Nov 19, 2008

More wine!

It is really bugging me that I cannot recall the stand up routine in which Steve Martin commands,"More wine!" I think it is stand up and not a movie because I have no visual to go with it. I am not even sure it's a bit, but maybe just an exclamation between bits. I think I had the album (or 8-track, or cassette) with this on it. When you just hear stand up and don't see it, there are little exclamations or comments you don't understand because the comic is interacting with audience. Or the audience roars at some physical gesture you can't see. But I used to listen to comedy albums a lot. I recall having Steve Martin, Sam Kinison and Joan Rivers. (Did you know she used to be really funny?)
Enough of that. On to the wine!
AA and I went to a free tasting presented by Concha y Toro (Chile) at Cork. They were collecting non-perishable foods for North Texas Food Bank. Who can resist free wine and good cause? Six wines were offered, and I managed a taste of a seventh that the rep was trying to hide for herself. Sometimes it pays to be nosy.
The list I brought home does not have the year, so I have no clue.
In order tasted...
* Terrunyo Sauvignon Blanc - $20 - When it comes to SB, I always buy or order one from New Zealand if it's an option. California SBs are too soft. I like the flint, mineral, lemon, grass - the tangy tastes of the NZ SBs. But this was super tart and sharp, actually harsh. I will take a $10 bottle of NZ SB over this one any day.
* 2007 Xplorador Chardonnay - $8 - Yummy. Would have been yummy at more than $8. I don't drink chardonnay. I learned recently there is a name for folks like me - ABC ("Anything but chardonnay"). Prior vintages have gotten good reviews and been labeled a "Best Buy" by Wine Enthusiast. I taste no oak. It is fruity. It has a spicy finish. I swear I tasted a bit of gingersnap in one of the chardonnays. But now I can't recall which one. I bought this one. It will be really good with white fish.
* Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay - $20 - Subtler than previous chardonnay - not so fruit-forward. Again there was no oak and there were some spice notes.
* Castillero del Diablo Privada Riserva - $17 - This label is the most familiar to me of the winery's labels. It was nice.
* Terrunyo Carmenere - $43 - The nicest of the reds - of course, since it is the most expensive. My only other experience with this grape was very bad. Obviously it was the wine, not the grape. I wouldn't pay $43 for this, but it was good.
* Marques de Casa Concho Cabernet Sauvignon - $23 - It was good, but there are cheaper reds I like as well.

Then I went to Veritas, and stayed far too long. That will have to wait for another entry... I need to work!

2 comments:

  1. You're amazing!! I was thinking of ditching law and taking a class at WINO (that's the Wine Institute of New Orleans) to become a sommelier, buy you're already qualified!! :-) By the way, I was just thinking about Steve Martin today -- remember the movie LA Story with him and Sarah Jessica Parker? She is introducing herself and says, "My name is SanDeE*, but it's spelled Big S, little a, little n, big D, little e, big E, star." I don't know why that cracks me up so much...so California!!!

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  2. There is actually a Sommelier certification class offered in Dallas now - just levels one and two I think. I have checked it out, but I think the golden handcuffs will keep me in the law for now.

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