Category Archives: Red Wine

 I have a very special affinity for California wines, having been to the Napa Valley in 2001.  I also spent some time around Coastal California, and I just love the state.  The scenery took my breath away, the people were fantastic and the wine…. nothing short of spectacular. It’s on my bucket list to go back, and I have a friend, Arla, who would love to go as well.

I stayed in the northern tip of the Napa Valley in a little town called Calistoga.

Here is a picture of Calistoga, and as you can see from the map it is at the Northern tip. I did, however, drive to the Napa Valley, so I got to see a lot of it.   Staying in Calistoga was lovely, with a population of about 5500, it was quaint and friendly and easy to get around.  Known for it’s spas, I went for the wine. 

ne of the vineyards I got to visit, which was on a hill overlooking Calistoga, was Sterling Vineyards.  I was so excited because this brand is available here in Canada.  They make a variety of good wines in every price range.

Sterling Vintners Reserve has a Cabernet Sauvignon as well as a Merlot. (Ignore my Nespresso Coffee maker in the background LOL) This is the Cabernet, which is priced at $20 a bottle. I’ve had both, and they are both great wines.

Just down the road from Calistoga is St. Helena, known for some pretty famous wineries.

As a matter of fact, you can walk from vineyard to vineyard, there are that many of them.  St. Helena is in the heart of the Napa Valley and home to many familiar brand names.  Beringer, Sutter Home, and Francis Ford Coppola just to name a few.  It is also home to some of my favorites.

Here is a picture I took of the Robert Mondavi Winery

Robert Mondavi is located in St. Helena, and I visited this vineyard twice.  It was just so beautiful.  Again, Canada sees a few wines from this vineyard, ranging in price here in Nova Scotia from $16 to $70.

Here’s one I’ve had this past week. A tasty Cabernet that comes in under $18. Mondavi’s goal was to put good wine on every table. At one point, the original Robert Mondavi, only wanted the highest quality, which came with a higher price tag. He criticized both of his sons for introducing the lower priced Woodbridge and Coastal lines. His sons knew they could produce a quality wine that came with a lower price tag.

And last, but certainly not least, my absolute favorite. Francis Ford Coppola’s Winery.

I bought so much wine from this Winery. They sell a spectacular Merlot, as well as a Rosso Red Blend. I literally left California with a case of this in my vehicle.

But I think they make one of my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon wines, and my nephew gave me a bottle Christmas of 2021.

Francis Ford Coppola has been quoted as saying making films and making wine are two great art forms.  And I tend to agree with him.   I visited this particular Vineyard three times during my 10 day visit.   You just can’t see it all in one visit .  He also has olive trees and makes his own olive oil right on site.  When I was there I met a lady who said she drove for 90 minutes and she was stocking up.  In her own words, the best olive oil she has ever tasted.   I was disappointed I only bought one bottle.   They also have an extensive gift shop where I bought some beautiful napkins .

Keep in mind there was no such thing as an I-phone when I was there. It was old fashioned cameras, so I didn’t take as many pictures. This was so cool. Upstairs in the Winery is a room dedicated to his film making, including a case with these Oscar statues. It is an absolute must visit if you are anywhere near the Napa Valley.

Well that’s it for me for this week. Till next week, Cheers

Darlene

61 years ago on July 22nd, my Mom gave birthday to a healthy 8 lb girl who loved to eat. I’m not kidding, from a young age, I loved to eat. The proof is in the pudding, or should I say the fat rolls

At 10 months old and weighing in at a whopping 36 pounds, my family doctor put me on my first diet. You can’t make this shit up.

In 1981, a shy young girl walked into a radio station to start a 2-week internship. 42 years later, I’m still in the business. I started out as an announcer and in 1990 started in the sales division.

Even though I work behind the scenes now, I’ve been known to help out with voicing every once in a while.

My love of wine is enhanced by my love of travel. I have been blessed to meet people from all over the globe in my travels. From Hawaii to Italy, from Aruba to France, travelling is a big adventure for me. I have also travelled across Canada twice, from St. John’s Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, and every where in between.

Also part of the adventure was becoming a Certified Sommelier in 2017. That journey started with my love of wine and wanting to learn more.

When I moved to Halifax 11 years ago, it was also a great way to meet new people, who like me, loved wine. Through my love of wine and doing wine tastings, I have met some amazing people.

Since it’s my birthday, I’m going to share my favorite treat wines.

A friend of my friend Angie, received a bottle of this wine from his son for his birthday. They wanted my opinion. I told him it was the best wine I’ve ever had from Napa Valley. I think it’s my overall favorite. My brother-in-law Craig bought a bottle when he was up in March, and WOW! Complex, full-bodied, hints of woodsmoke, I absolutely loved this wine. When you could get it here, it was about $75 a bottle. Worth every penny. This is the winery that won for best Cabernet Sauvignon in the famous 1976 Judgement of Paris.

My friends Shane & Ken had me over for dinner and introduced me to a couple of great wines. They have excellent taste in wine.

In addition to the Caymus Vineyards Zinfandel, I got to try this beauty.

The Austin Hope Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon by the Hope Family Wines, was a surprise treat. I love wines from Paso Robles, I think that part of California makes a great wine. Owner and winemaker Austin Hope says “The goal is simple: to make wines that express everything Paso Robles has to offer, with its pastoral beauty, perfect soils, maritime climate and limitless possibility.” It’s a treat at $75 a bottle here in Halifax, but so good.

And last but not least, again compliments of my brother-in-law Craig, Caymus Vineyards Zinfandel, which my Mom and I enjoyed Mother’s Day weekend, when she was up visiting.

I love Zinfandel. And Caymus makes one of the best.

Chuck Wagner, and his two children Jenny and Charlie are busy with many brands they are responsible for, including Conondrum and Mer Soleil. This full-bodied Zinfandel has been given ratings from 93-Points to 95 Points. Zinfandel, called the perfect wine for BBQ, won’t disappoint.

Although I am going through Cancer treatments, I find myself very grateful. I have a wonderful family, the most amazing friends, and my work family is just that, family. My last chemo pills for this round will be taken tomorrow. I have booked a trip home to Corner Brook, Newfoundland, leaving on August 3rd. I get a break from all treatments for a few weeks. Then there is more testing to see next steps. I’m looking forward to the break, and I’m looking forward to having an ice cream in this heat. The neuropathy makes it impossible to have ice cream while on chemo. I’m feeling great, and I’m very optimistic for the future.

Thank you everyone for reading. Till next week, Cheers

Darlene

That time of the year, when we honor our Mom’s, whether they are with us or not. I am lucky enough to still have my Mom, and this year, for the first time since I moved to Halifax, she is with me for Mother’s Day. She is 88 years young and going quite strong. Here she is in January on her 88th birthday.

And here we are yesterday evening, as we open a very special bottle of wine.

My brother-in-law Craig bought this back in March when he was here. And I was saving it for something special. And what’s more special than getting to spend Mother’s Day weekend with your Mom, who lives in another province.

Caymus is one of my favorite Vineyards in California, and they know how to make Zinfandel. This is a 95-Point Wine, beautifully full-bodied and lush with spicy herbal notes. One of my friends asked me yesterday evening if it was worth the treat price tag and I said yes. Absolutely yes. The Wagner family make amazing wines, including the line of Mer Soleil and Conundrum Wines, however, the Caymus line is their top notch line. Started in 1972, this vineyard is still in the family. This wine retails here for $75, so it is a treat wine, but my Mom is worth it. And I didn’t buy it LOL

Thank you to all the Moms. Thank you to all the Moms of fur-babies as well. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend

Darlene

I love red wine that has been oaked. Many times you’ll hear people say ‘I don’t like oaky wine’. I am not a huge fan of what I call ‘manipulated oaky wine’. Unfortunately, some lesser priced wines can taste oaky, even though they have never seen the inside of an oak barrel. Some mass produced wines use oak chips or oak staves inside of tanks to give it an ‘oaky flavor’. This is why you’ll hear me say I’m not a fan of overly oaked wine, but I love wine that has been aged properly in oak. 50 of the world’s most expensive wines are oak aged in some way.

Old world winemakers have been using oak for hundreds of years and have it down to a science. There are 3 types of oak used for wine, and each imparts a different flavor and nuance. There is French oak, American oak and Hungarian oak (also called European oak). Most of the wines available to us here use mostly French oak or American oak. I have, however, had Hungarian oak.

This Mas Buscados Tempranillo, Syrah & Petite Verdot blend from Spain, which we used to be able to buy here, was aged in Hungarian Oak. The tannins were soft and the fruit of the wine highlighted. This was such a great wine at a great price, it’s too bad we can’t get here in Nova Scotia anymore.

The interesting part about oak is that the more an oak barrel is used, the more subtle the flavors it imparts. If you are into reading the back of the wine bottle, like I am, you’ll see sometimes they use ‘new and used’ oak. The newer a barrel, the more oak flavor it imparts.

MacMurray Wines used this technique a lot with their fantastic Pinot Noir wines. Run by Kate MacMurray, she is the daughter of Hollywood actors Fred MacMurray and June Havers.

American Oak imparts a lot of flavor, more so than French oak. Wine experts often describe the American Oak flavors as vanilla. You’ll often see the word ‘vanilla’ flavors mentioned on the back of a wine bottle, and that flavor comes from the oak. One thing is for sure, it adds ruggedness to clean, fruit-forward new world wines. An American oak barrel costs between $350 – $650 and a French oak barrel costs between $650 – $3600, depending on quality. Wow.

Let’s talk some new wines. This is so good, I’m going to call this my wine of the week.

From Central Chile, this beauty is called the perfect blend of wine and art on its label. Quatro means 4, which a perfect blend of 4 grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Shiraz, and Malbec. My friends Angie and Pat shared this wine with me, and they both loved it. So, there you have it, 3 opinions, all loving this wine. And it’s priced at $21, which is a great value for this wine.

Quick update for my readers and friends I have enjoyed a two week break from treatments, but that is coming to an end. On Monday, I have a CT scan, and on Wednesday another scope, which will determine how the first 5 weeks of Radiation and Chemo did to that tumor. Then the next round of treatments will be determined. Feeling great though.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Darlene

Ok… What happened to September? I feel like I blinked Labor Day Weekend and here we are October 1st. Thanksgiving is next weekend.

I swear the older I get, the faster time flies. My Mom arrived yesterday. Speaking of time, she is 87, she’ll turn 88 in January. Still looking great an still on the go.

My Mom lives on her own, in the Senior’s cottages in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. But she doesn’t drive anymore. So my sister Jackie, and her husband Craig, who also live in Corner Brook, are her primary care-givers. Today, they leave for Hawaii for 4 weeks. Lucky!! They deserve it though. They work so hard and they also do so much for my Mom, since my sister is the only sibling that lives in the same town as my Mom. So my Mom is here for 2 weeks and then I fly home with her and work from home from my sister’s house for 2 weeks. I’m staying at my sister’s house, because my Mom’s cottage is really small, and I’ll be taking care of this baby. I’m dogsitting Maggie.

So with my Mom here, I’ll be doing some cooking. She says she is really craving BBQ, and you know I’m her girl. I’m sure next week, I’ll have more recipes to share. I made my maple curry chicken pasta this past week for some colleagues of mine who loved it. I forgot to take a picture. But it turned out well. I have shared it before, in this previous wine blog.

I have one wine this week. And it’s my wine of the week, and an amazing wine.

My friend Anthony and I were talking this past week about how much we love Cabernet Franc. And I had to tell him about this one.

This is the perfect wine for all your favorite Fall comfort foods. A full-bodied wine with hints of pepper and spice, it has a long lasting finish and was a beautiful treat. Priced under $25, this is a perfect example of a great wine price under $25. Someone at work was asking me about $25 wines and $100 wines, and I said ‘You can get a great wine for $25’ and this is one of those examples.

Well, that’s it for me for this week. Till next week, Cheers

Darlene