What's in your glass tonight?

ibglowin · Feb 15, 2017

Last night for Valentines dinner I decided to go with......

Bubbles!

Paired very well with the Lobster Mac and Cheese. GRUET is a local NM Winery that specializes in of all things Champagne and they have been knocking it out of the park for years. This stuff is pretty widely available in the Southwest especially. A bargain at ~$14. I believe they are up over 6000 cases of this a year. Costco has it most of the time at least in these parts as well as Smith's (Kroger).

geek · Feb 16, 2017

LE14 Trio Blanca

ImageUploadedByWine Making1487288539.686561.jpg

ceeaton · Feb 16, 2017

Started with an Oktoberfest, now drinking a "continuously" hopped bitter, much more to my liking. Still a bit too smooth, could use a rough hop edge or two.

zalai · Feb 18, 2017

Happy Drink Wine Day to all of you !
Tonight I will do some quality control of my bulk aging wines .

geek · Feb 18, 2017

WE LE Sauvignon Blanc Rose [emoji108]

sour_grapes · Feb 18, 2017

I cracked a bottle of my 29 month-old WE LE Red Mountain Cab-Merlot. This is about the 5th bottle I've had, and I am not impressed. It is thin (remember, it was one of those LE's with no grape packs), but yet quite hot. Only tweaks were a bit of Tannin Rouge in primary; it came by its alcohol content (14.3%) honestly, that is, from the factory. Don't get me wrong, it is better than a sharp stick in the eye, but it is more like a Mezza Luna than a Red Mountain.

jswordy · Feb 18, 2017

3274mike · Feb 18, 2017

A little gift from a friend

sour_grapes · Feb 18, 2017

3274mike said:
A little gift from a friend

Ha! Are those the "maiden names" of @greginnd 's wines? Looking good after all those years!

Boatboy24 · Feb 19, 2017

Did something we haven't done in a long time last night: Had dinner at Macaroni Grill. It was decent, though not great. We started with an order of calamari (which the kids ate most of) and my wife and I split a side salad. Had a nice Chateau St. Michelle Riesling with that. Then I had Chicken Marsala and chased it with La Crema Pinot.

ibglowin · Feb 19, 2017

Well I wouldn't call that a rave review! LOL

So interesting tidbit. Macaroni Grill was started back in 1988 in Leon Springs, TX just outside of San Antonio where I grew up by Phil Romano. In fact it used to be called "Romano's Macaroni Grill"

I went to the original concept restaurant almost every chance I could when we would go back to SA to visit my folks. It was that wonderful. Romano is an interesting guy. He is known as a restaurant concept guy that comes up with ideas, builds the concept, gets it going and then franchises it and sells out making millions and millions. Then most times the restaurants go out of business little by little or lose their flair and dwindle little by little. He also came up with the idea of Fuddruckers Gormet Hamburger chain as well. After he got it going you guessed it, he sold the business /franchise and cashed out making millions.

The original Macaroni Grill is still open in SA under the name of The Grill at Leon Springs.

They still have the original concept of you walk through the kitchen to get to your table. Its upscale more so now as the area surrounding it is full of many high end gated communities. Have not been back since it changed ownership. But I have been to Rudy's BBQ which also started right there in Leon Springs as well and the original BBQ Joint is still O&O by the same family but they have franchised out to over 30 locations throughout TX, NM, AZ, CO, OK. I can get my Rudy's fix as well as Rudy's rib rub to take home in ABQ! :db

BBQ is still very good, and cooked over oak instead of mesquite wood.

Boatboy24 said:
Did something we haven't done in a long time last night: Had dinner at Macaroni Grill. It was decent, though not great. We started with an order of calamari (which the kids ate most of) and my wife and I split a side salad. Had a nice Chateau St. Michelle Riesling with that. Then I had Chicken Marsala and chased it with La Crema Pinot.

Boatboy24 · Feb 19, 2017

Our meal wasn't bad at all. But if I'm going to hit a big chain Italian restaurant, I'd prefer Carraba's.

ibglowin · Feb 19, 2017

Me as well! Another Italian chain started in TX. Damian and Johnny have been busy as with different restaurant concepts after they sold out to Outback Steakhouse (Blooming Brand's) years ago.

We had a Carraba's for a few years in ABQ but lost it back during the economic mortgage meltdown back in 2008. Still miss it but I do make a point to go to Carraba's in SA when I get back to TX.

Boatboy24 said:
Our meal wasn't bad at all. But if I'm going to hit a big chain Italian restaurant, I'd prefer Carraba's.

3274mike · Feb 19, 2017

sour_grapes said:
Ha! Are those the "maiden names" of @greginnd 's wines? Looking good after all those years!

Yep his wife's aunt gave them to me

sour_grapes · Feb 19, 2017

3274mike said:
Yep his wife's aunt gave them to me

Nice!

Looking at your avatar reminds me that I once spent a night (i.e., slept out) within about 100 yds of where that picture was taken.

GreginND · Feb 20, 2017

3274mike said:
Yep his wife's aunt gave them to me

I hope you liked them. IMHO the chokecherry is past it's prime and on the decline. If any of the Michigan gang come out and visit this summer we'll send more home.

Boatboy24 · Feb 20, 2017

Were at a friends for dinner last night. Had some Frascati, Sauvignon Blanc Rose (very well received), and then a very good 2011 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.

Johnd · Feb 20, 2017

We're headed to Napa for a week, one of our favorite Mardi Gras escapes. We visited Grant Long's winery, Aonair, two years ago and fell in love with the people, the place, and of course, the wine. This is one of our favorites. We're starting off the week by drinking an awesome California wine each evening, leading up to our departure early Thursday. This is an incredibly giant wine, loaded with chewy dark fruit, firm tannins and perfectly integrated oak, the finish is measured in minutes. Yum!!!

Note the wax seal, inserted the corkscrew through the wax, pulled the cork halfway out, trimmed the wax below the lip, pulled the cork, no sweat.

ibglowin · Feb 20, 2017

Have fun on the vaycay! Look out for sink holes, collapsing dams, and bridges.....Think about heading way up the 5 next time where the wine is even better but cost 75% less! :sm

Boatboy24 · Feb 20, 2017

Have a great trip! Stop by the Glory Hole for something unique - if they'll let you anywhere near it.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxOOnKL265I[/ame]

What's in your glass tonight?

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