Thursday Night Wine Tasting At Parker Wine Cellars!

You know, I'm really starting to look forward to Thursday after work. Taekwondo lessons are done for the week, I'm not in a hurry to whip up a meal, and Jeff Stuart at Parker Wine Cellars has something delicious to taste on the way home. This week the wines were from Chile and VERY reasonably priced -- all three of them were under $20. Three wines from Vina Falernia were featured (and I'm quoting Jeff because he has better wine words than I do):

'09 Pedro Ximenez~ Pale straw yellow in color, brilliant with a very attractive nose with floral and aromatic notes that are fresh and clean. A nice medium body with a balance of acidity, minerality and fruit that finishes slightly dry with a lingering of aromatic fruit. Almost a perfect apertif, but will work well with seafood and light chicken dishes. MY NOTE: This is made with the grapes that are used for sherry, and it's a very nice, crisp wine reminiscent of a sauvignon blanc.

'06 Syrah Reserva~ Blended with grapes from three different vineyards, this nice little wine shows up with a bright distinct darkish red color with a nose that hints of violets and pepper spice. Medium to full bodied, the palate boasts of blackberry jam, black pepper, and hints of oak and a wee bit of mocha. The finish lingers and stays with you almost until the next sip comes along. MY NOTE: This is a very nice syrah and can hold its own quite well with higher priced bottles.

'06 Carmenere Reserva~ Using grapes that are partially dried, this fantastic little wine shows up deep and dark purple in the glass with a nose of sweet chocolate and ripe plum. The palate shows hints of vanilla, black cherry and some earthy pipe tobacco that finishes with a balance of length and depth that shows that this juice is far from wimpy and can work well on its own or with a hearty dish. MY NOTE: This was my favorite of the three, which surprised me. I've tried another wine made with partially dried grapes and I didn't much care for the overly intense flavor, but this wine had the most amazing aroma and taste. I would have been quite happy, like Ferdinand the Bull of childhood story fame, to just sit quietly and smell. (Ferdinand smelled the flowers, just in case you were wondering what kind of children's book I was reading.)

After that lovely oasis between work and "what's for dinner, Mommy?" I went home and made dinner. Jackson wasn't up for fish so he got chicken strips, steamed broccoli and French fries. The rest of us had tuna. Chris likes it blackened, so I did that recipe for him, with a side of sushi rice, and Jennie and I had spicy tuna sashimi. I couldn't find any nori to make the spicy tuna into a traditional roll, so I just served it over the sushi rice with sticks of fresh cucumber on the side. It was very light and refreshing, a good summer's day dinner.

I made it through another week of grim budgetary restraints without succumbing to the temptation to get take-out, so I shall go pat myself on the back now. À BIENTÔT!