THE 2ND ANNUAL RHYTHM & VINE MUSIC & WINE FESTIVAL

Date: Mon, Apr 5, 2010 Wine Tasting

Hey San Diego wine [and culinary]fans here's is another great opportunity to try out some great new wines, listen to some great tunes and feast on some chef inspired creations from some of San Diegos best restaruants. Thesecond annual Rhythm & Vine event will features wineries from some of the premier wine-producing regions in the nation, including Napa Valley, Paso Robles, Temecula and others. Some of the award-winning wineries pouring this year include Callaway Vineyard and Winery, Kiamie Cellars, Quady Winery, Woof’n Rose Winery, and more.

Shopping for some great wines, well skip a trip to wine country and crowded tasting rooms, the vineyards best is coming to you via the Rhythm and Vine Music and Wine festival. So what are you waiting for, this is a great opportunity to sample many different wines before you buy. For an amazing low price of $75 you will get great food, great wine and some great tunes all in one place, what more could you ask for? You also will be supporting a wonderful community organization as all proceeds go to your LOCAL Boys and Girls clubs.

More than Wine: For those interested in more than just wine, the event also features craft breweries and spirit companies and also featuring three musical performances, a silent auction and VIP exclusive tent, this spectacular music, wine and food extravaganza will strike a new chord in San Diego’s North County and pave the way to a wonderful soulful inspired evening.
Ticket Info: Tickets for Rhythm & Vine are $75 for General Admission in advance, and $100 at the door. For those who would just like to enjoy the music and the food, a Designated Driver ticket is also available for $40 in advance, and $90 at the door. “Enthusiasts who purchase tickets to Rhythm & Vine will not only enjoy a night of outstanding wine, food and music, but will walk away knowing that they gave tremendous support to a fantastic cause.” added Miller. Just click here to purchase ticketsand again all event proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego.

VIP TREATMENT: Rhythm & Vine VIP's get a special treat with an after-hour party until 10:00pm, access to a VIP tent filled with exclusive wines and gourmet foods, and a private performance by one of the performing bands. VIP tickets are $125 in advance, and $150 at the door.

VIP Stage Performer: Making its sound on the VIP Stage is Crossroads, the classic rock band that delivers musical harmonies and versatile instrumentation modeled after the renowned musical styling of The Eagles, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Tom Petty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Beatles, and The Allman Brothers.

Community Outreach: Proceeds from Rhythm & Vine support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego. Funds raised at the event allow theBoys and Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego Clubs of Greater San Diego to continue to serve at-risk youth, and to expand its services to support more youth throughout the Greater San Diego Region. According to Jeff Miller, senior vice president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego. “Rhythm & Vine is the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego’s most important event as it allows us to gain new supporters, as well as raise money so we may continue our support of the 23,000 youth we serve each year,”.

About the Boys & Girls Club:For more than 65 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego have been committed to serving at-risk youth between the ages of five and eighteen and reaching out to young people in need.Their sole purpose is to better serve the 23,000 youth who currently utilizetheir services in the Greater San Diego Region.They have a staff of more than 160 employees andnow operate thirteen facilities (including a Teen Center) and four school-site programs throughout the Greater San Diego Region.

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”Think inside the box”, the Black Box Wine concept

Date: Mon, Apr 5, 2010 Wine Tasting

I’m so honored that Bill has asked me to do a guest post on Cuvee Corner. Mostly I’m honored because I consider Bill to be very wine educated and mostly I consider myself, not. Bill has been great to me and realizes that I’m on a wine journey. Also, I live in Wisconsin. While Bill has the opportunity to spend time in actual vineyards, I spend my time in virtual vineyards and keeping my selection to what the best wine distributers bring my way in Wisconsin.

With that said, I would love to review Black Box Wine. There are bunch of reasons why I’m reviewing this wine; I want to tempt you into trying something outside of the bottle. I’m also reviewing this wine because I’m a box wine supporter…. And I’m reviewing this wine … okay … because Bill asked me to.

Enter:

Black Box Wines

Merlot

2007 California

Size: 3 Litres

The Black Box Wine concept started when Ryan Sproule (vintner) realized that Europeans have been drinking high-end boxed wines for years. To them, the package was not the value … the wine was. So Ryan brought his idea to America. Of course we did have boxed wines already … you may know it as the “wine flavored” wine in a box of early years … I’ll leave you to guess who/what.

Black Box wine is on a mission to provide a great wine at an affordable everyday price. This way – we can have wine all the time! In other words, as the box says …”Think inside the box”. Boxing and Bagging wine is also friendlier to our environment; it takes less energy to produce and transport.

Wondering about the taste? To me this has a high alcohol taste but the berry plum finish is warm and creates a great wine for everyday use. It’s not a complex wine however … it’s also not lacking.

I actually love getting this wine for a group of friends, it’s convenient to bring to a party and it’s equal to bringing 4 bottles of wine. This makes the party a LOT of fun! … well… as long as I’m at the party too.

Black Box Wines is trying to lift itself out of the “boxed wine” stigma – It’s black packaging and it’svideo contest of last year … may help more people see this wine as a premium box wine to take out in public!

Have you tried a boxed wine yet?

Cheers to boxes!

Jennifer

This review was written by guest contributor Jennifer of Jennifer Reviewsand see many of her many other great wine reviews and other product reviews. She is also a prolific Tweeter so if you not currently following her, please click here to hereto follow her.

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Seafood "quandary": Dorices Muscadet Sevre-Maine Choisie at your service!

Date: Sun, Mar 28, 2010 Wine Tasting

Honestly folks, I've lived my entire life in San Diego and until recently, San Diego hardly figured in anyone’s mind as a culinary destination. However in the last 10 years, San Diego chefs (natives and newcomers alike) have redefined the local dining landscape. That said, these folks have drawn on several local strengths. First and foremost, San Diego’s local [Seafood] bounty has few equals: the freshest seafood, four-season produce from some of the country’s most renowned organic farms, and local specialty purveyors of cheese and chocolate. But Seafood and what to pair with it wine-wise is the focus of this review.

This wine I'm about to review is what I would call the underdog of the wine world, not often picked for the first or even second string when a restaurant wine list is being compiled or being shopped for by consumers. While San Diego is blessed with an abundance of fresh fish and shellfish, yet one of the world's great Seafood wines is about as well-known here as snow storm in July.

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Centellino Areadivino Wine Aerator and Decanter

Date: Sat, Mar 27, 2010 Wine Tasting

Todays review is going to revolve around the Centellino Areadivino Wine Aerator/Decanter.I've been testing this decanter/aeratorout putting it through it paces. I tested against my favorite Riedel Cabernet-Decanterand well the results were inconclusive. I really could not say that the Centellino was able to decant my wine any better than my decanter or vice versa. That said, it was able deliver very similar results in a much shorter about of time.

According to the website: The "Centellino" decants, oxidises and provides the perfect quantity of wine for tasting 100ml. for red and white wine, 60ml. forPort stylewine, and 35ml. for Brandy and distilled spirits.

Okay no disagreement here, the Centellino does pour a perfect 3-4 ouce pour into your glass and performs a double aeration which is the premise behind its claim to decant in moments, instead of hours.

How to use the Centellino: Simply fit the Centellino into the bottle [and snug it down into the bottle holding the wooden piece]. Then fill the glass amphora by tilting the bottle back towards the amphora [well].During this procedure you will see the wineswirling around thesides of the amphora [designed this way]into the bowl, whereitaerates the wine gently the first time. Then pour from the amphora into your glass, where you will see the wine glugging [gurgling sound of liquid]again as it pours from the amphora into the glass [pay close attention here, or you will be pouring undecanted wine]and according to the website, it's "releasing the full aroma and bouquet of the wine" which is the purpose of decanting.The Centellino Areadivino will alsocome with plug to keepleft over wine sealed and preserved in the wine bottlefor picking up where you left off.

Pros: The Centellino Decanter/Aeratoris relatively easy to use once you get the hang of it. I tested this product on several different types of wine and found that a majority of it claims are accurate. It does pour a very neat glass of wine. I like they it snug’s down nicely into any bottle size opening, so you don't have any fear [and I mean zero]that it may dislodge during pouring. The Centellino appears to be very effective at softening tannins which of course resulted in more pleasant finish and pleasuable drinking experience. I even used it on some bargain wine samples I was sent and it appeared to remove any bitterness or bad after-taste sometimes associated with mediocre bulk wines. While traditional decanting is time consuming, cumbersome, and to someinconvenient the designof the Centellino seems to speed up this process with ease and convenience.

Cons: It's seems to be a little drippy [at the end of the pour tube], and if you're at all like me you hate to waste even one drip from a favorite bottle. Once you have poured the contents from the bowl [amphora] into your glass, you have to let it hang over the glass a little longer to get those last few drips of wine or risk losing that wine to the placemat orthe floor. It's also a little difficult to clean, you can pour warm water through it to rinse it out [I don't recommend soap] if you have hard water like I do, then those stains can form on the inside, because after it has been rinsed and sits drying you will have a few places the water can pool, no matter the angle. It being crystal, it's pretty delicateand potentially could easily break if not handled correctly [that said, I seen these in action at a few Trade Tastings and I didn't see any casualties].

Where to Purchase and Price: There are a number folks offering this product online and nearly everyone is selling it for the same price, so you might as well get it from Fiorino Italian Importswho's selling it a number of variations [gift boxed sets]. But if you just want the basic product, with out all the other "bell and whistles" it's selling for $59.99 each.

Full Disclosure: I recieved this product for review as a sample from Fiorino Italian Imports.

Other Voices: A. Meyers: I've had this wine decanter for 3 or 4 years now and it was a gift from my grandfather. I use this on almost every bottle and it brings out the flavors in the wine quite wonderfully. I will say that the wooden piece on the end (the side with the stopper that goes into the bottle) eventually fell apart and now I just have the rubber stopper at the bottom. It looks a bit more tacky but the decanter still works great! Additionally, this little guy is a bit of a pain to clean due to its odd shape. I usually drip some soap into it and run water around it for a while, shake it around, then run some more water around.

Like I mentioned above and in other posts about my recent visit to the Family Winemakers of California San Diego tasting a few weeks back, I saw a few wineries using this product and they seemed very content with it's performance. One winery in particular, Frank Family Vineyardswho make some great wine, said that using the Centellino for their tasting events was like, "putting their best foot forward" that folks is high praise.

My Recommendation: If you don't already have a decanter, this is a great one to have around the house. It's very easy to use and will be a great way to have better wine experience in the future. If you don't want to drink the whole bottle, you don't have to simply put the Centellinos little stopper back in place and it's designed to perserve your wine, until next time. I would only keep like this for a few days. This is also a great gift to give that wine-snob in your life that seems to already have everything. Until next time cheers everyone!

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More Highlights from the 2010 Family Winemakers of California Tasting

Date: Mon, Mar 22, 2010 Wine Tasting

Okay folks I know I promised you another installment of the highlights from the 2010 Family Winemakers of California Tasting and so here it is, this time I will be casting the spotlight on Mr. Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wineswho in my opinion produces some top [Rhone Varietals]quality red, white, andRoséwines from leading vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County. He's also the Enologist and assistant winemakerfor Fess Parker Winery, a well-respected winery in the Santa Ynez Valley.

This was my first time actually to catch up with [the very busy] Larry Schaffer, as we've known each other through social media circles for sometime, but never met in person. He'sas gregarious in person, as the wines he makes. If you have not heard of this label before, let me tell you this, if you like Rhône wines and varietals you just can't go wrong with Tercero Wines. To be fair and objective [in other words not to sound like a cheerleader]with that previous statement I didn't like them all, that said the one's I really liked were not just good, they were very good!

About Tercero: According to what I could glean from their website, Larry Schaffer had been in the educational and trade publishing industry for a number of years and had achieved all he had set out to do.Buthe thought itwas time for a change, sohewentback to school and achieved a second degree, this one in Viticulture and Enology with great sacrifice to him and his wifepersonally. Fast forward four years and Larry begins his new career in earnest as the Enologist for Fess Parker Winery. Fast forward another year, and Larry [with his wife]is ready to ‘take the plunge’ and start buying grapes to make their own wines! The rest as they say, "is history" and a new winery is born. Congratulations!

About the vineyards:According to their website, "This vineyard, located in eastern Santa Ynez, was planted in the fall of 1999. It is comprised of approximately 250 acres of vines, with a plethora of varieties planted, including syrah, grenache, mourvedre, cinsault, counouise, carignan, grenache blanc, viognier, marsanne, rousanne, and more". They also have vineyards in Larner Vineyard – Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos, Tierra Alta Vineyard – Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos, Thompson Vineyard – Los Alamos and coming soon Watch Hill Vineyard – Los Alamos. For more details about theTerceroVineyardsplease click on the link.



Okay is here are the wines I really liked that day and the score they achieved:

This is the wine I really liked the most, it's the2006 Cuvee Christie and it falls to the lush side of taste equation. It is made up of 60% grenache, 30% syrah, and 10% mourvedre. Each component was fermented and aged separately, and the final blend was ‘combined’ about a month before bottling. The wine is named after his "partner in crime" [aka, his wife Christie]. This was my second timeto samplethis wine and was of one his first bottling under this new label. I ordered a couple of bottles, upon the initial offer acquire some of his wine. I scored this wine 94 points and it's a fantastic representation of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape style red wine, the classicGSM formula. It sells for a mere $28 and is under a Stelvin closure as all of his wines are and he assures me with a study that it is just as good or even better than a traditional cork closure.

He already has the 2007 Cuvee Christie in the bottle and it's admittedly a departure from the 06, in that it's a little more reserved in style and fruit substance. Nevertheless, this wine has a interesting flavor range from blackberry, cherries clear through to milk chocolate, currants and bacon. Framed alongside some intense tannins that make it a bit austere. I scored this wine 90 points and believe it will get better with a little more bottle age. I believe it's being sold for the same price as the 2006.

I really love a good Grenache and when I come across a good one I like to tell the whole world, so may I introduce to you the Tercero 2007 Watch Hill Grenache which is on the spot and sweet, with black cherry and roundness on the nose, followed by ripe plum and berry flavors on the palate. About as good as an inexpensive Grenache will get I scored this wine 91 points and a real crowd pleaser to be sure and selling for a mere $28, get it while they last.

On the white side of the equation, the standouts for me were the 2008 The Outlier, selling for $18. This is a 100% Gewürztraminer made from thirty-year-old head trained vines from Los Alamos. The very fragrant nose could easily fool you into thinking this wine a sweet; instead the firm acidity keeps that aspect under firm control. A great everyday drinking wine which I scored 91 points and I would think it will pair especially well with a majority of spicy dishes.

Rounding out my favorites from the many we sampled, the 2008 Grenache Blanc stood out as wonderful statement of refined elegance,Isay that becauseGrenacheBlanccan be heavy and flabby when coaxed to high yields. However itappears Tercero's morecareful management style, was able toproduce asubtle, yet rich wine even though it wasstainless steel and neutral oak fermented. This wine exhibited honey, almonds and slate aromas on the noseandmy first sip revealedfull, round, but still fresh flavors, intertwined fruit and earthy flavors. Many great pairing possibilities with this wine, I'm thinking possibly a pumpkin risotto, roast chicken, or pork chops with applesauce.I scored this wine 90points and it represents agreat bargain at $18, please give it a swirl.

There are more highlights to come, this was a huge event and I visited a little over 13 stations. So there is still much to talk about and bring to your attention, so please stay tuned. Until next time cheers everyone!

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Family Winemakers of California Present "Tasting 2010" San Diego

Date: Sun, Mar 14, 2010 Wine Tasting

Hey San Diego wine fans, this is the place to be on this wonderful sunny San Diego day. Where else could you possilbly hope to find this much wine to taste for such a low price. So if you don't have plans today, get yourself down to the [Del Mar] San Diego fair grounds and tastes some of the very best wine being made here in our great state of California. I hope I will see you there, until next time Cheers everyone!



When: Sunday, March 14, 2010

1:00-3:00pm Trade Only Tasting

3:00-6:00pm Public and Trade Tasting

Where: Del Mar Fairgrounds, Exhibit Hall (map)

Public Tickets: $45 in advance, $55 at door

Over 200 wineries, all members of Family Winemakers of California, will be at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Sunday, March 14, for the Association's 2nd annual appearance in San Diego. The Association has held trade-only tastings in Southern California since 2001 and has chosen to return to San Diego for this "one-of-a-kind trade and consumer California wine tasting event." This large tasting will showcase small, family-owned wineries, many of which pour at very few events.

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Sum Zin, the Opolo Summit Creek Zinfandel 2007

Date: Sun, Feb 21, 2010 Wine Tasting

First Sniff: After putting my fat half Irish nose into the glass, Ifound thiswine exudes an effortless plethora of ripe berry aromas, with a slight licorice aroma in the background. Even after the wine is gone from my glass, I wasstill nosing it to absorb ever last molecule of aromas that I can take in, this wine had me at first sniff.

First Sip: Blackberry, and whole plum flavors wash across the palate in a large wave of nuanced fruit and the carry through of a long, white pepper, and with lean blackberry on a crisp, but well focused finish.This is not the fruit-bombyou may imagine, insteadwhat I found was a"layer-cake" [not to be confused with the label of the same name] of rich, ripe nuanced fruit so telling of what a good Zinfandel should be.

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Get Zorked with Moobuzz Chardonnay!!

Date: Thu, Jan 28, 2010 Wine Tasting

Today's review is focused on the value end of the Chardonnay spectrum and what I found out there’s a lot to like, which is why I chose this wine to bring to your attention today, aside from the very unusual closure and the great name. Do you get the name? Moo equals cows and buzz equals honey, thus you have a wine from the land of milk and honey. So for all you "value" oriented white wine drinkers the CCWB has another wonderful Chardonnay for today's review, brought to by the folks at the "Other Guys" whose edgy [love this word] wine portfolio has separated itself from its former association with Don Sebastiani & Sons [a whole story by itself, which I will not be delving into here]. But if you really are interested here's the link:
Don Sebastiani & Sons restructures, to spin off key wine units ...

Big Wine on Campus: This will come to many as a huge shock, especially red wine drinkers Chardonnay is America's most popular grape, despite the efforts of those in the ABC movement. I say this [pondering] and look at my own wine cellar and for me nothing could be further from the truth. So how can I say here what is contradictory for me, well it appears wine drinkers like myself are the exception [gulp].

So why is Chardonnay so popular? The answer may lie in the fact that it's made in many styles which tend to range from steely [read that NO OAK], mineral laced wines with crisp green apple fruit to wines that are buttery, rich, and laden with tropical fruits. It would appear there's a Chardonnay which can appeal to most every palate and as most everyone knows Chardonnay is most closely associated with France's Burgundy region and now has proven itself successful around the globe, but the variations of flavors, styles and types of Chardonnay run the gamut as mentioned earlier. Another factor may be the fact that the Chardonnay grape is one of the worlds most planted vine and most readily adaptable to a large variety growing regions.

Closures: The Zork as it called, is a new entry wading into the "closure" debate, which has found no closure [pun intended] in the continuing debate to cork or not to cork. So Zork is trying to make an inroads into the industry, with its custom caps, or "closures" which according to Zork, "seals like a screw cap and pops like a cork" and promotes this closure by eluding to its ability to age wines by saying and I paraphrase "The Zork closure allows the wine to age, like a traditional cork" and can be found on other readily recognized brands such as McLauren Vale, Australia-based Red Knot, imported by Seattle-based Precept Wine Brands.



Wine Reviewed: Moobuzz Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2006

Full Disclosure: This wine was NOT a sample, it was purchased by the CCWB for my own personal enjoyment from the Wine Bank here in San Diego, which unfortunately is out of this wine.

First Swirl: After I opened the unique "zork" closure and poured a few ounces into my glass, tilted it toward the light pouring through my patio window, I found a medium straw colored core, fleeing to a pale straw rim.

First Sniff: After I've given this wine a couple good swirls I put my nose into the glass and what hit my god-given sensory apparatus is this; this wine has aromas of freshly toasted bread, caramel crème, and tropical fruits like bananas and papayas.

First Sip: Okay now it's time to see if everything going on with the first sniff will translate in the mouth, what I find is that this wine exudes flavors of rich vanilla custard, lemon shavings, breadfruit, wild flower honey, and fresh oven-baked pears.

Treatment: This 2006 Chardonnay benefited from six-month sur lees aging in the barrel for 30% of the blend. In this statement about how this wine is treated or made prior to being bottled is where the secret lies. What secret you may ask? The secret of finding balance; between the big over-oaked [read that chateau two-by-four] buttery chards and those wines which follow the NO-OAK mantra.

Where to purchase: This wine can be purchased at the Holiday Wine Cellar which is located at 302 West Mission AvenueEscondido, CA 92025-1712(760) 745-1200 or give them a call and if they don't have it they would be glad to order it for you. I spoke with Kathleen from HWC and they are selling it for $14.99.

Price and ABV: This wine represents a real crowd pleaser by weighing in at a mere 13.5% alcohol and the price is equally enticing at the $12 - $16 price range.

Cuvée Corner Wine Blog Score: Hey point seekers here's my score if your interested: I scored this wine 92 on Cuvee Corner 100 point tasting scale. This score is higher than the WE score of 90 for one reason, PRICE. This wine represents tremendous value and is a QPR winner in all respects.

Pairing Suggestions: Do you ever run into this quandary? Oh what to pair, what to pair? I have and what I found is that this wine pairs well with oven broiled rack of pork [seasoned with a bevy of Italian spices and EVOO] and a creamy polenta along side or tuna [ahi] tartare with fresh California avocados or even a BBQ Rotisserie Free-Range Chicken, hungry yet?

My Recommendation: This is a great wine to purchase by the case. It's easy on the wallet and lush on the palate what else could you ask for in a wine? So scour your local wine shops or hop online and get yourself some of this wine today. The word on the street is that the 2007 is just as good as the 2006 so you won't be disappointed either way, but don't wait it will sell quickly at this price.

Other Voices: Okay if everything I said did not sway your opinion about getting some of this great value wine, then here's one from the folks at WE who had this to say about this very good Chardonnay, "Delivers lots of bang for the buck, shows real Chardonnay character, with rich vanilla cream-infused flavors of ripe pineapples, pears, and sautéed banana, buttered toast and honey and at this price, it's fantastic buy that can stand next to Chards costing far more." Best Buy 90 Points Wine Enthusiast

Until next time cheers everyone!

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Time for a visit to Cleavage Creek

Date: Sun, Jan 24, 2010 Wine Tasting

I was introduced to Cleavage Creek through the social networking platform Twitter, of whom many of you are very familiar. Now the name of this winery does not make me immediately think about wine and may not illicit thoughts of wine for anyone else either. So yes this makes them quite unique and they also have a unique way to help in the fight against this awful disease one bottle at a time.

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Warming Up with Aged Gouda & Robust Reds

Date: Wed, Jan 13, 2010 Wine Tasting

Our New Year’s celebrations continued with family and friends over the weekend. But instead of an elaborate spread and fancy cocktails, we settled in with simple yet hearty fare and bottles of red. Being The Cheese Ambassador, our guests have come to expect the evening to include a sampling of gourmet cheese. We started the meal with a chunk of 4 year old Gouda and challenged the gang to a mission they were all too happy to accept - determine the best wine match. Aaah, Gouda. A traditional cheese that has been reinterpreted the world over. Gouda is traditionally a cows milk cheese from Holland, but you can now find it made from goat, sheep and cows from an international collection of dairymen.

The Dutch pronunciation of Gouda is “how-duh” with the “how” tickling the back of your throat. A special type of Gouda is called Boerenkaas. “Boeren” meaning “farm” and “kaas” meaning “cheese”. It’s a simple name for a complex cheese. This is not your ordinary grocery store Gouda enveloped in red wax. Boerenkaas is a farmstead cheese made with unpasteurized cow’s milk from a single farm. Deep burnt-gold in color Boerenkaas becomes rock hard and concentrates in flavor as it ages. Break off a chunk and notice the butterscotch aroma. The taste is intense and piquant. Its caramel and nutty flavors are accented by the salty, crunchy protein crystals (a hallmark of aged cheeses) that melt in your mouth.

Winter Wine & Cheese Pairing: This cheese packs a punch and can stand up to full-bodied red wines. We paired the Boerenkaas with two New World, high-alcohol wines – a Merlot from Sonoma and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina. The salty and nutty flavors of the cheese nicely contrasted with the jammy, berry flavors of the Merlot while the piquancy of the cheese matched the bittersweet chocolate notes of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The group was split on selecting the winning match. But that’s the beauty of cheese and wine pairings – there are no right or wrong answers. It’s all about personal taste. [yes indeed if not we would have run out our collective favorite long ago]

Recommended Wine: I would recommend the Hess Collection Cabernet, Allomi Vineyard 2007, as a great wine to that can stand up to a cheese of this type.

Price and ABV: The Alcohol on the bottle indicates 14.5% but could swing a full 1% more and still meet the labeling requirements. That said, this wine is refined elegance for a paupers price, considering the SRP is a mere $24.00. Check with your local place who may sell it for less.

Composition: Okay so you may be wondering what's in the blend, here you go 86% Cabernet Sauvignon 11% Petite Sirah 3% Petit Verdot

Treatment: 18 Months 30% New American Oak

Tasting notes: In the glass color showed dark cherry and crimson. On the palate the gentle spice in the nose and front palate followed by a long tri-berry cobbler mouth feel with good acidity and a nice structure. With persistent and enjoying finish. A very food friendly wine, which is immediately approachable after uncorking and there's no need to decant.

Pairing Suggestion: I'm thinking BBQ roasted chicken, grilled pork, caramelized onions, Baby Back Ribs, sautéed greens, roasted vegetables and aged Jack or a aged Gouda will enhance the fruit flavors in this wine.

Cuvée Corner Wine Blog Score: Hey point seekers here's my score if your interested: I scored this wine 89 Pt's on Cuvee Corner 100 pt tasting scale. Then taking into account this wines QPR score it boost this wines overall score to 92 points.

About Cuvée Corner Wine Blog guest-contributor Sara Kahn:
Even though her passion for gourmet cheese was undying, Sara Kahn found shopping for it to be overwhelming, time consuming and confusing. She established The Cheese Ambassador to offer a simple way to select and serve the world’s finest cheeses. By providing the perfect combination of exquisite cheese along with a comprehensive cheese course guide, enjoying gourmet cheese is now a deliciously enriching experience.

My Recommendation: Sara sent a sample of some of the cheese she has for sale at the Cheese Ambassador and wow let me tell you I was really impressed by the taste and quality of this cheese. It comes packaged very smartly so you don't have any spoilage issues or concerns. So get online and check out all the wonderful cheese products on her site and put in your order. The wine can be purchased at a number of places either online or at your favorite wine store as it's a widely distributed wine, but is an absolute must to have with this pairing or just anytime you want a very dependable great tasting Cabernet that won't break the bank. Until next time cheers everyone!

Written by: Guest Contributor Sara Kahn [thanks Sara]

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Six Health Benefits of Drinking Red Wine

Date: Mon, Jan 11, 2010 Wine Tasting

In some cultures even the mere mention of the word “drink” is taboo and has negative connotations. While that may be true, you may also be surprised to find that potentially intoxicating liquids like wines and spirits do have their benefits too and moderation is the operative word when it comes to consuming adult beverages. It’s not that imbibing is bad per se, but we can run afoul of any benefits when over indulgence is involved. The way some folks behave after drinking more than their fare share has undoubtedly contributed to some of the negative stereotypes which has been associated with consuming too much wine or spirits. On the flip side of the equation, studies have shown that moderate consumption of wines and spirits are good for our health when imbibed in small amounts, three or four times a week. Abstainers and imbibers alike please take note, below I've outlined some succinct points about the health benefits of drinking wine and if you're interested please read on:

· It’s good for your heart: Alcohol acts as a natural blood thinner and enables the free flow of blood through the arteries, thus reducing the work that your heart has to do in order to pump blood to all parts of your body. So when you have one glass of wine three or four times a week, your risk of heart disease is significantly lower and you are less susceptible to strokes which occur because of blood clots or blocked arteries. A study conducted at the Yale School of Medicine proved connection between drinking red wine (sorry white wine fans) and improvements in cardiovascular health, because of its polyphenol (high in antioxidants) content.

· It slows down the aging process: Grapes are rich in an anti-aging wonder chemical known as resveratrol prevents damage to and repairs cells and blood vessels. It also brings down the level of bad cholesterol and reduces the risk of blood clots. Red wine is a good source of resveratrol, so if you’re in the mood for a drink, make it a glass of red rather than anything else.

. Resveratrol Content: You may be wondering what wines have the highest resveratrol content? Again sorry white wine fans but between white wine and red wine, the red variety has more resveratrol than white because red wine is fermented longer. White wine has about a tenth of resveratrol content compared to red wine. Some even believe that the only reliable non-supplement source of resveratrol right now is red wine. Okay, okay so red wine is the largest source of Resveratrol, but which grape delivers the biggest bang for the buck? Well it just so happens to be the most delicate of red-wines which has the most potent resveratrol-laden and that wine is Pinot Noir. In fact it has been shown that Pinot Noir has more resveratrol than other red wine varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Cabernet Franc. Since Pinot Noir grapes are naturally more delicate and rot easier, and are more difficult in general to grow these grapes need to produce more resveratrol to protect themselves from pathogens. In addition to PN being a bigger source of resveratrol grapes grown in regions that are both cool and moist will produce an even higher resveratrol count than anywhere else. For more information on the Health benefits of wine º Antioxidants, resveratrol, and ... living healthier, please click on the link provided above.

. It is rich in antioxidants: If there’s one chemical that everyone is going gaga about, it’s antioxidants – they’re being praised to the skies for their ability to prevent cancer and boost your immune system. Red wine is rich in antioxidants and if you have one glass five times a week, you could significantly increase your life span and live a long and healthy life. Just look at the French who consume more wine per capita than Americans tend to live a little longer, what they call the The French Paradox (though the fact that they drink wine moderately and slowly with meals, instead of downing shots at the bar, could make a difference).
· It boosts lung function: White wine helps lung function, according to a study conducted by the University of Buffalo’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences which determined that people who enjoyed the occasional glass of wine were found to have better lung function than those who did not. Besides this, wine has also been known to be effective in destroying upper respiratory tract bacteria.
· It prevents tooth decay: Wine has antibacterial properties and has been used for a long time in treating infected wounds. Researchers have only just discovered that wine is capable of killing various strains of oral bacteria that are responsible for tooth decay and even a sore throat. But you want to be careful about (red) wines staining potential, you could earn a new nick name "purple-teeth" if your not careful to imbibe with moderation and stay hydrated.
· It prevents diabetes: Wine, in moderation, helps boost the function of the pancreas and reduces the level of glucose in your blood. This prevents you from being at risk for diabetes during any stage in your life.

While the benefits of wine and wine consumption are not meant to be an incentive for teetotalers to start drinking, it should be regarded by casual drinkers as a lesson in health - five glasses a week is the optimum level, and if you go beyond that, then the negatives tend to far outweigh the positives that wine offers. Here's a toast to your good health, cheers!

By-line: This article is written by guest contributor Shannon Wills, who writes on the topic of Physical Therapist Assistant Schools She welcomes your comments below or at her email id : shannonwills23@gmail.com .

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"We believe in Site" Carabella Vineyards in Oregon

Date: Sun, Jan 10, 2010 Wine Tasting

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Welcome to Foxen 7200

Date: Tue, Jan 5, 2010 Wine Tasting

Pinot Noir Fans: If you're a huge fan of Pinot Noir (or if you love great blends) like I am, then I believe this one winery you'll want to have on your wine-radar. This is my second trip to the Tasting Room in the last couple of years and some things have changed since my first visit, one is that have a new tasting room down Foxen Canyon Road called simply Foxen 7600 and it's truly just down the road and very easy to find as the entrance is right off the road. This short video above was interview done with one wonderful young ladies from the tasting room staff, whose name is Mo (I hope I spelled it correctly) and make sure to ask for your temporary anchor tattoo. She was there the first time I took a good sized group with me to do the "Sideways" tour. As you will see from the video we went right before Christmas and it was pretty cold. The "Shack" as it has come to be known as does not have much in the way of modern conveniences, but where they are short this aspect, on the flip side the wine never disappoints. This is a great place to visit if one of your first stops is at Cambria, which compared to many other of the wineries in the area is what I would call, "far afield" meaning to me, that it's in BFE. So if that is your first stop of the day, you can easily hit a few great spots on your way to Foxen, makes for a wonderful day of wine tasting.

Foxens Signature Wines: While several varieties of wine are produced by Foxen, there are four vineyard-designate Pinot Noirs which come from the Bien Nacido Vineyard, Sea Smoke Vineyard (which Wathen helped develop), Sanford and Benedict Vineyard and Julia’s Vineyard (of which there are four different wineries with this vineyard designation). These wines tend to be richly concentrated in a "New World" style and offer considerable depth and interest to even the most casual observer. These wines are often dark in color, nicely textured, bursting with fruit on the finish and very nicely crafted, but a word of caution these wines need time to open and benefit from decanting.

Some Current Standouts: For fans of "Bone Dry" Chardonnay who love minerally, high acid wines, these are two to you should grab: The Foxen 2008 Bien Nacido Block UU for the suggested retail of $32 or the Foxen Bien Nacido Vineyard Steel Cut Chardonnay which also sells for the same suggested retail price of $32. This SRP normally means the tasting room price, but you can most likely find it retail wine shops for $5 to $10 less. These wine recieved some very nice scores of over 90 from Wine Entusiast current edition.

Honestly folks I know there is a "hewn-cry" in some (rather snobby) circles (which I'm not in) for these types of wine and yeah know that is great work if you can get it, but I really don't care for these types of wine all too much. To me these types of wine are just the product of a knee-jerk reaction to big, over-oaked, buttery wines, which I totally get but at the same time I don't agree the "no-oak" mantra is the answer either. Many of the folks in the cirlces I was talking about will say that this method lets the pure fruit shine through, to them I say "really"? There is a happy medium and I did receive a sample of one from a place in Oregon called Carabella, and it's wonderful. The full review to come later, stay tuned!

The Wines I took home: So after tasting what was currently available in the tasting room we (that's my wife and I) walked away with the Foxen Range 30 West 2006 (65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon) selling for a SRP of $35. All the technical details about this wine can be found at the link above in a short and sweet style. This wine has Bordeaux styling written all over it. The aromas escaping from the glass was wonderful mixtures of berries and baking spice, enticing you to drink your whole pour and on the palate it has a silky smooth mouth feel and soft tannins, this wine has great dark fruit flavors that lead on it's sumptuous finish. While this wine is fantastic alone meaning a good cocktail type wine it also lends it self to pairing it with roasted or grilled meats for added enjoyment.

We also took home the 2007 Cuvee Jeanne Marie which sells for a SRP of $34. This wine is like the Range 30 West in like it's a blend. It is becoming real obvious to me that blends are so much better than single varietals in many cases (certainly not all). The blend is composed of 60% Grenache, 33% Syrah, and 7% Mourvedre. With the Mourvedre clones coming from Tablas Creek, no wonder it was so good. With this wine there is plenty of bright red fruit flavors that are immediately accessible right out of the gate. There is also some of that deeper, darker (Mourvedre) fruit bringing up the rear which anchors the complexity and suggests some cellar time might be in order. It’s big boned and explosive in the mouth right now, but with plenty of residual secondary flavors which hang in there, long after the finish. You just may have trouble keeping from opening this one right away, but if you do order online or even buy it from the tasting room, be sure to let it catch it breath first. I believe a certain RP gave this wine 91 points, of which I have to agree.

The last one we took home was the very young 2008 Foxen Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley with a SRP of $34 each. This wine features attractive classic Pinot aromatics of cherry, dried cranberry, and a floral component, with just a touch of alcoholic heat. But like I said this wine is young and should be laid down for at least a year for maximum enjoyment, also decanting on this wine is highly recommended. On the palate you'll find this wine to be light to medium bodied with flavors echoing the floral and fruit aromas, with just a hint of mildly detectable residual sweetness found in the enjoyable finish. A wine built to definitely please New World sensibilities, but might distract old-world fans that like their structured dry finishes.

My Recommedations: This is one of the great"Iconic" places to visit if you find yourself in the area. The tasting room staff is always professional and helpful, if you go in the summer months be prepared for large crowds as Foxen is a popular stop for many wine tourist. The wines I choose were taken from a list of 10 or more different wines we tasted that day between the two different locations and I would say they represent your best value for overall quality and price. You could just take my word for it and flip on that PC and order some or cruise to your favorite wine shop to pick up a few, either way I don't believe you could go wrong with these picks I've outlined above. Until next time cheers everyone!

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Pinot Days are here Southern California

Date: Mon, Jan 4, 2010 Wine Tasting

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