Sunday, November 23, 2008

Another day, another chardonnay

Continuing on with my husband's idea for taste testing several different chardonnays from the Russian River Valley in California, it's me, the wine dork, again.


I'm doing all the taste testing as he is looking at me, with amusement, mind you, down the reading glasses on the edge of his nose.






Well, this was your idea, my husband dear. And this afternoon on this glorious Sunday in Maryland, I'm having a glass of 2005 Martin Ray Chardonnay.
Today, I'm using my favorite tasting glass from Barboursville Vineyards in Virginia. It's just the right size.


Our guest bottle stopper for this tasting is one I purchased at the gift shop at the above-mentioned winery.


It's an old drawer-pull that was fashioned into a wine bottle stopper and it's also another one of my favorites.



Readers should note that for a real wine review, they should go elsewhere. I'm just a girl, who's having some wine, and asking it to love her.



What the hell?





The first thing I notice about this wine is that it rhymes. "Martin Ray, Chardonnay".

Chalk one up, so far. You should all know by now how much I like rhyming.


The winemaker notes that this 2005 Russian River Valley Chardonnay begins with rich aromas, highlighted by fresh peaches, apples and vanilla. It also notes that the wine's superior structure and balance has a backbone of crisp apple, peach and creamy vanilla flavors that continue flawlessly on to a ripe and elegant finish.



Yum. And I can't agree more. This is the perfect afternoon drink to sip as I sit outside on my front porch with a good book and a little knitting project that I'm working on.



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It would also be excellent paired with a succulent dish of fresh lobster tails with a rich butter sauce.

Chalk up about another 20 more, then.

On my own personal wine scale, this one gets an 8 on a score of 10.


Signing off here for now, and until tomorrow my friends . . .


Forever the dork,

26 comments:

Mental P Mama said...

I will be right there. No need for a beautiful stopper.... And now I want some lobster. Thanks.

abb said...

No need for the stopper because the wine would be gone likity-split if either MPM or I joined you! Wish we could just pop over!

Country Girl said...

I just read this back and I am insane. But it aint' bad. Welcome home.

~ C.G.

Woman in a Window said...

I'm afraid that if I had a big glass of wine and some knitting needles, you'd have to have 911 on speed-dial.

Wisdom Of Heart said...

hi...I love your blog and pic are beautiful

Tess Kincaid said...

I adore Chardonnay, that fabulous bottle stopper and that line from Notting Hill!

Torsdag 1952 said...

Good to see you wine-testing, nice job. I visited some "winemakes" in California and I' m thinking different about their way producing wine.
Today I had a 2003 Scheurebe produced by Alfons Schnabel/Rheinhessen.
Torsdag

Deb said...

OK, Kate...this had to be the funniest post yet! Perhaps the Chardonnay has gone to your head?!?! I love the stopper of yours...if you ever feel like bestowing it to a blog friend, let me be the first in line!
In two weeks...we will be taking all of our worldly possessions out of #1039 and moving into a lovely apartment or shall I say, the Southern version of The Love Nest! I cannot wait. I know it will be lots of work but I am ready for the challenge.
And as for me, I am not a wine snob in the least...I must confess that I even drink the box stuff...shh...don't tell anyone!

Debra (a/k/a Doris, Mimi) said...

I don't have a taste for Chardonnay so I'll take your word for it. I'm strictly a Riesling girl. Not too sweet nor dry, my taste is for the middle of the road Spatlasse variety. Tart apples with a hint of crisp pear. Yum! excuse me while I slip into my liederhosen.

Ree-coh-lahhhhh!

Toni said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog! I am definitely seeing that I am going to be reading yours regularly. I love the 'wine review' of Martin Ray Chardonnay, now to see if I can find it here in southern Oklahoma! It sounds yummy. Love your images too!

Anonymous said...

What a darling wine stopper!!! I need that!! Wonder if my wine shop owner sister could find that for me...

I do love to read your reviews of wine...they are very real.

Hey, I didn't know that you knit too! Wow.

Ellen said...

Okay, MPM, TSannie, my friend and Ts's work mate Nurse Nancy and you CG should all meet at my house in NJ for a wine tasting, girls' sleep over!

I love your wine stoppers. We have just two that we use often, but a few years ago someone gave us a set of Christmas stoppers and we now use them at our Christmas open house.

Egghead said...

Nothing like a good glass of wine. I wonder if you used that stopper at all though.

Anonymous said...

Love the stopper, very vintage looking. And this one got a higher score...will #3 be a 10 out of 10?

Mary said...

Love the bottle stopper, and the Notting Hill allusion. And you are seriously funny. :)
xoxo,
Mary

Anonymous said...

I used to love a glass of wine, any colour. Now I don't drink at all because of headaches.

CJ xx

Anonymous said...

I should be sipping that with you! See you this weekend!

Anonymous said...

Looks nice to curl up with a book on a cool fall evening! But I have a cute story. A few weeks ago I got up early to run some errands. The grocery store did not open till 9 and I was there at 8:45, I did not know when it opened so I got out of the car and went on up to the store. There was this little old man there also waiting and we started talking and he was telling me he was 98 years old and still drove and got his own groceries and still lived on his own. "without any help" he kept adding. I asked what his secret was and he said a glass of wine and shot glass of whiskey once a day he said he has done it for years, drinks none more and none less! Maybe you have found the secret to live to be 98!

Anonymous said...

Looks nice to curl up with a book on a cool fall evening! But I have a cute story. A few weeks ago I got up early to run some errands. The grocery store did not open till 9 and I was there at 8:45, I did not know when it opened so I got out of the car and went on up to the store. There was this little old man there also waiting and we started talking and he was telling me he was 98 years old and still drove and got his own groceries and still lived on his own. "without any help" he kept adding. I asked what his secret was and he said a glass of wine and shot glass of whiskey once a day he said he has done it for years, drinks none more and none less! Maybe you have found the secret to live to be 98!

brneyedgal967 said...

You can read a book AND knit AND drink Chardonnay at the same time? You are Super Woman!

Daryl said...

Here's a question ... after this tasting what do you do with the rest of the bottle of vino?

Is George tippling?

:-Daryl

Hilary said...

You're not JUST tasting/testing, are you? You get a full bottle of wine to yourself, complete with token stopper, and you call yourself a dork? Yeah, right! ;)

Country Girl said...

Well actually, I taste it first.

Then I take another taste.

And well, later on I take another.

And I think you're getting the picture. This is all done in the name of testing science.

~ C.G.

Maria said...

Ha! I think I just might have a wine tasting at my house tonight too. AND, I've been thinking of getting something on the sticks too because I haven't knitted in months. Btw- I love that wine stopper. :-)

KathyB. said...

First, thank-you for stopping by and leaving a comment on my blog. This post could almost be written by me about my Hubby and myself.He loves to give wine taste tests, and he will peer at me through his gold-rimmed reading glasses and just sort of smile while I taste. He is also a great cook and often makes a whole meal to complement the wines he has chosen....

I just read your post to him and he perked up his ears. I know he will now be looking for that particular chardonnay!

Your wine stopper is beautiful and seems like it would be a great gift idea for the wine lovers in the circle of friends and family. Thank-you!

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