hunk of it at Costco for a great price ... but I digress ....), which I always have on hand in my fridge. The result was divine.

I'm not sure if I'd like most chutneys, because, to be honest, I haven't ventured out and tried too many. But this particular chutney has since become one of my very favorite afternoon/evening treats, paired with a glass (or 3) of chardonnay. It's an absolutely perfect combination.

Today's version: a Rosenblum Cellars Chardonnay, Vintner's Cuvee. So, so good.

Even if you're chutney-shy, like I've always been, or set in your snacking routines, I highly recommend giving this a try. The spiciness and sweetness of the chutney, paired with the saltiness of the parmesan and bite of the wine is such a great treat.

'fessing up

... ok. I'm going to admit it. There's no shame in it. A bunch of people are starting to do it. It's really convenient. And it doesn't mean that I still don't appreciate the really good stuff (do I sound defensive enough yet?)....

I've recently been drinking wine out of a box!!!

There! I said it!

Here's the story. About a week ago, my mom picked up a box of Hardy's, an Australian wine. I opened the refrigerator and, in true wine snob fashion, immediately jumped all over her. "What the heck is this box of wine doing in here?"

I have no idea why she bought it. Maybe it was on sale. Who knows. But damn! I love having a box of wine (spigot and all!) in the front of the fridge on the top shelf! We've been drinking on the chardonnay, so it's always nice to have it really cold. And talk about convenient! You just press the little bottle and, voila! Instant refreshment!

Just because I'm still feeling self-conscious about it and sort of feel the need to further defend my actions, I'm providing excerpts from a review of the Hardy's boxed wine. It's from The Boxed Wine Spot (who knew there was such a thing?!). Actually, after doing a little bit of research, several online sites tout the positives of wine in a box. I was really surprised!

Boxed wine cheap, but doesn't taste it

Hardys of southeastern Australia is a major producer of wines in the land down under.

One of the company's claims to fame is the production of really good wine packaged in three-liter boxes, the equivalent of four regular bottles of wine. These boxes are made of heavy cardboard with a plastic bag inside that is filled with wine and sealed. At the bottom of the bag is a pouring spigot.

The wine can be kept in the refrigerator or on a shelf without any deterioration problems from oxidation for an incredibly long six weeks. The boxes also are a great way to carry your wine to a party, barbecue or out to the lake.

How fun does that sound???

But wait! There's more!

- Hardys 2006 South Eastern Australia Chardonnay (three-liter box/$18.99). Here is a perfect example of a modern Australian chardonnay, and an example of what can be accomplished with grapes from a fine growing area. The aroma stresses green apples, pears, melons and spice, with oak and vanilla in the background. The green apple and the melon are the most prominent flavors, with an entire collection of tropical fruits lying just offshore. This chardonnay deserves your attention, especially at the price.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm still all about pulling the cork on a fine Cabernet or Pinot Grigio. But I'm so glad that I've discovered an alternative to Franzia.

a really fun wine

I say fun, because the whole experience begins with the label, and the label on the Magnificent Wine Co.'s House Wine White is unique and really eye-catching! And check out the website and the picture of the proprietor -- he's definitely not your stereotypical winemaker.

House Wine White is a chardonnay blend grown from grapes in Washington (for some reason, I can't seem to escape that state these days) -- specifically, on the east side of the Cascade Mountains in the Columbia Valley. It's a total "every day" wine ... nothing pretentious or flashy. Just a really good glass of wine!

The vinyard's website describes House White as "an absolutely delicious handful of grapes squeezed in a glass...it will please you to the max. Full of beautiful, floral, flavors, this wine is mouthfilling and fresh. You will find it difficult to release the glass from your hands." It doesn't have the oak-iness of a typical chardonnay, likely because it's a blend. I enjoyed it.

Mom and I have made a conscious effort to try several different wines this summer. Some have been keepers, others have been forgettable. This one is definitely on my "keeper" list. And as usual, it was purchased from the fine folks at Costco. ;)

a perfect summer wine

Last weekend I picked up several bottles of wine at Leibman's. An added bonus to the shopping stop was the help I received from one of the employees -- a wine importer from Alsace, France who now works and resides in Houston.

She was a wealth of information and really knows her stuff. That afternoon, we got to talking about rosé wines, and how misunderstood they are, especially here in the states. Most folks see the color and immediately expect a white zinfandel.

My favorite bottle so far from that day's picks is Sauvion, a rosé d'Anjou, one of three French rosés from the region. Sauvion is made from gamay and groslet grapes grown in France's Loire Valley. It comes in a clear bottle to show off its coral color. I found a review in the Augusta Chronicle: "This beautiful, light, refreshing wine is the perfect summer sipper,"-- my thoughts exactly!

Time for another trip to Leibman's!