Allison and I had a wonderful 2009 and are excited about the opportunities that look to present themselves in 2010. We would like to thank our readers for their continued support... while this started out as a simple way for us to keep up with what we had been tasting, it has grown into much more than that thanks to you.
We had the opportunity to taste some great wines this past year, and a few that were not so great. We also had the opportunity to try a lot of new restaurants as a result of relocating to Florida and we have definitely found some favorites here.
In 2009 there were 177 posts to the blog. It is hard to find 10 that stand out but I managed to pick the ones that really stood out for me. These are in no particular order:
* 2005 Chateau Ste. Michelle Orphelin - this is a great blend that we have drank a lot of since discovering it this year. One of the most frequently searched wines on the blog.
* 2004 Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva - we had forgotten how much we like Rioja when it is made well, and this one was not only well made but very reasonably priced. We liked the Gran Reserva almost as much.
* 2007 Joel Gott "815" Cabernet Sauvignon - buying this for $10 a bottle certainly did not hurt, but it is a very darn good cabernet in any event and we have drank a good bit of this as well.
* 2005 Sbragia Andolsen Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - if we win the lottery, this will likely become our house red wine. It is a fantastic bottle of wine.
* 2007 Pio Cesare Cortese di Gavi - we drank a lot more white wines this past year and this was one that reminded us of how much we love the Gavi wines from Italy.
* 2008 Ruffino Orvieto Classico - another white from Italy that we have drank a lot of this past year.
* 2006 Bramblewood Zinfandel - a fantastic zinfandel from ABC Fine Wine & Spirits here in Florida. One of the most frequent keyword searches on the blog as well.
* 2005 Stags Leap Napa Valley Merlot - we do not drink lots of merlot, but this is one that we certainly will return to.
* Astoria Fine Russian and American Cuisine Restaurant - we had no idea that we would like Russian food as much as we do, but this is a great restaurant.
* Wine Dinner at the Tuscany in Freedom Village - we had a delightful dinner with our friends from Taste Dining & Travel Magazine here.
Looking forward to 2010, there are a couple of things that I am really excited about
* Currently working on a complete redesign of the blog layout to make it more unique and user friendly. I had hoped to roll it out by now, but other things have kept me from focusing on it. I expect to get it down in the first quarter of 2010.
* As a result of some exposure in the blogsphere, I am working on several ventures that hopefully will launch shortly including an opportunity I have been given to teach some wine classes and become more involved with the local wine scene.
* Also as a result of our exposure, I have been given the opportunity to visit Chateau Montelena in late January and taste the 2007 Estate Zinfandel and the 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon before they are released in March. I am currently working on figuring out the logistics of making this happen.
Thanks again to all of our loyal readers and we hope to welcome a lot of new ones in the new year.
Cheers,
Gary & Allison
Saturday, January 2, 2010
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