Monday Night Wine

Monday Night Wine is a fabulous group of friends I have & we get together a couple Monday nights each month to taste wine. Each month we try a different varietal and I pair it with a dinner, as the wine will change once you introduce food to your palate.

January 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon As we went through the holidays, one of the first wines we selected for our dinners was Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a full body red wine, that can be dry dry dry or very fruit forward. We are going to taste several Cabs and see which is our favorite. Cabernet is a wine that will warm you up by the fire on these cold winter nights just sipping on them. We paired our wines with my Meatloaf, 5-6 Cheese Mac and Cheese, Roasted Broccoli, and Chocolate Silk Raspberry Tart.

5th/1st 2019 Scarlet Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile
1st/2nd 2020 Twenty Acre Cabernet Sauvignon, Clarksburg, CA (85% Cab Sauv, 15% Petite Sirah)
4th Tie/2nd 2020 H3 Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, WA (98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot)
2nd/1st 2021 Wente Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, CA (87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petite Sirah, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec)
4th Tie/6th 2021 Iron & Sand Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, CA (86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, 3% Petite Sirah)
3rd/5th 2021 Decoy Limited Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, CA (98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot)

February 2024 Merlot This month we are going to taste Merlot. When I first started in the wine business Merlot was the hottest wine around. They were so popular and there were some really good ones available. Now 25 years later, Merlot is one of the smallest sections in the store. The movie sideways years ago, was a marketing nightmare and literally destroyed the reputation of Merlot, but we are not going to give up on it! Come check out this varietal and see what you think. We paired this months merlots with Salisbury Steak w/ Mushrooms, Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus and 6 layer chocolate cake.

4th/6th 2021 Bliss Merlot Mendocino, CA (100% Merlot)
2nd Tie/1st 2021 J Lohr los osos Merlot, Paso Robles, CA (89% Merlot, 7% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc)
1st/2nd 2021 Maggio Family Merlot, Lodi, CA (82% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 6% Petite Sirah, 5%Malbec)
2nd Tie/3rd 2021 Murphy Goode Merlot, CA (96% Merlot, 4% Petite Sirah)
2nd Tie/4th 2020 Raymond Reserve Merlot, Napa Valley, CA (86% Merlot, 12% Cab Sauv, 2% Petit Verdot)
3rd/5th 2021 Textbook Merlot, Napa Valley, CA (76% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon)

March 2024 Odd Reds & Petite Sirah So as spring is teasing us with grilling weather, we know we are on the verge of Spring and Summer which means the grill is open. That means we need some great reds that are easy to drink and not too dry. The Petite Sirah grape is one of my favorites, we will have a couple of them, and also check out some of the other grape varietals that we don’t drink every day for example: Grenach, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, etc

You will have to come and see what is in the lineup! We paired our wines with BBQ Country Pork Ribs, Corn Pudding, Green Beans & No Bake Cheesecake w/ Blueberries.

4th/3rd 2021 Albert Bichot Beaujolais Village Chateau de Varennes, France (Gamay)
3rd/5th 2019 Vicente Gandia Ceramic Monastrell, Valencia, Spain (Monastrell)
2nd Tie/6th 2021 Thistledown Wine Company Gorgeous Grenache, South Australia (100% Grenache)
2nd Tie/4th 2021 Spicerack Syrah, Sonoma County, CA (97% Syrah, 3% Viognier)
1st Tie/2nd 2020 Vina Robles Petite Sirah, Paso Robles, CA (100% Petite Sirah)
1st Tie/1st 2020 Barra Reserve Petite Sirah, Mendocino County, CA (Petite Sirah)

April 2024 Red Blends This is our last month of red wines until fall. Red Blends are always some of the easiest wines to drink, they are not as dry, and usually quite smooth. Red Blends are great wines for spring and summer BBQ’s, Potlucks, Patio Parties, Picnics etc. They are great with Burgers and Pizza but also with other grilled meals and simple but elegant dinners. Come check out the wines and see if you can find a few new favorites! We paired our wines with Baked Chicken Parmesan w/ Pasta, Roasted Asparagus and No Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake.

3rd/4th Tie 2020 Herdade SÃO Miguel SUL Red, Alentejo, Portugal (Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon)
2nd/2nd 2020 Michael David Dan’s Blend Lodi Red, Lodi, CA (35% Petite Sirah, 18% Cinsaut, 20% Syrah, 14% Zinfandel, 13%Petit Verdot)
5th Tie/4th Tie 2020 Smith & Hook Proprietary Red Wine, Central Coast, CA (65% Merlot, 20% Petit Sirah, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Malbec)
1st/1st 2021 14 Hands Stampede Bold Red Blend, Columbia Valley, WA (58% Syrah, 23% Petit Verdot,13% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon)
5th Tie/3rd Tie 2021 OVZ Old Vine Red Blend, Lodi, CA (55% Zinfandel, 35% Petite Sirah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon)
4th/3rd Tie 2021 Wente Mount Diablo Highlands Red Blend, Central Coast, CA (23% Cab Sauv, 19% Petit Verdot, 16% Merlot, 11% Barbera, 11% Tempranillo, 11% Cab Franc, 9% Malbec)

May 2024 Chardonnay Happy May Day! So let’s drink some Chardonnay! Known also as White Burgundy, but I don’t know that we can get an affordable French Chard, but I will see. Chardonnay is usually a little heavier and some can have some hints of dryness to them. They can have tropical fruit, lemon, creamy vanilla, some may be nutty and my favorite, butter on their palates. This month we paired our wines with Lemon Thyme Chicken w/ Creamy Citrus Orzo, Asparagus and Apple Pie.

1st/4th 2019 Mer Soleil Silver Unoaked Chardonnay, CA
4th/5th Tie 2022 Robert Mondavi Vint Buttery Chardonnay, CA 
3rd Tie/3rd 2021 BarDog California Chardonnay, CA (100% Chardonnay)
2nd/5th Tie 2021 Frei Brothers Russian River Valley Chardonnay, Sonoma County, CA (100% Chardonnay)
5th/1st 2021 Phantom Chardonnay, Clarksburg, CA
3rd Tie/2nd 2021 Smith & Elliot Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, Sonoma County, CA

June 2024 Sauvignon Blanc Wow we are looking at JUNE, that is halfway thru the year of 2024! This month we are going to taste Sauvignon Blanc, my favorite white wine! Sauvignon Blanc is a clean crisp wine, off dry, but it usually has some very strong flavors of grapefruit, jalapeno, lemon/citrus, passion fruit, etc This wine will wake up your mouth for sure and make you pucker in a good way. It is great with salads, crab, chicken and dill to name a few. This month we paired our wines with Grilled Greek Chicken w/ Dill Yogurt Sauce, Spanakorizo, Salad w/ Crab Cakes & Key Lime Bars.

3rd/1st 2022 1749 Sauvignon Blanc, Loire, France (Sauvignon Blanc)
5th/4th 2022 Angeline Reserve California Sauvignon Blanc, CA (100% Sauvignon Blanc)
4th/5th 2023 Textbook Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, CA (100%Sauvignon Blanc) (96% Stainless Steel, 4% Neutral French Oak Barrels)
2nd Tie/6th 2022 Taonga Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, NZ (100% Sauvignon Blanc)
2nd Tie/2nd 2022 Koha Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, NZ
1st/3rd 2023 Clark Estate Riverside Terrace Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, NZ

Note: Dill Yogurt Sauce recipe is: 1 ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 2 Tblsp dried Dill OR 1 cup fresh dill, 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1/2 lemon juiced, 1 tsp siracha, 1/4 tsp kosher salt (I used combo of fresh and dried Dill… & I didn’t exactly measure ;o)

July 2024 Riesling & Moscato As summer begins to heat up, we all want something cold to drink. It is a also very nice if that cold drink is on the sweeter side. This month we will be tasting Riesling and Moscato wines. Not only are these easy to drink, but they can also stand up to a little spicier meal. I don’t know yet what we will be having but it could have a little kick to it maybe Thai or Mexican we could also do Jerk. So I ended up pairing Smoked Sausage & Sweet Potato Stir Fry, Roasted Carrots with Goat Cheese & Pistachios and Strawberry Shortcake.

6th/3rd 2023 Long Shadow’s Winery Poet’s Leap Riesling, WA (100% Riesling)
2nd/1st 2022 St. Christopher Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Spatlese, Mosel, Germany (100% Riesling)
5th/5th 2021 Fess Parker Riesling, Santa Barbara, CA (100% Riesling)
4th/4th 2021 Salt of the Earth Flore de Moscato, Madera, CA (Orange Muscat & Muscat Canelli)
1st/2nd NV Caposaldo Moscato Provincia di Pavia, Lombardy, Italy (100% Moscato Bianco)
3rd/6th NV Cupcake Moscato D’Asti, Piedmont, Italy (100% Moscato)

August 2024 Odd White Wines: This month we are going to look at those odd white grapes maybe chenin blanc, viognier, pinot grigio or white blends. These are wines that will be off-dry. These wines are clean and crisp in a way, they will have citrus backbones but also other floral or nutty characteristics. They will pair with a multitude of things; chicken pot pie, salads, grilled chicken, brunch and sandwich ideas. Who knows what we will have, you will have to come and see what wines and food pairings! Brunch for Dinner: Monte Cristo Sliders, Hashbrown Quiche w/ Prosciutto & Jarlsberg, Kale Ceaser Salad & Lemon Blueberry Scones

2nd Tie/2nd 2022 Txakoli Primo Zarautz, Spain (Chardonnay, Viura, Xarel-lo)
1st/4th 2023 Colome Torrontes Calchaquí Valleys, Salta, Argentina (100% Torrontes)
3rd/3rd 2022 Regismont Chardonnay Viognier, Languedoc, France (52% Chardonnay, 48% Viognier)
5th/7th 2023 Field Recordings SKINS White Blend, CA (34% Chenin Blanc, 18% Pinot Gris, 12% Colombard, 9% Xarel.lo, 8% Verdelho, 6% Vermentino, 3% Trousseau Gris, 3% Semillon, 3% Gewurztraminer, 2% Riesling, 2% Malvasia Bianca)
4th/1st 2022 Mary Taylor Cotes De Gascogne, France (50% Colombard, 25% Gros Manseng, 20% Ugni Blanc, 5% Sauv Blanc)
2nd Tie/ 5th 2020 Bibi Graetz Casamatta Bianco Toscana, Tuscany, Italy (60%, Vermentino, 30% Trebbiano, 10% Ansonica)
6th/6th 2021 Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse Cape White Blend, South Africa (32 % Roussanne, 29% Semillon blanc, 19% Chardonnay, 16% Chenin blanc, 4% Clairette blanche)

September 2024 Malbec & South American Reds Now that we are in the ‘BER’ months as they say, it is time to turn back to ‘RED’ wine! In September we usually head to South America and look for a few Malbec wines, or Red Blends. If I can find a good Bonarda or Carmenere we will taste them also. These are all off dry to dry reds that will pair with Grilled meats. They will be good for those tailgate and fall grilling dinners on the patio. So we paired our wines with Grilled Flank Steak w/ Chimichurri, Grilled Beef Sausage, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus & No Bake Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake

1st/1st 2019 Root 1: Carmenere Reserva, Colochagua Valley, Chile
2nd/2nd Tie 2021 El Porvenir Amauta Absoluto Tannat, Cafayate Valley, Argentina
3rd/2nd Tie 2022 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Escudo Rojo Reserva Syrah, Chile (100% Syrah)
2nd/2nd 2022 Bodegas Caro Aruma Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina (100% Malbec)
3rd/3rd 2022 Black Cabra Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina (100% Malbec)
1st/ 1st 2020 Antigal Uno Malbec, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (100% Malbec)