Afterparty Review Roundup: Quick Takes

Last night - we had some friends over and there was a lot of wine. So - clearly it was a good party. 

I wanted to do some quick takes on the wine, tasting notes and reviews. 

Wine always tastes better with friends but some of these wines were really special and the company just made them that much better. 

The reviews are from left to right in the picture. 

1. Olga Raffault Les Picasse Chinon:

This Cab Franc from Touraine in the Loire came with a demonstration on how to pour a bottle with sediment in it. The wine itself had notes of green olive and this salty and savory weight to it that was delicious. Incredibly unique and a conversation piece. 4.5/5

2. Biutiful Cava Brut

OK. So this guy was drunk a little before the party and I bought it - so I don't mind giving it a so-so review. It is bubbles and I like bubbles - but it has that candy almost plastic apple nose and taste. I wouldn't go for this one again. 2.5/5

3. Vino di Anna - Vino Rosso 2015 

The grape on this Sicillian wine is Nerello Mascalese. This wine was such a surprise - it is made with indigenous yeast and an attitude that allows the year to show up in the bottle. A wild turn from 2014's vintage - this is bright and light and almost fizzy - pixie sticks and cherry spree. 4/5

4. Tattinger Brut La Francaise

It's Tattinger - a perfect balance of toast and fresh - and it is in a magnum - no complaints here. 4/5

5. Foradori Morei Teroldego 2014

This biodynamic wine from Alto Adige is made from the Teroldego grape. This wine is lush with silky tannins and gushes with cherry and berry flavor. Wonderful. 4/5 

6. Roland Lavantureux Petit Chablis 2014

This wine is not what you might expect. It is bold and almost tropical - with citrus but also notes of pineapple. Delightful and surprising. 4/5

I didn't actually taste the desert wine yet...coming soon! 

What are some of your favorite party wines? 

Kenwood Six Ridges Cabernet Sauvignon - 2012

My first wine review!

Sleep is an elusive dragon - especially when I was so excited to write this that I even dreamt about wine (mostly moving boxes - typical wine shop stress dream). 

So brought to you by coffee, insomnia and good old fashioned excitement...

Kenwood Six Ridges Cabernet Sauvignon - 2012

Producer: Kenwood Vineyards

Region: Alexander Valley 

Grapes: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot

Alcohol: 14.5%

On The Nose: Vanilla, Baking Spices, Oak, Crushed Raspberries, Cassis

Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Dark Cherry, Blackcurrant, Cinnamon, Smoke and Leather. Medium Plus Tannin and Medium Plus/High Alcohol

Thoughts: It is wonderful to drink wine from a place you have been. I was able to visit Kenwood this Summer with friends and I really enjoyed myself. Their staff and wines are great, This wine needs some time to breathe. Off the bat - it was tannin and oak city but after letting it open up - the fruit and the terroir emerge from the glass. However - the overwhelming nature of the oak made it hard to really enjoy the wine. 

What Does Alexander Valley Taste Like? 

The Alexander Valley is in NE Sonoma County. Alexander Valley Reds are known for their ripeness and richness. With 2012 being a drought year - this ripe to bursting flavor is big in this big wine. Alexander Valley's taste profile shine through in the smokey and leathery notes in this wine. 

Pairing: This wine would work perfectly with brisket, Texas BBQ, and burgers or steaks on the grill. 

Rating: 3/5 

Check out more here for more information on the wine and Kenwood Vineyards. 

Thanks for Reading! Have you tried this wine - or any other Alexander Valley Cab? 

New Year - Old Truths

Photo by AlbertoLoyo/iStock / Getty Images

It's New Years - this time of year can be tricky for anyone in eating disorder recovery. This time of the year much like the nebulous "bikini body season" is a time where people are encouraged to 

- talk shit about their bodies

- talk about all the toxic foods they are no longer eating 

- pretend that if they are going to lose weight - this means everyone wants to. 

As a person who is actively NOT dieting (hopefully ever again) - this is a fraught time. So this is my project. I am going to eat this year and with gusto. 

I am going to drink and explore the world glass by glass. 

I have no idea what kind of project this will be or what shape it will take or if anyone will read this. I am doing this because I am about to be thirty and I can't keep waiting any longer. Waiting until I am thin enough or pretty enough or perfect enough to be allowed to enjoy my body and my life. 

I have been in recovery from my eating disorder for a while and I am in an amazing and hopeful place. I heard from a mentor once that you often need something to take the place of your obsession - that once you can refrain from behaviors - you don't truly heal until you love something more than the disorder and the obsession. 

It has been thirteen years in my self destructive love affair. That is horrible to admit. But it is true. 

As a part of my recovery - I decided to lay my eating disorder at the feet of Jesus...well I wanted to do something dramatic and significant. I decided to walk the Camino De Santiago alone to symbolically give up the disorder and the dieting and the obsession once and for all (again after a lot of therapy and work). I thought that it would be a time of religious discernment and that I would see the next step clearly after. 

Well God in her minxy way - showed me a next step but it wasn't one I planned on. In Spain - I found myself in love with wine. We would walk through wine country and vineyards by day and at night we would taste the most amazing wine - made often by the families of the barkeeps. 

For the first time - wine wasn't alcohol or calories - it was a living thing grown from specific earth by specific people. It was tradition and geography and an amazing story. 

I learned how to savor and taste and enjoy without guilt. That's not even right - the absence of guilt is important - but the sensory pleasure of enjoying what was there was beguiling. 

I have found myself in love. With wine. With my body that allows me to taste and discover and explore. 

So 2017 is about living fully. I hope to use this blog to write about wine and it's traditions and cultures as well as delve into embodiment, body diversity and body positivity. 

This space is about claiming space fearlessly and living a lush and big life. 

Here is to a year with my heart, my belly and my glass all full!