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)

Happy Monday, all!  We tried a lovely new wine over the weekend that I am excited to share with you.  It was suggested by Monique, our darling wine-lady at a local store near our house.  Monique has not reccommended a bad wine yet, in fact, she is the one who led us to both Liberty School Cab and Axis Zin, so you know this one is going to be good…  We felt like doing a little grilling and wanted something that would pair well with shrimp and veggie kabobs.

The wine Monique suggested was Joseph Cattin Pinto Gris from the Alsace region of France.  It was REALLY good.  I found the wine to be on the sweeter side of dry, loads of vanilla and apricot notes.  The winemaker points out strong spice and smoke notes but I didn’t really pick up on a lot of smoke until the finish.  The smoke was mild enough and complimented the sweeter palate so I didn’t mind it at all (normally not a huge fan of smoke).  Fantastic compliment to the grilled meal.  At 2 for $25 I would totally buy this wine again.  By the way, can you please take a look at this beautiful tray of veggies?  Doesn’t that look SO GOOD.  Now imagine it with a fresh blue cheese & herb dipping sauce.  Right?

So glad to be grilling again, next Monday is the first day of spring – as well as the Hub’s birthday!  Hurrah for fun times and fine wines!

Sorry if you don’t get the Mad Men reference, but with the season finale coming up this weekend it is all but consuming me at present.  So, last night I had my first dress fitting (stressful) and by the time we got through the traffic (more stressful!) and arrived back home I was ready for a glass of wine.  On the way home, we picked up a bottle Sterling Vinter’s Collection Sauvignon Blanc (California).  I initially had mixed reviews on the Sterling Vinter’s Collection Meritage I had tried, but eventually it grew on me and so I was eager to give Sterling another chance.  The great news is that it was on sale for $7.49!  I guess they bought too many cases and had to move it off the floor quickly, so I was happy to assist in the effort.  What I liked about this wine is that it was not all citrus all the time.  I picked up more on the melon flavor and the mineral quality, noticing just a hint of lemon.  This will be GREAT for Pinot Grigio lovers, similar palates but unique in its own way.  We paired the wine with my fiancés famous mussels (although unfortunately not from Brussels) and it was just perfect.  Would I buy this again?  Yes.  For $7.49?  I’ll take a case, please!  So keep on the look out and let me know if you’re able to track this one down, I think you’ll really enjoy it!

Roger Sterling, I swear I’ve seen him drink wine between all the vodka…

(photo via AMC)

Tried the white last night as promised, did not let us down!  Especially since I paired it with one of my all time favorite recipies – Spinach & Pesto lasagna  :)  Boil the noodles, mix some thawed spinach, ricotta, salt & pepper, layer with pesto, mozarella & toasted pinenuts and bake for about 20 minutes at 350ºF.  You can also make it stove top in a skillet if you don’t want to turn on the oven.  A recreation from my favorite restaurant in Vernazza, Cinque Terre.  Paired with the Californian 2008 Tamás Pinot Grigio, it was a home run!

Ugh.  Can.  Not.  Move.  Dinner at Abe & Louie’s is always an experience.  Add in your most favorite people in the world, a significant birthday, and some red wine and it’s even MORE of an affair.  Last night we took my mother, on the verge of a very important birthday whose’s number shall not be named, out for an early celebration at this fine steak house.  Here are some highlights:

The Aps: Tuna Tartare.  Come ON.  Also an incredible caprese salad special with the most massive beefsteak tomatoes and incredible balsamic reduction.

The Mains: Steak, steak, and more steak.  The ladies all enjoyed the Filet au Poivre while the gentlemen indulged in rib eyes, sirloins and surf & turf.

The Sides: Hashed browned potatoes, creamed fresh spinach, backed mac & cheese & broccoli with hollandaise

The Dessert: Insane chocolate layer cake

The Wine: Adessa Pinot Grigio (Veneto) & Erath Pinot Noir (Oregon) to start, then a stronger Torbreck “Woodcutters” Shiraz (Barossa) to pair with the peppery steaks during the main course.

My only fault with the evening – I forgot to take pictures of the FOOD!  Maybe it’s because I am not used to having this handy-dandy hi-res camera phone, maybe it’s because we devoured everything as soon as it hit the table, but I apologize and promise to make a more concerted effort moving forward.

Fun Merlot wine tasting tonight, then fabulous family wedding tomorrow, I hope you all have fantastic weekends lined up as well!  I’ll have lots to share on Monday, so until then, Salud!!

Another note about the fantastic wines from Arrogant Frog – They have launched a holiday discount promotion! Find a bottle with the promotional tag and get up to $2 off the bottle. I bought three bottles at $7.99 each, once I get my $6 rebate the price per bottle drops to under six dollars per bottle! A big score. I picked up another bottle of the Lily Pad Noir and decided to try out the Lily Pad Red (Cab/Merlot blend) and the Ribet White (Chardonnay/Viognier blend).   The Lily Pad Red was a little harsh at first, but once we let it breath a bit it was smooth and easy to drink.  I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys Bordeaux but is looking for something a bit lighter.  The Ribet White was a nice surprise.  It had a sweeter nose (smelled a bit sugary like a Riesling), but had a nice balance of citrus and floral flavors with just a touch of sweetness on the finish.  I’d recommend this to anyone who likes Pinot Grigio, straight Viognier, Albarino or young Chardonnay.   Adorable bottle + tasty wine = Great hostess gift for the holidays!