Purple Teeth - Discover. Drink. Discuss.
Follow me here
  • Purple Teeth Wine Services
    • Wine Tasting
  • Blog
  • Wine & Food
  • Advertise/Sponsor
  • Other stuff

January Cut-Backs...

17/1/2013

 
Picture
You might be wondering why there's been little getting reviewed here at Purple Teeth in the month of January.  Or, like most people in the UK, you might be avoiding all things related to booze and not have taken the slightest note.  It's not that I've been cutting down, despite all my good intentions to lose weight (along with 90% of other residents of the Western world), and it's not even that I'm not at wine school any more.  In fact, it's more to do with the fact that I've been dancing and traveling a lot.  The state of what's offered as wine by the glass in hotels is a topic for another day.  Suffice to say, most of it has been drunk out of necessity and it's been enough to drive me to drink... vodka, but more of that later...  Californian Chardonnay blended with Pinot Grigio?  Hungarian Cabernet Sauvignon?  It's not easy being me! 
This week, I've drunk some of the soothing and velvety Pinot Noir from Hahn Family Vineyards in California.  As I've already reviewed this back in November, there seems little to add except, it's just as smooth and delicious now as it was then with perhaps a bit more obvious strawberry jam.

Picture
13.7% Alcohol, and a bargain at £6.99. Be an Angel!
I also opened another bottle from my Naked stash.  
F. Stephen Miller Angel's Reserve Viognier. My reason for opening a crisp white on one of the coldest days of the winter was simple, and it's not just the screwcap.  After a spicy chinese prawn noodle dish, and on the brink of a head cold, there was no point opening up anything pricey.  At £6.99 (Angel price) this was definitely the cheapest bottle in my fridge, making it a prime candidate. 
When placing my order with Naked, I was certainly influenced by the fact that this comes from Lodi in California's Central Valley, and perhaps drinking two Californian wines within a few days indicates my desire to go back to Californian wine country for a while?
Readers with good memories will know that I'm a huge fan of Old Vine Zinfandels from Lodi and as I'd never had a white from there, I was intrigued to see what the warm Californian sun would produce. Lodi is self-proclaimed Zinfandel Capital of the World, as well as being the town where pioneering wine producer Robert Mondavi grew up, so there are high expectations, despite this being white.
My ability to write a decent tasting note is definitely being hampered by my current addiction to Vicks' First Defence  - which has almost certainly cost me 50% of the white wine blind tasting score on my recent WSET tasting exam.  But stuffy noses and reduced senses of smell aside, this is a very pleasant wine, which cuts through all of that, including the noodle aftertaste to pack a bit of a punch.  
Ripe, juicy, fruity flavours brim from the glass and this is balanced by a subtle layer of aromatic, florals.  I'm imagining sipping this in the back garden with the sun on my face, a good book in hand, and a liberal coating of SPF30 all over. Would I pick it out as Viognier?  Unlikely given that my experience of this grape has mostly been limited to French Condrieu.  The irony is that my last taste of the grape was a French Chateau Grillet which could have easily passed for an oaked Californian Chardonnay.  Wine, eh?! 
As it warms in the glass there's a real sensation of biting into a super-ripe pear.  The sticky juice that quirts out and runs down your face is exactly what I taste, and if your senses are in full working order, I'm sure you'll get lots more out of this. Although it's got that juicy feeling along with some citrus flavours, it's pretty low in acidity, making it easy to drink, without reaching for the Gaviscon later. Give it a try. Though you might want to save it till there's not a red weather warning for 20cm of snow!
Diet starts tomorrow...


Comments are closed.

    Purple Teeth

    My name's Heather and I've been enjoying wine for over 20 years. I'm the 2013 winner of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Rhone prize for oustanding students at the advanced level.
    My mission is to share my passion for the myriad varieties of fermented grape juice, hopefully inspiring you to try something new, or to host  a Purple Teeth wine party in your own home or business.

    My blog mainly features wines you should be able to find on your local high street or online, and occasionally, I will review restaurants, travel and other forms of alcohol, since my qualification covers spirits too.  I believe it's important to enjoy the calories and the cash we spend on alcohol, and I hope my guidance can help you reduce the risk of making a bad buy.
      
    When I'm not drinking wine, you'll find me on the dance floor where West Coast Swing is my dance of choice. Socialising with the friends I've made there from all over the world has also brought me new adventures in alcohol!  And just in case you're interested, I also write a blog called Confidence Within.  You'll find it at heatherharrison.weebly.com


    Remember to enjoy wine sensibly...
    For a woman, 2-3 units per day is the recommended maximum allowance.  This equates to around one standard "pub measure" glass of wine:
    175ml of 13% alcohol wine is 2.3 units (and a scary 140 calories).  
    You'll find all the facts you need about safe, moderate drinking at the www.Drinkaware.co.uk site. 
    Purple Teeth supports safe drinking. Never drive or operate machinery after drinking alcohol.

    Get notified of new blogs

    * indicates required
    / ( mm / dd )
    Email Format

    Archives

    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.