Author Archives: vanessaweeks

About vanessaweeks

My name is Vanessa Weeks and I am currently drinking, selling and blogging about wine. I don’t believe in treading lightly or tiptoeing around a subject. I believe in jumping in and getting messy if that’s what it takes to get what I need. I just can’t seem to get enough out of life, I’m always searching for more. If this sounds familiar, then join me on my first documented journey into exploring the wines of the world. I will be rating wine in such a style that a beginning wine enthusiast will fully understand and be able find their palate and discover their own personal favorites. I don’t believe wine has to be such a serious subject, you should be having fun and feeling passionate about unearthing a new dimension in this crazy world. Believe me wine has its own zip code.

Out of the comfort zone and IN MY GLASS

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I feel as though I’ve fallen under the seductive spell of California Cabernet.  It’s totally crazy, when the purpose of this blog is to explore the wines of the world.  I refuse to be tied down to anything, or restricted by my own desires.  Hey, it’s  hard NOT to lose objectivity and fall into a habit, when the habit is drinking fabulous wine.  I’m not saying California Cabs are a bad habit, it’s just that my goal is to slip out of my safety zone by trying new varietals and sharing them with you.  At least the good ones.  I went into The Wine House,  with that goal in mind. I found my way to the Syrah, Shiraz area.  Syrah/Shiraz are the same varietal, but in Australia they call it Shiraz.  More about that later.  I discovered a Syrah from Zaca Mesa, one of my favorite wineries.  They lived up to my expectations again.

This is a full-bodied, bold wine with a gorgeous nose of ripe blueberries, rich black berries, violets and licorice.  It was dry with smooth tannins and a silky finish with subtle notes of smokey oak and coco.  This beauty goes well with rack of lamb but I paired it with a cheese board of extra sharp cheddar and salami and was quite satisfied.

I gave this wine an 11 – Check V’s Rating System

TASTE  -  4  Amazing

PRICE  -  4  Screaming Deal  $19.99 The Wine House L.A.

COOL FACTOR  -  3  Gotta Have It

Stupid Cupid IN MY GLASS?

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FOREFRONT 07  -  Cabernet Blend

Stupid Cupid is about to make his appearance any day now.  Doesn’t he know love can make you sick?  Love can kill.  People have been known to die of broken hearts.  Still this chubby little cherub persists on shooting his deadly arrows, through otherwise sane people’s hearts.  This is why I don’t feel sad, when I see all those lovey- dovey couples that look to be on cloud 9, while I sit alone.  Because I know that a broken heart awaits them, so I am more than happy to spend Valentines Day alone or with my single friends drinking wine and discussing how blissfully happy we are to walk alone.  If you are part of a duo I really wish you luck and if your heart is broken, head to the wine store for some rejuvination.

I went to Total Wine last week and tried a few Cabs and decided I’d pour Forefront, the makers of Stags Leap, to my  hopelessly single friends.  It pairs well with chocolate, which I plan to serve a lot of.

I absolutely LOVE this Cabernet blend.  It reminds me of the  kind of men I like to date.  Deep, rich, complex yet balanced.  This baby is deep purple in color, a big rich lush wine, with Syrah added to the blend to add structure.  Aromas of blackcherry, blueberry and baked raspberry on the nose. The attack on the palate was ripe blackfruit, coffee grounds, vanilla and toasty oak. The finish was long with velvety tannins and hints of dark chocolate.  This wine will pair well with roasted meats, but I’m breaking out the chocoloate!

I gave this wine an 8  -  Check V’s Rating System

TASTE  -  3  Very Good

PRICE  -  3  Deal  17.99  Total Wine

COOL FACTOR  -  2  Hot

What is IN MY GLASS tonight

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CHATEAU DE ROCHEMORIN 05′  -  Bordeaux Blend

Robert Parker believes, “The finest glasses for both technical and hedonistic purposes are those made by Riedel.  The effect of these glasses on fine wine is profound.  I cannot emphasize enough what a difference they make.”  I have recently started using these glasses myself, thank you Santa!

I have no idea if the wine tastes any better, but I do plan on doing a taste test and will report back.  But I certainly feel very sexy using them.  By now you’ve realized I’m kind of a show-off, but I do sincerely enjoy the entire ritual of opening the wine and decanting it.  If you can’t think of a gift for a friend who loves wine, Riedel is perfection.  I’ve been a wine lover ever since way back, OMG the 80′s..  Back while my friends were tapping kegs, I was drinking Boones Farm and feeling just a little above the rest of the crowd. I’m not sure all wine lovers are as easy-going as me, so I always stick with Riedel or other cool wine accessories.

I had enough restraint to not drink my 05′ Bordeaux, Chateau de Rochemorin for 3 weeks – a long time for me.  I had been waiting for the Riedel decanter I would be getting has a late Holiday gift..

This gorgeous wine took my breath away, it’s a classic Bordeaux blend of 60% Cab and 40% Merlot, from Pessace-Leogan.  Dark ruby in color, full-bodied, with aromas of dried black cherries, tobacco and coffee beans.  The attack on the palate was more dark fruit, earth and smoke.  It was well-balanced, with smooth tannins and a hint of coco on the finish.

I gave this wine a 9  -  Check V’s Rating System

TASTE  -  3  Very Good

PRICE  -  4  Screaming Deal  $19.99 Total Wine

COOL FACTOR  -  2  Hot

What’s IN MY GLASS during Play-Offs

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EVODIA  08′  -  Grenache

EVODIA Granacha

I have really been living La Dolce Vita these last few weeks.  Hey it’s a New Year and I am a natural when it comes to celebrating – it’s one of the things I do best.  Now I’m getting back to my roots, and back to my budget, before I go completely broke!  I promised to review great tasting, inexpensive wines/ aka killer prices. I have one for the books today!  I picked wines for a flight night that were all different varietals, from different countries.  They were all very good, but the Evodia, for the taste and the mind-blowing price, took first place. A few bottles came home with me and I broke them out during the Green Bay Game on Sunday.  It’s a Spanish wine  made from 100% old vines of Granacha, they call it Grenache everywhere else.  Yes that’s me blocking the TV and looking content, thanks to this great wine. Believe me I wasn’t crazy about the outcome of the game.  I was looking forward to seeing Rogers and Brady play against each other.

Evodia Garnacha

This fantastic babe is grown from vines that are over 100 years old.  This is a classic Granacha from Spain, deep dark violet in the glass.  I got aromas of strawberry, blueberry, perfumed flowers and pink pepper, if such a thing exists.  It’s a juicy bright wine that is very drinkable.  It will go great with all things grilled.  I had it with a cheese board and salami and it was awesome!

I gave this wine a 10   -  Check V’s Rating System

TASTE  3  -  Very Good

PRICE  4  -  Screaming Deal

COOL FACTOR  3  -  Gotta Have It

What was IN MY GLASS @Rose Bowl

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LA MARCA – Proseco

V @Rose Bowl

I’m not going to talk about NYE and the amazing Champagne I drank, because I don’t want you to hate me!  It was very expensive, but free, it was a gift!  I love good Champagne, Sparkliing wines, Cava from Spain but I’m a huge fan of Proseco.  Proseco is the Italian version of Champagne, much less expensive and remarkably good.

When I arrived at the 98th Rose Bowl game’s, VIP Tailgate Party, I wasn’t feeling top notch.  All the festivities from the past few days had finally caught up to me.  I approached the bar hesitantly, thinking ahh maybe I should just have water.  When I saw they had one of my all time favorite Prosecos, La Marca, my eyes lit up and all bets were off!
La Marca Proseco is an award winning wine.  In 2007 it was listed as one of the top 100 wines by Wine Spectator.
La Marca Proseco

This delicate beauty is always refreshing.  I got aromas of peach, baked apple pie, lemon and hints of grapefruit.  This sparkler had flavors of honeysuckle, more baked apple, with minerality.  The texture of this wine was slightly creamy, with a pretty acidity.  It’s best served chilled with seafood, although I had it with chilli at a Tailgate Party.  It is definitely versatile.

I gave this wine an 8 – Check V’s Rating System

TASTE  -  3  Very Good

PRICE  -  4  Screaming Deal  -  14.98

COOL FACTOR  -  2  Hot

V's Wine Notes Fan Page on Facebook

What was IN MY GLASS Last Night

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BEAULIEU VINEYARDS 07′Georges De Latour Private Reserve Cabernet

Vanessa Weeks with bottle of Beaulieu Vineyard

It is time to fill your cellars and the place to stock up is AMAZING GRAPES WINE STORE.  We have just come into a beautiful stash of extremely cellar worthy wines!  If you have room for some fantastic Napa Cabs then you need to get down here, and fast!  With names like, Far Niente, Silver Oak, Matriarch, Plump Jack, Darioush, Larkmead and Paul Hobbs and vintages ranging from 1997-2007, they won’t last long.  I had such a hard time making up my mind who to take home, with so many beauties to choose from.  I finally chose the Beaulieu Vineyards 07′ Georges De Latour Private Reserve Cabernet.  It was my friends’ Birthday and I know he loves Cabs and I also knew he would open the bottle on the spot and not cellar it.  Yes it’s all about me, even when it’s someone else’s Birthday.  So what, I was killing two birds with one stone.  I got an awesome gift for a dear friend and I got the chance to drink a killer bottle of wine.  Total Score!

This is a classic Napa Cab, very deep dark and inky in color, with depths unimaginable.  Aromas of sweet black fruit, spicy smoked oak and full bodied.  This wine had layer upon layer of flavors.  Every time I came back to it I discovered something new and interesting.  The core was earth, black licorice and dried currant, but there was more to come, the finish kept going.  I know I said I was only going to review inexpensive wines, but this wine was too special to pass up.  Plus I feel like I only paid 1/2 price since I gave it has a gift and got to drink it!

I gave this wine a 9  -  Check out V’s Rating System

TASTE  -  4  Amazing

PRICE  -  2  On the Money  $89.98  AMAZING GRAPES WINE STORE

COOL FACTOR  -  3  Gotta Have It

 

What was IN MY GLASS Sunday

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IL POGGIONE 04 – Brunello di Montalcino

The Holiday Party Season is upon us and we all know how important and dodgy these situations can get.  Yes, of course we  want to appear confident and uber cool, even when our nerves are rattling and our legs  shaking. Still we hope for some of the more coveted invites,  at least I do, because I still  love to show off and I’m even more  nervous this year, as I am freshly arrived to the west coast from New York City.   Nerves or no nerves I absolutely love to dress up and be seen, so I decided to jump right in, and make my first stop Giuseppe Franco’s Christmas Party in Beverly Hills.  These Holiday Parties are more than mere social occasions; they are also places where business opportunities for the New Year can be found.  I believe in giving gifts above and beyond my price range, and schmoozing whoever needs to be schmoozed, hey whatever it takes to impress the boss or a new client.

I decided to give the gift of wine, it’s the obvious choice, being that I’m a Sommelier.   I picked out IL Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2004, besides it being one of my favorite wines, it is also one I have no problem pronouncing.  I’m still a baby in the wine business and am unafraid to admit I can’t pronounce all the wines I love.  Once upon a time I use to think sipping White Zinfandel was the epitome of trendy, but now I work as the Sommelier at Amazing Grapes Wine Store, and have wised up.  I hope you will think of me as a mentor who won’t look down her nose as I guide you thru the exciting wines of the world.  Hey back in the day I also use to be a big fan of Boones Farm, we all have to start somewhere.

The IL Poggione Brunello di Montalcino I handed off to Giuseppe Franco   Sunday night is one with major pedigree.  A dark ruby-red, with layers of fine black fruit, spices, dried roses, and tobacco was framed by smooth elegant tannins.  I tasted a mouthful of delicious dark plum and juicy raspberry at first, but when I came back to it I discovered new layers and levels of complexity with a bright finish that went on and on.  Robert Parker gave this wine 95 points and it is also a dark beauty you can cellar for the next 10 years and still find exciting.

I gave this wine an 11 -  Check out V’s Rating System

TASTE – 4  Amazing

PRICE – 4 Screaming Deal $39.99 Amazing Grapes Wine Store

COOL FACTOR – 3 Gotta Have It

What was IN MY GLASS last night

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CYCLE BUFF BEAUTY 09  Shiraz Malbec

I work at Amazing Grapes Wine Store and often debate wine labels with Jeffrey. He loves the sexy labels which Australia seems to excel at and I think they are kind of cheesy. Shopping by the label is nothing new, but I’ve been paying more attention to who buys what as it relates to age and marketing. I’ve noticed that most of our younger clientele, people between the ages of 21-25, are steering clear of the wine and are pulled towards our killer selections of beer. My only conclusion for this is price but also very hip labeling on the beers.

It got me thinking, maybe these wine labels Jeffrey likes so much aren’t that cheesy after all – maybe they’re smart! Perhaps pictures of Chateaus on bottles and prices out of range are responsible for the younger set staying away. Wineries are alienating a large group of potential customers by not promoting to them in a way that they find appealing. Marketing 101 folks!

In my humble opinion, the demographics of people ages 21-25 think of wine as being for people their parents age. Misfits Wine Co. get’s it by putting cool comic strip style sexy women on their bottles of wine. What’s wrong with a little pandering to promote wine as being sexy and fun instead of serious and stuffy. People in that demographic may be easily lured by the promise of sex, but they do have other thoughts in their head. I think whatever it takes to get their attention is fine. Once you have it, I believe they will be captivated by the wine industry and become interested in learning more. Bottom line here, wineries should take a lesson from the hot craft beer business.

There are plenty of great wines out there that are in young peoples price range. I decided to do a write up on Misfits Wine Co, Cycle Buff Beauty. The label is smoking hot. The wine is an Australian blend of 60% Malbec and 40% Shiraz with the flavor of dark cherry and exotic kitchen spices, sweet black berries with more spice in the mouth, and it’s all held together by fine grained tannins. This wine was given an 87 by International Wine Cellar.

I gave this wine a 9 – check out V’s Rating System

TASTE  3 – Very Good

PRICE  4 – Screaming Deal $15.98 AMAZING GRAPES

COOL FACTOR  2 – Hot