A Day of Shopping and a Night of Wine! Cru Wine Bar

This time of the year is so busy with shopping and getting things ready for the holiday season, and although that is all over now, I still remain in that frame of mind until it gets warmer. I love freezing nights, dreary winter days, warm blankets, my old Uggs, new movies, and of course great wine.

One evening Don and I decided to go to the movies, but didn't quite have time  to eat a full sit-down meal before showtime. So we headed to Cru Wine Bar right beside the Magnolia Theater where the movie was playing. 

Don was in the mood for white wine and I'm always in that same mood. He ordered a different flight of whites than me. That way we could taste all six wines. We ordered some shared plates that paired well with the wines. Here's what we ordered.

Flight #3 World Whites 

• 2013 Henri Bourgeois "Les Barrones" Sancerre ($23) from Loire, France. The chive and flint notes are backed by a tangy line echo on the finish. Light, pure and fresh. 87 points Wine Spectator 

• 2011 Le Vins de Vienne Saint-Peray ($27) from Rhone Valley, France. Bright, green-tinged straw. Fresh peach and melon on the fragrant nose and in the mouth. Plush and open-knit, with good finishing breadth and persistence. This easy-going wine drinks week now. 

• 2012 Rudi Pichler, Federspiel, Gruner Veltliner ($25) Wachau, Austria. The fresh-cut apple and grapefruit flavors are firm and fleshy in this lightly spiced white. Features well-defined ripe melon notes, delivering an elegant finish accented by white pepper.

Flight #1: First Class Chardonnays

• 2010 Sanford "Flor de Campo" ($16) from Santa Barbara County, California. Fresh and lively, offering citrus-infused stone fruit flavors, with touches of white peach and flowers. 

• 2011 Chateau St. Jean ($14) from the Sonoma Coast, California. Rich, offering ripe Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apple notes, with pretty spice and light oak shadings. Ends with a subtle mix of nuanced flavors.

• 2011 Mi Sueno, Carneros ($38) in Napa Valley, California. A mix of fresh earth, citrus, mineral and green apple flavors combine to give this wine an unusual yet appealing flavor profile. Firm acidity keeps the flavors fresh and lively.

We had a great time. Cruz Wine Bar is a fun, cozy place to meet, talk, and dine. Off to the movies! Enjoy!