Wine-o: Charles Smith Eve

Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay 2009, Washington Valley, OR

I finally frequented Pressroom after work.  The coffee house recently obtained their liquor license (conveniently in time for New Year's Eve) and I have been told by various Bentonville locals about how wonderful their offerings are.

Since I had a bottle of red already open at home I decided to go with a glass of white, the house white recommended to me was the Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay.  The 2009 vintage was lovely.  A little bit on the crisp side for a chardonnay, but still with a buttery hint to it.  (I love buttery chardonnays.)  The menu described it as having pear and apple flavorings which I found delightfully offset that buttery flavor.

Pressroom opened in downtown Bentonville in the fall of 2011, just in time for the grand opening of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.  The coffee house features a delightful offering throughout the day.  Grab an amazing coffee drink in the morning (my favorite is the brown sugar latte), pastries by  the Tusk & Trotter American Brasserie pastry chef throughout the day, light and healthy lunches, and finally a full bar menu with cheese, olive, and charcuterie plates in the evening.  

This has been an amazing addition to the downtown area and is a convenient walk to the Square, Crystal Bridges, Walmart Visitor Center, and all the other retail, yoga studio, and restaurant perks in downtown.

Freya's Score: 8  This great wine added to a lovely happy hour with some girlfriends!  The label art on the bottle is also super fun.

Cost: ~ $7 at Pressroom in Bentonville, AR

Wine-o: Friday's Folly & Venison Steak Marinade

Friday's Folly Red Table Wine, Boulder CO

And a folly this wine is.  I should've known by the label as there is no year printed.  However it does note "100% Colorado Grown" which I thought was a good sign...  


This wine tastes off, it has a musty overpowering smoky flavor.  The first night I opened it I felt it was drinkable, and I looked forward to trying it again after it had aired a day.  But alas, it tasted only worse a day later.  

It was when I realized drinking it was a chore that I decided to convert it into marinade.  I have no doubt that it will flavor our venison backstrap steak deliciously tonight.

Simple venison marinade:

5 parts red wine

sprinkle of Tarragon 

1 part Dale's Seasoning sauce (optional: any steak sauce will do, omitting the sauce and using just wine will also work)

Allow steak to sit out for a couple hours.  It is important to thaw the steak in warm saltwater.  This will take away some of the "gamey" flavor.  After steak is mostly thawed, cover with marinade and let sit until ready to cook.


Wild game is a much leaner (and healthier) meat than beef or farm raised meat that you will find in the grocery store.  Because of this it is important to cook the meat very hot and very fast.  If the meat is left on the heat for a longer time it will lose a lot of it's moisture and gain a touch texture.

 Freya's Score: 3 I give this wine points for being a local wine where I bought it.  The wine has a better flavor than Arkansas red wines, it is more musty than overly sweet.

Cost: ~ $15  from a liquor store between Boulder and Denver

Culture Bit: Post Mail Valentines

The Holiday season is filled with many wonderful things.  And one of those, are post mail holiday cards.  My mantelpiece is full of holiday cards, pictures of family and friends, glad tidings and bright colors.  I love it.


I received a letter from my dear college roommate.  I especially loved her letter because it included little pictoglyphs showing her life.  (She works for an art museum, is trying to use up outdated stationary, and loves her two poodles dearly).

I have decided to try to extend this post mail card tradition into the New Year via Valentine's Day. 


While many people associate "love" with Valentine's Day, a great many associate the opposite.  This includes practically all single women, and men who feel a sense of pressure from their counterparts (including the BF).  


And I have decided to embrace the joy that children have for Valentine's day and give out valentines.  Last year I sent out Valentine's day cards to all my dear friends.  And I have every intention to do that again this year.  


Because who doesn't enjoy getting a pretty card that says I love you?  

Wine-o: Merlot 181

181 Merlot 2009, Lodi CA

This wine was recommended to me by Dan from Macadoodle's.  Her suggested several wines, telling me to buy 2 bottles as he was sure that I would want more once I had finished the first one.

Described on Snooth.com:

Quarterly Review of Wines called this Merlot a Best Buy saying "this is Merlot that delivers" and "the flavors are forthcoming and fetching." 181 refers to the clone of the Merlot grape that originates in Pomerol Bordeaux. That clone is planted in the clay Station vineyard in the Sierra Foothills where the grapes for this wine are sourced. Clay soil, like in Pomerol, retains moisture, keeps the vines vibrant and the grapes developing through the warm summer months. It also scored 90 points with the Tasting Panel who called called it "a pleasing and vivacious value driven slice of sunshine."

 Freya's Score: 8 This was a great merlot, although it does start to get a bit pricey if you are budgeting for table wine.  It would be perfect for a dinner party with a hearty red meat entree

Cost: ~ $14  bought from the Macadoodle's location in Pineville, MO.  This is a great deal if you purchase it with the fantastic Macadoodle's case of wine deal.  Try out the Macadoodle's new e-commerce store to have wine and other goodies delivered to you.  

Date Night, Homemade Pizza!

Since the BF was going out of town for the weekend, we decided to declare Date Night.  However, it should be noted that it was a Wednesday night (and a rainy one at that) and we had both had a long day at work; we were fairly uninspired.

Originally I had planned that we would drive by the mailman's light display.  He has been telling me everyday for a solid week about the glory that are his House Christmas lights.  I thought it would be fun and nostalgic to "take a drive"  see the lights, romantic even.  The rain 86ed that idea.  Afterwards we would go to a gourmet grocery store and pick out a decadent dessert, then go to Tusk & Trotter or get a pizza from Johnny Brusco's.  But rain and laziness prevailed, meaning...

Date night resulted in homemade goodness.

Menu

Baked Brie Leftovers - the BF had just come back from weight lifting at the gym and was famished, this ensured he would not inhale dinner but enjoy it

Homemade Pizza - handmade simple dough & toppings ideas: mushrooms, goat cheese, pepperoni, artichoke hearts, olives, onions.  We each made our own mini pizza, this ensured we each had the right amount of what we love on our pizzas (he adores a ton of sauce wheras I am a minimalist)

German Chocolate Cake - excellent with Braum's Peppermint Ice Cream, if this recipe looks to intense, you can always do what I did, which is buy the Duncan Hines cake mix, easy and yum.

181 Merlot, 2009

Movie: Crazy, Stupid, Love. starring Steve Carrel and Julianne Moore

Perhaps the next Date Night will involve getting out of the house... however this budget was hard to beat!

Wine-o: Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc

Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Alcohol: 13.5%

After a lovely stint in Southern California for the holidays, my father and stepmother have turned me onto white wine again.  I bought this wine as it is a favorite of my mother's, but during her visit over Thanksgiving Arkansas was just too chilly for white wine.

The wine is full of citrus flavors and bursts on the tongue.  Previous years of this wine have had more of a spicy herbal taste to them, almost like a sage or rosemary.  However, to me, the 2010 tastes of tart citrus.

"New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at its best, this wine displays excellent palate weight and length,with flavours of ripe passion fruit, lemon and peach supported by fresh, zesty acidity."  Snooth.com Winemaker Notes

Freya's Score: 7

I confess I preferred earlier years where there was not as much citrus, and more of an herbal quality.

Cost: ~ $12 in Southern Missouri, bought from the Macadoodle's location in Pineville, MO.  This is a great deal if you purchase it with the fantastic Macadoodle's case of wine deal.  They have a discount section that provides cases of wine perfect for any party, event, or just a personal favorite that one wants to always have on hand.

Wine-o: Tasting at Wilson Creek

Wilson Creek Winery, Temecula, California

Assorted red, white, sparkling, and dessert wines

I was first introduced to wine tasting by my father in Temecula, CA.  One of his favorite wineries is Wilson Creek Winery and so he insisted that as many of the family as possible go.  It features a tasting room, restaurant, outdoor gazebo, lawn, and large store.

We tried a variety of wines at the VIP Wine Tasting Bar in the back barrel room since my father is a member of the Wilson Creek Wine Club.  He receives a discount on all purchases and a certain number of cases mixed by his choice every year.

The five of us came to a pretty general consensus as to which wines we felt were the strongest:

2010 "Yes Dear" Chardonnay

2008 Winemaker's Select Zinfandel (the 2009 has not aged enough yet)

2007 Family Meritage

I also enjoyed the 2010 Golden Jubilee.  This wine was a bit too sweet for many in our party and was probably the sweetest I would enjoy now.  It is definitely a summer wine in my mind.  It made me want to sit outside with a huge fresh salad and fish entree.

We also had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Rosie Wilson, one of the owners.  She was in great spirits and regaled us about their fun New Years costume party.  The 2012 theme was the 1920's flapper era.  She also had a trusty Golden Retriever in tow; the mascots of the winery.  There were a couple around the grounds lounging and receiving love from many customers (including me!)

Freya's Score: 8 -This vineyard is lovely.  Clean and with extensive grounds, it is great fun for a group trip.  Also, doggy presence gives an automatic score of at least 5 since we love dogs so.

For NWA locals, you can purchase the Wilson Creek Almond Champagne (their signature product) from Macadoodle's, check out their new e-commerce site to make digital orders!

Wine-o: Fat Monk Merlot

Fat Monk Merlot 2009, Central Coast CA
14.5% Alcohol

Described by winespectator.com as 

Soft and juicy if a bit generic, offering cherry and spicy vanilla flavors. Drink now. 3,000 cases made. –TF

Freya's Score: 8

This is a great tasting wine.  Full bodied and with a great round flavor.  Goes great with steak.  The flavors are more subtle, not spicy like a Zinfandel or some Shiraz.

Cost: ~ $10 in Southern Missouri, bought from the Macadoodle's location in Pineville, MO.  This is a great deal if you purchase it with the fantastic Macadoodle's case of wine deal.  They have a discount section that provides cases of wine perfect for any party, event, or just a personal favorite that must always be handy.

Don't forget to try out the Macadoodle's new e-commerce store, have wine and other goodies delivered to you (alcohol shipping rulings differ by state).