2006 Tilia - Malbec Syrah

What an interesting combination for a wine. In the past, I've had Malbec blended with Cabernet or Syrah blended with any other red besides Malbec. I was excited by the idea of this new combination. I love Malbecs and Syrah, when done well, can be amazing. This wine is from Mendoza, Argentina. It is reasonably priced and can go with any red meat, whether it is a steak or a burger. I had it by itself, but then again, there aren't too many reds that I have to drink with food.

I can only describe this wine as a great, even blend of Malbec and Syrah. You get that fresh blackberry and raspberry with the fresh seasoning of some cracked black pepper. Smooth and not too tannic so it will not dry your mouth with every sip. If you have never had a Malbec, you should dive in to this bottle because the Syrah will wean you nicely and teach your palate about the interesting grape known as Malbec. It's about the time that Malbecs gain some popularity.

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Pizza Thursday and Grape Variety #98 - Negroamaro

The roads are all slush. It's cold. Winter needs to die.

Another Thursday has come so that means pizza night. Went back to an old standby, Tombstone Supreme. The weather isn't cooperating therefore the plows decided to take a day off. It was a fun little adventure trying to drive to the grocery store for a Tombstone pizza. I pretty much came to two conclusions: People forget how slippery snow is when they get in to a car and a good bottle of Italian wine will always help you ignore all of your surroundings.

I fired up the oven. Threw in my trusty pizza stone. Then I uncorked the 2006 Sfida Puglia Rosso. The blend changes from year to year. This year it is 70% Primitivo (Zinfandel) and 30% Negroamaro. You get the jammy flavor from the Primitivo and get the earthy, smoky notes from the Negroamaro. The Negroamaro makes 98 grapes tasted so far in my wine quest. I can see the end in sight but first I have to finish enjoying the bottles that I have open in my wine fridge.

It smells like smells like blueberries and dark cherries. Chewy with medium tannins. And tastes like raspberry preserve, mocha, and raisins. All I could think about were dark chocolate Raisinets. $11

To cap off the relaxing Thursday night, I decided to watch a movie that I hadn't seen in years. The choice was between Memento or The Lost Boys but I didn't feel like seeing Jack Bauer pick a fight with Jason Patrick. The movie then was Memento. I forgot how good the movie was. Although, I realized that as the amount of wine in my system increased, the more I thought I had the inability to form any short-term memory. If you have never heard of the movie, I'd suggest you just go pick it up. Look for a trailer but don't read about it because it might spoil the surprise. I'll give you one hint. The whole movie is played backwards. What a great movie!!

The streets are slush. I have the Puglia Rosso open, the Dom Martinho open and a Syrah/Malbec blend open. Now all I have to figure out what dinner is going to be. It's Friday and all I want to do is stay at home. Winter needs to seriously end.

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Another Relaxing Thursday Wine Night

Ah, Thursdays. Friday Eve. Guess what, the weekend is pretty much here. Again, it's just my dog and I. He's actually been passed out since dinner. Leftovers.... mmmm...mmm. Boiled some barilla plus spaghetti, heated up some barilla tomato and basil sauce and voila. Healthy and easy dinner. My schedule has been so irregular this week that I figured I would wrap the week up with something straight-forward and easy.

Of course Thursdays are great for another thing. Catching up on old movies but something made me really think. I caught "The Matrix" on tv, not on HBO but on AMC. AMC!!!! And then it hit me, it's almost been 10 years since it came out. I remember watching 'old' movies on TBS on summer afternoons. It's probably the reason that I LOVE 80s movies. Ferris Bueller, Porky's, Wargames, Big, Die Hard, they all belong on AMC. Not The Matrix. But I've digressed.


The wine of the day was an old favorite. Quinta de Carmo Dom Martinho 2005. Full-bodied, rich with good concentration. A balanced wine, ready for drinking. Almost leathery and earthy too. It's a blend of Tempranillo, Alicante, Periquita, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. If you are trying to get to 100 for the Century club, this will help you along. For the average wine person, it's definitely a food wine. I can drink most reds by themselves so it's perfect for these Thursday nights. If you want to try some food with it, try a nice meaty pasta or a bbq turkey burger.

I'm going to go back to my "classic" movie. Just to clear it up, I think The Matrix is an amazing movie that revolutionized special effects, but come on... Has it really been 10 years?

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