Wine Night: 14 Hands

Another installment of wine night! Our gracious friends were hosting this one so we told Sadie to hold down the fort and headed on down to their house. We were instructed to bring a certain type of wine from a specific winery. I didn't ask what the theme was prior to getting together so I was concocting many different options based on this bottle. All wrong, mind you. The bottle we brought was 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon. Finding this is might be hit or miss. I ended up having my wine shop order a bottle for me but I know they carry many 14 Hands varieties at the other store we frequent. The theme for the food played into the flight of wine as all 4 bottles that evening were from 14 Hands. I had never had anything from there before but, I'll try anything! 14 Hands is in Washington, if you're curious. Oh sorry, dinner was "food you eat with your hands." Get it? Hands and 14 Hands? Stay with me, folks. The menu was delicious! Steak and veggie kabobs, chicken satay skewers and crispy potato fries after a fantastic appetizer spread. Yum, I'm hungry all over again.

Onto the wines....

Hot to Trot White Blend: I think blends get a bad rap. Yes, they are typically comprised of barrel leavings but don't let them fool you. Those unwanted left-behinds can be whipped into something quite nice. This was delightful and perfect for the wonderfully warm evening we had that night. Crisp with a clean finish.

Riesling: This was a crowd favorite, although I liked the blend better. (Odd for me, a Riesling lover) Melon and peach and other things I can't remember. I did still like this one too though.

Hot to Trot Red Blend: Oh, this was smooth. John's fave of the night. Not at all tannic and particularly easy on the palate. We'll be buying this one again.

Cabernet Sauvignon: This was tasty too although John confessed that he doesn't really care for Cabs. This is news to me! Cabs are my fave go-to red. No wonder I'm usually responsible for drinking those bottles.

Great offerings from 14 Hands in a reasonable price point, somewhere between $12-$16 range I believe. Previously we have selected a country, region or type of wine so it was nice to do a flight from one winery. I really liked this concept and will be stealing it for a future wine night. Give 14 Hands a try!

Wine-y Wednesday

This past weekend John and I stopped in at our favorite chocolate/coffee/wine shop, Winan's, before we had dinner. This place smells so delicious you want to fall over when you walk in. Their chocolate is smooth, the coffee divine. And the wine, d'vine....get it? There are always a handful of both reds, whites an dessert wines for tasting as well as a number of fun martinis. I was on a white kick and chose the $3.00 pour (half a glass) of the Montevina Pinot Grigio.

The bottle says: "With aromatics of ripe pear, summer peach and lotus blossom, our vibrant Pinot Grigio offers refreshing flavors of juicy Bartlett pears and citrus with subtle traces of nutmeg and spice. Well-balanced and approachable, this wine is the ultimate palate-pleaser."

I have to agree! It was a palate pleaser. Even though we're in the dead of winter, I appreciated the crispness. I think I'll really appreciate it this summer in my backyard. If you come across this very reasonably priced bottle, pick it up!

Bringing back the grape!

I haven't talked about wine in awhile. High time I got back to that, I think. Sad to say this may not have been the best bottle to reinstate my wine reviews on. Oh well, we must press on. I have often seen the House Wine label and thought, "How clever!" A label that's bold and catches the eye will, well, catch the eye in an aisle full of bottles. That, and, it was on sale. I think I paid $10 for a bottle of House Wine Red. The store I bought it at claimed it retailed for $14 full price. I doubt it but, let's press on even further.

House Wine Red by the Magnificent Wine Co. is a blend of the following: Cabernet Sauvignon 54%, Merlot 30%, Syrah 11%, Malbec 3%, and Cabernet Franc 2%. Sounds pretty good, right? All except for that 30% of Merlot. That should have been a dead giveaway for me. Oh, I drank it all right but it's definitely not my favorite. No flavors really stood out. They sort of just muddled together. I shan't be purchasing this again anytime soon. 88 Wine Spectator points or not!

Wine Night

This past Saturday, John and I hosted some good friends for another installment of wine night. For some reason, very early in the planning for this night, I selected a theme of “Food on a Stick.” While these gatherings are all about the wine, I got really hung up on incorporating sticks into the meal. Why is this? You ask. Beats me. I was so focused on the stick food that I didn’t even select a wine theme until pretty late in the game. What I finally settled on is what I’m calling Summer Whites. These didn’t necessarily have anything to do with summer, mind you, but it was a blazing hot day in Ohio and I thought the whites would be more refreshing than a bold red. I was right (one point for Ashley).

My appetizer menu included cheese, both seasoned Havarti and Colby jack, caprese bites (which are cherry tomatoes on a stick with fresh mozzarella topped with basil alongside Balsamic vinaigrette) and bread and crackers (not on a stick). For dinner we had chicken skewers with 3 dipping sauces. I was particularly proud of these sauces because I love condiments. I spent a long time looking for these recipes as I wanted them all to be homemade. There was a Spicy Peanut Sauce (deliciously zippy!), the Neely’s BBQ Sauce (delightfully tangy), and a Cilantro Cream sauce (I can't remember where this recipe came from!) that was a nice coolant in between the kick of the other two. We had zucchini and summer squash, also on skewers. The fruit course (now we’re talking fancy) consisted of kabobs of watermelon and pineapple with another dip, Strawberry Crème, fat free!! For dessert, our guests contributed chocolate peanut butter bars (thanks guys!) that were even better for breakfast the next morning, and I tried my darnedest to make Cheesecake pops.

Let me tell you something about cheesecake. When the recipes all say, “Just roll the cheesecake into balls, it’s easy.” It’s not so easy. In fact, it’s quite difficult. I mixed up my cheesecake and to speed things along, put it in the freezer and kept setting and re-setting timers until it reached a roll-able consistency. This never happened, especially since I accidentally left the bowl in the freezer overnight. One of the recipes I consulted said to pour the batter into ice cube trays. While I knew this would be easy, I was really striving for round cake pops. Hope abandoned, I succumbed to the trays for more freezing.

Then, there was the melting of the chocolate. This is not the first time I had a chocolate melting incident. On our first wine night there was a botched fondue attempt. When John said, “Let’s try it in the microwave”, I agreed, despite my better judgment. If you’ve ever melted chocolate in the microwave, you know that it goes from good to bad very quickly and also hardens much quicker than on the stove. A second only slightly more successful attempt was made at melting in the double boiler. This got and kept the chocolate more liquidy but did you know that once you put frozen cheesecake into hot melted chocolate the cheesecake starts to melt? Yeah, me neither. Needless to say, they did not turn out nearly as cute as I wanted. I end up having to spoon the chocolate over the pops and get them back in the freezer post haste. Thank goodness there were 4 hands. There may have also been terse exchanges and grabbing of spatulas when someone wasn’t moving quickly enough. I won’t name any names. (John) Lucky for me, and my guests, they tasted fine so all was not lost.

Enough about the food already, let’s hear about the wine!!

This is the only picture I got so you could see the labels and I’m too lazy to hunt them down on the internet. It was taken post party, obvs.

We started dry with a Sauvignon Blanc from Markham Vineyards. This was a 2007 Californian offering brought by our guests. I’m going to guess it was somewhere in the $10-$15 range, as most of our wines tend to be. The bottle referenced grapefruit and citrus, which I believe we all tasted. I swore there was some honey too which in a dry white, you don’t usually have but I commented on my uncanny ability to taste honey in all wines. My palate is cool like that.

We moved to the evening’s blend and also the local wine from Valley Vineyards, a winery about 45 minutes from us. It was called White Reflections (retails for $11 or $12, I can’t remember which) and is a blend of many grapes including Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, and Cayuga. The label said it was semi-sweet. I liked this one but John later said he didn’t care for it. Could have fooled me by the refill he poured.

And a type new to all of us was a Viognier from Loredona winery in California. In my research, I found that Viognier used to be exclusively made in the Rhone region of France until the 1980’s when a group called the Rhone Rangers brought the grape to California. How fun is that name? Do you think they wore masks? Anyway, this wine was interesting and a crowd pleaser for sure. It smelled very sweet and floral but most Viogniers are typically dry. This one had hints of peach and honey. (Honey!) I think this one was also around $12.

All in all, another wine night success. Even if my cheesecake pops looked wonky.

Merlot? Mer-NO!

During my birthday wine buying spree, I decided to broaden my horizons and try some things I was unfamiliar with and maybe revisit some others that I don't have very often. This is one of those bottles. I told the clerk that I'm not really a fan of Merlots but to be fair, it had been a number of years since I tried one and I thought I should give it another shot. She recommended Red Diamond as one of their most popular Merlots. It retails for only $7.99. A bargain! That's not always a good thing though.

The bottle notes that "the silky palate displays flavors of red berries, juicy plums and a touch of caramel and mocha." Well, I don't know if I tasted all of those things. The berries yes and possibly the mocha but not all of them together. I was not a fan of this wine. Unfortunately, I don't know if it was that I didn't like this or that I still don't really like Merlot. I'm going to go with the latter. If so many people are interested in purchasing this wine as the clerk said, then a Merlot-lover I must not be.

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!

Vino: Pinot

This 2008 Pinot Noir from Mirassou Winery in California was selected by my wine shopper on my recent wine spending spree. I enjoy a nice Pinot Noir as something different from my typical red preferences, Cabernet and Shiraz. I have seen this label a lot. It's everywhere, including my local Meijer. So, very easily accessible if you're interested in trying it. I think it was probably about $11.00. The problem with buying up all that wine is that I have to store it. The problem with that is that it's tacky to leave the price tag on bottles in your wine rack. And the problem with THAT is I forget how much they cost. I should have taken notes.

Onto the bottle! Claiming to offer "Intense flavors of cherry and plum with delicate floral notes and a hint of vanilla." On Mirassou's website, it also references pomegranate and currants but no vanilla. Why do these tasting notes differ if they're written by the same people? Anyway, I definitely tasted the cherry and plum. The other stuff was too subtle for my palate.

This was dry, but tasty. I would try it again. It seemed classy.

Cake and wine!

Well, not really. Just Layer Cake wine. I picked up a bottle of Cotes du Rhone by Layer Cake a couple weeks ago. I keep reading great things about Layer Cake and I decided it was time to see for myself. The fact that the bottle was on sale for $12.99 didn't hurt. I think it's normally $16 or $17. Besides being a new winery to me, I've also never tried a Cotes du Rhone before. It was similar, in my opinion, to a Cabernet Sauvignon. Now, those with a much more seasoned palate will probably laugh at this observation but I love a good cab sauv, so I'm sticking to it.

Aha. Upon further investigation, this is actually a Syrah from the Rhone Valley. And on the bottle: "My old grandfather told me the soils in which the vines lived were a layer cake. If properly made, the wine from these vines was like a delicious cake layered with fruit, mocha and chocolate, with hints of spice and rich, always rich. Never pass up a good Layer Cake.”

The tasting notes also reference blueberries, black currants and star anise. Mmm, spicy!

Don't you just love that? I love cake. I love wine. This is a new favorite for me. I definitely tasted the mocha and chocolate. It was fab. I will definitely slice up this Layer Cake again.

Wine Night!

John and I have decided to start having a wine night with some good friends of ours. We offered to host the inaugural event. I was in charge of choosing the wine theme. C'est vrai! I got lots of library books on wine for guidance. Eventually, I settled on wines from the Alsace region of France. This is a variety that I was unfamiliar with and since our wine night is all about exploration, learning, and fun, I thought this was a good fit. In hindsight, I should have gone to the wine store prior to selecting the theme. We had to go to 3 wine shops before we found any of the: Riesling, Pinot Gris, or Gewurtraminer from this region. Our guests had to go to 4. Whoops! Sorry, guys. What troopers! Don't you just love getting invited to someone's house and being sent on a wild goose chase?

Anyway, in all of my research, I found out that Asian foods pair well with these wines. I made Crab Rangoon from Spark People (low fat!) and John made Thai Chicken Pizza from Rachael Ray. I eschewed the "no new recipes for company rule" and it paid off. I'm not abiding by that rule anymore. These were both delicious. And my guests had seconds so I think they liked them too! I also had a cheese tray. Here it is. It's the only thing I remembered to take a picture of. Can you believe it? I was so mad at myself. The cheese plate says 'Le Fromage' but it's covered up.

Oh, and a veggie tray! I used this dip from Martha. Lemon thyme. Also low fat. Holler! I had every intention of making fondue but we had a little incident and the chocolate ended up with the consistency of dirt. Curses! Luckily, I had also assigned dessert to my guests. They brought yummy cherry and chocolate cheesecakes. And left us with the leftovers. Thanks, guys!

Now, onto the drinks..... All three wines were from 2007. Not sure if that was a good year or what but they all tasted good. And I think they all retailed for around $18-$20. There were others that were way more expensive but we were not on champagne budgets tonight. Hosting wine night is plus pricey!






This was the Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris. It was very mild tasting. Super citrusy. Lots of lemon and on the bottle, "A well structured, elegant wine with a dry character."











Here is our Riesling from Pierre Sparr. This was a crowd pleaser and it was dry as well. The bottle says "Floral with scents of lime and apple." A similar flavor palate to the Pinot but a completely different taste.









And finally, and my favorite, a Gewurztraminer from The Furst. This was the best label. It talked about the artist's painting of the girl/clown on the front and how she was despondent. We all got a big kick out of that. Gewurtzes have a very interesting taste you don't normally find in other whites.




So, we learned some lessons for this first wine night but overall, c'est si bon! Can't wait until the next one!

Vino Vino

John had the privilege of selecting my weekend wines yesterday. I requested a Pinot Grigio and a surprise. He did well! Just a few hours earlier I had been reading about the wines from Villa San-Juliette winery in Paso Robles, CA. And what does he come home with? A Cabernet blend called Romantique from the very same vintners! Fate. This bottle is a 2005 and John said it was on sale for $8.99, down from $20. Score! Rarely (read: never) do we spend $20 on a bottle of wine. We typically try to keep it in the $8-$13 range so this was a real find. And do you know who is one of the masterminds behind VSJ? Nigel Lythgoe, judge/producer on So You Think You Can Dance and producer of American Idol. A real wine celeb, no? I thought that was super neat. And his picture is on their website and everything. Onto the wine...

On the bottle - "An exquisite dark ruby red color with complex plum, black currant and cocoa aromas all balanced by rich velvety tannins. Romantique will not only put you in the mood, it will help you enjoy it."

This was a tasty glass. Very full-bodied and the black currant really comes through. I don't know if I could taste the cocoa but, I'm sure it's in there. It doesn't appear, from the website, that they're producing Romantique anymore. That's probably why it was on sale. So, if you can find it, it's worth trying. Thumbs up, Nigel!


I would like to declare my love for a lazy Saturday morning. We usually have big plans to get up and workout early so we can get on with the day. Today however, I made a rain-induced decision to get up early and surprise John with homemade scones and coffee. It would have worked too if Sadie hadn't barked at something outside. Because our temps are normalizing here in Dayton, we can again open windows and our balcony door. Wheee!!!! This also means that Sadie is on full sentry duty warning of all comings and goings into the condo. So, John was awakened by her loquaciousness. No matter. He was still pleased as punch with my surprise breakfast. Wife bonus points! We enjoyed our breakfast and are still lazing around trying to figure out the rest of the day. Love it!

The Art of Racing in the Rain

I actually checked The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein out of the library some time ago and had to turn it in before I read it. This was before my rebel days of keeping books overdue so I could finish them and happily paying the fine. I finally made it to the top of the hold list again and have been really looking forward to this book. It was highly recommended on a lot of book boards.

The Art of Racing in the Rain is narrated by Enzo, a dog. He discusses life with his owner, Denny, a wannabe racecar driver, Denny's wife, Eve and their daughter Zoe. Enzo loves everything about racing. He watches race videos and likes riding along with Denny when he drives. Eventually, Eve falls ill and Enzo knows about that too, before anyone else. He truly is man's best friend to Denny through some very tough times throughout the story. I don't want to give too much away so I'll just stop there. Lots of plot ahead.

This book was great! It was funny at times, sad at other times and I loved the dog's point of view. I think even if you don't have a dog that you can appreciate the fresh perspective in this story. I won't tell you how it ended, obviously. But, I will tell you I had a whole rush of different emotions in the last 20 pages and it was all worth it. Thumbs up for Enzo. You will love him.


John and I skipped our weekly liquor & wine store run this past weekend (boy that makes us sound like lushes) and so I had to hope Meijer's wine department would come through me. I was thoroughly sated. I picked up a bottle of Pink Truck. It comes from Red Truck Winery in California. The bottle says it's a classic with a bold twist. Pink Truck is a blend of grapes including Zinfandel, Grenache, and Mourvedre. It was a 2008. Someday I'll look up to see if that was a good year in Sonoma. Apparently it's a 'real wine that complements your easygoing lifestyle.' Count me in!

Tasting notes reference strawberry, citrus, raspberry, pomegranate and a juicy orange. Fruity! I was pleased by Pink Truck. I wanted something light and relatively sweet and that's what I got. OK, it tasted kind of like juice, which made it go down real smooth. I got this on sale and I can't remember how much it was but their website says $8.99. I would buy this again, especially as it continues to get warmer outside and I start craving a lighter more refreshing libation.

Two of my favorite things

Tonight was my night to substitute teach for zumba and it went great! My new shirt was super sassy. Although no one commented on it (bummer) and one of the ties by my armpit came undone during class (double bummer). Anyway, I was really nervous that people would find out they were having a sub and not want to stay. Or worse yet, demand a refund! I don't know where this fear came from because no one did that, luckily. In fact, everyone was really excited for me, which helped assuage my nerves. Slightly.

I was already sweating by the time class started (see above paragraph: nerves). And I had cotton mouth like a mother father. But I forged ahead, all the way through my playlist. It was exhausting! I didn't stop at all and I was trying to have lots of energy and set a good zumba example. In hindsight, I probably should have put in another slow song. It was all pretty up tempo. But, the new routine I learned (to the hokey pokey!) was a HIT! Everyone clapped for me after every song, which never happens. And then everyone clapped again at the end. I even woo-ed a few times, which I never do but felt I should.....as the instructor.

So, my zumba confidence is high tonight. As a reward, I think I'll have a glass of Cupcake Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. I bought this bottle for some friends a couple months ago but decided it sounded so good that I should try it for myself. If it has 'cupcake' in the name, it's gotta be tasty. Right? Cupcake is a California vineyard and their slogan is "Live deliciously." How cute is that? Love it! Anyway, the description on the bottle says the Cab "displays soft flavors of blackberry, dark cherry, plums, mocha and a touch of oak." I tasted a lot of dark cherry and oak. The other things I couldn't find. My palate is not too refined.

This bottle was $9.99 on sale at Meijer. I forget what the full price was. I probably should have tried it before gifting it to someone else. I liked it well enough though, so hopefully the recipients did too! I would buy this again. Thumbs up!

ALMOST THE WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!

For Your Drinking Pleasure

I bought a bottle of Shoo Fly’s Buzzcut last week but didn’t get to tell you about it yet. I am a big fan of Australian wines. You can get them on the cheap (Little Penguin, Yellowtail) and they’re still pretty tasty in that lower price point. I can’t remember how much the bottle was but since I don’t tend to splurge on random bottles, it was probably around $10. It may have even been on sale. Buzzcut is a blend of 4 grape varieties: Riesling, Viognier, Verdelho and Chardonnay. I wasn’t pairing it with a specific meal and the bottle doesn't give any suggestions. This was just so so. It had a very crisp taste to start but ended kind of buttery (not a great combination on the palate). I’ve had other Shoo Fly’s before but not the Buzzcut. I probably wouldn’t buy it again. Sorry, Buzz.

Adventures in Wine Land

Now, you all know mama loves the grape. I especially like finding and trying new and different wines. I rarely buy the same bottle twice. That's not true. I usually buy and old standby and a new one when I go to my wine shop. These two were recommended from some friends. (Thanks C & J!) I wanted to pass them along to you. However, you may have trouble finding them outside of Ohio. And by 'may', I mean will. They hail from Breitenbach Winery in Dover, OH allllllll the way up in the NE corner of the state. However, because my wine store is awesome, they stock Breitenbach along with a myriad of other Ohio wines.




The first is a blush called First Crush. It is rather sweet but crisp. And my favorite part is the bottle description, "This youthful wine leaves a pleasant memory." It sure does! I think maybe in another life I'd like to write wine bottle descriptions. They are my fave!








The second is a semi-sweet red called Roadhouse Red. It's sort of syrupy and delicious. Breitenbach says it's a combination of American and French grapes. Mais oui! And the bottle....."reminiscent of good times spent at the old-time roadside tavern and dance hall." I've never spent any time at a roadside tavern and dance hall but I'll start pretending I have when I drink the Roadhouse. Delicious!

So, if you find yourself at Arrow Wine, these retail for $10.99. Otherwise, you could probably find Breitenbach more readily in northern Ohio or of course, if you drove yourself over to Dover and picked it up direct from the source.

Cheers!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

If you've never had Buffalo Chicken Dip before, you're really missing out. It's best enjoyed on tortilla chips or celery. You can also sub in fat free ingredients like I did without losing any of the yummy delicious goodness. Don't sub in fat free cheese though. That stuff is nas-tee. I also only used 1/3 c. hot sauce, as opposed to the 1/2 c. it calls for. When I make it too spicy I get wicked heartburn because I have no control over this dip and don't know when to call it quits. I made it for John and me to enjoy while watching the Rose Bowl. And enjoy it we did, right as the Bucks stomped all over Oregon. It also was made to celebrate losing my status as a college football widow. YEA! For now, I'm just a playoff widow.

And, check out my Little Dipper. I got it for Christmas from my mother-in-law. I love all things mini. I'm not sure where this obsession comes from but if something is cute regular size, it's way cuter mini-style.


I also wanted to share with you a new wine I tried last week. At our New Year's Eve dinner at Fleming's (where they offer more than 100 wines by the glass and bottle), I ordered this Cabernet Shiraz by Pretty Sally. I picked it for the price ($8.75/glass) and the name (so fun!). It's a 2005 from Australia. I am a fan of both Cabernet and Shiraz so I thought this varietal would be interesting, and I was right! The most interesting part were the caramel notes I tasted in the background (do I sound like I know what I'm talking about?) I'm hoping I can find this in stores because I'd like to have more. According to the Pretty Sally website, 2005 was a great year for Australian wines. Their tasting notes don't reference caramel but I don't care. It was in there. They're highlighting "plum, black currant, and baking spices, with shades of pepper and cumin." If you like medium-bodied reds, this one's for you.