And the Lambrusco Goes To . . .

This coming Sunday is my super-bowl event of the year and thankfully it doesn’t have a damn thing to do with sports or beer. Yessireee, in a matter of days I’ll be grafted to our TV to watch all the red carpet glory leading up to the Academy Awards and I can’t wait. I’m practically giddy! 

I rarely reserve the TV for my own viewing pleasure but for the Oscars, I’m sooo in charge of the remote. If we had a house full of TVs all wired into cable this wouldn’t be such a big deal. But since we have one cable-less TV that gets a few Canadian channels (bless our friends to the North for broadcasting this sacred event), it’s my way or the highway.

Although I haven’t started to worry about who I’ll be wearing for the big night, I have started thinking about what I’ll be drinking:  Red, white, or rose? Box or bottle? Cork or screw top? 

In an effort to avoid getting my Jockeys For Her all wadded up, I've decided to take a new approach. What if...each nomination for Best Movie is a specific wine or varietal and I have to drink the wine that best "describes" the movie that I think is going to win? Before you get all WTF? on me, give me a chance to explain.

There are ten films in the running for Best Movie and, while I'd love nothing more than to sit in a dark theater and watch movie after movie, that ain't happening. Remember I’m an unemployed wine drinker (a moron of sorts) so I’m basing my correlating wine picks solely on what I’ve read and heard about each film. Alrighty then, here we go…

True Grit:  Franzia Hearty Burgundy in a 5L box

Hog-tie the box to your saddle and you’re good to go. Plus the spigot makes pouring into your coffee mug easy as hell.

Toy Story 3:  Flip Flop Riesling

A sweet-tart, feel good wine with heart; purchasing this wine will help Soles4Souls and it costs less than a large popcorn!

The Kids Are All Right:  Rosé

More specifically, Château de Trinquevedel Tavel Rosé because it's a smart, sophisticated and gaily pink wine that is the perfect ice-breaker for any lesbian couple meeting their sperm donor for the first time.

Winter’s Bone: Boones Farm 
Pick your favorite flavor and add a shot of Wild Turkey.

Black Swan: Manzanilla Sherry
This Spanish sherry, which is disturbingly hard to describe, is bizarrely delicate and ought to be handled with kid gloves. 

The King’s Speech:  Red Bordeaux
A regal red that found its voice centuries ago. 

The Fighter: Lambrusco
A legendary underdog in a country filled with big names like Chianti, Brunello, and Barbaresco. 

Inception: Savennierès
This razor sharp white from the Loire (100% chenin blanc) is a taut, edge-of-your-seat wine, with unnerving intensity and a mind-blowing shock of acidity on the finish. 

127 Hours: Vintage Port
The key here is that port is high in alcohol and, once it’s open, it will still be tasty after 127 hours. 

The Social Network: Barbaresco
In a good vintage, this wine can be so mind bogglingly fabulous that you'll feel like your head is going to explode. Unfortunately, though, you’ll need Zuckerberg’s thick wallet to buy a bottle of the good stuff.


And the winner is...
I'll be sipping a Bordeaux and rooting for The King's Speech. As for "who" I'll be wearing, who cares.


xoxox,
VinoMama

Some Things Take Time

The other night after the big game, I got a chance to do some much needed chip digestion while watching a little Glee. In this particular episode, Sue Sylvester was eavesdropping on a few of her Cheerios in the girl’s bathroom. When she seems to appear out of thin air, she explains that she went unnoticed by the girls because she was having her afternoon ninja poop. I thought, Gee that would be nice -- to just disappear into the bathroom and take care of business at my leisure.

Sadly this is seldom the case for me, and the process of elimination has become more like The Amazing Race . . . Will I be able to get on and off the john before Miss Puff starts yelling, “MOMMY!” I swear-to-Oprah, sometimes I feel like a hunted animal.

Little does Miss Puff know, however, that someday she will pay for all those times when I was forced to speed poop and it’s called an adult diaper (and the sweet odor of revenge).

Despite the fact that I may be pressured into rushing certain, shall we say, duties, writing about wine is not one of them. It takes time to taste through bottle after bottle while cataloging copious amounts of notes. And although Miss Puff thinks she’s the boss of me, she will never be able to hurry me through the exploration of wine. To prove that I actually do maintain a little control of my life (at least outside the bathroom), here is a new selection of wines that have earned a spot on my “Twelve Under $12” list.

1) 2008 Sacred Hill Pinot Noir, $5.99 (Central Otaga, New Zealand): As a rule, "good" and "cheap" are not words usually associated with pinot noir -- this is a tasty exception to the rule. Medium-bodied with well combined flavors of strawberry and rhubarb.

(Grocery Outlet)

2) 2009 Sherwood Estate Pinot Noir, $11.99 (Marlborough, New Zealand): I bought a bottle of this before Christmas -- the season of giving -- and I didn't want to give this to anyone but myself. If you like pinot noir, buy this, but buy two bottles -- one for you, and one for you. It's magically delicious.

(Costco)

3) 2008 Tormaresca, $7.99 (Italy): Lots of plum flavors, a bit of chocolate, and a dash of cinnamon. The blend is negroamaro, primitivo, and cabernet sauvignon. Great with lamb.

(Costco)

4) 2009 Bodegas Tarima, $7.99 (Spain): The label? Not good. Frankly, it looks more like something you'd find in the program for The Vagina Monologues than you would on a wine. That being said, screw the suckey label because this wine ROCKS! 100% Monastrell (Mourvedre) and 100% delicious, especially the long, lingering finish of fresh sage.

(Haggen)

5) 2009 J Vineyards Pinot Gris, $11.99 (California): Lately, I've been underwhelmed by pinot gris until I had this! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Fresh tasting, nice body, and a succulent blend of citrus and stone fruit.

(Costco)

6) Lagranja 360 Syrah, $4.99 (Spain): Being an unemployed wine drinker (I guess that makes me an oxymoron) means occasionally I have to take one for the team and find a bargain worth drinking. This is one of my go-to budget busters -- medium-bodied with tangy fruit, nutmeg spice, and a surprising hint of orange peel.

(Trader Joes)

7) 2009 Big House Red, $17.99 (California): I know this is more than $12, but if you do the math (the box holds the equivalent of 4 bottles), then this is a screaming deal at $4.50 a bottle! Plus, it's a BOX wine that's juicy and fresh and not an overripe headache wine.

(Widely available at grocery stores)

8) 2009 Poligono 10 Verdejo, $9.99 (Spain): This Spanish white (100% verdejo) quickly became a favorite of mine and I could easily drink it everyday! Seriously, its that good. "10" is loaded with vibrant tropical flavors of passion fruit, guava, mango, and a good dose of key limes. A white for all seasons.

(The Market at Fairhaven)

9) NV Lamarca Prosecco, $11.99 (Italy): I'm cheating a teensy bit on this one because it usually sells for $15 but I found it on post-off for $11.99. If I wasn't an oxymoron (see #6), then I would buy a case of this. It's deliciously lemony and creamy and reminds me of lemon curd on a shortbread cookie. Even at $16, this is a stellar sparkler.

(Fred Meyer)

 

10) 2009 Castle Rock Sauvignon Blanc, $7.99 (California): This sauvignon blanc leans more toward the grassy side of the varietal than the fruity side. The wine sports a fresh, crunchy taste, a bit like a green pepper, and has a streak of gooseberry throughout the palate.

(Trader Joes)

11) 2007 Louis Verge Morgon "Les Pierres Fines" Red Table Wine, $5.99 (Burgundy, France): I love these obscure table wines from France. And for the money, this is surprisingly complex: tart cherries and herbs-du-Provence on a light-bodied frame of cedar. A superb food wine!

(Trader Joes)

OK, I lied, there are only 11 wines. After revisiting one of my potential "Twelve," I decided it wasn't worthy of a spot on my "Under $12" list. Oh well...at the very least you can always count on my honest pinkie-swear opinion.

Please feel free to comment on speed pooping, any of the above wines, or not telling the truth.

xoxox,

VinoMama