Happy Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving holiday was one of the best in recent memory. It was filled with some of the things I love the most. There were great friends gathered round the table. There was a ton of great food, and of course great wine. Sadly I did not get to sample the 2004 vintage of the Cotes du Rhone from Caboche which apparently went over so well, it disappeared before I could taste it. The 2003 is still excellent though.

The Reds
I did get to sample the a Nero/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Nu Har. It was full-bodied, lots of fruit and backbone. I got red and black cherry from it. I recommend having it with food. It would probably go very well with either steak or roast chicken. It may also go well with italian red sauce type foods. I also had a nice Malbec from Los Cardos. Great little wine, nice fruit and medium-full bodied. Malbec is usually used as a blending grape, but this was great all by itself. I opened the bottle early that day and let it breathe. I recommend pouring a bit into a glass and letting the bottle breathe for at least an hour or so before drinking. Always give it a good swish in the glass before tasting. Once opened its flavors and aromas are really enhanced.

The Whites
We also had a great little wine from Gazela in Portugal called Vhino Verde, a wonderful white effervescent wine. It's light and great for the summer. It's so easy to drink and has so much sparkle to it. The best part about it is it's quality for the price. This wine can be found for about 6 dollars. We also served a lovely Prosecco from La Marca which went over well. It's very inexspensive, about 10 or 11 dollars. It's better than most cheap sparkling wines. There was also a lovely Chardonnay/Viognier blend from Tortoise Creek. What a great little label. The blend has character and complexity in the blend. The Viognier give the wine a round fullness in the mouth that sits well with the crisp edge of the Chardonnay. Again a great value at around 9 dollars.

Please feel free to comment and tell me what you had for Thanksgiving. I'm always looking for new wines to sample. With more holidays to come I hope I've given some ideas for gift wines and wines to go with holiday get-togethers. Eat drink and be merry. Happy Holidays.

Domaine Pere Caboche Cotes Du Rhone 2003-Thanksgiving

Recently I tried the Cotes Du Rhone from Caboche. All I can say is what a gem of a wine. It's medium bodied, fruity and easy to drink. It goes well as a solo act or accompanied by food. Caboche really knows how to make wine. I bought a bottle, drank half of it that night and finished it the next night. I immediately went back to the wine store to buy another bottle. There were only two left, so I grabbed one which will be part of tomorrow's Thanksgiving celebration. I discovered the 2004 vintage had just been released, so I bought a bottle for tomorrow as well. If possible I'll try them side by side.

In additon I bought a case of wine for Thanksgiving. I'll try to make some notes and reports for recommendations. There are whites and reds a plenty to try. It'll be a blast. I managed to get a great selection from Manor House Cellar on 23rd street in Manhattan. They were all very reasonably priced, and we got a discount for buying a case. Good deal. Anyway, happy Thanksgiving and Happy drinking. Please feel free to post your comments.

NYC Marathon and upcoming events

Today, the band and I played on a Brooklyn street corner for the NYC Marathon. It was a great event, and a lot of fun. Our next gig is November 16th at the Pussy Cat Lounge, and it should be a blast. I'm also looking forward to doing the NY Christmas Revels this year which is sure to be a great show (nyrevels.org).

I've been under the weather lately, so I haven't been drinking wine. I hope to report some new wines when I'm fully recovered.