Novellum Chardonnay- yum!

OK so Novellum, what I knew as an OK mid range Chardonnay, after sitting open for 24 hours in a random ice bucket, becomes an unoaked wonderful buttery goodness! Seriously, run out and get some, its awesome. It ranges between 9-12 a bottle, it is a drink now or hold for 2-5 years, it is a nice deep golden color. Tastes of Apple Pie, a tiny bit of gasoline (not bad, I promise you!) earth, and fresh rain. really really good.

I can't believe I haven't posted in so long., I think I have tried 70 wines since I last wrote. I have a TON of writing to do!

The Do Not buy list

I'll be updating this over time, but I figured I could save some people the trouble by just listing some icky wines that I have tasted lately. These wines are available at your local grocery store.

Duplin Carolina Scuppernong
This wine is made in North Carolina so I picked up a bottle just to be somewhat "Local"- and I'd never heard of Scuppernong. Its a local muscat grape which is known more for dessert wine. Well, to be honest I couldn't finish the bottle, even with loads of ice in it. It tasted like drinking liquefied grape jelly. Or thinned out honey--- it didn't taste like wine, more like an alcoholic syrup.

Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, New Zealand
I've really enjoyed Sauvignon Blanc lately thanks to my father and mother, who started getting to know it when they moved to South Carolina. I've been drinking a lot more white wine since it's SO hot! This wine though, which I picked up at the grocery store for $6, really tasted like bubbly lighter fluid. I got through the bottle because I was thirsty and I was having some cheese and crackers to tone it down, but it literally burned my tongue. Sorry!

Now working in the wine industry!~

Can I just say how incredibly nice it is to have a job doing something that you actually love! I recently was hired at a small-ish wine shop that always has tons and tons of events and tastings going on and it is incredibly fun! I get to use my (limited but growing) wine knowledge, my love of Belgian beers and even some French! There is nothing like getting paid to drink/taste on the clock!

Long term I would like to work as a distributor/account rep type person on commission. For now, I've got my foot in the door and I can "study" for the next couple of years. I should FINALLY get this blog fully up and running since now I will have no excuse. The last night I worked I tasted 4 wines and I haven't posted about them yet. Back to work!

Book Review: The Saucy Sisters' guide to Wine

I purchased this book by Barbara Nowak and Beverly Wichman a couple of years ago to read on vacation but never got the chance to do so. I finally sat down last week and got through it in less than a weekend.

The book is well organized and is an easy read. It starts with an introduction to wine, gets into some varietals, accessories, champagne, entertaining, ordering wine in a restaurant and the health benefits of wine.

If you are looking for in depth information, you won't find it here. If you are looking for a basic book that gives an overall perspective, including wine pairings for popcorn and Goldfish, then by all means pick up this book! You'll be laughing and smiling at the stories- especially if you are a single woman.

The only concern I had about the books credibility is their unending focus on Champagne for everything. I guess if you are in love with the tiny bubbles it won't bother you, but I found it a bit annoying and it took away from some of the more interesting parts of the book.

The biggest rave I have is that it makes a good attempt to explain the French labeling systems for their wine (which is mind-boggling confusing) and also offers a good pronunciation guide for many wines, including a good crack at Gewurztraminer.

Overall, I'd give this book a solid 3.5 stars out of 5. If you can pick it up for under $12 I'd say you'll get your money's worth!