master sommelier

So while I cannot claim to be a Master Sommelier, by any stretch of the imagination, I have come to appreciate a nice bottle of wine. After our brewery excursion earlier this month, you already know that my mister is a bit of a beer snob...so I figured there wasn't any harm in me also indulging in something different from time to time when it came to wines. Being amongst the ranks of working mamas, I feel like I have a whole new appreciation for the phrase, work hard, play hard. We {about 6 mama friends of mine + me-self} decided to wrap up the week on friday by having a jigantic playgroup at my house. 7 mamas + 5 bottles of wine + 17 children {yes, 17} ='d a really fun afternoon...and this very apropos post!
I have found out a couple of things about wine as of late. One: I have to be weary of certain wines. A cheapy Woodbridge Pinot Grigio is a house staple that I can have any time, however other similarly priced wines give me a wicked headache + stuffy nose. I guess there is something about the sulfites? So even though I might prefer my in house white to don a more catchy label, you have to see what works for you. And that brings me to # Two: speaking of labels, there are some great labels + art designs out there! I thought this Pancake {a white} above was so cute...and I had picked up Razor's Edge {Cabernet} pictured below, after watching Sweeny Todd one night. The labels caught my eye + I was sold on it!
My Third thought is on pricing. We recently were re introduced to the 2 Buck Chuck: a label called Charles Shaw made specifically for Trader Joes. There are almost a dozen urban legends about this ridiculously good wine that is just $2.99 a bottle?! Crazy, I know. The theory I like the best it that the 2 buck chuck is really a second press of a better wine. We have had a few second press wines that are amazing. That being said price doesn't always dictate how good the wine will be. I've tried really expensive wines that I have really disliked + have had other cheapy wines that were delicious?
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My last and Fourth thought on wines is on tastings + buying. We have a couple of nice wine bars near + around us that offer wine tastings on certain evenings. I went to one a while ago now and sampled a label called Cloudy Bay from New Zealand that usually retails for around $35+ a bottle....delicious but way over my budget. However, I recently came accross a discount bottle store where the prices are ridiculously good {allowing me the chance to try all of these new wines} and the people are very knowledgeable about thier wines. I described the Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc and they pointed me in the direction of the Sauvignon Blanc made by Ribbonwood {pic above}. This happens to be my new most favourite wine. I look foward to picking it up to bring to a party or to enjoy with a nice meal we prepared.
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And so that is my ever so humble opinion on wines. The pictures are of some of the wines we have really enjoyed, all of which are about $13 or less. I am always up for a good recommendation, so if you've had any of these wines, or have another to suggest...keep me posted!
xo.