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Showdown At 37,000 Feet: Round 3 - No Battle, Just Dessert 🇵🇹 When confined in a seat for eleven hours in the sky, one finds ways to entertain oneself. I decided to entertain myself by conducting head-to-head blind tastings of the wines at 37,000 feet! ✈️😜 The first two rounds hadn’t proven to be challenging, and since there was only one dessert wine my blind tastings ended here. This Quinta Do Noval 10 Year Old Tawny Port from Pinhao, Portugal was rich and sweet as is to be expected from a relatively young Port. It paired well with the cheese, grapes and quince paste that was served with it! 😋 A big THANK YOU to gracious Delta flight attendant Said from San Francisco for the impeccable service and for humoring my request for the head-to-head wine battles throughout this long flight! 🙏🏼💯 Cheers! 🍷 Price: US $25 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #invinoveritas #vino #sommelier #oenophile #portugal #portwin #longflight #airlinewines #travel #foodandwinepairing #headtoheadwinebattle #wineat37000feet #delta #deltaairlines #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Showdown At 37,000 Feet: Battle #1 - Rioja 🇪🇸 vs Argentina 🇦🇷 When confined in a seat for eleven hours in the sky, one finds ways to entertain oneself. I decided to entertain myself by conducting head-to-head blind tastings of the wines at 37,000 feet! ✈️😜 I was looking for a challenge after that first blind tasting, but unfortunately the second blind tasting ended up being a softball too! This 2021 Luca Pinot Noir from Mendoza Argentina, made by my friend Dr. Laura Catena’s @lauracatenamd family winery, was a beautiful translucent ruby color that was much lighter than the 2018 Cune Reserva Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain that was pitted against it! Another no brainer that I called just by sight. 👀🤷🏻‍♂️ Said tried to throw me off by looking confused by my call, but I was not having any of it! I stuck to my call and was definitely right. Nice try, Said! 😀 Winner: 2018 Cune Reserva Tempranillo 🏆 👏🏼 As much as I would have loved to pick my friend Laura’s wine, these wines were paired with Jon & Vinnie’s braised meatballs with Bianco DiNapoli marinara, Gioia ricotta and garlic bread, so the robust flavors of the Rioja stood up to this rich entree better. 😋 A big THANK YOU to gracious Delta flight attendant Said from San Francisco for humoring my request for the head-to-head wine battles throughout this long flight and even joining in the fun with his trickery! 😂🙏🏼💯 Cheers! 🍷 Wine Price: 2021 Luca Pinot Noir - US $30 2018 Cune Reserva Tempranillo - US $30 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #invinoveritas #vino #sommelier #oenophile #argentina #argentianwine #pinot our #spain #spanishwine #tempranillo #longflight #airlinewines #travel #foodandwinepairing #headtoheadwinebattle #wineat37000feet #delta #deltaairlines #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Showdown At 37,000 Feet: Battle #1 - New Zealand 🇳🇿 vs USA 🇺🇸 When confined in a seat for eleven hours in the sky, one finds ways to entertain oneself. I decided to entertain myself by conducting head-to-head blind tastings of the wines at 37,000 feet! ✈️😜 The first blind tasting was a softball for two reasons. Firstly, the 2022 Invivo SJP Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand was decidedly lighter in color than the 2021 House of Brown Chardonnay from California, USA, as is to be expected. Add to that the distinctive vegetal flavors of the Sauvignon Blanc, combined with the black current bud (AKA “Cat’s Pee) aromas, and it was a no brainer. 🤷🏻‍♂️ While both wines were tasty, there can only be one winner. I usually don’t like the “cat pee” aromas that New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs sport, however I enjoyed this one more than the Chardonnay in this head-to-head battle. The higher acid in the Sauvignon Blanc also paired better with the chilled shrimp with creamy tarragon and lemon that I enjoyed with the wines. 😋 Winner: 2022 Invivo SJP Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand 🏆 👏🏼 P.S. - SJP = Sarah Jessica Parker! 🎥 🤔 A big THANK YOU to gracious Delta flight attendant Said from San Francisco for the impeccable service and for humoring my request for the head-to-head wine battles throughout this long flight! 🙏🏼💯 Cheers and stay tuned for Battle #2! 🥂 Wine Price: 2022 Invivo SJP Sauvignon Blanc - US $20 2021 House of Brown Chardonnay - US $20 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #invinoveritas #vino #sommelier #oenophile #newzealand #newzealandwine #california #sauvignonblanc #chardonnay #longflight #airlinewines #travel #foodandwinepairing #headtoheadwinebattle #wineat37000feet #delta #deltaairlines #winegeeksaroundtheworld

#taste with @sammelier949 • Some Cali Love 💕 Hi-Time Wine Cellars @mrhitime, my favorite local wine store, scheduled a Chappellet @chappellet_winery wine tasting on the day my wonderful wife @shendiddee and I were going to be headed to Italy for a long overdue vacation! Bummed as I was to be missing this awesome tasting that featured their flagship Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, I couldn’t complain as I am headed to Italy! 🤷🏻‍♂️ So the evening before the tasting and our trip, I popped open this 2011 Chappellet Merlot to enjoy before we immerse ourself in a couple weeks of Italian wines. 😋 This Merlot having spent 22 years in the bottle was still sporting a deep ruby color but showing its age with beautiful garnet reflection throughout. 😍 This aged Merlot had pronounced tertiary aromas and flavors of leather, tobacco and earth enveloped by dry red and dark fruit and spice notes. A delicious sip that lingered on the palate for a long, savory finish. 🤤 I look forward to trying their flagship Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon one day! 🤩 About Chappellet Chappellet is one of the first wineries to pioneer high-elevation hillside planting, and one of the few remaining great family-owned and operated Napa Valley wineries. For more than four decades, the Chappellet family has been crafting delicious wines from fruit cultivated on the steep, rocky slopes. The dry, rocky soils of Pritchard Hill produce small, intensely flavorful grapes. I had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful winery perched high up on Napa Valley’s renowned Prichard Hill and I look forward to another visit in the future. 😍 Cheers! 🍷 Price: US $70 (Current Vintage) #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #oenophile #california #family #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #redwine #chappellet #chappelletwinery #merlot #pritchardhill #delicious #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Some Cali Love 💕 Hi-Time Wine Cellars @mrhitime, my favorite local wine store, scheduled a Chappellet @chappellet_winery wine tasting on the day my wonderful wife @shendiddee and I were going to be headed to Italy for a long overdue vacation! Bummed as I was to be missing this awesome tasting that featured their flagship Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, I couldn’t complain as I am headed to Italy! 🤷🏻‍♂️ So the evening before the tasting and our trip, I popped open this 2011 Chappellet Merlot to enjoy before we immerse ourself in a couple weeks of Italian wines. 😋 This Merlot having spent 22 years in the bottle was still sporting a deep ruby color but showing its age with beautiful garnet reflection throughout. 😍 This aged Merlot had pronounced tertiary aromas and flavors of leather, tobacco and earth enveloped by dry red and dark fruit and spice notes. A delicious sip that lingered on the palate for a long, savory finish. 🤤 I look forward to trying their flagship Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon one day! 🤩 About Chappellet Chappellet is one of the first wineries to pioneer high-elevation hillside planting, and one of the few remaining great family-owned and operated Napa Valley wineries. For more than four decades, the Chappellet family has been crafting delicious wines from fruit cultivated on the steep, rocky slopes. The dry, rocky soils of Pritchard Hill produce small, intensely flavorful grapes. I had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful winery perched high up on Napa Valley’s renowned Prichard Hill and I look forward to another visit in the future. 😍 Cheers! 🍷 Price: US $70 (Current Vintage) #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #oenophile #california #family #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #redwine #chappellet #chappelletwinery #merlot #pritchardhill #delicious #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Voluptuous Volnay I stumbled upon this 2018 Patrick Clerget Pitures Dessus 1er Cru from Volnay in Burgundy, France at @thewineexchange, one of my favorite local wine stores, and I am glad I did! 😍 This Pinot Noir was very aromatic with rose and red fruit aromas. On this palate it had pronounced flavors of strawberries, red cherries, cranberries and tilled earth that I can best describe as a sort of dusty/smoky quality. With every sip I felt flavors layer on the palate and the finish was long as one would expect from a premier Cru Burgundy. 😋 While the wines from the Côte de Nuits region are typically fuller bodied compared to those from Côte de Beaune where Volnay is located, this wine was definitely fuller bodied than I had expected it to be. A perfect middle ground for us, as my wife enjoys lighter bodied Pinot Noirs while I gravitate towards fuller bodied Pinot Noirs due to our food choices - wife 🐟 & me 🥩. About Pitures Dessus For My Fellow Wine Geeks 🤓 Pitures Dessus is a Volnay Premier Cru designation in the Côte de Beaune region of Burgundy. Situated immediately north of Volnay village, Pitures Dessus vineyard is located on the mid-slope of the Côte d’Or escarpment. It is one of the most elevated and steepest Volnay Premier Cru sites, sitting at 325 meters (1060ft). Soils are white marls, which are less typical for Pinot Noir. Of the 100+ classified regions in Burgundy, only 10% are Premier Crus, so I was glad to find this wine at such a great price! Thanks Kyle! Santé! 🍷 Price: US $50 (Great QPR!) #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #foodies #wineandfoodpairing #oenophile #california #friends #family #winemaker #france #frenchwine #sante #avotresante #pinotnoir #volnay #burgundy #partrickclerget #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Bordeaux Boomerang 🪃 Bordeaux is one of my favorite wine regions, so I was surprised to see that the last wine that I drank from this region was over a month ago. 🤯 That needed to be fixed, so today I popped open this 2016 Chateau Gloria from Saint-Julien, the smallest commune in the Haut-Medoc appellation on the left bank of the Gironde river in Bordeaux, France, It took some time in the glass to open up but when it did, this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (30%), Cabernet Franc (7%) and Petit Verdot (3%) hit all the right notes. 🎶 Pronounced aromas and flavors of blueberries, blackberries, cassis, tobacco and cedar led the charge along with spice and a distinct minerality. The ripe tannins gave it a vibrant mouthfeel and the flavors lingered on for a long, dry finish. 🤤 A yummy wine that reminded me why I love wines from Bordeaux so much! 🤩 Here’s to going back to what you love! Santé! 🍷 Price: US $55 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodies #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #winemaker #alcohol #cheers #france #frenchwine #bordeaux #sante #avotresante #stjulien #saintjulien #leftbank #chateaugloria #winegeeksaroundtheworld

When Two Worlds Collide I was first introduced to a unique blend of Bordeaux and Rhone varietals called Borderlands by my friend Vailia, owner and talented winemaker at Desparada @desparadawine which I enjoyed thoroughly. So when I recently came across a similar blending approach by Pierre Graffeuille Odyssée from France, I thought a side-by-side tasting was in order! 👍🏼 As expected, the 2019 Pierre Graffeuille Odyssée blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Mourvèdre from France was dryer and leaner than the 2021 Desparada Borderlands blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from Paso Robles, California. While not identical blends, they shared the concept of blending Bordeaux and Rhône varietals. I enjoyed the cooler climate French blend when I paired it with charcuterie and cheese, while the warm climate American wine was richer and fuller bodied, making for a voluptuous sip that stood on its own without the need for a food pairing. 🤔 Both delicious wines in their own right that clearly demonstrated the differences between Old World and New World. Definitely a fun experiment for a wine geek like me! 🤓 Here’s to experimenting and broadening one’s horizons in the process! The Desparada Borderlands was two years younger than the Pierre Graffeuille Odyssée, so it would be fun to do this comparison again with both wines from the same vintage! #itsadirtyjobbutsomebodyhastodoit 😜 Cheers and Santé!🍷 Price: Pierre Graffeuille - US $40 Desparada Borderlands - US $52 Broadening One’s Horizons - Priceless 😉 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #vino #sommelier #california #winemaker #cheers #winesofinstagram #redblend #winepic #desparadawines #winegram #winepost #cabernetsauvignon #cabernetfranc #syrah #grenache #mourvedre #vailiafrom #vailia #pasorobles #paso #pierregraffeuille #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Righteous Ribera Del Duero 🤩 I saw a few bottles of this 2004 Telmo Rodríguez M2 de Matallana from Ribera Del Duero, Spain in an auction and since I was not familiar with this producer, I reached out to my friend Joe @joedmagic who works in the wine industry in Ribera Del Duero. Joe said, “Telmo is a very good and pleasent person. He is a really good winemaker, winelover and gentleman.” With a glowing recommendation from my friend I was sold! I acquired three bottles from the auction. 🤩 This beautiful medium garnet colored Tempranillo with almost 20 years of bottle age was still very vibrant! 💪🏼 Pronounced aromas and concentrated flavors of ripe black plums, blackberries and black cherries were front and center, accompanied by baking spices and cedar. Delicious! 😋 The tannins were very chewy after all these years, which really surprised me in a good way as I do love my tannins! 👍🏼 This being the second of the three bottles that I opened, I knew this yummy wine would pair well with the delicious perfectly cooked sirloin steak topped with chimichurri sauce and Caesar salad that my wonderful wife @shendiddee made for dinner. 😋 💯 A big THANK YOU to my friend Joe for the great recommendation! 🙏🏼 I am thankful to have one more bottle to enjoy in the future and I look forward to meeting Telmo Rodrigues with Joe the next time I visit Ribera Del Duero! Salud! 🍷 Price: Auction Price - My Secret 🤐 Friend’s Recommendation: Priceless #sammelier #winelover #invinoveritas #wine #vino #california #friends #family #alcohol #cheers #spain #yummy #ageworthy #riberadelduero #salud #tempranillo #spainishwine #telmorodriguez #steakandwine #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Burgundy Beauty! The Grand Crus and Premier Crus from Burgundy, France get the most attention and deservedly so, but a lot of delicious wines get lost due to that hankering for the high end wines. It’s due to this frenzy that excellent Village level wines from Burgundy like this one don’t get the attention they deserve and therefore make it to the doorstep of your’s truly at an affordable price! 🙏🏼 #thankful This 2007 Charles Noëllat from Nuits Saint George in Côte-d’Or, Burgundy was showing its age sporting a beautiful light ruby core with an orange rim, which prompted me to use my equally beautiful Zalto Gravitas Omega glass for the picture as it accentuates the color of the wine. 😍 The Gravitas Omega glass is great for pictures, but its unique design without a regular base makes it challenging to drink from. It does have a flat surface on the bowl that prevents the glass from rolling, but one has to focus when putting the glass down - not a strength while drinking! 🤷🏻‍♂️😂 To avoid breaking this beautiful piece of art, I transferred the wine to my Zalto Burgundy glass (equally beautiful), and focused on enjoying the wine. 😋 This Pinot Noir, having spent sixteen years in bottle, was surprisingly youthful with aromas and flavors of ripe strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, earth along with great acidity that made my mouth water profusely. 🤤 This medium bodied wine was richer than I expected it to be and it ended in a long, juicy finish that I enjoyed thoroughly. A big thank you to Kyle at Wine Exchange @thewineexchange in Santa Ana, California for sourcing these gems direct from the domaine! I will have to hotfoot it to the store to pick up a few more bottles that are hopefully still available! 🤞🏼Santé!🍷 Price: US $45 (A steal IMHO!) #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #winemaker #alcohol #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #redwine #burgundy #burgundywine #cotedor #charlesnoellat #greatqpr #nuitssaintgeorges #sante #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Superb Surprise! I love the Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château de Beaucastel in Southern Rhône. 😋 At a wine tasting at Hi-Time Wine Cellars @mrhitime, as I was enjoying a delicious Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape which was in the lineup, my friend Gabe @cellarkat informed me that Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, California is a partnership between the Perrin family, proprietors of Château de Beaucastel and the Haas family of Vineyard Brands! Given the amount I read about wine and my close association with Paso Robles, I was surprised that I didn’t know this! 🤯 I week later I saw a few bottles of this 2009 Tablas Creek Vineyard Cotes de Tablas in an auction and I snapped them up! This beautiful garnet colored blend of Grenache, Syrah, Counoise and Mourvèdre was showing its age having spent fourteen years in bottle. 😍 The age also came through on the nose and palate with pronounced aromas and flavors of strawberries, plums, black cherries, herbs, smoked meat, garrigue, spice, leather, sweet tobacco and a dollop of cedar that led to a long, dry, savory finish. Delicious! 😋 This wine definitely reminds of wines from the Rhône Valley with a bit more richness thanks to the warm weather region where the grapes come from. What a wonderful surprise! This delicious wine was over before I knew it, but I was glad that I had a few more bottles left to enjoy at a later date! 😮‍💨 About Tablas Creek: Tablas Creek’s limestone-rich 270-acre estate vineyard is located in the heart of the Adelaida District, in the hills north and west of Paso Robles, about 11 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Their viticulture practices emphasize quality through dry-farming and moderate crop levels. They have become the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified Gold vineyard in 2022! 👏🏼 The Rhône Valley and Château de Beaucastel are definitely on my “Must Visit” list, but until I make that trip to France I will be sure to make the trip to Paso Robles to visit Tablas Creek! A big THANK YOU to my buddy Gabe for sharing this great information. Here’s to constantly learning and finding gems as a result! Cheers and Santé! 🍷 Price: US $40 (Current vintage) #drinkresponsibly

I Dub Thee “Velvet Bee”! My sister Natasha, Natoo for short, lovingly called her husband Bengt by the nickname Bee. Bee @beingbengt has been a devoted husband to my little sister and the best brother-in-law I could have asked for. 💯 Bengt spoiled Natoo rotten and given her big personality he handled her with velvet gloves, which is why I thought it fitting to toast them today with this 2014 Velvet Bee Pinot Noir from the La Encantada Vineyard in Santa Rita Hills, California. This translucent light ruby colored wine was sporting pronounced aromas and flavors of strawberries, cranberries and red cherries along with spice and a hint of earthiness. Yummy! The high acid in this wine made my mouth water profusely and the finish was long and juicy. 🤤 This vibrant wine with high acid paired well with the Shrimp Fra Diavola pizza from @eatnorthitalia made with spicy shrimp, porchetta, smoked mozzarella, vodka sauce, and fresh oregano. 😋 As you will see on Natoo’s @thegutlessfoodie feed, she was a stickler for presentation so I’m pretty sure she would not approve of this pizza regardless of the taste! Based on a poll I conducted, my peeps agree. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Sadly Natoo passed away recently at the young age of 50, leaving a big hole in our lives. 💔😔 She is missed dearly and I think she would love the new “Velvet Bee” monicker I have come up with for Bengt! 🙂 Bengt and I will continue to remember Natoo fondly and toast her whenever we enjoy a good drink and a yummy meal when we are together or from a distance. Cheers, Natoo and “Velvet Bee”! 🍷🤗😘 Price: US $45 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #vino #oenophile #california #winegram #winemaker #alcohol #cheers #winesofinstagram #redwine #vineyard #winery #winepic #velvetbeewine #pinotnoir #santaritahills #delicious #northitalia #pizzaandwine #restinpeace #gonetoosoon #rip #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Cooking In The Clouds 😢 My younger sister Natasha, affectionately called Natoo by her family and close friends, who has been living without a stomach for the past twelve years, passed away yesterday shortly after her 50th birthday. I can’t describe the crushing pain of losing a younger family member. 😔💔 Natoo was a big personality and she made her presence felt everywhere she went. She was a complicated individual and trying to describe her in a short post would be impossible. However one thing that I can say with certainty is that when she loved someone, she did so with every fiber of her being. I was one of the lucky recipients of that love. ❤️💯 When her entire stomach was removed twelve years ago, she decided to not let it control her life. She chose to share her passion for cooking with people out there as @thegutlessfoodie on Instagram. It was Natoo who convinced me to write about wine on Instagram and that has been a wonderful addition to my wine journey, so I am very thankful to her for that. 🙏🏼 Today my brother-in-law Bengt thought it fitting for us to toast Natoo with this single malt whiskey from Laphroaig Distillery in Islay, Scotland that she blended at the distillery. This beautiful golden spirit spread its smoky deliciousness across all the senses and at 53.5 ABV it was packing a punch, much like my larger than life sister! 🥊💥 I have included a picture of what Natoo referred to as “That Most Plagiarized Post Of Mine” which is of one of our favorite childhood treats - Aamras poori (yummy Alphonso mango pulp and delicious deep fried Indian bread, made from unleavened whole-wheat flour.) 😋🤤 I like to think that she is reading this post as she continues to “cook in the clouds”. 🙏🏼 My brother-in-law will keep the @thegutlessfoodie account active for all her followers who would want to replicate her delicious recipes that I had the pleasure of enjoying. 😋 I will continue to write about wine on Instagram and toast Natoo and our father when I enjoy my favorite beverage. Rest in peace, my dear sister. You left too soon! 😢 I Love You! 😘 Slàinte Mhath. 🥃 #restinpeace #gonetoosoon💔

Meat ‘n Malbec 🥩🍷 After an uncharacteristic four back-to-back days of meaty meals, was I going to switch a salad? Nope! 😜 The meat marathon continued with a delicious top sirloin steak that my wonderful marathon-running wife cooked for perfection for dinner. As the steak sizzled on the cast iron pan and the delicious aromas enveloped us, I went about the task of picking the wine to pair it with. 🤔 This 2019 Oakville Winery Malbec from Napa Valley that I chose was a deep ruby color with purple reflections that completely coated the glass. 😍 It was equally rich on the palate with concentrated flavors of blackberries, black cherries, blueberries, chocolate and baking spice and the finish was long and juice. 😋 This wine paired perfectly with the delicious sirloin steak topped with Chimmichurri sauce and accompanied by asparagus sautéed in garlic and a creamy mushroom risotto. A decadent treat to say the least! 🤤 About The Family The Pelissa family legacy is unique to Napa Valley and rare in the modern day California wine industry. It began in 1902 when Joseph Pelissa came to Napa Valley from Liguria, Italy and purchased his first 35 acres of land with a single gold coin in 1903. His son Andrew later took over and eventually acquired 1000 acres in Oakville and Yountville where he planted wine grapes and other crops. Today, the Pelissa grape-growing operation continues to be family-owned and run, overseen by 4th and 5th generation family members who live on and farm the land. A big THANK YOU to Margaret for sharing this yummy wine and to my wonderful wife for spoiling me with her decadent dishes! 🙏🏼 Cheers! 🍷 Price: US $45 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #alcohol #cheers #winesofinstagram #redwine #vineyard #winery #ghostblockwine #napa #oakvillewinery #napavalley #malbec #steakandwine #foodandwine #winegeeksaroundtheworld

A “Whole Bunch” Of Meat I am definitely a carnivore but with three consecutive days that included Brandt’s Beef Bonanza, Tyler’s Smash Burgers and SET Steak & Sushi’s Wagyu beef fried rice, this has definitely been an unusually meat-heavy week! But there is clearly no such thing as “too much meat” in my book, so when my wonderful wife @shendiddee asked if I wanted a burger for dinner, I said “Sure”! 😀 The perfectly cooked burger topped with jalapeños, onions and tomatoes on a chipotle mayonnaise coated brioche bun was absolutely delicious! 😋 I popped open this 2021 Gabriëlskloof “Whole Bunch” Syrah from Walker Bay, South Africa to pair with my delicious meal. This whole cluster fermented Syrah was very vibrant with aromas and flavors of red cherries, plums, pepper along with an herbaceous note on the long juicy finish. The high acid in this wine cut through the fat in the burger and made my mouth water profusely. 🤤 I’d tell you this was the end of meat for me for a while, but I’d be lying. Stay tuned to find out if I switched to a salad! 😜 Gesondheid! (Cheers in Afrikaans) 🍷 Price: US $20 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodies #burgerandwine #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #alcohol #cheers #salud #southafricanwine #southafrica #walkerbay #gesondheid #syrah #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Brandt’s Beef Bonanza! 🥩 I was invited to the grand reopening of Ranch 45 Local Provisions in Solana Beach, California, so my friend Rick and I made the scenic hour and a half drive down south to join the festivities. #roadtrip On arrival we were greeted by the wonderful aromas and sizzling sound of beef cooking on the grills that had been set up near the main entrance of the store. 🔥 Believe it or not, we began the Beef Bonanza with a mini salad! 🥗 The Ranch 45 salad was very good and the delicious crispy bacon that it was topped with gave us an introduction of what was coming. 😋 The steady flow decadent tasting sized dishes that followed included: - Pastrami sandwiches - Perfectly grilled steak slices - Sliders - Skewered beef topped with a yummy Chimmichurri sauce - Teriyaki short ribs - Beef corn dogs I washed all this meaty goodness with an excellent 2019 Grgich Hills Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, California. 🤤 The Açai sorbet, strawberries, toasted coconut , chia seeds, house made granola and Ashurst honey dessert was a tasty finish to this awesome event with great live music performed by talented couple Cindy and Dale Peters @TheHeardBand. 🎸🎶 I bought a couple steaks and Ranch 45’s delicious Chimmichurri sauce to continue the Beef Bonanza at our home on the weekend! 👍🏼 I highly recommend visiting this family run business which was started in 1945 (hence Ranch 45 Local Provisions), that sells quality beef from their own ranch @brandt_beef in Brawley, California that’s just a couple hours away from Solano Beach! Cheers!🍷 Please Note: This is not a paid post. I am just a happy customer. #supportyourlocalbusinesses #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #foodie #beef #brandtranch #familyowned #wineandbeefpairing #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Date Night 🥰 My wonderful wife @shendiddee has been diligently training for the Los Angeles Marathon that takes place next Sunday, so we thought it would be nice to chill out a bit before the big day! 🧘 We headed to Set Steak & Sushi @setnewport in Newport Beach, California for dinner. After a “convenient” stop at the Fashion Island Mall nearby (scroll to see cartoon 😂), we arrived at the restaurant for dinner. The hosts graciously accommodated my request to sit in the romantic patio, which started the evening off on the right note. 👍🏼 This 2015 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir from Dundee Hills, Oregon that I picked from their wine list didn’t disappoint. This beautiful ruby colored wine was sporting pronounced aromas of dried roses and red fruit. On the palate this medium bodied wine had flavors of cherries and raspberries accompanied by earthy and spice notes making for a delicious sip. As I had expected, the high acidity of this wine made it the perfect pairing with all the dishes we had for dinner. 🤤 Everything on the menu sounded delicious and we started the evening with the: - Lamb lollipops with avocado, mustard frill, chive and anticucho 😋 - Sushi Set - Chef’s selection of 9 sashimis which arrived literally “smoking” 🔥 Both these delicious appetizers were very Gram-worthy so I had to break my rule of only one picture per dinner with approval from “The Boss” of course! 📸 😜 Next my wife chose the Chutorro Nigiri Flight which consisted of truffle aioli, marinated mushroom, bone marrow and smoke salt yuzu kosho. I opted for the Wagyu steak fried rice with roasted corn, egg and scallions which was absolutely delicious! I will definitely be back for this! For dessert my wife picked “The Wave” which consisted of pineapple upside down cake, coconut ice cream, passion fruit sorbet and blue curacao anglaise. A very pretty dessert that was delicious too! 😍 Great ambience, great food and most importantly, great company! Wishing my wonderful wife the best for the Los Angeles Marathon! #soproud Cheers! 🍷 #drinkresponsibly

Smash Burgers & Sangiovese Our daughter’s friend Tyler offered to come over to our place to make smash burgers for us, and we were more than happy to be the Guinea pigs. 😬 Tyler arrived with his own stove and laser thermometer as he likes to seer his smash burgers at exactly 700 degrees Fahrenheit! 🔥 I guess Tyler ain’t no amateur and we weren’t going to be Guinea pigs after all! 🤯 I poured Chef Tyler @foodbyyyler some Old Forester 1920 “Prohibition Blend” Bourbon @oldforester as he prepped for the cook. 🥃 Probably not a good idea to pour 115 proof Bourbon for a dude operating a stove at 700 degrees Fahrenheit 🤔, but I guess we live dangerously! 💥😜 I gotta say, watching the burgers cook within seconds on that grill-on-steroids was quite exhilarating! 😮 #boyswiththeirtoys The double smash burger topped with grilled onions, jalapeños, heirloom tomato and Tyler’s secret sauce that I devoured in no time was absolutely amazing! 😋 I popped open this 2019 SaintK “Like The Snows Of Yesteryear” Sangiovese from White Hawk Vineyard in Santa Barbara County, made by my buddy Chris Kiranbay, to pair with the meal. The wine was delicious and I wanted to do something different than my regular posts in which I share my tasting notes. To that end I reached out to Chris to get the scoop from the horse’s mouth and he said: “For me it’s all sour cherry and cranberry raisin pie. Definitely some tobacco leaf type stuff going on. It does benefit from a few hours of air or even the next day.” Well Chris, the wine was yummy and it barely lasted a couple hours, leave alone till the next day! 😋 A big THANK YOU to Tyler for the delicious smash burgers and to Chris for making this delicious wine to enjoy them with! Cheers! 🍔🍷 Price: Wine - US $50 Smash Burger - Priceless! #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #vino #oenophile #california #winegram #winemaker #alcohol #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #redwine #winepic #saintkwines #smashburger #oldforesterbourbon #likethesnowsofyesteryear #sangiovese #santabarbaracounty #delicious #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Vailia’s Versatile Vino I had enjoyed this 2021 Desparada Vela Sauvignon Blanc with my Indian dinner the prior evening, and I was happy to have some left to pair with the tuna sashimi salad that I was having for dinner tonight. Woo hoo! 🥳 This Sauvignon Blanc from Chelle Mountain Vineyard in York Mountain AVA in San Luis Obispo county, California was the perfect pairing with the fresh slices or raw tuna and the tangy salad dressing. 🤤 As always, I prefer to include Vailia’s creative tasting notes for her wine rather than mine: “Seaweed soliloquy, satsuma sorbet melting on your skin, private carpet ride, cucumber surprise honeymoon, holographic headlights, engine purr.” 😜👏🏼 Made by my friend Vailia From, owner/winemaker @desparadawine, this crisp, clean white wine aged in neutral oak paired equally well with Indian and Japanese cuisine and I’m sure it will do so with any cuisine out there! Talk about versatile! This is why it deserved a back-to-back post! 👏🏼 It is for making delicious wines like this one that. Vailia was deservedly featured in this article in Wine Spectator magazine titled “In Paso Robles, Land of Big Reds, Tin City Innovators Chase Lighter Styles”: https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/travel/in-paso-robles-land-of-big-reds-tin-city-innovators-chase-lighter-styles/ Here’s to enjoying well made wines by talented friends! Cheers! 🍷 Price: Wine - US$48 (20% off for Wine Club members! 👍🏼) Passing WSET Level 3 - Priceless! #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #vino #oenophile #california #alcohol #cheers #winesofinstagram #winery #desparadawine #winepic #sauvignonblanc #whitewine #delicious #pasorobles #versatile #versatilewine #winespectatormagazine #winegeeksaroundtheworld

WSET Level 3 Certification Celebration - Wine 2 As I mentioned in my previous post, I recently passed the certification exam for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 Award In Wines Having passed the Level 3 Certification Exam with Merit, an exam which has only a 50% global pass rate, a little celebration was in order. 🥳 Picking the wines for the celebration was a no-brainer. The second wine I celebrated my achievement with, was this 2021 Desparada Vela Sauvignon Blanc made by my friend Vailia From, owner/winemaker @desparadawine, as she has played a very important role in my wonderful wine journey! 😍 This Sauvignon Blanc from Chelle Mountain Vineyard in York Mountain AVA in San Luis Obispo county, California was the perfect pairing with the decadent shrimp curry and rice that my wonderful wife @shendiddee made for my celebratory meal! The high acid in this clean, crisp wine aged in neutral oak cut through the richness of the delicious curry and cleansed the palate in preparation for the next delicious bite. 🤤 As always, I prefer to include Vailia’s creative tasting notes for her wine rather than mine: “Seaweed soliloquy, satsuma sorbet melting on your skin, private carpet ride, cucumber surprise honeymoon, holographic headlights, engine purr.” 😜👏🏼 Last harvest Russel and Vailia gave me the wonderful opportunity to make my own wine in their facilities, and my 2023 Sangiovese (AKA Sam-giovese 😂) from Sycamore Springs Vineyards in Santa Ynez Valley is currently aging in barrel at Desparada till bottling in March 2025! 🙏🏼 #thankful Again, a big THANK YOU to Peter Neptune @peterneptunsms for making the class informative and fun, to @winewithjimmy for the exam prep portal and to my friend Vailia @desparadawine for enriching my life by being in it! 🙏🏼 Cheers! 🍷 Price: Wine - US$48 (20% off for Wine Club members! 👍🏼) Passing WSET Level 3 - Priceless! #drinkresponsibly

WSET Level 3 Certification Celebration - Wine 1 As I mentioned in my previous post, I recently passed the certification exam for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 Award In Wines. Having passed the Level 3 Certification Exam with Merit, an exam which has only a 50% global pass rate, a little celebration was in order. 🥳 Picking the wines for the celebration was a no-brainer. The first wine I celebrated my achievement with, was this 2021 Herman Story MADE Red Blend made by my friend Russell From, owner/winemaker @hermanstorywines, as he has played a very important role in my wonderful wine journey! 😍 This unique blend of Sangiovese (31%), Syrah (20%), Barbera (18%), Teroldego (17%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (14%) was an excellent pairing with the creamy butter chicken and flaky Malaysian paratha that I had for dinner. 😋 The wine is best described by Russell’s creative tasting notes: “If rapper and host of Pimp My Ride Xzibit got ahold of Tony Montana’s Cadillac Series 62, this would be the result. We’re talking pearlescent tart-cherry paint job, sweet cream leather seats, crushed-slate hydraulics, a trunk loaded with sage and dried-rose grenades plus a peppered-fig subwoofer that could blow the doors off. And when Tony rides it down dimly lit Miami streets, he’s got enough flashy confidence to take on the world, the world chico, and everything in it.” 😜👏🏼 It was in May 2018 when I first met Russell and he gave me the opportunity to be a harvest intern at his winery in Paso Robles. It was at Herman Story that year where I got my first harvest t-shirt and receiving it made me feel accepted - a “Made Man” of sorts. (cue the Godfather Theme Song) 😉 Receiving my WSET Level 3 pin and certificate today gave me that similar feeling of achievement/acceptance. #thankful Again, a big THANK YOU to Peter Neptune @peterneptunsms for making the class informative and fun, to @winewithjimmy for the exam prep portal and to my friend Russell @hermanstorywines for enriching my life by being in it! 🙏🏼 Cheers! 🍷 Price: Wine - US$68 ($55 if you are a Wine Club member! 👍🏼) Passing WSET Level 3 - Priceless! #drinkresponsibly

I’m Gonna Put A “Pin” In It Wine is my passion and I am constantly trying to expand my knowledge about the world of wine. I had enrolled in the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 Award In Wines at the Neptune School of Wine in 2020 and passed the certification exam. I had considered signing up for Level 3 certification, but decided against it as it required a considerable time commitment. Also, I didn’t want to turn my passion into “a job”. 🤷🏻‍♂️ In September 2023 I changed my mind and signed up for the WSET Level 3 Award In Wines. The classes were for 3 hours on Mondays for 13 weeks which I enjoyed thoroughly as not only is Peter Neptune a very knowledgeable Master Sommelier, but he is also quite the entertainer! An additional blind tasting workshop Peter conducted was also very helpful. I took the exam on December 4th and today I received my pin and certificate confirming that I have passed WSET Level 3 with Merit! Woo hoo! 🥳 There were many days during this process when I asked myself why I had signed up for this! 😳 My full-time job is very demanding and this was added self inflicted stress that I didn’t need! 🤦🏻‍♂️ Now that I have passed the exam which only has a 50% global pass rate, I am proud of this achievement and glad I did it! 😀 WSET Diploma is the next level and it takes 2 - 3 years to complete. I don’t plan on proceeding further, but that’s what I had said the last time and here we are! 😂 “Never say never” but I am content with the WSET Level 3 certification and for now I’ll, “Put a pin in it”! 😜 #punintended I celebrated my achievement with this 2021 Desparada Vela Sauvignon Blanc and 2021 Herman Story MADE Red Blend, both wines made by my winemaker friends Russell and Vailia From who have played an equally important role in my wonderful wine journey! 😍 (Separate posts coming) A big THANK YOU to Peter @peterbeptunems for a great learning experience, and to my friend Julie @vinpourmoimerci for recommending the @winewithjimmy learning portal for my exam prep! Cheers! 🍷 Cost: Certification Program - US $1450 Wine With Jimmy E-Learning Portal: $75 Achieving Level 3: Stressful But Worth It! 🏅 #drinkresponsibly

My Favorite Neighbor We have shared many wonderful evenings in our neighborhood with our good friends @wineworthyfood and @thegovfather for many years. They moved to another home a couple miles away and while they are no longer in our neighborhood, they are close enough to remain our favorite neighbors! 😍 On a recent visit to their home, my buddy @thegovfather popped open this 2021 Booker Vineyard “My Favorite Neighbor” Cabernet Sauvignon which describes our relationship perfectly! This deep ruby colored blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (83%), Petit Verdot (7%), Malbec (7%), Petit Sirah( 2%) and Syrah (1%) had pronounced aromas and flavors of black cherries, blueberries, blackberries, plums, cassis, spice, dark chocolate and tobacco. 😋 This delicious, full-bodied wine enveloped my palate with a warmth much like our friendship brings to our lives. 👍🏼 What’s Behind The Name: My Favorite Neighbor began as an homage to their original favorite neighbor, Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure Wimery. Stephan is a close friend and mentor to Eric Jensen. For the entire first year they were friends, each time Stephan called he would refer to himself as Eric’s “favorite neighbor”, as if there was any doubt about who would be calling with such a thick French accent! 😂 In 2006 Eric crafted this Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine to honor his friend Stephan. 👏🏼 I loved the original label that captured the two friends sharing wine and a great conversation (see pic). I wonder why they replaced it with this new label! 🤔 In my humble opinion the phrase, “If it ain’t broken, don’t try to fix it” applies here. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Tell me below if you think the current label or the original one best depicts the name, “My Favorite Neighbor”. As we enjoyed the company of our “favorite neighbors” while soaking in the sun on a beautiful Southern California Sunday afternoon, we were thankfully for having them in our lives and for the fun times we share. 🙏🏼 Here’s to wonderful friends who enrich our lives! Cheers! 🍷 Price: Wine: US $55 Time With Special Friends: Priceless #drinkresponsibly

Sushi And A Savory Sip 🍣🍷 I had picked up a yummy Crunch Fire Dragon Roll consisting of spicy tuna and avocado on top of a shrimp tempura roll drizzled with a chef’s sauce for dinner from one of our favorite local Japanese restaurants @hakoirvine, so the next thing to do was to select the wine pairing. 🤔 Not in the mood for a white wine this evening, I decided to pop open this 2008 Domain Michel Arcelain “Siserpe” from Beaune in Burgundy, France. This beautiful translucent light ruby colored Pinot Noir with an orange rim was showing its age not just in appearance but also on the nose and palate. 😍 Aromas and flavors of dried rose, strawberries, raspberries and cranberries led the charge along with a dusty earthy quality that coated the palate with its high acidity immediately cleansing it. 🤤 It was the perfect companion for my sushi role as the red fruit flavors and acid in this wine cute through the richness and prepared my palate for the next bite. 😋 What’s Behind The Wine’s Name? 🤔 Is It Really A “Village” Wine? 🤔 A small percentage of the land in Beaune is Village level and Arcelain owns a small plot in one those tiny parcels called Siserpe, just above Beaune 1er Cru Les Aigrots. The vineyard was certified “Village” back in the ‘old days’ due to its location higher up the hill, which made ripening more difficult in those days. Well, these days with global warming that’s not so much of a problem anymore, and on the contrary spots higher on the hill are coming into demand for their slightly cooler terroir! Thanks to the French sticking to the past, I was able to enjoy this delicious Burgundy at a great price that my friends at @thewineexchange sourced directly from the domaine. 👍🏼 Santé!🍷 Wine Price: $35 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #invinoveritas #vin #sommelier #oenophile #france #frenchwine #family #alcohol #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #vineyard #cotedebeaune #domainemichelarcelain #burgundy #pinotnoir #greatqpr #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Tasty Trifecta! Our wonderful friends Sanjay @thegovfather and Nisha @wineworthyfood invited us over for a chilled out Sunday lunch and we were really looking forward to it! My buddy makes delicious steaks, so I decided to take this equally delicious 2020 Ghost Block Estate Cabernet Sauvignon that my friends at Ghost Block Estate Wines @ghostblockwine make. Put them together and you have a party on your palate! 🎉🥳 This inky, deep maroon wine was very expressive on the nose and palate with pronounced aromas and flavors of ripe plums, black cherries and blackberries along with notes of dark chocolate, vanilla, spice and violets. The tannins were chewy and the finish was long. A delicious big, bold Cabernet Sauvignon one would expect from Napa Valley but with elegance and finesse. De-licious! 😋 It paired perfectly with the ribeye steak and Ahi tuna dusted with a homemade Cajun spice mix. Both were topped with a Chimichurri sauce made with finely chopped parsley, green onions, shallots, garlic, pickled red onion, oregano, Calabrian chili flakes, salt, pepper, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Sides included smashed roasted potatoes, creamed spinach and mushrooms sautéed with shallots, white wine and garlic. Absolutely decadent and delicious! 🤤 As if the delicious food and wine weren’t enough, out came the dessert! The “boozy” milk shake, made with Godiva chocolate liqueur, Kalua liqueur, vodka, vanilla ice cream, and milk topped with chocolate shavings put an exclamation mark on the perfect Sunday afternoon! 💥 A big THANK YOU to our awesome friends for a wonderful afternoon! 🙏🏼 Cheers!🍷 Price: Wine: US $90 (A gift from my friends at Ghost Block 🙏🏼) Quality Time With Special Friends: Priceless #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #alcohol #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #redwine #vineyard #winery #ghostblockwine #napa #napavalley #cabernersauvignon #foodies #wineandfoodpairing #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Succulent Saint-Émilion Sip This 2019 Château Valandraud Virginie de Valandraud Saint-Emilion Grand Cru that I popped open was a blend of Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc (20%). I decanted this second wine from a Premier Grand Cru Classé (First Classified Growth) in my beautiful decanter made by Shazé @shazeindia. 😍 Sporting a beautiful deep purple color, this second wine from Château Valandraud had a pronounced nose of dark fruit, leather, cedar and spice. On the palate it was full bodied with concentrated flavors of black cherries, plums, blackberries, chocolate along with herbs, tobacco cedar and earth. A succulent sip that paired very well with the cheese and charcuterie board I put together that included speck, chorizo, herb goat cheese, crackers and grapes. 😋 I often find that second wines from famous chateaus punch well above their weight class at a fraction of the price of their Grand Vin, as was the case with this tasty treat. #greatqpr About The Château Château Valandraud was born from the tremendous work of Murielle Andraud and Jean Luc Thunevin, both wine enthusiasts. They created their wine child in 1991 by investing all their money in the purchase of 0.6 hectares (~ 1.5 acres) of a humble terroir located in Fongaban, where you can find the Saint Emilion intra-muros little gardens and small vineyards. 😍 Planted on the clayey limestone terroir of Saint Etienne de Lisse, the vineyard is a mix of Merlot (70%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). Unfortunately with so many wonderful producers in Bordeaux, we were not able to visit Château Valandraud during our last trip. It is definitely on our “must visit” list for the next time we are there! Santé! 🍷 Price: US $43 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #cheers #winestagram #chateauvalandraud #winesofinstagram #redwine #bordeaux #saintemilion #rightbankbordeaux #merlot #cabernetfranc #redblend #pizzaandwine #foodies #sante #avotresante #winegeeksaroundtheworld

From One Italian Wine Region To The Next 😍 After enjoying a yummy Nebbiolo on the prior evening, I decided to “stay in Italy” with this 2018 Ciacci di Piccolomini d’Aragona “Pianrosso” Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany, Italy. Boy, that’s quite a mouthful, huh?! Well, it was a mouthful in more ways than one! 😋 This ruby red Sangiovese with a garnet hue from Tuscany, Italy had pronounced aromas of ripe red fruit and spice. It filled the mouth with flavors of red cherries, red plums along with leather, tobacco and an earthy note on the long savory finish. This delicious wine had great acidity and tannic structure which makes it a great candidate for aging. 🤤 What’s Special About This Wine? This wine is produced only in the best vintages from a careful selection of grapes from the Pianrosso vineyard. The Pianrosso vineyard covers 11.69 hectares (29.22 acres). The soil is medium grain with good levels of marl, dating from the Eocene period. The altitude of this large vineyard varies from 240 to 360 metres above sea level. “Grazie mille” to the good folks at Ciacci di Piccolomini d’Aragon for making such an excellent wine! I look forward to visiting them this year! Salute! 🍷 Price: US $75 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodandwine #foodies #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #cheers #salud #salute #ciaccipiccolominidaragona #ciaccipiccolominidaragonabrunello #brunellodimontalcino #italy #italian #italianwine #sangiovese #grazie #graziemille #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Pizza & Piedmont 🍕🍷 I was craving pizza today so I ordered Round Table Pizza’s Feast of Flavors pizza topped with crispy mini pepperoni, bacon, fresh garlic and jalapeños. 😋 While we waited for the pizza to be delivered, I was busy deciding which wine I’d be pairing with it. 🤔 This 2010 Malvira’ Renesio Riserva from Roero in Piedmont, Italy caught my eye. This Nebbiolo had pronounced aromas of dark fruit, smoke and oak. Concentrated flavors of blackberries cherries, plums, leather, spice, earth and tobacco enveloped my palate and ended in a long , dry finish. The tannins in this wine were chewy as is to be expected from a young Nebbiolo, and it invoked my trademark quote: “The tannins gripped my cheeks much like preschoolers holding onto their parents on the first day of school.” #copyright 😜 The saying goes, “What grows together, goes together”, and while the ingredients for this pizza are not from Italy, pairing one of my favorite Italian comfort foods with this Nebbiolo worked perfectly for me. 🤤 About Malvira’ Giuseppe Damonte established Malvira’ in 1950, a time when the Roero’s potential was yet unrealized. Giuseppe had a great passion for farming and wine, a passion that he passed on to his two sons, Roberto and Massimo. In 1974, Roberto and Massimo took the reins and began slowly turning the family’s bulk wine business into an estate focusing on quality wine production. Over the course of the next 30+ years, the brothers worked tirelessly to improve the quality of wines at Malvira’. Today their entire production comes from six vineyards over about 40 HA, all of which is organically farmed. Here’s to enjoying a comforting pairing. Salute! 🍷 Price: US$ 48 #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodies #pizzaandwine #comfortfood #sommelier #oenophile #cheers #salud #salute #nebbiolo #italy #italian #italianwine #piedmont #roero #grazie #graziemille #malvirawinery #whatgrowstogethergoestogether #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Super Bowl Sip 🏈 - Wine #3 (Overtime) Our wonderful friends Gaby @gabriella.anddradde and Luis @luisandradeb invited us to their place to watch the Super Bowl. It has been a while since we hung out, so we were looking forward to spending the evening with them. The third and final wine of the evening was a big, bold wine from Napa that appropriately ended the evening with a bang just like the Kansas City Chiefs’ overtime win! 💥 From a warm growing year that benefited from a rainy winter after three years of drought, this Cabernet Sauvignon was big, bold and opulent with pronounced aromas and flavors of blackberries, blueberries, figs, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, dark chocolate, vanilla and toasted oak. 😋 A classic ripe Napa Cabernet with 14.7% alcohol, but I must say that this wine didn’t drink “hot”. I’m sure six years in bottle helped the flavors to integrate well and to balance the alcohol and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Note To Self: Add to my “Wineries To Visit” list. 🖊️ An Indian Connection! Revana Family Vineyard was established in 1997 by Houston Cardiologist Dr. Madaiah Revana, who immigrated to the United States from India in 1973. His vision has been to produce world-renowned, site-specific wines from exceptional vineyards. He has accomplished that with three remarkable brands located in California’s Napa Valley, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and Argentina’s Uco Valley. 👏🏼 A big THANK YOU to Luis and Gaby for being excellent hosts and to Luis for entertaining us with his Super Bowl Super-Barbecuing skills!(See prior post for pics 😂) Cheers! 🍷 Price: Wine: US $270 🤯 (Thank you for sharing!) Evening With Close Friends: Priceless 😍 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #vino #oenophile #california #winegram #alcohol #cheers #winesofinstagram #redwine #winepic #revanawinery #revana #napa #napavalley #sthelena #delicious #superbowl #nfl #priceless #indianconnection #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Super Bowl Sip 🏈 - Wine #2 (Halftime) Our wonderful friends Gaby @gabriella.anddradde and Luis @luisandradeb invited us to their place to watch the Super Bowl. It has been a while since we hung out, so we were looking forward to spending the evening with them. The second wine of the evening was one I brought after decanting at our house for a couple hours. This 2019 Château Cos d’Estournel Pagodes de Cos from Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux was medium to full bodied and a good choice to follow the lighter Tempranillo. 👍🏼 This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (36%), Cabernet Franc(5%) and Petit Verdot (4%) was sporting a deep garnet color and equally deep aromas and flavors of blackberries, blueberries, black tea, licorice, cassis, spice and pencil shavings. The fine tannins gave it a creamy, velvety mouthfeel and the finish was long and juicy. 🤤 About Cos D’Estournel: Secluded and mysterious, Cos d’Estournel is situated off the bend of a winding road in the northern Médoc. Beneath its majestic pagodas and behind its heavy sculpted wooden door, the château houses cellars of unsurpassed modernity and purity, a sharp contrast to its ornate façade. Inspired by its founder’s passion for India, Cos d’Estournel’s unique architectural style has made it an icon amongst the châteaux of Bordeaux. But the site is also deeply rooted in local tradition, as demonstrated by the use of the creamy-hued limestone typical of the region. 😍 Note To Self: Add to my “Wineries To Visit” list. 🖊️ How in the world did we miss this stunning Château with delicious wine when we visited Bordeaux!! 🤦🏻‍♂️ One more reason to go back! 😉 A big THANK YOU to Luis and Gaby for being excellent hosts and to Luis for entertaining us with his Super Bowl Super-Barbecuing skills!(See prior post for pics 😂) Cheers! 🍷 Price: Wine: US $55 Evening With Close Friends: Priceless 😍 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #vino #oenophile #california #winegram #alcohol #cheers #winesofinstagram #redwine #winepic #cosdestournel #chateaucosdestournel #delicious #superbowl #nfl #priceless #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Super Bowl Sips 🏈 - Wine #1 (Kickoff) Our wonderful friends Gaby @gabriella.anddradde and Luis @luisandradeb invited us to their place to watch the Super Bowl. It has been a while since we hung out, so we were looking forward to spending the evening with them. The first wine of the evening that by buddy popped open was this 2016 Bodegas LAN Viña Lanciano Reserva from Rioja, Spain. This medium bodied Tempranillo was bright ruby color with a light purple rim. 😍 On the nose and the palate I got aromas and flavors of a combination of red and black fruit including red cherries, red raspberries, blackberries and violets. The fruit flavors were accompanied by baking spices, tobacco, cedar, earth and a minerality resulting in a well balanced sip. A tasty everyday wine that I would happily drink again. 😋 More About This Wine: Bodegas LAN considers Viña Lanciano the basis for their winery’s original philosophy. Its name reflects the essence of a unique enclave, embraced by the river. A magical location, where the vestiges of ancient history lie, such as the remains of the Roman Mantible bridge, which features on its label. Note To Self: Add to my “Wineries To Visit” list. 🖊️ A big THANK YOU to Luis and Gaby for being excellent hosts and to Luis for entertaining us with his Super Bowl Super-Barbecuing skills!(See prior post for pics 😂) Cheers! 🍷 Price: Wine: US $30 Evening With Close Friends: Priceless 😍 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #vino #oenophile #california #winegram #alcohol #cheers #winesofinstagram #redwine #winepic #bodegaslan #delicious #superbowl #nfl #priceless #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Elizabeth Rose And Chocolates For My Valentine 🥀 🍫 💘 My wonderful wife @shendiddee and I decided to celebrate our 28th Valentine’s Day together early this year as it falls in the middle of the week. After all these years together I know how lucky I am to have her as my wife! #blessed After dinner I opened this 2021 Elizabeth Rose Chockablock Red Blend from Napa to pair with the chocolates and heart shaped dark chocolate cookies. ❤️ This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (67%), Merlot (18%) and Malbec (15%) had decadent aromas reminiscent of a freshly baked berry pie that had just come out of the oven! 😋 Concentrated flavors of ripe dark fruit, chocolate and baking spices mimicked those aromas on the palate, making for a rich, succulent sip that led to a long juicy finish. Absolutely delicious! 🤤 This wine had great acidity which tempered the fruit in this blend that is “chockablock” with a trio of rich grape varietals. This is probably a result of the orientation of the vineyards where the grapes come from, as they are influenced by the cooling winds originating from San Pablo Bay. For a young Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend, the tannins were not as chewy as I expected them to be but rather more rounded and well integrated into the wine, resulting in a smooth, silky sip. This wine was the perfect companion for the chocolates and cookies we devoured this evening. 👍🏼 A big THANK YOU to Margaret from @ghostblockwine for sharing this delicious wine and to my wife for sharing all these wonderful years with me! 🙏🏼 I will be getting real flowers on Valentine’s Day for my beautiful wife, but I must say that a rose in liquid form (aka Elizabeth Rose) is infinitely better! 😉 Happy Valentine’s Day and Cheers!🍷 Price: US $30 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #alcohol #cheers #winesofinstagram #redwine #redblend #winery #ghostblockwine #napa #elizabethrose #napavalley #cabernetsauvignon #merlot #malbec #wineandchocolate #valentinesday #winegeeksaroundtheworld

A Wonder From Down Under, With A Price That Won’t Steal Your Thunder! 😍 I love wines from Australia and having enjoyed wines from @torbreckbarossa, when I came across this 2021 Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz from Barossa Valley I had to buy it! #itsadirtyjobbutsomebodyhastodoit 🤷🏻‍♂️😜 This inky, deep maroon wine with purple reflections throughout was very expressive on the nose and the palate right out of the bottle without any decanting! Pronounced aromas and flavors of ripe raspberries, cherries and blueberries led the charge followed closely by spices that included cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg with cedar bringing up the rear. The ripe tannins have this wine a silky mouthfeel and the finish was long and juicy. 🤤 From The Winery Website: “You’d imagine a high country Scottish woodcutter might like a satisfying red at the days end – something rich, warming, full bodied and affordable.” A Bit About Torbreck Torbreck, founded in 1994 by David Powell, is situated at Marananga on the western ridge of the Barossa. Since that time he has produced excellent Rhone varietal wines, exclusively from Barossa fruit. The overwhelming majority of his vines are dry-grown, nearly all are 80 - 125 years old and are tended to and harvested by hand! 🤩 The wines have an extraordinary combination of power, intesity, complexity and great finesse, and bearing in mind the age of the vines and the laughably low yields, no Torbreck wine could ever be accused of being heavy, cloying or over-extracted. Great vines make great wines! One of these days I look forward to drinking their flagship wine, the Torbreck RunRig Shiraz that has drawn comparison with the beautifully fragrant and tautly structured wines from the steep slopes of Côte Rôtie in the Northern Rhône Valley in France. 🤤 Here’s to enjoying a voluptuous “entry level” wine from this well known winery that was boxing well above its weight class! 🥊 Cheers, mates! 🍷 Price: US $30 #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodies #sommelier #oenophile #california #family #cheers #winesofinstagram #redwine #winery #torbreck #barossavalley #australia #shiraz #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Mold - Harmful or Charm-ful? 🤔 I recently noticed in my wine fridge that a bottle of 1990 Bordeaux had developed mold on the capsule. 😳 I did some research to find out if that was a good or a bad thing. I also created a poll to get feedback from my wine loving peeps out there, and 88% felt that cellar mold is a good thing. My Research Findings: To ensure that the corks don’t dry out and allow harmful oxygen into the bottle, wine cellars and fridges are designed to have humidity levels from 50% to 80%. While such high levels of humidity are beneficial for the corks, they’re just as helpful to mold spores.  🦠 Is mold really a bad thing? The old French wine caves that have been around for centuries are loaded with mold, which contributes to their charm and sense of history. In these old wineries the mold is appreciated, revered even! (Scroll to see pictures from our Bordeaux trip). 😍 Really old bottles often have unrecognizable labels due to mold brought on by years of aging. Yet, the wine itself isn’t ruined by the mold on the outside. Visible mold adds a bit of character, and it can indicate that a bottle of wine has been stored well. Of course, if the mold spores go unattended for long periods, they can run rampant, and what once was charming can become disgusting. 🤢 To prevent my situation from going from charming to disgusting, I checked the area around the affected bottle and found that the mold had spread to the label on one bottle next to it made by my friend Jesse @ninerawines! 😱 Thanks for warning me @vinpourmoimerci and @woodbutcher56. 🙏🏼 I removed both bottles from my wine fridge immediately and will keep an eye to see if mold appears on any more bottles. 👀 The Verdict: In a nutshell, cellar mold is not thought of as abnormal or undesirable. It is considered to be a sign of a healthy cellar, however it can turn from good to bad if left unchecked, so stay vigilant my friends! 👀 I am looking forward to opening this 1990 Château Haut-Pontet from St. Emilion in Bordeaux, France to see if the wine is still in good shape! 🤞🏼 Here’s to learning new things from the wonderful world of wine! Cheers! 🍷 #drinkresponsibly

The All Seeing Eye Of Horus 👁 When I have a hankering for some good Aussie Shiraz there are several great winemakers on my list, and Ben Glaetzer is definitely one of them. 🤩 So when I saw three bottles of his 2002 AMON-Ra Shiraz by Ben Glaetzer from Barossa Valley in Australia in an auction, I had to get them! This Shiraz having spent 21 years in the bottle was showcasing its age with pronounced tertiary aromas and flavors of leather, tobacco, dried violets and dried dark fruit along with pepper and a distinct earthiness that ended in a savory finish that lingered on my palate for “yonks” (Australian slang for “a long time”. 😜 This aged Shiraz’s earthy notes complemented the flavors of the creamy mushroom risotto that I paired with it for dinner. 😋 So Who Is Amon-Ra? 🤔 Amon-Ra is considered to be the king of all gods. The temple of Amon-Ra, now known as the temple of Karnak, was believed to be the first temple to ever plant a mono-culture vineyard to produce wine for the citizens of the temple. The eye on the label is the all-seeing eye of Horus. The ancient Egyptian eye of Horus or wedjat (“whole one”) is a powerful symbol of protection. The eye of Horus is represented as a figure with six parts, corresponding to the six senses - touch, taste, hearing, thought, sight and smell. Ben created Amon-Ra Shiraz to appeal to all those senses. Cheers mates! 🍷 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wino #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodies #mushroomrisotto #amonrashiraz #foodies #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #winemaker #cheers #winesofinstagram #redwine #winery #winepic #winegram #barossavalley #australia #shiraz #australianwine #aussiewines #australianwines #australiqnwineries

🖤💛¡Disfruta una experiencia única este 14 de Febrero! 💛🖤 En colaboración con @sammelier_, @sensoriaexperience y @chef_cirino tendremos un evento para los amantes del chocolate y vino en @grancasaxalisco 🥰😍 ✨¡Acompáñanos y reserva ahora en el link que tenemos en nuestro perfil!✨ Habrá show de mapping✨️ #GdlMx #Zapopan #ChapalitaGdl #Cata #GDL #Chocolatelover #HechoEnMéxico #AndaresGdl #Trufas #FoodPorn #PostresGdl #sammelier #VinosGdl #wine #VinoTinto #eventosgdl

Red Burgundy Tasting With A Twist! I headed to Hi-Time Wine Cellars @mrhitime for a Red Burgundy tasting with my buddy @thegovfather and added a twist by taking a wine to have my friends taste blind. 😈 The Tasting: The lineup consisted of 7 wines (5 from Côte de Nuits, 1 from Côte de Beaune and 1 from Côte de Chalonnaise). (See pictures for the wine list). All the wines were yummy, each interesting in its own way. 😋 The 2019 Domain Arlaud Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru was delicious and showed why it deserves Grand Cru status but had a hefty price of $269.99 to accompany that status. 💰 For me the wine of the night was the 2019 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Nuits Saint George which costs $99.99 - not cheap but I felt it had a better QPR (Quality To Price Ratio). The Twist: I shared the “mystery wine” with my wine tasting buddies. The only clue they got was that the wine was made with a varietal that grows primarily in France but the wine could be from anywhere in the world. It was a lot of fun to watch the participants flip-flop on their decision and the guesses ended up as follows: Burgundy (Pinot Noir) - 2 Beaujolais (Gamay) - 2 Santa Ynez (Pinot Noir) - 1 Sonoma Coast (Pinot Noir) - 1 Oregon (Pinot Noir) - 2 The Reveal: The mystery wine was a 2019 James Rahn Pinot Meunier from Rainsong Vineyard in Willamette Valley, Oregon! My friend Brandon @beemer2k who claims that he isn’t a good blind taster called the region, as did a gentleman I just met! 👏🏼 Nobody guessed the varietal but that was expected as Pinot Meunier isn’t commonly made as a single varietal still wine. What Is Pinot Meunier? Pinot Meunier is a grape variety used as a blending grape in the production of Champagne. Meunier is a mutation of the Pinot grape group, sharing the same ancestry and characteristics with Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and other Pinot varietals. A big THANK YOU to Gabe, Marcus, Toby, Sanjay, Julie, Brandon and Gil for participating in my blind tasting. I look forward to the next tasting with my friends at Hi-Time! Cheers! 🍷 Price: Burgundy Tasting - $70 “The Twist”: Priceless 😜 #drinkresponsibly

Christmas Came Again Or Valentine’s Day Came Early! 😍 The doorbell rang last Friday and the FedEx driver needed a signature from me to deliver the boxes. That could only mean one thing - wine delivery!! It turned out to be a surprise shipment from my wonderful friends at Ghost Block Estate Wines from Oakville in Napa Valley, California! I was blown away by their generosity as the box contained several wines from the four wineries in their portfolio - Ghost Block, Elizabeth Rose, Oakville Winery and BW No. 9 (Bonded Winery #9). 🙏🏼 (Scroll to see pictures) Today I decided to pop open this 2022 Ghost Block MorgaenLee Sauvignon Blanc as my wonderful wife @shendiddee was making salmon for dinner. This beautiful medium gold Sauvignon Blanc had pronounced aromas and flavors of lime, lemon rind, nectarines and grapefruits along with a hint of green apples and brioche. This yummy clean, crisp wine had high acid which cut through the fat in the delicious spinach and herb feta cheese wrapped salmon pinwheels that we enjoyed for dinner. An absolutely delicious wine that lingered on the palate for a long, mouthwatering finish! 🤤 I first enjoyed this wine when my wife and I visited the winery last year. During that visit our awesome host Christian poured us a glass of this delicious Sauvignon Blanc to kick off us the tour of their beautiful property. 😍 It was during this tour that Christian shared a lot of interesting information about this Pelissa family owned grape-growing operation which is run by 4th and 5th generation family members who live on and farm the land. 👏🏼 Christian also told us that each of the daughters had the choice of having a wine or a vineyard named after them on their 21st birthdays, and Morgaen chose to have a vineyard named after her. The grapes for this Sauvignon Blanc come from that vineyard. 🤩 I’m case they are looking to name more vineyards, I am available for adoption! 😜😂 A big THANK YOU to the Pelissa family, Margaret and Christian for this wonderful surprise shipment that I am looking forward to enjoying in the coming weeks! 🙏🏼 Cheers! 🍷 Price: US $30 (A steal IMHO!) #drinkresponsibly

Tannat Twinning My good friend Rick who retired a few years ago is spending a month in Buenos Aires, Argentina imbibing the culture and furthering his studies of Spanish. It’s so great to see that all the sacrifices he made and his hard work over the years payed off which now allows him to enjoy the fruits of his labor! 👍🏼 Rick had mentioned to me that he was heading to Uruguay for the weekend and while I couldn’t be there with him in person, I decided to join him in spirit by popping open this 2018 Garzon Single Vineyard Tannat from Uruguay to pair with my dinner this evening. This medium ruby colored wine was sporting pronounced aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries, blueberries, earth, spice and toasted oak. The tannins were ripe and chewy, demanding to be paired with meat. 🥩The filet mignon with chimichurri sauce and a side of Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and bacon that I ordered at @watergrill in Costa Mesa was the perfect pairing for this yummy wine! 😋 I felt blessed to be able to spend this time with my wonderful wife @shendiddee and awesome daughter @riadiddee, and the delicious food and wine were the icing on the cake. 🙏🏼 I look forward to hearing about the wines my buddy enjoyed in Uruguay. Salud! 🍷 Price: Wine - US $25 - Great Quality to Price Ratio(QPR)! 👍🏼 Time With My Family: Priceless 😍 #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #foodies #foodandwine #bodegagarzon #cheers #winesofinstagram #redwine #vineyard #winery #weekendtrip #tannat #priceless #qpr #delicious #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Sexy Savory Second 🤤 I have often found that second wines from highly reputed wineries are well made and have a great quality to price ration (QPR(), so when I came across this 2020 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Reserve de la Comtesse I picked up a couple bottles expecting it to be good. 🤞🏼 This blend of Merlot (47%), Cabernet Sauvignon (43%) and Petit Verdot (10%) from Pauillac in Bordeaux, France had aromas of violets, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, coffee, tobacco, earth, pencil shavings and herbs that carried over to the palate making for a savory sip. The tannins were not as chewy as I expected them to be in a young wine with as much Cabernet Sauvignon as there is in the blend and the finish was long and dry. Yummy as expected! 👌🏼 About The Château: The Pichon Longueville estate goes back to 1688! 🤯 In 1850, Virginie de Pichon Longueville, Countess de Lalande, and her two sisters inherited three-fifths of the vineyard from their father. This took on the name of Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. In 1978, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, daughter of Edouard Miailhe, in turn inherited this beautiful property and devoted herself entirely to continuing the tradition of quality wine. Just two families have been responsible for maintaining this wine’s superb reputation for three centuries. Bordering on Chateau Latour, Second Growth Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is located in the southern part of Pauillac, near Saint-Julien. Here’s to enjoying a well made “second” wine from a highly regarded “second growth” chateau at a fraction of the price of their grand vin! Cheers! 🍷 Price: US $50 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #alcohol #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #redwine #winery #châteaupichonlonguevillecomtesse delalande #cabernetsauvignon #merlot #pauillac #bordeaux #bordeauxblend #secondwine #secondgrowth #qpr #winegeeksaroundtheworld

#Repost @dicirinochocolateria ... 🖤💛¡Disfruta una experiencia única este 14 de Febrero! 💛🖤 En colaboración con @sammelier_, @sensoriaexperience y @chef_cirino tendremos un evento para los amantes del chocolate y vino en @grancasaxalisco 🥰😍 ✨¡Acompáñanos y reserva ahora en el link que tenemos en nuestro perfil!✨ Habrá show de mapping✨️ #GdlMx #Zapopan #ChapalitaGdl #Cata #GDL #Chocolatelover #HechoEnMéxico #AndaresGdl #Trufas #FoodPorn #PostresGdl #sammelier #VinosGdl #wine #VinoTinto #eventosgdl #Jaliscodemialma

🖤💛¡Disfruta una experiencia única este 14 de Febrero! 💛🖤 En colaboración con @sammelier_, @sensoriaexperience y @chef_cirino tendremos un evento para los amantes del chocolate y vino en @grancasaxalisco 🥰😍 ✨¡Acompáñanos y reserva ahora en el link que tenemos en nuestro perfil!✨ Habrá show de mapping✨️ #GdlMx #Zapopan #ChapalitaGdl #Cata #GDL #Chocolatelover #HechoEnMéxico #AndaresGdl #Trufas #FoodPorn #PostresGdl #sammelier #VinosGdl #wine #VinoTinto #eventosgdl

Encore! My wonderful wife @shendiddee was making her delicious, juicy burgers for dinner so as I salivated in anticipation, I popped open this 2015 Domaine M & S Bouchet “Le Sylphe” Cabernet Franc from Loire Valley in France. While the burger sizzled on the cast iron skillet and its wonderful aromas filled the kitchen, my wife and I sipped on this delicious medium bodied wine with bright flavors of red fruit including red plums and red cherries along with pepper and a distinct green bell pepper note that led to a long, savory finish. Absolutely delicious! 🤤 This wine paired very well with the delicious burger topped with an egg fried over hard and jalapeños on a buttery brioche bun. 😋 #todiefor I saved some of the wine for the next day and and today I decided to pair it with one of my signature sandwiches that consists of crispy grilled beef pastrami, fried egg over hard on a toasted cheddar/jalapeño bread slathered with a spicy chipotle mayonnaise and served with potato chips. 😋 #alsotodiefor This delicious wine paired beautifully with both meals. 👍🏼 What’s Behind The Name “Le Sylphe” - My Guess 🤔 A sylph is an air spirit stemming from the 16th-century works of Paracelsus, who describes sylphs as invisible beings of the air. I think the light and airy qualities of this wine inspired the name but I’d love to hear the real story behind it if someone out there who knows happens to read this post! 🤞🏼 Old world, new world, it doesn’t matter…. I love Cabernet Franc! 😍Usually used in Bordeaux blends, I am happy that there are some producers who make 100% Cabernet Franc, and I am happy to have found another producer that makes a delicious Cabernet Franc! Santé! 🍷 Price: US $25 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #alcohol #cheers #winesofinstagram #redwine #m&sbouchet #domainem@sbouchet #france #loirevalley #frenchwine #cabernetfranc #sante #avotresante #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Succulent Spanish Sip 😋 I saw a few bottles of this 2004 Telmo Rodríguez M2 de Matallana from Ribera Del Duero, Spain in an auction and since I was not familiar with this producer, I reached out to my friend Joe @joedmagic who works in the wine industry in Ribera Del Duero. Joe said, “Telmo is a very good and pleasent person. He is a really good winemaker, winelover and gentleman.” With a glowing recommendation from my friend I was sold! I acquired three bottles fr the auction and popped open a bottle today. 🤩 This Tempranillo with nineteen years of bottle age was still very powerful! 💪🏼 Pronounced aromas and concentrated flavors of ripe black plums, blackberries and black cherries were front and center, accompanied by vanilla, baking spices and cedar. Delicious! 😋 The tannins were chewy after all these years, which really surprised me (in a good way as I love my tannins)! A big THANK YOU to my friend Joe for the great recommendation! 🙏🏼 I am glad that I have a couple bottles left to enjoy in the future as I believe this wine will continue to age well for many more years! #ageworthy I look forward to meeting Telmo Rodrigues with Joe the next time I visit Ribera Del Duero! Salud! 🍷 Price: Auction Price - My Secret 🤐 Friend’s Recommendation: Priceless #sammelier #winelover #invinoveritas #wine #vino #california #friends #family #alcohol #cheers #spain #yummy #ageworthy #riberadelduero #salud #tempranillo #spainishwine #telmorodriguez #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait ⏳ I guess that’s true for my Pittsburgh who took their time getting into the NFL Playoffs via the scenic route! 🙄 Now that they are in, my wait begins as a diehard fan. While I wait for the game on Sunday, it seemed fitting to pop open this 2011 Hourglass Blueline Estate Cabernet Franc from Calistoga, California. This Cabernet Franc with 12 years of age was sporting a medium ruby color with bricking on the rim. 😍 This wine was still very youthful on the palate with rich flavors of blueberries, plums, black currants, chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla and cedar, but tertiary flavors of leather and tobacco were definitely making their presence felt. De-licious! The tannins were well integrated into the wine but still showing that chewy quality that I love! 😋 Vintage Overview From The Winery: The 2011 vintage was cool by Napa standards, with average daytime high temperatures hovering in the low 80s with early October rains that created unusual concentrations of Tule fog in many areas of Napa Valley. Located in a slightly warmer part of the Valley, the Blueline Estate is ideally suited to deal with cooler vintages and fog thanks to its well-drained gravelly soils with low water holding capacity, and west-facing exposures that take in full afternoon sun. Additionally, the canyons above the Blueline Estate produce a thermal draw that quickly dissipates fog, allowing for greater hang time. I enjoyed this wine from @hourglasswine with some age on it and look forward to trying their full lineup in the future! Go Steelers! Cheers! 🍷 Price: US $155 (Current Vintage) #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #oenophile #california #family #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #redwine #bluelineestate #hourglasswine #cabernetfranc #oldervintages #winegeeksaroundtheworld

#taste with @sammelier949 • It Was “Hi Time” For A Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tasting! 😜 My favorite wine store, Hi-Time Wine Cellars @mrhitime, has great wine tastings at their wine bar throughout the month that I attend whenever I can. This weekend they had a Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting after quite a while, and since we love wines from the Rhône Valley my wife and I had to go with our friends wonderful friends @thegovfather and @wineworthyfood. #itsadirtyjobbitsomebodyhastodoit 😜 The lineup included the following Châteauneuf-du-Papes (1 white and 7 reds): 1. 2020 Château de Vaudieu Les Vieilles Roussanne 2. Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 3. 2017 Domaine De La Janasse Chaupin 4. 2019 Domaine De La Mordoree Voyageuse 5. 2019 Domaine De La Vieille Julienne Trois Sources 6. 2019 Domaine Santa Duc Les Saints Vierges 7. 2020 Domaine Bosquets Des Papes Chante Le Merle 8. 2009 Chateau Beaucastel An excellent lineup of wines, all of which I enjoyed, however I felt that most of these Châteauneuf-du-Papes were richer than I expected them to be with concentrated stewed fruit flavors. The two wines which did not have that stewed fruit profile were wines #7 and #8, which I picked up after the tasting. 👍🏼 The dynamic duo of Gabe and Marcus behind the bar did an excellent job as always and we had a great time! (Scroll to see pic) 🤩 We look forward to the next tasting! Cheers! 🍷 Price: Tasting - $50 Fun Evening With Friends: Priceless #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #sommelier #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodies #winesofinstagram #winepic #winegram #winetasting #hitimewinebar #chateauneufdupape #rhonevalley #southernrhone #winegeeksaroundtheworld

It Was “Hi Time” For A Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tasting! 😜 My favorite wine store, Hi-Time Wine Cellars @mrhitime, has great wine tastings at their wine bar throughout the month that I attend whenever I can. This weekend they had a Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting after quite a while, and since we love wines from the Rhône Valley my wife and I had to go with our wonderful friends @thegovfather and @wineworthyfood. #itsadirtyjobbitsomebodyhastodoit 😜 The lineup included the following Châteauneuf-du-Papes (1 white and 7 reds): 1. 2020 Château de Vaudieu Les Vieilles Roussanne 2. Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 3. 2017 Domaine De La Janasse Chaupin 4. 2019 Domaine De La Mordoree Voyageuse 5. 2019 Domaine De La Vieille Julienne Trois Sources 6. 2019 Domaine Santa Duc Les Saints Vierges 7. 2020 Domaine Bosquets Des Papes Chante Le Merle 8. 2009 Chateau Beaucastel An excellent lineup of wines, all of which I enjoyed, however I felt that most of these Châteauneuf-du-Papes were richer than I expected them to be with concentrated stewed fruit flavors. The two wines which did not have that stewed fruit profile were wines #7 and #8, which I picked up after the tasting. 👍🏼 The dynamic duo of Gabe and Marcus behind the bar did an excellent job as always and we had a great time! (Scroll to see pic) 🤩 We look forward to the next tasting! Cheers! 🍷 Price: Tasting - $50 Fun Evening With Friends: Priceless #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #sommelier #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodies #winesofinstagram #winepic #winegram #winetasting #hitimewinebar #chateauneufdupape #rhonevalley #southernrhone #winegeeksaroundtheworld

The Best Kinda “Honey Do” List!! My wonderful wife @shendiddee ran the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon with a group of her girlfriends last year. It’s not an easy task, but I’m sure that a bunch of tents with wines from the region at the finish line provided the necessary motivation to the ladies to finish the race in record time! 😜 I was rewarded with this 2017 Honig “Appellation Series” Cabernet Sauvignon from Calistoga in Napa Valley as a gift from my wife! 🙏🏼 This Appellation Series Cabernet Sauvignon was created by winemaker Kritin Belair to showcase the distinctive qualities of fruit grown in designated regions throughout the Napa Valley. Soured from the tiny Bingham Ranch in Calistoga, this wine exemplifies the characteristics of this unique terroir. Even after 7 years in the bottle, this was wine was still big and bold - A Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for sure! 💪🏼This medium ruby colored wine was full bodied and brimming with pronounced aromas and rich flavors or blueberries, blackberries, black cherries, vanilla, graham cracker crusted mixed berry pie along with a dusty quality that I usually associate with wines from the Rutherford AVA. Yum! 🤤 This wine paired perfectly with the delicious rosemary & garlic marinated filet mignon, cheddar & jalapeño crusted petite potatoes and Caesar’s salad that my wonderful wife whipped up effortlessly for dinner! 🤯😋 An evening that involved a yummy wine gifted to me by my wonderful wife and a delicious dinner made for me by her too, giving a whole new meaning to the dreaded “Honey Do List”!! Now that’s something I can get used to to! 😉 A big THANK YOU to my wife for the wine and for the delicious meal to go with it! Cheers! 🍷 Price: Wine - US $90 (Current Vintage) Delicious Dinner Cooked By My Talented Wife - Priceless! #drinkresponsibly

Found It “Roman” Around The Wine Store 😜 Perusing wines in nice wine stores is one of my favorite things to do. It was during one such leisurely wine shopping trip at The Wine Exchange @thewineexchange in Santa Ana, California that I came across this 2017 Foundation Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain, Washington with an eye catching black label boldly displaying the Roman numerals “MMXVII” on it. The wine store owner Kyle, whose opinion I trust, recommended that I try this wine so I picked up a bottle. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon was sporting a beautiful deep garnet color. 😍 The wine was fruit forward without being jammy, and brimming with flavors of blackberries, blueberries, vanilla, chocolate, baking spices, cedar and earth. The ripe tannins and acidity in the wine balanced the fruit, ending in a long, dry finish. 😋 I was intrigued by the label, but a little research told me that the Roman numerals MMXVII on the label translated to “2017” - Basically the vintage of this wine! Just as simple as that! 🤷🏻‍♂️ #mysterysolved 😜 A great everyday wine that I enjoyed with the California Pizza Kitchen croissant inspired flaky crust pizza topped with smoked bacon, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, and mozzarella cheese with a buttery, creamy Brie sauce to which I added chicken sausage, jalapeños and extra diced fresh garlic. 🤤 Here’s to finding good everyday wines from new wine regions and expanding ones palate and horizons in the process! Thanks Kyle! I wish I had picked up a couple more bottles! 🤦🏻‍♂️ Cheers! 🍷 Price: US $45 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #pizzaandwine #foodies #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #winemaker #cheers #winesofinstagram #redwine #winepic #winegram #washingtonwine #cabernetsauvignon #winegeeksaroundtheworld

From 1999 And Doing Just Fine 👍🏼 I had the pleasure of visiting Darioush Winery in Napa, California in 2019 and the “By Invitation Only” tasting experience was memorable! #highlyrecommended (Scroll to see picks from the visit) So when I saw this 1999 Darioush Shiraz in an auction I had to get it. I was curious to see how age-worthy it was and it also happens to be my daughter’s birth year. 🤩 This 24 year old Shiraz was sporting a deep purple color with some garnet reflections that showed its age. On the nose and palate pronounced tertiary aromas and flavors of leather, tobacco and earth were front and center as expected and followed by dried dark fruit, dark chocolate and cedar to round out the flavors. A decidedly savory sip that lingered on the palate for a long, dry finish. Thankfully the wine had been stored well for all these years and was yummy. 😋 Here’s to finding older vintages that stand the test of time! Cheers! 🍷 Price: IS $90 (Current Vintage) #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #invinoveritas #sommelier #oenophile #california #family #winemaker #alcohol #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #vineyard #winery #darioush #syrah #darioushwinery #napa #napavalley #winegeeksaroundtheworld

End Of The Holiday Season With New Year’s Eve just behind us, it was time to take down the holiday decorations. This 2021 Elio Altare Langhe Nebbiolo from Piedmont, Italy was our companion for this task and I was able to take one last festival picture to bring this holiday season to a close. 🎉 This light ruby colored wine was sporting crisp red fruit flavors of strawberries, red cherries, raspberries and spice. The chewy tannins gave this otherwise light wine a medium body and the high acid resulted in a long, juicy, mouthwatering finish. 🤤   Here’s to enjoying a good everyday wine from a legendary producer, that doesn’t break the bank. Looking forward to a good year ahead. Salute! 🍷 Price: US $30 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodies #sommelier #oenophile #cheers #salud #salute #elioaltare #nebbiolo #italy #italian #italianwine #langhe #piedmont #qpr #silviaaltare79 #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Expecting No Less Than An “Epoch” 2024 🎉 2023 has not been a bad year, but it has been far from great. There have been several challenges that we have faced as a family and unfortunately some of them will carry into 2024. We all face adversity in our lives. For the most part, we can’t choose what troubles come our way, but we can choose how to respond to them. We can let them consume us and make us miserable, we can let them harden us and become angry at life and the world in general, or we can learn to overcome adversity. I chose the latter. 💪🏼 According to the Merriam-Webster definition, “Epoch” is an extended period of time usually characterized by a distinctive development or by a memorable series of events. With the expectation of 2024 being memorable, I popped open this 2012 Epoch “Ingenuity” Red Blend from Paso Robles, California, that we had picked up at the winery during a visit thanks to a recommendation by my friend Russell From who is the owner/winemaker at Herman Story Wines in Paso Robles. 🤩 This blend of Syrah (58%), Mourvèdre (18%), Grenache (14%) and Petit Sirah (10%) was a beautiful deep maroon in color with a purple rim. 😍 Pronounced aromas and concentrated flavors of violets, blueberries, blackberries, black cherries, vanilla, herbs, baking spices and cedar completely took over my nose and palate. Having spent 11 years in bottle, this wine was still very rich and vibrant but some tertiary notes of leather, and tobacco made an appearance on the long, dry finish. Absolutely delicious! 🤤 This rich wine paired perfectly with the decadent filet mignon cubes boldly spiced with black pepper, red chilies and cooked in garlic butter that I had for dinner. 😋 I look forward to a great 2024 with family and friends. Cheers and Happy New Year! 🍷🥳 Price: Wine - US $110 Family & Friends - Priceless #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #vino #oenophile #california #winegram #winemaker #alcohol #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #redwine #winery #winepic #epochwines #mourvedre #grenache #syrah #petitesirah #redblend #delicious #yummy #pasorobles #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Closing A Year Out, And Bringing In Another It being the last day of 2023, we decided to start the festivities early by popping open this Bertrand Senecourt “Beau Joie” Champagne with lunch! 🥂🍾 Crafted from the first pressing of the grapes, also known as free run juice, this Champagne is a blend of Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%) with zero dosage (no sugar added). I am not a bubbly kinda guy, so I won’t venture to describe this Champagne. I will say that it was a dry, crisp, mouthwatering sip that kicked the day off on the right note. 🤤 #pop About The Unusual Bottle: Encased in a recycled copper armour, Beau Joie meaning “Beautiful Joy” is inspired by the armour that the knights wore to protect the kingdom of France and the copper roofs of Paris. The copper suit of armour can store the Champagne at the right temperature for up to 2 hours with no need of ice bucket depending on the room temperature, and the rubber thumb grip in the punt of the bottle act as a grip for pouring. Stay tuned for the wine we brought the New Year in with! Santé!🥂🍾 Price: US $100 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodies #winestagram #winesofinstagram #winepic #bertrandsenecourt #methodchampenoise #champagne #happynewyear #newyearseve #newyear #winegeeksaroundtheworld

When Russell “Made” Me “The Intern”! It was in May 2018 when I first met Russell From, owner/winemaker of Herman Story Wines, at a wine tasting at Hi-Time Wine Cellars @mrhitime in Costa Mesa, California. We hit it off right away and it was in October that year when Russell “made me an offer I couldn’t refuse” and I did my first harvest internship at Herman Story Wines in Paso Robles. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I have continued to go up to Paso Robles for a week during harvest ever since! 😍 Russell, his wonderful wife Vailia and adorable daughter Minnie have generously hosted me at their home at every harvest! 🙏🏼 #myhappyplace Russell came back to Hi-Time Wine Cellars on last week to pour his wines and I had to be there! I sat at the bar on the same seat that I sat on in May 2018, only this time I was not chatting with a stranger but rather my very good friend! #blessed The tasting with Russell was a lot of fun as always and the wines big and bold like him. A big THANK YOU to Marcus for helping us recreate the first picture I took with Russell in 2018! 👍🏼 We went out to dinner after the tasting and I took a bottle of this 2021 Herman Story “Made” Red Blend with us. This unique blend of Sangiovese (31%), Syrah (20%), Barbera (18%), Teroldego (17%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (14%) was an excellent pairing with our delicious steaks and best described by Russell’s creating tasting notes: “If rapper and host of Pimp My Ride Xzibit got ahold of Tony Montana’s Cadillac Series 62, this would be the result. We’re talking pearlescent tart-cherry paint job, sweet cream leather seats, crushed-slate hydraulics, a trunk loaded with sage and dried-rose grenades plus a peppered-fig subwoofer that could blow the doors off. And when Tony rides it down dimly lit Miami streets, he’s got enough flashy confidence to take on the world, the world chico, and everything in it.” 👏🏼 It was great to see my friend down in SoCal again after all these years! Cheers! 🍷 Price: Wine - US$68 ($55 if you are a Wine Club member! 😉) Wine Tasting - Priceless! #drinkresponsibly

Un-Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, in the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth nations. Once a day to donate gifts to those in need, it has now evolved to a day similar to Black Friday in America when people shop for deals. I stuck with the old traditions on this day and confirmed my donations to my favorite charity for 2024 through my company portal (as they do a 100% match 👏🏼). To toast the completion of this important task I unboxed this 2005 La Bienfaisance from Saint-Émilion in Bordeaux, France. This deep purple colored blend of Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc (20%) was equally rich on the nose and palate with pronounced aromas and concentrated flavors of blackberries, black cherries, blueberries and chocolate accompanied by violets, oak notes and an earthiness that balanced the fruit. The tannins were also more chewy than I would have expected from an 18 year old wine, but as my regular readers know, I love my tannins so I was a happy camper! A delicious wine with a long, dry finish that I enjoyed thoroughly! 😋 Saint-Émilion is a UNESCO World Heritage site with fascinating Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets. 😍 Thankfully we had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful commune before the pandemic hit. I would have loved to drink this wine at the château in beautiful Saint-Émilion, and we’ll be sure to do so when we visit next! Here’s to keeping old traditions alive and enjoying a delicious wine while doing so! 🤩 Santé! 🍷 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #winemaker #cheers #charity #chateaulabienfaisance #winesofinstagram #redwine #winery #bordeaux #saintemilion #rightbankbordeaux #merlot #cabernetfranc #redblend #sante #avotresante #boxingday #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Christmas Day Sips - Part 3 Our Christmas Day sips had started with a Bandol Rose, followed by a Côte-Rôtie Syrah. What would come next? My buddy @thegovfather appropriately took us in the heavier direction by popping open this 2020 Crown Point “Relevant” Cabernet Sauvignon from Happy Canyon in Santa Barbara, California. This deep maroon colored Cabernet Sauvignon had rich aromas and flavors of dark fruit, chocolate, coffee and spice along with notes of wood shavings that ended in a long, juicy finish. The ripe tannins gave this full bodied wine a great mouthfeel. 😋 In a @crownpointvineyards Instagram Live I saw a while back, winemakers Philippe Melka and Simon Faury (two Frenchmen) discussed their collaboration in this venture and joked that the French Mafia were taking over winemaking in California. 😂 A big THANK YOU to our friends fOR hosting us on Christmas Day and for sharing this yummy wine! Cheers amd Merry Christmas! 🎄🎅🍷 Price: US $90 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #foodandwine #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #winegram #winemaker #cheers #winesofinstagram #redwine #winepic #crownpointvineyards #cabernetsauvignon #happycanyon #santabarbara #merrychristmas #christmasday #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Christmas Day Sips - Part 2 As the sun went down, we were greeted by the usual nip in the evening air which demanded a warmer sip. This deep purple, glass coating 2020 Lionel Faury Côte-Rôtie from the Rhône Valley in France was a great choice to provide the much needed warmth. This Syrah co-fermented with a splash of Viognier had those typical Côte-Rôtie notes of violets, black cherries, black plums, olives, smoked meat and spice. Northern Rhône is my jam so I enjoyed it thoroughly. Yummy! 😋 About Côte-Rôtie: Côte-Rôtie is an appellation in Northern Rhône where the vineyards are unique because of the steep slopes facing the river and their stone walls. Côte-Rôtie means “The Roasted Slope” which refers to the long hours of sunlight that these steep slopes receive. According to appellation rules, Syrah and Viognier (if used) cannot be fermented separately and blended later. They must be co-fermented. Because of this combination of a rich black grape and an aromatic white grape, Côte-Rôtie wines typically exhibit an almost paradoxical pairing of smoked meat and floral aromas. Most of us enjoyed this wine but my buddy @thegovfather was on the fence. I was not surprised as the wines from Côte-Rôtie do have a very specific profile. The wine geek in me thinks it will be a fun experiment to test another wine from this appellation on my buddy to see if it was producer-specific or whether this appellation just isn’t for him. 🤔 🤓 Santé and Joyeux Noël (Joyous Christmas)! 🍷 Price: US $90 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodies #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #alcohol #cheers #salud #france #coterotie #frenchwine #sante #avotresante #amis #mesamis #strah #viognier #roastedslope #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Christmas Day Sips - Part 1 With the presents under the tree opened and our cute Maltese Miss Blu 🐾 busy playing with her new toy, it was time to kick off Christmas Day lunch with a nice crisp drink. For some reason Christmas Day in Southern California has always been unseasonably warm ever since we moved here, with the high temperatures often being in the mid-80s! While that was not the case this year, it was still a beautiful sunny day with a high of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, so it made sense to pop open this 2022 Château Vannières Rosé from Bandol in the South of France. This pretty pale salmon colored rosé is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Mourvèdre, sporting concentrated ripe fruit flavors of lemons, lime, mandarin oranges, nectarines and grapefruit with high acidity that made my mouth water profusely. 🤤 A delicious sip that cleansed the palate and prepared it for the next wave of food and wines that were sure to follow as the day progressed. Santé and Joyeux Noël (Joyous Christmas)! 🥂 Price: US $36 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodies #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #foodandwine #alcohol #cheers #salud #france #bandol #frenchwine #sante #avotresante #amis #mesamis #grenache #mourvedre #cinsault #rosewine #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Guess What’s Cook-ing?! During our last visit to Napa, my wonderful wife @shendiddee and I dined at a little gem of a restaurant called Cook @cooksthelena in quaint St. Helena. It was recommended to us by my friend Luke @corkedandlovingit as his brother Jude Wilmoth is the owner and chef of this awesome restaurant. I was introduced to this Grounded Wine Co. Steady State Napa Valley Red Blend during that visit. Made by Jude’s friend especially for Cook St. Helena, this red blend bears the restaurant’s name and horned antelope logo on the label. 🤩 This Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend was big and bold as is to be expected from a Napa red. Pronounced aromas and concentrated flavors of lavender, blueberries, blackberries, figs, vanilla, baking spices and cedar coated my palate. Tasty! 😋 It paired perfectly with the equally bold pepper steak I enjoyed for dinner today. 🤤 Here’s to getting excellent recommendations that lead to wonderful experiences. 👍🏼 Wishing Luke, Jude and all my peeps a Merry Christmas! 🎄🎅 Cheers! 🍷 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #invinoveritas #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #familyrun #winemaker #foodie #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #restaurant #foodandwine #cooksthelena #napa #napavalley #sthelena #heavenonearth #supportyourlocalbusinesses #neighborhoodgem #wineloversparadise #winegeeksaroundtheworld

SamMELIER’s Steelers Superstitions My Pittsburgh Steelers’ season is on life support right now, so I had to put my Steelers Superstitions into action! Our secret weapon Miss Blu 🐾 was also dressed and ready to go! 😍 I popped open this 2018 La Croix Ducru-Beauaillou from Saint Julien in Bordeaux, France with its black and gold label for the game. This deep garnet colored second wine from this chateau that I love was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (62%), Merlot (35%) and Petit Verdot (3%). 😍 Pronounced aromas and flavors of black cherries, blackberries, plums, earth, chocolate, tobacco and pencil shavings jumped out of the glass, much like my Steelers who jumped out to a 21 - 0 lead! There were herbaceous notes on the back end, the tannins were chewy and the finish was long and juicy. 😋 Our 3rd string quarterback Mason Rudolph pleasantly surprised me with a win to keep the season alive, but this second wine from an excellent château was no surprise! Absolutely delicious and punching well above its weight class. 💪🏼 Here’s to enjoying quirky superstitions that keep things interesting! I’ll be sure to pop open another La Croix Ducru-Beauaillou for the next Steelers game! Santé!🍷 Price: US $60 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #winemaker #alcohol #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #redwine #vineyard #bordeaux #saintjulien #hautmedoc #chateauducrubeaucaillou #cabernetsauvignon #merlot #qpr #redblend #sante #avotresant #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Luscious Leftovers Today I decided to put together a surf ‘n turf dinner using leftovers from recent meals. The succulent swordfish that my wonderful wife @shendiddee made was the perfect companion to the filet mignon I brought back from the restaurant last night along with the creamy mushroom risotto. 😋 I paired the meal with this 2010 Château de Belcier from Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, France. This Merlot-dominant blend, from a chateau that was built in the 18th century for the specific purpose of welcoming the King of France, was an excellent choice. Aromas and flavors of violets, black plums, black cherries, chocolate and cedar were heavy enough to stand up to the steak, and the tannins were well integrated into the wine after 13 years in the bottle so they didn’t interfere with the fish. 🤤 About Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux: This is not one of the better known Bordeaux appellations, but it deserves attention in my humble opinion. From the same limestone plateau as Saint-Emilion, east of Bordeaux, the wines of Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux enjoy a privileged location with a southern exposure and an altitude difference of more than 100 meters. Gravelly near the river Dordogne, the clay soils at the foot hills become clay and limestone on the plateau. Three major types of terroir which offer the perfect solution for winemakers to produce and grow exceptional quality wines. Here’s to enjoying delicious leftovers #wastenotwantnot and trying a tasty wine from a lesser known appellation in a famous region that doesn’t break the bank. Santé! 🍷 Price: $20 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #france #frenchwine #bordeaux #castilloncotesdebordeaux #rightbankbordeaux #bordeauxwine #chateaudebelcier #sante #avotresante #amis #mesamis #winegeeksaroundtheworld

A “Lesser” Appellation? I Think Not! Having recently enjoyed a delicious 2015 Domaine Roblet-Monnot Volnay Saint-François from Côte de Beaune in Burgundy, France, I thought I’d try another wine from this producer. This 2015 Domaine Roblet-Monnot Bourgogne from Hautes-Côte de Beaune was sporting a beautiful translucent ruby color. 😍 Pronounced aromas of strawberries, cherries and earth jumped out of the glass and carried though to the palate. The high acid in this wine and the long juicy finish made my mouth water profusely. 🤤 The wine paired very well with the rich succulent swordfish and creamy mushroom risotto that my wonderful wife @shendiddee made for dinner. Absolutely delicious! 😋 I didn’t think my original photo did justice to this awesome swordfish that my wife cooked to perfection, so I had to take a close up photo! 📸 Where is Hautes-Côte de Beaune? This appellation is west of Côte de Beaune at a higher altitude to the better known vineyards in Côte de Beaune. The altitude and greater exposure to winds gives this “lesser” appellation a cooler climate and results in wines that typically have slightly less body and concentration, but not by much IMHO. With excellent wines at half the price compared to their famous neighbors, I think this appellation is worth trying! I look forward to drinking more delicious wines from this historied domaine in the future! 🤤 Santé! 🍷 Price: US $45 #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #winemaker #france #frenchwine #sante #avotresante #amis #mesamis #pinotnoir #burgundy #hautescotedebeune #domainerobletmonnot #robletmonnot #deeproots #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Silent But Speedy 🏎️ My good buddy @thegovfather had given me this 2019 Lewis Cellars Racecar Red Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa, California a while back. Today he bought a new car, so popping it open to celebrate his new wheels seemed appropriate. 🎉 As expected, this was a big, bold Napa red wine described well on the rear label: “Racecar Red is inspired by Indy 500 driver turned winemaker Randy Lewis. Geared for pleasure, the 2019 vintage is rich and deeply fruited with responsive steering and a balanced chassis. Take a turn at the wheel.” This was an easy drinking wine that went well with the mushroom flatbread that we paired it with. My buddy bought an electric BMW i7 that is designed beautifully and comes with a lot of zoom zoom, just no “vroom vroom”! I’m sure he will enjoy driving it! Congratulations G! Cheers! 🍷 Price: US $45 (Free to me thanks to @thegovfather) 🙏🏼 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #alcohol #cheers #lewiscellars #racecarredwine #cabernetsauvignon #mushroomflatbread #winesofinstagram #redwine #winery #napa #napavalley #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Flavors In Every “Nook” And Cranny My wonderful wife @shendiddee and I visited the beautiful Inglenook Winery in Napa Valley a few months ago where we thoroughly enjoyed their Library Tasting in a beautifully appointed room with a wonderful host. At the end of that tasting we signed up for the wine club and the wine I popped open this evening was from the wine club shipment. This 2012 Inglenook RC Reserve Syrah from Rutherford in Napa, California with a splash of Petit Sirah was brimming with pronounced aromas and flavors of violets, blackberries, figs, vanilla, tobacco, chocolate and that pepper notes that Syrah’s tend to have. A rich, yummy wine that deserved to pared with something equally delicious. 😋 That’s where my delicious black pepper steak dinner came in and created the perfect pairing that completely enveloped my palate with an explosion of flavors! 🤤 About This Wine A few years Some before his fortieth birthday, Roman Coppola, Francis and Eleanor Coppola’s son, wanted to mark the occasion with the release of a new wine, and being a Syrah enthusiast, he brought his ideas to Inglenook’s winemaking team to develop what eventually became RC Reserve Syrah, the Estate’s first Syrah. Roman also designed the label for RC Reserve Syrah, its ribbed edges resembling a postage stamp that features a trompe l’oeil fly on different spots of the label for each successive vintage. For Roman, this charming bug is reminiscent of a favorite dinnerware set used at family meals, but also reveals a clever way of identifying the respective vintage according to the insect’s whereabouts on the label. 👍🏼 Here’s to enjoying delicious wines and the interesting stories that go along with them! Cheers!🍷 Price: US $70 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #foodandwine #foodies #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #redwine #winery #inglenook #syrah #peppersteak #rutherford #napa #napavalley #delicious #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Translucent Tipple 😍 I popped open this 2021 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills, California today as I was in the mood for a light wine. This translucent light ruby colored wine was sporting pronounced aromas and flavors of just ripe strawberries, cranberries and red cherries along with herbs and spice. Yummy! It had high acid, making for a mouthwatering sip with a long juicy finish. 🤤 The first picture I took didn’t do this wine justice in terms of showing its beautiful color, all it took was a better angle to showcase! 📸 Goes to show that sometimes it just takes a different perspective of see things in a different light. 🤔 Cheers! 🍷 Price: US $40 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #wine #vino #oenophile #california #winegram #winemaker #alcohol #cheers #winestagram #winesofinstagram #redwine #vineyard #winery #winepic #brewerclifton #pinotnoir #santaritahills #delicious # #winegeeksaroundtheworld

“Personnel” Obsession For Perfection This 2005 Le Mas De L’Ecriture “Message Personnel” from Terrasses du Larzac appellation within Côteaux du Languedoc in Southern France is a blend of Syrah (70%), Grenache (10%), Mourvèdre (10%) and Carignan (10%). This deep ruby colored wine with bricking on the rim was surprisingly rich for a 18 year old wine! It had aromas and flavors of a mix of ripe and dried black currants, raisins, figs and plums, pepper, leather, tobacco, black tea and cedar. There was also a hint of smoked meat - not as intense as that in Syrahs from Northern Rhône, but still noticeable in the background. The tannins were smooth and the finish was long and savory. 😋 A tasty everyday wine that I’m glad I bought a case of! About The Winemaker: Winemaker Pascal Fullá from Mas de l’Ecriture gave up his corporate law career to make wine at the foot of the Larzac plateau, a geological smorgasbord of well-drained, sandy-clay soil and Jurassic limestone that allows winemakers who understand this terroir to make wines of amazing subtlety and finesse. Fullá is an intense individual who seems to be almost consumed by his obsession to make great wines. His vineyard goes beyond orderly, approaching perfection, with each leaf and rock in place. He installed a weather station so that he could, through the use of a sophisticated software program, monitor air temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, vine leaf moisture, soil humidity, the strength and direction of the wind, and the atmospheric pressure. This data allows him to anticipate vine diseases such as oidium, mildew and rot, so that he uses the absolute minimum amount of treatment products. 👏🏼 Here’s to the pursuit for perfection that results in a delicious, affordable wine! Santé!🍷 Price: US $13 (Auction) - Great QPR! #drinkreponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #france #terrassesdularzac #côteauxdulanguedoc #syrah #grenache #mourvèdre #carignan #frenchwine #redblend #sante #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Strong Second! I have enjoyed the wine from Château Rouget from Pomerol in Bordeaux, France on several occasions, so when I came across this 2003 Le Clocher de Rouget (their second wine) I had to try it! I was happy to see that this right-bank Merlot was still very vibrant after 20 years in the bottle and the cork was in excellent condition! Tertiary aromas and flavors of tobacco and leather led the charge but it was supported with dry red fruit flavors, spice and cedar, making for a well balanced savory sip. The tannins were fully resolved in this older vintage and the finish was long. 🤤 It paired perfectly with the delicious garlic and rosemary marinated filet mignon, roasted fingering potatoes and salad with balsamic dressing that my wonderful wife @shendiddee made for dinner. 😋 A château’s second wine is made for early consumption and not from their best grapes which are reserved for their Grand Vin. These wines are also not thought of as not age worthy. This twenty year old second wine from a reputed Bordeaux château certainly dispelled that theory in my humble opinion. 👍🏼 Name Musical Chairs: This Le Clocher de Rouget has gone through a few name changes over the years. Its name was changed to Vieux Château des Templiers and today it is sold as Le Carillon de Rouget. I’ll keep an eye out for all three labels for future purchases. 👀 The golden bells on the label go well with the holiday season! 🔔 Here’s to taking a chance that worked out and to pairing it with a guaranteed win - my wife’s delicious cooking! Santé! 🍷 Price: US$30 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #cheers #chateaurouget #winesofinstagram #redwine #secondwine #winery #bordeaux #pomerol #rightbankbordeau #steakandwine #merlot #sante #avotresante #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Beautiful Burgundy 😍 The 2015 Domaine Roblet-Monnot Volnay Saint-François that I popped open was very expressive with pronounced aromas and flavors of roses, cherries, raspberries and spice along with an earthy note on the long, mouthwatering finish. This wine was not fined or filtered which gave it a fuller mouthfeel that I enjoyed. Delicious! 😋 This wine is not a Premier Cru, however two-thirds of the fruit comes from the 1er Cru vineyards Robardelle and Mitans! Only eight barrels of this wine were made, so I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to drink it. 🙏🏼 About The Domaine & Winemaker: Winemaker Pascal Roblet’s roots in Volnay can be traced back to the 1600’s on his mother’s side and four generations on his father’s side! St. François is a proprietary name, after Pascal’s father. Pascal’s conversion to biodynamic viticulture in 1997 along with his high density planting, 4850 vines per acre and very low yields of roughly 2.5 tons per acre, are part of what has transformed his domaine into one of the leading sources of wine from this region. I look forward to drinking more delicious wines from this historied domaine in the future! 🤤 Santé! 🍷 Price: US $90 #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #winemaker #france #frenchwine #sante #avotresante #amis #mesamis #pinotnoir #burgundy #volnay #domainerobletmonnot #robletmonnot #deeproots #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Coincidence? I Think Not! 🐎 After several days of drinking old world wines, today I popped open this 2015 Red Mare Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, California. This wine was packed with loads of black fruit, toasted oak, black tea, and minerals. The tannins were well integrated into this delicious wine that has spent eight years in the bottle. The finish was long and juicy. 😋 About The Winery Name Winemaker Anne Vawter christened the brand Red Mare after her horse, Paradigm. Paradigm was Anne's bonus, given to her during her time as Assistant Winemaker at Paradigm Winery in Oakville. Paradigm and Anne built a strong and unique bond, and Paradigm's spirit inspired her dedication to respect the site, the fruit, and the untouched natural beauty of a wine. Red mares are notorious for being a little sassy, sometimes challenging, but, like wine, when you find the correct way to approach them, the right technique to develop their gifts, they blossom into something exceptional. 👍🏼👏🏼 I happened to pop open this wine when my good buddy @gautamlala , who is thousands of miles away, posted that he had added a new race horse to his stable! Coincidence? I think not! I wish Gautam the very best with this new addition! Cheers! 🍷 Price: US $70 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #wine #vino #sommelier #oenophile #california #friends #family #alcohol #cheers #winestagram #racehorse #redmarewines #cabernetsauvignon #foodies #winesofinstagram #redwine #winery #napa #napavalley #winegeeksaroundtheworld

Cuts Thought It Like A Hot Knife Through Butter After a busy and fun day at Desparada Winery in Paso Robles, California where I put my Sangiovese into barrel, we had to head back home to Southern California. All good things must some to an end. 😢….. or do they? 🤔 Maybe not, as we stopped for dinner in beautiful Santa Barbara at Santa Barbara Public Market. 😍 We decided to dine at Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar and it turned out to be an excellent choice! My wonderful wife @shendiddee and I both chose the flavorful Northern Thailand Curry Noodle “Khao Soi”. This hearty dish was served with flat egg noodles, stewed Shelton Farm chicken in a curry base broth with a touch of coconut milk, and fish sauce. Was garnished with pickled mustard greens, green onions, cilantro, housemade chili oil and topped with crispy egg noodles. Absolutely delicious! 😋 This rich noodle dish called for a wine that would cut through the richness, and this 2020 Donnhoff Estate Riesling from Nahe, Germany was beckoning me. 😵‍💫 This beautiful pale lemon Riesling sourced from vineyards with weathered slate and volcanic stones in Oberhausen and Niederhausen (was crisp and clean with a strong mineral profile and floral notes on the nose that carried through to the palate along with flavors of lemon, white peach and apple. The high acidity of this wine cut through the fat in my delicious meal making for a perfect pairing. 🤤 An excellent way to end the perfect day on which I made my first barrel of wine! Prost! 🥂 #drinkresponsibly #sammelier #winelover #wineenthusiast #invinoveritas #foodandwine #winepairing #wine #vino #winestagram #winesofinstagram #whitewine #winepic #winegram #delicious #donnhoff #kabinett #nahe #germany #germanwine #riesling #winegeeksaroundtheworld