Tasting #23 (02/10/12) ~ Pizza Man Tribute

Hosted by: Jason & Andrea (Greenfield)

Attended by (14): Jason, Andrea, Mike, Jen, Debby, Dan, Tad, Tiffany, Kris, Sarah, Andy, Kim, Doug, Lori.

Not Attending (7): Rich, Jon, Abbey, Mark, Cindy, Steve, Barb

Tastes:

1) Side Garden Salad (Debby) & 2009 Estancia Pinot Grigio (Jason & Andrea)

2) Thai Pizza (Kris & Sarah) & white wine (Tiffany)

3) French Onion Soup & Stone's Throw Rosso (Jason & Andrea)

4) Tomato, Basil & Cheese Garlic Bread (Kim & Andy) & 2007 Tandem Peloton (Dan & Tad)

5) Stuffed Shells (Mike & Jen) & Concannon Select Vineyard Pinot Noir (Doug & Lori)

6) Cannoli (Dan & Tad)

Tasting #22 (01/13/12) ~ Go To Favorites

Hosted by: Mike & Jen

Attended by (15): Mike, Jen, Jason, Andrea, Debby, Dan, Tad, Mark, Tiffany, Kris, Sarah, Doug, Lori, Steve, Barb

Theme: Thought up by Mike & Jen. "Bring your favorite go-to wine. Doesn’t matter the price, brand, varietal, etc. Since we do have a larger group for this tasting, please bring 2 bottles of your wine so everyone can get a 1.5 oz taste. If you like, bring info on it and maybe a couple of words why this is your go-to...no problem if you don’t. If you want to bring an app to pair with your wine, that is fine too."

Number of wines tasted: 8

WINE #
* Brought by: Debby
* Winery: Markus Molitor (Zeltinger Himmelreich plot)
* Grape: Spatlese (late harvest, fully ripe grapes) Reisling
* Region: Germany, Mosel Region (3rd largest by production, leading by Int'l prestige)
* Vintage: 2007
* Alcohol %: 7.5%
* Price: $10 to $16
* Purchased: Discount Liquor (51st & Oklahoma)
* Paired: Jambalya
* Description: Offers bold scents of wet stone, pineapple & melon, turning honeyed & tropical on the palate. It's sweet & lush, perfect for near-term consumption with mildly spicy Asian cuisine.

WINE #
* Brought by: Mike & Jen
* Winery: Kim Crawford
* Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
* Region: New Zealand, South Island
* Vintage: 2011
* Alcohol %: 13.5%
* Price: $15
* Purchased: Sendik's, New Berlin
* Paired: Chicken & mushroom risotto
* Description: Pale green color, finish is fresh & zesty, hints of pineapple & stonefruit & herbs, will develop over time

WINE #
* Brought by: Jason & Andrea
* Winery: Michel Picard
* Grape: Grenache (75%), Syrah (25%)
* Region: France, Cotes du Rhone region
* Vintage: ?
* Alcohol %: 13.0%
* Price: $10
* Purchased: Thief Wine (also available at Sendik's)
* Paired: not paired intentionally, but combines well with meats in sauce or grilled lamb chops served at room temperature.
* Description: From website - "... is cherry red in color & has a nose of matured red & black fruits (blackcurrent, morello cherry) and soft spices. The grapes are harvested mechanically & matured in stainless steel tanks." From Andrea - "This is a great, accessible wine to drink on its own, or with a meal. It's a light & earthy wine, but also warm fruit notes. And, the bottle has a screw top, so it's great to enjoy on the road."

WINE #
* Brought by: Mark
* Winery: Las Rocas (Bodegas San Alejandro, BSA)
* Grape: Grenacha (100%), known as Grenache in US & France
* Region: Spain (55 miles north of Madrid in the province of Zaragoza. The Calatayud DO includes 14,000 acres of vineyard in 46 small towns. Most of the vines rest at altitues of 2,500 to 3,500 feet above sea level, on diverse soils ranging from chalk to limestone, to clay & marl.)
* Vintage: 2008
* Alcohol %: 14.5%
* Price: $10
* Purchased: Thief & Ray's
* Paired: Guac & Torilla chips, but probably best with something from the Tex-Mex or perhaps something tomato-based like chili
* Description: Fruity nose, black cherry, earthy, spice-pepper, oaked less than a year

WINE #
* Brought by: Doug & Lori
* Winery:
* Grape: Merlot
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* Brought by: Tiffany
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* Brought by: Dan & Tad
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WINE #
* Brought by: Steve & Barb
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Tasting #21 (12/18/11) - Thief Wine

Hosted by: Jason & Andrea
Location: Thief Wine, Milwaukee Public Market
Theme: Wines that are appropriate for the end of the year
Attended by: Jason, Andrea, Mike, Jen, Rich, Debby, Kim, Andy, Tiffany, Mark, Cindy, Lisa, Jason B, Barb, Doug

Tasting list to be updated soon...