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Norm's Tasting Notes: 2009 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay
I don't know how many vintages of the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay I have sampled over the years, but I do know that I don't ever remember a bad one.  The 2009 vintage is another excellent example of a good bottle of wine for a good price... 
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2010 Dry Creek Fume Blanc
It was so good a couple of decades ago, that the Chardonnay Queen and I served it at our wedding. The 2010 Dry Creek Fume Blanc brought back memories of that great taste, the same, only different, We had a bottle last night with grilled steelhead, and it was wonderful. Now I am not sure whether I can tell the difference between steelhead and salmon, but I do know a good Sauvignon Blanc, when I taste one...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2010 Kim Crawford Marlborough Un-Oaked Chardonnay
Delightful and refreshing are the first thoughts which come to mind after sampling the 2010 Kim Crawford Un-Oaked Chardonnay from Marlborough, New Zealand. Although New Zealand is best known for Sauvignon Blanc, there are also some very good Chardonnays, especially from the Marlborough area. This is a clean and crisp, fruit forward Chardonnay, with none of the more heavy characteristics of an oak finished Chardonnay...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2010 Root One Carmenere
The last time I wrote about the Root One Carmenere we were having spaghetti, and we chose the 2009 Root One Carmenere instead of Chianti. Now a year later, it seemed that the right thing to do was to have a repeat with the 2010 vintage for a good comparison. Of course spaghetti at the Bentley house is a real treat, and so was the 2010 Root One Carmenere...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2009 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
I love steak. I love steak cooked on the grill. I love steak cooked on the grill and paired with a good bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon! For me, there is no better meal than a two inch thick fillet mignon cooked on the grill medium rare, and served with a good bottle of Cab, like the 2009 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. What else can I say? Well I could tell you what a beautiful place the Knights Valley is...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2010 Kenwood Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc
The Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc grapes hail from several areas within the Sonoma County including Russian River, Dry Creek, and Carneros. The varied growing climates within the valley create a complex wine with an array of flavors, which produce a clean wine with a crisp finish. The predominate taste is melon and citrus with a grassy overlay, followed by hints of tropical fruit...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2010 Meridian Vineyards Chardonnay
The 2010 Meridian Vineyards Chardonnay is a great choice for a wine typical of California Chardonnay, with lots of fruit and a clean finish...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes : 1997 Clos du Val Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon
We don't regularly drink fifteen year old bottles of wine, but the other night, we broke out a bottle of wine given to me by one of my favorite salesmen several years ago. Of course ten to fifteen years old is often the the correct age range for a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to be at its best. This one was the 1997 Clos du Val Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon, and it was excellent, and just about at its peak...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2009 Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2009 Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon, from Concha y Toro of Chile, gets a 91 score from the "Wine Enthusiast", and a 92 score from Norm...
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[ In Wine ]
Yonah Mountain Vineyards Shines at the 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Yonah Mountain Vineyards is excited to announce the receipt of two gold, a double gold and Best of Class, a silver and two bronze medals at the 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC).  The following list of awards garnered at this prestigious wine competition represent the most Gold and Double Gold medals taken by any East Coast winery. The results of the SFCWC were announced January 6, 2012...
 
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2010 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel
There is nothing like a big plate of spaghetti on a cold winter's night, and if you can't have a bottle of Dago Red alongside, try my American favorite for spaghetti, which is Zinfandel. The 2010 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel is the best of what have been some pretty good vintages over the last few years, and was made for spaghetti. The vine is made from old Zinfandel vines between 35 and 80 years old from the Lodi area of California...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay
There is something to be said for consistency, and both Robert Parker's "Wine Advocate" and the "Wine Spectator" scored the 2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay an 88. I am afraid I have to disagree and be inconsistent, and raise the score of this delightful bottle of wine to a 91. Perhaps I sampled this Chardonnay after a little more bottle age than the the two premier wine magazines, but I found this to be one of the best under twenty dollar Chardonnays I have ever tasted...
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[ In Recipes ]
from..."Miss Mary's Kitchen" - Norm’s Wandering Wallaby Baked Pasta
Tasting new wines that come on the market has always been a way of life at our house. Sometimes, we invite friends and family over to help us “judge” the various bottles that Norm has been asked to consider, or to write about for one of his wine columns. After reviewing a number of inexpensive offerings one afternoon (with one being called “Wandering Wallaby”), we found ourselves without a dinner entrée. Always the creative talent, Norm came up with a ‘tongue-in-cheek’ rendition of a beef-noodle casserole using the ingredients he found in the refrigerator...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes - 2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir
This is a very pleasant Pinot Noir, and a real bargain in the ten dollar price range.  Most Pinot Noirs in this category don't even taste like Pinot Noir, but this one is a definite exception.  The nose offers the aromas of black cherry and other dark fruits, which lead into a pronounced cherry flavor with a hint of black raspberry jam.  The finish is clean with mild oak tones, and a lasting cherry presence at the end...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes - 2007 Trimbach Alsace Lorraine Gewurztraminer
Gewurztraminer has always been a difficult taste for me to describe, but it is a wine which I have enjoyed for many years. The Trimbach Gewurztraminer has long been hailed as a prime example of this variety, and I once remarked that you could almost taste the sunshine in the glass! The 2007 vintage opens with a fragrant bouquet which transfers into a spicy flavored wine with a tangy finish. The flavor reminds one of cinnamon and ginger with a slight nuance of grapefruit toward the end...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes - 2011 Thanksgiving Special
Thanksgiving is the one day of the year when people who do not normally drink wine have at least one glass with their traditional Thanksgiving Feast. If you are going to have a glass of wine only once per year, make it a good one, since it is a long time between now and the next Thanksgiving Dinner! It is always difficult to select the perfect wine for this occasion, because the table offers such an array of aromas and flavors, but there are a few guidelines which will make this dinner more memorable than ever...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine
Over the years I have heard many make the comment, "I don't really like champagne, so I don't think that I will get any this year for the 31st." When asked what kind of champagne they have had in the past, the answer is often Andre. Well Andre really is not champagne, it's just inexpensive sparkling wine...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay
The 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle is an in-between style, which is somewhat classic French, and a little bit California, and is neither too fruit forward, nor too steely in nature. It has the true Chardonnay flavors of apple and pear which are accented by a hint of oak. This vintage was aged Surlie for about six months in both French and American oak. The finish is clean and crisp, with a little toasty oak and a slight citrus breeze, as it reminds the palate of the need for just one more sip...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2010 R. Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon is big, rich and smooth, with a lot of character, and was a great choice for our two inch thick, medium rare, fillet mignon! The Private Selection label is a secondary one for the winery, but with this Cab, it doesn't have to stand in line behind anyone...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes - 2009 Sterling Vintner's Collection Chardonnay
Sterling Vineyards was founded in 1964 near Calistoga, California by Englishman Peter Newton. The first plantings were Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot, and these varieties still represent some of the winery's best efforts. At the northern end of the Napa Valley, the view from the winery offers some of the most scenic views in the entire valley...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes - 2009 B Side Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
When I first got in the wine business, I loved Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa, California so much, that I hardly ever drank any other red wine. After a few decades in the wine business, I have learned to enjoy wonderful wines from all over the world. However, when I open a really good bottle of Napa Cabernet, its like coming home. After all, I was born there many long years ago, back when there were more fruit orchards than grape vineyards in the Napa. Valley...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot
Just get a bottle of the 2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot, and throw a couple of steaks on the grill, and you are in business...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes - 2010 Kris Pinot Grigio
A bouquet of flowers burst upon your senses like magnolias and gardenias on a hot southern night.  The warm aromas of this Pinot Grigio descend to your taste buds with a blanket of rich fruit, suggesting peaches and melon...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2009 Frescobaldi Remole Toscana
Tuscany, Italy conjures up visions of sun-bathed rolling hills covered with grape vines, and smothered with romance. This area of Italy has been producing wine for more than 2000 years, and the Marchesi de' Frescobaldi has been making wine in Tuscany for more than 700 of those years...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2010 Big House Unchained "Naked" Chardonnay
The weather forecast said hot and humid for the next three days, and the Chardonnay Queen said, "might as well be, that's the way its been for the last three months." The "dog days" are upon us and have been for it seems, forever. Because of the heat, we have been eating a lot of salads for dinner, which are better than hot meals these days...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2010 Bodegas Callia Alta Malbec
Over the last five or six years, I have sampled some pretty nice Malbec wines from Chile, but last night we tried a Malbec from Argentina, and liked it quite a lot. It was the 2010 Bodegas Callia Alta Malbec from the Tulum Valley in Argentina...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2009 Danzante Pinot Grigio
The 2009 Danzante Pinot Grigio comes from grapes grown in the northeastern region of Italy know as Le Venezie.  The climate is a little cool in the summer and produces some of the best Pinot Grigio in the world.  This Danzante is a light yellow in color with an aroma of flowers and citrus.  The flavors are typical of Pinot Grigio with pronounced swirls of pineapple, mixed with citrus and tropical fruit...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes: 2008 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Over the years I have been fortunate to have consumed many wonderful vintages of the Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.There is nothing like a steak hot off the grill and a bottle of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon The 2008 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon certainly fits that bill, as we found out just the other night...
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[ In Wine ]
Norm's Tasting Notes : 2009 Irony Monterey County Pinot Noir
Grilled salmon and Pinot Noir, what a combo!  Now, I will drink white wine with salmon at the drop of a hat, but as far as I am concerned, nothing beats Pinot Noir with salmon.  Last night we opened a bottle of 2009 Irony Monterey County Pinot Noir to accompany our grilled salmon, and it was a great match...
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[ In Recipes ]
Dutch Baby Pancake from..."Miss Mary's Kitchen"
 Having never had one before, I perched on a stool in the kitchen and intently watched as she quickly mixed up the ingredients that would soon go into the cast iron skillet heating in the oven. What came out of her oven was this delightfully fluffy pancake, and my, was it an impressive sight to see...
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