Downton Abbey Bordeaux Blanc

Yup, you read that right. Downton Abbey has a WINE now. Actually, there are two of them. The first question you might be inclined to ask upon learning of this is: why? It's not like these wines are made at Highclere Castle, or even in Britain, for that matter. The two Bordeaux, Blanc and Claret, are French (you know, from the Bordeaux region...), and were merely *inspired* by the show. I think the idea is, as you watch Carson decant a fine Bordeaux for the Crawleys to ignore at their fancy-pants dinner party, that you'll reach for a glass of your own. Yay Capitalism!!


Okay, I'll admit it. I got a bottle. I'm a big fan of the show. And while I think a DA-inspired wine is SUPER hokey, I kinda HAD to. Don't judge me. Let's call this week's installment Lessons in Faux-Sophistication... Ready class? Pinkies up!!

Go ahead and judge a book by its cover with this one. As far as labels go, it's pretty, with it's gold border and pencil-wrought Highclere Castle prominently displayed. The Blanc is a very pale yellow in color, which to me seems classier than an apple juice colored white. Dark yellow colored white wines just make me think of dehydration...speaking of classy...

I had the Blanc at room temperature, which was perfectly fine, but I did wonder if the flavors would be more prominent if I had been patient enough to chill it first. The begining of the sip was surprisingly crisp for a luke-cold wine, and there were definite citrus notes and a tad more sweetness than I was expecting. Fairly acidic and reasonably oak-free, this one's a real cheek-tweeker with a bit of pleasing metalic bite to it.

I'll take this one. :)

I had my DA Blanc with taco salad (seasoned chicken, lettuce, brown rice, black beans, sharp cheddar and tons of salsa), which was a pretty good combination, odd as it may seem. And that's a good thing, because I'm about as classy as a monster truck rally. No crudite or caviar for me!

If you want to try it for yourself, pick up a bottle at PWC (chill it!) and crack it open this Sunday at 9!

Price: $

My Rating: B

Santa Cristina Pinot Grigio

I can't put my arms down!

I'm not usually the sort of person to state/complain about the obvious, but damn it's cold! I'm wearing three shirts, two pairs of pants, and the fluffiest socks available this side of my pajamas, and I *STILL* can't feel my fingers (note to self: put on hobo gloves). So logically, I'm going to blog about a wine best served chilled. Because I enjoy frostbite. Don't you?



In my mind, persnickety people all have
 fancy moustaches for some reason...

Pinot Grigio is the sort of wine that people get all persnickety about, and I'm not 100% sure why. I mean, Santa Margherita is good and all, but it's a little pricey, and you can get a Pinot Grigio that's just as nice for much less. Enter Santa Cristina. At something like half the price, Santa Cristina is a similarly dry-yet-fruity white that goes great with a variety of dishes.


Best lightly chilled, you'll first notice its light straw color and fresh scent. The sip is best defined as crisp and full--I know, I know, "crisp" is a vague-ish wine term that doesn't necessarily carry any real-life applicability (don't even get me started on "full"), so I'll just tell that you once you sip, you'll want to click your tongue and say "Ahhhh!" You'll notice a burst of light citrus, and maybe even some pineapple that lasts through the sip and well after.

Or, you know, with a hot pocket...

Pair this one with crab cakes, light pasta/seafood dishes, or with appetizers at your low-key dinner party. I'm thinking a smoked meat and cheese platter, and maybe some spinach and artichoke dip. With pita chips, not tortillas. 'Cause we're classy like that.


Price: $


My Rating: B+

Cat's Pee on a Gooseberry Bush Sauvignon Blanc (2009)

This isn't a lovable
looking cat. I wanna
drink that smirk
right off his face.

It's stuff like this that keeps me up at night: Someone will give you something to eat/drink/sniff and say to you, "Try this; it tastes/smells like $h!t," and for some stupid reason YOU DO. Why?!?! Perhaps it is as simple as saying to yourself, well it can't be THAT bad, can it?  I admit, that's pretty much the reason I brought home a bottle of Cat's Pee on a Gooseberry Bush Sauvignon Blanc last night. Because it can't REALLY smell or taste like cat pee, right?

RIGHT. I mean listen, I know my cat pee (sad but true). I have cats. Three of them. I am well aware of what that smells like. And I just didn't get it from this Sauv Blanc. My nose is no expert when it comes to wine, though, so I guess I'll just have to go along with the fancy scientists on this one. Sure. It's in there...

This blog is becoming as much
about what I make for dinner as it is
about what I drink WITH dinner.

Anyway, I will be the first to tell you that I judged a book by it's cover with this one, and brought home the Cat's Pee because of the label. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but when I got a fairly straightforward-- albeit powerful-- Sauv Blanc, I was a little surprised. This wine is a punch in the kisser, from the first scent to the tail-end of the swallow. It's super strong and citrus-y, even for a New Zealand Sauv Blanc. Example: if most NZ Sauvs are Sprite, then this one is Mountain Dew (weeeeee!). I definitely tasted lime, maybe some lychee, and some general herbiness (that's a word). Tart and acidic, it was sharp on my tongue and I felt reverberations from my sip long after it was over. I served the CPoGbB with chicken cordon bleu, mashed potatoes, and peas. The combo was "meh" at best. This wine is just so flavorful that it is difficult for me to picture enjoying it with a meal. Several online reviews suggest seafood or citrus flavored chicken, but for me I think I'd fly this one solo.

Price: $

Rating: C

Sidenote: I'm REALLY disliking these ads that now show up as links in my posts. I do enjoy posting appropriate (and random) links, but none of the ones I post are little pocket-sized ads that have NOTHING to do with the highlighted words. Just in case you are wondering.