William Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

I know I am guilty of this...


FAIL.

Picture it: You go to a restauant, and order a glass of the house red with your dinner. It's (surprisingly) freaking delicious. You rave about it alllll night, and continuously exclaim that you WILL buy this wine next time you're at the store. Then, a few weeks later when you've forgotten the varietal, name of the winery, and design on the label, you wander around your local wine store, assaulting the assocites with your pleas to help you figure out what that one wine you had at that restaurant was, only able to provide them with the following description: "it was red, and had a goat on the label. Or a chicken. Or a bear. Or some kind of flower. It was a red wine with something on the label."

Guess what you probably don't walk out of that store with.

Well, if this sounds familiar to you, there is a good possibility that the wine in question was William Hill Cabernet. Popular in local restaurants, this wine was MADE for a good meal. With an earthy scent and deep red color, you're mouth is going to be watering before you even take a sip.

WH Cab is quite dry, and maybe it's just me, but William Hill Cabernet reminded me a little of drinking a Chainti-- a hearty (read: STRONG) wine to wash down your dinner with. The sip was tannic and herb-y, with hints of dark fruit (think blueberry) and spice (the pumpkin pie kind, not pepper).



Ok, this is just chicken stew, but for the
purposes of this review, let's pretend it's
game meat. YUM.

William Hill Cabernet was a welcome partner to my lasagna, but would also pair nicely with pesto, game meats (venison stew, perhaps), or red-sauced pasta of any kind. It's not great as a sipper, though. I found that when unoccompained I did not want to finish my glass.


Price: $$

My Rating: B+

Silver Palm Cabernet

Well it's official...I no longer have the time and wherewithal to plan out what I'm tasting ahead of time. My days are consumed by work, and my evenings by playing games like "super baby" and "got yer nose". I mean, with a schedule like that, who has time to sit around and drink wine?
God, THAT'S sort of depressing...
OKAY...New Year's Resolution time: In 2014, I resolve to take one night a week, sip a glass of something-or-other, and then faithfully write about it here, along with whatever other silliness enters my head whilst I'm in front of the computer. Starting...now!



I'm also a fan of THESE
California reds...

This week at PWC we're tasting some California reds (that's tonight from 4-7 if you want to stop by). And while that's sort of vague, it does make me reminisce about many of my favorite wines from days gone by...two immediately came to mind, but in the interest of your pocket book I'm going to write about the least expensive of the two: Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon.

California reds, and Cabernets in particular, are-- at least in my opinion-- sturdy and reliable. You can count on the "nicer*" ones to provide a robust complexity, and a dryness that doesn't obliterate the flavor.

the best kind of shiny.

What drew me at first to the Silver Palm was my habit of judging a book by it's cover. The label is unique, and well, really just gorgeous. I mean, look at it!

The wine itself is pretty, too. It's a deep ruby in color, and has that stick-to-the-glass quality that makes it really fun to swish around-- this also helps open it up.

Unlike some Cabs, Silver Palm isn't a dry, punch-you-in-the-face sort of wine. Rather it has a pretty strong smack of cherry and vanilla flavors, with a hint of menthol-y smoke hiding in there too. While this isn't what you'd necessarily expect when you go in for the sip, it's a pleasant effect. Smooth and satiny, the Silver Palm Cab is superb for sipping, and really nice with a meal. My choice? Steak gorgonzola, garlic mashed potatoes, and grilled asparagus. If you decide to make this, you better save me a seat!

Price: $$

My Rating: A+


*not to be confused with "more expensive"...the two aren't mutually exclusive.
 

Adventures in Mulling Wine

It's just about mid-December and a frigid 49.6 degrees outside. I know you're thinking: "S#it, I'm freezing! I wish I had something warm and alcoholic to drink. But I don't really want to go to the bar to get it, and my car is out of gas, so that's right out."

Friends, I aim to please. Over the weekend, I experimented with mulling wine, and I've got my hand-crafted (I made it up), time-tested (it was still good the next day) recipe for you!

This guy needs all the mulled
wine he can get...

But first, some info-tainment...

Mulled wine goes waaaaaay back to medieval times as a health drink (think Ensure for the peasantry). It's basically just red wine, spices and fruits served hot or warm. Since winters were cold and water disgusting, mulled wine got many a medieval peep through a long, hard winter. 

Mulling wine is pretty easy, and it's a great weekend activity for you and yours. Even if you don't want to drink it, it smells fantastic and will fill your house with holiday spirit(s).

Here are the simple instructions that I just now made up...

Casually Mulled Wine-

You will need:

And sugar. And brandy or cognac. Oh, and a crock pot. The happy, decorative star is optional.

Instructions:

1.) Buy 1.5 liters of cheap red wine. Or good red wine, if you want, but you're just going to add stuff to it, so it doesn't need to be top shelf. Dry is better for this venture. I chose Liberty Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. At $8.99 a bottle, it was a small dent to the wallet.

2.) Pour wine into the crock pot. Place on low heat.

3.) Incompetently shred one medium sized orange. Add to wine.

4.) While you're at it, throw in 10 whole cloves, 4 cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoons of ground allspice, and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.

5.) Stir that bad boy up!

6.) Add 30 oz. of Crapple juice (cran-apple). This is best accomplished buy purchasing a 32 oz. bottle and "tasting" approximately two ounces of juice, then dumping the rest in.

7.) Add 4 oz. of cognac or brandy. If you have a truly awesome cognac that someone gave you as a gift, but you don't drink cognac so it just sits there, all the better. Use that one.

8.) Mix it up, cover, and leave it alone for at least 3.5 hours. 

You'll notice it starts to smell fantastic, and really, as long as it's heated through you are good to go. Garnish with an orange slice and/or cinnamon stick and enjoy!

Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

If there’s a varietal I prefer to drink, it’s definitely Cabernet, and the 2009 Vega Sindoa doesn’t disappoint.

Dinner at the OG
brings out my creative side...

I gave it a go on "impromptu date night" this past Tuesday, and while I cursed the Olive Garden for not allowing us to BYOB, the Vega is smooth enough that it works as a digestif too. When we got home we curled up on the couch and got down to business: drinking wine.

When you pour yourself a glass the first thing you’ll notice about the Vega is how dark it is; it’s deep purple sticks to the glass when you swirl it around to aerate. The aroma is heavy; rich and earthy, like dirt or dust. I’m told this scent is “red clay” and that the Navarra region of Spain is known for its chalky, mineral-rich soil.

The wine itself is somewhat dry and has a peppery finish. It isn’t the spiciest cab I’ve ever had, but the bite is definitely there. There are also some dark fruit flavors; cherry and blackberry. It reminds me of the wine-based potpourri that’s brewed in crockpots just for the aroma. Only I want to drink this one.

The 2009 Vega Sindoa isn’t as complex or layered as some of my favorite Cabernets, but its smooth finish and deep flavors are very much representative of what I love about them— even if its other more distinctive qualities make the Vega a little bit different from the California Cabs I’m accustomed to.

If you like dry, surprising wines with straightforward flavor, this one’s for you. Try it with a pasta or beef dish. I’m thinking lasagna, YUM!

ahh, relaxing.

Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon

2009

Navarra, Spain

Price:                  $

My Rating:          B+