Another White Wine To Try

I picked up this bottle of white wine a few weeks ago and opened it when my friend and her family came over for dinner.  It's a white wine blend called Ensemble, and it comes from California.

Overall we found Emsemble to be a refreshing and tasty choice.  It was quite drinkable, and we could taste the apples in it.  I also liked the simple, yet visually pleasing graphic on the front.  We decided it would be a good wine to keep on hand for unexpected dinner guests since its flavors will not interfere with the flavors of your meal. 
-Kami

M.I.A. Part Two

Opps.  I missed day of blogging...again.  How lame-o of me!  To make up for it, today I'll do both a Wine Wednesday review and a Grocery Outlet product review.  

First, the wine.

Today's selection is a white wine from Spain called Triana.  According to the label on the back, "Triana is the name of the neighborhood in the city of Seville, Spain.  Triana means 'three river' as in that area the river is dividing itself in three sections."

My good friend T. and I shared a couple glasses of this wine and here's what we thought about Triana:  This $2.99 bottle of wine is sweet at first and dry on the finish.  It is non offensive and won't overpower your meal.  We thought it was fruity, but we couldn't decide what type of fruit.  Overall we found it to be an acceptable bottle of white wine.

Now for the product review.

I decided to pick a product that you can find pretty consistently at your local Grocery Outlet.  It's the Organic Broccoli Florets.  It's a great deal at only $2.99, especially considering it's 32 oz. of organic goodness!  I like the fact that the broccoli comes packaged as two smaller, more manageable bags inside the larger bag (Less spillage in the freezer is always a good thing!).  The next time you need broccoli, consider trying Grocery Outlet's Organic Broccoli Florets.  If you do, let me know what you think!

Cheers!
Kami

P.S.  Below is a link to the current Grocery Outlet ad.  There's a coupon for $5 off a $20 minimum frozen food purchase.  Grocery Outlet Coupon

M.I.A.

Opps, I was missing in action on Sunday (one of my two regular blogging days).  Actually, I wasn't missing.  I was on a mini-vacation to Portland and got back too late to blog.  My bad.  But to make up for my lameness, I'm reviewing two wines today!

The first one is a sauvignon blanc called Patianna Estate Vineyards.  I bought it because it says it's made with biodynamic grapes...I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds intriguing!  (From reading the description on the back of the bottle I deduced that biodynamic has something to do with how the grapes were grown and it's apparently good for the environment.)

Cheers to wine tasting!

Anyway, my friend Amy was over, so she got to be a taste-tester too.  I thought the wine was fine, maybe a bit tarty, but nothing particularly special about it. Amy, on the other hand, thought this wine was, "crisp like an autumn morning," and it reminded her of, "liquid Pop Rocks."  (Again, I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds intriguing!)  With that being said, if I were you, I'd give this wine a try.  It's definatly worth the $4.99 price tag.

The second wine I'm reviewing today is a pinot grigio called Queen of Hearts.  I give this company two thumbs up for great packaging!  The graphic is eye-catching (especially considering I found it the day before Valentine's day!) and I love the extra touch of printing a heart on the cork.

The wine was refreshing and easy to drink.  It wasn't too sweet and it won't overpower your meal.  This fun and tasty bottle of wine would be a great "just because" present for a friend or loved-one...especially considering it only costs $2.99 a bottle!  Pick up a bottle or two before Grocery Outlet runs out of them!


Cheers!
-Kami

There's A Reason Why South Africa Isn't Known For Wine Making

I was intrigued when I found the 2008 Fairhills South Africa Chardonnay at my local Grocery Outlet.  I had never seen a bottle of wine from South Africa, and I was eager to try it.

I liked the fact that it was Fair Trade Certified, but that's about it.

The first couple sips seemed strangely bubbly and had a sort of musky aftertaste.  Yuck.  I immediately  began to question if wanted to keep drinking it (for the sake of the blog) or if I should put it in the fridge and hope someone might stop by so I could pawn it off on them...

Enter my good friend Amy.  The poor girl was enticed to come over for some wine when I told her she could be a guest blogger.  We've been friends for over twenty-one years, but little did she know what I had in store for her.

After her first sip she declared it, "Tastes like rotten cheese, dirty socks, a barn cow with a lot of manure."

That's bad.

Against her better judgement, I convinced Bobo to give the African wine at least one more taste.  After a sip, a cough, and a sputter, a disbelieving Bobo moaned, "It gets worse.  It gets worse."

Sorry Amy.

So if you're ever at Grocery Outlet and you see this international bottle of chardonnay for $4.99, don't get it!  It may claim to be, "Embraced by the winds, Kissed by the sea, [and] Guided by the stars," but it still ended up being poured down the drain.

-Kami

Happy Hour Wine

If you read my blog last Saturday, you'll remember I had a homemade happy hour on Friday night.  I made some tasty nachos (using quite a few ingredients from Grocery Outlet) and opened up a fresh bottle of wine.  I wasn't sure if nachos went better with reds or whites, so I chose a random chardonnay called Bulleen Estate.  This 2010 wine from Napa, California was fine, no particularly strong flavors coming through or weird aftertaste, and after a couple glasses I had forgotten all about the stresses of teaching third graders.  You could say it was well worth the $4.99 price tag.  
Happy Wine Wednesday!
-Kami

It's White Wine This Wednesday!

When I made my trip to Grocery Outlet this week, I decided I was in the mood for a chardonnay.  No particular reason, just something to help me focus my wandering through the wine aisles.  I ended up taking home a 2009 bottle El Corazon Reservado from Argentina.

I found this wine to be fresh and light.  It kind of reminded me (in a good way) of the free wine they hand out at educator preview nights at the Seattle Art Museum.  Anyway, the wine seemed both fruity and slightly tart.  According to the label, it suggests you serve it with "Sea and River Fish, salades and pasta."  Its small, red, heart logo and $4.99 price tag make it a perfect choice for a Valentine's Day treat for yourself or for someone else.
Happy Tasting!
-Kami

P.S.  The next educator preview night at the Seattle Art Museum is on February 9th, from 5-8pm.  I don't know if they'll have wine at this event, but you can check out the Gauguin & Polynesia exhibit for free and get some resources for the classroom.  If this sounds like the event for you, make sure to register by February 3rd!  Here's a link for more information:  http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/calendar/eventDetail.asp?eventID=21779&month=10&day=5&year=2011&sxID=&WHEN=

Wine Wednesday, Take Two!

This week's Wine Wednesday has me sippin' on a Washington 2008 Reisling called Next:.  This white wine is a little sweet, a little tart.  If I had to guess, I'd say there say there are some apple notes coming through.  The label is simple, yet clever.  It says Next: in a large, typewriter-type font, and around that are what some would consider inspirational words:  truth, rising, walk, care, heart...that sort of thing.

The poem on the back of the label makes this bottle a perfect housewarming gift, thank you present, or best friend pick-me-up.
It says:

"next: is a statement

next: is a question
next: reminds us that
we always stand
at the crossroads,
that we are all poets,
all philosophers,
the makers and keepers
of our own dreams,
that we bring wine to our friends
that we might share both
wine and words together,
fold into a moment
on the edge of the next."

Overall I say Next: light and tasty white wine...and well worth the $4.99 price tag. (If you can't find this selection at your local Grocery Outlet, you can always order a bottle of 2009 Next: straight from the winery for $12 a bottle!  http://store.kingestate.com/2009-next-washington-riesling-p259.aspx)

Until Next: time,
-Kami