Blind Pinot Noir Tasting; Setting The Record Straight!

Who has the best Pinot Noir in the under $20 category? Drumroll……….California! Yes, I had to arrange this blind tasting. Two Oregon Pinot Noir’s, two California and one French facing off in a totally blind tasting. Four non professional tasters (thou I think we were very professional last night), got together munching on foods that supposedly pairs well with Pinot Noir. Gluten free chips and veggies with hummus, stuffed mushrooms, and mushroom risotto, all gluten and dairy free. And I believe the food turned out to be perfect because all the wines improved when tasted with the food, except maybe the dessert, wich was “key lime energy bites”, the lime crashed with the acidity in the wines.

I asked everyone to taste all the wines without food first, and then again with the food. And we all wrote down anything that came to our minds, and we rated the wines with a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest.

The winner with a total of 13.5 points was the 2010 Forest Glen from California. We all agreed it had a nice color and a bright and fruity aroma. On the palate we got cherry, with a nice long finish with a hint of vanilla. Three of us guessed that this was the French wine, and we were so wrong, wich is what makes a blind tasting so much fun lol.

In a close second with 13 points we had a tie between the other California wine and the French wine. The California wine, a 2011 Robert Mondavi, had a good color in the glass, and a sweet cherry aroma. We got flavors of cherry with medium acidity and a little dry medium short finish.

The French wine was a 2011 Couvent Des Jacobin. The color in the glass was a little lighter, but still good. Some of us picked up earthiness in both the aroma and the flavor. A bit high acidity and flat. Some said bland.

On the bottom of the barrel, Oregon…..not very surprising to us, but considering the reputation of Oregon Pinot Noir, they should be on the top. In fourth place with 9.5 points the 2011 Rainstorm. Medium light color in the glass. I got a light cherry aroma, while some got a musty smell. On the palate this wine also left us with bland, flat feeling.

Last one was the 2011 Primarius with only 7 points. Very light color in the glass. The nice cherry aroma was probably the best part of this wine, because it was so light that it felt like it was watered down. Flavors of cherry and red currant was so vague that one taster said she felt cheated.

Conclusion; California rocks the under $20 category of Pinot Noir, with France in a close second. It is hard to find Oregon wines in this category here on the east coast. Who knows what the outcome would be if we did this on the west coast, or even in Oregon. I’m sure the selection would be a lot better there. Or we could imagine a whole different scenario, lets just say my wine-budgett increased to around $50 per bottle, and then do this test all over again……

The conclusion could also be as simple as, my friends and I just don’t like Oregon Pinot Noir…

Anyway, this was a lot of fun, and we are looking forward to more challenges like this. I’m already coming up with ideas for future blind tastings, how about “wines of Italy” or “Cabernet, guess the price of this bottle”. I’ll think of something good while finishing the 4 half full bottles of Pinot Noir that’s sitting on my counter. Cheers!

More Great Tastings From Norway!

I’m really getting spoiled on my vacation. We paired two excellent wines with steak on Saturday. The first bottle was a 2005 Montecillo Rioja 130 Grand Reserva. This wine surprised me with a citrus flavor at first wich mellowed when paired with food. Dark fruits stood out with a nice and smooth finish. The other bottle was a 2010 Sant Antonio Selezione Castagnedi Amarone Della Valpolicella, and it is one of my favorites so far. A very nice and complex wine, that was full-bodied with dark cherries and black currant.

On Sunday we had another fish dinner that was also caught, prepared and cooked by my Dad. This time it was Mackerel that he also fried in the pan with sour cream. This kind of fish is so good when prepared like this. The wine we chose to pair with the fish was a 2011 Petit Chablis Vibrant. Again a very nice wine, crisp with citrus flavors, and a hint of oak.

The next treat was a rain deer casserole. I have never had venison, so I can’t compare the taste here, but rain deer is one of my very favorites. We paired this wonderful dish with a wine that I had been wanting to try for a while now, a 2010 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, and wow! Aromas of dark fruits, and flavors of dark cherries and plum, with a smooth long finish. It has to be the best one so far, I absolutely love this wine.

Only two days left of my Norway vacation, amazing how fast time goes by. I have done a little sightseeing, and tonight I’m going out for dinner with my girlfriends, that will for sure be a good time. I should still get some more wine tasting done, so stay tuned. cheers!

Self Caught And Self Picked Dinner, Paired With A French White!

My first dinner in Norway was totally credited my Dad. He caught and cooked the fish, filet of arctic Char pan seared with sour cream, and it was absolutely delicious. We paired the fish with a bottle of 2010 Gunther, Grand Fief De La Cormeraie Sur Lie Muscadet Sevre Et Maine. It was a little more complex white, with flavors of citrus and melon, and a hint of oak. The finish was quite long with citrus.

The meal was topped of with my favorite of all favorites, Cloudberries with cream and sugar. My Dad picked the berries himself, walking trough the woods and swamps fighting off the mosquitoes, as he hand-picked these wonderful berries.

Must say that when I finally got here  my vacation got of to a pretty good start. Looking forward to many more tastings of both my old favorite foods, and new wines. Cheers!

Girls Night In!

What a difference a day makes….yesterday I called my massage therapist in desperation, to get my aching shoulder fixed. Tonight….enjoying a Zinfandel that I picked up on my way home from my massage… So right now I’m still kind of in that drowsy, feel good kind of state, that you get from a good massage, my shoulder is a whole lot better, and the $10 bottle of Zinfandel is just awesome. This 2010 Cline Zinfandel has flavors of cherry, dark berries and spice. It is a full-bodied wine with subtle tannins and a smooth finish.

Last week I had some of my girlfriends over for dinner. It was a quite interesting menu, with mexican inspired “avocado/shrimp dip” for appetizer, my new favorite, the Indian inspired “basil chicken in coconut curry sauce” for main course, and for dessert we had a recipe from Tosca Reno’s Clean Eating book “Super Pudding”.

The wines were also a bit all over. We started with the one I had already opened, a bottle of The Champ Reserve California Red Table Wine. A pretty good sipping wine, and everyone enjoyed this bottle.

With the main course I wanted the Gewürztraminer I had picked up, while the others were all red wine drinkers, so we opened a bottle of 2012 Pinot Noir from Les Fontanelles Pays D Oc, France. It was a very nice Pinot, with flavors of cherry and a hint of earthyness. A food friendly wine that was very enjoyable. The Gewürztraminer, was a 2011 vintage from Two Vines, Columbia Crest. I really enjoyed this wine, it was perfectly sweet for the semi spicy meal, and had flavors of citrus and pear.

The fun joker of the night was the Riesling that one of my friends brought, a 2003 Spatlese from Germany. It said on the label that it had flavors of apricot, and did it ever… I believe I was the only one who liked it. It didn’t pair to well with the food, but by itself I found it quite good. Lots and lots of apricot, but I like apricot lol.

Looking forward to another fun event on Sunday, Grape Stomping at Laurita Winery. Should be fun. Cheers!

Mom And Dad, Part 2; Chablis vs Chardonnay, Same Grape, Different Wine!

When I had my parents visiting, I really got to try some new and exciting wines. My Dad has always been a fan of Chablis, a wine that is totally unknown to me, and of course with the extended budget, we were able to widen my horizon a little.

The Chablis, a 2008 Vincent Damp, has only been getting low ratings, and didn’t impress me, but I still got the idea of what a Chablis is like. A light and fresh wine, with lots of citrus flavor. And I can imagine that a wine like this would be excellent with the shrimp we eat back home in Norway. They cook the shrimp right on the boat, in sea-water, they get an amazing flavor that way. Then we pair the shrimp with French loaf, majo and lemon juice. It is to die for…

I’m trying to educate myself as much as I can, and had to read up on Chablis. Finding out that it is Chardonnay grapes…who knew? A Chardonnay is a completely different type wine. This shows you how much influence the wine region, soil and the wine making process has on the wine. But it is not that simple, if it is a French Chablis, then you have 100% Chardonnay grapes grown in the Chablis region of France. (Chablis is the northernmost wine district of the Burgundy region in France.) A bottle of Chardonnay from USA must have at least 80% Chardonnay grapes grown from anywhere. If the bottle is Chablis and is from USA, all bets are off. It could have nearly anything inside. Many US bottlers in the 1970’s started using the term “Chablis” to mean “white wine”.

Another favorite of my Dad’s is Cancerre. We tried a 2011 Laurent Gerard Reserve Villes Vignes La Foret Des Dames Cancerre. A very pleasant wine, the same type I would say as the Chablis, very light and crisp with citrus flavors, but this wine was smoother and overall a better wine. Cancerre is an appellation located in the eastern end of the Loire Valley. Made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape, but red and rose Cancerre made from Pinot Noir, is increasingly popular.

A bucket of shrimp (Norwegian style) wouldn’t be bad right now. I should try to make it some time. Get some fresh shrimp with head’n all, cook it in salty water for a couple of minutes, add some majo and lemon juice….I definitly have to try that. Cheers!

Not A Fan Of Oregon Pinot Noir!

Oregon is well known for their Pinot Noir, and even does well in competitions in France, so why can’t I find a good one? And it is not just me, my friends say the same thing. I know that we have less to choose from here on the east coast, but I feel that If I can buy a nice Pinot Noir from France, I should be able to find one from Oregon too, if they are as good as the reviews say. Or are they so good that they cost more? I have found several nice bottles for around $10 from California and Europe, so why should Oregon be more expensive?

We got together for some Thai food and wine the other night, and one of the bottles was a 2010 Firesteed Pinot Noir from Oregon. None of us could drink it, and I ended up leaving an almost full bottle on the table when we left. On my wine app this wine got 3 stars, wich I thought was crazy, I could not give this wine more than 1 star, and my tasting notes are; Bad, tastes like water and dirt. Looked watery in the glass and had a strange earthiness on the nose. Not pleasant.

After that disaster, we opened a bottle of 2009 Domaine Caton Pinot Noir, from France. I was surprised to see that this wine only got 2 stars on my wine app, because we all thought it was quite nice.  Maybe it just seemed a lot better just because it followed behind a really bad wine? I gave this wine 3 stars. A medium bodied wine with lots of cherries. This bottle didn’t last after it was opened. We hadn’t finished it, so I went to have a glass the next day and it was very acidy, and not very smooth anymore.

The two winners of the night was a 2011 Pinot Noir from Cellar No. 8, a California wine, and a 2011 Riesling from Anyelas Vineyard, Finger Lakes New York. The Pinot was medium bodied with cherries and spice, and a hint of earthiness. I gave it 3 stars and that was the same as it had earned from other tasters. The Riesling was absolutely delicious. I have been looking for a Finger Lakes Riesling for a while, with no luck, then I got this bottle for my birthday last month from a friend that actually visited the vineyard. This wine was perfectly sweet with just enough acidity. It got 4 stars from me.

       

It has been a busy wine week and it is not over yet. Getting ready to visit a winery in Bucks County Pennsylvania. Looking forward to a great Sunday, Cheers!

There’s An App For That!

I believe I got my first cell phone around 1997, and the only thing I could do with it was make and receive phone calls. The next one was a little smaller in size, but had some games, and it was the start of the “texting era”. The phone I have now, is probably twice the size of that phone, but I wont even try to list all the things it can do. It is officially the “smart-phone era”. It seems to be a downloadable app for everything you could think of. My latest download was a wine app. It is the coolest thing….I scan (take a picture) a wine label, and the app gives me all kinds of info on that wine; price, grapes, winery, where I can by it, and tasting notes. It has become my new favorite toy. I can also put in my own tasting notes, and rank the wines, wich is very helpful when I’m going to write about the wine later.

It has been a very good wine week that started with a 2011 Bogle Pinot Noir that was enjoyed with bbq ribs. I paid around $10 for this bottle, and it was a big hit. Very nice and smooth, with cherries on the palate and an earthy finish. I gave this wine a 3.5.

The very next day we uncorked a bottle of 2012 Paul Durdilly Beaujolais, from Burgundy France. It is not often that I’m able to find a Burgundy for around $10, so I was excited to try this one. What a find! Very fruity with lots of cherries, absolutely delicious, and earned 4 stars from me.

Yesterday I opened a bottle of 2010 Fetzer Crimson Red Blend, from Dennis Martin. I really enjoyed this wine, it’s a bit sweet, with a lot of spice and plum. A great sipping wine that I ranked 3.5.

What a great week, and it’s only Thursday…I’m really looking forward to a wine tasting on Sunday, it should finish off the week perfectly. Life is great, Cheers!

Blog Post #100!

I reached a milestone in my blogging journey with blog post #100. Before I started the adventure with my website FineWineGlassesAndMore about a year ago, I would have never believed that I would actually sit here today, and write my 100th blog post. I used to struggle with a text message… but I enjoy it, and I’m learning a lot. I remember when I was a kid I loved to write stories, and in school when we got and essay assignment, I would always find a way to make my story about horses (my biggest passion in life).

My stories are not about horses anymore, but I still like to sneak in a little “horse talk” now and then about these majestic and gorgeous animals that I love so much. And since I’m on the subject, it is the biggest day of the year in Harness Racing on Saturday (Aug. 3rd). I would like to promote our great sport, because the place to be is The Meadowlands, in East Rutherford New Jersey, where the biggest trotting race in the World, “The Hambletonian” is on the program.

Witch wines will mark my mini anniversary? How about a Bordeaux and my first ever Rose. The Bordeaux, a 2009 Mayne Sansac was a little strange at first, but this wine grew on me. A full-bodied, quite bold wine, that was excellent paired with a marinara sauce. I only paid $10 for this bottle, so I thought it was great value.

I was told that I’m missing out by shying away from the Rose wines, so I figured I would get one while the weather is still worm. Ended up with a Spanish wine, 2010 Protocolo, from Eguren. Not a bad summer sip, light and crisp, easy to drink. Perfect on a hot day, when you look for something cold and refreshing. This bottle was only $8, so how could you go wrong?

I would like to thank my followers, and everyone else that has helped getting me over 1000 views on my blog. It is a totally new and exciting adventure for me that I’m hoping to continue for years to come. The world of wine is so complex and full of history, it just makes you want to learn more, and of course, the most important thing, taste more. Cheers!

India Paired With France!

I decided to use my summer office for writing my blog this morning. I’m laying on the beach watching the waves and the surfers as I’m working. There is nothing more peaceful. I love coming down to the Jersey Shore, my favorite place on earth.
The other day I went to an Indian restaurant with a friend. I always take it as a good sign if there is people of the same ethnicity as the restaurant, actually dining there. Meaning I would like to see Mexicans in the Mexican restaurant, and Chinese people in a Chinese restaurant, and so on. I believe that you get food that is close to what they eat in their home country, not something that is modified to suit the main stream public. In this Indian restaurant, we were the only non Indian people….. And the food was amazing, the spices they use is just so good. It is a totally different food experience. I really had no idea what wine to bring, was kind of thinking Riesling or a Gewürztraminer, but I didn’t have any, and there was no time to go shopping. I have learned one thing about food and wine pairing; French wine is very food friendly, so I decided to take a bottle of French table wine 2011 Domaine De Pere Caboche, Vin de Paysde Vaucluse. Since I don’t speak French, I have no clue what the label says, all I know is that it’s a blend, I only paid around 11 dollars for it, and it tasted great. As usual, the French wine paired well with the food. If you prefer your food real spicy, I would probably choose a Riesling, or at least something lighter on the sweet side.
What a great day in the office. They are having the annual Seafood Festival a few blocks up, I might have to grab some lunch. Cheers!

Cat On The Egg!

My first French white wine, Chat-en-Oeuf, a quite pleasant experience. A little dry, with lots of citrus, and a touch of apricot and spice. Was planning on pairing this wine with some beautiful sea scallops, that I picked up at the farmers market. As usual, I googled to find a recipe for the scallops. I wanted to make a sauce, and found a white wine sauce that looked like it would be good. This was the first time I ever intended to cook scallops. In my mind I thought “how hard can it be? Just don’t over cook them.”

Lets just say; I’m a little less confident now. That was absolutely the worst thing I’ve ever tasted! Horrible! I don’t know what went wrong, if the scallops were bad, or if I didn’t cook them right. All I know, is that it will be a while before I’m cooking scallops again.

My sauce was good thou, lol. Made with my Cat on The Egg French white wine. Must try their red wine some day too. Cheers!