More Than Merlot http://www.morethanmerlot.com A guide to wine in the real world Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:42:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 In case you haven’t heard… http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/09/case-heard/ http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/09/case-heard/#comments Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:31:06 +0000 Sara http://www.morethanmerlot.com/?p=1165 Alright, time to fess up, my little “break” over the summer was not so much by choice but out of necessity…  Why do you ask?  I’m having a baby!  Exciting news for me, not so much for my wine blogging.  But I’m sure you understand, and I can’t wait to come back this winter to make up for lost time.  Three months of maternity leave during the coldest, darkest months of the year pretty much guarantee an abundance of red wine.  For me, not the baby…  We are also planning a relaunch of the site when I come back so you can look forward to that!  Here’s a little preview of “the bump,” crazy!  So thanks for sticking with me and we’ll see you in a few more months!

 

]]> http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/09/case-heard/feed/ 0 What’s in a Name? http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/07/name/ http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/07/name/#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:27:32 +0000 Sara http://www.morethanmerlot.com/?p=1161 Hey everyone!  Hope you’re enjoying your summer(s).  Just wanted to drop in and share this article from Marie Claire called, “What’s in a Name?” that takes a look at the recent trend of marketing wines specifically towards women.  They mention a couple that MTM has reviewed in the past (Little Black Dress, Mommy’s Time Out) and a few new wines as well.  Hope you enjoy!!

 

]]> http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/07/name/feed/ 0 Summertime Siesta http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/07/summertime-siesta/ http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/07/summertime-siesta/#comments Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:48:19 +0000 Sara http://www.morethanmerlot.com/?p=1158 Hi there!  So, I’ve been rather MIA lately, haven’t I?  Blame it on the heat, but I’ll be taking a little break from MTM until things cool down and I can enjoy a nice glass of red without having to confine myself to my bedroom with the AC cranked up to full blast.  If only the delicious concoctions we’ve been whipping up in the Margaritaville machine were MTM-worthy, then I’d have LOADS to write about  :)  Have a happy summer, hasta pronto!!

]]> http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/07/summertime-siesta/feed/ 0 Hello, FarmCoast! http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/06/hello-farmcoast/ http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/06/hello-farmcoast/#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:21:09 +0000 Sara http://www.morethanmerlot.com/?p=1150 Hi friends!  Remember when I told you about a darling little wine my girlfriend picked up at Sakonnet Winery?  Well, my other darling friend Nina (who you remember from our fantastic organic wine tasting), has recently gotten involved with FarmCoast New England and her adventures lead her right back to this Little Compton hot spot!  FarmCoast is a really cool group that promotes that best of coastal villages and farmlands in the southern New England area.  They are affiliated with a couple of wineries, Sakonnet and Westport.  We all love our imports, but buying wine locally is especially cool: it supports local agriculture in your area and no matter where you live, there are likely wineries nearby.  It is also a great way to support local economy and reduces carbon footprint since it doesn’t have to travel across the globe to get from the vine to your mouth.  :)  But enough of this talk, want to hear about their wonderful wines?  Thought you might…

Vidal Blanc 2009

The most famous of the Sakonnet wines, and with good reason.  First of all, you all know how I LOVE me a good lesser-known varietal.  This French hybrid grape stands up to the harsh Rhode Island winters (aw, I almost feel badly for describing anything Rhode Island as harsh.  It is not the cutest little state ever?  There, there, Rhode Island, never you fear, your big bad neighbors to the north will protect you from encroaching Yankee fans…) and produces a wine that is full of citrusy, tropical fruits, coconut, melon and banana.  YUM.

 

Cabernet Franc Rose 2008

Who does NOT enjoy a nice rose in the summer, I mean really?  This dry rose is light bodied with a pretty strawberry color.  The nose is marked by a delicious cinnamon that is noticeable but not so overpowering that you think you’re drinking eggnog.  Nice spice on the palate with raspberry and cranberry notes.  Trust me folks, you are going to like this one…

 

Wouldn’t a weekend tasting trip to Sakonnet be just the perfect New England summer mini break?  I think so, so get on down there and check it out!

 

(photos via Sakonnet Wine)

]]> http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/06/hello-farmcoast/feed/ 0 Los Molinos http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/05/los-molinos/ http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/05/los-molinos/#comments Wed, 25 May 2011 12:24:58 +0000 Sara http://www.morethanmerlot.com/?p=1146 Wow, is it really almost June? How is it possible that I have not had any sangria yet this season?  Ok, in this country anyway, we definitely had our share of sangria while overseas, but I’m not letting that count…  I have another great Tempranillo to tell you about from our trip to Spain.  It is called “Los Molinos,” it is from Valdepenas, and it cost 2.60 euros.  Yep.  That’s right.  The equivalent of $3.69 US.  Viva Espana!  Was it the best Spanish wine I’d ever tasted?  No.  But was is fruity with a sweet nose, bright cherries on the palate and a smooth finish?  Yes!  Light tannin and soft overall, this is another great wine to sip while snacking on cheese in your hotel room while getting ready to go out for a night on the town.  Come on people, for that price, how could you go wrong?  I just wish our stores would follow in the Corte Ingles’s footsteps and offer cheap wine that is actually palatable.  Ok, ok, Two Buck Chuck and Three Wishes are palatable, but a far cry from the super cheap options in other countries.  Big holiday weekend ahead of us here in the good ‘ole US of A, hope you have a great one and we’ll be back next month!

]]> http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/05/los-molinos/feed/ 0 Aye Dios mio… http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/05/aye-dios-mio/ http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/05/aye-dios-mio/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 18:54:43 +0000 Sara http://www.morethanmerlot.com/?p=1142 Hola, amigos!  My, how I’ve missed you all!  But we’re back from vacation and ready to tell you about some of the amazing wines we tried!  As I may have mentioned, we visited England, Scotland and Spain on out recent European vacation.  Now, while we had a great time in England and Scotland, for obvious reasons I am going to focus on our vitacultural endeavors in Espana.  We’ll start with a great little wine produced specifically for the Corte Ingles, a popular department store.  It is called Casa Mayor and it cost 5.35 euro.  That’s $7.62 US.  Yeeaah, I like wine prices in Spain…  But anyways, this wine was just lovely.   Soft, mild tannins, earthy flavor with a subtle nose and a short finish.  Great, basic Rioja perfect for sipping on a patio in the sun on a warm spring day.  Not sure we’d be able to find this exact wine on our side of the pond, but if you are in Spain the Corte Ingles is EVERYWHERE and you should have no trouble hunting down a bottle.  More wines to come soon, salud!

]]> http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/05/aye-dios-mio/feed/ 0 Lulu B. http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/05/lulu-b/ http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/05/lulu-b/#comments Mon, 02 May 2011 14:53:32 +0000 Sara http://www.morethanmerlot.com/?p=1136

 

Happy Monday!  Oh my goodness, new favorite wine alert!  Last week I discovered Lulu B., a series of wines produced from the makers of Cupcake.  First of all, how adorable is the label?  When Monique told me that she liked the wine I knew I had to try it – especially at 3 for $25!  We grabbed the Pinot Grigio, the Cab and the Malbec.  Each wine is from a different country, Pinot Grigio from Italy, Malbec from Chile, Pinot Noir from France, and the Can and Chard from California.  Quite a tour de force!  They are all simple, easy to drink varietal wines.  My favorite so far is the Malbec, it is light and bright and perfect for sipping on the patio with cheese and my Kindle.  You should definitely try these out folks, great summer time wines!  Let me know what you think, cheers!

 

(photo credit:  LuluB.com)

]]> http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/05/lulu-b/feed/ 1 Organic Awesomeness http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/04/organic-awesomeness/ http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/04/organic-awesomeness/#comments Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:03:28 +0000 Sara http://www.morethanmerlot.com/?p=1130 Happy Friday everyone!  Today I want to share with you the much awaited details of my recent organic wine collaboration with my darling friend Nina!  When Nina approached me with the concept of an organic wine tasting I instantly loved the idea.  Why organic you ask?  Well, organic wine is made from grapes grown on organic farms, which means no chemicals, pesticides, herbicides or unnatural flavor enhancements.  It has greater health benefits, it has a reduced environmental impact, and it is delicious!  I had not had a lot of experience with organic wine and felt it was important to better educate myself.   I decided upon Bonterra, Frey and Parducci.  Bonterra and Frey are both organic and Parducci is sustainable.  I felt that even though Parducci didn’t quite fit the mold of what we originally set out to do, it was still created with noble intentions of being green and responsible so decided to let it play.  Now, each winery produces a variety of wines.  I selected the red house blend for all three.  That way the tasting would be more apples-to-apples.  It is hard to compare a Merlot from one winery to a Cab from another, right? They were even all from the same region, Mendocino County, CA!  So with an even playing field we dove into these bad boys and didn’t look back.  Let me tell you, I was impressed!  Here are our reviews:

Bonterra – Merlot (52%), Syrah (22%), Cab Sauv (20%) & Zinafandel (2%) – $10.99/bottle
Light tannin with a somewhat vegetal nose and a combination of stone fruit (from the Cab) and black olive (from the Merlot) on the palate.  A softer wine, didn’t pack as much of a punch as you would expect from a wine dominated by Merlot, Syrah & Cab.  But pleasant and easy to drink, good for sipping on its own.  I thought this was a good wine, but after seeing Bonterra wine all over the place I guess I was expecting more.  Granted, this is a table wine and not one of their pure varietal wines, so you should not expect it to be super well defined.  But of the three this is probably the one I would least likely buy again.
Frey – Carignane, Zinfandel & Syrah – $10.99/bottle
Lovely wine with bright, ripe fruits (from the Zin) and a touch of floral/herbal notes.  A nice hint of anise on the finish, unless you’re paring it with a flavorful food in which case you may not detect it.  Much rounder than the Bonterra, very smooth tannins.  This wine was great!  I had never tried Frey going in to the tasting but I am glad I did.  I would buy this wine again, it is soft and easy to drink.  I would most likely drink it on its own as with food I felt it got a little washed out.
Parducci – Zinfandel (39%), Syrah (26%), Cab Sauv (23%) & Carignane (12%) – $9.99/bottle
Pronounced, bold flavors.  The Zin really shines through, this wine clearly has the most pronounced alcohol of the three.  Paired well with the cheese plate we created, especially the pungent Camambert/Blue hybrid.  Big and beautiful – a wine after my own heart!  This was my favorite of the three.  Really held up against the food we were eating but super smooth and delightful on its own.  Love the Zin characteristics and I think the blend was done very well.  I will be buying this again for sure!  Definitely my favorite of the three.
And there you have it!  Nina is a fantastic photographer and got some great shots of the evening, make sure to check them out at naturallynina.com!  I hope you have a lovely weekend, salud!
]]> http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/04/organic-awesomeness/feed/ 1 It’s been a while… http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/04/while/ http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/04/while/#comments Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:26:06 +0000 Sara http://www.morethanmerlot.com/?p=1127 Sorry for my lack of postage!  Nothing crazy or scandalous going on, plenty of wine consumption but we’ve been a bit lazy and haven’t tried anything new in a while.  I plan to change that tonight at my birthday dinner, however!  We’re heading to one of my favorite old places in Boston, The Wine Cellar.  Fondue and fine wine, yes please!  And we’re almost ready to share the details of our recent organic wine tasting that took place a couple of weeks ago.  Lots of info to digest, but i promise the wait will be well worth it  :)  So in the meantime, have a fabulous day and we’ll be back soon with exciting new content!  Cheers!!

]]> http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/04/while/feed/ 0 Aftermath http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/04/aftermath/ http://www.morethanmerlot.com/2011/04/aftermath/#comments Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:00:55 +0000 Sara http://www.morethanmerlot.com/?p=1122 I haven’t seen this many empty glasses since… [insert joke here, I don't have the energy]  We had a wonderful wine tasting last night at our house and I can’t WAIT to tell you all about it next week!  In the meantime, happy Friday, if you’re in the mood to wash some dishes please let me know.

 

 

 

Did I mention there were only 4 of us tasting?

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