Wine Momma Wine Review - Oak Leaf Sauv Blanc - ONLY $2.97 AT WAL-MART - But, is it worth it?

From what I understand from wine makers that I know and have read up on, their goal in life is to make the best and most complex wine that they can from what they are handed each year at harvest time.

However, I am starting to believe that there are some in the business trying to out-do one another in wine cost. It is a great thing to have wines at a lower price point but how far is too low?

I think we might have reached that low. Wal-Mart is known for its great prices but poor quality. That is reflected in today's Wine Momma Wine Review.

Wine Momma Wine Review
Oak Leaf Sauv Blanc
$2.97 at Wal-Mart
What does it smell like: Trees, earth
What does it taste like: Dry, watered down, low alcohol level (which means less sugar when it was harvested)
Wine Momma Scale Number: a big fat FIVE. Sorry, Oak Leaf (see scale on right of webpage)

Now, all in all, I support and love cheap wines. But, after only a few sips of this baby, my head was starting to pound with pain. It actually gave me a headache and I could barely get enough in me before I abandoned it.

However, do not lose heart about that awesome $2.97. Use it in your cooking, my friends. We added it to our mushrooms that night and it did a fine job.

If you want to buy and enjoy cheap wine, I suggest moving up a few more bucks and sticking with Cupcake - best bang for your buck in any varietal. It is my go-to day to day wine.

Tell me, what are your favorite cheap wines and how low do those costs go for you?

Cheers! 

12 Items to Improve Your Wine-o Lifestyle

Boys and girls, ladies and gents, step right up and experience all you need to fulfill a wine-o lifestyle. Whether at the beach, the pool, your home or a party, you are all set.

12 Items to Improve Your Wine-O Lifestyle


Somebody, please buy me #1

I can personally vouch for #8 - amazing and they stack on top of one another!

#12 is a MUST have - get rid of that red wine smile!!!

Cheers!

Why do you drink wine? What about it fascinates you? Instead of getting my PhD, I want to do this......

From the beginning, I was attracted to the taste of wine. It was fruity, it was dry, it was fun to hold a wine glass and socialize. Little by little, as I learned more, I began to be fascinated by the object that is the wine grape(s) and how it lives, even after being harvested, in that wonderful bottle we all love to see and open. Wine is constantly changing, growing and alive.

If you open a wine bottle today, it will taste different than it might tomorrow. If you opened a bottle yesterday, it will taste different today. If you harvest a grape at the wrong time or if the weather has not been ideal, it can affect every grape in that region. That is where we learn about "good" or "bad" vintages. If Napa had really rainy weather one summer that caused build up of mold on the grapes or had to harvest early due to super hot weather, that wine may not be as great as other years. Or, it could have been perfect weather and every wine enthusiast is dying to get their hands on that wine. That said, we still love to see what happens if we leave it alone for years. Will it grow stronger? Will it age poorly? We truly never know until we take that cork and open the bottle days or even years later.

My love for wine and how it is made has led me to this goal: I plan to successfully pass the Level 1 Master of Wine test within the next 10 years to make me an official Sommelier. Now, mind you, I will not be a Master Sommelier. That goes up to Level 4 and is INSANE for what you need to know and the money it takes to get there. 10 YEARS?? Yes, I said 10 years. Why, you ask? Because not only do I have to hone my tasting skills, I also have to memorize the entire wine dictionary and continue learning more and more and more and more (pretty much everything) about wine before I can even drive over to beautiful New Orleans to take the test. Now, you all are my accountability on this now.....so, keep on me!

So, my first step? Our dear friends bought us the below book and course -

I began my lessons today and love it so far. Yes, I have already had to look up a few words but it is all in the name of learning.

Kevin Zraly includes video segments along with his book lessons that encourage you and provide a back ground to what you are about to read and learn. His first lesson - always have a glass of wine as you read! I think I'm gonna like this guy.......

In terms of my tasting chops, I have been generously offered by the wonderful owner of local Red or White wine shop to allow me to do their Saturday wine tastings blind. He is a Level 2 Sommelier and, I am sure, sympathetic for what it will take for me to complete my goal. Check around the areas you live in, friends, I am sure a shop would be happy to do the same for you!

So, I love learning and always wanted to go back to school to get my PhD. But, in the meantime, as I raise a family and take care of our home, I will focus my learning skills on wine. The PhD may have to wait a few years.....

Cheers!

NY Times Wine School - our South Alabama Wine Review on the Haute-Medoc 2009 Bordeaux

My little home became a gathering of some amazing South Alabama ladies, one great mother-in-law and one hot hubbie (that would be mine) who came together for one reason - to taste wine. We are participating in the monthly Wine School tasting with the NY Times wine critic.

Our goal: provide a realistic and informed wine review for the 2009 Haute-Medoc Bordeaux from Chateau Larose-Trintaudon.

We opened the bottle about 20 minutes prior to tasting and "violently" decanted it and let it sit for a bit. Although the NY Times wine critic does not believe the glass you drink from is important, I do. I made sure that each of us had a decent stemmed wine glass to taste from. It does not have to be a fancy wine glass, just a wine glass. You have great and affordable options at Target or Wal-Mart if you need some. If possible, go with the Riedel brand.

We poured about 2-3 ounces in each glass. We then read aloud the three questions we were asked to answer -

What does the wine smell and taste like?

What is its texture?

How does the taste change over time?

Well, here it is friends -

Wine School Wine Review
Wine: 2009 Haute-Medoc 2009 Bordeaux from Chateau Larose-Trintaudon
60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot
What does the wine smell and taste like?: Smell - Oak, Currants, Blackberries, Cherries
Taste - Heavy alcohol taste, Pepper, Heavy Tannins, Earthy, Sediment, Iron
What is its texture?: Grainy, heavy
How does the taste change over time?: Lost its bitterness once paired with food; half believed the second glass was better and half did not
Wine Momma Wine Scale: A solid 4

Comments: Most of us, including me, did not particularly like this wine. Although there were a few fruity tones in the nose, there was only earth and a strong sense of alcohol in the taste. However, it did have a beautiful dark purple color. And, lastly, it had nice legs! (AKA, alcohol content). :-)

We all had such a fun two hours tasting wine and having fun. Next up - we are going to attempt a blind tasting with two whites and two reds. Those results should be interesting - let's see who can get it right!

All that said, friends, this is such a fun and easy thing for you to do at home. Just make some calls and send some emails and get the wine tasting going!

Cheers!

Is it OK to breastfeed and drink wine? Let me tell you what I think......

This is a hard topic to write about. One - everyone has a strong opinion and two - everyone has a strong opinion.

Let's cut to the chase. Do I think its OK? YES.

Did I drink wine while breastfeeding? YES.

Am I a doctor? NO. So, consider this my educated opinion. 

I am a huge proponent of breastfeeding and it was the greatest feeling I have felt as a mother. I started 5 minutes after she arrived and only stopped a few weeks ago. My girl was exclusively breastfed for almost 7 months and only then did she get her bottle. I loved it. I couldn't get enough of it. BUT, I also loved my wine. I had to do some digging and soul searching, to be honest, to understand where I came out on the topic.

I am a huge fan of La Leche League. For you fellow breastfeeding mommas, I am sure you know of this amazing resource we have. It is an international organization with local branches for support, to answer questions, to seek help and have a great network of other like-minded mommas.

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Here are some great nuggets of wisdom straight from their website -

Women are often warned to not consume alcohol during pregnancy, as ample evidence has shown that it poses a severe and avoidable risk to her unborn baby. The risks of consuming alcohol while breastfeeding are not as well defined. Breastfeeding mothers receive conflicting advice about whether alcohol consumption can have an effect on their baby, which often leaves mothers feeling like they have more questions than answers. So, what information should a mother who is considering drinking while breastfeeding know?

La Leche League's The Womanly Art Of Breastfeeding (p. 328) says:

The effects of alcohol on the breastfeeding baby are directly related to the amount the mother ingests. When the breastfeeding mother drinks occasionally or limits her consumption to one drink or less per day, the amount of alcohol her baby receives has not been proven to be harmful.

La Leche League's The Breastfeeding Answer Book (pp. 597-598) says:

Alcohol passes freely into mother's milk and has been found to peak about 30 to 60 minutes after consumption, 60 to 90 minutes when taken with food. Alcohol also freely passes out of a mother's milk and her system. It takes a 120 pound woman about two to three hours to eliminate from her body the alcohol in one serving of beer or wine...the more alcohol that is consumed, the longer it takes for it to be eliminated. It takes up to 13 hours for a 120 pound woman to eliminate the alcohol from one high-alcohol drink. The effects of alcohol on the breastfeeding baby are directly related to the amount the mother consumes.

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I, personally, chose to stick with only wine. I drank no hard liquor while I was breastfeeding. I would have 1-1/2 glasses at night once I knew she was down for the night or for a longer amount of sleep. That way, I knew the majority of the alcohol would be out of my system before she would eat again. If anything was left, it was a very minimal amount. Occasionally, I would also drink a glass during the day at a special event, etc.

Dr. Jack Newman, member of the LLLI Health Advisory Council, says this in his handout "More Breastfeeding Myths":

Reasonable alcohol intake should not be discouraged at all. As is the case with most drugs, very little alcohol comes out in the milk. The mother can take some alcohol and continue breastfeeding as she normally does. Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily restrictive for nursing mothers.

BOOM.

What is the key to all this, wine mommas? MODERATION AND LIMITED CONSUMPTION. We can still have our cake and eat it too. Be proud to be a breastfeeding momma and a wine momma. It's OK.

Cheers!

The Wine School - from critic Eric Asimov of the NY Times - challenges us to join him as we learn more about wine

The wine critic for the NY Times, Eric Asimov, has started what he calls "Wine School." It is not in a building, it is not online, it is all from the comfort of your own home with one of the wines he chooses. I will be following Eric each month as he challenges us to learn more about tasting and discerning wines.

This month is Bordeaux. Bordeaux is the world's major wine industry capital. The wine economy in the metro area takes in 14.5 billion euros each year. Bordeaux wine has been produced in the region since the 8th century.

Below are the three bottles he reccomends. However, keep in mind, if you can't find them, look to buy a wine from 2009 from the Haut-Médoc, the region where these wines originated.

 Here are the first three bottles and what he paid for them (remember prices vary; be sure you find the same wine, not a second label, in the same size bottle):

CHÂTEAU BERNADOTTE HAUT-MÉDOC 2009 $32 (Sherry-Lehmann Selections/Le Reine Importing, New York)

CHÂTEAU CANTEMERLE HAUT-MÉDOC 2009 $53 (Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York)

CHÂTEAU SOCIANDO-MALLET HAUT-MÉDOC 2009 $62 (Frederick Wildman & Sons)

You can find the full article HERE. 


I hope you will join me!

Cheers!

You know that favorite Champagne/Sparkling Wine you love? It will blow your mind what it has to go through before it gets to your favorite wine shop ready for you to drink.......

Now, I know many wine professionals think the way sparkling wine is made is an everyday thing. But, seriously, it is really cool and has to go 5 or 6 more steps along than still (not sparkling) wine to arrive to your hometown store to be purchased.

Firstly - lesson time. NEVER CALL SPARKLING WINE CHAMPAGNE UNLESS IT IS ACTUALLY FROM CHAMPAGNE. If a sparkling wine is labeled Champagne and it is not from that region in France, you are breaking the law. OK, now that we have that settled - we are discussing SPARKLING WINE today.

Why does it sparkle/bubble? Because it has extra CO2 in it. Well, Wine Momma, how does it get there??

The Méthode Champenoise (the traditional method from Champagne, France)
Once the initial fermentation takes place in the wine, sparkling wine goes another step further and undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle in which it will be served/sold. With sparkling wine, this means adding several more grams of yeast and rock sugar. Since the carbon dioxide is contained, it makes the wine "bubbly." It then has to sit in the bottle and age for at least 1-3 years. Crazy!

Now, here's the cool part. The bottle, obviously, has sediment in it from the yeast and sugar. In order to get that contained in the bottle, it goes through a process called riddling.

In this stage the bottles are placed in specially built "A" frame racks, called pupitres. This places the bottles at a 45º with the cork pointed down. Every few days the bottles are given a slight shake and turn and dropped back into the pupritres (eventually the angle is increased). The drop back into the rack causes a slight tap, pushing sediments toward the neck of the bottle. This occurs once every 2-3 days for several weeks until the position of the bottle is pointed straight down with sediment in the neck of the bottle.

This is still done by hand in a few very exclusive sparkling wine and Champagne wineries today. 

One of these wineries is my favorite sparkling wine producer, Schramsberg.

This post was actually inspired by this bottle, a 2004 J. Schram sparkling wine (85% Chardonnay/15% Pinot Noir). To put it in a few words, it was decadent elegance to taste this wine.

However, most producers today use machines to riddle their bottles.

Once the sediment is fully contained in the neck of the bottle, the neck is then frozen, and the cap removed. The pressure in the bottle forces out the sediment, and the bottle is quickly corked to maintain the CO2 in the bottle.

Wam, Bam, Yes Mam.....

I am sure we all have great things to celebrate and I hope you are able to do it with a great bottle of sparkling wine. If you live in the South Alabama area, you can find various varietals of Schramsberg sparkling wine at Southern Napa and Red or White. I highly recommend them.   

Cheers! 

In honor of all my fellow wine mommas whose kids are off schedule today.....the year's worst Monday......

Yes, I drank Box Wine....and it was pretty good

Hi, my name is Wine Momma......and I drank wine out of a box.

There, I said it.

Blame my friend, Kerry. She made me. But I am glad she did.

Not only was it decent, but it is so fun to pour it out of the awesome-sauce spout. This Chardonnay, a CA 2012 Black Box wine, was totally decent (I rarely drink Chardonnay as it is) AND it is a great option for a informal night or party. I mean, who doesn't like buying wine for $22 and getting 4 bottles in one??AND you can get it at your local grocery store!

Wine Momma Wine Review
Black Box 2012 CA Chardonnay
Bouquet: crisp and fresh flower bouquet
Wine Momma Scale Number: A solid 3 - great wine for a fun night with friends and you didn't have to break the bank! (See my wine review scale on the right side of the blog)

Now, I cannot say I fully condone multiple box wine drinking experiences, but, for this one day, I will give a pass. Just don't put ice in it people! :-)

Cheers!

Have you ever wanted to know what it takes to be a Master Sommelier? #MindBlown

And you thought you were a wine snob.....

There is Truth in Wine and Children......

Children are an open book. They are as brutal or as sweet as their heart chooses. They can open your mind to new ideas, surprise you with their knowledge and allow you the clarity you need in admitting mistakes.

I believe these qualities can also be attributed to wine. When one sits down with a glass and a friend, not only are we reflecting on its taste and smell qualities, but we are reflecting on life, asking questions and finding a path to take.

Each night, my husband and I choose to drink a glass together. This has become such an important and bonding experience in our marriage. Why? Because of the vulnerable environment it creates to grow closer through conversation. We have made life-changing decisions over a glass of wine.

Let's move to California
Why don't you interview for that new job?
Time to try for a baby!

We have also made life-changing apologies that have brought healing to our marriage as well.

I think it is important for our daughter and future children to learn not only how to drink alcohol in a healthy manner, but to appreciate it for what it can bring about in conversation and life. Wine is NOT necessary to have a healthy conversation or relationship - don't get me wrong on that - but it can help to open vulnerability's door.

And that's what I love about children and wine - vulnerability and truth.

Cheers!