Just some good wine.

A few years ago, I started building my cellar. And by cellar, I mean a couple of racks I purchased from Cost Plus World Market and put in my basement. Nonetheless, I knew that if I bought good wine from good years and held on to it, I would be drinking some incredible wine in a few years. Well a those years have past and now some of that incredible wine is beginning to come into its own, ready for great drinking.  Lately, I've been able to open a few of these and enjoy them with friends. I'm going to start sharing them with you, too.

A little over a year ago, my husband, Mr. Craft Beer, suggested we fly to Portland, OR for the Oregon Brewers Fest. The OBF (as we refer to it) consists of four days and at least 80 different brewers sampling their best. And while I enjoy good beer, I love wine even more so I suggested that we combine that trip with a couple of days in Oregon wine country to sample my favorite wine, Oregon Pinot Noir. I'm not sure when I first had Oregon Pinot, but it was long before Pinot Noir garnered fame through Sideways. Stylistically, it's somewhere between the earthy Burgundies (all red French Burgundy is made from Pinot Noir) and the uber fruity Californians.

One of the wines that I brought home from that trip was the 2006 Adelsheim Elizabeth's Reserve.  Adelsheim makes great Pinot Noir at all its price levels. Elizabeth's Reserve is made using the best barrels from the best lots. It's a beautiful wine with aromas of raspberry, black cherry and roses. In the mouth that fruit is just as lovely with the addition of a little tea and cola. The tannins were so soft; it made an excellent companion to our pork dinner. It was even just as great the next day when I shared the remainder of the bottle with some guests who were equally impressed by the wine. 

If you're able to find Elizabeth's Reserve, I encourage you to pick some up. It's usually around $40 retail, but I'm sure you'll find it on sale if you play your cards right. You won't regret it!

Cheers,

Sandy