The Wine Hacker.com

Illuminaire Winery and the "Off-the-Hook" 2014 Quartz Hill Pinotage

My dear husband Bert is a beer drinker and usually only drinks red wine to humor me. Imagine my surprise when I handed him my glass at Illuminaire Winery filled with the Pinotage only to hear him exclaim, "Off the hook!  Can we get some of this?"  What the---?  Happily, I obliged him and this wonderful wine now sits in our cellar (which is just a small room off our garage), waiting to be paired with a fantastic meal worthy of its amazing spirit. 

Winemaker Aaron Hill, never to be seen without his signature baseball hat, has a right to be proud of his Sierra Foothills winery.  This year at the California State Fair, his bold jammy reds won three gold medals; one for the 2014 Petit Verdot (another of my favs), the 2014 Zinfandel (bought one of these too), and the 2014 Alicante Bouschet. 

The Pinotage was our fav wine at this tasting as it was literally bursting with big jammy cranberry, blackberry and raspberry fruit with a hint of allspice, and enough tannins to add complexity.  It had a wonderful fruity nose, a smooth finish, and a beautiful deep cherry flavor with exceptional clarity.  It was different, and not your "run-of-the-mill" red.  What was different was the mix of fruit flavors and spice - giving it a unique and very welcome taste sensation. 

This is because this varietal is not usually found in California.  From Wikipedia:

Pinotage /ˈpɪnətɑːʒ/ PIN-ə-tahzh^[1] is a red wine grape that is South Africa's signature variety. It was bred there in 1925 as a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut (Cinsaut was known as "Hermitage" in South Africa during that time, hence the portmanteau name of Pinotage). It typically produces deep red varietal wines with smoky, bramble and earthy flavors, sometimes with notes of bananas and tropical fruit, but has been criticized for sometimes smelling of acetone. Pinotage is often blended, and also made into fortified wine and even red sparkling wine.^[2] The grape is a viticultural cross of two varieties of Vitis vinifera, not a hybrid.

No acetone nose here, thankfully!  I also thought it was quite different from this description as it had no real smokey or bramble flavors, although I could taste some earth.  What was predominant in this top notch wine was big, bold, juicy fruit flavor.  I also got a very small hint of the peppery flavor one would get in a Pinot. 

I think this wine is a bargain at $25/bottle!

As to pairings, I am working on some ideas - and here they are:

Food Pairings:  This is not a shy and retiring red - it is BIG BIG BIG!  It needs something big and juicy to accompany it, and right now I am thinking something like Beef Tamales smothered with a spicy red sauce, lasagna (Bert's favorite food), or a big bowl of Cioppino served with a bib and lots of those little hand wipes that smell like Windex.  

Music Pairings:  I see drinking this wine while listening to Isaac Hayes, Trombone Shorty, BB King, or Bonnie Raitt.  Big, bluesy, strong music goes with the BIG RED this is! 

Activity Pairings:  The key word here is BIG - I vote for drinking this wine while boating or having a summer picnic with friends.  I also see it as a great accompaniment to a rowdy, raucious pool party - even though it has a very smooth finish it is a strong wine. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The DiVittorio 2013 Barbera - A Bargain at $20!

One of the reasons I moved up to El Dorado County was the cornucopia of incredible wineries with reasonable prices for reds that melt in your mouth.  This special Italian varietal from DiVittorio is no exception; we enjoyed it with a steak several months back and we still remember how special it was!

The DiVittorio winery was founded by Dr. Al DiVittorio and his wife Sally (an RN) - both of Marshall Medical Center here in Placerville.   Dr. DiVittorio is a well known surgeon who probably saved my neighbor's life a year ago, but that is another story.  The winery is unique and features wonderful reds and ports - and hails from a family recipe the DiVittorio's brought with them when they immigrated to America from Italy in 1904.  This winery is a friendly, sunny spot in Camino, CA where all are welcome and tasting is free.  Cheese and crackers are available to complement your experience, and a small jewelry case with finds made by local craftsmen graces the front entrance. 

A Silver medal winner in the 2016 El Dorado County Fair,  this wine is big, rich and bold, like a Barbera should be.  It is also smooth at the same time, and doesn't have the brash after taste found in many lesser Barberas.  The color is deep and rich, and it has a very pleasing earth and leather nose with a hint of fresh flowers.  I enjoyed the velvety texture of this wine as well as it's mineral content and rich, chewy tannins (which tell me that it would have aged well, too bad, I drank it).   Like most of DiVittorio's reds, this wine is a bit on the sweet side.  This is because DiVittorio is also known for some of the most incredible ports you will ever drink, and the reds here also take on some of the port character.   I would definitely recommend stopping by DiVittorio if you are ever in the Placerville/Camino area.  It is well worth the visit - and they also have a special running where you can get a case of their 2005 (that's right, 2005) Cabernet and Syrah for $110.  That is cheaper than grocery store swill folks. 

Food Pairing Suggestion:  We enjoyed this wine with a nice steak, but it would also pair well with any grilled meats or Italian dinners.  I would love to try it with Spaghetti and Meatballs myself.   Although I shouldn't be eating Spaghetti and Meatballs (but yet again, that is another story). 

Music Pairing:  My husband and I have an Alexa (Amazon Echo) in our dining room and we love to play our unlimited music while eating great food and drinking great wine.  We listened to (what else?), Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack while enjoying our Barbera and steak.  It was simply a magical combination, and could only get better if we were actually in Italy. 

Activity Pairing:  This is a sit down dinner wine in elegant surroundings, preferably with Italian decor.  I would pay corkage and bring it to an upscale Italian restaurant.  It would be a "date" wine that would wow, and set the stage for better activities to come if you get my drift.   

Be sure and get this great wine before it is all gone!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Dinner and the Crystal Basin 2009 Renegade Red

Easter is a bright and lovely holiday - and deserved a bright yet soft and lovely wine to share with friends.   After not writing ANY blogs for many months, I am returning to my beloved wine blog - and the 2009 Crystal Basin Renegade Red is a wine deserving of being my first blog post for the resurrection of The Wine Hacker.  

It's no secret that I love a good red blend - the Renegade Red is crafted of 18% each 2009 Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Sangiovese, with the majority being the 2009 Zinfandel.  This wine is soft with delicious strawberry and plummy flavors, but packs a Malbec and Zinfandel punch - with toasty oak coming from barrel aging in French and American oak for 18 months.  When tasting, I tasted a cedar finish with a soft vanilla overtone complimenting the beautiful raspberry/strawberry zinfandel front palate flavors. 

Crystal Basin calls this it's "Tuesday night, non-pretentious, Pizza-and-Pasta wine", but I found it lovely enough to take to a gathering of my friends for Easter, all of whom found it perfect for the occasion.   It stood up nicely to the Easter ham as well as the cheesy broccoli casserole and green beans without losing brightness or character.  It also has great clarity and a wonderful claret red color, making it more elegant that just a "pasta" wine. 

Blends tend to get a bad rap as some lesser labels have used them to use up "leftovers", creating blends that widely vary in quality and taste.  Crystal Basin is a small, El Dorado county wine producer with a solid reputation for quality.  The Renegade Red is not a vat of leftovers - it is a masterfully blended and well crafted cornucopia of El Dorado wine essence, with only the best grapes included.  I found this a "friends and family" wine, and it tasted magnificent!  

As my friends and family know, about three weeks ago I had a very significant life event - a heart attack.  Red wine in moderation is GREAT for your cardiac health, but moderation means no more than two full glasses for a woman with one being preferred.  If you sip a great wine, it is not difficult to drink in moderation.  Its the bad wines you want to drink quickly so you get them over with!!!  This one I enjoyed with generous sips of water in between. 

Also thanks to my significant life event, I made a firm decision to spend more time doing what I love - which is writing!

Food Pairings:   Like most wines that are predominantly Zinfandel, this wine IS a great pasta and pizza wine - yet it also complimented ham quite nicely.  It has more softness than most Zins and a beautiful oak taste as well - I think it would go well with BBQ'ed ribs, lasagna (yeah, that is pasta too), pork tenderloin, or a rack of lamb.   

Music Pairings:  This is a warm and friendly wine - the kind of wine that inspires friends to gather around the piano and play 60's music while singing (maybe even a bit off key).  I see it as a Beatles White Album kind of wine, or even a BB King and Diane Schuur album mash up kind of wine.  Its soft yet warm and complex flavors echo the blues scale - as well as 60's rock and roll.  I hear great bass too, when I sip. 

Activity Pairings: A great family and friends holiday gathering wine, this would also be a good jam session wine or rock and roll concert replay wine. 

 

 

 

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A Heavenly "Naked" Blend - the Jac Cole 2014 Mosaico, Napa Valley

LOVE LOVE LOVE this wine!  

Recently, I joined the 75K member strong band of Naked Angels - a club that sponsors new and upcoming winemakers called NakedWines.com. It's been an incredible journey of discovering new and unknown wines and wine makers through Naked - and you gotta love the name!  Naked Angels received discounted wines through the club, and get targeted selections by rating the wines they receive.  A Facebook-like interface lets you interact with other wine lovers as well as the wine makers in discussing the wines you are enjoying in real time. 

A random selection turned out to be a gem - the 2014 Jac Cole Mosaico.  Oddly enough, the Naked rating engine told me that I wouldn't like this one.   When I first opened it and smelled the fruity, intense nose, I knew the selection engine was off on this one.  

Rich chocolately flavors blend with forward mulberry and plum fruit in this light yet rich Bordeaux blend.  A hint of Malbec gives it a bit of a kick, and adds complexity to the middle note of the wine.  An earthy tone that is so characteristic of French wine is present in this Mosaico, which made it a great choice for a spicy dinner like Orange Spiced Chicken wings.

Others on the Naked site said that aeration improved the flavor even more, which makes sense as this is a young wine.  I plan to buy more and try this, along with another suggestion that this fabulous Mosaico was amazing alongside a yummy pork tenderloin. 

 

Music Pairing Suggestions:  This wine is fun yet regal and sophisticated, rich yet not too overpowering.  I suggest enjoying it alongside some Philip Glass, or vintage Moody Blues.   

Food Pairing Suggestions:  I enjoyed this wine with my Blue Apron shipment dinner of Spicy Orange Chicken Wings and Shitake -Sesame Rice.  The earthiness of the wine paired nicely with the rich Shitake mushroom taste, and the chocolately - licorice flavors helped to take some of the bite away from the chili sauce that graced my wings (Blue Apron tells you that you can add as much as you want - I dumped in the whole container).   Others from the Naked site recommended enjoying this wine with Mac and Cheese, or a grilled Pork Tenderloin.   

If you haven't tried Blue Apron - it is a service that ships you three recipes a week along with all the ingredients you need to make the recipe.  It is heaven for foodies - we haven't had a non enjoyable meal yet!

Activity Pairings:  This was a great wine to watch Star trek by!

 

Special Offer!!   The first person to comment on this blog (who isn't already a Naked Angel) gets a code worth $100 off on a case of Naked wines, which can include this special blend.    Be sure to send me your email address when commenting.   

 

Soft, Elegant 2012 Hess Allomi Cabernet Graces a Perfect NYE Meal

Paging through the backlog of my tasting notes, one worthy wine that was the keynote of a fantastic New Year's Eve meal was the 2012 Hess Allomi Cabernet.   

A gift from friends for Christmas (the Worleys), this amazing wine was our contribution to a decadent feast at Santa Clara's Birk's restaurant.  How did we manage to get a table at Birk's for NYE?  Easy.  The day after Thanksgiving, we logged into Opentable and searched for a restaurant where we could get an early reservation that wasn't too far from home.  At our age, we wanted to go home and watch the ball drop rather than party hard.  

True to the Hess name, this wine was aristocratic, full-bodied, and flavorful.  When it was first poured into our glasses, the holiday lights illuminated its jewel-like clarity until it looked like the star from the top of the tree.  The nose was full of forward cranberry and black cherry fruit, with a spicy, black coffee finish.  

We both enjoyed red meat as our main course - I had a luscious prime rib with horseradish sauce and hubby enjoyed a medium rare filet with a wild mushroom sauce.  And I forgot to mention the "palate cleansing" appetizer the staff brought us between our salads and the main course - a lobster truffle tart.  Our wine choice stood up well with all of these rich and complex foods - it was soft and gentle enough to complement the lobster tart, yet stout and rich enough to stand up to the red meat entrees.  

The fruity nose promised a rich delight, and it did not disappoint.  We enjoyed a deepening berry jam flavor as we first sipped from our glasses,  and a rich, velvety texture that is simply not found in lesser wines.  The black coffee nose gave way to a rich, earthy background tone - with a clean finish and no aftertaste.  A light oak flavor rounds out the burst of flavor from this big, bold red - and complements the hint of black pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg in the finish.  

This beautiful wine is available from Wine.com for $31.99.   

Food Pairings:  A great wine to pair with rich and elegant foods, like lobster, steak, horseradish sauce, and black truffles.  In short, a wonderful special occasion wine.  

Music Pairings: We enjoyed it to Auld Lang Syne

Activity Pairing: What a great romantic evening wine!  Would also be wonderful while watching a classic movie, like Casablanca or Driving Miss Daisy.  

 

Red Blends are HOT! Remembering the 2009 Paraduxx Z-Blend, Napa Valley

I just got my new issue of Food and Wine magazine; and learned that red blends are very trendy and popular right now.  This is great news, as I have always loved the unique nature of blends.  Today's market features a wide variety of blends, from your garden variety "casserole" wine to highly complex "filet mignon" wines.  One wine that I really loved from last year's tastings came to mind immediately as I was reading; the 2009 Parduxx from the makers of Duckhorn.

Paraduxx is THE only winery in Napa that is entirely devoted to blends, and what lovely blends they make!  This Z blend was released in February of 2012, and is 62% Zindfandel (which is where the Z comes from), 31% Cabernet, and 7% Merlot.  This unique combination has all the intensity of a fine Zinfandel, with the structured tannins of a Cabernet and a hint of softness from the Merlot.  A very bold and "in-your-face" wine, it has hints of fine spice such as clove, juniper and allspice in the middle notes, which is a nice follow up to the raspberry forenote.  It has a creamy feel to it, and is very strong without being harsh like some zinfandels can be.

This Z blend was aged 16 months in oak and has a distinct toasty oak flavor which adds to its grandeur.  Although the Paraduxx website is showing it as sold out, a careful shopper may be able to find some in wine shops or on the web.  I haven't yet tasted the 2011 which is available from Paraduxx, but given the high standards shown by this winery, I am sure it is equally divine. 

 

Food Pairings - The Z-blend would stand up very well to spicy foods, such as a nice Indian Vindaloo or a Panang Thai Curry.  I would also pair it with chocolate laced with hot peppers, or a beautiful steak salad

Music Pairings - This is a wine far too regal for rock and roll - I would pair it with the bold brass and percussion found in Schuman's 8th symphony while enjoying an exotic, spicy dinner. 

Activity Pairings:  Sophisticated yet rugged activities pair well with the Z-blend - I would drink it while watching tennis, soccer, or even polo!

 

 

Bold and Passionate - the 2012 Ménage à Trois Midnight Delivers Flavor!

Ménage à Trois Red has become very popular here in California, and is so named for its flavorful blend of three popular red wines: Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel.  Words of wisdom from this kicky, youthful winery: 

"Ménage à Trois examines what happens when you put
three attractive, single, young grapes in one exquisite bottle"

During the holidays, I scored the last bottle of the new Ménage à Trois Midnight on our local grocery store shelves.  Affordable yet elegant, this wine oozed passionate secrets, dark kisses, and sexy undertones.  Exceptionally dark in color, it has a nose like a Christmas plum pudding - full of fruit and spice.  Ah , but when you sip this dark beauty, naughtier thoughts enter your mind as the exotic richness of this Petit Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet, and Petit Verdot blend expand your senses.  

Blackberry, mocha and a hint of cinnamon blend together in a silky soft kiss as you hit the middle note of this luscious blend.  The finish is strong, and almost analogous to - well - you get the picture.  

This is a limited release, so grab some while you still can! 

Food Pairings:   This wine is not for the faint of heart, although it is smooth, it is also quite powerful,  I would pair it with an equally powerful dish that can stand up to the intensity of the Midnight blend.  Cajun Blackened Chicken or a nice Sausage Jambalaya come to mind.  

Music Pairings:  This is a sexy yet strong wine, I suggest checking out this list of the 50 greatest seduction songs of all time for some great ideas.  Or, stick with a tried and true musician, and play some Marvin Gaye.  

Activity Pairings:  Friends, this blog is G-rated, so I will leave this one to your imagination.  

 

A Great Bordeaux - In California?

In November, after our sky diving trip to commemorate our 3rd wedding anniversary, Bert and I decided to go wine tasting in Gilroy.  Gilroy is located south of San Jose and is mostly known as the home of the Garlic Festival held in July every year, but the entire corridor from Gilroy through Morgan Hill is making another great name for itself as a wine growing region.  

Right across the street from Garlic World (a touristy shop known for all kinds of garlic goodies) is the Rapazzini Winery.  I am sure this winery is tres busy during Garlic Festival season, but on this fine Sunday in November, we were the only visitors to its quaint tasting room.  We loved it, as we got lots of individual attention from the tasting room staff and the greeter - a very friendly little dog with lots of energy and love to give.   

The star of the tasting set was the 2007 Bordeax Select made from Santa Cruz Mountain grapes.  At $38/bottle it was a bargain given the level of quality, complexity, and downright drinkability it demonstrated.  If I did a blind taste test between this wine and a Grand Cru from Bordeaux, France, I highly doubt that all but the most sophisticated of tasters could tell the difference.  Immediately, I snatched a bottle and gave it to my trumpeter friend John Worley as a birthday present, knowing that a good Bordeaux is "nectar of the gods" to most Bay Area jazz musicians.  

My tasting notes?  This wine had all the earthiness of a great French Bordeaux with a hint of California Cab character.  The color was inky deep, with crystal-ball clarity.  The nose was identical to a French bordeaux , with earth and spice in the foreground.  I tasted structured tannins without any roughness, this wine was butter smooth.  Soft leather, rich plum tastes with a hint of both peaches and cloves blended beautifully to create a masterpiece of taste sensation.  I loved this wine! 

Food Pairing:  This lovely wine is definitely a special occasion treat, I would pair it with a rich French dinner like a Steak au Poivre, French Hanger Steak, or Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce, where the earthy flavor of this wine would bring out the subtle flavors in the rich mustard sauce.  

Music Pairings:  Rich and complex, I would drink this wine to the sounds of saxophone music - like the Bari Bari ensemble , Kristen Strom in Crossing Borders, or some good old fashioned John Coltrane.  If your tastes go more to classical, I suggest anything by Philip Glass.  

Activity Pairings: John served this wine at his birthday concert at the Art Boutiki in San Jose - with Bari Bari!  It went well with birthday festivities including a sparkler cake,  and the anime and comic book decor of the venue.   

 

Bloomspot Offers Discount Cakebread Tasting

Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!  Opened my email from Bloomspot this morning, and found a wonderful surprise.  Cakebread tastings that are usually pricey are offered at a tremendous discount - $15 for two tastings of regular wines (usually $30) $28 for two tastings and a tour, and $48 for two for the premium wine tasting (usually $80).  Hubby and I have a trip back to our timeshare in Windsor scheduled for late January, so I just purchased the premium tasting for two.  

Cakebread makes yummy, time-honored and much acclaimed reds in Napa Valley, and is a family owned winery.  They were the 39th winery established in Napa Valley, so there is a great sense of history and pride of ownership.  I have served Cakebread at many fine occasions, so am very excited to taste and review their new wines.  I particularly love their Cabernets, which are usually deep, dark and mysterious yet fruity with a big nose and strong finish. 

If you want to join me in this amazing offer - just click here and subscribe to Bloomspot San Francisco.   I have been a member now for just a few months, but so far, I am impressed.    

Stay tuned for my reviews of the premium Cakebread wines!

 

The Smoking Loon 2010 Merlot - A Bargain Wine with an Attitude

Last week, hubby and I were looking for a good but cheap (post holiday wallet crunch time) "movie-night" wine and wanted something different.  The classy looking label of the Smoking Loon Merlot plus the below $7 price made it the choice du jour.  It served its purpose so well that it is the subject of today's post.  

You might be saying, "How can it have attitude if it has a classy looking label?'   Good question.   When we turned the wine around, the label read: 

" Besides his bein' kinda crazy, they called him the Smoking Loon 'cause he was so dam efficient," Jake began, stubbing out his cigar.  "He'd take care of business an' get in an' out before anybody'd see him comin'... leaving' no trace 'cept the lingerin' sound of his eerie, loon-like cackle.  Non one was really sure who he was or who he worked for, but when word got out someone needed his services, the Smoking Loon just appeared on their doorstep, like outta thin air or somethin'"

Wow, I was intrigued - kinda sounded like an old time detective novel.  The Smoking Loon had me hooked from day one.   Bogie style attitude at its finest.   

When we opened it, it was the perfect companion to an old Tom Sellect movie and a simple dinner of homemade soup and sandwiches.   It was soft and smooth - no real complexity but whaddaya want for $7?  It had a nice perfumey nose, and light huckleberry and  jasmine flavors, as well as a rich ruby color and better clarity than one would expect for its price range.   Medium bodied, I thought it was wonderful with a homemade soup.  From the vintners tasting notes, hints of milk chocolate and sage were also mentioned.  

The Smoking Loon label is one of the many labels marketed by Don Sebastiani and Sons - a well known name in the California wine making business.   No wonder it was so pleasant, and fully drinkable.  

Where to Buy: I have seen this wine at Safeway and Lucky's, or you can buy directly from the vintner here.

Music Pairings:  This is a great everyday wine, I see it drinkable with Tom Petty, Bob Dylan or Neil Young.....it has that kinda flair

Food Pairings:  RIch, savory homemade soup and grilled cheese sandwiches made with crusty artisan bread fill the bill on a winter's night, and go very well with the medium body yet sage overtones of Smoking Loon.