A very big thank you to all the people who not only read my blog about my Birthday Wine Bucket Lust last Saturday, but for all the birthday wishes as well. Remember I told you I was going to celebrate turning 55 in style with a road race in St. John’s, Newfoundland called the Tely 10. Which by the way is 10 miles, or 16.12 kilometres, the longest distance I have ever run.
And I did it!! Here I am at the finish line with my friend, and the person who got me through this challenging event, Beth Keeping. Her husband Scott is a very fast runner, and finished the race about 35 minutes before us. It was tough and at times I struggled on the road, but we did it! I’m used to trail running, so running my longest distance on pavement took its toll on my legs. And what better way to reward yourself than with a glass of wine.
On the day of my actual birthday, my friends Beth & Scott took me to dinner to a restaurant in St. John’s called Piatto Midtown. We had a fabulous dinner and Beth and I enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner. You can’t drink too much when you have to get up at 5 a.m. to run a race. We had the Primarius Pinot Noir from Oregon and I loved it. I love a cool climate Pinot Noir and this is Pinot does at its finest. Primarius is the latin word for Distinguished, and I think it’s a very fitting title. The Williamette Valley in Oregon is putting out some of the finest Pinot Noir wines on the planet, and Wine-maker Sarah Cabot knows how to do it right. Beautiful flavors of cherries, clove and notes of cinnamon, with a subtle hint of oak. I loved it, and although I can’t buy it here in Nova Scotia, it will be on the list when I visit Newfoundland again. It’s $31.25 a bottle there, so a nice treat wine.
When my friend Judy took me out to dinner for my birthday, at a restaurant called Il Mercato here in Nova Scotia, a beautiful Italian restaurant, we enjoyed this great wine. The Zenato Ripassa 2013 hails from the northern part of Italy, in Veneto, and this family has been producing wine since 1960. Sergio Zenato started the winery in 1960 and it is now being run by his two children, Alberto & Nadia. This wine paired great with the beef tenderloin we both enjoyed, and the velvety smoothness of this rich wine was wonderful to sip as we were waiting for our meal. At $35 a bottle to buy in a wine store here, I thought it was a great wine.
And now for my wine of the week….
This luscious fruity Merlot from the Napa Valley in California. (I apologize for the poor picture quality and the streak of wasted wine down the bottle). This is a fantastic treat wine, it’s $69 a bottle here but this is one of those wines that is worth every penny. It is luscious and rich with some spice on the palate. Hat’s off to another fantastic female wine-maker, this wine is made by Jenny Wagner, daughter of iconic winemaker Chuck Wagner. Think iconic wines such as Caymus, Mer Soleil, and Conundrum. This particular wine was started by Jenny’s mother, Cheryl Emmolo. This is one serious wine-making family.
A reminder with the hot Summer temperatures, that ‘room temperature’ of your home is probably too warm for your red wine. Room temperature is 55-degrees Farenheit or about 15-degrees Celsius, so stick it in the refrigerator for a bit.
Till next week, Cheers
Darlene
Wine-It’s Just My Opinion 