The House of Mondavi

I have been reading a spectacular wine book. It’s titled "The House of Mondavi". This book is about the rise and fall of the great Mondavi family and their ambitious wine empire. I recently visited Barnes and Noble with my two children and of course I always skim pass the wine and cooking section. The House of Mondavi caught my attention at first read. I will not give many details about the book because I suggest that you experience the read on your own. But I will tell you that the ambition of Cesare Mondavi reminds me of myself. He was an immigrant from Italy and work his way through life using strength, knowledge, kindness and respect to build a tremendous life for his wife, children, and community. Unfortunately, this legacy was destroyed by sibling rivalry, and betrayal. This book gets two pinky fingers up and cheers with a glass filled of Robert Mondovi 2009 Pinot Noir Reserve.

*

Pictures thanks to www.robertmondaviwinery.com.

2000 Vintage NorthStar Merlot

I'm enjoying a 2000 vintage merlot. I love merlot. It's one of my favorite grapes. The jammy look and flavor of Merlot makes for a great wine. The NorthStar Merlot is a vintage of its own. This 13 year old wine did not disappoint my taste buds. After swirling a swig of vino in my glass I could see the legs crawling down my cup. At the first sip I could taste the deep red raspberry and plum flavors. I feel honored to have experienced such a vintage. I look forward to the next. Cheers to my fellow vino lovers!!

2003 Vintage Syrah

My awesome best girlfriend Denise found a vintage 2003 Marquis Philips Shiraz 9 wine at an auction. Lucky me.... she shared one of the bottles with her girl. This is an Australian red wine that boasts 16% alc. At first swirl, I could see the legs of the unique wine in my glass. At first sniff, I smelled accents of plum and blackberry. It's interesting that the vino had little tannin then expected. I really enjoyed the smooth texture. My pairing suggestion is to drink this wine for a special occasion with beef and potatoes. Cheers to my fellow vino lovers!

Detour Winery 4th of July

I'm at Detour Winery with my BFF and we are having a blast. The band is awesome. Wish I would have brought my bug spray. We are drinking a white wine called Mornin Deux. It's made from two different white grapes, delicious. Then we got a Blackberry wine. This wine is made from all Blackberries, no grapes. The band is still playing and then the fireworks. Fun times at Detour Winery! Cheers! 

The Williamsburg Winery

Tonite is girls nite and I have been dared to try a new wine that the girls have found. By the first look at the bottle I knew that the wine was a port. I like to blind taste when trying new wines. I never read the description on the bottle. I like to conjure my own thoughts about the flavors and textures of the vino. The name of the wine is Vin Liquoreux de Framboise. It's a blend of red wine and raspberry juice. After pouring the wine in my glass, I swirl, then sniff the juice. OMG.... I can smell the raspberries at first whiff. Now lets sip. This wine is very tarty because of the berries. I also taste a slight chocolate finish. All in all the wine is nice but I'm not crazy about it. It's a little too heavy and syrupy for my taste buds. Well ladies.... on to the next one. Cheers!!