Wine:  Campus Oaks Pinot Grigio 2009; Campus Oaks Old Vine Zinfandel 2008
Vintage: Pinot Grigio: 2009; Old Vine Zinfandel 2008
Alcohol percentage: Pinot Grigio: 12.5%; Old Vine Zinfandel: 14.5%
Found at: The California Wine Club

Sometimes kids say the darndest things, don’t they? Who hasn’t ever been completely and utterly embarrassed by something their child has said in a public setting at one time or another? I am the mother of two boys, so there has been an occasion or two when I have absolutely cringed after I heard what came out of one of their mouths. Don’t get me wrong…I didn’t raise ill mannered oafs! But, they are boys, and they lack that brain to mouth filter.

During the football playoff season we typically have friends over to watch the game. It was during one of these gatherings when I decided it was as good a time as any to drink some wine from my latest shipment from the California Wine Club. I grabbed the Campus Oaks Pinot Grigio and 3 glasses. The game was on, the kids were milling around and there was plenty of food. As my girlfriends and I sipped the pinot grigio, we started talking about which varietals we liked the best. My 6 year old happened by the table, overheard our conversation and promptly announced, “My mom loves Penis!”

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as I said “Whhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaat did you say?!!!!” There was a long pause, then my 17 year old spit soda all over the floor. The entire room erupted into laughter as my little guy’s lower lip started to tremble. “Mom??? Don’t you love Penis Greenis?” “Um, no honey, it’s pronounced ‘pee-noh gree-jee-oh” He gave me a puzzled look, shrugged his shoulders, and disappeared with a bowl of popcorn.

In an effort to move past the faux paux, I dove into my glass of wine and sniffed and swirled. The wine smelled crisp and fruity. The first few sips seemed clean and fresh, with a dry finish. There were subtle notes of fruit throughout, enough to keep the wine interesting, and not at all overpowering. I liked this wine, it went down easy. I might have enjoyed it more, had it been 80 degrees and sunny, since I typically drink pinot grigio in the summer, but it was a welcome addition to the January football game.

The Campus Oaks Old Vine Zinfandel was another story. “Old Vine” signifies that the grapes were harvested from vines that were at least 80 years old in the Lodi region of California. Lodi is the self proclaimed Zinfandel capital of the world, and some vines in this region date back to the 1880’s! This wine was definitely a cold weather, meant to be enjoyed in front of a fire, wine. Big and bold, this wine was a bouquet of scents. For one reason or another, I tend to stay away from Zinfandel, maybe I feel like there is too much going on in the glass. For those of you who like a busy wine, this is perfect. It was fruity, oaky, jammy, and smooth. I tasted juicy berries at the onset, and finished with spicy oak. The flavors exploded in my mouth. I felt like this wine was a meal all by itself. This wine is meant to be sipped slowly, and enjoyed. Thankfully, my son can pronounce “red wine” because I shudder to think what else he might come up with!

Who: Shoofly – The Freckle (14.5% alcohol)

What: White wine blend (40% Marsanne, 37% Roussanne, 23% Viognier)

When: 2008

Where: Adelaide, Australia

Why: Because you really need another song from kindergarten playing through your head all day long.

How: Ok, everyone, sing it with me: “Shoofly, don’t bother me, Shoofly, don’t bother me, Shoofly, don’t bother me… ’cause I belong to somebody.” I know, I know: it DID bother you, didn’t it? You’re very welcome for making that your ear worm song of the day. And if you can get over your (understandably) very deep resentment of me for the moment, I’d like to tell you about the wine itself.

I first glimpsed this bottle on the shelf of my favorite local wine department. They consider it to be one of the top 75 wines under $10 and gave it a special place in the store. So who am I to argue? (For the record, it was $9.99.) Anyway…. No, the bottle had not been lax in sunscreen over the years and wound up with a bad case of sunspots – the “freckle” in this name comes from the Roussanne grape, which is, in fact, freckled (or “famously spotty” if you go by what the Shoofly website has to say).

Right away, the nose on this wine took me to the seaside. Some salt air, some melon and I was completely refreshed just from sniffing. But being the trooper that I am, I moved on and started sipping. WOW! The wine just burst into my mouth. Didn’t expect that! The taste was slightly oakey with a bit of honey and some heavier minerals. To look at this pale gold wine, you wouldn’t think it had a lot of body to it, but it was heavier in my mouth than I expected. The finish was lightly tingly and tannic (again, not what you’d expect from a freckled white) but it makes sense once you read that the wine is first fermented in stainless steel and then moved to French oak for three months. I’d say it that was perfect timing!

I would be remiss if I didn’t add that Shoofly Freckle comes bottled with a handy-dandy, I-need-the-wine-RIGHT-now, Mom friendly screw top.

New lyrics: “Shoofly, you don’t bother me. Shoofly, you don’t bother me. Shoofly, you don’t bother me. Because your wine is so tast-y.” (Yeah, I know, they probably won’t win me a songwriting Grammy, but I did find us all a great new wine!)

Name: Beringer Founder’s Estate Merlot
Country: California, USA
Type: Merlot
Average Retail Price: $9.99
Taste (1 = yucky 10=yummy): 10!
Snobby Wine Words: Full-bodied, earthy, rich, with that distinct merlot-ish je nous se qua

Drink When:
You really need to impress someone.

Notes:
You are so going to thank me for this. Seriously. I am about to blow your minds out your butts.

(Saying things like that are what prompt my husband to call me a “bad influence” on our 3-year old.)

I’m reviewing this wine in January because it is the gift that will keep on giving all year long. As you muck your way through 2012 going to birthday parties, summer barbeques, housewarmings, bachelorette parties, baby showers, Passover seders, funerals, and whatever else, you’re going to need a nice wine gift for your hostess. Beringer Founder’s Estate Merlot is that gift.

It’s one of those wines that tastes way more expensive than it actually is, but here’s the kicker: even if your hostess is famed Wall Street Journal wine writer Lettie Teague herself, you can happily and proudly stand by your bottle. Why? Beringer Founder’s Estate Merlot is listed in no less than the Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia as “one of the very best wines” when it comes to California merlots. The entire reason I own this massive wine tome is because it is listed as a course textbook for some of New York’s finer sommelier professional classes. So, you know, that’s pretty high praise.

Let’s review: Less than the price of a movie ticket. And mentioned by name as one of the top California merlots by one of the most respected books in the trade.

So when that wine snob friend of yours – the one who watched “Sideways” and took it for the be-all, end-all authority on the subject of wine – is all, “A merlot? Seriously? Isn’t that, like, the most low-brow of wines?” you can laugh in her face and tell her she tucked her skirt into her pantyhose. And then you can mention that Tom Stevenson, author of The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, arguably a more knowledgeable wine expert than she is, loves this wine. So shut up, phony “wine snob” friend.

I like to keep a bottle or two of this around for when we have company that I need to impress – you know, all those times Lettie Teague drops in to say hi – and for gift-giving; I recently gave a bottle to the parents of a birthday girl I desperately want my husband and I to be couple friends with. But also I keep a bottle or two on hand because the one store by me that sells it only ever has it in stock once a month or so. It’s that popular.

As for taste, even before I discovered the listing in the Sotheby’s guide, this was one of my favorite wines. It’s rich and complex, like the expensive French wines we make my dad buy when my parents are in town and he insists we have dinner at the Palm Too for the hundredth time instead of any number of New York City’s other fine dining establishments. This wine goes beyond the old, “Kids in bed. Mom needs a glass or five of wine.” This is a wine for enjoying, for treating yourself. Think of it as a reward for a parenting job well done.

Whining Down:

One week into the New Year, and I’m feeling like a failure in the ‘resolutions’ department. I believe circumstances are partially to blame (how the heck can you turn down homemade peanut butter cups for breakfast), but I also fault phrasing. By definition, ‘resolution’ means a firm pronouncement to do or not to do something. I am capable of making solid decisions, and I am extremely qualified to make firm decisions on behalf of my children. However, to definitively say that I will cut back on peanut butter cups or wine or watching “The Real Housewives” is ludicrous. Just the idea that I can’t have or do something only makes me want it more! I decided to tweak the whole ‘resolution’ thing into something I can get on board with: ‘alignment’.

An alignment is a process of adjusting pieces so that everything is working in a line or in a proper relative position. In other words, balance. I love wine, and I absolutely need it, so I thought that rather than give any of it up, I’d align it with my goals for 2012: everything in moderation …except laughter, love, and presence. I decided to review an organic European wine: for those aligning heart-healthy habits with sanity and consumption. The Rosso Piceno Superiore Monteprandone is an organic, Italian Sangiovese blend that is both dense and well-aligned….or balanced.

Vineyard:  Vigna Monteprandone, Italy
Year: 2008                 

Alc: 13.5%
     
Price: Reasonably priced at $17 USD!


Prescription: “In the spirit of the whole, “New Year: New Me” thought process, I will NOT eat all 3 chocolate bars. I will have only one to go with my 2 glasses of organic wine and 1 episode of reality TV. 


Review:
My husband and I plucked this one over a NY Strip Steak dinner and it paired VERY nicely. My date described it as “meaty” and I know he wasn’t describing the dinner; he sure as schnapps better not have been talking about me either.


See Jane see: The color is a nice red.

See Jane Swirl: Long legs that stick around for a while. Think Katie Holmes.

See Jane Smell: Very fragrant nose of plums, vanilla, black cherries, and spices.

See Jane Sip:  Dark fruit hits first…plums and cherries. An interesting and satisfying blend.

See Jane Swallow:  Balanced and full-bodied with a long finish.


Rating: In the spirit of realignment into the organic world, I would rate this 3.75 out of 5 kids driving me to drink this worthy.


Pairing: with a meaty date, peanut butter cup(s), moderation, and that 2012 alignment.

Wine:  Tulip Hill Winery Mount Oso Vineyard 2009 Tracy Hills Cabepulciano; Tulip Hill Winery Mount Oso Vineyard 2009 Reserve Chardonnay
Vintage: 2009 Cabepulciano; 2009 Reserve Chardonnay
Alcohol percentage: 13.9% Cabepulciano; 13.1% Reserve Chardonnay
Found at: The California Wine Club

Happy New Year! I find it hard to believe that I made it through the holidays in one piece. Every year, somewhere around December 19th or 20th I start to feel a crushing sensation in my chest, I get lightheaded, and my mind starts racing out of control. The pressure of the holidays pushes me to the brink of insanity. This year, that feeling surfaced on December 18th. I had planned the weekend to finish shopping and wrapping and at 3pm on Sunday, with still 4 people on my list and nothing wrapped, I was behind schedule. I somehow made it through dinner, herded everyone upstairs early and spread out my purchases on the dining room table.

I thought it would be appropriate to pour myself a glass of this month’s selection from the California Wine Club while I got my “elf” on. I opened the Tulip Hill 2009 Cabepulciano and set to work. The Cabepulciano is a blend of 2 different lots of Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Montepulciano. I never thought that anyone would consider a blend of these two grapes, but the results were fantastic.

I began sipping my wine and wrapping the gifts. I have a system that I employ when it comes to wrapping. I use one design of paper for each person, and that way, only I know which pile is for which person. Unfortunately for me, two glasses into this rich and delicious wine, packed with hints of juicy berries and aromas of spice and vanilla, I might have forgotten who was assigned to what paper. Suddenly I had a pile a Rudolph wrapped gifts and I could have sworn one of those boxes contained shoes for my husband. (Rudolph paper was for my youngest) Or did that box contain the car care kit for my oldest son? (Snowmen paper for him, I think?) Another sip of wine, and I noticed that it had a dry finish, which was surprising, because it started so juicy and full in the mouth. In my house, no wine goes to waste, but I found myself slightly disappointed that I was drinking it without the accompaniment of a meal, or at least someone who could tell me what I just wrapped???

On Monday night after working late, and stopping to pick up a gift for my mother on the way home, I cracked open the Tulip Hill Reserve Chardonnay and begged my husband to help me label the gifts that I screwed up the night before. He is a fan of Chardonnay, while I will admit it is not my favorite. So, I had an ulterior motive.

I found this wine to be smoky, flowery and oaky on the nose. He found it to be balanced and fruity with a creamy finish. We both found it to be packed with citrus flavors. I also found what I thought was my son’s remote control toy helicopter was actually the box that contained my husband’s shoes. I discovered this after I asked him to peek to make sure it was the helicopter, and nearly spit out my wine when he exclaimed, “Whoa! Who scored the Keens????” I found myself second guessing why I asked him to help me, so I sent him into the kitchen to look for the Brie and crackers I bought for Christmas Eve.

The crushing holiday anxiety seemed to disappear that night, and we were able to enjoy a few laughs before our crazy weekend holiday schedule kicked in.

Who: Fish Eye Wine
What: Pinot Grigio (12.5% alcohol) and Pinot Noir (13%)
When: 2010
Where: South Eastern Australia (a small New South Wales town called Griffith, Australia to be exact)
Why: Because you spent the day playing Sherpa to your teen at the mall

How: I first heard about Fish Eye wines from one of my most frugal wine loving pals. She loved the fact that they were $4.99 a bottle. (Anyone with a spend-hungry teenage daughter – see above mall reference – will love that price tag.) She also liked the way they tasted. Thinking this to be a rather promising combination, l ventured out to buy my own stash.

The first word that jumped to my eager little mind upon sniffing this pale, gold-colored wine was: summer! (And trust me, here in the snowy Midwest, you take whatever summer you can get, even if you do have to uncork it.) Lots of lemon and lime and citrus and a general whiff of the great outdoors at its summery best. Being a Pinot Grigio, you’d never call this a full bodied wine (skinny little legs). But it was very light and refreshing in your mouth and tasted of lime and a little peach. Serve it very cold no matter what season you drink it in. This is a great white for a great price!

My first thought upon drinking the Fish Eye Pinot Noir was “this is the perfect red to get people to come over to the red side with.” (We all know people who just don’t do red, don’t we? I think some of them are actually scared of it. Silly them.) There was very little bouquet to the wine and it poured out as a clear brownish red color (uh, really?) that mercifully turned deep red in the glass. You could taste a little fruit – maybe a berry of some kind – a teeny bit of spice – but it wasn’t a strong taste at all. I kept coming back to the word “thin” as I sipped (and to me, thin is a magnificent, if somewhat unattainable, goal…. just not when I’m describing the taste of a wine). And yet, I can’t say it was a “never again” wine. I really believe that someone who is new to the red thing may like this. No oaky tannins to pucker you up afterwards, no lingering burn in the finish. So maybe a starter red? A sangria base? For the same price as the Pinot Grigio, you wouldn’t really be wasting lots of your money!