Hogue Riesling

Name: Hogue
Color: White
Varietal: Riesling
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: Washington
Region: Columbia Valley
Price: $10
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


Another winner from Hogue! The 2007 Riesling was very crisp, clean, and refreshing. The color was a pale yellow with a hint of a green tint. On the nose, I picked up pear, green apple, dried apricot, and a little bit of banana. The taste was very similar to the nose, expect that I didn't get any hint of banana taste. We bought this wine at Total Wines and enjoyed it with a grilled chicken salad (ironically, this was one of the suggested pairings on the back of the bottle). We loved the Hogue Pinot Grigio on a couple of previous occasions, so I was not surprised at all by the quality of their Riesling. I definitely will try other wines by Hogue in the future.

As far as a comparison to a UK basketball player is concerned, I really wanted to go with Mark Pope here because of the connection to Hogue. Pope came to Kentucky via Bellevue, Washington and Hogue is a Washington winery. However, I didn't want to reuse Pope so soon after I used him to describe the La Vieille Ferme red. I like the guy, but let's not get carried away....So, I'm going with Scott Padgett, if for no other reason than his clutch shot in the 1998 Elite Eight comback victory over Duke. I was at that game in St. Pete with my wife and parents. When UK was down 17 with 10 minutes to play, I never would have thought that we would come back to win. But then Wayne Turner completely abused Wojo, Heshimu Evans and Cameron Mills nailed some huge shots, and Padgett iced it with his clutch 3 from the top of the key. I'll never forget that game. The next weekend UK won its 7th National Championship.

Team Turnover is done....

After an incredibly disappointing season, the 2008-09 version of the UK Wildcats has played its last game. The Cats were defeated by Notre Dame last night in the NIT's version of the Elite Eight. Despite a valiant run in the second half, sparked by a Jodie Meeks explosion, the Cats were never really in this game. Too many 3's by the opponent and too many costly turnovers by the Cats, constant themes throughout the season, contributed directly to this last loss. The Cats' spirited second half run was killed for good after they cut a 17 point lead to 5. With the ball and a chance to trail by 3 or 2, UK committed an unforced error by throwing the ball out of bounds, giving the ball back to ND to close out the game. I couldn't have been less surprised. Oh well....Time to turn the page to next year. Some questions for next year:

• Will Patrick Patterson return for his junior year? Maybe.


• Will Jodie Meeks return for his senior year? Probably.


• Will DeAndre Liggins transfer? Who knows with this kid.


• Will AJ Stewart transfer? Might as well.


• Will Dan Issel join the front office? Hopefully.


• Who will be coaching this team next year? Billy Gillispie? John Calipari? Billy Donovan? Jay Wright? Rick Pitino?......Steve Masiello??? I vote for whoever can recruit kids who care as much as this guy -----
  

More players with heart like Anthony Epps and fewer head cases like Liggins would be a good thing.

"Son, she said, have I got a little story for you..."

Today is the day for the re-release of Pearl Jam's Ten....I don't have much to say here. I just wanted to note the release of the newly re-mixed epic first album from Pearl Jam, Ten. The band is releasing several different packages to celebrate the 18th anniversary of one of the seminal albums of all-time. I'll be buying the version that includes the previously unreleased DVD of the MTV Unplugged show. I am a lifelong PJ fan, and while Ten isn't my favorite album (No Code is, or maybe Vs., or Vitalogy, or Lost Dogs, depending on my mood), I appreciate that without the huge success of Ten, the other albums may not have followed. "Alive" and "Even Flow" are huge songs that still hold up well when the band plays them live today. This album also has two of my all-time favorite PJ songs, "Oceans" and "Release". I can't wait to hear the new mixes of all the songs.

Maybe we'll get lucky and get a tour out of this!!

Our friend, Ed, loves his wine, too....

Cats Headed to Elite Eight...of the NIT

Nice win for Kentucky last night over a fired-up, scrappy Creighton team. The fans were clearly excited to see a big name school come to their place for once. The Cats did everything in their power to lose this game. Patrick Patterson only played 20 minutes due to two early first half fouls. Jodie Meeks sat for an extended period in the second half, but still managed to lead the team in scoring with 16, including the game winner. Perry Stevenson played all but 2 minutes, contributing 13 points and 10 huge boards. Ramon Harris continued his hard work, scrapping and diving for every loose ball and rebound.

Despite the fact that no UK fan is happy about the team playing in the NIT, the team has really taken the right approach, playing inspired, hard-nosed basketball. Maybe it will be enough to save Billy Gillispie's job, or maybe it won't. We should find out more in the coming days and weeks. For now, the Cats should be proud of their effort last night. Next up is Notre Dame on Wednesday night. If they can get past the Irish, it will be on to the Final Four in New York....

Mark Davidson White Blend

Name: Mark Davidson
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Chardonnay/Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc)
Vintage: NV
Country/State: Australia
Region: SE Australia
Price: $10

Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)


Excellent!! A very interesting, full-bodied white blend results in a really tasty, smooth wine. White citrus tropical fruit dominates the nose, with some creamy vanilla notes from the portion of the chardonnay that gets fermented in oak. The wine was a brilliant, almost fluorescent yellow color in the glass. We both tasted green apples, like eating Jolly Rancher sour green apple candies, with some grapefruit and cream. We enjoyed this wine with a chicken ring that Krista made. I bought this wine at Ed's Fine Wines, based on a recommendation of the store clerk. We have had Mark Davidson's Shiraz in the past and really enjoyed it, too......

As for a comparison to a UK player, I'm going with Keith Bogans. This wine was a nice blend of three grapes; Bogans had a nice blend of talent, toughness, and heart. I was surprised by how much I liked this wine, just like I was surprised by the great senior season Keith had, bouncing back from a disappointing junior year. He carried the Cats to a perfect record in the SEC, an SEC tournament title, and probably would have taken the team to the Final Four if he hadn't hurt his ankle in the Sweet Sixteen. He was hobbled as D-Wade and Marquette beat UK in the Elite Eight that year. Great player, really good wine.

La Vieille Ferme Red AOC Côtes du Ventoux (night 2)

Name: La Vieille Ferme Red AOC Côtes du Ventoux
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Grenache/Syrah/Carignane/Cinsault)
Vintage: 2005
Country/State: France
Region: Southern Rhone
Price: $7

Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

Tonight we polished off this wine with some steaks (bacon-wrapped filets) that I threw on the grill. The wine held up pretty well on the second night. The nose and taste were a little softer than the night before, but again, for the money, I have no complaints.

La Vieille Ferme Red AOC Côtes du Ventoux

Name: La Vieille Ferme Red AOC Côtes du Ventoux
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Grenache/Syrah/Carignane/Cinsault)
Vintage: 2005
Country/State: France
Region: Southern Rhone
Price: $7

Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)



I had a couple of glasses by myself as Krista was passed out with a bad cold. We've both had this wine before (the 2006 vintage) and found it to be a really good value for the money. Nothing fancy, pretty straight forward. It has a nice, medium body, with a grapey, purple fruit, and blackberry nose and taste. I found it to be juicy, with some pepper and spice from the syrah. The finish is not very long but still nice overall. There are several red blends that I like better, but for less than $10, it's hard to beat. I bought this wine at Total Wines. If I were to compare this wine to a Kentucky basketball player, the first person that comes to mind is Mark Pope - a solid contributor, doesn't try to do anything flashy, knows who he is, and plays an important role on the team.

Here we go....

The main purpose of this blog is to provide a way for my wife (Krista) and I to keep track of and easily organize wines as we buy them, drink them, and review them. We really developed a strong interest in wine in the late summer of 2008. From about August of '08 through mid-March of 2009, we have consumed approximately 35 bottles of wine. I have tried to keep track of these wines and our feelings about them, primarily through the use of Excel spreadsheets. I am hoping that this blog will allow us to accomplish some of these goals more interactively. We'll see how it goes.....

To start with, in this first post, I want to attempt to briefly summarize the wines we have experienced up until today. Subsequently, I will post more detailed notes regarding our tastings as we look to expand our palates and continue our journey of exploring the world of wine. Along the way, I will try to make notes about my wine-related influences and links to some of my favorite sources on the web. Occasionally, I may post about other life events or happenings in the world of sports and music. Who knows?

Here's what we drank from August 2008 through mid-March 2009:


Date, Color, Varietal, Name, Country/State, Region, Vintage, $Price, # Stars; Notes; Tasting Notes

8/08, Red, Shiraz/Syrah, Razor's Edge, Australia, McLaren Valley, na, $15, ****; Try to find at International Cellar in Oldsmar; wine that really got me interest in wine; want to try again

8/08, Red, Blend, Beauzeaux Red Wine, California, Central Coast, 2005, $8, ***; Zinfandel/Syrah/Petite Sirah; decent red blend; liked Menage, Marietta, or La Vieille Ferme better

8/08, Red, Blend, House Wine Red, Washington, Columbia Valley, 2005, $10, ***; Cab/Merlot/Syrah/Malbec; decent red blend; liked Menage, Marietta, or La Vieille Ferme better

9/08, White, Sauvignon Blanc, Kim Crawford, New Zealand, Marlborough, 2006, $15, ****; WS Top 100; try 2008; our go-to SB; very fresh, pear, grapefruit, grass

10/08, Red, Shiraz/Syrah, Mark Davidson, Australia, SE Australia, na, $12, ****; recommended by Ed's Fine Wines; very good Shiraz for the price

10/08, White, Blend, La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Luberon, France, Rhone, 2006, $7, *** 1/2; Grenache Blanc/Bourbolenc/Ugni Blanc/Roussanne; very good, light white blend; want to try again

10/08, Red, Blend, Menage a Trois, California, Various, na, $9, ****; Zinfandel/Merlot/Cab; one of my favorite red blends

10/08, White, Chardonnay, Canyon Oaks, California, Various, na, $4.5, *** 1/2; --; very smooth Chard, no oak, great for the price, K really likes

11/08, Red, Blend, La Vieille Ferme Red AOC Côtes du Ventoux, France, Rhone, 2006, $7, ****; Grenache/Syrah/Carignane/Cinsault; excellent value for the money; want to buy more

11/08, White, Riesling, Dr. Loosen, Germany, Mosel, 2007, $12, ****; sweet; good Riesling, fresh nose of white fruit; definitely sweet, but smooth; good with Thanksgiving turkey

11/08, Red, Pinot Noir, Angeline, California, Russian River, 2007, $15, ****; --; very smooth for a cheap PN; want to try others

11/08, Red, Blend, Marietta Old Vine Red Lot #47, California, Sonoma, na, $10, ****; Zinfandel/Syrah/Petite Sirah/Carignane; one of my favorite red blends

12/08, White, Chardonnay, Woodbridge Robert Mondavi, California, Lodi, 2007, $8, ****; "lightly oaked"; a little fuller than the Canyon Oaks, very small hint of oak

12/08, Red, Shiraz/Syrah, Jip Jip Rocks, Australia, Limestone Coast, 2006, $15, ****; --; really good nose of blackberries, dark red berries; good finish

1/09, White, Pinot Grigio, Hogue, Washington, Columbia Valley, 2007, $9, *****; WSJ highly recommended; excellent; Great pear, peach nose and taste; great body and viscosity, very nice mouth feel; long finish; had again in 3/09

1/09, Rose, Blend, Menage a Trois, California, Various, na, $9, ***; Merlot/Syrah/Gewurtztraminer ; good nose - strawberries, floral; really enjoyed 1st glass, but enjoyed less with subsequent glasses

1/09, White, Viognier, Oak Grove Reserve, California, Various, 2007, $8, **; #4 on Wine Enthusiast best values; nice floral, perfumey nose; pale gold color; not my taste - no real fruit, mostly floral tastes; nice creamy texture; great medium-full body; very short finish

1/09, Red, Shiraz/Syrah, Penfolds Wines "Koonunga Hill", Australia, SE Australia, 2006, $10, *** 1/2; had the blend of shiraz and cabernet; typical shiraz nose of blackberries, dark berries; plum color; taste of dark berries, a little jammy; tannins really softened as the wine sat and opened up

1/09, White, Sparkling, Zonin Special Cuvee Brut Prosecco, Italy, Veneto, na, $8, *** 1/2; --; very fresh, fruity nose; slightly sweet; want to try other sparklers, especially Cava

1/09, White, Pinot Grigio, Barefoot Cellars, California, Various, na, $6, ****; WSJ recommended; very refreshing taste; great value; nose of green apples, pears, kiwi; surprising long finish

1/09, Red, Nero D' Avola, Colosi Rosso, Italy, Sicily, 2006, $10, *** 1/2; very smooth; a little lighter bodied than I normally prefer; excellent nose of black cherries, blackberries, chocolate/mocha

2/09, Red, Carmenere, Casillero del Diablo, Chile, Central Valley, 2007, $9, ****; --; dark, crimson color; nice body, smooth drinking; nose of dark berries, hint of chocolate; not a long finish, but we really liked this wine; very Shiraz-like

2/09, Red, Blend, Rosso & Bianco Rosso (Francis F Coppola), California, Various, 2006, $10, ****; Zinfandel/Syrah/Cabernet; good body; vivid, tangy, a little spice from the Zin; dark cherry and blackberry nose; nice finish; very smooth, mild tannins

2/09, White, Pinot Grigio, Armani (Alfio Moriconi Selection), Italy, Venezia, 2007, $9, ***; --; pale yellow color; limited nose of pears, white fruit; smooth, easy drinking, but lacking in flavor, especially compared to the Hogue

2/09, White, Sauvignon Blanc, Babich, New Zealand, Marlborough, 2008, $11, *** 1/2; 2006 was WS Top 100; very good, crisp, clean; grassy, grapefruit nose; nice finish; really good acid

2/09, Red, Malbec, Trapiche Oak Cask, Argentina, Mendoza, 2007, $11, ****; --; very good; dark plum color; dark fruits on the nose - blackberry, plums; jammy but smooth; nice mouth feel; easy drinking; tannins really mellowed as it sat

3/09, Red, Blend, Red Guitar Navarra, Spain, Various, 2006, $10, **** 1/2; Tempranillo/Garnacha; great wine!!; ripe red fruit nose and flavor, raspberry, cranberry, cherry (K got a little bit of dark chocolate taste); long finish, very smooth; light to medium body; very easy drinking

3/09, Red, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Citra, Italy, Abruzzi, 2006, $6, ***; WSJ recommended; not bad, but not great; dark ruby color with hint of purple; rather tight nose of red fruit, not much else; a little rustic (bitter?) on the finish, making it not as smooth as other reds we've had; good flavor; dry

3/09, White, Verdejo, Martinsancho, Spain, Rueda, 2004, $12, ****; next time look for newer vintage; pretty dark golden color; medium body; reminded me of a Chardonnay but with more fruit taste, grapefruit, tart key lime; long finish

3/09, White, Albarino, Martin Codax, Spain, Rias Baixas, 2006, $14, **** 1/2; --; really loved this wine; good nose, great taste; white fruit, green apple, kiwi; clean, crisp, refreshing; nice balance; long finish; SB taste, Chard/Viognier mouthfeel and body