City Girl's Wine Journal- Cutler Creek

Good grief it is HARD to write about a wine when you can find virtually nothing about the vineyard or vintner. This is the problem I am having right now. The Chef brought home a couple bottles of Pinot Grigio for me to try and I have searched, searched and searched for any information about Cutler Creek Vineyards, and ............... nothing. So I have no interesting back story to share at all. No long family history or unique location, just my experience in the glass.

As a Pinot Grigio goes, this Cutler Creek wine was enjoyable. This one goes in the class of wines I like to call "girlfriend wines." If you are a wine drinker at all, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Barefoot, Flip Flop, Lulu, any wine with a cute label of stick figure girls- obviously marketed to women-  tend to be light, sweeter and simple flavors. Don't get me wrong, I like these wines as well, and often will grab one for sipping, they just aren't very complex. Cutler Creek Pinot Grigio is almost a perfect clone of Barefoot. It's sweet with a hint of tart. It's fresh and makes a good wine for sipping as well as splashing into a light and fresh pasta sauce, marinade or a sprightly vinaigrette. It has an alcohol percentage of 12.5% which is a nice little kick for a low price wine and makes it a great choice for a white sangria if you want to tame the alcohol a bit. 

The Chef and I were tasting and trying to pick out the notes. We both found something very different in the wine. He got a lot of green apple and fruity notes like pear and peach, but I found it to be slightly citrusy, with grass and herb notes, and some minerality underneath. Almost a flinty flavor. It made me wonder about where the grapes were grown, which launched my search to learn more.....that led me nowhere.

Would I buy this wine again? Sure- it makes a nice "stock your fridge" wine, a nice end-of-the-day sipper, would be great in wine cocktails. In fact, I may just grab a few just to play with- wine cocktail party anyone?

City Girl's Wine Journal- Stella Rosa Black

Wine drinking is very trendy these days. Not the stuffy and pretentious cork-sniffing boastful wine drinking of a generation ago. The old rules for wine- white with fish, red with pasta- are thrown out the window and people are exploring different tastes. In am a huge advocate of "drink what you like, when you like, how you like." You can have chianti with sea bass if that's what you love. Go ahead and drink Sauvignon Blanc with a steak- why not? Like all your wine cold and not cool room temp? Go for it! 

Several years ago I offered my services to clients as a personal wine tasting guide. They gathered a few friends for an evening and I would come over with a selection of wines and guide them through 5 or 6 different wines, talking about tasting notes, legs, food pairings, and winemaking. It was fun but I noticed a pattern- while most of the men favored the big bold super Tuscans, women tended to clutch the Moscato bottle and be afraid of reds. I'd recommend wines from all over- California, Europe and Iowa. In Iowa, the wine industry is flourishing with over 100 wineries in the state and many farmers growing acres or grapes as a permanent crop, and trend with locally grown grapes is.......sweet. 

Dry wines are just as delicious and and usually more complex compared to any sweet wine, and learning to appreciate them is an important part of growing as a wine drinker. As the ladies became bolder and wanted to step away from the Moscato and sweet wines, I knew I'd need a good second step wine to recommend. Stella Rosa fit the bill perfectly. It was sweet, just a tad effervescent and most importantly- red!

Stella Rosa wines come from the village of Santo Stefano Belbo. They are imported by the San Antonio Winery, owned by the Riboli family. They are really great wines for newbies. Since discovering Stella Rosa all those years ago the company has expanded the range to include reds, whites, fruit-kissed and sparkling wines. 

After getting some bad news, and in need of some cheer, my wonderful kids stopped by with flowers, a gift card for my Nook, and a bottle of wine (they know me so well!). That bottle was the limited edition Stella Rosa Black.

Let's just say this bottle didn't sit around too long. It went straight into the wine chiller for an evening of relaxation. I remember the original Stella being very fruity and grapey. This one is a little different, more depth, more berry and black cherry notes than grape jam and still has that ever so slight fizz that's so appealing. A quick swirl in my big red wine glass released so many beautiful floral and fruit aromas. The flavor was divine. I happened to have a little chocolate just laying around so I had a little nibble. It was heavenly. 

Stella Rosa wines also have a lower alcohol contact than some wines, which makes it a great choice for a warm summer afternoon sipper on a shady patio somewhere. This would be a great base wine for a sangria too, or a fresh and delicious wine cocktail. Mmmmmm- wine snow cones for the big kids??

If you are stuck in the Moscato rut because you don't like reds because you think they are too dry, give this one a try. You won't be disappointed.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."