Rex-Goliath.....this was the New Year's Day wine Gaynor brought to dinner. I have just this morning read the back of the bottle (as I was way to busy yesterday preparing dinner and analyzing what I was drinking.) In a moment I will share my findings with you. But on the back of the bottle I have just read the "Legend of Rex-Goliath". At the turn of the century, HRM (His Royal Majesty) Rex Goliath was a treasured circus attraction. He weighed in @ 47 lbs. Rex was billed as the worlds largest rooster.
HRM Rex-Goliath winery of Woodbridge, California have given a tribute to Rex with their wines. Just like Rex, their wines have a larger than life personality. They also have big fruit forward flavors which are sure to please. Their direct quote is " Peppery and plummy, our wine is a demonstration of why the world has gone ga-ga over Shiraz."
Well needless to say if you have been following my blog since the beginning of its birth you will know Shiraz from Australia is my fav. WELL.....Australia you have a run for your money here! I am learning more and more with each sip of wine I take that Americans do know quite a bit about wine making. The color was a rich, deep burgundy which actually matched the fluffy robe I was wearing. The aroma was rich with goodness of what my nose tells me Shiraz should be. Upon the swirl legs were slow to come but upon their entrance they were thin and even around the glass...this I knew would have it be nice and dry (as I like) in my mouth. I tasted oak, pepper and berries. The wine was soft in your mouth not harsh and bitey. Tannins were low. All in all the bottle went down very well before, during and after dinner. (Yes I shared it!) Our dinner was a pork loin marinated in black pepper. Served with sauerkraut which cooked 5 hours in the crock pot with half an apple to take away the bitterness and when the loin was put in the oven to roast I added the kraut to the side of the same pan and cooked along with the roast. Cheddar cheese mashed potatoes were the side dish and appetizers were just veggies & dips with pretzels & foccacia crackers. Yummy, yummy....yummy! We ate, drank, ate & drank.....I have 2 slices and some kraut left for today and actually can't wait till dinner time so maybe it will be my lunch. However I do not have any of Rex left to enjoy...but I will in the future be purchasing a couple bottles for my wine collection. REX-GOLIATH
go to the link I have provided and see for yourself just how amazingly priced this wine is! It just goes to show that although an expensive wine might be quite tasteful and pleasurable you can get the same quality or perhaps even better in this bottle. Looks and pricey, classy is not always what it is cut out to be....remember this men (and women) when not only picking your wines but when picking your mate or partner or even a date. Just because a lady (or man) might like fancy, impressive items and have you shower her (him) with them...take a brief moment to actually look around you and see if perhaps someone just a bit simpler (or should I say...does not require all the frills in life....who knows how to have plain old fashioned fun and be happy with that), go for the entire package....not just for an attraction but for the one who not only satisfies your likings but also your wallet. With the money you save on expensive wines .....who knows...you might be able to take and extra vacation or 2 ! (sorry...I just went on rambling a bit....that's the writer in me....just sometimes can't stop these fingers!)
Different grape varieties are plentiful! I have always loved fruits, but since beginning this study in wine I find myself actually admiring each grape singularly. I had never noticed the depths of color or shadings of the colors in all my 58 years on this earth. I just would plop the luscious fruits in my mouth and enjoy. But now I find myself analyzing the structure of the grapes and thinking. (Of course when I point this out to some of my friends, I know they are thinking I have gone off the deep end!) My friends just look at me and smile. That is of course not the case of the friends who share this common interest of mine to learn about the fruit from the vine to the glass. I have decided to do a bit each day on each different type of grape in the wine making. I have learned there are some 24,000 varieties of wine grapes which Ampelographers believe these represent about 5,000 truly different varieties. Most varieties I have learned have numerous names depending upon the area they are grown. Of the 5,000 varieties only 150 are planted commercially and of the 150 varieties there are only 9 varieties considered classics.
WHITE GRAPES: - CHARDONNAY
- CHENIN BLANC
- RIESLING
- SAUVIGNON BLANC
- SEMILLION
RED GRAPES:
- CABERNAT SAUVIGNON
- MERLOT
- PINOT NOIR
- SYRAH
Tomorrow or later today I will begin the study starting with the whites....In the mean time I will go have a nice bowl of red grapes with my granola this morning.
Chow!
It had been a month since Gaynor had brought my box of wine to me, when she did my shopping for me after my surgery. It was empty and time to replenish. This would be my 5th time to leave the house in a month. I had an appointment in town so to make best use of my time away from the house I would make as many stops as possible and of course one of them would be our wine store. Instead of grabbing my usual box...I have been going out on a limb the last couple months with my box wine favorites and trying new adventures in taste. On sale for $17.99 was this box of SEVEN. I asked the man at the desk if it were good...he said it just came in this week and he had no idea. Price was right....container was attractive...when reading the side of box it had a list of 7 different wines and Shiraz was at the top of the list, so that being one of my favorites I decided to give this box of wine a try. Upon returning home I settled in with my glass of wine and did my little test. My findings were it was lighter in color than the wines I prefer, but I would give it a chance. The smell was light and weak to me. The taste was the same. But then again I prefer full bodied, dry reds. I will drink this wine for the next 30 days or so and see if my appeal for it changes. It is not bad tasting, just not what my palate prefers. It is sort of like if I could compare it to a date.....being out with a man and you enjoy his company and dinner is fine, but something is missing for you to want to have a deeper relationship with this man....nothing is wrong with this man....just not the main man for you. Can any of you out there understand this? Iam a woman who knows what she likes in her man and her wines and I hate to waste anyones time. I do hope I get some visitors this month to help me empty this box of wine. Maybe I will start to like it more, we shall see. I would although have this box of wine in my house for a party where some of the guest are not into the heartier wines. For them I think this would be a great wine. Maybe this wine would be the stepping stone to fuller bodied wines for the white zin drinker. To ease them on their way to darker reds.
This wine is a Spanish blend of 7 different varities of grapes.
Shiraz
Cabernat Sauvignon
Graciano
Garnacha
Tempranillo
Merlot
Petit Verdot
If one or more of your favorite reds are in this blend, give it a try. Your opinion may be very different than mine.
