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.
 

THIS JUST IN...

Excitement Abounds!!

Do you know what today is???? Besides Thursday??? It's Beaujolais Nouveau Day! A magical day that happens once a year on the third Thursday in November. For the uninitiated, Beaujolais Nouveau is the first wine of the new vintage, so the 2012 Nouveau was harvested just a few short months ago. As you might imagine this doesn't leave a lot of time for ageing and often results in a sub-par wine, which we are allowed to imbibe for the first time on the Thursday before Turkey Day. However, I like to believe that BN Day is more about celebrating the end of a successful harvest than it is about the BN itself.

Beaujolais Nouveau tends to pair well with traditional Thanksgiving meals, so its release coincides nicely with the holiday. But since we're being honest-- while I appreciate the Beaujolais Nouveau I don't usually like it, and I can't tell you that this particular vintage is any different for me. Bummer.

I promised I would try not to use descriptors like "toe jam" or "sweat" to describe its flavor, so I'll just tell you its youth is evident. It has a deep ruby color and a juicy smell, but doesn't provide a lot of varied flavor or growth with the sip. Really, I think it's more fun just to have a glass to toast the harvest and the hopes of a great year of wines to come.

And because I enjoy making crap up, I've been thinking while I sip the BN that there should be more to it than just "Huzzah! New wine!" So I came up with this: You know how on Groundhog Day we look for the groundhog's shadow to decide if we're getting 6 more weeks of winter or not? Well, on Beaujolais Nouveau Day, we should taste the new wine to decide if wines this season are going to be any good. My theory? The sweatier-tasting the Beaujolais, the better the wines coming down the pike (it probably has more to do with the weather, but I'm making up some lore here so just play along). If that is the case, I'm really glad I don't like Beaujolais Nouveau, because that means I'll be tasting some really good stuff soon.

Awesomesauce.

Price: $

My Rating: I plead the fifth

It's Party Time!!!

That's right ladies and gents, I'm going to beat you over the head with this thing because it's just that awesome.

This Saturday, October 20th, will be Personal Wine Cellar's One Year Anniversary Bash!

And there's a lot going on to be excited about.

Here's an artist's rendition of what
Shelly might look like...

aaand...that's me.

There will be wine and spirit tastings from noon until pretty much the end of time (or...well into the evening. I'm not sure what time exactly, but there are A LOT of tastings booked), including Chambord Vodka French Martinis with the incomparable Shelly (if you've been in the store, you've probably seen her doing her thang) and  Johnson Estate wines with Yours Truly! Me...in case you didn't know. I'm not sure what I'll open yet, but to get an idea of what will be on the table check out this post from my pilgrimage trip to the winery this past August.

As if wall-to-wall free wine and spirit tastings weren't enough, we're also doing totally free cooking demonstrations (with samples of course) throughout the day with some of our awesome chef friends.

Here's Brad finishing up
the Shrimp and Scallop
Orecchiette with Tomato
Butter Sauce...

We're kicking it off at noon with executive chef Brad Schmidt from The Gourmet Cafe in Glens Falls, NY. Brad's become a bit of a regular with our Cooking with Spirit classes, which are held the second Sunday of each month at PWC. This past week he made a wonderful scallop and shrimp dish with a white wine sauce. It was soooo good!

At 2:00 pm we have PWC's chef in residence Hillary Seaburg, who makes all of the delicious treats we serve up for Munchie Mondays. So if you've come in on a Monday or Tuesday and tried a spirit-themed dessert, that was made by Hillary. And seriously, that screwdriver cake was A.MAZ. ING.

And then rounding out the lineup at 4:00 pm is longtime friend and fantastic chef John Randazzo from Via Fresca in Guilderland, NY. John makes some seriously yummy gourmet Italian food. This guy catered my rehearsal dinner in 2008 and I am STILL dreaming about that penne ala vodka. His desserts are pretty darn delish too.

So, we've got free wine and spirit tastings, and free cooking demos and samples all day. As if that wasn't enough, you get a 10% discount of any wine you purchase (ANY WINE. Any bottle, any size, any price.). We'll also be giving away some door prizes throughout the day. If you're still reading this and saying to yourself, "eh..." there may be something seriously wrong with you*.

So to summarize:
Free Wine Tasting
Free Liquor Tasting
Free Cooking demos
Free Food tasting
Door Prizes
Giveaways
10% discount all day on ANY and EVERY wine purchase.


*consult your physician for details.