Happy Christmas Eve!

Twis once again, the night before Christmas. In a few short hours my face will be stuffed with seafood and chased down with wine. I love tonight; shrimp, crab claws, Riesling, crab dip, Sauvignon Blanc, crab cakes, Chardonnay, scallops in pesto, Pinot, salmon, Shiraz, Cab, calamari stew... I love tonight, but I already said that. 

Nothing fancy on this post. Just wanted to wish you all the Merriest of Christmases. 

Drink well and be well. 

Cheers!

Ho Ho Ho-liday Wine

Tis the season for

and holiday parties. 

Here's my budget bottle bringing holiday guide for 2012.

The "We're only staying for a little bit, then we'll say we have to go because ________," category:

Happy Camper Cabernet Sauvignon ($6.99)

I debated buying this. It looked and sounded cheesy. After tasting it, I think this might be a more appropriate label:

Beth liked it, but I thought it burned going down and was dry. Perfect for not showing up empty handed but not having to part with a good bottle on people you wouldn't want to drink wine with anyway. Bring this to my house and your actions will speak volumes.

Grade: D

The, "I doubt anyone there will even be drinking wine, and if they do, they won't know the difference" category:

Third Wheel, Red Table Wine ($6.99)

I revisited this last week and I gotta say, still a fan. It's a jammy, smooth and very likable, and for under $7, it's borderline lovable. Bring this bottle to the party where you might be the only one drinking it or you might share it with the cougar who uses it to chase tequila shots.

Grade: Easy B

The, "I need a cheap bottle of white for the girls Christmas party," category:

Rock View 2011 Riesling ($5.99)

This is the white equivalent of Third Wheel. A very likable, semi-sweet, smooth drinking Riesling. I had this again on Thanksgiving side-by-side with the Monchhof, which sells for $15. I definitely liked the Monchhof better, but not $12 better. This is solid. 

Grade: B

The, "I'm excited to go to the party," category:

Oak Ridge 2009 "Ancient Vine Zinfandel ($9.99)

While browsing the Chandler, (I think) Arizona, Total Wine, I had an interesting conversation with the salesman and then later on the phone with Tom. The salesman was pushing the Oak Ridge Reserve ($24.99) and Tom mentioned how much of a load of crap "Reserves" are. I had to put the theory to test. I got both, brought the Reserve to dinner and opened the Ancient Vine (how old must they be to be "ancient?") on Thanksgiving. 

They weren't the same juice in different bottles, that's for sure. The Reserve was huge, very rasiney, port-ish. The Ancient Vine was the best wine I had on Thanksgiving. A great Zin, at any price, but lovely under $10. 

I opened another bottle a few days ago and the first glass, Beth described as "smokey" while I tasted bacon. Not real breakfast bacon, but bacon flavoring. The second glass was more normal. The next day, the last glass was even better. 

Grade: B+

The, "I need a nice bottle for the cool people's party," category:

Meiomi 2010 Pinot Noir ($17.97)

I really love everything about Belle Glos and what they do with their Pinots. Again, Belle Glos, made by The Wagner Family, also the makers of Caymus. Good stuff. 

Enjoy this raspberry bomb and soak in the compliments. Warning, the party host may think you're trying to steal their show. Just sayin'.

*Note, that 7 in the hundredths place only matters when trying to apply coupons or case discounts at Total Wine. No dice if the price doesn't end in a 9. 

Grade: B+

Hopefully I don't ruin any friendships by showing up to your party with anything less than Meiomi! 

Cheers!