Wine-o: Educational Video

Please enjoy this informative video on the different varietals of wine from our friends in the Paso Robles Wine Country.  Happy Saturday!

Wine-o: Smoking Loon Chardonnay

Smoking Loon 2009 Chardonnay, California
Alcohol:  13.5%
Price: ~$10.50

I confess, I bought this wine because of the amazing store display.  There is a sweepstake for this bike, and of course I entered myself, and The BF into it.  How cool would it be to have a wine cruiser bike?! (The only downside is that this is not a step through "ladies" cruiser which is my favorite...)

I selected a Chardonnay from their wide variety which included Old Vine Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, and more.  The wine had a pleasant, subtle taste of fruits.  It wasn't as dry as I prefer, but a bit more floral in taste.

Freya's Score 70
Mona's Value 6.7
The MV is calculated by dividing the FS by the price; this produces a better analytic which takes into consideration price as well as overall taste

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Wine-o: Heady Topper

Heady Topper Double IPA Waterbury, Vermont

Alcohol 8%

Price $12 (4-pack of 16 oz.)

The brewery is located in Waterbury, VT just 20 minutes southeast of Burlington along I-89 and right next to the Ben & Jerry's factory.  It is again a very nondescript building, but close to the highway.  They sell growlers and 4-packs of cans.  (Perhaps check their facebook ahead as they were out when we visited; they had just filled all of their Burlington area orders.)

This beer gains rave reviews from everyone we've met.  And Beer Advocate has ranked it as the #3 beer in the world.  Pretty impressive if you ask me.  To me, the hoppy flavors dissolved into a fruity goodness, swirling around my mouth.  It was a very different experience from other beers I've tasted.  I also like this brewery's business model.  This is the #1 beer their customers like, and so it is the ONLY beer that they brew.  Simple, smart, and lucrative.

The BF describes this as "#1 beer that I've ever had... that's still in production".  That's pretty good if you ask me...

Freya's Score: 98

Mona Value: 8.2

The MV is calculated by dividing the FS by the price, giving a better analytic that takes into consideration price as well as overall taste

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Wine-o: Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc

Cupcake 2011 Sauvignon Blanc

Central Coast California

Alcohol 13%

Price $12

My mother is quite the fan of Sauvignon Blanc.  Usually they aren't as dry as a Chardonnay, and they often have a trace of citrus or herbal zest to them.  She particularly likes those of the herb resonance, such as Nobilo and Kono.  

However, the Cupcake is a little more affordable, and very available at almost any wine shop.  This wine has a nice zing to it and is more on the herbal side than citrus.  Definitely serve this chilled.  It paired well with cheese hors d'oeuvres and a humid evening.  Not overly sweet and a bit on the drier side; the whole family enjoyed this!  (Although I would still buy the Cupcake 2010 Angel Food over this vintage...)

Freya's Score 79

Mona's Value 6.6

The MV is calculated by dividing the FS by the price, giving a better analytic that takes into consideration price as well as overall taste

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Wine-o: Sawtooth Chardonnay

Sawtooth Winery 2009 Chardonnay 
Snake River Valley, Idaho

Alcohol 14.3%

Price $13

This past summer during our road trip out west, we picked up some beer and wine to try.  I was pleasantly surprised by the Snake River area in Idaho (just outside Boise).  It was wonderful to be 30 minutes from a large city and surrounded by farms and mountains.

Sawtooth Winery was a stop The BF requested because of their striking wine labels.  We bought a couple bottles, one being the 2009 Chardonnay.  It packs a bit of a punch at 14%+ alcohol and is a very dry Chardonnay (and yes it has a buttery flavor to it!).  While a bit too dry for my taste, the flavor was lovely.

It should be noted that Sawtooth Winery has received awards and is a noted Idaho wedding venue.  Bookings can be made by emailing: kellig@sawtoothwinery.com 

Freya's Score: 82

Mona Value: 6.3

The MV is calculated by dividing the FS by the price, giving a better analytic that takes into consideration price as well as overall taste

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Wine-o: The Norwich Inn

The Norwich Inn (technically Jasper Murdoch's Alehouse) Whistling Pig Red Ale
Alcohol 5.4%

Price $6.50- (22 oz. bomber)

The Norwich Inn is very well known in the Hanover/Dartmouth College area.  It has a diverse menu featuring locally sourced products, as well as the microbrewery (and with that pub-fare).  It is also an Inn, and one can reserve rooms there.

We parked in the back and entered through a side door to the front desk.  The receptionist happily sold us a "bomber" of our choice right there.  While The BF deliberated over the assortment I was able to look at the dining room and bar area.  Both very New England, very classic, and just lovely looking.  Clean lines with a general sense of "old" sunken in and painted over in a beautiful minty sage green.

The Norwich Inn was very kind in responding to a comment I left when I joined their mailing list.  They provided me with this fun history of the brewhouse:

We have been brewing beer at the Inn since 1993 producing traditional English-Style ales in 5 gallon glass jugs. Ten years later we became established as a brewery and named it after the Colonel [and Dartmouth graduate] who built the original Inn in 1797.  

In May of 2003, Tim Wilson established our own Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse as one of the countries smallest breweries.  An historic barn was restored for this purpose and stands opposite the pub in the courtyard.  Our ales are handcrafted at the inn and pumped underground to the taps in the pub and packaged in 22oz bottles available for sale only at the inn.  In 2006 Joe and Jill Lavin purchased the inn...  They began renovations to the old vestry and carriage house to create the Walker House and Ivy Lodge giving us 11 more sleeping rooms, and added our beautiful wine cellar which houses one of the largest selections of wine in the state.   

We now produce over 30 different beers and have between 4 - 6 on tap in our pub at all times.  Our ales are crafted from fine English malts.  Filtration can strip flavor and body from a beer, therefore the ale yeast is allowed to settle out naturally in an extended cold-aging process.  Our beer is then pumped underground from our beer cellar to the pub, or packaged in 22 ounce bottles for sale in our Bottle Shop.

Very malty, almost smoky flavored; less hoppy than other red ales.

Freya's Score: 90

Mona Value: 13.84

The MV is calculated by dividing the FS by the price, giving a better analytic that takes into consideration price as well as overall taste

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Wine-o: Big Claw White

Big Claw 2009 White Wine, CA
Alcohol 13.7%
Price $16-

This wine was a huge disappointment.  During a fun vacation on the Maine Coast, it was assumed that this wine would be fantastic with seafood.  While it did pair adequately, it was very weak in flavor.  The wine is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewurtztraminer.  The bottle noted it as "the perfect lobster pairing."  I would recommend a large Yellow Tail Chardonnay instead.


"Dry, bland, disappointing"

"Flavorless, indistinct, expensive"

"Bizarre, watery"

Freya's Score: 40
Mona's Value: 2.5

The MV is calculated by dividing the FS by the price, giving a better analytic that takes into consideration price as well as overall taste

Get your post updates via Facebook and the new Freya's Keeper Page!