Acacia- 2007 Red Blend

Since 1979, Acacia wines have been producing wines from the Carneros region of Napa Valley, California. Known especially for their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, they have recently branched out to blends and specialty vintages.

This week's favorite: 2007 A by Acacia Red Blend
$12-14, local fine wine store

This wine is delicious! While its fragrance is much like a Pinot Noir, it has bold fruit flavors of plum and berries, and notes of rich mocha. It finishes dry with generous amounts of warm spiced flavors.

This wine is perfect with a rich dish, like wild mushroom ravioli with a red wine reduction sauce. Serve with sides of garlic mashed potatoes and a warm salad topped with smoked bacon and blue cheese crumbles.

Riverina Estate - 2009 Chardonnay

The Riverina Region of Southeast Australia accounts for 15% of all the country's wine production a year. Although it is a hot and dry region, wine production was started here around the early 1900's, and really found its mark in the 1950's when the area became a haven for Italian descendants. The wines followed suit, and to this day, rival some of Italy's best vintages.

This week's favorite: 2009 Riverina Estate Chardonnay
$8-12, online or through large wine suppliers

This Chardonnay was remarkably similar to the homemade white wines found during my travels to Italy. Unlike the buttery and fruity Australian Chardonnay wines we find so often, this one was bright, with flavors of apple and pear. It is dry and crisp, and very refreshing, very much like an Italian white table wine.

We served this wine with light appetizers at a cocktail party. It was delicious with the spinach and cheese puff pastries, fruit salad, and tomato caprese. Enjoy!

Charles Smith - 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

While the name Charles Smith may not mean much to you right now, it feels as though soon enough, the entire wine world will know his name. He was, after all, just named Food and Wine Magazine's 2009 Winemaker of the Year for his wines originating in Columbia Valley, Washington. He started his K Brand wines with a true Washington Syrah, and has ventured into a new brand, Charles Smith Wines, with unique names, and fabulously decorated bottles. What is best about his wines are that they are made to be enjoyed right after purchasing.

This week's favorite: 2007 Charles Smith Cabernet Sauvignon
$15-20, online here or here

This wine is a wonderful and true Cabernet Sauvignon. I found that it did not need to "breathe" at all, and was delicious from the first sip! It starts off with really earthy, woody tones, and delicately intermixes licorice and currants. It has a long, smooth finish.

This is the perfect wine to enjoy by itself, or with light appetizers after a long work day. Serve this with warm pita bread and red pepper hummus, or a prosciutto wrapped pears with chunks of blue cheese. But, no matter what you serve with it, the wine will surely be the highlight to your day!

Chalk Hill - 2006 Chardonnay

The Chalk Hill Winery is located between the Russian River Valley and the Alexander Valley in beautiful Sonoma, California. Vineyards were planted there in the late 1860's, and because of the range of soils and minerals in this area, Chalk Hill Winery was able to grow many different varietals in one place. Chalk Hill got its name from the layer of chalk-colored volcanic ask that lies just beneath the topsoil, providing rich minerals to the vines.

This week's favorite: 2006 Chalk Hill Chardonnay
$15-20, local grocery or fine wine store

Chalk Hill Chardonnay is one of my father's go-to Chardonnays. While he usually likes them heavy on the oak, this one is a perfect balance of fruit, oak, and rich butter flavors. It starts off clean with bright flavors of lemon and pear, and then transitions to the warm, buttery flavors. It finishes clean with a strong, but not overpowering, woody oak flavor.

This wine would be perfect with a twist on a classic dish- Shrimp Alfredo. In a large pot, bring 6 bottles of regular beer to a boil. Add 4-6 Tbsp of Old Bay seasoning for a kick, and boil 2 pounds of large shrimp for 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from beer and add to linguine and Alfredo sauce. Top with fresh Parmesan cheese and serve. The spiciness of the shrimp will enhance the butter flavor of both the wine and the Alfredo sauce. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

In honor of this weekend's festivities, we bring you a special post of wines with "spirit" to serve this Halloween. You won't find any whites here, only blood red varietals with bite!

Vampire Vineyards, 2007 Dracula Syrah
Paso Robles, California
$17.99, www.wickedwinesonline.com

Armida Winery, 2006 PoiZin (Zinfandel)
Dry Creek Valley, California
$25.00, www.armida.com

Orin Swift, 2007 The Prisioner
St. Helena, California
$35, www.deananddeluca.com

Vampire Vineyards, 2004 Vampire Merlot
Paso Robles, California
$10, www.wickedwinesonline.com

Spellbound Wines, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California
$10, www.medusawines.com

R Wines, 2007 EVIL Cabernet Sauvignon
South Australia, Australia
$10, www.wine.com

Twisted Wines, 2007 Merlot
California
$10, www.bevmo.com

Happy Halloween!

Greg Norman Estates - 2004 Chardonnay

In the late 1976, Australian golfer Greg Norman first visited California to represent Australia in the World Cup of Golf. While there, he soaked up the American culture, and discovered the wonderful wines that California had to offer. After much success in the 1980's and 1990's in golf, he began his estate by partnering with Berringer Blass to launch Greg Norman Estates, both in California and in his native Australia. Known as "The Shark" in the golfing world for his blond hair, large stature, and aggressive playing style, his golf enterprise carries over onto every bottle with his trademark shark logo.

This week's favorite: 2004 Greg Norman Estates Chardonnay
$14-17, local wine stores

This Eden Valley (Australia) Chardonnay is as bold as "The Shark". It is vibrant, with strong apple and pear notes, hints of citrus, and finishes fresh with the warm oak and vanilla that is typical in great Chardonnays. It is creamy and refreshing, and easily enjoyed after a few holes of golf.

This bottle would best be served with roast chicken breasts, stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese and wrapped in prosciutto, plated with a warm mushroom risotto and asparagus.

Clos du Bois - 2005 Shiraz

Over thirty years ago, the Clos du Bois winery was started by Frank Woods. In his plan to name the winery "Woods' Winery", his children, who were studying the French language at the time, came up with Clos du Bois, which loosely translated means "enclosure in the woods". With just 520 acres deep in the Alexander Valley, at the northern end of Sonoma County, Clos du Bois started with just two varietals of wine. Today, their vineyards not only span a larger area of the Alexander Valley, but also the Russian River Valley and the Dry Creek Valley, allowing them to produce three different lines of varietals under the Clos du Bois winery.

This week's favorite: 2005 Clos du Bois Shiraz
$7-15, local grocery or wine store

It was not until 2000 that Clos du Bois introduced their classic Shiraz. But what is great about their wines is that, bottle after bottle, the flavors remain true, and you can enjoy a great bottle every time. While I like their Chardonnay, their Shiraz is one of my go-to wines for everyday enjoyment. It has fragrant and bold flavors of blackberry, and the warm notes of black currants, plum, and pepper. It is dark and smooth, and lingers in your mouth like a decadent dessert.

I like to serve this with flavors of the fall... A warm, roasted chicken topped with rosemary and sage. Serve with a side of sweet potato mash, topped with butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Talbott - 2007 Logan Chardonnay

In 1982, Robert Talbott began his vineyards on a high mountaintop in Carmel, California, where cold temperatures and rocky terrain were not as ideal as the valleys in which other winemakers grow their fruits. After years of travel to France and Italy, he was determined to bring their wine making and flavors to the estate, and acquired the Sleepy Hollow Vineyard in 1994 for the lush fruits he could add to his wines. The Logan Chardonnay was crafted as a specialty Chardonnay in their line, and is named after Robert Talbott's son, Logan.

This week's favorite: 2007 Talbott Logan Chardonnay
$17-19, specialty wine stores or online

This bottle is a true treat for any "whites" lover. The smell and color of a true oaky Chardonnay, the wine is surprisingly fruity, with notes of pineapple and citrus. It has smooth notes of oak and butter, with a hint of vanilla. The finish is dry, but very refreshing, like a beer on a hot summer day.

This bottle can be served with grilled chicken breasts, marinated in a Caribbean jerk blend of spices, fresh garlic, and olive oil. Serve it sliced over a bed of cold romaine or butter lettuce and drizzle with homemade Caesar salad dressing.

Chapel Vineyard - 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Started in 1842, Vina La Rosa winery is one of the oldest in the Valle Central, Chile, one of the most prominent wine regions in the country. Vina La Rosa was started by the Ossa Family with grapes from France, and since 1842, has used grapes only from its vines to produce its wine collection. The "Chapel" part of its label name comes from the fact that a tiny chapel sits in the middle of the vineyard.

This week's favorite: 2007 Chapel Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
$10-14, specialty wine stores, wine clubs

This bottle is a wonderful Cabernet, with the lush plums and blackberries of a good Chilean wine. Its reddish-brown color gives good indication of spices mixed into the warm fruits. It finishes dry and smooth, and is a great choice if you are looking for a true Chilean red.

This wine would be best served with a Slow-Roasted Prime Rib, topped with au jus and cremini mushrooms with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. The smoky flavors of the meat will pair nicely with the bold spices of the wine to truly enhance your dining experience.

Long Boat -2008 Sauvignon Blanc

While Sauvignon Blanc has long been a staple in France, its New Zealand production is really beginning to turn heads. The Long Boat winery, based in the Marlborough region in the southern island of New Zealand, produces this vintage with its sunny days and cool nights in its high, rolling hills. The higher altitudes create grapes with more aromatics and more intense flavors. The Marlborough region makes up over 60% of the vineyards in all of New Zealand, and their Sauvignon Blancs are becoming a world favorite, even rivaling those of France.

This week's favorite: 2008 Long Boat Sauvignon Blanc
$15-20, specialty wine stores

For the last days of summer, this bottle is a refreshing treat! Since the Long Boat Winery ferments some of the grapes in cold stainless steel, and others in French oak barrels, this Sauvignon Blanc has hints of the warm oak in a Chardonnay. It has bright flavors of grapefruit and clean notes of lime that make this bottle smooth and dry. A Sauvignon Blanc that even Chardonnay lovers can appreciate!

This bottle is best served with seafood. I would pair it with homemade crab cakes over a bed of butter lettuce and the summer's last bits of fresh fruit. Slices of oranges and pears with a light vinegarette will enhance the citrus flavors of the wine.