Is it wrong?

At the risk of losing all credibility for taste... tonight I'm drinking a Spanish white that I got from Trader Joe's. Not being much of a white-drinker, I really like it pretty cold.

Here's the shocking part... I drink it packed with ice. As it melts, I add a touch more wine and maybe another ice cube... repeat.

I am well aware that it will be watered down by the ice as it melts, but that doesn't bother me all that much. It is a spicyish wine, inexpensive, but easy to drink. The fact that it is $5.99 at Trader Joe's makes it easy to keep the cabinet stocked. I want to know if anyone else does this. A great reason for a post. Does anyone else have their wine with ice. It's definitely taboo, I know, but if people drink spritzers, is it really all that bad? It's like a spritzer without bubbles. (I'm not actually sure people drink spritzers anymore, I'm speculating)

There are many other ways to do this, one of my favorites is to use frozen grapes (of course you'll get fewer dirty looks if you have company). But... when I get home from a long day, it's 115 deg outside, and I just want to chill... this is what I do. I like this wine and in the winter drink it without any ice, although I tend to "go red" as soon as the temp falls below 89 deg.

Do we have to take it all so seriously? I mentioned the idea for this post to a friend & immediately a knowing smile was returned: "I use frozen peaches!" ... Immediately I thought of sangria... So, today I have been testing this theory (please excuse any typos- I'll try to fix them tomorrow before I have any wine). They definitely added a sweetness as they thawed and you have the added benefit of eating the peach at the end (my favorite part)!- Thanks to Lucia for this one!

This topic also brings to mind a memory from my childhood. My parents weren't big white drinkers, either... My mom didn't drink much at all. They would go to Napa every summer and return with their favorites- always red. At some point sparkling wine came into the mix (I remember learning the laws involved with the word "champagne" at the Chandon tour we had one year- I think I was 11). My parents would often put a frozen strawberry in their champagne, us kids would get 7up in a flute with a frozen strawberry- we felt so fancy. Mind you, this was usually in August & there was a good chance we were on a boat (also- it was during the 80s, so please don't judge my parents) I'll be trying this soon!

So, what are the rules? Why do we have rules? It's similar to a cocktail or sangria, a refreshing drink to have the end of the day. Shouldn't it only matter if we enjoy it? On a hot afternoon (especially when I'm painting or writing) I tend to get carried away, not paying any attention to how much I'm drinking- the ice is the smartest choice for me! But, when I have company, I will continue to offer frozen grapes to "freshen the coolness" of the glass.

The wine: Marqués de Cáceres, 2010 Rioja

Please tell me what you think. I think this makes for a great conversation & look forward to hearing the discussion in the comment section. And please let me know what else you would like to discuss.

Soave tasting... 2 Italians paired with chicken... one hit, one miss

I've had several requests to start a wine blog... I have no training in this subject, just a lot of experience "tasting" wines & a desire to talk about them (if you're a friend of mine on Facebook, you've surely seen some of my posts). The problem I seem to be having is that I have no idea what to write about them. Sure I can take a photo of the label & give it a quick caption. It just doesn't seem all that interesting. This is the first real post (warning: it's a long one).

We started with a menu & made our way to 3rd Corner for some help with the wine. Ed (owner) was there, perfect! After hearing our plans for the menu, he started talking about the wines that would pair well. He began suggesting some options, then stopped at the Roccolo Grassi Soave, "this is what you're going to have!" I think I even said "you're sure?" sort of sarcastically playing off of his very determined selection. He responded with a smile & "Yes, what time is dinner?" (Roccolo Grassi Soave, $20 at 3rd Corner).

• Soave [swah-vey]  -  a dry white wine from the veneto region of NE Italy, named for the town where it is produced.

We then ran to Trader Joe's to find a similar wine. Just to compare & see how the wine can vary. (D'Aquino Soave Classico, $3.99 at Trader Joe's)

  

 The dinner was a mustard honey glazed chicken thighs with rosemary lemon potatoes & mushrooms, and a simple salad with homemade honey mustard dressing. You can find the recipe on my other blog, glutenfreebabble.blogspot.com. It's worth trying, we both went back for seconds!

Ed's selection of an italian soave was perfect. When we first tasted it, we enjoyed it. Not being big "white drinkers" there was hesitation in calling it a great wine, but we really liked it.

Once we started with dinner it was clear that Ed really listened & thought about our menu! The wine was brilliant with dinner. It had the strength to stand up against the powerful stone-ground mustard and sweet honey, but didn't compete or overpower at all. I actually struggled with what bite to take next, trying for the perfect pairing of flavors... In the end I chose to take a small sip of wine after nearly each taste of food (why choose, the wine went so beautifully with all of it!)

• Dave questioned my use of the word "strength," he saw it more as "weight" and called it "heavy & almost lethargic... a lethargic winter white" then proceeded to slide down in his chair and lean back as if he couldn't bare the weight of his own head... I disagree with the term lethargic- but was entertained enough to include it here.

The TJ's wine didn't work out nearly as well, we instantly tasted cork... We left the glasses and bottle on the counter the rest of the evening, only returning once (after about 15 min) to see if that is still what it tasted like... it was. I'm not sure if it's a poor wine, or if it was just a bad bottle- if I feel like trying it again, I'll update this post with the final verdict.

• Dave's description was much less polite, calling it "an acidic and corkish experience," he added that "it doesn't help that it starts out as a dreadful wine on its own"

Dave had given up on the D'Aquino completely, but in the interest of fairness I tried it with the meal... once. The rest of the bottle was disposed of.

This isn't to say that Trader Joe's wines aren't good. There are several that we purchase on a regular basis. This also doesn't mean that you have to spend more $$ to find a better wine. Many times I've enjoyed an $8-$10 wine more than another at double the cost. (In fact, I'm drinking a $6 wine from Trader Joe's and enjoying it! It just worked out that way this time. Here's an image of the dinner, complete.

What did I learn? I probably like Soave & should learn more about it, or at least try it again.

Please let me know if you enjoyed this post or if you tried either of these wines in the comment section below. Also let me know if you have ideas for future posts. I'll try to come up with something soon!

Cheers! - Mi