TWITs Battle of the Bottles - June 5th, 2021

TWITs Battle of the Bottles - originally set for March 14th, 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic.  Rescheduled to Saturday, June 5th, 2021.
hosted by Chad & Christy

Theme:  Battle of the Bottles - blind tastings between various pairs of bottles, you have to guess which one of the two is the expensive wine ($50+), and which is the budget bottle (~$20 or less). 

     1st Place:  The most accurate guesses goes to Drew!  He guessed 5 out of 6 bottle battles correctly!

     2nd Place: Val with 4 correct guesses

     3rd Place: Tie between Abbie and DuPree with 3 correct guesses 
We did not guess on the Welcome Wines (in case you were counting).

I'd like to give honorable mention to Rheinallt for the most hilarious tasting notes I've read in a while.  Great job sassy pants!

TWITs brought $40/pp to cover the cost of the wines.

Food Pairings:

Chad & Christy prepared some wonderful food pairings for us.

Tasting Notes:

All bottles purchased via Wine.com

Welcome Wine

Food Pairing - Charcuterie Board

Bottle 1: J Vineyards California Cuvee - $24.99

12.5% alcohol

vs

Bottle 2:  Champagne Gimonnet-Gonet L'Origine Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs NV - $45

12% alcohol

Riesling 

Food pairing - Shrimp w cocktail sauce

Bottle 1: 2017 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling - $49.99 

12.5 % alcohol

Petrol, stone fruits, minerality, dry, honeysuckle, tropical, unripe papaya, pear, semi-dry, honeydew citrus, no petroleum, very light, shite, sickly, too sweet, nice acidity, but no petrol, cloying after palate, floral, pear, very dry for Riesling, good pear floral, gardenia, I liked this one just guessed wrong, pear floral dry

vs

Bottle 2: 2018 Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Dry Riesling - $16.99

12% alcohol

kerosene, soapy, musky, stinky, viscous, dry briny, gasoline, clean, dry, lots of gasoline, ribana, layers of minerals, it's a deal it's a steal, very dry, briny, petrol, soapy, mineral, not so good, petroleum, flower, pear, plastic, new toy, dry, flower

Sauvignon Blanc

Food Pairing - Bacon/Goat Cheese/Olive Quick Bread

Bottle 1:  2018 Beyond Sauvignon Blanc Buitenverwachting South Africa - $10.99

13.5% alcohol

citrus, lemony, depth, olive, brine at back palate, peaches, pithy, peach cobbler, mineral, lemon, very nice clean nose, spitting out citrus like a deranged satsuma, RH's fave wine of the evening! lemon, dry, acid, very balanced, lemon, sugar, citrus, sweet but rich smooth, fresh, crisp, not very grassy, citrus, would like to drive this to me, brine, citrus, lemon

vs

Bottle 2: 2015 Cloudy Bay Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand - $69.99

14% alcohol

petrol, peaches and cantaloupe, stone fruits in yo face, tangerine candy, rich, no no no no no No Zealand, stone fruit over the top, too much acid, too much mineral, less sweet, crisp, grapefruit, sophisticated, peaches, like 1, crisp, peach cobbler, peach, jackfruit, sweet

Rose

Food Pairing - Strawberry salad (Baby lettuces with feta, strawberries, and almonds)

Bottle 1:  2018 Chateau Romassan Ott Bandol France - $58.99

13% alcohol

almost no nose, drinking air, flavored water, if you put bubbles in it it's a White Claw, light in color, no me gusto, devoid of character, vapid but roughness, why you give me roughness? no want. very delicate strawberry, cream, White Claw flavored water, dry, light, doesn't taste like much, color off, very bland

vs

Bottle 2: 2018 Famille Combard Figuiere Magali Signature Cotes de Provence - $19.99

13% alcohol

better color, better flavors, bitter finish, bland but smells like a rose, bit more biting, some banana but still okay, but not good. more acid, cloying after palate, nice, a little sweeter, pepper, not so good, guest soap in grandma's bathroom

Pinot Noir

Food Pairing - Asian meatballs with sauce

Bottle 1:  2017 J Vineyards Pinot Noir Monterey/Santa Barbara/Sonoma Counties - $18.99

14.3% alcohol

berries, chocolate, spice, light, dark fruits, very good California Pinot, classic Pinot attributes like cola and dandelions and burdock, fruit forward, cola, balanced, very nice, sweet berry, blueberry, rich, peppery, dark berries, devious, best so far, blackberry, light on nose, fruit forward

vs

Bottle 2:  2016 Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast/Sonoma County - $59.99

14.1% alcohol

higher alcohol, headache tomorrow wine, sour, young, very similar to the other Pinot but lighter, brighter, and better, richer mouthfeel, cola, more spice, more alcohol, cherry nose, but less (illegible sorry), 

Malbec

Food Pairing - Roquefort blue cheese Slider/Burger

Bottle 1: 2014 Tapiz Black Tears Malbec Mendoza Argentina - $54.99

14.5% alcohol

lovely, dark chocolate, leather, berries, woody, dark fruit, baking spices, solid little Malbec, so solid with the burger slider, yes so nice, anise spice and cloves and some other stuff, anise, nose all dark fruit

vs

Bottle 2: 2017 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Clasico Mendoza Argentina - $12.99

13.5% alcohol

f*ck me nose, smooth, sexy, berries, jam yet dry not sweet, smiley face, hotness up the nose, high ethanol, roughness in the extreme, just rough, pickles, brine, pine, didn't like either of these, pine, smooth

Cabernet Sauvignon

Food Pairing - Mini Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

Bottle 1:  2017 Michael Mondavi Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon Napa County - $20.99

13.7% alcohol

bell pepper, chocolate bliss, bell pepper cacao on the nose, solid cab, prob new wood, maybe pedestrian Cab, spice, fruit, nice balance, like, fruity, smooth, good

vs

Bottle 2:  2015 Hall Eighteen Seventy-Three Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - $74.99

15.6% alcohol

spice and chocolate, smiley face, this has mint, just mint, why does it have mint? spearmint at that! butter, pastry fruit nose, tannin, classic cab, more tannin

Holiday TWITs and Annual Blanc Elephant Gift Exchange - 2019

Holiday TWITs and Annual Blanc Elephant Gift Exchange - 2019
hosted by Mr Matt & Ms Abbie
Thursday, December 5th, 2019

TWITs should bring $20/pp to cover the cost of the wines.
AND 
1 wrapped gift per person for the Blanc Elephant Gift Exchange.  Recommend gift is $15 or less, doesn't even have to be wine-related.

Theme:  Wines from Wineries affected or near the California Wildfires.  These wines were not easy to get.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/10/29/kincade-fires-destructive-toll-on-sonoma-wineries-vintners/ 

Menu:
Pot Roast w carrots, onions, and mushrooms
Foie Gras

Foie Gras Mousse

Pork & Duck Pate
GF crackers
Sourdough bread bites
Goat Cheese

Cranberry Chutney
Dubliner Aged Cheddar
Crudites
Olives
Nuts

Berry Tart

Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wine: NV Gruet Blanc de Blancs Bubbly - $12.99/bottle at Tower Liquor Store

1) 2018 Alexander Valley Vineyards Gewurztraminer ~$15/bottle @ Brookhaven Wines
Organically grown 13.2% alcohol
Gewurtz =  Spice, Traminer is the varietal, notes of tobacco, fruit, apricots, dry, orange rind

2) 2018 Alexander Valley Vineyards Chardonnay ~ $20/bottle @ Brookhaven Wines
99% Chardonnay 1% Viognier
14% alcohol
tastes French, stone fruits, long finish, stronger than French, not butter more margarine, "I can't believe it's not butter", not getting the apples described on the label

3) 2018 Alexander Valley Vineyards Dry Rose of Sangiovese ~ $16/bottle @ Brookhaven Wines
100% Sangiovese
13% alcohol
smells of candy, honeydew melon, watermelon jolly rancher, viscous, pithy, fresh orange slice w bitter rind, this is actually what you want in a rose! the best rose I've had in a while

4) 2017 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $25/bottle @ Brookhaven Wines
Cabernet Sauvignon 83%, Merlot 12%, Malbec 1%, Cabernet Franc 3%, Petit Verdot 1%
14% alcohol
spicy, yummy, heavier, cherries, tannins, bitterness on finish, wormwood, malort like (Jepson's Malort from Cook County Illinois, wood notes, off a sea ship

5) 2016 Michel-Schlumberger Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Wine Estate ~ $40/bottle from the winery
87% Cab Sauv, 12% Merlot, 1% Malbec
14.2% alcohol
red berries, dark fruit, leather, velvety on the tongue, damsons

6) 2016 Chateau d’Oupia Minervois Languedoc-Roussillon ~$12/bottle

13.5% alcohol

ok ok it's not from California, but someone brought it to share, so we tasted it.  Yum!

December - Benefit for Vineyards Damaged by California Wildfires - hosted by Matt & Abbie

December - Benefit for Vineyards Damaged by California Wildfires  - hosted by Matt & Abbie

When:  Wednesday, December 6th, 2017 7:00pm ET

Theme: Benefit for Vineyards Damaged by California Wildfires

Bring:  TWITs should bring 2 items:
1) A wine from a vineyard damaged by the 2017 California Wildfires - within our usual price range (Up to $20/bottle for Single Attendee, between $20 - $40/bottle for Couples, couples only expected to bring 1 bottle per couple)
2) AND wrapped gift for our Annual Blanc Elephant Exchange ($15 suggested price range).

We will take up a collection if anyone wishes to help.  Tax Deductible Donations will go to Habitat For Humanity of Sonoma County (501c3), project "Rebuilding Sonoma County from Wildfire Disaster" - Abbie's employer will match up to $1000 of our donations.

Here is the list of vineyards damaged in the fires: 
Napa County wineries:
Signorello Vineyard
Stags’ Leap Winery
White Rock Vineyards
William Hill Estate Winery
Darioush
Hagafen Cellars
Helena View Johnston Vineyards
Segassia Vineyard
VinRoc

Sonoma County wineries:
Paradise Ridge Winery
Ancient Oak Cellars
Sky Vineyards
Nicholson Ranch
Chateau St. Jean
Mayo Family Wineries
Gundlach Bundschu Winery

Mendocino County wineries:
Frey Vineyards Winery
Oster Wine Cellars
Golden Vineyards
Sources: http://fortune.com/2017/10/10/california-wine-country-fire-vineyard/
http://fortune.com/2017/10/11/napa-wineries-damaged-by-fires/
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/California-Wine-Fire-Road-Ahead

Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wine:  2015 Frey Chardonnay ~ $13.99 @ Total Wine
13.5% alcohol

1) 2015 Darioush Napa Valley Chardonnay ~ $52.00 @  Total Wine

2) 2016 Dirty & Rowdy Mourvedre ~ $29.00
13.3% alcohol

3) 2016 Frey Pinot Noir ~ $17.00
13.7% alcohol

4) 2013 William Hill Estate Winery Central Coast Merlot ~ $13.00

5) 2013 Gundlach Bundschu Sonoma Valley Merlot ~ $29.99

6) 2014 Stags Leap Napa Valley Merlot ~ $30
14.1% alcohol

7) 2015 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $60
14.5% alcohol

8) 2013 William Hill Estate Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $34.99

9) 2013 Gundlach Bundschu Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $40.00

10) 2013 William Hill Estate Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $34.99

11) Spann Vineyards Lot 12 Betsy's Backacher ~ $24.00
48% Merlot, 39% Syrah, 6% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Sangiovese
13.4% alcohol

Bodega Renacer Wine Tasting & Barrel Painting January 21st, 2017 atVino Venue

Bodega Renacer Wine Tasting & Barrel Painting  at  Vino Venue

When:  Saturday January 21st, 2016 @ 3 pm - 5pm

Theme:  Bodega Renacer Wine Tasting & Barrel Painting
Unleash your Inner Artist on Saturday, January 21st!   Founded by Patricio Reich, Bodega Renacer prides itself in bringing consumers the very best wines from South America’s unique terroirs. The combination of Patricio’s passion for Mendoza’s wines and his extensive business experience has resulted in a modern and sophisticated winery that produces well-crafted, enjoyable wines that not only offer tremendous value but have garnered praise worldwide. In addition, Renacer has received awards for their support of the local art community in Mendoza. To celebrate, local young artists gather at special events to paint barrels that link both art, culture and the Argentine passion for wine. These special barrels are often gifted to distributors and importers.
In Spanish, Renacer means to be reborn.
Join us for a one-of-a-kind tasting featuring five Renacer wines and lite bites while two artists bring new life to used wine barrels. Best of all, you'll be entered in a raffle to take home one of these unique artwork pieces! And because we believe everyone's a winner, each attendee will receive a Renacer adult coloring book, the latest craze, to help you unleash your inner artist.

Bring:  Yourself - please purchase tickets Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Where:
Vino Venue - 4478 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Dunwoody, GA 30338 - 770-668-0435
*Vino Venue is located in the Georgetown Kroger Shopping Center, near where I-285 and Chamblee Dunwoody Rd intersect.

RSVP:  Please go to the Vino Venue website and purchase tickets.  Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Wines we will be tasting:

• Punto Final Malbec Clasico
• Milamore
• Punto Final Cabernet Sauvignon
• Punto Final Malbec Reserva
• Renacer

Brazos Tasting with Brad Patrick at Le Caveau

Brazos Tasting with Brad Patrick at Le Caveau - December 15, 2016

Volcanic Wines - March 19th, 2015 - hosted by Ms. Karin & Mr. Joshua

Volcanic Wines - Thursday March 19th, 2015 - hosted by Ms. Karin & Mr. Joshua

Theme:  Volcanic Wines - We will do our usual blind tasting method.

Bring:  TWITs should bring a bottle of volcanic wine.  It can be a white or a red wine, but within the specified price range (Up to $20/bottle for Singles, between $20 - $40/bottle for Couples)

More information on Volcanic Wines.
"Volcanic soils are rich in calcium, iron and magnesium, as well as other elements, which can contribute to a wine’s minerality. These soils also allow water to be delivered to the roots of vines very slowly, which can be a lifesaver during a dry growing season when vines must rely on groundwater to survive. Oh, and they look cool, too: black never goes out of style."

Why did Josh & Karin pick "Volcanic Wines" as the theme?
Josh explained that they had first tried a volcanic wine in Portland, Williamette Valley, and they were told "you either love it, or you hate it", and they decided they loved it.  Karin said it was also a nice geography lesson, learning about the different volcanic areas in the world.  Some volcanic areas include: New Zealand, Chile, Italy, Portland Oregon, Calistoga/Napa area, etc.

Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wine:  2013 Azienda Agricola Inama Vin Soave Classico, Verona Italy ~ $20 @ Sherlocks
100% Gargenega, 12% alcohol
white wine, light, sweetish, off-dry, grassy, rain, acidity, tart, 3 day old campfire, ash,

1) 2010 Assemblage Barken Reichan Galilee - $29 @ Costco
67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 13% Shiraz 13.5% alcohol
red wine, smoky head, tar, subtle smoke, bbq, not quite opaque, spice, white pepper, Val guesses California fine wine, fruit forward, gorgeous wood, citrus, tangerine, cherry, subtle charcoal nose, carmelly, charred barrel, berry cherry, spice like a pinot but not, you can almost taste the burnt ash in the back of your throat, high clarity, could be a pinot, why not? cloves, doesn't linger, like a good cigar at the end, a very sexy clove cigarette, black fruit, chocolate, nougat, promises even more pleasure with age.

2) 2011 Vestini Campagnano Kajanero Terre del Volturno IGT, Campania Italy - $15.99 @ Brookhaven Wines
Blend of Casavecchia, Pallagrello Nero, 13.5% alcohol
crunk on the nose, tar, LODI, resurfaced road, asphalt, tar bubble, burning oil, cheese, so intense, not subtle at all, Whew! powerful! Holy I-285, sulphur, mackerel, shell fish, inside of volcano or oil-well, sea air, full bodied, dark chocolate, blackberry, palate has fruit, then a dip of olive/brine, then spice, needs food, rustic meats, licorice, anise, molasses

3) 2009 Aglianico Mastroberardino Campania Italy - $20 @ Broohaven Wines
100% Aglianico, 13% alcohol
gumballs, dark deep brown/brick color, funky, compost, meringue, smoky cocktail, Matt says Tuscan Sangiovese, flowers in manure, foxglove, burnt twig, gardenia, perfumey, the palate doesn't hold up to the aromas, palate is not that intense, great foreplay but terribly quick finish, quaffable, lighter, "the young inexperienced pool boy"

4) 2012 Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso DOC - $17-18 @ Brookhaven Wines, 100% Piedirosso, 12.5% alchol
subtle smoke & chocolate, milky way, soft, silky, smoky vanilla, overly burnt bbq, but in a good way, caramel, burnt tires, briny, pickles, smooth with spice, pepper, pickles and pepper, salt, a lot of minerals, honey, 1 dimensional, hyacinth, oysters, fleshy, coppery, would not order a 2nd glass, ashy aftertaste, not a good kisser, honey vanilla caramel,

5) 2012 I Vigneri, Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy - $45 @ Le Caveau Fine Wines
Blend of Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese, 14% alcohol
tar, stinky, leather, humidor, stallion, manly, burly wine, alpha male, animal sweat in a good way, Burgundy-esque, flowers & manure, grass, healthy countryside, green grass, brushy dried green, earthy, wildflowers, sweet banana, hot nose, pepper, this wine treats a woman right, rustic, balanced, lingers, huge body, "I would take this wine home with me"
*** THIS WINE WON THE VOTE for BEST WINE OF THE NIGHT ***

6) 2011 J Bookwalter Sub-Plot #27 Columbia Washington - $20 at Brookhaven Wines
41% Syrah, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Malbec, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 14.2% alcohol
asphalt, skunk-o-rama, good weed (you know what we mean), fresh rubber, latex, grapefruit peel, bitter pith, oily garage, honeybees & flowers in the garage, chewing burnt rubber, chocolatey, apple cider palate, could be Hobbit Wine (aka New Zealand), dry, rubbermaid dishwashing gloves, ashy

7) 2013 Frank Cornelissen MunJebel no. 10 Rosso - $39.99 @ Le Caveau Fine Wines
100% Nerello Mascalese, 15% alcohol
apricots, baby food, peaches, astringent, rubbing alcohol, citrus, lemongrass, dishwashing soap, grassy, mineral, sulphur, sodium, chocolate apricot, peach leaves, fresh cut grass, sweet rosy, liver, iron-y, black pudding, effervescent, fluffy, like sucking on a nail as you do, special k breakfast with added iron, crazy palate, aroma of grandma's bonnet, orangey, odd, so crazy, complex, magma, liquid hot earth, tricky, the Loki wine

Special notes: This is a RARE wine, hard to get.  There were only 24 cases made, and only 10 cases imported into the United States.  Le Caveau received 1 case. ONE!  and we got 1 bottle to share with our beloved TWITs.  Some trivia, about the label, Frank has a penchant for Japanese women, but he lives in Sicily so it was hard to get one to stay.  Eventually he did find one, and married her.  :)

8) 2008 Tenuta del Portale Aglianico del Vulture Reserva $20 @ Total Wine
100% Aglianico 13% alcohol
dust, sugar dust, caramel chocolate, sea dust, poorly kept old people, thyme, mature manure, crumbly manure, licorice, anise, dry, tart, dusty, ashy, woody, acetone, pine, effervescent on tongue, fresh vampire, canned tomato, its solid, not very interesting, this is #1, pretty darn good, tobacco, smelly socks on the floor for like a week, rubber hose, new flip flops

9) 2012 Fuedo Principi di Butera, Sicily, $20 @ Brookhaven Wines
100% Nero d'Avola 14% alcohol
a lot of tires, seductive, ink out of a calligraphy pen, toasted honey, caramel, sweet, skunk on edge softens and melts into caramel, smoky caramel, we smell past the skunk, seaspray on smoky soil, tire store, salted caramel, inky

Saturday May 24th, 2014 - Mountain Cabernet from Napa or Sonoma -hosted by Ms.Lynn & Mr. Brian

Saturday May 24th, 2014 - Mountain Cabernet from Napa or Sonoma - hosted by Ms.Lynn & Mr. Brian

Theme:Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon - from Napa or Sonoma regions in California

1)  Bring a Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Wine  - please check to make sure it is a real Mountain Cab, not just any Cab from Napa or Sonoma.   Here is an article on Mountain Cabernets, that may help to clarify what we are looking for:  http://www.sfgate.com/wine/article/Higher-ground-Napa-and-Sonoma-s-mountain-2614345.php 

2) If you can, stay in the usual TWITs price range (aka: up to $20 for singles, up to $40 for couples).

3) RSVP so we know you are coming.

4) Bring the wine to TWITs, in a paper bag, for blind tasting.

5) Optional: stay after the wine tasting for a pool party!  

6) Not Optional:  If you are staying for the pool party, please bring a swimsuit, (and sunscreen, flippy floppies, etc- as needed).  ;)

7) If you are staying for dinner/pool party, please bring $10 to cover the cost of food.  Lynn and Brian are providing a burger from the Vinoburger cookbook and a veggie side dish.

We will be blind tasting these wines indoors - in proper glass wineglasses first - per our usual TWITs format.   Then after the wine tasting portion of the event is complete, everyone is welcome to stay and enjoy the pool.  However, plastic wine cups are then required (and will be available).    If you have a specific wine you would like to bring, just for pool-time, and perhaps one that is not a Cabernet, please feel free to do so.

Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wines (there were 3 and they are pictured below, but I cannot remember them off the top of my  head and for some reason I didn't write them down)

Mountain Cabernets are hard to pair, they need meaty foods, earthy, perky cheeses like Gruyere, Peccarino/Romano, Goat Cheese, Gouda, Harder, sharper cheese.

1) 2005 Atlas Peak Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon - $45 on Woot Wine
14.5 % alcohol, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
tannic forward, malbec-ish, more modern, not overly oaked, darker flavors, heavier aromas, peppery than a usual Cabernet, almost like a Zin, oak, cassis on the nose, for a Cab it is smooth and easy, very balanced, love it, smells amazing, a 1-scoop ice cream vanilla, and 1 scoop blueberry w crust on top.

2) 2009 Martin Ray Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon - $39.99 Total Wine
14.6% alcohol, 100% cabernet sauvignon
more blue-er, inky color, dusty, leathery, earthy, purple, more alcohol, creaminess, not as big of a nose as the first wine, like oil rolling down the glass, inky, punchy, melts into your mouth, long finish, acidity, a little pepper, yummy, smells like's Val's nail polish remover, pair with food, better for chocolate, rich and creamy

3) 2011 Hedges Red Mountain Washington State - $31 @ Sweetwater
13.5% alcohol, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 16% Syrah, 4% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc
smells milk chocolatey, lighter, well integrated, no alcohol line, floaty, long legs, Marvin thinks this is his wine (turns out he was right), more refreshing, cooler, smooth like a pinot noir, with pepper at the end, almost too smooth, vanilla American Oak?, the tannin is masked, Napa?, balanced, fits the tongue, edam cheese, lactic acid, big time cherries, stone fruits, creamy finish with pepper, very smooth, not tannic, glug-glug wine, very drinkable, some tobacco, "Pay your money and take your chances" - Marvin

4) 2011 Don Chappellet Napa Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena (Pritchard Hill, Rocky Mountain Terraces) - $45 @ Costco
14.5% Alcohol, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
sock it to me baby, peppery nose, spicy, high alcohol, vanilla, spicy, peppery almost Syrah Spicy, love it, chewier wine, fruitier, herb, spices, tart cherry, smooth finish, lighter, liked it better after sipping, "a schizo wine"
Pritchard Hill wine http://www.winemag.com/Web-2012/Pinning-Down-Pritchard-Hill/

5) 2011 Mount Veeder Napa Valley (High in the Hills) - $29.99 @ Toco Giant
14% alcohol, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
blackberry, tobacco, cherry, earthy, not quite like a pinot, oak, so many smells, dried herb, cedar, bing cherry, DAMN good! Heavier Cab than the others, cabby, would drink on purpose, pepper, Italian Herbs, oregano, parsley blend, salinity, brine, olives, minerality, Val's FAVE, my kind of cab, less viscous, bell pepper, some Cab Franc notes, touch of sour, who doesnt' like this? Pepper! hot weather, summer cab, cuban food, don't drink before bed, Fire, red, acidity

6) 2007 La Jota Vineyard, Howell Mountain, Napa - $49.99 @ Smoke Rise
14.5% alcohol, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
olive, brine, salt, muffaletta, tasty, smoky, earthy, oily mushrooms, olive, truffles, petrol, minerality, umami, pepper, the heat lingers, ashy, tobacco in the throat, cigar wine, tastes like meat, speechless, but I love it, sticking a nose into Grandma's cabinet, old leather, serious wine!

7) 2010 Vinterra Spring Mountain Napa Cabernet - $26.99 @ Hintons
13.5 % alcohol, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
lighter, weak finish, flaccid finish, flat, doesn't do anything, not very impressive wine, burnt nose, overdone finish, not vibrant, stilted, short, cassis bomb, ribena, kool-aid finish, whiskey-dick wine, poor wine who needs viagra, "don't call me, I'll call you", tastes inexpensive, I dumped it

8) 2010 Hill Family Napa Atlas Peak - $55 @ winery
14.5% alcohol, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
milk chocolate, pinot noir-ish, light, smooth, chewy, smidge of spice, stable, bunko and friend-zone wine, cotton candy, root veggies, table wine, needs food, not much nose, pleasant, cloying, Ser Jorah Mormont wine, clingy, strictly plutonic wine, no obvious flaws.

9) 2010 Terra Valentine - St. Helena - $29.99 @ Total Wine
14.9% alcohol, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
spicy, acidic, caramel nose, good temperature, toffee, cocoa, yummy

Recipes from Ms. Lynn

"Here are links to the recipes that I made yesterday.  For the most part I did what they said, but I'm not a measuring type so I eyeballed everything.   

Mini Beef Wellingtons

I used the gourmet mushroom blend from Publix in the wellingtons instead of cremini, as those are so hard to find and cost a fortune. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/mini-beef-wellingtons-recipe.html

​Lasagna

I used pork instead of chicken in the lasagna sauce. 

​http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/lasagna-cupcakes-recipe.html?ic1=obinsite

Salads

I didn't put flower in the bowls.

http://www.cookincanuck.com/2012/09/gorgonzola-cheese-cups-with-pear-hazelnut-green-salad-recipe/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/hIdj+(Cookin%27+Canuck)​

​Mushrooms

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/tuscan-mushrooms-recipe.html​"

October 19th, 2013 - TWITs Georgia Mountain Winery Bus Tour

October 19th, 2013 - TWITs Georgia Mountain Winery Bus Tour

The TWITs had an absolute blast tasting wines in the North Georgia Mountains.  Even though it was chilly and bit overcast, we embraced the Autumn weather and wined on!

Photo Gallery

Our first stop was Monteluce.  If you've never been to Monteluce, you are in for a treat.  The entire countryside reminds me of Tuscany. The views and buildings are just beautiful!  Our bartender was John Hammond, a very humorous, sassy, guy.  He had served us last year as well, and it was a pleasure to see him again. I did the Red Wine tasting for $16 and split it with a friend.
Overall, I think Monteluce's wines are an improvement this year over last year.  I also recommend they stop using the tiny tasting glasses, the wines taste TOTALLY different and BETTER in a larger wine glass.  Request one if you go there for a tasting.  All the Monteluce wines were between 12-13% alcohol.

1) 2011 Montaluce Risata  $5 glass/$19 bottle
(Blend of Monteluce grapes:  Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec)
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "This off-dry Rose is made from all 9 varietals we grow.  It is the perfect example of a Georgia Rose with its raspberry and cherry flavors along with a zesty, spicy undertone of citrus, melon, and white pepper.  Pair with Idiazabal Cheese or our Garden Beets."
TWITs tasting notes:  Risata means "Laughter" in Italian. could not gather a nose for this one, no aromas to me, light simple rose.

2) 2012 Monteluce Super Georgian $7 glass/$27 bottle
26% Merlot, 20% Sangiovese, 18% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec, and 8% Petit Verdot
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "Monteluce Estate grown red grapes co-fermented create this luscious wine with fresh red cherry and dark chocolate flavors.  Pair with Drunken Goat cheese or the Rabbit Duo."
TWITs tasting notes:  was able to gather some nose, but it was not very fragrant.  The palate is very very very fruit forward.  Almost too much for me.

3) 2009 Monteluce Baleno $5 glass/$12 bottle
100% Merlot,
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "Candied cherry on the nose, Medium bodied with a rustic finish.  This is a wine made for food.  Pair with Pimento Cheese "
TWITs tasting notes:  Baleno means "Lightning, glitter, sparkle, or glow" in Italian.  This wine had a funky nose, I felt it might benefit from aerating or decanting.  The palate was much more pleasant, but ended abruptly in a thin finish.  I would try this one again at a later date perhaps?

4) 2009 Monteluce Tramonto $6 glass/$17 bottle
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "A Bordeaux style blend named for the beautiful North Georgia Sunset.  Medium on the palate with flavors of red berries and faint smell of cigar box. Pair with Crater Lake Blue Cheese"
TWITs tasting notes:  Tramonto means "sunset" in Italian.  faint mushroom, cedar on the nose, more promising palate, very light red wine (to me), but MUCH better than the previous ones.

5) NV Monteluce La Stella $9 glass/$35 bottle
60% French grown & 40% Georgia grown (varietal specifics weren't listed)
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "The Georgia grown Merlot, was aged in oak barrels for 6 months before blending with French grown Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  This very balanced wine has earthy tones of dried mushrooms, black currant, cherry, and whiffs of old leather on the nose.  Pair with Painted hills Short Rib."
TWITs tasting notes:  Beautiful nose on this one, lots of leather and mushroom.  This was my favorite Red of the entire flight.  I considered buying a bottle but thought it was a bit overpriced for the quality.

The next stop was Wolf Mountain Vineyards.  Wolf Mountain seems to be higher up and has another spectacular view of the countryside.  Their tasting room and restaurant are built into the mountain, so you have amazing panoramic views on 3 different levels of decks/balconies.
Our bartender at Wolf Mountain was Blake Stevens.  He was super sweet and even poured a little "heavier" for us, since we split our tastings again. We got the Reserve Tasting Flight for $20 (shared with a friend).
Blake informed us the red grapes are grown at Wolf Mountain, but the white grapes are from Frogtown.

1) Blanc de Blancs Brut - $10 glass/ $25.95 bottle / 200 cases produced
Chardonnay
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "A light bread flavor was imparted by aging en tirage (on the yeast) for almost a year.  This combined with hints of citrus, spice notes, and crisp acidity makes this our signature style sparkling wine."
TWITs notes:  I liked this wine, it was light, crisp, dry, I would say a good "breakfast" wine.

2) Vintner's Reserve Brut Rose - $10 glass/ $27.95 bottle / 100 cases produced
Blend of Chardonnay & Claret grapes (Malbec, Tannat)
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "Made by adding a small amount of our Reserve Claret to the dosage in order to produce a beautiful light salmon color. This adds more complexity and red berry flavors, without overwhelming the delicate citrus flavors and crisp acidity."
TWITs notes:  Lovely Rose, nice and crisp, dry, just how I like it.

3) Blanc de Syrah Brut - $10 glass/ $29.95 bottle / 200 cases produced
Syrah
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "A one of a kind in North America, our Blanc de Syrah Brut is made from Estate grown and whole cluster pressed Syrah.  It offers complex raspberry and strawberry flavors building to a dry crisp finish. "
TWITs notes:  I felt this one tasted a bit sweeter than the others, and seemed "off" somehow.  not thrilled.

4) Sparkling Demi-Sec- $10 glass/ $25.95 bottle / 100 cases produced
Chardonnay
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "A medium-dry sparkling wine designed to bring out the delicate fruit flavors of the Chardonnay grapes.  The addition of sweetness softens the acidity and smooths out the finish. "
TWITs notes:  Much better than the last wine, a good compromise if you like a slightly sweeter sparkling wine.

5) Plentitude- $8 glass/ $21.95 bottle / 650 cases produced
Chardonnay & Viognier
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "French for "All the best" Plentitude is a blend of Chardonnay and Viognier.  Aged in stainless steel to preserve its acidity, it expresses beautiful citrus and grapefruit notes with a crisp refreshing finish. "
TWITs notes:  It smells like fresh picked green grapes, and while it's not unpleasant, I feel it needs a food pairing to be fully appreciated.

6) Chanteloup- $8 glass/ $25.95 bottle / 375 cases produced
Chardonnay & Viognier
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "French for "Song of the Wolf", Chanteloup is a full-bodied Oak aged blend of Chardonnay and Viognier.  Chanteloup offers notes of melon and apricots with a softer finish "
TWITs notes:  Better than Plentitude, definitely get the melon and apricots on the nose, the oak is Kentucky oak, I think the TWITs quote of the day was "Their heart is in the right place" - Jackie

7) Private Reserve Chardonnay- $10 glass/ $32.95 bottle / 100 cases produced
Chardonnay
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "We broke tradition blending varietals to bottle this small lot of Chardonnay. Barrel fermented and aged 11 months in New American Oak, this wine exhibits rich melon and banana notes with a buttery oak finish"
TWITs notes:  Reminds me of a California Chardonnay, it is good, but I'm not a Chardonnay fan in general.

8) Howling Wolf Red - $10 glass/ $27.95 bottle / 470 cases produced
70% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  " A non-vintage blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, these varieties are aged for 18-20 months in New American Oak barrels, offering notes of raspberry and strawberry jam with richer oak tannins on the finish."
TWITs notes:  There we go, finally a good decent red!  Nice nose, nice palate, love the finish.  Good, I love it, I really really wish they had more than ONE Red wine on their tasting sheet, but they said they ran out of the other red wines, unless you were in their wine club.  

9) there was an option to try the Delicieux (Delightful) - their port-style dessert wine, but I don't care for Port so I re-tasted the Howling Wolf Red.

Then we went to Frogtown Cellars.  Frogtown has a bit more casual atmosphere than the first two wineries we visited, but their wines are definitely a force to be reckoned with.  Hands DOWN Frogtown has the best red wines we tasted!  Frogtown was packed, as it was still harvest for them.  I had visited before, but this was by far the busiest I have ever seen them.  I didn't even have a chance to get the name of our bartender, it was too hectic.  They have bowls of Goldfish crackers that you can nibble while tasting. Yum!  Also, for some odd reason the entire lobby was humming with fruit flies.  We were constantly waving the flies away.  I believe we made a joke that "where's the frogs? they should be eating these flies like crazy" This is not the norm for Frogtown.  They told me it was just this way due to the harvest.  It was better if we got our tasting glass and some wine, then we went out on their back deck to admire the view.  Much fewer flies outside. Then we had to go inside to get a pour of the next wine, and so on.  However, it was a very nice day and we had fun looking out on the vineyards.  I did the All Red Wine Tasting for $15.

1) 2010 Frogtown Sangiovese - $8.50/glass, $20.99/bottle
12.5% alcohol.  90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet
TWITs notes:  earthy, tart, lovely nose, rich palate, big and bold, spicy as it opens up.

2) 2009 Frogtown Reserve Sangiovese - $12/glass, $28.99/bottle
TWITs notes: funky, dirty, I LOVE it!

3) Frogtown Applause FSO (First Standing Ovation, means their first time making it) - $8.50/glass, $21.99/bottle
TWITs notes: this one was okay, but not as wonderful as the first 2 wines.

4) 2008 Frogtown Cabernet Franc - $10.00/glass, $29.99/bottle

TWITs notes: absolutely delicious

5) 2009 Frogtown Propaganda - $12.00/glass, $33.99/bottle

TWITs notes: even better

6) 2009 Frogtown Personality - $8.00/glass, $19.99/bottle

TWITs notes: yummy!

7) 2008 Frogtown Norton - $12.00/glass, $28.00/bottle

TWITs notes: WOW AMAZING, we bought 2 bottles of this.

Last we had very brief stop at Cavender Creek.

Our driver was the lovely Nevolia from Georgia Wine Tours.

We had 7 attendees and we rode in a large comfy van for this trip.  After the tour, we had dinner at Season's 52.  Yummy!

August 22nd, 2013 - Wines of Argentina - Hosted by Ms. Abbie & Mr. Matt

August 22nd, 2013 - Wines of Argentina - Hosted by Ms. Abbie & Mr. Matt

Theme: Wines of Argentina - we will taste these blind per our usual format.
Argentina is the 5th largest wine producer in the world.  Some Argentine Varietals are:  Bonarda, Torrontes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay, Malbec, etc.

Bring:  TWITs should bring 1 bottle of Argentine Wine to the tasting

TWITs Tasting Notes:
Well the joke was on us. We tasted these blind, and we had THREE duplicate wines.  The funny part was that some of the identical bottles tasted very differently!  Read on.

Welcome Wine:  2004 Cavas de Weinert Mendoza - $32 @ Le Caveau
14% alcohol, 40% Malbec, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot
sweet palate and then tart, and then slightly briny/olive notes.  evaporates quickly.  has a lovely barnyard/oaky nose.

1) 2009 Siesta Malbec - En El Tahuantinsuyo - $35 @ Sherlocks/Cooks Warehouse
Ernesto Cantena - winemaker.  13.8% alcohol
significant punt on this heavy glass bottle. 
nose: caramel, butterfinger, butterscotch, "Jamie's Perfume", vanilla, sweet potato casserole,
palate: caramelly, butter, green/black fruit, light spice, maybe nutmeg? plum preserve, "walking along a privet drive"

2) 2010 Luca Malbec Ugo Mendoza - $33 @ Sherlocks/Cooks Warehouse
14% alcohol, berry color
nose: metallic, paint, tobacco, mint, eucalyptus, lemongrass,
palate: smooth, velvety, buttery, milk chocolate, cran-smooth, like a creamy fruit sauce or the smoothness of a yogurt berry drink.

3) 2004 Cavas de Weinert Mendoza - $32 @ Le Caveau
14% alcohol, 40% Malbec, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot
nose: toasted meringue, tapioca, ambrosia, scrub brush, mint, minty barnyard
palate: smooth, creamy, peaches, spice on finish, drier and more tart, complicated wine, tarragon, slight stinky cheese at the end

4) 2010 Luca Malbec Ugo Mendoza - $33 @ Toco Giant
14% alcohol, berry color
nose:  perm solution, ammonia, minerality
palate: tomato sauce, tart, acidic, "this is lovely", a little "must" on your tongue

5) 2009 Siesta Malbec - En El Tahuantinsuyo - $35 @ Sherlocks/Cooks Warehouse
Ernesto Cantena - winemaker. 13.8% alcohol
nose: sour, over-ripe fruit, mussels in a can, musty old wine cellar, musty sweet port smell, fermented peaches.  bruised peach, jammy toes
palate:  slightly effervescent, acidic, bright

6) 2011 Hermanos Dominga Moline (Malbec Tannat) - $14.99 @ Toco Giant
Valle de Cafayate/Salta 13.9% alcohol
nose:  toasted meringue, butter cookies, band-aid, latex, balloons, sweaty socks
palate: tart, delicious

Bonus fun:
they speak Spanish in Argentina.  So we gave everyone Spanish names for fun:
Matt was Mateo, Rheinallt was Rheinallto, Jamie was pronounced HI-MEE, Alexis was Alejandro, Josh was Jeshua, Jaffet is already Spanish, Kathy was Katarina, Valerie was Val-Air-ree, Karin was Karina, Abbie was Adelina, and Deb was Deb-OR-rah.  LOL

Quote:  "We're not just TWITs, we're brainiacs!"