Frank Family Vineyards Wine Dinner at DCC! #FrankFamilyWine

Don and I found this treasure of wine in 2012, the summer he proposed to me in Sonoma. We had ventured over the mountains to Napa and just stopped at anything that looked inviting. Frank Family Vineyards was one of the tasting rooms we stopped that day. We were very pleased that we did! All their wines are fabulous!

So Don surprised me and made reservations for a Tuesday night in September. I was so excited knowing that we would have a fabulous night of fun, food, wine, and togetherness (even though I had to teach school the next day)!

Here we are outside their tasting room in Napa.

Inside the tasting room by an unusual barrel of sorts!

Here's our menu for the evening! The chef out-shined himself this night!

These are the wines at the 6:30 reception.

Blanc de Blancs, Carneros 2010 ($45)

Chardonnay, Carneros 2012 ($35)

Pinot Noir, Carneros 2012 ($35)

Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2011 ($50)

During the dinner, we had the following wines! I have provided links to each so that you can read about the ones you are interested in buying. Let me tell you there wasn't one bottle I wouldn't buy. 

Chardonnay Reserve, Carneros 2012 ($65)

Zinfandel, Napa Valley 2011 ($37)

Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Rutherford 2008 ($85)

Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Rutherford 2011 ($85)

Zinfandel Port, Napa Valley NV 

The entire evening was wonderful. We sat by one couple that had traveled all over the world tasting wine. They were full of stories about their travels.

Thank you Aaron Benson for planning this wonderful evening and thank you honey for taking us to an amazing wine dinner!

Snoqualmie Wine-Washington! #snoqualmiewine

My sweet husband and I have been dining from EatZi's (bringing it home) lately and with that a new bottle of wine has become a favorite of mine. He still prefers Cabernets, but is open to enjoying a Chardonnay with me. EatZi's has quite the selection of wines in their market. We're always eager to try something new and different.

Notice the photo above! If you go to their website, you will see that it is designed to look like cut paper, which I know one paper man really loves. For you paper lovers out there, check it out! It's quite unique!

Snoqualmie is a small city (population of around 12,500) near the center of Washington, about thirty minutes from Seattle! Of course, the name is a Native American tribe from the Pacific Northwest. The Snoqualmie Tribe, the People of the Moon, was one of the largest in the Puget Sound region in 1855. Notice the moons on the bottle.

2012 Snoqualmie Chardonnay ($10) from the Columbia Valley. This wine was crafted with no oak and has aromas of pear and apple with clean fruit flavors on the palate. What a bargain for an average price of $10. You will not be disappointed buying this Chardonnay!

Another Other White-Chenin Blanc and Viognier

Domaine des Baumard 2009 Clos duPapillon Chenin Blanc ($38)

Don and I dine at the club about once a week and of course Aaron, our friendly sommelier, always heads for our table to suggest the latest wine he wants us to try. He always gets it right! Everytime!

Shaped like a butterfly (papillon), this small vineyard is one of the best known in Savennieres, Loire Valley, France. The wine is very rich and ripe with apricot and pear flavors and an elegant texture. I didn't link to their website. It's written in French.

Darioush Signature 2012 Napa Valley Viognier ($47)

Another white we had recently at the club was this lovely Viognier. Don was excited to see Aaron bring this bottle to the table. I believe this is the very first time for me to taste anything by Darioush. Check out their website. It is quite impressive and I hope we visit this place someday soon. Taken from another website this wine has "aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine and citrus fruit, introducing a vibrant and succulent mouthfeel of juicy peach and cantaloupe balanced by the bright acidity of Fuji apple and lemon zest. The 2012 Viognier finishes with lingering notes of dried apricot, nutmeg and vanilla bean."

Thank you Aaron! You did it again!

Two Reds to Love!

Arnot and Roberts

The last two times Don and I have dined at the DCC we've asked Aaron for a great wine recommendation for our evening dinner. He suggested both of the wines that I will share with you from two different dinners.

The first dinner we were there, Aaron suggested a Cabernet Sauvignon because he knows Don LOVES a big, bold CAB. 

2010 Arnot-Roberts Fellom Ranch Santa Cruz Mountains ($80), bottled in Healdsburg, California fit the bill. And by the way it was half-price bottle night, which is always a plus for anyone! Arnot-Roberts' website doesn't offer this wine, so we were pretty lucky to get it.

 The front of the label is super boring, so I took a picture of the back, which is much more informative. "Opaque ruby, expansive, heady aromas of candied red and dark berries, pipe tobacco, potpourri and licorice, with a spicy nuance that gains strength with air. Stains the palate with sweet cherry-cola, cassis and floral pastille flavors supported by juicy acidity. The spicy quality comes back strong on a finish that features velvety tannins and a refreshingly bitter cherry pit quality."

Another night we dined at the DCC, Aaron wanted us to try something a little different from Don's usual BIG CAB. So, he brought us an Oregon Pinot Noir from Dundee Hills. We tried it and bought the entire bottle. It was amazingly delicious.

2010 Domaine Drouhin Laurene Pinot Noir, Drouhin Family Estates ($72). Before I looked at the back of the label, I told Don that this wine had a French feel to it. Then I turned to the back of the bottle and it said "French Soul-Oregon Soil". 

 The history of the Drouhin family runs deep in the French tradition of winemaking.

"The 2010 Laurène is a very pure expression of this estate, with clear notes of cherry, black cherry and red fruits. On the palate, one finds great depth and freshness, traits more commonly used to describe Burgundy, but very present here. The finish is long and graceful, and you'll love the harmony, balance and complexity. Though enjoyable now, this is very much a vin de garde - a wine to hold for the long term. Expect that you will be able to cellar the 2010 Laurène for the next 10 years, but 15 years wouldn't be a surprise at all.”

Another must for lovers of Pinot Noir!

Enjoy!

Sharing Chardonnays!

The last two times Don and I have been to Rex's Seafood on Lovers Lane, we've tasted a new Chardonnay. The restaurant always features two or three new wines we've never heard of. So of course, I want to try them. Here's what we had recently!

2012 Gavilan Chardonnay ($17) from the oldest vineyard in Monterrey County, bottled in Sonoma, CA. It has a citrus-pineapple aroma, combined with luscious pear flavors, crisp acidity and a long, elegant finish. Very nice!

2012 Neil Ellis Sincerely Chardonnay ($12) from the Republic of South Africa. If you're a fan of no oak, then Sincerely is for you. It's wonderfully clean and crisp with plenty of lemon and lime citrus and green apple. It has a good length of flavor in the finish.

Enjoy these Chardonnays soon!