A Glass in Hand

Still working on all my wine from the Chile region. My lastest bottle was a Carmenere Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 from Vina Maipo. I did a little bit of research to determine that Carmenere is a wine grape variety that originated in France but is now found mainly in Chile. Blending the Carmenere grapes with Cabernet Sauvignon is becoming increasingly popular as the wine industry in Chile continues to grow. In the glass the Vina Maipo is a ruby red and on first taste it seemed to bounce in my mouth. I liked the flavour which I found to be very full and robust. I drank my wine with a dish of cheese tortellini in an alfredo sauce. The wine provided a nice, strong balance to the mildness of the white sauce. Again, the cost of this wine was under $15.00 a bottle. I'd also like to point out that having a glass of this wine in hand would do well when your not-quite-a-teenager daughter asks you if she can get her nose pierced. Sadly, I was caught off-guard without a glass and very nearly said yes....well, not yes, but I may have said maybe. I'm sure it was only because of my experience with having a glass of wine in hand that I was able to quickly imagine the glass and confidently reply that we could "talk about it". Which is mom-speak for  "over my dead body!". Nonetheless, I think in preparation for such a discussion, I will finish the bottle of Vina Maipo from Chile and very possibly start on another region.....I will keep you posted.

On another note, a friend of mine offered up a solution for keeping wine fresh when you are unable to finish the bottle. He didn't think I would be in need of it, as he knows I am very diligent about always starting what I  finish. I do however think it's a great idea for hiking or camping, as it's a soft sided container and you can tuck it into your backpack and not worry about breaking glass. It's called a Platypus Platypreserve  and it's sold at MEC (Mountain Equipment Coop) for only $8.00. It holds 800ml of wine and keeps wine fresh by eliminating the exposure to oxygen. . Now's that's worth blogging about!

Cheers!