Wine Night

On Saturday, John and I drove south to our friends' house for the second installment of Wine Night. I think we need a snappier name but for now, this will have to do. The theme for this evening was dry reds. These were far more accessible than my Alsace whites a couple months ago. None of this running all over creation to 4 wine stores business. We kept it simple this time. Our assignment was dessert and a Cabernet Sauvignon. Done and Done. In addition to the wine, we were served lovely appetizers including bruschetta and cheese, and a delicious Italian meal of salad, lasagna, and garlic bread. YUM!

Onto the wine.......







This first selection is from a local Cincinnati winery, Vinoklet. Hence the name, Cincinnatus. There was no help on the bottle or the website to tell us what we were supposed to be picking out of the wine flavor-wise but, it was good. The sweetest of the dry wines of the evening. The bottle only noted that it was a "dry, robust wine made from the chambourcin grape." I don't know what this one retails for and it doesn't say on their website. I thought it would be rude to ask. It also won the Silver Medal in some wine competition I cannot recall today.












This is the bottle John and I brought. It's a Cabernet Sauvignon from Bogle Vineyards in California. This was a 2007. We selected it because it is consistently called out as a good value by the New York Times. It also scored a 90 from the Wine Enthusiast. It retails for $15.99 but we got it on sale for $12.99. YEA! Anyway, I think we all really liked this one. Again, the bottle was no help but I swear I was getting hints of honey. Everyone agreed but if they're anything like me, I can always force myself to taste whatever someone else has just said they notice. Now, having said that, according to their website, I was WAY off. Bogle says, "Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape that takes its own sweet time, slowly lingering to ripen on the vine. We are rewarded by its reluctance. Overwhelming cherry and vivid plums create a welcome first impression, while touches of green tea leaves and leather nestle themselves among the spicy, saucy fruit. Fourteen months in American barrels have produced touches of melted caramel and white pepper. With well-integrated tannins and a rich and round finish, this wine will be a favorite for years to come." Anyway, I would definitely buy this one again. John said he wanted to try more of it too. He was reserved last night, since he was our driver.




Last but not least we have a Chianti from Da Vinci. Remembering to take pictures of the bottles this time sure saved a lot of time. The initial taste of this wine was strong, almost an attack on the taste buds. But, John and I both thought it mellowed way out for a dry, red. We liked this one too and would buy it again. And once again, I have no idea what it retails for because I thought it would be rude to ask. It was good though.










For dessert, I made a Triple Chocolate Cherry Cake and we had spumoni ice cream. When selecting this recipe, I knew I wanted something chocolate, and cherry is often found in various dry reds so I thought it would pair nicely as well. Not wanting to bring a plain old box mix cake, I did a little digging. The Betty Crocker website has a wealth of recipes in which you dress up their mixes so it seems like you worked really hard on a fancy dessert. (Sorry, C, cat's out of the bag on that one!) Anyway, this was delicious and low fat. Here is the recipe and I found a ton more that I want to try in the future. I love cake. And wine!