Las Rocas - don't drink it alone

Las Rocas de San Alejandro
Vinas Viejas 2005
Calatayud
Spain

Garnacha
2005

What I mean is that you need to drink it with food - chocolate, pizza, anything! Just not by itself - it tastes weird.

It's a great pairing wine. Drink it with something.

Sendik's in Franklin

Crios - I believe I love it...

Crios de Susana Balbo

50% Syrah
50% Bonarda

Mendoza
Argentina

Balbo describes this wine as "extremely lovable and fun to be around." I'd agree, except for the "extremely" part. That's just a little dramatic. But really, a good wine to have on hand in the house.

Got it at Cost Plus . It's a standard one they usually have there. At least in Greendale, Wisconsin, where we call Cost Plus "World Market"... and have NO IDEA what a "Cost Plus" is.

P.S. she says this is part of her offspring wine collection ("Crios"). She splits all her barrels before blending - the good ones into parents - or her signature wines. This Crios is part of the "other" barrels. Hmmmm.

Borsao - NEVER would have bought, but LOVED

BORSAO
2006
Campo de Borja
Spain

Seriously... I would have never bought this wine because the label sucks. I would have never even given it a shot. But Kevin @ Sendiks in Franklin said I should try it... so I did.

AWESOME. I really like it. It's simple.

75% Garnacha
25% Tempranillo

Solanera - should probably do again...

Castano
Solanera
2004

Yecla region in southern Spain

Monastrell 65% -my fave grape (right now)
Cabernet Sauvignon 20%
Tintorera 15%

On back of bottle:
"The resulting wine is deeply colored, with the ripe, rich flavors of the Mediterranean."

Hmmmm... I don't know if I'd call it "flavors of the Mediterranean"... what exactly are those flavors again?

Sendiks in Franklin, WI

2006 Layer Cake Shiraz- C'EST PARFAIT

oh my gosh... so so good. on sale for $13.99 at Sendik's in Franklin.
so smooth. so rich. so light.
audrey, do I sound like a wine reviewer yet?

"one hundred percent pure"
shiraz
vintage 2006
barossa valley - south australia

on back of bottle ...
"my old grandfather made and enjoyed wine for 80 years. He told me the soil in which the vines lived were a layer cake. He said the wine, if properly made, was like a great layer cake, fruit, mocha and chocolate, hints of spice and rich, always rich, 'never pass up a layer cake', he would say. I have always loved those words."

Elle at Work

Elle helping me take pictures... and doing a little modeling.

nikon d80 rocks!

I am getting better at using my D80 ... at least I choose to believe it... it keep me motivated. These are the pics I took for this week's shopdetour.com home page...

2002 el vinculo - pretty good

Pretty good, not amazing... not incredibly memorable but I'd definitely try again.

Un Vino de Alejandro Fernandez
Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez Tinto Pesquera

Ciudad Real, Espana

La Mancha Red Wine

PRETTY GOOD - I'd try again.

2005 Juan Gil - MY LOVE AFFAIR

Oh my gosh, I am seriously in love with Juan Gil, and any wine store that carries it. Both Cost Plus-World Market and Sheridan's carry it - so I am pretty much covered.

But seriously, amazing. I think it is about $13.99/ bottle or something like that (in Wisconsin dollars).

MY LOVE AFFAIR

2005 Juan Gil

100% monastrell

Jumilla Red Wine
Product of Spain
Bodegas Juan Gil

2006 Pillar Box Red - LOVE IT

This is an absolute "Find". Not that it was that hard to find given it was at Cost Plus/ World Market ... for about $10. K&L Wine Merchants has it on sale right now for $7.99. We all know I have some aversion to wines priced less than $12 buckaroos, but this one I can't stop drinking it. That might be a separate problem, but seriously. Get this one for everyday.

2006 Pillar Box Red

Shiraz 50%, Cabernet 42%, Merlot 8%

Padthaway, Australia

Chris Ringland Winemaker Consultant

LOVE IT