It's Friday. Movie time. Watch a great movie about the TRUE story that brought CA to the forefront of wine making - It's called "Bottle Shock."

It's Friday. The weekend has arrived. It's movie time!

The 2008 movie, Bottle Shock, has been one of my all time favorite movies since it was released. Not only do I love the content, but the actors are amazing, along with the compelling true story that it recounts. Bill Pullman, Chris Pine and Alan Rickman star in the movie.

Have any of you heard of the Judgment of Paris? It was a 1976 blind wine tasting between CA wines and the never-to-be-beat French wines. The catch? The panel was made up of the premier French palates in the wine business. However, the outcome was a game-changer for American wine production.

American historians at the Smithsonian were so amazed by both the fallout and the rise of CA winemaking following this epic 1976 blind wine tasting, that they officially deemed it a major historical event in American history. The two wining bottles are now on display in Washington, D.C.

Bottle Shock beautifully portrays the love and passion that accompanies viticulture (the science, production and study of grapes). The more I drink wine and learn about it, the more it amazes me every day.

All that to say, the plot is compelling, the actors are pro's, the scenery is gorgeous and you will want nothing more than a great glass of chardonnay and some guacamole by the time the movie is over.

Bottle Shock can be found on Netflix or purchased online.

Cheers!

I can find good wine at the Grocery Store??!! YES. Stick with these brands and you are good to go......

Life is too short to drink bad wine. Want good wine at a decent price and easily accessible? Below is the Wine Momma Grocery Store Go-To Wine List, courtesy of my countless hours of research. :-)

My favorite grocery store wine brand is Cupcake. Such a smart outfit. Yes, they are based in CA but their grapes, based on the varietal, come from the region in the world that is well known for that varietal. So, you get the value and expertise of that area without the high price. Their Sauv Blanc is my fav and is currently priced at $10.99. Also be sure to try their Chianti or, honestly, any of their varietals. I am pleased with them all.

Bogle Vineyards is the best bet for the best reds for your dollar. Bogle has a great Table Red Wine that can go with all sorts of dinners but my favorite of theirs is the Petite Sirah. It has true flavors and offers great complexity at a lower price point of $11.99.  Also be sure to try the Bogle Olde Vine Zinfandel, also $11.99.

In terms of Bogle white wines, they also have great choices - stick with the Chardonnay and Sauv Blanc, both at $9.99.

It kills me to say this but, yes, Barefoot Wines has some decent wines. All of their wines at my local Publix are a whopping $6.85. Their Pink Moscato, for those of you that love the sweet, sweet wines, is amazing but really sweet. Also check out their Sauv Blanc and Chardonnay. I chose to aerate the Chardonnay due to it tasting a bit too oak-like for me, but tell me what you think.

Are you a riesling lover? Try the Relax Riesling - only $9.99!

Need a Sparkling Wine for a special occasion?

Chandon at $16.99 is your best bet!

Here are my favorite wines/brands at a bit higher price point (around $20) but still in your local grocery aisle!
Joel Gott - Sauv Blanc and Cabernet
Kim Crawford - Sauv Blanc and Pinot Noir
Sterling - stick with their whites
Fess Parker - stick with their whites
Francia Coppola - Claret

So, wine friends, no matter what your budget or need, you can always find good wine. Try some new ones this week and let me know what you think!

Cheers!

Here is my favorite FREE wine app to keep track of all your fav wines, tasting notes and ratings

I know we all love and cherish those cute wine label memory books where you can tape the label on a page and write your review. Right? Oh, yeah.....I forgot. We all bought it and never took the time to actually use it. Guilty! I actually think I have, like, three of them. 

Want to remember that one wine you loved with tasting notes and ratings and it doesn't involve even picking up a pen?

Enter the free app, Vivino. I know it is available on Droids but you IPhone folks will need to check on this for me. With Vivino, you take a picture of the label, they match the wine from their catalogue (if they accidentally get it wrong, you can change the varietal or year), and then you can add tasting notes and ratings.

You can finally get rid of those millions of bottles sitting in your house that you are afraid to throw away lest you forget what that awesome wine you drank was. Admit it. You all do it.

My house is now bottles sitting around and hazardous to now crawling child free.

Cheers!

Fake Your Way to Sommelier Status

Don't waste an open bottle of wine - how to preserve is so it stays fresh for the next day or even a week!

If you are like most casual wine drinkers, you open a bottle of wine and when you don't finish it, put the cork back on and leave it on the counter for later, only to arrive to a sour or "old" tasting wine. It feels like money was wasted and frustration over losing a great tasting wine so quickly! 

Why does this happen?

It is because your wine has oxidized. Oxidize = to combine with oxygen. Once your bottle has been opened, it can take a few days or less for your wine to become oxidized.

This can be bad news for your wine if not stored properly for your next glass.

What do you do now? There is an easy and affordable tool that can delay the oxidation process once a bottle has been opened.

It is called, simply, a Wine Bottle Vacuum Pump.

This handy dandy pump can be used on any bottle (other than champagne or sparkling wine) to keep it fresh and properly stored for up to a week. It is very easy to use.  Just stick the reusable rubber stopper in the bottle, use the vacuum to pump out the air until it won't pump anymore and store the wine in the fridge. It is much more effective to store the opened wine in the refrigerator than leave it out on the counter. However, I personally will leave a red on the counter for a day if I know I am drinking it the next night. Some have been able to preserve an opened bottle of wine for as long as a week using this tool. You can purchase the pump for under $10 with usually 3 stoppers included at any Bed, Bath and Beyond, Target, Amazon or World Market.

If you want to preserve a sparkling wine, you will need a bottle stopper. Unlike still wines, you actually want to keep the air in the bottle, not out. Again, this can be purchased for under $10 and you just pop it on the bottle and place in the fridge.

No matter what, your wine will always taste a bit different each time you open it but, hopefully, with these tools, it will continue to stay fresh for you to get your full money's worth out of each tasting.

Cheers!

It's National Drink Wine Day. How are you going to celebrate?

A great day like today which, in my opinion, is only dwarfed by Christmas or a birthday, is National Drink Wine Day. What better day than to thank wine for all of its amiable qualities.

On the National Drink Wine Day website, they "spread the love and health benefits of wine.  Wine has played an important role in history, religion and relationships.  We embrace the positive benefits of wine such as new friends, reduced risk of heart disease and the enhancement of food and life."

I plan to sit back tonight with a lovely County Line 2010 Pinot Noir, which can be found at our local Red or White wine shop. One of my recent fav's.

How will you celebrate today?

Cheers! 

Do you cringe at the thought of having to clean your wine glasses?

So, if you read this blog, you love to drink wine too.

I bet you also cringe at the thought of having to clean the glasses after. The delicate glass, stem, always leaves water stain, can I or can I not put it in the dishwasher? glasses. And, if you are anal retentive like yours truly, you dread the water stain and soap scum smell that can come in your next wine drinking experience if you don't wash them right.

So, for those of you that want a short and sweet answer. Can I have good wine glasses and just put them in the dishwasher and let that work it's magic? The answer is YES. Riedel wine glasses, which are great for all sorts of varietals and can be found at your local Target, can be simply placed in the dishwasher.

Now, for those of you that prefer to safe-keep your wine glasses and hand wash them, here is your saving grace - the wine drying rack.

This little purchase (I would check Amazon) literally changed my life. No longer was I left to stand my wine glasses up to dry and let water/soap just sit to dry off. No, no, life is full of clean and streak free wine glass drinking. Once you get your hand washing routine down (mine is use the sponge to clean the outside, rim and inside followed by 3-4 rinses of water inside and outside the glass), you can then hang it on this fancy-smanchy rack to dry and allow all extra water and left-over soap to nicely fall out.

I love the above example because what does it also show?? That's right! A decanter! You can use the larger space between the wine stem rows to hang your decanter to dry.


You can now happily drink your wine and not be afraid of the cleaning aftermath.

Cheers!