Washington State Wines Made by a Rock Star

{From left: '10 "Kung Fu Girl" Riesling, Charles & Charles Red Blend, and House Red Wine - all from Charles Smith Wines}

Charles Smith of K Vitners makes some great wines. A UC Davis alumnus of the Viticulture & Enology Program and former rock star, Smith ended up settling down in Washington state where he founded his very own K Vitners Winery.  

The other weekend I got together with a small group of V&E friends for another blind tasting.  (I wrote about another blind tasting here). The theme this time was 'Washington and Oregon' wines.  And interestingly enough, out of all the wines from those two states, myself and two others each ended up bringing wines that Charles Smith produced! Smith and his marketing team must be doing something right because his wines really appealed to us twenty-something college students. This week I'd like to focus on his "Kung Fu Girl" Riesling because I really thought it was something special: 

2010 Charles Smith Wines "Kung Fu Girl" Riesling - Columbia Valley

Review Date: 5/28/12

Brooke's Review: Loved it's fruit-forward flavors with just the right amount of sweetness on the palate and a bit of granny smith apple-like acidity perhaps.  Well-balanced and could see this pairing nicely with an array of foods.

Brooke's Rating: B+

Pair With: Spicy Thai or Asian Fusion

90pts, Wine Spectator:

"Vivid, distinctive and immensely appealing for its juicy Winesap apple, apricot and citrus flavors, finishing with zing to balance the sweetness."

What do you think? Do you have any Washington state wines you'd recommend me? 

Cheers,

B

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Bubbly Updates

{Life lately according to my iPhone photos}

Last weekend I flew down to San Diego for my brother's commencement ceremony. I couldn't be happier to see my entire family there and I am so proud of my awesome brother. Watch out world, we have a recent graduate!! 

Below are some snapshots from my iphone. Most of them are through filtered lenses and special effects. I guess you can say I got a little carried away with the fun and quirky Hipstamatic App. ;)

 

{Some post-bubbly celebration -- '99 Perrier Jouet + matching stemware (I'll review this soon!)}

{The recent grad + my beautiful mom}

{Sibling love}

{My dad + me :)}

Hope you had a fantastic weekend! xx

Cheers,

B

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Things to be Bubbly About :)

{Remembering to actually stop and smell the roses}

Despite two midterms (one of which that had a average score of 45%), quizzes and assignments, I'd like to think that the good parts of this week outweigh the lows.
I received my official offer letter for Jordan in the mail just yesterday.  I also found out my official start date for my seasonal employment there - not until August 27th! The news made it really sink in for me and the thought became very real! But I'm very excited and of course will be continuing with this blog (as long as the winery permits) to keep all you posted on my new adventures! Oh, and Randall Graham of Bonny Doon Vineyards (I did a review of his rosé here) came to speak in my wine seminar class this week. It was great - he has a lot of really interesting things to say (more on that in a later post). So, yeah - overall a good week, I'd say.  It is always important to remember that there are many things to be bubbly about. :)
Other highlights:

{A pretty leaf-pattern on my latte makes studying a bit more bearable}

{Top: Beer for our Iron Brew competition in Brew lab. Bottom: My awesome beer-brewing team!}

Have a fabulous weekend. What are you bubbly about?

Cheers,
B

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Crazy About Rosé!

{With the warm weather and the bay breeze in the air, it makes me realize there's nothing better than sipping on a good Rosé on days like these}

The other weekend I went to a Rosé tasting with some friends from the V&E program (short for Viticulture and Enology).  We each arrived to the tasting with a Rosé but were instructed to keep the wine bottle wrapped in the paper bag it came in, so that the label could not be seen.  Then, one by one, each of us blindly tasted each wine. Alongside good company, close friends, and yummy snacks, it was a perfect way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon. :)

We casually evaluated each wine, comparing each type. Some were Rosés made from Syrah, others Grenache. There was even one made from Malbec grapes. This time I'd like to share with you all the wine I contributed to the tasting, the Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé, mainly because its the one that I liked the best. And surprisingly enough it was the crowd favorite at the tasting. I have to admit, I have the unfair advantage of asking Davis's local wine expert (owner/buyer of local wine shop) his personal favorite. ;) But I am glad I took his advice...because this one is very special and worth checking out!

{A very great, light, rosé with the most beautiful hue of pale pink. Available here}

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