Ambiance can make the taste!

I don't care how well-crafted, old, or expensive your wine is... sometimes its the atmosphere of where you are that delivers the real taste!

I'm currently in New Jersey for funeral services of a family member and there isn't much wine drinking happening. The first night we arrived, we took my parent's friends out to dinner. I was so exhausted from the 9 hour drive that I was really looking forward to a big glass of vino. They chose a small Italian restaurant in a strip mall (everything in NJ is in a strip mall). The place might have been OK had there not been "open mic"- the NJ classy way of saying karaoke- led by a wannabe extra of the Sopranos. Man, this guy (and the 2 other "singers") were terrible. So bad, in fact, that no one really enjoyed their meal. And, I really couldn't tell you much about the wine I drank. It tasted fine- an American cabernet, 2005- that our dinner guests brought with them for the dinner. (Many NJ eateries don't have liquor licenses so you bring your own, and they cork it for you)

Case in point Number 2- my sister's college roommate lives in the area and offered to take us out for a drink to get away from the family scene, and to catch up. Being where we were, our only choice was to find a bar using the GPS unit, and we landed at a Bar and Grille. We went into the place- half Applebee's type restaurant, half Sports Bar- complete with waitresses in matching tight black and yellow jerseys, a basketball game on tv, loud club music, and tons of Ocean County Community College students drinking beers. We found a table as far away as we could and noticed an actual wine list! I ordered a house pinot for my sister who likes whites, and I got a Robert Mondavi '06 Cabernet. Which, was a better choice than the Yellowtail Shiraz or other similar reds on the list. And like last time, while the wine seemed fine- my sense of taste was actually distracted by the environment we were in. I couldn't take part in the ritual of drinking wine- the choosing of the wine, opening the bottle, getting to know the wine in first sips, talking about it, and then relaxing with a glass or the bottle. This was a one- sided, drink-it-up-quick-so-we-can-go-soon wine. Uneventful. Disappointing, even. 

Makes me miss home that much more. 

1/3/09... Wine at Flatbread

Tonight while celebrating the staff holiday party for O'Naturals (Jen's employer) we ate delicious organic salads with goat cheese, and several different wood-fired pizzas. We love Flatbread for it's great food, pledge to organics, and the wait staff with whom many are friends of ours. Also- they have a fantastic wine list with many wines by the glass. 

Tonight, Jen drank her favorite on the wine list:

Big Red Monster, NV, Red Blend. California Table Wine

Jen likes this, as does our friend and Flatbread waitress Alex who says this is like "drinking dessert." I disagree- it's a big fruit blast at the front with a lot of mixing of tastes, but not a great finish. Jen would say that besides the label being fun with illustrated sexy ladies, the wine is everything she wants- not bland, not dry, and a punch in the front... then dwindles off in the back of your throat.  A great case in point about how palettes differ when describing the same wine qualities. $7/glass

I had the 2006 Perrin and Fils, Cotes du Rhone "Nature" (Organic); Rhone, France. $6.50/ glass

I like this organic red for its subtle dryness, easy drinkability, and flexibility with different food pairings. There's no sweet-fruity flavor that blasts through which is nice. One of my favorites as I work through the reds list at Flatbread. 

**Points for sustainability. This wine has a Salmon-Safe Certificate, which identifies wineries whose vineyards practices protect and restore salmon habitat by planting trees on streams, growing cover crops to control run-off, and apply natural methods to control weeds and pests.

Happy Drinking!

we like reds

Jen and I love wine. So much that we've decided to keep a blog about all the wines we drink and what we think of them. 

Stay tuned to read our reviews. 

- Dani

P.S. Since we are broke twentysomethings who have an expensive palette, we've decided to make a point of only buying bottles for home that are under $20.00. When we go out, we treat ourselves a little more. Keep reading for a future review of  the book I loved,  The Wine Trials... I still need to get my copy back from Andrea the bartender at the White Heart! 

Currently Drinking:

 a 2007 Mark West Pinot Noir... it's OK, but not as good as the same wine, but older vintage I had last week at the Royal River Grille in Yarmouth, Maine. This one is somewhat light for my taste, but is pretty balanced and not too dry. Went well with baked ziti leftovers...  (about $11)

In the House:

Red Truck (made by Cline) 2006 "Central Coast" Merlot; California. 

This was a gift from Jen's mom at Christmas. She knew we had visited the Cline Vineyards in California. We haven't tried this one before, and don't typically buy merlot so we're looking forward to this bottle. (A gift- but probably around $10)

Petraio 2007 Sangiovese; Puglia, Italy. 

We have not tried this yet. I tend not to buy Italian wines because I had so much of them while working at Ribollita in Portland. But when my friend Lisa saw me pick up the Mark West at Whole Foods, she recommended I go with this bottle instead. I got both. This one's up next!  (About $9.00)

Mesta 2007 Tempranillo; Castilla, Spain. 

I love tempranillo but this bottle was not great. I had half a glass, Jen has almost finished the bottle. I thought it was overpoweringly acidic and I couldn't taste any of the great tempranillo qualities that a good Spanish wine should have. Yuck, thanks for not letting the wine go to waste, Jen!  (About $9)