Random Winey Thoughts – From Life and My Wine Journal

I am having what I’ll call a random day. Seriously, this was my Facebook status this morning: Random thoughts: 1. how did we run out of so much food when we’re never here? 2. Finished “50 Shades of Grey” – cannot understand the hype – no plot and the main character is an idiot. 3. I hate dusting. 🙂  (To my cousin’s humorous credit, she answered back by asking: “What is this dusting thing?” I explained it is something that only gets done when company is coming. Nuff said.)

And then I got to thinking that I have a lot of random winey thoughts, too. They are scattered throughout my wine journal. I have been keeping said journal for nearly 10 years now, even before I started writing about wine. At first, it was a way to remember what I liked, what I didn’t and where I got the wine. The older entries were pretty much yay or nay on the wine. As I learned more about vino, though, I began recording vintages, regions and alcohol by volume percentages. And I got better at describing the aroma, flavors and finishes so that I could actually write a review of the wine and not just read that I had this at the family reunion, cheap relative brought it and it never ever buy it for myself. Ahem.

Some of these random entries have made me laugh a little – or a lot. Some are old, and the vintage is no longer available..but I think you’ll get where I was coming from! So take a moment and randomly travel down memory lane with me, will you? (note: years refer to the vintage of the wine, not the year I added the entry)

Toasted Head Chardonnay (2001) – California. Great name! Lemony.  Better when it’s lightly chilled. Great aroma. A good one. (Apparently the name made an impression.)

Wooloomooloo Red Blend (2007) – Australia. LOVE this name! No getting around this, you must let this one breathe. LOTS of wood and tannins. Thin, sappy, not a bit memorable. Too much blending going on maybe? (Again, I was taken in by the name. But not the wine.)

Porcupine Ridge Syrah – South Africa. Yuck. Ick. Ick. Forgot to take the wood out of the wine. Tannins overpowering. Cute label though. (Really? What was my thing with the labels…oh wait. I still do that. Never mind.)

Cycles Gladiator Cabernet Sauvignon (2006) – California. Smells of cherry wood. Taste is very cherry with a bit of a sharp aftertaste. Very good with meats, stews. (Nothing remarkable about this entry except that I have a dining room full of cherry wood furniture and am wondering if there’s a connection.)

Penfolds Koonuga Hill Shiraz/Cabernet (2009) – South Australia. Nose: oak, spice and ripe berry. Flavors of cocoa and oak. Fell asleep. Hubby forgot to cork bottle. Have to go buy another one now.  (note: I still haven’t.)

Shelburne Vineyards Coach Barn Road Merlot (2007) – Vermont. Grown in NY, aged in oak in Vermont. Bought on ski trip to Vermont. Lots of tannins. This wine made me sneeze. (Never before, never again has a wine made me sneeze.)

Trader Joe’s French Market Cabernet Sauvignon (2005)  – France. Like drinking wood. Really dried my mouth out. Not again. (I actually underlined the last two words a lot in my notes…apparently I really did not like this one.)

I am sure there will be lots more randomness in my Winey Journey. Kind of the way things go around here sometimes. Most of the time.

Cheers!

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