Wines by the glass.

This evening I took Vinomaker to a birthday dinner at Mustards Grill (close to Yountville, on Highway 29).  It's a great restaurant, the food is wholesome, innovative, beautiful to look at and always very, very tasty.  Mustards also has a really nice 'By the Glass' wine list which, as I have mentioned before, is Vinomaker's absolute favourite way of pairing wines with food at a restaurant.  So one glass of Alban Viognier, Truchard Roussanne, Turley Cinsault, T-Vine Grenache and Parador Tempranillo later (paired with roasted artichokes, crispy calamari, grilled rabbit and smoked duck), Vinomaker was one very happy diner indeed.
Happy birthday Vinomaker!

Not so vile a zin.

I really like Zinfandel.   I generally find this particular wine varietal's combination of raspberries and pepper to be a winning one...that is when it is made well.  Unfortunately, this evening's Zinfandel selection did not deliver the goods.

It's not that the 2008 Turley, Duarte Zinfandel was horrible.  It was pleasant enough, but it was slightly thin and, disappointingly, a little too oaky for me. Vinomaker and I acquired this bottle, and also one bottle of 2007 Turley, Cedarman Zinfandel, in a silent auction.  Thankfully, we didn't pay that much for the two bottles.  I'm hoping the second bottle is better than the first.