Open That Bottle Night

Posted on February 27, 2016 by thewineraconteur

I am positive that there will be some spectacular bottles of wine being bandied about on Twitter the last Saturday night of February. That evening has become known as “Open That Bottle Night” and was created by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher from their “Tastings” wine column in the Wall Street Journal. The concept is quite simple and really refreshing; why wait for a special night that we are all claiming to have to open a special bottle of wine.

Ch Mouton Rothschild 1964

 

 

Some writers who may have very deep pockets can go and buy something wonderful. Alas I am not of that group and most of the writers that I know are not, but we all have those great bottles that are collecting dust in our cellars. I will say that I have plenty of dust collectors and that is fine as it adds a mystique to the bottles in the oversized closet that I call a cellar. I have had the good fortune to have bought plenty of bottles over the years, and some even back then were quite dear, especially since I was working to pay for school. Even though we have prior plans to go out “wining, dining and dancing” as it was called back in the day, the venue we are going to would preclude the two bottles that I will show from my collection. I also think that we would need at least another couple to join us to savor these wines.

Ch Cheval Blanc 1992

I went and looked in the section of the rack where I have my Bordeaux wines stored, and I do mix Medoc, Pomerol and Saint-Emilion together, as they are all similar in style. My new world Meritage wines are kept in another area of the racking system, at least I think that I know what I am doing. There really is not much to say about either of the two wines, especially since I will not be reporting on them immediately, but in case I have to defend my honor, here are the two that I would have really thought about opening. The first bottle is Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1964 from Pauillac featuring the artwork of Henry Moore. Besides the artwork, one of the unique aspects of the label is that no where is it mentioned that it is part of the Classification of 1855 for the Medoc. There was long animosity for them about the Classification as the were listed as the top of the Second Growth and they rightfully felt that they should have been considered a First Growth from day one, and this has been rectified, but it did take over a century to correct. The other wine is a First Growth and was always considered a First Growth, Chateau Cheval Blanc Saint-Emilion 1992. Chateau Cheval Blanc is the famous Merlot wine that was featured in the movie Sideways that swayed susceptible people away from Merlot wines for some time, and I do promise that when I open it, it will not be with fast food and a Styrofoam or waxed-coated cup. So while the gauntlet will be tossed, I will only be able to do it in the Cyber World and not in the Real World this year.

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The February Birthdays

Posted on February 25, 2016 by thewineraconteur

Once a month I write about the curious way we celebrate birthdays. Since there are so many in the family, it would become rather onerous on everyone to have several different parties to attend each month, so we combine them all into one evening. We tend to have them at our house as my Bride enjoys cooking, especially for crowds and family.

Sodaro Estate Blend 2007

Our dinner parties tend to be arranged as buffets rather than sit down dinners, just because of the crowds and sometimes even table space is at a premium depending on the revelers. The parties tend to be more laid back and not fussy affairs, because we have so many of them. The appetizers tend to be cheeses and crackers and other munchies that are just easy to put out on the tables. There will be some dishes brought over by the family, usually side dishes and that helps out immensely. My Bride was going to try something different that she had learned of, from some of her friends, a dish called “unstuffed cabbage rolls.” It is more like a casserole that has all the ingredients that one uses to make stuffed cabbage with out the actual rolling. My Sister-in-Law from Louisville and her family were up, because of the special birthday party for my Mother-in-Law and she brought with her a couple of magnificent tenderloins that we marinated and cooked that afternoon. Then after all was cleared, it was time for the birthday cakes and pies and all the other sweet things that follow dinner.

Talbott Case Pinot Noir 2004

Then there are the beverages; an open bar, beer and of course some wine. The afternoon started off with some Chardonnay, one of our many daily choices. Most people think that because I write a Wine Blog that all we do is drink stellar wines. I wish that was the case, but there are always some interesting wines without breaking the budget or totally depleting the cellar. My Brother-in-Law brought Talbott Case Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard 2004. I just adore the wines from Talbott, especially since for years as a clothier I would recommend their neckwear and other clothing that the family makes, and the original factory is in the Carmel Valley, and the son who now runs the clothing company started off with his winery in the same area. Sleepy Hollow Vineyard is one of the great vineyards that Talbott uses and it carries the Monterey County AVA, they also make some great Chardonnay from this vineyard as well. The fruit comes from low yielding vines that are had picked and sorted for the wines and the resulting wine has more of a Burgundy flavor, instead of the heavier fruit-forward Pinot Noir wines that one can encounter from California. I also opened up a bottle of Sodaro Estate Winery Estate Blend 2007 from Napa Valley. This wine we bought through a silent auction at a charity event that we went to a couple of years back. Sodaro Estate Winery uses a ten acre vineyard to grow several grape varieties and this particular wine only produced 487 cases. Their “Estate Blend” is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot and it was a fine wine and really complimented the tenderloins we had for dinner. We have a brief hiatus until the March birthday get-together.

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National Margarita Day

Posted on February 23, 2016 by thewineraconteur

I grew up in Southwest Detroit which is now referred to as Mexican Town, but it wasn’t always that way. Yes, I know that I write about wines, but when I am enjoying Mexican cuisine, I tend to drink Margaritas. I have had some Mexican wines, but they tend to be far and few between, which I find odd, but I can always find a great Margarita. I have even tried Mexican beers, but since this Armenian kid from the neighborhood grew up on Molson’s Canadian, I will stick to Margaritas. Let it not be said that I don’t still try a new Mexican beer or wine, but the beverage from the agave plant, which is a succulent plant and not a cactus or a relation to an Aloe Vera plant as is common attributed keeps me smiling.

Mexican_Village_Detroit

Back in my youth, when one wanted Mexican food, the oldest and still going strong restaurant is still in the original Mexican Town, not far from the Ambassador Bridge, the grounds where the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Lions used to play, near the Irish Cork Town district and the melting pot known as Delray, and I might also mention not far from downtown Detroit. I was introduced to Mexican Village by one of the kids that I grew up with, back then a whole bunch of us would go there for dinner. He also introduced me to Ribs and Mole (and yes I cannot for the life of me, figure out how to get an accent over the e). Mole Sauce for the uninitiated may sound odd, because it is made with Mexican Chocolate and it is spicy, not sweet and I love the dish. I can no longer get it the Mole Sauce with ribs, but I can find it with Chicken and that works too. In fact, I kind of get an attitude when we try a different Mexican restaurant and they don’t offer any dishes with that sauce. Another of my favorite restaurants that was near to Mexican Village and also close to the gas station where I had my first job was Fuentes de Elena, and it may have been too classy for its day as it was a white table cloth Mexican restaurant and I always thought the food was stellar, but it was not what the public wanted in Mexican food, I guess.

Agave Restaurant

Getting back to Margaritas, I will tell you that I always ask for the basic well-drink from the restaurant that I am at. If the Margarita still has personality and style, I rightfully presume that the food will be the same way. When they skimp on the Margarita, they skimp on the quality of the food. Some of the best hole-in-the-wall joints that I have eaten at, have great Margaritas and great food. I like the traditional Margarita on the rocks with the rim salted, now my Bride always wants a Frozen Margarita and no salt, which is an anathema to me, but it keeps her happy, and at least she likes Chicken and Mole. To this day, I really never give much thought to the tequila that is being used, as I trust the establishment to give me something decent, but I remember the first time we went to a “hot” new place called Agave, which is no longer open, but they were a trail blazer, because they were located in the “no man’s land” of Detroit, which is now the hottest area for housing and restaurants. Agave proudly proclaimed that they had every brand of tequila available, and the array of bottles was impressive, in fact the other liquors were kept out of sight, they were there, but tequila was king. I am still not a maven on tequila, but if the Margarita is made with some artistry, I am a happy man with some great memories that normally are not germane to this Blog, but I do beg your indulgence, in letting me go off on a tangent on occasions.

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A Night of Pizzas

Posted on February 21, 2016 by thewineraconteur

I think that most people like eating pizza, and that particular industry has flourished. When I was growing up, one went to a pizzeria and ate at the restaurant, but then it blossomed into a major fast-food business and most of the pizzas are made either for pick-up or delivery service. I have become a pizza curmudgeon, as to me, a pizza with all the traditional toppings including anchovies is what I desire. Give me pepperoni, especially the old style that curls up in the oven and has some extra grease, and I am happy; then put on onions, green peppers, mushrooms, hot peppers and green olives and I am perfectly happy. I will on occasion even have what I call frou-frou pizzas that are now the rage, though I do insist that there has to be at least some meat on it, to satisfy my carnivore desires.

Bonterra Chardonnay 2013

After the big party where we celebrated my Mother-in-Laws ninetieth birthday, the immediate family plus a few others got together that evening at one of my Sister-in-Laws home. Now you have to realize that my Bride is one of five daughters and each daughter is married and they each have at least two children, so even when there is a small family gathering there are a lot of people. It may look like organized chaos, but it really isn’t, but there are plenty of people to keep happy. That evening we just ordered pizzas, and a couple of the men went to pick up the order. There must have been at least a dozen extra large pizzas that were brought to the party, in an assortment of different toppings. It was just a party, quite casual, but fun, even though most of us were tired from all the preparations of the big party earlier on.

Bogle Chardonnay 2013

Many people associate beer with pizza and that beverage was flowing quite well, but imagine if you will, there was even wine for the evening as well. Perhaps not the perfect pairing, but we had some bottles of Chardonnay to enjoy. The first wine that I will discuss is Bogle Chardonnay 2013, which carries the simple California designation. Now sometimes the designation means that the fruit is from anywhere in the state, but other times like this wine, it is because the fruit comes from two distinct areas; Clarksburg and Monterey County. This wine is aged for nine months with half of the barrels being new American Oak, and sometimes one must look beyond the label and do some research. The other wine that I will mention is Bonterra Organic Vineyards Chardonnay 2013 from Mendocino County. The Bonterra label is under the larger umbrella of Fetzer Wines and uses organic grapes for the wine. Mendocino County is in the North Coast of California and about twenty percent of the county produces certified organic wines. Mendocino County while not as big of a name has ten AVAs in the area. This wine uses a combination of seventy percent French and American Oak and the balance is in Stainless Steel for the aging process. Both of these wines are good affordable wines that are very reliable and so far, never disappointing. The wines also did the trick with the assortment of pizzas, for all the non-beer drinkers of the evening.

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National Drink Wine Day

Posted on February 19, 2016 by thewineraconteur

National Drink Wine Day is celebrated on the eighteenth of February and I think it sounds like a grand reason to celebrate. Now before anyone accuses me of proselytizing questionable morals, let me say that the last thought of wine Bloggers is to get blotto. We enjoy tasting and drinking wines, and I am a rank amateur, compared to many. I enjoy the events where wine is part of the event and perhaps enhances the moment. Wine should be fun and as I have gotten older and perhaps more mature, I have expanded my appreciation for all wines.

Colgin IX Estate 2005

I have had the good fortune to have discovered wines around 1969, which is as good of a guess, as I can make. That was the year I started high school and I discovered that it was very difficult to take a young lady out on a date and order beer, because it required all sorts of identification and proof that I was of the age of majority. We dressed up a bit more and went out for dinner, where there was a wine list, and the question of my age was never brought up. It was exciting at that age, but even more I got a chance to start discovering wines. I became what I would call a self-appointed wine snob at that tender age, and I would only drink European wines and preferably French wines. There were times that I had to “drink” below my self-appointed “status,” and even at that age, I could discern the difference in wines and wondered how anyone could drink anything but Medoc or Burgundy wines, with the potential of some Cotes du Rhone wines as well. I was having fun, and it became a hobby for me and I wanted to try other wines as well, just to make sure that I wasn’t missing out on anything. At that time I was a student and I applied the same study habits to wines as well. I started to try Italian, German and Spanish wines; and they were all good. Wine was becoming even more fun, and I enjoyed my studies even more, when I could afford the indulgences.

Ch Cantenac Brown 1966

Then I discovered the New World, which for the most part I had shunned for years, thinking that they were bulk wines. I was proven wrong and now there were so many more wines to discover. New areas to try, and then sometimes the grape took precedent over the district and I had to re-educate myself to this dynamic hobby that I was enjoying. Wine was everywhere and it was impossible to keep up. My Bride who when we met only drank white wines, now has a passion for red wines and if it is Cabernet Franc, she is even more enthusiastic. For years I would offer suggestions to people to try different wines, and I guess I even do it more. I even will drink bulk wines if it fits the occasion, as I have matured, and stopped being that snob that I began as. Wine is for me appropriate in almost any time or event, though there may even be several days when I do not even have one glass of wine. So let me be enthusiastic and tell everyone to enjoy National Drink Wine Day, and I shall join you.

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Celebrating Ninety Years

Posted on February 17, 2016 by thewineraconteur

Ninety years is quite the milestone of any celebration, and when one is talking about a life, it is truly remarkable. We just celebrated that milestone for my Mother-in-Law and what a grand turn-out, it was. She was one of eleven children and alas, only she and her brother who is ninety-seven are still here and he came to celebrate as well. With eleven children and the families from that, you can see how the family has grown, and if you figure that my Bride is one of five girls, you can really see how we needed a hall for the festivities. The logistics of this party was immense and at first the schemers of this plot were thinking of a surprise party, but that was finally decided against. The planning was awesome, the invitations, the accounting of responses, the venue, the menu, the centerpieces and photo albums and boards designed to celebrate one person’s life was huge.  There were days that I thought my Bride was going to need sedatives to get through everything, but she persevered. All five daughters stood up to make a tribute and speech, and a few of the grandchildren were also getting “volunteered” as well, at the last minute. Our one son, who was a last minute volunteer,’ made a beautiful passionate tribute, as he had the honor of being the first grandchild, and when he discussed how his Grandmother was always there to help everyone that she knew. He started out by asking all of the children that were babysat, and then the nieces and nephews, the cousins, extended family and finally friends of the family and by the end of his speech, by reminding everyone there who had been touched by her unending help to all, there were only a few people that were not standing. It was a very moving tribute. Then another grandson performed some music for the enjoyment of all the guests.

Vendage Cabernet Sauvignon NV

As I said earlier, the logistics of this party was similar to staging a small wedding. It was mentioned that my Bride was getting carried away, not only did she create a video of her Mother for the event, she had also created a music play list for the afternoon, of course I guess she got a little carried away, as there was an accumulation of over nineteen hours of music that she had settled on. The hall had to be hired and the menu had to be decided on. Befitting the stature of the Woman being honored, even the food service was done “family style.” The dinner started out with Caesar Salad, not even close to what my Bride creates, but you know that it was good enough, that I even had a second helping and that is rare. There were two entrees chosen; Chicken Piccata and Roast Beef, there was also mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans. For dessert there was ice cream and chocolate, as well as a choice of the two different cakes that were made for the occasion. There was plenty of food, and the platters were refilled and no one left hungry, which to me, is a wonderful statement.

Vendage Chardonnay NV

Then there was a simple bar for the party of beer and wine, as this was an afternoon affair. The selections were straight forward and basically covered most of the requests and I am sure that all could find something to imbibe on. The party was to honor the guest and all made the most of it. The hall supplied wines in the handy-dandy magnum size bottles for the ease of the bartender and the choices were Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and White Zinfandel. The wines were all from Vendage Wine Cellars and were all non-vintage. This is a popular brand of wines for commercial catering companies, as the wine is simple and uncomplicated and the basic choices are furnished. The wines carry a California designation as the fruit is harvested from the entire state as their requirements are vast, but in the niche market that they are in, the winery has won awards, especially in their next step up, which is vintage dated wines. All in all, it was a fine afternoon, and I know that the guest of honor was pleased to see so many of her relatives and friends show up, and for the thoughtfulness of her children.

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Ornella Molon and Vigna Traverso

Posted on February 15, 2016 by thewineraconteur

Recently I received a message through Social Media from a young lady that I went to high school with. She was telling me how her cousin was in town traveling with his colleague, as they are in marketing and sales for a winery in Treviso, Italy. The colleague is one of the sons of the owners and the winery is Ornella Molon. I had to chuckle to myself as I have had the wine and I sent the hyper-link to the article about the wine.

Ornella Molon Brochure

She went on to tell me how they had to ship the wine samples ahead of time for all of their sales calls and since they were having dinner with her family they went to Cantoro Italian Market and bought her a bottle of one of their wines, since the market is one of their accounts, because all of their wines were already earmarked. Again I had to chuckle, as I sent her another hyper-link about my article about Cantoro Italian Market. She said that they gave her a bottle of their Eros, which is a Malbec blend, I went and researched it and found that it is blended with Pinot Noir, so it does sound very interesting. After they left her and her family, the two men were going to Toronto and then to Miami, before going back to Italy. She was telling them about me and my Blog and she said that she would be intimidated to try to offer a wine to me and they left some brochures, which she sent to me, and at the same time, she posted both of my articles on her page, so that the two gentlemen could read my articles. I felt honored.

Vigna Traverso Brochure

Ornella Molon is the Mother of the colleague and they live in a villa on the grounds that were built in 1650. Ornella Molon began in 1980, when she and her husband Giancarlo Traverso opened her first winery. In 1994 they began the renovation of Villa Giustinian making it the home of the Molon winery and their three sons run it. The winery is located in Campo di Pietra in the province of Treviso, in the Veneto region. They offer ten different red wines, five different white wines and eight sparkling wines. Some of the grapes that they use are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Traminer, Pinot Nero, Malbec, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat. Since I have so far only had their Sauvignon Blanc, I guess I have a lot to look forward to. The other brochure that they left and I received was for Vigna Traverso and this winery is in the Friuli Venezie Giulia region which borders Austria and Slovenia. Vigna Traverso offers seven red wines and five white wines. The wine is made from the following fruits; Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Refosco, Schioppetino, Muscat, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. The Schioppetino grape is indigenous to the area and another chance to try a new grape. One never knows when one will encounter some new wines or new leads, and that is what I find so fascinating about wine.

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Malagousia

Posted on February 13, 2016 by thewineraconteur

If you are like me, you may have never heard of the grape varietal Malagousia, which almost became extinct. I had to hear of this grape that is only grown in Greece, from a text and call from Las Vegas. My Bride went and joined her Sister and another friend for a girl’s trip and they were going to meet in Las Vegas and I had to hold down the fort here, but that is alright, because even my Bride needs time away from me. The three of them were sharing a suite on The Strip, and usually when we go to Las Vegas we stay out in Summerlin, because that is where two of our children live and five of our grandchildren.

Kitma Gerovassiliou Malagousia 2014

So we have three young ladies out enjoying Las Vegas and what do they do? They saw a couple of shows and they went out to eat, as all three of them are “foodies” and my Bride had the possible chance to have some food that I might pass on, because as much as I enjoy dining, I become a curmudgeon about certain types of food. One of the restaurants that they went to, that is germane to this story was Estiatorio Milos in The Cosmopolitan hotel that was near to where they were staying. Estiatorio Milos is a fancy Greek restaurant, which she told me was far different from the Greek restaurants that we have in the Detroit area. In fact they all raved about the food and the presentation, and to be truthful, any restaurant that is in one of the newer hotels on The Strip better be wonderful, no matter the type of cuisine it is, or they won’t last long in Las Vegas.

NV Milos Logo

After they had decided on the food selections, they started up with a debate about wines and they were looking at both domestic and imported wines, as in the Continent. The waiter suggest a Greek wine and the ladies were not sure, as I know that my Bride is not a fan of most Greek wines, but the waiter was insistent and volunteered not to charge them for the wine and to replace the bottle with another selection, if they were not pleased. Since the odds were in their favor, they decided to be bold, and were they pleased. The bottle in question was Kitma Gerovassiliou Single Vineyard Malagousia 2014 from Epanomi in the Halkidiki peninsula of Greece that juts into the Aegean Sea. This is a partially barrel fermented white wine and Vangelis Gerovassiliou is credited with saving the Malagousia grape from disappearing, as it was becoming a “non-grape” compared to some of the other grapes that have been planted there. As my Bride was so enthusiastic about this wine, I guess that I shall have to find it here locally if I can, so that she may try it again. Some times what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas.

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Zinc Brasserie & Wine Bar

Posted on February 11, 2016 by thewineraconteur

The other day at an affair, I was talking to another couple and we were discussing wine, as if you were surprised. The other thing we were talking about is restaurants, another popular subject for me. We were remembering several different eateries that we had been to and that I had written about. Then they mentioned Zinc Brasserie & Wine Bar and I had to smile. There was another restaurant that I had not written an article about, because as I have lamented before, there are no more books of matches to keep as tokens of great meals. Zinc Brasserie or just Zinc as many people referred to it, was rather a new concept when they opened up. The term Zinc is refers to the finish on the bars and is a colloquial term for a bar in parts of Europe.

Domaine Tempier Bandol 2002

Zinc was a fun and new concept here in town when they opened up as they offered some special brasserie style entrée dishes each night. They offered dishes like Osso Bucco, Coq au Vin, Beef Burgundy, Cassoulet, Bouillabaisse and Braised Short Ribs. They also had some great fish dishes which kept my Bride happy, and they also had great burgers, after all, they were owned by the same people that own the Redcoat Tavern. Most of the dishes were accompanied by Pommes Frites, the potato dish that I really enjoy since the first time I had it in New Orleans, which there is called Potato Soufflé.

Finca Sandoval 2001

Not only did Zinc Brasserie have great food, which was affordable, they also had unique wines and reasonably priced. I remember having a couple of wines that were off the beaten path and fun. The first wine that I will mention is from the Kermit Lynch, Wine Merchant collection and it was Domaine Tempier Bandol 2002; Bandol wines come from the Provence wine region. One of the main features of Bandol wines is that the wine is required to be made from at least half Mourvedre, a very spicy grape and is usually blend with Grenache, then Cinsaut, Carignan and Syrah. This is not a wine that is usually encountered and when paired with Continental-style dishes makes for a great choice if you ever find it. Another wine that we had was off the beaten track and from Spain; Finca Sandoval 2001 is such a wine. Finca Sandoval comes from Castilla La Mancha, and of course that would catch my eye on the wine carte, as everyone knows of the Man of La Mancha. This wine is actually from Manchuella, which is lesser known, and only recently got their own recognition as the area is known as “Lesser La Mancha.” Manchuella fought for their own designation because Castilla La Mancha is known more for their table wines and bulk production. This wine is primarily made from Syrah with just small percentages of Monastrell, Bobal and Tempranillo. Since this wine is also still in production, it may not prove totally difficult to locate and you will have a chance to try something a little different. Alas, after several years as Zinc, the owners changed the venue into another Redcoat Tavern, but usually we go to the original over this one, even though it is closer to us, go figure.

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Super Bowl Sunday

Posted on February 9, 2016 by thewineraconteur

There is a strong rumor that there is a sporting event called the Super Bowl coming up very soon; in fact by the time this is published it will be history. Everywhere one is bombarded by this coming event, wherever one goes. This is great and it gets adrenaline running. I have to admit though that my life does not revolve around this event, in fact in our house, it is a non-event. I was raised in a house where watching sports was not stressed and I never quite got the bug. I can play most sports, but I find watching them not exciting. I am hardly what a person one would call a jock. We share some spectacular season tickets for the Detroit Lions on the fifty yard line about ten rows up and the people that buy them from us greatly appreciate it. Detroit really has some of the most “die-hard” fans in the country. The only two sports that I am totally lost in, is Basketball and Soccer, which both strike me as organized chaos.

Kirkland Sonoma County Chardonnay 2014

I only bring this game up, because it is the tie-in for everything, so I guess that I will jump on the band wagon as well. Everywhere I look there are recipes for snacks to nosh on the entire length of the games, when tied in with pre-game shows, the game and then the analysis of what everyone watched, the entire Sunday is basically a day designed for eating and drinking. I get a kick out of reading about what wine goes best with greasy finger food proffered by everyone and his brother and sister. I am so out of touch with reality, I guess.

Kirkland California Chardonnay 2014

Over here at Command Central, we are in the midst of final preparations for a major party, which will actually be discussed the following weekend, when it ensues, so I will have future articles. So while the world is focused on this game, we will be whirling-dervishes making sure that the following weekend will go off without a hitch. Besides the big party, there will be a calm dinner here the night before, and then another party the day afterwards here. An amusing anecdote about this whole time is that my Bride has discovered that she really enjoys a glass a day of Kirkland Signature Sonoma County Chardonnay 2014. Kirkland Signature is the house brand of the monster big-box store known as Costco, who is now regarded as the largest wine seller in the United States. I have to admit that this is a fine bottle of wine for everyday and even fine to offer guests in a pinch, especially if it is already in the refrigerator. She was at her Mother’s home the other day visiting and her Brother-in-Law was going to Costco, so she gave him some money and asked if he could pick up a six-pack of the wine. I had to laugh when she called me, when she was driving home, that he returned with six magnum bottles for what she normally pays for the single bottle at the Costco that she usually shops at. I laughed and said that it probably was not the same bottle of wine, that instead of the Sonoma County Chardonnay, it was probably the more generic California Chardonnay, where the fruit could have been harvest across the entire state. When she came home and we were unpacking the car, sure enough the magnum bottles were Kirkland Signature California Chardonnay 2014, so we shall see how much she likes the one compared to the other. It may be the biggest upset on Super Bowl Sunday at least here.

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