Review: 2010 La Côte Blanche Chardonnay Macon-Villages

A refreshing white wine to combat your summer fatigue.

It’s finally hot this summer, and the heat has me craving chilled white wines. Last week I was at the fourth annual Wine Bloggers Conference and one of the distributors kindly gifted me a bottle of 2010 La Côte Blanche Chardonnay Macon-Villages, which is from the South of Burgundy (Bourgogne) France.

The wine has a consumer friendly varietal name of “Chardonnay” printed on the label. And yes, it tastes to me of un-oaked Chardonnay. The La Côte Blanche is bright, tart, with citrus, lemon, and some toast on the nose; I found this wine easy to drink and very refreshing, particularly on a sizzling summer afternoon. It was a pleasure to enjoy this wine with chicken fried rice and just picked garden peas. At first taste this wine appears quite light, it is that well balanced, you’d not guess it has 13% alcohol. The luminance of this white Burgundy complimented my meal wonderfully.

This is a very enjoyable summer wine which will flatter your meals and festivities. Recommended. This wine retails at $9.99 which is a great value.

Cheers!
(I told you I sometimes go outside my box)

Spirit Review: Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine White Lightnin' @OleSmoky

Today I have crossed the line from wine to spirits. At 100 proof the Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine is definitely turning up the volume (ABV 50%). "Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, and Tennessee white whiskey are terms used to describe high-proof distilled spirits, generally produced illicitly...The word "moonshine" is believed to derive from the term "moonrakers" used for early English smugglers and the clandestine (i.e., by the light of the moon) nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey." Source Wikipedia My family is no stranger to Moonshine. That is, my great-grandfather and grandfather were not strangers. Evidently the family occasionally produced their own spirits on their Oregon ranch. My grandfather told me about his younger brother getting into his dads stash with predictable results. Grandmother also told me stories about midnight runs and secretive deliveries d...

Review: Sho Chiku Bai, Unfiltered Sake

Last month in Seattle, I purchased a bottle of Nigori sake at Uwajimaya. Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been visiting Uwajimaya for almost 40 years. When I was much younger, I’d buy model ship and plane kits, Japanese comic books (manga) and I never left without at least one steaming Humbow in hand. Today I buy the manga for my son; while I still enjoy the tasty steamed Humbows, now I never leave without at least one bottle of Sake in hand. Uwajimaya has a terrific selection of imported sake. This most recent visit, I left with a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sakes, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Typical sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process; however Nigori sake remains unfiltered, resulting in a cloudier beverage. Before serving, the bottle ...

Review | Rediscover New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2022 Vintage

New Zealand Wine Puts a Smile on my Face My friends know I am a huge fan of New Zealand wine. In 2012 I became a little obsessed and created a New Zealand wine blog with my friend Julie. We called it " Kiwi Daydreaming " because we could not stop daydreaming about New Zealand wine. Today, I am sharing my thoughts on three Marlborough, New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc wines. Each wine is distinct. Each is delicious in its own way. If you know me, you know that I cannot review any wine without including wine and food pairings. Those are included as well! About Appellation Marlborough Wine: Appellation Marlborough Wine™ was established in 2018 with a strict certification process that the region’s producers are able to apply for. AMW is trademarked in all key global wine markets and it is the legal recognition that sets it apart from other new world certification practices. Wines bearing the Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) quality mark provide consumers the following guarantees: O...

William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

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