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

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

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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

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

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

I’ve been sticking to my promise of drinking Chardonnay – today is my third installment in my quest to try all the top brands.  I have to say I’ve become a fan.  Don’t expect me to stick to white tonight!  I plan on painting the town RED!  Today tho I tried the Trinitas 09′ this gorgeous wine was like dessert.  I got top-notch pure fruit of peach, pear and citrus, on the nose, with smokey baking spiced toast.  The delicious aromas from the bouquet are confirmed in a rich mouthful of butterscotch toasty oak.

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

TASTE  4 – Amazing

PRICE  4 – Screaming Deal $21.98 AMAZING GRAPES

COOL FACTOR  1 – Been Done