Bacchus & Beery Wine Blog

Jul 032012
 
2009 Duck Pond Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR, $20 (S) – Rating 89

A great value Pinot Noir at $20. Opens with a nose of cherry and leather which gives way to lighter-style flavors of cherry and raspberry with hints of leather and spice. Balanced acidity and a hint of sweetness round out this go-to Pinot. Buy This Wine

Jul 022012
 
2011 Hogwash Rose, California Rose Wine, Mendocino and Paso Robles, Ca, $16 (S) – Rating 90

A blend of two Grenache vineyards in Mendocino and Paso Robles, the nose offers of notes of watermelon and cherry with memories of Jolly Rancher red candy. Fun crisp flavors of red cherry, strawberry and spicy raspberry are balanced with great food-friendly acidity. Enjoy chilled on the patio or with light summer fare. Buy This Wine

Jul 022012
 
2005 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, CA, $41 (S) – Rating 91

This mountain Cabernet continues to come into its own. Give it a good 30 minutes in decanter for full effect. The opening act is a nose of dark cherry, chocolate with hints of tobacco box. A rich but not over-ripe artisan Cab, it will fill the palate with flavors of dark cherry, dark fruit, chocolate and spice with subtle tobacco and leather notes. Very well-integrated and balance tannins. Buy this Wine.

Jun 302012
 

wine blog, wine blogs, best wine blogWe had no plans to attend. We didn’t even expect to be in town so we made no effort to get press credentials for the Aspen Food and Wine Classic 2012 until it was far too late. But the best times, as we learned, can happen with a total lack of planning…but always include wine.

Since one of our sons was home from college working at his restaurant management internship, we decided to cut our travels short and return to Denver earlier than expected. Over the previous two weeks a number of kind wineries and winemakers had sent invitations to your humble bloggers for off-site Aspen parties. So after a little effort we booked a small condo in Snowmass, 8 miles away, and decided “who needs the fancy tents anyway…we have wine parties to attend!” In all honesty, next year I really want event tickets after seeing what I could from afar. Continue reading »