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 2026 Cabernet Sauvignon So far, we have avoided the massive cold beginning to winter. Let us settle into January and see what we can drink to enjoy those evening dinners, game nights or time by the fire with friends. Cabernet Sauvignon is considered the Big Red Wine. Cabernet can be dry but they can also be smooth and easy to drink. It can pair well with a multitude of foods you will have to come see what is on the menu; however, it is known to pair great with beef!. So if you want to warm up and enjoy an evening with friends and family we look forward to seeing you soon. Served with Beef Pot Roast Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Carrots w/ Whipped Feta & Death by Chocolate Cake Bunt Cake
- 3rd Tie/3rd 2023 STEL + MAR Cabernet Sauvignon, CA (100% Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 3rd Tie/4th 2023 Ocnautic Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, CA (96% Cabernet, 4% Petite Sirah)
- 4th/2nd 2023 Ride Cabernet Sauvignon, CA (94 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petite Sirah)
- 2nd/1st 2022 Blazon Cabernet Sauvignon, Lodi, CA (77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petite Sirah)
- 1st/5th 2022 Canvasback Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, WA (86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 5% Syrah, 3% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc)
- 5th/6th 2021 House of Smith REAL WINE Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, WA (100% Cabernet Sauvignon)
February 2026 Italian Red Wines I have wanted to do international tastings for a couple years. This highlighted 6 different wines from across Italy. I paired it with my Baked Chicken Parmesan, over a special white sauce pasta, asparagus and tiramisu.
- 1st 2023 DaVinci Chianti, Tuscany, Italy (90% Sangiovese grapes, 10% Merlot)
- 4th 2021 Viticcio Ferraio Toscana, Tuscany, Italy (50% Sangiovese, 25% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 3rd 2022 Planeta Segreta Nero D’Avola, Sicily, Italy (100% Nero d’Avola)
- 2nd 2022 La Quercia Montepulciano D’Abbruzo, Abbruzo, Italy (100% Montepulciano)
- 6th 2022 G. D. Vajra Barolo ALBE, Piedmont, Italy (100% Nebbiolo)
- 5th 2022 Antiche Terre Amarone, Veneto, Italy (Corvina Veronese, Corvinone, Rondinella)
February 2026 Merlot In February we are tasting Merlot. This is a wine that was climbing the ladder to greatness in the late 1990’s that was knocked off by a movie about Pinot Noir. Merlot however is a great red wine for those elegant dinners you have to celebrate events, like Birthdays or Anniversaries. It can be a little drier if it is drunk too young or without letting it breathe a little. It pairs well with a large group of foods especially Beef, Lasagna, something with a mushroom sauce. These are great wines that many are missing out on. Come see if you can find a couple that you like and can have for the next special occasion. I paired this with Salisbury Steak, Garlic Butter Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Green Beans & Tomatoes, Brownie over Raspberry POM coulis, with Marshmallow on top.
- 2nd 2020 Benton Hills Goose Gap Merlot, Columbia Valley, WA (79% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 5th 2022 Luke Wahluke Slope Merlot, Columbia Valley, WA (91% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc)
- 3rd 2021 Peirano Estate Vineyards “Six-Clones” Merlot, Lodi, CA (100% Merlot)
- 1st 2022 Donati Family Vineyard Merlot, Paso Robles, CA (99% Merlot, 1% Malbec)
- 4th 2023 Bread & Butter Merlot, CA
- 6th 2023 Benziger Family Vineyard Merlot, CA
- 2nd/2nd 2023 Field Recordings Franc Cabernet Franc, CA (100% Cabernet Franc)
- 5th/4th 2022 Thistledown Gorgeous Grenache, Australia (95% Grenache, 4% Shiraz, 1% Mataro)
- 6th/5th 2023 Mary Taylor Castilla Y Leon Prieto Picudo, Leon, Spain (100% Prieto Picudo) Unoaked
- 4th/3rd 2021 Fowles Farm to Table Shiraz, Victoria, Australia (100% Shiraz)
- 3rd/6th 2022 Saint Gregory Pinot Meunier, Mendocinno, CA (75% Pinot Meunier 25% Pinot Noir)
- 1st/1st 2023 Old Soul Petite Sirah, Lodi, CA (80% Petite Sirah, 10% Zinfandel, 10% Petit Verdot)
April 2026 Red Blends Bacon Cheese Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Street Corn Salad & French Silk Pie
- 6th/2nd 2023 Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant Red Blend, Central Coast, CA (69% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 14% Cinsault, 2% Petite Sirah)
- 5th/5th 2022 La Posta Tinto Red Blend, Mendoza, Argentina (60% Malbec, 20% Bonarda, 20% Syrah)
- 2nd/3rd 2023 Sean Minor Nicole Marie Red Blend, North Coast, CA (50% Merlot, 25% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah)
- 4th/1st Tie 2023 Vina Robles The Arborist Red Blend, Paso Robles, CA (45% Syrah, 29% Petite Sirah, 14% Grenache, 12% Tannat)
- 3rd/4th 2022 Highlands 41 Black Granite Red Blend, Paso Robles, CA (45% Cabernet Sauvignon 25% Primitivo 10% Petite Sirah 10% Malbec 10% Pinot Noir)
- 1st/1st Tie 2021 Silk and Spice Spice Road Red Blend, Portugal (Alicante Bouschet(50%);Shiraz (30%); Touriga Nacional (20%)
- NV Jaume Serra Bouquet Cava Rose, Barcelona, Spain (Trepat and Pinot Noir)
- 1st 2021 Alvarez De Toledo Mencia Roble, El Bierzo, Spain (100% Mencia)
- 6th 2024 Bodega Ponce ‘Clos Lojen’ Bobal, Manchuela, Spain (100% Bobal)
- 4th 2023 Bodega Raices Ibericas Las Pizarras Fabla #506, Calatayud, Spain (80% Garnacha, 20% Syrah)
- 3rd 2020 La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva, Rioja, Spain (100% Tempranillio)
- 2nd 2022 Bodega Juan Gil Silver Monastrell, Jumilla, Spain (100% Monastrell)
- 5th 2021 Finca Bacara ‘Time Waits For No One/Double’ Monastrell, Jumilla, Spain (100% Monastrell)
May 2026 Chardonnay Chicken Cordon Blue w/ Dijon Sauce, Parmesan Risotto, Asparagus & Crème Brulé
- 2nd NV JaM Cellars Butter California Chardonnay, CA (100% Chardonnay)
- 5th 2023 Toasted Head California Chardonnay, CA (Chardonnay)
- 4th Tie 2024 Kendall Jackson VR Chardonnay, CA (100% Chardonnay)
- 3rd 2023 Alexander Valley Vineyards Chardonnay, Alexander Valley, CA (99% Chardonnay, 1% Viognier)
- 4th Tie 2023 Bezel Chardonnay, San Luis Obispo Coast, CA (100% Chardonnay)
- 1st 2023 Raymond Reserve Carneros Chardonnay, Sonoma County, CA (100% Chardonnay)
June 2026 Sauvignon Blanc
July 2026 Moscato & Rose
August 2026 Odd White Wines:
September 2026 Malbec & South American Reds
October 2026 Zinfandel
November 2026 Pinot Noir
December 2026 Dessert Wines
Bottom of the Page.
- Bottom of Pagerd
Google+