Spirits Sunday: Leese-Fitch Pinot Noir

I haven't posted a Spirits Sunday in a long time.  Not because I stopped drinking wine (and other adult beverages) I just haven't had anything that I really liked. A lot.

We got this bottle at Whole Foods for $9.99  

Yes, good inexpensive wine exists.

We had it with pot roast and french onion soup.  It was pretty much fantastic.

Spirits Sunday: Skinny Girl Margarita

Oh, Bethenny Frankel, I love you.

I didn't start watching any the shows she's been on until the last couple of episodes of Bethenny Getting Married? And I've watched most of the episodes of Bethenny Ever After. It's not because I dislike Bravo reality tv. It's because I don't have a DVR and I can never remember when certain shows come on and I never seem to find it on replay! I think I may have to start doing what my dad does. He has a list by the remote of his programs and when they come on.

So, I love Bethenny and I love tequila. Or more specifically, margaritas. I decided to give it a try.

We don't buy typical margarita mix anymore and have two standard margarita recipes we use depending on what we have in the house.

RECIPE ONE:

one can of frozen lime juice concentrate

one can of water

one can of tequila

one can of beer (I use Red Stripe)

add salt as needed.

(it doesn't taste beer-y. I promise)

RECIPE TWO:

1.5oz of fresh lime juice (sometimes I use the from the bottle stuff)

1oz triple sec

2oz of tequila.

add salt (and sometimes sugar) as needed

So, I was interested in trying a lower calorie version - enter Skinny Girl.

I tried it minutes after having a small glass of RECIPE TWO and I'll be honest, on the heels of that, Skinny Girl tasted wastered down and bitter.

ugh, aren't most low calorie/fat free things that way? Just not as good as the things that make you into a big girl.

I ate couple of bites of dinner and had a drink of water and tried it again on its own, it definitely faired better. It isn't as "full bodied" but it still is pretty good. I guess it's kind of like the difference between a Coca-Cola and a Diet Coke.

My second glass (days later) I added pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Much better, but definitely helps to negative the "healthier" factor!

I may or may not buy another bottle. At the very least, I'll buy a bottle for one of Husband's cousins who is itching to try it and hasn't found it in her area yet. She's a big Bethenny fan too.

Our Jug Sangria

Husband brought this home from Winn-Dixie Thursday night. And I'll admit it, I laughed.

Really, a super giant jug of wine. hilarious.

But it ended up being pretty good. A nice sweet easy to drink red wine.

Plus it's 4 liters and cost right at $15. A normal bottle of wine is 750mL. That's more than 5 bottles of wine for $15.

Not too shabby. It makes a nice "second bottle"

We have friends that when we have a meal at their house we always bring a nicer bottle of wine to drink first and a cheaper one for second. When you drink the cheaper wine second it always tastes better. (truth. or as Charlie Sheen has me saying now #winning)

company website

p.s. I am going to resist the urge to make "winning" a label. Because, let's face it, I would tag every post "winning"

Spirits Sunday: Diseno

If you remember how I pick most wines (by their interesting label art) you'd know I probably didn't pick this one.

Husband got it at Winn-Dixie for $10.

It's the first Argentian wine I can remember having. We had it with steak, mashed potatoes and asparagus. And it was pretty fabulous. It's definitely something I'd like to have again.

(un)Spirts Sunday

We found this stuff on sale at World Market. It was great.

It would definitely be fabulous for a Hockey Day Seal Party at The Judson. (sigh) good times.

Spirits Sunday: Ghost Pines Cabernet Savignon 2007

We're celebrating. Why you ask? Valentine's Day? nah, we're not big on V-Day. A new season of The Amazing Race starts tonight. yea, that's right. And we celebrated with a great meal and wine.

[Husband has filled out applications for us at least twice a year for the last 3 years. but we [I] never get around to making the video tape and sending it in. Maybe when the kids are older. I'd love to be on that show]

We picked up this bottle at Publix yesterday for close to $20. To Husband's excitement it was a "real" cork cork.

It's a California wine. 59% of the grapes came from Napa County and 41% came from Sonoma County. A winemaker's blend.

Cabernet Savignons have quickly become my favorite wine [behind Rieslings] and this one didn't disappoint. It's got a nice warm cherry/blackberry taste to it. It's 13.9% alcohol.

We had it with THE Bread, Asparagus Pesto, {I got the recipe from March Southern Living. When it's posted on their website, I'll link it} a great big salad {with red leaf lettuce and lots of vegetables} and grilled steak. pretty stinking good by itself but better with the wine. It was a late lunch and I'll get more just in time for The Amazing Race.

If there's leftover pesto, I'll have it with penne tomorrow for lunch.

Christmas Dinner: the update

wow. We had a great meal.

Since the goose dinner turned out so fabulous, I decided to post the recipes Husband used from roastgoose.com.

Christmas Goose, Dickens Style -- cooked per directions except we brined it overnight and used fresh roasted chestnuts because we couldn't find canned ones. the stuffing was seriously amazing. I think if we ever use it again, we'll add more bacon and onion. The goose was so moist and had a really great flavor. It was all dark meat though ... that was sort of weird - looks wise. taste wise, it was great.

Goose Liver Toast -- I tried it and will probably never eat it again. My mom thought it was fabulous. she also loves to eat liver.

Fried Potatoes -- this recipe is exactly how I make fried potatoes normally except I use olive oil, instead of goose fat (of course) the taste difference was amazing. goose fat is where it's at.

I forgot to roast the asparagus until it was time to sit down to eat and there were no vegetables! luckily, those cook fast!

We drank Beaujolais Nouveau 2009 -- say it out loud -- it's a fun name. It's a great red wine from France that's released once a year right before Thanksgiving and is meant to be drink/drank/{drunk} immediately instead of sitting around for months or years. It's 12.5% alcohol and we really enjoyed it. It was definitely better than the 2008. (I'm already thinking about 2010) :-) definitely check out the website. there's a neat facts and tips section.

Spirits Sunday: my Christmas time favorite

I wish I could tell you 12 different places where you can find this wine, but sadly, no. I've only found it at World Market. if you decide to venture out to World Market to find it, the picture is a little deceiving. the bottle actually is green and not blue like the picture shows. I found this image on the wine website Schmitt Sohne (that distributes Gluwein in the USA)

Husband and I discovered it last year and really fell in love. Augsburger Christkindlmarkt Gluwein is a spiced red wine. and it's meant to be drunk hot. yes. heat it up.

we pour a couple of glasses in a sauce pan on the stove top and when steam starts rising, it's perfect. and it's great with gingerbread.

Gluwein is produced and bottled in Germany and imported and distributed by Schmitt Sohne

It's a screw top with 9% alcohol. I'm pretty sure it's under $6 a bottle.

seriously, I love a glass of this on a cold right before bed.

Spirits Sunday: Auto-Moto Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Auto-Moto Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Last night the family was invited to a house warming party. this is someone who believes "wine is gross."

Christy and Husband to the rescue. I decided a great gift would be some fabulous inexpensive wine glasses [seriously, fabulous. I want them to replace our ugly ones that Husband acquired before he met me] and a 'starter bottle of wine.'

To World Market we went. They have a great wine selection and a wide range of price points, so I knew we'd find something great for her and a few great things for us to try. We got a nice sweet Riesling as a gift and then we started our selfish search.

I found a cava for $5.68 [I've been wanting to try a cava since I heard it mentioned as a great New Year's sparkling wine last year on NPR]

I also found some spiced German wine we had last year and really liked for under $8.

[reviews coming after we try them]

and Husband found this Cabernet for $11.99. Cabernets are his favorite red wine and after trying the Winking Owl Cabernet Sauvignon from Aldi, [review also forthcoming] I can say, I like it too. Husband picked it because it was the last bottle on the shelf. He figured if people kept buying it, it had to be good.

It's got a great label. yes. that's how I usually pick wines, so maybe that's why people kept buying it. The company, Auto-Moto, also has a great website, complete with recipes for meal suggestions to eat with each wine! They bottle Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Riesling.

I enjoyed the wine. It's really dry, which is a change from the summer Rieslings, but the dryness definitely fits with the season. We enjoyed the whole bottle while cooking and eating on sale steaks and grilled potatoes -- I was wishing for asparagus, but I'm currently reading Animal Vegetable Miracle, so I resisted.

The description on the bottle as well as the website helped make it a fun wine to drink. It had a smoky flavor and while it tasted slightly fruity, I really couldn't pick anything out.

It's 13.5% alcohol and has a rubber cork.

[I've got about 4 bottles on the counter to tell you about soon. Husband and I usually like to have a glass of wine on Sunday evenings while we're cooking dinner and Daughter and Son are enjoying late naps]

Spirits Sunday: Bailey's Irish Cream

if it's cool/cold outside I'm drinking warm drinks.

coffee.
cappuccino.
hot chocolate.

yes, yes and yes.

And sometimes for an added treat a shot of Bailey's Irish Cream. It definitely adds a little extra warmth to my beverage.

When I was "swag bucking" for an image [as opposed to googling], I pulled up quite a few dessert recipes using Irish Cream. Something to try in the future.

The label recommends trying Bailey's over ice. And I'm pretty sure it'd be good with milk too.

I've tried O'Reilly's Irish Cream because it's cheaper and sold in grocery stores, unlike Bailey's that we, in Alabama, have to get in ABC or liquor stores. And it's definitely not as smooth.

Husband bought me an entire liter this weekend and it'll last all fall, into the winter and possibly spring. making the marginal extra cost not such a big deal for the occasional splurge.

It's 17% alcohol

Aldi strikes again - Spirits Sunday

Landshut 2007 Riesling

We got this bottle from Aldi for $3.99! yes. and it's great. and with summer drawing to an end, the end of Riesling season is also drawing nigh. our nights of sitting on the porch in the warm night, sipping Riesling are numbered for 2009.

Landshut 2007 Riesling is from Germany. this is the website but I still haven't been able to get it to load.

This is probably the sweetest Riesling we can remember having this summer. Husband noticed more of an apricot smell and taste. I found it to be more peachy. I think we drank it one night after dinner. meal wise, I think it'd be good with a light meal of bread, pasta and pesto. and maybe some light colored flowers in a vase on the table. (I'll tell you right now, I've thought about this too much) :-)

the alcohol content is 9.5% and it had a natural cork. The bottle is blue. I may be keeping it out of the recycling bin and adding it to my collection of glass bottles that I like but haven't thought of anything fun to do with yet.

enjoy.

Spirits Sunday brought to you by Aldi

I love Aldi but that's not for this post. next time. next time, you'll read all about my new found love for Aldi. The only thing Adli has to do with this post is that it is where I purchased this:

Cost: $2.99. yes. two dollars and ninety-nine cents.

I hear you. you're asking if I seriously picked out a bottle of wine (based totally on the cuteness of the label) that cost $2.99 and expected it to taste good. yes. yes, I did.

and you know what?

yes. yes, it does.

Winking Owl Chardonnay is a light semi-sweet wine. the bottle says I should be able to taste "subtle flavors of ripe apple, pear, toasted oak and a hint of spice." but mostly I just taste a little pear maybe a little pineapple-ish sweetness and some spice.

We drank it chilled and while it'd be best served with a light meal, grilled fish or chicken, we ate it with bread and a New York Strip Husband found on sale.

Seriously, it's good wine. yes. three dollar good wine. It's possible. We'll definitely be buying this and other wines at the above mentioned Aldi in the future.

It actually just started raining and we enjoyed the remains of the bottle on the porch in our rocking chairs. Just like drunk little old ladies. sots. :-)

I can find no vintage year on the bottle, but Husband in his infinite wine wisdom (insert eye roll) guesses 2007. It's an artificial cork (don't let this detract you - you wine snob) and it's 12% alcohol.

Bottled by Winking Owl Vineyards in Modesto, California. (no website, but there is a toll free number. 877-994-4616 if you'd like to call and harass them about not having a website).

uncork and enjoy.

Spirits Sunday - American Honey

Wild Turkey American Honey

ok, imagine what Wild Turkey tastes like. now, imagine what honey tastes like. alright, now put them together. That's American Honey. seriously.

It's an "Exceptionally smooth liqueur blended with pure honey and bourbon whiskey" according to the bottle and I could not agree more.

My fabulous friend, Tina, brought some for Husband and I to try on her latest visit to the great city of "where we live." Neither of us had heard of it before she mentioned it and were definitely interested in trying it.

On their arrival, the American Honey was put directly in the freezer. We poured short glasses and sipped it straight. MAN. honey and bourbon. seriously. It's very much not an everyday have a drink drink. In fact, Husband and I still have about 1/5 of the bottle left that we're saving for when the weather turns cool.

I also tried it with unsweet tea. (because when I drink bourbon, it's either with coke or sweet tea, or just over ice depending on the smooth-ness.) And I'd have to say it is good like that, but not really it's intended use. it's meant to be enjoyed chilled and over ice.

it's 35.5% alcohol.

I recommend waiting to try it until it's football season. maybe Iron Bowl weekend. It'll be cold by then.

Spirits Sunday

Much like gladys, I love Jesus, but I like to drink a little. "Spirits Sunday" has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit and everything to do with alcohol. teetotallers beware.

"Spirits" are actually alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of greater than 20% and I'll probably be talking mostly about wine which only contains between 9% and 16% alcohol. BUT I already post a Wordless Wednesday and I didn't want to include a Wine Wednesday in the mix.

Spirits Sunday it is.

Now introducing my first Spirits Sunday.

I found it at Whole Foods Market and it's actually on their Top Ten Wines for the Summer list. I forget how much it cost, but it was under $10.

"The Bunny Wine" is a fantastic Reisling from Germany. As far as I can find, the winery doesn't have a website, so what I know about the wine, I read on the label and experienced in tasting it.

It has pretty great peach and pear aromas. It's really light and fruity. and of course, best served well chilled. It'd be great with hard cheeses, pastas and cream sauces and light seafood meals. We drank it a few weeks ago and I'm pretty sure we just had vegetable hash with it.

Husband and I really liked it. He was actually surprised it was as good as it was because I'm notorious for picking wines based on the coolness factor of their labels and not on much else.

Rieslings are great wines for people who think they don't like wine because they've had some room temperature red wine once and was completely turned off.

the alcohol content content was 10%, it has a cork and it's a 2007 vintage.

enjoy.