Mom's spaghetti

Tonight's match up...MOM'S SPAGHETTI VS. FETZER California Merlot 2005

Let me just say that we are complete babes in the wood when it comes to wine tasting. My handsome husband cooked our meal tonight...Mom's spaghetti. We were told that a good red wine is the best accompaniment to a red meat based pasta dish. Our habit now is to let the wine "breathe" in our glasses as we take the first few bites of our supper, and then sip and taste the wine in turn. We know almost immediately if we enjoy the wine, but do we really taste what's in it? Tonight I was sure that I tasted OAK but I was way off the mark. The label on the bottle of merlot told us that we should be tasting blackberry and cherry, with aromas of plum. I must have dead tastebuds. How does the taste of blackberry and cherry get into a bottle of wine? Are they added to the merlot recipe at some point in the wine making process? This the first of, what I am sure, are many questions if my husband and I are to become true connoisseurs of wine.

Yellow Tail vs. Jack & Coke

My wife loves wine. Well, let me be more exact. My wife loves Yellow Tail Chardonnay. I'm a Jack & Coke man. But, because I typically use a 1:1 ratio, "Jack" and I get together on some weekends and special occassions. I was away from home when I read an article from the NY Times online which described how to explore wines and become some type of afficionado depending on your interest levels. I thought this was something my wife and I would enjoy. One of the recommendations was to simply go to a wine shop and buy a few bottles. I thought to myself, "What a great way for my bride and I to have fun together at dinner while the kids are telling us about their day."

So, when she picked me up from the airport, our first stop was a wine store for a few bottles that we hoped would go with our dinners. This blog is our adventure. We're going to include our recipes, wines, moods and stories. I think there's more to this wine thing than just your "protein" to which the color of wine is paired. I mean, if it's 94 degrees and 94 percent humidity, does the color matter as much as the temperature? I don't think so - and I look forward to expressing my unorthodox views and my bride's responses.