My mission is to inspire you to make wine a part of your daily life.  To accomplish this I want to expose you to new wines and deconstruct the complexity of wine.  I hope you learn something new along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Varietal Of The Month

Syrah and Shiraz... they are the same grape

Facts about the varietal:
It is the 7th most grown grape in the world. Syrah/Shiraz is a dark skinned grape that is used both as a varietal and blending grape. It tends to be a powerful, full bodied grape with tasting notes that are often described with blackberry and pepper.

 

Primary Syrah Regions: France and California

France, Northern Rhone will find Hermitage
France, Southern Rhone will find Syrah used as a blending grape for Chateaunef-du-Pape, Cotes du Rhone

 

Primary Shiraz Region: Australia 

 

Food Pairing:

Syrah or Shiraz works well with most grilled meats; lamb, sausage, pork, barbeque, and hearty stews.  Try out this recipe for Kofta Skewers:

 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground lamb
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper

 


Preparation:

Mix all of the above ingredients together and form into 4" long cylinder by 1 1/2" wide and then mold onto skewers.  Prepare grill and grill 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve with warm pita, hummus, rice, lettuce, tomato, cucumbers and enjoy!

 

 

Top 10 List

Anyone with a little wine sense can pick a good bottle of wine with a $50.00 budget, but we can't spend $50.00 for a bottle of wine every night.   Here are my picks of the month for your everyday wine which are in the $8.00-$13.00 range.  These wines wines are great with dinner and won't break the bank.

Pillar Box Shiraz Reserve '09
Australia, Padthaway
Wine Spectator 92 points and Robert Parker 92 points
$19.95 (BevMo 5 cent sale) buy two bottles $10.00


Chateau de Nages Buti Nages Nimes Rouge '10
France, Rhone Costierees de Nimes, Syrah
Wine Enthusiast 90 Points
$10.99 (Total Wine)


Gerard Bertrand Tautavel '08
France, Rhone, Cotes du Roussillon Villages, Syrah
Wine Spectator 90 Points
$19.95 (BevMo 5 cent sale) buy two bottles $10.00

Lehmann Clancy's '09
Australia, Barossa, Shiraz
Wine Spectator 90 Points, WS Top 100 Value Wines
$12.99 (Total Wine)

Las Rocas Garnacha '09
Spain, Aragon Calatayud, Grenache
Wine Advocate 90 Points, Robert Parker 90 Points
$12.99 (BevMo)

Lalande Malbec '11
Argentina, Mendoza
Wilford Wong 92 Points
$16.95 (BevMo 5 cent sale) buy two bottles for $8.50

Norton Cabernet Barrel Select '10
Argentina, Mendoza
Wine Enthusiast 90 Points, #24 Top 100 Best buys Wine Enthusiast
$19.95 (BevMo 5 cent sale) buy two bottles for $10.00

Reserve des Vignerons Saumur Champigy '10
France, Loire, Saumur-Champigny (Cabernet Franc)
Wine Spectator 90 Points
$12.99 (Total Wine)

Valserrano Rioja Crianza '09
Spain, Rioja (Tempranillo)
Wine Advocate 92 Points
$11.99 (Total Wine)

Catena Cabernet '10
Argentina, Mendoza
Wine Advocate 92 Points
$12.47 (Total Wine)

 

 

Plus 5 White Wines

 

Kung Fu Girl Riesling '11
Washington, Columbia Valley
Wine Spectator 90 Points
$10.99 (BevMo)

Kaikoura Estates Sauvignon Blanc '12
New Zealand, Marlborough
Wilford Wong 93 Points
$18.95 (BevMo 5 cent sale) buy two bottles for $9.50

King Estate Pinot Gris '11
Oregon
Wine and Spirits 91 Points
$12.97 (Total Wine)

Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier '11
California, Napa Valley
Wine Advocate 90 Points
$10.99 (Total Wine)

Martin Ray Chardonnay, Russian River Valley '10
California, Russian River Valley
Wine Enthusiast 91 Points
$8.99 (Total Wine)

 

 

Author: Becky Stahley

About: I have been an avid enjoyer of wine for 25 years and a daily drinker of wine since 2006.  My wine education has been largely self guided with experiences from many wine experts along the way.  I have traveled to various wine regions including France (Champagne and Burgundy), Oregon (Willamette Valley), California (Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, and Santa Inez).  I have also participated in a local wine group for 8 years and  taken more than 25 cooking and wine classes through the Laguna Culinary Institute.