Wine Rack Store Blog

Last weekend my parents arrived from NJ to visit. Before they got here they took a short side trip to one of the best vacation spots in California- wine country. I particularly appreciate their stop in Sonoma County before their longer visit with me, because I reap the benefit of a couple of great bottles of wine to enjoy now and a couple to save for a special occasion in my wine rack.

My mom, the self-labeled "amateur wine connoisseur," has visited Sonoma before. She's been back the the Sebastiani vineyard twice now, and I can't say I blame her. The wine is fabulous and doesn't break the bank. Really, expensive wines can be incredible, but it isn't hard to find a great wine for a great deal, and Sebastiani is one of those places. The wines my mom brought up for us to taste and share are the 2006 Zinfandel and the 2007 Pinot Noir.

Personally, I loved them both. If I had to pick a preference, though I would go with the Zinfandel. It had this amazing flavor, without being overwhelming. Here is what the winery has to say about it:
"Bright ruby in color, your nose will delight in the raspberry and strawberry fruit aromas. The flavor offers pure raspberry fruit and nuances of cedar and vanilla oak. This wine is exceedingly elegant, and the lower alcohol level allows the purity of fruit to shine through. It is enjoyable in its youth, yet has enough structure to make it age worthy. Try it with any red-sauced pizzas, barbecued spare ribs, or Teriyaki shrimp."

We did enjoy this one with a Teriyaki stir fry, and I'm excited to add it to my collection to taste in a few years. That is if I don't pull it out of my wine rack next week!

Labels: Sebastiani, wine country, wine racks, wine tasting

I have many goals in life. One of these is to visit every state in the United States. I have a pretty good start so far. When I was in elementary school, my parents and I toured the Midwest in a motor home. We visited family and saw many famous landmarks. I think I added about 10 states to my list from that trip.

During my stay on the east coast I have visited 5 states: North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland. Of these state, two I just crossed the line and got a picture with the welcome sign.

I am now up to 21 states. If I had more time here I could probably visit a few more. All the states here are so small compared to the west coast. Delaware (the state we visited last weekend) is only 2,490 square mile in area versus Washington State at 71,342 square miles.

Maybe my next goal should be to taste wine in all wine producing states in the US. I could easily fill my wine rack with American wine that way.

Labels: traveling, wine rack, wine rack store, wine tasting

So far we have been able to try a few different wineries through out Virginia. The last one was Jefferson Vineyards. It is located near Thomas Jefferson’s estate, Monticello. Jefferson had actually grown vines on the very ground the winery sits on right now.

The tasting room wasn’t as flashy as we have become accustomed too but at least it was cool compared to the 95-degree weather outside. We tasted nearly a dozen different wines. There were many whites, a few reds, and even an ice wine. They had a tasty Viognier and Chardonnay. What was interesting is that they had two different Chardonnays. One was oak barrel aged and the other was aged in metal. I most definitely preferred the oak. I guess some people find the oaks adds an overbearing flavor but I enjoy it.

We did not leave there with any bottles for the wine rack but we were able to keep out tasting glasses.

Labels: thomas jefferson, wine rack, wine rack store, wine tasting

During our exploration of the Virginian countryside, we were keeping our eyes open for wineries. Since Virginia is the 4th leading state in wine production we figured we should try some of their wine. We saw a sign off the main highway and followed them until we arrived at the Cross Keys Vineyards. The land on which the winery sat was beautiful. There was a nice view of the surrounding hills.

They were offering a tasting of 6 wines: 1 white, 1 rose, and 4 reds. I was also able to keep the glass as a souvenir. The white and rose were pretty good but the reds were less than amazing. Virginian wineries are known for their white wines, not their reds, and now I see why. All the reds I tasted just lacked a depth in taste. It's like drinking a flat soda, the basic flavor element is there but it just doesn't taste good. That being said, we did the purchase the Joy White for my wine rack.

Labels: virginia, wine rack, wine rack store, wine tasting

For the last two years I have been traveling down to Reno, Nevada with my family for Hot August Nights. Hot August Nights is the biggest classic car show on the west coast held every year. My father owns a 1967 SS Chevelle Malibu but has not shown it at that show because he doesn’t want to drive it down there.

We stay in our trailer at a campground in the shadow of the Grand Sierra Hotel. This was very convenient because we could walk there and gamble or drink and not have to worry about transportation. They also showed cars in their large parking lot.

Besides the casino and restaurants, the hotel harbored a wine tasting bar. This wine bar wasn’t like anything I had seen before. You would receive a glass and than go around to the dispensers that display the wine and keep it a perfect temperature. You stick a prepaid card into the slot and it would dispense 3 different amounts of wine depending on what you wanted. You could also purchase some chocolate or cheese to pair with the wine.

I assume if you really enjoyed the wine you could purchase it for your wine rack. I didn’t do any tasting myself because it was a bit expensive and I could get free drinks in the casino.

Labels: reno, wine rack, wine rack store, wine tasting

Since I am in Wenatchee this weekend, I was treated to another wine tour in the valley. The first place we stopped at was Martin-Scott Winery a few miles out of town. The winery is perched up on a hill giving a good view of the Columbia River and surrounding mountains.

The tasting room is warm and cozy. There are many windows revealing the lovely view. In the summer, it would be really great to bring a picnic to enjoy out on their patio. They also have space available to rent for dinner parties or weddings.

We tasted three different red and white wines. The wine that stuck out the most to me was their Viognier. It was absolutely delicious. I purchased a bottle to add to my wine rack. I also enjoyed their Cabernet Sauvignon immensely.

I’d like to return there again sometime when I can actually enjoy the lovely landscaping without being cold.

Labels: Washington State Wine, wine rack, wine rack store, wine tasting