My personal Xmas Wish List from Wine Spectator's Top 100

In spite of the economy, I have some very lovely wines on my wish list from Wine Spectator's top 100 wines. Santa, please take note!

#6 Pio Cesare Barolo 2004. 94 points, $62 A "big juicy chewy wine" from a reliable Piedmont producer of Barolos.

#9 Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Vale Carnival of Love 2007. 95 points, $90 "One of the few great Australian Shirazes priced less than $100. "

#10 Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma County 2007. 93 points, $24 "Aged 11 months in 75 % American Oak, it's a complex, seductive, pepper and berry laced Zinfandel with a supple texture and a spicy finish."

#12 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Don Melchior 2005. 96 points, $69 I had a Don Melchior at Christmas last year and it was excellent. "Aged 15 months in French Oak to create a red with a big core of roasted chestnut, warm fig and tar flavors."

#37 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2006 93 points, $27 "Emphasizes the intensity juicy acidity and sleekness this grape is capable of.

As you can see, this is diverse list. Italian, Australian, California, and Chilean wines are all here. One white, and four reds.

Back Again! Wine and Your Health

Hi everyone!

Wine Goddess Karen is back, after a lengthy sabbatical.

A study published recently in The Journal of Neuroscience explored the possibility of developing 'wine mimetic pills' that would replace the beneficial glass of red wine a day for Alzheimer's disease prevention. In studies with mice, neuropathology and cognitive deterioration was studied.

Grape seed extracts significantly reduced Alzheimer's disease in the mice.

Here's a link to an article on esciencenews.com. about the study.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/06/17/potential.new.role.red.grape.seeds.treatment.alzheimers.disease


Wine Goddess Karen

The Answer to the Trivia Question

Here is the question again--

In the movie "Badder Santa" the little boy picks out a wine bottle from the wine rack for dinner. The wine label reads:1998 Chateau Mauvais Merlot. Does anyone know anything about this wine?

The answer is--

There is no such wine. "Mauvais" in French means bad.

Therefore the wine is "Chateau Bad Merlot".

Obviously, the perfect wine for Badder Santa.

Karen, The Wine Goddess

Mystery Wine

Here's a question for the trivia lovers out there--

In the movie "Badder Santa" the little boy picks out a wine bottle from the wine rack for dinner.

The wine label reads:

1998 Chateau Mauvais Merlot

Can anyone tell me anything about this wine? :)



Karen, The Wine Goddess

Viognier, a rare varietal

Ever heard of Viognier?

I first heard of this grape when I was taking a quiz on a wine website. Since I didn't take French in high school, I didn't know how to pronounce it. But since it isn't a common type of grape, I was immediately interested.

To quote my good friends at Wine Spectator, who explain it better than anyone:

"The rare white grape of France's Rhône Valley, is one of the most difficult grapes to grow. But fans of the floral, spicy white wine are thrilled by its prospects in the south of France and the new world. So far most of the Viogners produced in the United States are rather one-dimensional, with an abundance of spiciness but less complexity than they should have. Still, there are a few bright spots.

It is used in Condrieu's rare whites and sometimes blended with reds in the Northern Rhône. There are also a variety of bottlings available from southern France, most of them somewhat light."

I'm intrigued, and would like to try this wine sometime. If you have had a wine with Viognier as the principle grape, let me know how it was!!

Karen, the Wine Goddess

Syrah, Petite Syrah--Aren't They The Same?

OK, True or False--

Syrah (Shiraz)and Petite Syrah are the same.

Answer? False. They not the same. To a certain extent.

Confused? The first time I ordered a Petite Syrah the sommelier explained to me that Petite Syrah was in no way related to Syrah, it was just a name that was given to the wine.

However, some DNA research has been done on the grapes used in each wine, and indeed, they are related. Just not the same thing.

In any case, a good Petite Syrah is an excellent wine, having depth and structure. A good deal of Petite Syrah comes out of California. Syrah is a wildly popular red that is one of the principle wines coming out of Australia.

Karen, the Wine Goddess

Christmas Wish Wine

Most people that love wine have one they would love to try, but it's on the upper end of their price range. If Santa is a wine connoisseur, then I have a request of him this year:

Dear Santa,

Please please please send me a bottle of Gaja. You know, the gorgeous Italian wine that's so hard for me to find, but I've heard so much about. Please make it a 1997 vintage. Any one from that year would be perfect. One of the 1997's is in Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year for 2007. I promise if you give me Gaja for Christmas I won't pair it with Buffalo wings or macaroni and cheese. (J/K Santa!) Say hi to Mrs. Claus for me.

Sincerely,

Karen, the Wine Goddess