Friday Wine Tasting... 2009 Toad Hollow Unoaked Chardonnay

Wine of the Week
2009 Toad Hollow Unoaked Chardonnay
$10.99 (Stew Leonard's Wine Shop)


This weekend is a big holiday party weekend and we are hosting two on Saturday! (I am still hoping Santa will send me a few elves to finish up the list today.)

One of the best places to get great deals on wines is Stew Leonard's and while I was there doing my shopping I decided to pick up a few favorites and to try a couple of new bottles for the weekend. This chardonnay by Toad Hollow is one of my all time favorites and the perfect wine for an afternoon cookie swap or evening cocktail party. Happy Friday Everyone! Cheers!

winemaker's notes:

There is no wood of any kind in this wine! No chips. No sawdust. No planks.
Disclaimer:
No trees were harmed in the making of this bright, clean, crisp and full-flavored Chardonnay.

This beautifully balanced Chardonnay has hints of mango, melon, mineral and incredible acidity. The nose is delicately perfumed with citrus and green apple. This Chardonnay is a treat for your senses with a mouth feel that is rich and creamy while still displaying crisp and clean flavors that we have come to expect from the Mendocino Chardonnay

Friday Wine Tasting... Beach Friendly Wine in a Box

Wine of the Week
2006 Boho Vineyards Central Coast Chardonnay
$22.99


Next Week we are heading down for our annual week on the Outerbanks of North Carolina. It is my favorite week of the year. Long runs on the beach, crashing waves, time to read a book, nap in the sun, and happy hours as the sun sets over the dunes. I was reading an article recently that raved about Boho Vineyards wine in a box, which at first made me cringe, thinking about wine coming out of anything but a bottle just seemed cheap. I looked up Boho Vineyards online and review after review said this is one to try and perfect for the beach! Their motivation for the switch from bottle to box was to help consumers reduce their carbon footprint without sacrificing the wine quality they expect from premium Central Coast wines. Which makes this wine in a box even more appealing. The 3-liter box is the equivalent of 4 regular bottles, with a price under $24 a box it is a real bargain.

What the Experts are saying...

This well- made chardonnay is the equivalent of four bottles of wine priced at $6 each. It's not an ultra-complex beverage, but it's clean and fresh, with good acidity and fruit-to-oak balance.- Baltimore Sun So how's the wine? Actually, quite pleasant, representing with clarity and balance more the tropical-fruit side of chardonnay than the citric, melon and apple. It isn't a barrel-chested example of California chardonnay. It's more demure, intended to be taken at the table with light spring cuisine. It isn't an oaky, alcoholic monster meant for cocktail-hour sipping, pondering and discussing. It put me in mind of a carafe of the house wine that would be put on the table of a bistro in Burgundy, a small place in a cellar, so casual the dogs wouldn't be leashed. -The Sacramento Bee


I've tried the 2006 Boho Chardonnay, and it's just what I'd expect from a Central Coast chardonnay selling for $10-$12 a bottle. It has a bright, fruity aroma with hints of lemon and pear, full flavors, good structure and a dry finish. No doubt about it: The wine is dry. -The Star-Ledger

Friday Wine Tasting... Shelton Vineyards Bin 17

Wine of the Week
Shelton Vineyards Bin 17, American Chardonnay
$11.99

While we were on the Outerbanks we did some wine tasting at an adorable wine store in Nags Head, NC. I love trying local wines when I am traveling, as just about every state has at least one vineyard and are producing some serious wines. As we were tasting through a number of different local vintages, I discovered a delightful unoaked Chardonnay from Shelton Vineyards, Bin 17 American Chardonnay.

Tasting Notes: Lush fruit with highly-concentrated flavors of our Dijon Clone Chardonnay characterizes the 2008 Bin 17 Chardonnay. This wine receives no barrel-aging and no malo-lactic fermentation. This is a wine built on fruit expression alone that is abundant in this wine. The focused citrus notes are accented with melon, banana, and other tropical fruit nuances with a rich, round texture.

Friday Wine Tasting... From the Windy City

Wine of the Week
Lot 205 Charonnay
$11.00

This weekend we are in Chicago celebrating my husband's birthday and while out to lunch yesterday (at the most amazing little restaurant, Southport Grocery and Cafe) I discovered this delightful Chardonnay. It has great fruit, a nice crispness, not overly oaky, very easy to drink. It is a great find!

Tasting Notes: Showing a particularly ripe, generous aroma of bakedapple, ripe citrus, pineapple, toasty oak and a touch ofbutterscotch, the wine is clearly intended for near-term drinking. Lush and smooth on the palate, its crème brulee oaknotes and fruit keynotes of baked pear and pineapple makeit a great partner for meatier grilled fish such as ahi or opah,and equally delicious with lighter poultry dishes.