Thursday, September 28, 2006

Soup and Vino: Impromptu

[This post delays my homework.]

After a week of mildly chilly weather, yesterday was fairly warm. Yet, I decided to make some soup. Tuscan white bean and kale green soup, to be exact. It is the worlds easiest soup, and arguably one of the tastiest and healthiest, too. Anyway, I made it and a few friends came over and the roommates and I sat down for a family dinner. So enjoyable. We finished off a bottle of 2004 Perrin Cotes du Rhone Blanc Reserve, which I got for a steal at $6.99 @ Sahara Mart. This respectable producer (Perrin also makes Ch. du Beaucastel's Chateneuf-du-Pape, arguably the best named appellation ever.) blends 50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Bourboulenc, 10% Marsanne, 10% Rousanne, and 10% Viognier. Whew, that's a lot of blending, but, hey, that's how they do it there. I thought the wine was lovely, balanced, with that austere earth-mineral-fruit combination I get from nice, more old-world style wines. I got a little peach, apricot fruit from it, and a tad bitter almond nuttiness maybe. I'm not sure, I was basically enjoying company and eating some kick-ass soup (If I may toot my own horn.). I think that this wine is high on the value meter, especially for fall, seeing as it's a little more full-bodied than most whites, and that gusto goes a long way on sunny cool days.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

I'm Really Trying

This is just an apology to you, Blog, for neglecting you during the summer--one time I thought I'd be able to help you grow. I know I went on my first (two) wine country excursions. I know I had lots of great wine, some of which has come and gone with little more than a memory of what I was doing while imbibing. I sincerely apologize and will try, again, to help you flourish.