Halloween Weekend Wines

The way I see it, there's two ways to go on this -

1) Fun - wines with names like Vampire, Dracula's Blood, Werewolf, Ghost Pines.

2) Quantity and Convenience - I'm talking box wines. No, not Franzia, (although a 5 litre box of Cab got us through the better part of a week camping in Red River, NM this summer). There's a nice variety of 3 litre boxes out there like Black Box, Bota Box (Delicato), Hardy's, Boho, and other's. You can't take these wines too serously, but then Halloween is one or our less serious holidays. These are the party wines for party food/snacks. And, do you really want to open a $12 bottle of Chardonnay or Cab to fill the travel tumbler you're carrying with you as you walk your trick-or-treaters around the neighborhood.

Wine Website Wednesday

Check out Dr. Vino (Tyler Colman) - it's a blog that has features like a website with tons of great wine information. And yes, he really is a doctor.

2007 Campus Oaks Old Vine Zinfandel

2007 Campus Oaks Old Vine Zinfandel
Lodi, California

Sourced from four blocks of vineyards which average
90 years of age, this Zinfandel delivers a great nose,
wonderful mouth-feel, good legs and a
silky-smooth finish.
With over a half-dozen gold medals to its
credit so far, it’s easy to see why this varietal has become
the flagship of our Campus Oaks line.
From www.gnekowwinery.com

2007 Tercos Bonarda

2007 Tercos Bonarda
Mendoza, Argentina
Imported by Global Vineyard Importers
Bonarda is the second most planted grape variety in Argentina (after Malbec), and is thought to be the same grape as the Italian Charbono. The grape originally hails from Piedmont, and was brought to Argentina by immigrants. These grapes are grown on the Tupungato mountainside—one of the highest elevations in the Andes—where the days are warm and the nights cool. New from Tercos, this Bonarda is unoaked, vibrant and full of fresh red fruits.
From www.globalvineyard.com

Wines of the Week

In addition to writing about wine, hosting wine tastings, drinking wine with friends and family, I sell a line of wines and spirits in the Kansas City, MO market for Seven Seas Beverage. I usually present and sample several wines each week to restaurants and retailers. I'm sharing two interesting wines here today that I'll be sampling this week. Here's some background on each and later I'll provide a brief overview of how they were received.

Website Wednesday

I've just added a list of wine related websites that I like and think are interesting and good sources of wine and food information. I plan to add more on Wednesday's as I find others that make sense.

• Nat Decants - www.nataliemaclean.com - from Natalie MacLean, author of Red, White, and Drunk All Over. I like her writing style and she has a great food/wine pairing application on the site (and I've added the widget here on the blog). Sign-up for her free newsletter.
• Wine Lover's Page - www.wineloverspage.com - created by Robin Garr, a journalist and wine writer with many years of experience. Tons of wine info - including a Wine Lexicon that offers definitions and how to pronounce - (many include short MP3's to listen to) those tricky varietals like Cinsaut, Gewurtraminer, and Viognier. Sign-up for his free newsletter - 30-Second Wine Advisor
  

Everybody Wants a Deal

To find some of the best "Deals" on wine, look outside the US. There are tremendous values to be found in wines from:
South America - Chile, Argentina
Italy - lesser know regions like Marche, Pugila, Abruzzo - also some wines from Tuscany that aren't from Chianti
Spain - Mainly reds - Garnacha, Syrah, Tempranillo or blends of these varietals can be nice, cheap, and interesting

Tuesday's Tasting Tip - 5 S's

I going to do this - every Tuesday I'll post a new wine drinking/enjoying tip (or two). Hopefully they will be unique and helpful in your wine drinking journey's.

Here's a basic one for today - the 5 S's - short and sweet.
Try this when you first begin drinking a new glass or sample of wine and continue as you like.
* See
* Swirl
* Smell
* Sip
* Swallow

Repeat.

It will all make sense eventually

One of my favorite things besides drinking and enjoying wine, is helping other people enjoy wine.

I've come to discover that wine, like many things in life can be as simple or as complicated as you choose to make it. But, as with most things, if you know some of the basics, it can make an activity more interesting and often more fulfilling.

My goal is to provide a source of information and opportunities for an exchange of thoughts, tips, tricks and inspiration for us to enjoy wine, food and friends - while keeping it fun and entertaining as well.

I plan to accomplish this though my blog, website (coming soon), and my services - Tom's Wine Sense.

Whether this is at a tasting event, in home, or online - I hope to help others enjoy their wine experiences. Make sense?