FYI-My Experience with Online Wine

Retail has been significantly altered since the implementation of the internet. Because of online retailing, consumers have changed the way they purchase everything, from groceries to evening gowns to auto parts. These changes have swept into the wine industry as well.

Like millions of other consumers, I have done my share of online purchasing, including wine. However, I still appreciate my local wine retailers. They do their best to provide customers with tastings, education and information regarding current and past trends in the wine industry.

I recently read in my local newspaper’s wine column about web sites that were selling wines well below the current retail prices. Since everyone is looking to save a buck I decided to sign up to be notified about all these great deals.

On the same day that I signed up on those sites, I received an email from one of them - Winestilsoldout.com. Their notice to me said that I could purchase two bottles of Duckhorn’s 2006 Paraduxx for $37.00 plus free shipping. Recognizing that this was a really good price, I decided to place my order.

One week later I received my shipment of two bottles, which were properly packaged. I immediately placed the bottles in my refrigerated wine closet ,since they felt a bit warm. I waited another week before opening to allow the wine some well deserved settling time.
I’m not sure if it was the wine itself or the hazard of shipping in the summer heat, but the wine tasted and smelled somewhat maderized. (This is a wine term that refers to wine that has been baked, like a Madera). The nose was a bit off and there was a very distinctive prune finish on the palate.

So, I am going to hold off purchasing more wine online for the time being. When the weather cools down a bit in the Fall I may give online wine buying another chance, but for now I will continue to buy from my trusted local wine store.

Fortunately, there is no "bad" season for purchasing my aprons online.

Have yourself a great wine day.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

Wizard of Oz and Chateau Musar

Last evening, as I was busily working on my blogging, something went terribly wrong. My, blog was streaming through another site and before I knew it I was screaming for Dr. Alex to come and save me from the computer black hole that was pulling me into its dark and frightening existence. While I frantically kept shouting for Dr. Alex (he was busy watching Larry King interview someone from the Jackson Five) I began to think back to my dear friend Dorothy, you know from The Wizard of Oz.

Poor Dorothy had the most awful experience visiting a very confusing place named Oz. I'm not talking about the current show about a men’s prison called Oz, where the occupants get into all kinds of mischief. This was the real Oz, with lots of little people running about singing the loveliest tunes. Dorothy was thrilled by the Emerald City and admired the good witch, Glinda. But it was a very confusing place for Dorothy and her devoted pup, Toto.

Just like Dorothy, I had found myself trapped in the Oz of the blog world, with White Fang by my side. We were both so afraid that my blog had been captured by the Computer Wizard who lives inside my computer and who had inexplicably seized my work. “Dr. Alex,” I continued to screech. But, he continued listening to Larry King’s interview with Jermaine Jackson. Instead of coming to my aid, he asked me to “calm down and be patient.” At that moment I realized how alone Dorothy must have felt trying to find her way back to Kansas.

White Fang gave me his most supportive Toto look. I knew I now had to be my own Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man if I wanted to save my blog. Moving my cursor to the blogspot button, I clicked to take control of my destiny. Amazingly, there was a help button to click for assistance. I went through all the check points and steps, but there was still a problem. Fortunately, Larry King was now over and Dr. Alex was trying to appear that he was coming to my assistance. Dr. Alex inquired if I still needed rescuing from myself - whatever he meant by that crack! After negotiating a long back scratch in exchange for his computer wizardry, he said “let me sit down and lend a hand.” (At least he wasn’t sitting behind a curtain like the real Wizard of Oz or I would have completely freaked out).

With Dr. Alex sitting behind my computer I felt the courage, love and devotion emoting from from him in my time of need. Dr. Alex now asked me to sit back at my computer, click a button, just like Dorothy had clicked the heels of her jeweled shoes. To my amazement, in a flash I was back in Kansas, and my blog was up and working perfectly. White Fang let out a bark, my, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow husband received a very enjoyable back scratch and we all lived happily ever after.

I began thinking about vineyards that are situated in challenging locales, also requiring courage, bravery and devotion, enabling us to reap the benefits of their hard work.

Chateau Musar was one of the first wineries that came to my thoughts. Located in the Bekaa Valley, in Lebanon - an area that has seen wars and conflicts for years - Chateau Musar continues to produce wonderful white and red wines. The white wines consist of Obaideh, which is a varietal similar to Chardonnay and Merwah (Semillon). I recently enjoyed one of their red wines, Chateau Musar 2002 Hochar Pere et Fils Rouge. Blended with Cinsault, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon, this lovely wine displays black and red fruit on the nose with red and dark cherries, plums and balanced acidity on the palate.

Chateau Musar 2002 Hochar Pere et Fils Rouge

A solid 3 aprons and 2 wooden spoons are deliciously anointed to this wine. Approx. $27.00

Yes, everyday we are faced with challenges of different degrees. If we can muster up our inner Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion and show courage, love and devotion, no challenge will ever be too big to tackle.

When your apron is wrinkled a good hot iron can do the trick.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

Maybach Materium Wine and Balance

It seems as if everyday we are being inundated with information on how to live longer and healthier lives. Books, magazines and talk shows are continually telling us about anti-oxidants, vitamins, organically grown food, red wine, more wine, less wine, and so forth. It is all so confusing.

Many years ago my dear friend, Lucy Arnaz, was representing a product called “Vitameatavegamin.” The makers of this concoction of castor oil and alcohol proclaimed that it could reduce 10 years off your appearance and add 15 years to your life span. In actuality all it did was keep all of us suckers busy and drunk in the rest room for a lengthy period of time. This turned out to be a very challenging time for Dr. Alex. Unfortunately, he too had been fooled. So, while his waiting room full of patients waited, Dr. Alex was trying to sober up in the bath room. And since Dr. Alex is not really a doctor there were additional issues to consider, which we will leave for another day.

We eventually all sobered up, regulated our digestive systems and learned a very valuable lesson. Balancing your life through nutrition, exercise, smart choices in your lifestyle and a positive attitude is truly the “magic” potion to a more improved life. For awhile it was a tough road for Lucy and Ricky, since they had invested quite heavily into Vitameatavegamin but they did eventually recover and were all the wiser, learning from this naïve blunder.

I began thinking about the magic of balance in every aspect of our lives. Regardless of our gender, age or lifestyle, balance in our work and play is an ultimate goal. This is also true of the wines we drink. The ones that offer us that almost perfect symmetry of fruit, minerality, acid and structure can be a nirvana in our palates.

Recently, Dr. Alex and I met our friends Gomez and Morticia Addams at a local bistro for dinner. Their Uncle Fester had collected some very special wines, which he gave to Gomez and Morticia to share with us at dinner. With great anticipation Gomez poured each of us a glass of the 2004 Maybach Materium Cabernet Sauvignon Wine from Oakville, Ca. We swirled and sniffed and then swirled and sniffed again. We were presented with a deep purple color, spice box nose, silky tannins and a finish that seemed to last forever. This extraordinary wine was perfectly balanced with every nuance we could ever desire.

The 2004 Maybach Materium set the tone for the rest of a our “kooky and spooky” evening with Gomez and Morticia. We never know what to expect with our very unconventional friends. Sometimes the most wonderful things happen when you least expect them. This was a perfectly balanced wine and evening, with the most unexpected of friends. Leave it to Uncle Fester to be our sommelier extraordinaire.

Wine Recommendation:

2004 Maybach Materium Cabernet Sauvigon.

RATING:

5 APRONS & 1 WOODEN SPOON.

May your apron bow be tied with perfect balance.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

Burbs, Heroes & Antica Terra Pinot Noir

TV Burb life can sometimes be idyllic. Our lawns are perpetually green, our kids are rosy pink, and the smoke from Dr. Alex's pipe always smells of sweet, aged tobacco. The newspaper is always at the front door in the morning and Engineer Bill the milk man (he is pushing milk on a full time basis), always tips his hat with a kindly "Good Day." But, truth be told, life in paradise can get occasionally boring. The fact is that perfection can be lacking in surprises and unexpected joys. . . but not always.

The other day Dr. Alex (who - as my loyal readers know - is not a real doctor) left for "work." As he was departing he gave me my usual peck on the cheek, picked up the brown bag lunch I had packed, grabbed his briefcase and glided out the door. As he was pulling away in our '58 Oldsmobile he waved to me with that usual twinkle in his eye.

Our plan was for me to pick him up at 4:00 p.m., get a bite at the nearby Big Boy, go back to the office to pick up the Olds and get back home by 7:00, in time to watch Mad Men. It was a typical and, yes, perfect plan. . . as usual. At 4:00 I pulled up to the office, which actually is on the Universal lot, just around the corner from Robert Young's "insurance" office. He's a nice man, but he wouldn't know a life insurance policy if he was smacked in the face with one.

As I walked in the door to Dr. Alex's office, there he was, by himself sitting on a chair with absolutely nothing to do. But, what would you expect I would find; real patients? The fact is that the closest Dr. Alex has ever come to curing somebody of something is when he put a band aid on my finger after I cut it with a knife. When he saw a drop of blood on the floor the poor man almost fainted. So, there he was, with his briefcase and newspaper, satisfied with his full day of TV "work," eager to go to dinner.

We were seated promptly at 4:30 when we walked in the Big Boy. "How was your day, dear?" I dutifully asked, as he smothered his fries in ketchup. "Wonderful, dear, simply wonderful," which is his predictable reply. I know better than to inquire further, because it would stretch Dr. Alex's imagination to the breaking point if he had to describe how he lanced a boil on Hoss Cartwright's buttocks or removed a splinter from Theo Huxtable's big toe.

Suddenly, there was confusion all around us. In the next booth Frank Costanza was grabbing his throat while he appeared to be gasping for his next breath. Estelle Costanza pleaded, "Oh my God, Frank is choking. Somebody help him! Is there a doctor in the house?" At that moment I would swear I saw a light bulb turn on over Dr. Alex's head as he proclaimed, "I'm a doctor!"

"Dr. Alex," I sternly whispered, has I clutched his arm. "You are not a doctor. You are an actor. What are you talking about?" "Mrs. Reed," he protested. "I can do this." I've done it on the show before." "Come again?" I asked with stunned amazement. As those words left my mouth, Dr. Alex jumped behind Mr.Costanza, who by this time was turning various shades of blue. He reached around his rotund midsection, connected his hands and, with a mighty grunt that I had only heard when Dr. Alex opens his royalty check envelopes, squeezed as hard as he could. With that, a piece of hamburger, the size of a Chihuahua exploded from the Frank's mouth. Dr. Alex had saved him!

As Frank was being comforted by Estelle, he looked at Alex as he would a god and said, "You saved my life! But what is that on your shoe?" We looked down and on the tip of his shoe was a gleaming red spot of blood that had come from a cut on his right pinky that Dr. Alex sustained as he was leaping to aid the Mr.Costanza. Dr. Alex looked at his shoe, looked at his finger, looked at me, turned white as a sheet, and proceeded to collapse into my arms. So much for his career in medical service, but, for the first time, he was not just my husband. He was also my hero.

Perhaps not as unexpected as Dr. Alex rushing to the aid of a hamburger-stricken Bob's customer, was the delicious wine that I recently consumed at one of our parties with the Golden Girls and the Grumpies.

Dorothy Zbornak served a wonderful Antica Terra, Pinot Noir 2006, from Willamette Valley. The nose presented a lovely bouquet of roses, violets with scents of raspberry jam. On the palate were blackberries, ripe berries, some spiciness and a bit of cinnamon. We enjoyed this 4 ½ apron wine along with Dorothy's famous rack of lamb.

Wherever you call home there can be predictability and the usual status quo. But sometimes when you least expect it circumstances can surprise you and turn a Sitcom Doctor into a world class Hero.

Antica Terra Pinot Noir 2006, Willamette, approx. $45.00-4 1/2 aprons.

You never know what surprises are in your apron pockets-Wishing you only happy finds.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

Unrealistic Expectations-Jimmy & Opus One 1998

Sometimes things just don't live up to what is expected of them. We see that all the time, from a disappointing performance, an overblown restaurant, or even our initial expectations of people. I recently bumped into my old friend Margaret Anderson (remember her? - the mother from Father Knows Best) while we were shopping for groceries. Well, Margaret is a voracious gossip, who could make Perez Hilton blush with her unabashedly cruel tales.

Margaret, whispered to me in the store, "did you hear about little Jimmy Arnett?" she asked. "No, I said. "I haven't heard anything about Jimmy in years." She then continued on, (almost salivating as she spoke) that Jimmy Arnett was in the slammer. "What, not Jimmy, he was such an angelic child," I responded in amazement. His mother and father were both named Princess and Prince of our town when they were teenagers. Jimmy came from a well known and respected lineage. We all expected Jimmy to grow up to be a professional athlete, businessman, accountant, and if all else fails, an attorney. We never expected Jimmy would actually be the one needing a lawyer to defend him. . . in a manslaughter case.

I was never surprised when I found out that Eddie Haskell was arrested for running a Ponzi scheme, or when Lumpy Rutherford was busted in a pornography ring. But, precious Jimmy Arnett was such a perfect child, or at least that was the hype. I do remember when Wally was 5 years old and Jimmy was 6, Wally wrestled him down for a foul ball at the baseball field. When you retrieved the out of play ball you were given a free soft drink, and Wally was competitive for all the free cokes he could accumulate.

Everyone rushed over to see if adorable little Jimmy was alright, while Wally triumphantly emerged clutching the ball in his hand. I was the only one assisting Wally, while the concerned crowd scurried to assist little Jimmy to his feet. Even though Jimmy didn't earn the ticket, one of the other parents quickly pulled the ball from Wally's little fingers and presented it to Jimmy.

As time passed, there were rumors of home burglaries linked to "Little Jimmy." But everyone said that Jimmy would never be involved with anything nefarious. He was such a good young man. Well, I guess all of that forgiving finally caught up with Jimmy. He was charged with committing a crime and this time there was no "get out of jail" card. Quite possibly, if people had been more realistic about Jimmy from the beginning he wouldn't have found himself in this tragic situation.

Even after I returned home with my groceries, I couldn't help but think about Margaret and our conversation about Jimmy. That evening, while I was preparing Dr. Alex's favorite meatloaf, I decided to surprise him with a special wine to accompany dinner. I thought it would be a real treat to open our bottle of Opus One 1998, from the team of Mondavi/Rothschild. There was so much hype surrounding this particular wine. The partnership of the Mondavi and Rothchild families had created an excited anticipation in the Wine World. I was titillated with excitement of finally drinking this highly desired wine. I opened and decanted the bottle about one hour before Dr. Alex returned after a hectic day of seeing his patients. (Remember, Dr. Alex is not really a doctor, but that is such an unimportant detail.)

We said Grace, (sometimes we say Matilda, Bill, James, any name is randomly called out, before we dig in). By this time I had poured the wine into our best Riedel wine glasses. We swirled, sniffed, swirled and then sniffed again the ruby colored wine in our glasses. There was cherry, plum and some cedar, both on the nose and palate. To my surprise, the wine was actually tasting old and had lost some structure. Disappointingly, the finish was short, not the long, lingering finish we expected. In a way, it was sad, because this highly anticipated wine tasted as though it may have met better days.

Dr. Alex and I continued to dine on our meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans. We did end up finishing the bottle of the Opus that evening. As we were enjoying the apple pie I had baked for dessert I discussed with Dr. Alex my chance meeting with Margaret Anderson and her gossip about Jimmy Arnett. In his very doctoral fashion, Dr. Alex announced that "unfounded expectations of an adorable little boy to grow up to be a success, just like the over-blown hype of wine produced from very well known wineries does not always measure up." He then continued to observe that maybe we shouldn't judge someone or something until they have proven who and what they are all about. I am always amazed at how philosophical Dr. Alex gets after a nice big piece of my apple pie.

With all of that profoundness, Dr. Alex put on his velvet smoking jacket, lit his pipe, comfortably reclined into his lazy boy chair, to watched one of his favorite movies, The Poseidon Adventure.

Featured Wine: Opus One 1998-approx. $200.00-2 ½ aprons.

Wishing you and your apron's expectations achieve fulfillment.

Please stop being so shy and let me know your out there.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

Weinies, Wine & Literacy-in the Burbs

The mercury in the thermometer continues to escalate with the long hot summer days beating down on us. All the fans in our home are feverishly circulating the warm air without much cooling provided. Neighborhood children are out playing ball in the street, enjoying their freedom from homework. Our next door neighbor, Alex Keaton (from "Family Ties") is busy with his sister, Mallory, trying to make a buck selling their swamp-smelling lemonade. Everyone tries to avoid passing by that darn lemonade stand, but it is situated in a location that is necessary to travel by in order to enter our homes. So Alex makes money for the Young Republicans and we all suffer from being forced to consume his lemon faux concoction.

Our other neighbor, Wilson from "Home Improvement" is obsessively using his power drill all day and night. Poor Wilson is still trying to recover from the time he returned home from work to find a "Dear Wilson" note from his wife, Madge, informing him she had run off with her female kick boxing instructor. This was a complete blow to Wilson, who had been oblivious to the ongoing affair and, on top of that, was a bitter homophobic. So, Madge leaving him for another person - let alone a woman - has kept Wilson furiously drilling away 24/7. We're not sure what exactly he is making in his garage, but every few days I leave a plate of cookies at his front door, just to be a good neighbor and hopefully to calm him down a bit.

With the arrival of Summer, Dr. Alex and I have resumed our ritual of reclining in our classic chaise lounges on our font lawn, where we read our books and sip wine. We inflate Wally and Beaver's wading pool and fill it with water so that White Fang can cool his cute white paws. Dressed in our wide brimmed straw sun hats, petal pushers and Hawaiian cotton shirts, we can now slather on the Coppertone. We then pull out a bottle of wine from our refrigerated wine closet and select our books from the bookcase to begin our long awaited summer reading marathon.

Next, I pour each of us a glass of 2008 Groth Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley. I picked this up for approx. $15.00. My book is "Educating Peter," by Lettie Teague. At this point try to imagine a three hour time lapse has occurred. I have completed both the bottle of wine as well as the book.

With all the conversation about food and wine pairing I think book and wine pairing should be the next big rage. Actually, my wine and book paring was not what I had hoped. "Educating Peter" is written in a very rudimentary style by Lettie Teague (the author and wine aficionado) describing how she taught Peter Travers (movie reviewer for Rolling Stone Magazine) about wine. This was sort of a Professor Higgins meets Eliza Doolittle -only with reversed genders. In this story, the instruction involved understanding varietals, regions, producers, vocabulary in the world of wine. While there were parts that were somewhat enjoyable, but the book is written in such an elemental style that even for the beginning wine student I found it insulting.

When I finishe the book I give it to the Keaton children next door in exchange for a glass of swampy lemonade. This made sense, as I felt this was a book written for children, who could possibly benefit its simplicity. On the other hand, the Groth Sauvignon Blanc was nice and crisp with a touch of creaminess. I found the wine to be refreshing with some melon and citrus. The bottle provides a nice, hot summer day sipper, and much more complexity than the book. My rating for this pairing: Wine - a solid 3 aprons; Book barely 2 aprons.

With the summer heat continuing to blaze away, Dr. Alex woke up from his nap. Wine, heat and a jucy Jason Bourne book get Dr. Alex napping quicker then a sleepy baby at bedtime. He then wheeled out our trusty charcoal Weber for an evening weinie roast. After bringing out all of our favorite condiments, buns, potato salad and kibbles for White Fang, I ran back in the house to retrieve another bottle of vino. While Dr. Alex was busy doing his wonders with Oscar Meyer, I poured our new wine and began reading my next literary selection.

My next book of choice was "The Battle for Wine and Love or How I saved the world from Parkerization, " by Alice Feiring. Ok, many hours have now past. The wonderful weenie roast and accouterments have all been consumed along with the next bottle of wine, as well as he Alice Feiring's book. While Dr. Alex begins to put out the fire on the tiki lamps and pour the water from White Fang's wading pool (that is now attracting mosquitoes), I will summarize my thoughts on my second book and wine.

This time the pairing met my expectations. The wine was Tablas Creek 2006 Mourvedre from Paso Robles , which sells for approximately $35.00. I am very fond of mourvedre and this is a wonderful representation of the varietal. The wine is actually 90% mourvedre and 10% syrah. The nose is roasted meats, plums and spice. The palate is juicy, with plums currant, leather chocolate and coffee. It is a wine you can pair with stews, pork chops and yes, even Dr.Alex's special weinies. As my little friend at Campbell's Soup always sings "mmmm good." (That little girl should know since she has been forced to eat that crappy canned soup for at least 5 decades.)

Now, the book review: I am sure Alice Feiring is brilliant in her knowledge of wine and wine travels. She kindly shares her genuis with us in this book. But, she is so frenetic in her pacing, instructing and out of control fervor for her point of view that the work lacks a sense of stability. (Hey, I know I am just some sitcom housewife, but I was left almost feeling sorry for Alice). It seemed to me she was so narrow in her need for wine purity and desire to prove Parker a fraud that she lost focus of any kind of serene pleasure. Maybe I should introduce her to Wilson next door. He is consumed with his power drill in the same way that Alice is desperately focused in her compulsion for perfection. I give the wine a perfectly tied bow of 4 aprons and Alice's book, a loosely, dangled bow of 3 aprons.

Oh my, what a day. It is time for White Fang to be read "Old Yeller" for the hundredth time. (He actually whimpers throughout the whole book).

I still need to do some tidying up, gett a good night's rest and then time for another celluloid day in the Burbs.

Featured Wines: 2008 Groth Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, approx $15.00-3 aprons. 2006Tablas Creek 2006 Mourvedre from Paso Robles approx $35.00-4 aprons.

Featured Books: "Educating Peter" by Lettie Teague-2 aprons. "The Battle for Wine and Love or How I saved the world from Parkerization," by Alice Feiring - 3 aprons.

Try and stay cool in this summer heat. Please let me know about any interesting books you've read and of course wines you care to comment on.

Have yourself a great 6 apron weekend.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

Defending Robert Parker

There are many people in our society who are recognised as being the best at what they do. Using their natural talents these people entertain, educate and enlighten us-and we are all the better for it. These people can also become targets of unfair criticism. This appears to be the case with Robert Parker. It seems as if everyday someone comes out of the woodwork attacking Parker for the influence he is having on the world of wine.


Don’t we all own a Zagat restaurant guide to inform us on what is the best place to dine on burgers and fries? How about Siskel and Ebert, who for years unabashedly told us what movie we should make sure to see and which ones to avoid? I read Vogue so Anna Wintour, can show me what is acceptable to wear for the upcoming season. And when I sit down in front of the boob tube in the evening I have my trusted TV Guide to tell me what shows I need to watch.


So many gurus running around sharing with us their opinions of what to watch, eat, wear and drink. But, I have never seen a book written panning Anna Wintour for undue influence. Nor blog sites devoted to ripping apart the opinions of Siskel and Ebert. And with all of the bad recommendations that come from the Zagat Guides I never hear about boycotting their worthless books.


Why then the blatant revulsion for Robert Parker? I appreciate the service he and any other wine reviewers provide. I look forward to receiving in the mail my new editions of Wine Spectator, Decanter and yes, even Food and Wine Magazine. All of these publications along with Parker online inform me and all of the other subscribers about different wine regions, new wines, updates on the wine world and any other info they deem important or fun for us uninformed to know.


As we get acquainted with our reviewer’s palates we are then aware of what they like and how it fits with our personal enjoyments. I realize Mr. Parker is turned on by overly extracted, high alcohol, big wines. And since I am aware of that fact I can chose if I want to follow his suggestions or turn to another reviewer for guidance.


Oh yes, I know the Parker complainers state that to get a Parker high rating they must produce a wine that corresponds with his requirements, thus unduly influencing the wine market. I realize I am not as worldly, educated or experienced as say, Alice Feiring but as Donna Reed Q Public I say “we are not sheep following our shepherd to the slaughterhouse.” We are independent wine admirers who can make our own decisions without the protected shelter of the great wine purists that think we can’t figure this whole wine thing out.


Don’t worry, I know that I am only a sitcom star but really my head will not spin around like Linda Blair’s character in the Exorcist if I am given too much info. So, all you Parker critics out there just relax the great wine public can spend our hard earned dollars much more wisely with more information rather than less.


Here is what I have been enjoying recently:


Curran-Grenache Blanc 2006-Santa Ynez, approx $25.00- Honeydew melon, tangerine, nice balance of fruit/acidity ratio. 3 aprons


Hoopes-2005 Cabernet Sauvignon-Oakville, approx $60.00-Red Cherry, red currant, plum with vanilla baking spice. 3 ¾ aprons


I really enjoyed both of these wines and would definitely purchase them again. I appreciated the balance of acidity and fruit so that there was not an over powering of my palate.


May your aprons be balanced with a very pleasurable day.


A Sante


XXOO


MRS. REED

Golfers, Wines and Second Loves

This past weekend golfer, Tom Watson accomplished an amazing feat. Golfer Watson, at almost 60 years young, displayed amazing skills and stamina finishing the British Open Championship in second place. The tournament took place at Turnberry Golf Course in Scotland. This particular venue is one of the most difficult on the tour. With punishing winds and holes so difficult they could make the great Bobby Jones recoil, Tom Watson outperformed all the other golfers (except for the winner) and ended up one spot from the top.

Yes siree, that’s how I choose to reflect upon this extraordinary, unexpected completion of the 2009 British Open. Of course if this was a TV movie Tom Watson would have made his last putt, scored par for the hole, the ebullient crowd would have gone wild and golf ball shaped balloons would have fallen from the sky.

My question is why can’t we celebrate second place? Can we only appreciate and heroe worship the first place winner? What the heck is so wrong with coming in second? All we heard or read was “too bad Tom Watson blew the last putt”. “If only he could have had the confidence to par the eighteenth hole”. Instead of celebrating this most unexpected event all the banter was about the travesty of finishing in second place.

Every fours years, when we hold a Presidential election we are subjected to the experts bashing the candidate that finished second. I can think of many wonderful candidates who never won first place through circumstances their challenge to come in first was just not accomplished. No, they didn’t get to pour beer into their championship trophy, nor assume the Presidency but they should still be honored, respected and celebrated for their efforts that landed them just a few steps behind the winner at the finish line.

Maybe, just maybe, we should finally give respect and recognition to some great seconds:

My Son, Beaver, he is my second born child but he shares first place with his brother Wally, for their parent’s love.

My dog, White Fang: Yes, Black Tooth was our family’s first dog but our love for White Fang completely matches our devotion to Black Tooth. Hubert Humphrey was the great senator from Minnesota. He also served as VP to Lyndon Johnson. Humphrey finished second to Richard Nixon and we all know the rest of that story or should I just say “Watergate”?

Lamar Odom, is proof that if a team doesn’t have a good bench ready to go right into the game you can just forget about winning the NBA championship. Really, I don’t care if you have the greatest player in the league (sorry Labron but Kobe is the Man) you simply aren’t winning the Larry O’Brien trophy without great back up players.

Al Gore, he was of course VP to William Jefferson Clinton and finished second (or did he?) to George W. Bush. Oops, we have another iffy ending here. The second placers are really looking very good as this list progresses. After coming second, Al Gore was successful in alerting us to the dangers of Global Warming.

All righty now, I believe that my point has been made. All of this second place talk has guided my thoughts into second label wines. There really are so many wonderful wines available from coveted producers at much more affordable prices because they end up in, (yes, here we go) second place.

How does a wine end up in second place or a second label you might ask? Basically - but not always - the grapes used simply didn’t make the cut for the more premium wine.

The following second label wines are further evidence that second place can be a real win/win for the consumer:

Domaine Drouhin (Oregon) Pinot Noir-Cloudline (approx $20.00). The Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir cost approx $50.00.

Pahlmeyer-Jayson (approx $50.00) Their Bordeaux style wine can be found for approx $120.00 making this wine a higher end second.

Chateau Petrus-definitely one of the most sought after and very expensive Bordeaux wines. Christian Mouiex Merlot at approx $10.00 is their bargain second label.

Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon-Their second label Cabernet Sauvignon is Caravan at approx $40.00. I found this wine to be a very full bodied, enjoyable wine, with flavors of violets, coffee and chocolate. You are paying approx. half the cost of The Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon.

There are lots of other wonderful second label offerings out there for the interested consumer. Check the internet and your local wine store for even more choices.

Second place athletes, candidates, offspring, family pets, wines and I’m sure even second spouses in some cases should all be given the respect and appreciation they deserve. I remember fondly getting second billing to Jimmy Stewart in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I was an important element of the movie, but I was not listed first on the marquee. I felt my contributions were essential to the story line. Face it, Jimmy Stewart needed me to co-star as his wife and tolerate his crazy behavior. Well, that is the subject of another blog entry that I may possibly reveal if I consume too much wine in the future.

So to all of you brilliant second placers out there I raise my glass, filled with my incredible second label wine and say “Salute!”

Wishing you a day filled with lots of great second helpings.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

Vintage Wine with The Golden Girls

Last Saturday evening, Dr. Alex and I met up for dinner with our friends “The Golden Girls” and their spouses, “Grumpy Old Men”. The Golden Girls and The Grumpies have been our dear friends for almost 30 years. We have been enjoying our every other month dinners since the beginning of our friendship. Each couple takes their turn deciding upon a restaurant of their choice. Making the reservations and relaying that information to the other 3 couples regarding the details is the responsibility of the couple in charge.

Now the Golden Girls and The Grumpies have not always been playing those roles. In fact in their younger days The Golden’s were more like the Gilmore Girls and The Grumpies could have easily been The Hardy Boys. But, good old Father Time affects everybody and everything regardless of our efforts in sheltering ourselves from his far reaching grasp.

It’s all very funny how we view age. Why is it that the wine aficionado ordering wine for his guests at a swanky restaurant is exhilarated at the thought of instructing the sommelier to “serve us the 1945 Mouton Rothschild”? The same patron wouldn’t go to the “house of ill repute” and say “yes, I would like one of those 1945 escorts”. On the other hand that same “interested” gentleman would definitely be more than happy to have the Madame (or however that is done) introduce him to a young “Gilmore Girl” for an evening out on the town, It’s just not right! Why shouldn’t people (especially women) get the same respect and desirability as…..wine?

Hold on a second, please while I pour myself something strong. You know, all this escort service talk has me reminiscing about my time with John Derek filming “Scandal Street”. Okay, I’m back with you again discussing the lack of appreciation between “an older seasoned woman” and “an old bottle of wine”.

If the revered, sought after, very expensive wine is made with grapes from a highly respected Producer that has proven accomplishments, why can’t we view people in the same way? Or better yet if that person has shown themselves to be an upstanding member of society just like that particular wine and vintage why not roll out the red carpet for them as well? In other words let the individual, whether it be wine or people, be judged and appreciated on their own character.

You know with the aged bottle of wine just like the older person it may take some work to get to the contents. Anyone who has ever had the challenge and pleasure of opening a long cellared bottle of wine will tell you “you must handle with care, but the rewards can be immense”. The foil seal may not be in perfect condition, just like the initial appearance of the older person. And the cork, yes you need to be very careful with the cork because it could be a bit disintegrated. I guess the Golden Girl’s wrinkles must be mentioned here for comparison to that old falling apart cork.

Now comes the decanting. Uh huh, there will be sediment. I guess Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur’s character) has to be the (ugh) crusty, related older woman analogy to sediment. We finally get to removing the wine from the original bottle. Slowly pour (very often with a candle or flashlight so you make sure no sediment is ever poured into your lovely decanter vessel). Next step, will be gently releasing this greatly anticipated liquid jewel into your glasses. You are now finally able to appreciate the magic that “Old Papa Time” has performed upon this wine. The melding of the acidity, structure, tannins, sugar levels and alcohol, hopefully become one seamless gift from Bacchus, the god of wine.

If you give the Golden Girls, The Grumpies and any other “experienced” person you know a chance to gently “decant” you may also find with them the same joining of “life’s layers” of complexity that simply need some understanding steps to release their magic that may not be apparent at first glance.

With acquiring some vintage years under my belt I have a developed the attribute of patience. It is funny as I have gotten older with presumably less years in my future then when I younger I have actually learned to appreciate the virtue of patience. Who would have thought me, Donna Reed who was always in a hurry to get the parts I wanted for myself as well as Beaver, Wally and Dr. Alex has now learned to appreciate patience. Will the wonders of TV sitcoms ever stop amazing us?

Our “Gourmet Golden Girl and Grumpies Dinner ended up to be as wonderful has it always is. Catching up with our “dear Old friends” at our favorite French restaurant was a treat. No, we were not graced with the nectar of the 1945 Mouton Rothschild but we did enjoy:

Melville Vineyards 2007 Verna’s Viognier- approx. $22.00 and 3 ½ aprons

Duckhorn Golden Eye 2005 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir-approx $55.00 and 3 ¾ aprons

Duckhorn Golden Eye 2006 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir-approx $55.00 and 4 aprons

Uh huh, in this case the younger wine was fresher and more vibrant. Sorry, Goldens and Grumpies. And by the way the Golden and Grumps were born many years after the 1945 Mouton.

Yes, my old friends may be a bit like that 1945 wine taking a while to get past all the unveiling of wonders within but what’s inside is worth any effort involved in the process.

In the end an old friend who has been by your side “for better or for worse” is a treasured gift to appreciate for any occasion.

Thank you Golden and Grumps for being such wonderful friends.

Wishing you find a 1945 Mouton Rothschild in your apron pocket.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

From Here to Eternity with the Fruits of the Season

Summer heat has really hit “Anywhere USA” in a big way. The temperatures have climbed to the high nineties with no respite in the near future. The hot, burning sun reminds me of my time with Monty Clift while we were making “From here to Eternity”. Oh my, those were sweltering times to think back on.

The house is so hot that my furry White Fang can barely lift his head from our cool wooden floors to even chase a squirrel. (If the truth were told, White Fang wouldn’t chase a squirrel even if his life was on the line). White Fang wants to remain anonymous and so the only thing he would let me show was his beautiful (so he says) nose.

One of the benefits of summer is the succulent, delicious fruit we are blessed with. (No, Mrs. Reed is not going religious on you, it is just an expression). Since, Dr. Alex and I are the only people currently residing in our cheery, cozy home I find myself with an excess of fruit going bad before we can consume it all. For that reason the last few years I have been making preserves with the leftovers.

Ok, aprons on and ready to go.
You will need approximate quantities of the following:
6 cups strawberries
1 pint blueberries
1 peeled apple-cored, seeded and finely chopped
10 pitted cherries
Lemon zest from 1 small lemon, and juice from ½ of the zested lemon
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier
3 cups superfine granulated sugar
Splash of balsamic vinegar

Here we go; remove the stem from the strawberries and cut in half. Take all the washed and dried fruit and dump it (yup dump it) into a sturdy pot. Crank up the stove (not too high but past medium), then add the sugar, with all of the other ingredients. Ok, here is the technical requirements; stir with a wooden spoon while your yummy concoction gently bubbles (approx 30 minutes). Place in the pot a candy thermometer and let it slowly boil until it reaches 220 degrees. Here lies the tricky part; it never reaches 220. So when you are close to that temp for at least 25 minutes you can call it quits. Turn off the heat, remove the pot (uncovered) and let it cool for about one hour. Place the fruit preserves in whatever container works for you and then chill.

Dr. Alex loves this on his toast, muffins, ice cream, pound cake or whatever he desires. I did serve this to Wally and Mary Alice when they were here for a visit and received raves from the both of them. In fact on several occasions I have spied Dr. Alex enjoying his preserves straight from the container without any toast or muffin.

All this fruit compote/preserve talk got me thinking about wine I recently enjoyed that also denoted the tastes of deep, dark summer fruit.

2006 Testarossa Pinot Noir Gary’s, Santa Lucia-approx $50.00-3 ½ apron wine
2006 Twomey Pinot Noir-Russian River Valley-approx $45.00-3 apron wine
Both of these Pinot Noir wines display fresh strawberries and cherries as well other complex notes.

Try to stay and cool and enjoy the wonders of the summer season.

May your aprons stay free of jelly stains.

Please let me know what wines you are enjoying and what you are doing with the fruits of summer. I sure would appreciate hearing from you.


XXOO
Mrs. Reed

What does that mean "I only drink white wine"!

Oh yes, we know those people out there that "only drink white wine" or "only drink red wine". I hate to rant and rave, but really what does that mean? Do these people only eat green grapes and not red grapes? Or conversely, do they just consume red grapes and not green?

I must confess, yes, oui, si, I have lots of friends who do the "onlies". On the white only side is Lovey Howell, Gracie Allen, Geraldine Rutherford (Fred Rutherford's wife and Lumpy's mother), and on the red only side is my friend from the Golden Girls; Dorothy Zbornak. I even have one dear friend Rose Nylund also from the Golden Girls who claims wine gives her a headache and doesn't imbibe at all. Very sad but everthing gives my friend Rose a headache so wine is an easy target for Rose to blame.

When these grape varietal discriminators are consuming peaches, pears, apples, or chocolate do they reject dark from light or yellow from green? Of course not, they simply don't understand that grapes make up the composition of most wines and the color of the skins should not be an issue.

Of course there will be certain varietals that people enjoy more than others but to make that decision based exclusively upon the color of the grape's skine is ludicrous. Sorry, I hate to be harsh but please people open your hearts and minds to the wine and not the color. You will be surprised how much your horizons will expand when don't judge a grape by the color of it's skin.

Ok, you "onlies red" out there go give it a try. Start with a 2007 Darioush Viognier, Napa Valley, around $40.00. Honeysuckle, jasmine, peach, cantalope and even some vanilla can be found in this somewhat weighty but vry tasted 4 apron white wine.

Next, "white onlies" give a tasty red wine a pour with a 2006 Auteur, Hyland Pinot Noir. Also, around the $40.00 range. You should taste some light peppercorn, raspberry, blueberry and cherry notes. Continuing with my fairness doctorine the red will receive the same amount of aprons as the white; 4 aprons are given to this lovely Pinot Noir.

Most of all just sit back relax and enjoy the experience of all the wonderful wines regardless the color of their skins.

Let me know what you enjoy drinking. Life is too short not to take in all of fruits of the vine.

May your apron ties remain unknotted.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

Does the Man Make the Suit or the Suit make the Man?

Last evening Dr. Alex had to see patients (which is pretty suspicious since Dr. Alex is not a doctor) so I was available to have dinner with my brilliant attorney friend, Perry Mason. Yes, you all know about Perry. He can solve any case, especially towards the end of his one hour show. No witness, no criminal, no opposing attorney can match up to Perry's legal brilliance.

Perry and I met at a quiet, dimly lighted, Croatian restaurant, right off the winding road by Perry's home. Great food, wonderful service and to die for cevapici. Cevapici is the Croatian answer to our hamburger and this place can do Cevapici like no other Croatian restaurant in the area.

We were both starved and quickly placed our order. Perry had just finished a grueling murder trial and was very wound up with all the stress from the court hearings. (By the way, Perry was able to get the accused to confess under cross examination just before the trial was about to end. He always has a knack for inducing confessions). Perry began to discuss the judge who was presiding over his trial. With that conversation Perry then segued into the Supreme Court Senate Hearings that are currently taking place.

Perry then blurted out something that I was quite taken aback by. "You know, a judge will not be nominated for the Supreme Court unless she/he have attended an Ivy League school". Perry then went on to say even though he is a brilliant attorney because he attended a "mediocre" law school that was not part of the "Ivy's" he would never even be considered for a Supreme Court Judicial appointment. With this announcement I placed down my Cevapici and declared "no, no, Perry you are so wrong". I knew this couldn't possibly be true, or was Perry correct ?

I began thinking to myself while I continued to watch but not really listen to Perry rant on with his bitter diatribe. Do we decide someone or somethings fate simply by the superficiality of the school they attended, their locale (as in grapes for wine) or the suit they wear? Doesn't it matter what they did with their education, their accomplishments. Just like in wine does it matter if the grapes the wine was made from were grown in the Northern Rhone region of Hermitage or Edna Valley from California. In other words "does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man"?

I continued to ponder this question as I watched Perry become more agitated. His lips were moving and I knew he was talking but I was deep in my own thoughts. I began to reminisce about two different Syrah varietal wines that I was once lucky enough to experience. The first was the Alban 2004 Seymour's Vineyard from Edna Valley in California. The following month I was fortunate to be offered another amazing Syrah, but this one was from the Northern Rhone region of France. This spectacular wine was the Jean-Louis Chave 2005 Hermitage. Merci beaucoup, yes, thank you very much, moi was one happy wine drinker. Both of these bottlings of greatness would bring a gasping "awe" to anyone privleged enough to enjoy them.

These wines both presented different tastes, with the Alban, dark, savory blackberry and blueberry. The Chave offered more black mission fig, plum, espresso and leather. Complex, serious wines from different regions, different continents and different winemakers. Even with all of their differences they were definitely of the same caliber. Yes, wines that are respected, desired, even coveted. Their fate for review and judgment was open to the critics decision. The Robert Parker types of the wine world could designate any number to them, high, medium or even low. Yes, they both had great pedigrees but in the end they still needed to prove their greatness.

So, how could the brilliant jurist from the mediocre law school be overlooked for the highest court of our country? Was Perry correct? Are we simply judged by the path our vine took root in or can our vines develop from the struggles of our labors, the wisdom of our experiences, and the depths we try to reach for?

I decided to let my thoughts subside and rejoin Perry in this discussion. We now ordered our dessert of Palacinke (a wonderful crepe like concoction) and Perry had calmed down a bit. I told Perry I thought if he wanted to, he could explore the idea of an appointment to the Supreme Court. Just because he was a TV attorney his fate was not sealed. Yes, he could change suits. If this was what his goal was he now could do what was neccessary to make it a reality. No more weekly, one hour TV series but truly pave the way for his goals. The worst thing he could do was feel saddled and stapped in by his mediocre law school and current lacking TV audience. (Perry did go to a stage lot law school). But he wasn't pigeon holed forever. It would take hard work, and sacrifice but if this was what he desired Perry and his agent could forge a new direction, even find a new screen writer. Yes, there were great possibilities ahead.

Perry was actually thrilled by my suggestion. Now with dessert finished, Perry reclined in his dinner chair and declared to me that "Mrs. Reed, you are absolutely spot on, it is not the suit we wear but the man inside the suit and what we do with it that truly matters". Just like it doesn't really matter if your grapes are from California or France. How you tend the vines, treat the soil, decisions you make along the way each and everyday is what matters the most.

With our bellies now full with delicious Croation delicacies and sleepiness starting to overtake our thoughts, it was time to say "good night". Perry and I both felt like we had made some progress in answering the age old question regarding the man and the suit. Are people really typecasted for life or can we break free no matter what suit we began our journey in? You never know, maybe Perry will decide one day to go work for the San Francisco Police Department. Possibly he'll be injured on the job and become a "special department consultant" and even change his name to "Ironsides". Who really knows what course our life will take. But the one thing I am sure of is leaving it to the "fates" instead of trying to control your own destiny will leave you in a very empty, thread bare suit.

By the way, the wines mentioned above our each 5 aprons with 6 wooden spoons. Mmmm good!

Hope your apron pockets are filled with goodies.

Please let me know what you think. Mrs. Reed is very lonely and Dr. Alex has some "splaining" to do for his patient excuse.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

Cocktail Wine, Public Enemy and Globbiness

We all know good looking women who cover their faces with globs of makeup, wear clothes with too many bows and then accessorize their ensemble with jewelry box stashes of glittery faux bangles and beads. Well, that was my metaphor for last Saturday evening's experiences of globby entertainment, overly starched food and highly manipulated wine. Yes, great possiblities ruined with way too many overdone ingredients.

Dr. Alex and I began our evening meeting our friends Lovey and Thurston Howell at the movies. We were looking forward to seeing Johnny Depp's new movie, Publice Enemy. Well, if the director, Michael Mann had been a woman instead of a man I am sure he would have bright red lipstick smeared all over his/her face and been covered in big brightly colored bangles. Yes, he directed this movie with such long, drawn out, boring scenes that I found myself struggling to view what time my watched displayed, hoping this wretched movie would soon end.

The funny thing about this movie is that it should have been at least decent. The movie has some wonderful actors, including Depp, Christian Bale, Billy Crudup and Marion Cotillard. But instead of giving us a glimpse into why John Dillenger was the monster he came to be we watched shoot 'em up after car chase, capture the bad guys, escape and then shoot 'em up again. No insight into any of the characters in the movie. Just a waste of good talent with overdone globbiness.

After 2 hours and 20 minutes of wiggling in my seat the movie was over and I was free to go and live my life again. Yeah, time to eat and drink, what could be better than that? Well, hold on here till you hear the rest of this story. Globbiness continues to be ahead for me on this Saturday evening of the "overdone".

Before we left to meet the Howells, I had planned ahead (always thinking about my next meal and glass of wine). With the approval of Lovey Howell, I made reservations at a local Zagat rated dinner establishment. This particular restaurant prides itself on being the "best from the past" kind of joint. Frank Sinatra music gently playing, leather booths, dimly lit and retro style food. Sounds good, yes, I thought so too. Ut oh, gloobiness is just my horoscope reading for the evening. Michael Mann could have been the chef at this under achieving poor excuse of a restaurant. Yes, they serve twice baked potato, (there is a reason most restaurants don't serve that grunge anymore, it is a great way to ruin a perfectly good potato) and the obligatory iceberg salad (drowning in a thick white so-called blue cheese dressing). Finally the dried out halibut in some kind of (ick) cream sauce was presented along with sting beans you could very easily choke on. Finishing with an almost melting ice cream sundae (I told you retro). Oh by the way they pacify you while you wait until 8:15 for your 7:30 reservations with potato chips and ranch dressing. No, I'm not kidding really that happened.

And then what really ticked me off was the wine. (Yep, I always want to include wine reviews in any of my postings). Let me say right from the get go, Donna gives no frigging aprons (oops can Donna say frigging) to this poor fermented glass of cocktail wine. I call wine that is so thickly viscous and overly alcoholic it would be better off being a gin and tonic, cocktail wine.

My wine was a 2005 Tandem (Ritchie) Russian River Valley, Chardonnay. Egads what were the Tandem people thinking? The only time I would suggest drinking this wine is when you are so drunk it doesn't matter what you consume. No aprons or frigging aprons in this case will be given. Dr. Alex ordered a 2006 Domaine Chandon (Carneros) Pinot Noir. To be fair the wine was served about 20 degrees too warm and tasted as though it had been in a 4 day opened bottle on the bar. Maybe under the correct conditions it would have been a better wine but what Dr. Alex was served once again can not receive any aprons.

Thurston and Lovey said they were still loopy from drinking so much the evening before and begged off any alcohol. Since we were paying for dinner that was perfectly fine with us. Just kidding ofcourse but they were actually the smart ones that evening since the iced tea was the safest drink at this very loud and (yes, I am going to say, uncouth) poor excuse for a restaurant.

All of this did get me thinking about possessing and then wasting basically sound ingredients. You know, the good looking woman who detracts from her good looks by wearing too much make-up. The movie with gifted actors but a director who doesn't maximize their talents. A restaurant with a nice theme idea but instead of serving simple and good quality retro style food drowns it with cream, butter, mayo and buries the gem he could offer to his patrons. And of course the winery that takes grapes that were grown with sweat and hard work and destroys their purity and varietal charms with too much maneuvering.

In the end is just easier to cover up what we are all about? Are we afraid that if the "real" person is seen we won't be good enough? Is globbiness safer than letting our real gifts shine through? I would love to know what you think. While I'm waiting to hear from you I think I'll go powder my nose. God forbid I let anyone see me perspire. Oh my that would be way too un-Donna Reed like!

Have an amazing multiple apron day.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

Politician Wine

Dr. Alex and I take White Fang to the Dog Park almost daily. I adore watching all the different breeds of dogs frolicking in the freedom of the park. No leashes, just wonderful open space of green grass and of course the mandatory trees. Dogs adore their trees. It is a place to say "hey I was here".

While observing the various dogs with their people parents you can see the similar characteristics between the dogs and the 2-legged humanoids who own them. You know, the Labrador Retriever usually very congenial and happy along with the easy going non-furry escort who takes the Lab to the park. The intense, highly focused individual who enjoys the Dog Park with his border collie. The tall, lanky indivdual who plays ball with his Great Dane. Mary Alice and Wally have a wonderful, athletic, intelligent dog named Rocky (from Rocky and Bullwinkle). Rocky is a quick minded, fast acting, sort of super hero dog, very similar to his parents. White Fang is in everyway like Dr. Alex and me. If we were dogs I have no doubt that we would be same breed. Oh yes, hypo-allergenic, clean, fluffy, personable, happy but not too goofy and of course highly intelligent. In other words "perfect".

I also attribute varietals and wine to certain people. I was thinking about some of our current politicians and what wines they would be.

Sara Palin:

She would definitely be a Beringer White Zinfandel. Sugary sweet, no substance, may look alright but there is nothing to this wine but an Ok appearance. Not age worthy in anyway. Nothing memorable about this wine. Nothing challengeing, just a mass produced, below average
slightly alcoholic, run of the mill wine that is completely forgettable and not deserving to be served for anything other then a bad picnic over run with ants.

Thoughts of Sara Palin led me to think about our wonderful President Obama. What wine would Barack Obama be:

Since President Obama was born in 1961 he will be the vintage 1961 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Bordeaux. That happens to a wonderful vintage with age worthiness that continues to mature and improve with time. This is a deep, intellectual wine that is filled with complexityand perfectly balanced. Since Chateau Mouton Rothschild was excluded from the original first growths grand crus but because of hard work, great quality and some very clever politicking Chateau Mouton Rothschild was eventually included (1973) in the list of five first growth grand crus of Bordeaux. I see many parallels between the 1961 Mouton and the 1961 Barack. Whenever you think of the King of Wine, left bank Bordeaux with it's predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon blend come to thought.

Although I have never had the privledge to try the 1961 Chateau Mouton Rothschild I am sure it is a wine deserving of at least 5 aprons and 2 wooden spoons. Re garding aprons for President Obama; without any hesitation he is a 6 apron winner.

Unfortunately, I have imbibed (accidentally, I might add) the Beringer White Zinfindel and I will have to honestly give it the same amount of aprons I bestow to Sara Palin, ZERO aprons. Sorry but aprons must be earned on merit not sympathy.

What politicians do you equate to certain wines?

I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

I really hate to beg but, please email me your comments.

Wishing you a 6 apron day filled with wonderful wine and happiness.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

Yacht Club Wine Dinner/Je ne sais quou

Our friends Thurston and Lovey Howell invited Dr. Alex and I to join them last night at their yacht club's wine dinner. Wine dinners can be a great way to experiment with different wine/food pairings and also provide a chance to try new wines.

We began this beautiful balmy evening sitting outside on the yacht clubs patio sipping a glass of Villa Granda Prosecco from the Veneto region. At that moment I felt like Cleopatra loungeing in her barge drifting down the Nile. Little did I know that I was actually more like Molly Brown on the Titanic waiting for the iceberg to hit.

As we sat there my tummy began to grumble with hunger pangs and I began to wonder what the food would be like for this soiree of important boating people. In a few moments a tuxedo clad waiter came by with a tray of puff pastry appetizers filled with some processed orange looking cheese. Ok, this was probably just a fluke and not a prelude of the upcoming meal we would soon be enjoying. Unfortunately I was wrong this puff pastry would be the highlight of the evening.

The xylophone was played and that was our cue to be seated at our table of four. Our first dinner wine was the Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc paired with toasted sourdough bread topped with soggy tomatoes, grilled eggplant and red peppers. This was definitely a one bite dish for me. I was not about to waste my calories and fill myself up on this inedible dish. The Mondavi Fume Blanc tasted like yellow grapefruit and pith. (Pith is the somewhat bitter white area of citrus rind). This wine receives 1 apron at best, because of I am feeling generous.

Moving along to our next course of one large seared scallop on a pea pod puree. E-Gads what was the chef thinking. The pea pod puree tasted like bad pea soup. So, here you have this scallop drowning in some cold pea soup tasting paste. At this point even Chef Boyardee would be crying in his canned rigatoni. I made the mistake of taking a couple bites of this dreadful concoction.I believe here is where my stomache began trying to emancipate itself from the rest of my body. The pairing for this dish was a Nobilissima Pinot Grigio. This was a scentless, tastless glass of semi thick liquid. Now, Pinot Grigio can really be a very enjoyable wine to either pair with food or consume by itself. This wine gives Pinot Grigio a bad name. No aprons are assigned to this abomination of a wine.

Now with my poor belly churning and the early signs of rebellion continuing we move to our next dish. John Dory on white rice paired with St. Michelle White Riesling. The John Dory was acceptable for consumption but the wine was just an embarrassment. Come on this is not Riesling. This was overly sweet clear swill. One sip was all I could take of this wine. It aggravates me when this type of Riesling is served because it gaves this very important varietal a bad name. Years ago Germany would export to the USA, Liefraumilch style (generic) Riesling. Americans drank Blue Nun and other wines of that style believing that was what Riesling was all about. There are some wonderful, true to the varietal characteristics Rieslings be made in the US and all around the world but this plonk was a very insulting impersonation. Once again no aprons will be given for this wine.

Like an out of control skier on a steep slope heading for a tree we were moving in the same direction with this dinner. Only we weren't about to run into a tree in our path, instead we smacked right into some poor duck. This unknowing quacker was slaughtered only to be given to an incompetent chef that prepared him to taste like liver. Ohhhhhhh my aching belly it felt like Donald Duck was raging. At this point the ASPCA should have arrested the chef for animal abuse. This aberration of a dish was paired with an Aurelio Montes Pinot Noir LTD from Chile. Even Pinochet wouldn't force his prisoners to drink this overly tannin, cab like, thick, bitter, over the top, wine. Who makes this stuff? Is the winemaker a comedian or just a sadist? Once again no aprons will be assigned. You have to earn aprons by at least being able to produce wine that can be swallowed. If I had a spit bucket available this so called wine would have found eternal peace in the bucket where it actually belonged.

Thank the Dear Lord only one more course and then dessert to finally wrap up this nightmarish meal. Here is the coup de grace of the entire evening. Medallion of beef wrapped in partially cooked bacon. Now at this point even our hosts Thurston and Lovey Howell were aghast to find this bacon/meat hybrid on their plates. But being the yacht club member blue bloods they are both of them simply turned their noses up momentarily in disgust and then put knife and fork properly to their meat. The pairing for this 5th and torturous course was Tapestry Bakers Gully Shiraz. At least winemaker got the Gully part correct. Because in the gully is where he should have poured this intensely fruity, overly jammy, super thick and ghastly swill. I guess at this point you know that no aprons will be placed on the bottleneck this wine.

Moving on to dessert we were given mixed berries with whipped cream and more prosecco. I sat in my chair fearful that one false move would send me hurling this entire evening's food and wine contents all over the Yacht Club's chestnut stained floors. I was in absolute agony. My stomache had now turned into the Hindenburg with rebellious Germans mutinying the mother ship. Oh, Dear Lord I was in pain. I looked to see what Dr. Alex's thoughts were and I noticed he had fallen asleep in his chair. After giving him a kick in his shin he came back to lucidity and mumbled something incoherent about how much he was enjoying everything.

Thurston Howell was ready for more food/wine courses and Lovey was well mannerly holding her stomache and listening attentively to everything Thurston had to say. Oh, those Blue Bloods, you have got to hand it to them they can really keep it together.

That night after our return home I quickly pulled off my Spanx, put my nighty on and encouraged White Fang to hop into bed to be by my side. I comfortably relaxed in my bed with my trusty heating pad and began thinking about the night's events. I realized that because you have lots of money and can afford a ginormous boat doesn't mean you neccessarily have good taste. I know everyone is entitled to their own palate but trust me the wine and food were all terrible. But the Yacht Club people thought it was great. They really didn't understand that this was poorly prepared food, paired incorrectly with inexplicably poorly made wines. Maybe that was the match. Poorly prepared food, with poorly made wines for people who although had the money didn't have the je ne sais quoi or that intangible quality that defines excellence from average. In the end it's not about the money, the yacht or whatver material item someone flaunts. It is that intangible quality that makes something or somebody a cut above the rest.

Here's wishing you a 6 apron day!

XXOO

Mrs. Reed

Wines That Bring Back Memories

When I was taking my daily walk/jog today I passed by the sweetest little lizard just basking in the morning sun. Seeing the lizard immediately brought back memories to me of when Wally and Beaver would hunt the neighborhood and local parks for lizards. My sons loved the little critters. They would bring them home, turn a box into temporary housing for them and then let the little critters go free after a couple of hours of reptile enjoyment.

I miss my sons. They each live in different cities quite far from the home they were raised in. Even though there is geographical distance between all of us we still remain very close. I am actually very happy for my sons. I am proud that they had the independence to make it on their own without Dr. Alex and myself. But, like today the memories do sometimes overtake me.

This started me thinking about what I call "memory" wine versus "prized" wine. For me, wine is so much about the moment than the capture. Think about the many special events in your life that you associate with a wine: the Cabernet you toasted on your son's first birthday; the Champagne that you and your significant other used to mark your committment to each other; the Bordeaux your father gave to you before he died to save for a special occasion.

On the other hand, there are many prizes that are sought after by people who appreciate fine wines. You know, the 1992 Screaming Eagle, 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, 1978 LeMontrachet and of course the 1947 Cheval Blanc, just to name some of the most treasured.

If given the choice would you select the special memory wine or the prized and desired wine? In the end is wine about special memories that you cherished and might get a chance to taste and smell that experience one more time? Or for you, is wine about the pursuit, the catch and the prize?

I know what I would do, what about you?

I'm really interested in your thoughts on the subject.

Please send me comments, questions or just say "hi Donna Reed".

I'm feeling lonely. No one has written or commented.

Have a wonderful 6 apron day.

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Mrs. Reed

Young at Heart

It's amazing how no matter old something is, it can still seem young and fresh. It can be people, animals, movies, politicans or even wine. Is it that there are some people who are just born with a young mindset that keeps them young and fresh even though they are ageing? The same can be said of wine. Some wines can be opened 30 years after they were created and still taste and smell fresh and vibrant.

There are some wineries like Hanzell Vineyards of Sonoma County that have been making wine since the late 1950's and continue to make wine that is current in everyway. They produce wonderful Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I especially adore their Chardonnay. The best way of describing this wine is elegant. I don't need to go into all the honey, creaminess (without the fat) walnut, thyme and mineral frarance and tastes. This wine is to Chardonnay what Jacqueline Kennedy is to fashion. Elegant, sophisticated, always current and always desireable.

Hanzell Wines are always welcome at my table. They are a winery that once again I can count on from vintage to vintage. There are cult wineries that come and go into fashion but certain Producers just like certain people can always be counted on for quality. Hanzell is one of those very special wineries. The 2006 Hanzell Chardonnay is a 5 apron wine. You can usually purchase this wine around $70.00, making this for me a special occasion wine.

Donna Reed, Jacqueline Kennedy and Hanzell Wines are my examples of staying young at heart.
It is so easy to become stale no matter what age you are. I continue to try and fight the struggle of being fresh and youthful in my own way. How about you? Comments and suggestions are sincerely welcomed.

Hanzell Chardonnay 2006-5 apron wine

Wishing you a 6 apron Day.

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Mrs. Reed

The Freedom to Drink Cabernet with Dover Sole

Recently Dr. Alex and I went on a golf trip with Fred and Ethel. While we were on this trip we dined at two very nice restaurants. Like so many people Fred and Ethel have rituals with their meals. While we peruse the menu to order Fred and Ethel always order a martini. Once they have completed their cocktail they order their favorite white wine. This wine is called "the House Chardonnay". On the first evening of our two night trip Ethel ordered a Dover Sole and while placing her order for this delicate fish speciality she also placed an order for her favorite
red wine "the House Cabernet". Fred followed suit with ordering short ribs with the same wine choices that Ethel had placed.

Now, I know alot of "wine experts" would be very uncomfortable with pairing a delicate mild fish with a cabernet sauvignon. But this is the way Ethel and Fred like to dine. They love their rituals and are more then satisfied with their wine/food pairing choices. I have tried to suggest maybe doing it a bit differently. When I have made these suggestions Fred and Ethel give me that mind your own business look and you know they are absoutely correct. This is Fred and Ethel's dining ritual and they could not be any happier.

My own mother who I will call Aunt Clara (since my mother reminds me of Aunt Clara from The Bewitched Show) loves Merlot. She only drinks California Merlot. It doesn't matter what her entree is Aunt Clara wants Caleefornia Merlot as her beverage. Aunt Clara feels if the wine comes from Caleefornia then it is safe to drink. You know, all those unsafe wines from France.

So there you go. People have rituals that don't hurt anyone else and these rituals make them feel happy and safe. But lurking out there is the Wine and Food Pairing Gestapo that want to ridicule and tell these people how wrong they are to drink these food and wine combinations. My advice to them is that everyone has the right to drink Cabernet with Dover Sole, so mind your own business and stop interferring with Fred, Ethel and Aunt Clara's rituals.

Speaking of enjoyable wines. I would like to make a recommendation for a lovely Sauvignon Blanc I enjoyed last night with my dinner. Dr. Alex and I dined on a salmon dish with a dill sauce I cooked up for the two of us. I paired this dish with a lovely Duckhorn Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008. This wine can be had for about $25.00. Duckhorn blends 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Semillon. This is a similar blend for dry white wines from Bordeaux. The nose presents some lemon, grapefruit and pear notes. On the palate I noticed banana, lychee and pear. This wine is very nicely balanced with about 13.5% alcohol. I would annoint this wine with 4 aprons.

Duckhorn Wines are usually very dependable wines. I always feel safe when I purchase any of their wines. Duckhorn's Sauvignon Blanc seems to be fail safe every vintage. It's nice to have a list of certain producers you can always count on. Duckhorn is definitely tried and true.

Wine Recommendation; 4 aprons-Duckhorn Sauvingnon Blanc Napa Valley 2008

Here’s hoping you have a 6 apron day!

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Mrs. Reed

Welcome to Mrs. Reed Loves Wine

Greetings!

Since this is our first of hopefully, many discussions I would like to introduce you to my world. If you are not familiar with my name; Mrs. Reed, please allow me to share some very relevant information.

My purpose in creating this blog is to share with readers my love and enjoyment of wine and my observations of life. To protect the innocent, I have chosen to present the people in my life and myself as fictious and historical characters.

Cast of Main Characters:

I am Mrs. Reed, former sitcom Mother (use your imagination).

Dr. Alex: my husband (not really a doctor)

Oldest Son: Wally

Youngest Son: Beaver

Daughter-in-Law and Wally's wife: Mary Alice

Our family dog: White Fang

There are many more new, fun and interesting characters that you will be meeting in future posts.

Now, for our first post. . .

I would like to tell you about two wines I consumed yesterday at a 4th of July barbeque. Dr. Alex and I met our friends, Fred and Ethel, at our local country club for the annual 4th of July celebration. (Trust me we are not talking fancy at this place). The food was the usual barbeque fare. Over cooked hot dogs, under cooked burgers and of course The Sahara Desert, dried out chicken. You need a nice beverage to get this kind of grub down the old esophagus.

We began our meal with The Ojai Vineyard 2008 Rose`. This lovely Rose is a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend with some Sauvignon Blanc for added crispness. Beautiful salmon color coming in at about 14% alcohol. This is a light weight wine that really delivers with a great nose and palate. The nose offers lots of subtle minerality with some gentle citrus. Light strawberries mixed with perfectly balanced acidity engulf your mouth. This was a great way to start the evening. By the way this terrific wine sells for about $15.00. Definitely a 4 aprons wine. (The guide is 1-6 aprons, of course 6 aprons is a really a coup. More on the aprons at the end).

Next, we all got off our derrieres got in line to have our plates filled with this disgusting food. After all that exercise it was time to open another bottle of thirst quenching vinified grape juice. I brought a bottle of Perrin & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape 2005, Les Sinards. I was very excited to finally try this bottle of wine. The 2005 vintage in France was called the year of the century. Which is pretty funny since the century is only 9 years old. But hype is hype so who am I to disagree with experts? The Perrin Family is very famous in France for producing the highly respected Chateauneuf du Pape from their Chateau de Beaucastel vineyards. This particular wine was from younger vines grown at the Beaucastel vineyard as well as a nearby vineyard. A definite 4 apron wine.

So instead of paying around $75.00 for Beaucastel I purchased this wine for about $40.00. Ethel, Fred. Dr. Alex and I were all very pleased with this wine. It went great with the barbque burn taste and not one drop was left in the bottle. By the way this wine actually made our wretched food tolerable. I find a nice bottle of wine can actually make bad food much more agreeable. Anyway, this wine is a blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 15% Mourvedre. The palate provides lots of dark fruit consisting of dark cherries, raspberries with some black pepper and baking spices. I felt on the nose I initially was getting baking spice and some earth with dark berries. This wine had a wonderful balance with plenty acidity.

I chose not to go overboard with endless wine descriptors. When I am drinking wine I want to enjoy it and not spend the whole time having some ridiculous wine scavenger hunt descriptor search. I think that really has gotten out of hand.

One weekend Dr. Alex and I had dinner with some wine friends up in Napa. They wanted to spend the whole night swishing, swirling and discussing wine descriptors on some amazing wines from Rochioli and Papapietro Perry. Just to annoy them I kept interjecting that I was smelling bananas. “Yep, bananas” I continued to throw out to them hoping they would be so disgusted with me they would finally stop. Guess what? It worked, because they must have decided I was so beneath their one of a kind sniffers and palates that they finally suspended their overdone description and enjoyed the wine. Ok, time for me to take White Fang for a walk and give Dr. Alex a little attention.

Wally and Beaver are now grown men and live in other parts of the country. Wally is married to the lovely and beautiful Mary Alice. Beaver lives in a large city that is known for an enormous statue of a woman inviting people to our country's shores.

I will continue to blog and give you more stories and wine recommendations so I hope you come back for more. Please feel free to comment on anything I write.

Mrs. Reed recommends:

The Ojai Vineyard 2008 Rose-4 aprons.

Perrin & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape Les Sinards 2005-4 aprons.

Apron scale is anywhere from 0-6. Wooden spoons will sometimes be added.

It has been a sincere pleasure to share a slice of my world with you.

Wishing you a perfectly pressed apron day.

XXOO

Mrs. Reed