Mood: Humbled

Wine Selection: Dancing Bull’s Zinfandel

I have been sitting here, pouting, and complaining for a number of reasons, starting with my internet. It hasn’t been working the way it should (and I don’t even pay for it, I borrow my neighbors connection). My relationship went to hell, probably because I have commitment issues, and the weather hasn’t been absolutely perfect for volleyball, yet it’s March and I have a tan….then I get a phone call from a friend of mine, that’s under 30, and they might have cancer.

Can I just say, “I’m such a jerk!!!!!!!!!!!!!” My life does not suck! I have a job that pays well. Full benefits. I get off work at 2:30 everyday, so when the weather is good, I can play volleyball all afternoon. And I have friends that care about me, no matter how silly and hard to deal with I can be.

When I get these types of reality checks, I go to Safeway and get some good wine that doesn’t break the bank, yet still tastes good. Hence, my selection for this week…Dancing Bull’s Zinfandel. It’s like, get over yourself. You are 24, it’s a Monday, you’re healthy, open a friggin bottle, drink and be merry. This is a big, spicy, pallateable Zinfandel. Safe. Just do it!

Plus, check out this label. Looks like a $30 bottle to me. Take it to your “not so wine savvy” friends house and lie;)

Mood: Rebellious

Wine Selection: Domaine Chandon’s Blanc de Noir

Here’s the thing, I was “absent” last week and this week I’m just wanting to do things that I shouldn’t do. For example, call in sick from work, drink beer;), pick a wine from the Napa Valley instead of the Central Coast…oh heck…the least damaging is probably the Napa thing, so here it goes….I’m picking Domaine Chandon’s Blanc de Noir. Not only is this wine not from the Central Coast, but it is also readily available at any local grocery store. The topper? It’s usually under $20! I AM A REBEL! Those of you who frown upon less expensive sparkling wines from California…get over it! Hey, I’m a rebel, and it’s my website.

My favorite thing about this sparkler is that it’s actually made from Pinot Noir fruit, so it has a hint of pink color to it. Along with the fabulous color, comes some not so typical qualities because most sparkling wines or Champagnes are made from Chardonnay grapes.

This Pinot Noir sparkling wine has some red wine characteristics being that it is chalk full of strawberry and blackberry aromas and flavors, to add some depth it also contains the classic finish of a Chardonnay sparkling wine, with the soft and creamy lingering texture.

Thank you Chandon! I can’t explain what this wine can do for you on a beautiful Sunday afternoon (only for those true rebels) or celebrating an exceptionally bad Monday, so you will simply have to go to your local grocery store and experience it for yourself to see what affects it has on your mood.

Cheers!

Erica Lauesen

The Moody Wine Drinker

Mood: Absent

Wine Selection: Muccigrosso’s 2005 Pinot Noir

I don’t know if it was the Leap Year or the clouds, then sun, then clouds, then sun, but I am outside my body lately. I feel like I am watching myself go through the daily motions, but I’m not actually present. I even had a morning where both of my alarms didn’t go off; I set two just in case, and yes…BOTH didn’t go off. Then after I made my coffee, I turned my back for a second and without touching it, it fell! How does that happen? A ghost? I don’t really believe in ghosts, but what other explanation is there? Two alarms not going off and the mystery coffee spill? (I’m not even done with my morning extravaganza!) Then as I’m driving to Starbucks to get my, now late, cup of coffee….I realize that I forgot my wallet. I have never done that! Even on a first date when I want the guy to pay. Thank goodness, I was meeting Mark and he bought me my morning fix. Then, yes there is a “then,” I dropped my keys in the parking lot and while holding my coffee with one hand, I bent down to pick up the keys…..spilling the cup of joe that bent right down with me.

After that, my day of work went “ok,” not great, just “ok.” Lucky for me, my mom came to my rescue and took me to see a movie,”Fools Gold.” It was perfect for my absent day. It was entertaining, it didn’t require any thought, and it was funny (Added bonus: Mathew McConaughey with his shirt off the WHOLE TIME!)

By the time I got home and the medium popcorn hit me, I was not super hungry, but I needed some additional “wine” down time, so I opened a bottle of Muccigrosso’s 2005 Pinot Noir, which was also a gold medal winner in the San Fransisco wine competition, and…

…sliced some Gorgonzola cheese and a nectarine and had a mind altering moment. I came back to earth! This combination of the creamy, “bluecheesey,” tartness with the raspberry and musk of the pinot, all combined to be just what the doctor ordered. An snap back to the here and now.

 

I savored every sip and every bite while watching season six of “Sex in the City” and woke up the next morning feeling like myself again.

Mood: Irritated

Wine: Ahlgren’s 2003 Cabernet Franc

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Here is the thing, I have a certain need when it comes to phone calls. I think of it as common sense, but apparently it is news to some… if you call someone, give them your full attention. Though some would call it “phone ettiquette,” I call it obvious: don’t call me unless you plan on talking to me. I don’t want people to be talking to the person that made the call in the background. I also don’t want the person that made the call to start laughing about some joke that I wasn’t involved in, especially when text messaging is so easy! Just text me, don’t call me and not pay attention to the person that you called.

The wine that improved this particular irritated mood is Ahlgren’s 2003 Cabernet Franc. This 16.2% alcohol wine is fantastic!

The nose is full of a earth and fruit and then it hits your palate like a black currant bomb. Then there is a velvet feeling that just keeps going and going, then finishes with some earth and a warmness that can only be associated with the high alcohol that is present. The result? Nothing more than a smile:)

I know that many of you are going to be skeptical of me choosing a 100% Cab. Franc, but to put some of your fears at bay, the fruit comes from Bate’s Ranch, which is a vineyard that has a reputation for quality.

Mood: Sexy

Wine: Tablas Creeks 2004 Esprit de Beaucastel

Wine is a very sensual drink. More than that, wine makes me feel sensual. Even more than that…..wine makes me feel SEXY and this will be the first of many “sexy selections” from me, the Moody Wine Drinker.

There is just nothing quite like the sleek and curvy glass with almost black red liquid inside. Then you take your first whiff of the wine and get some Santa Rosa Plum and tobacco. Then as you simultaneously take another sniff you take your first sip…Black currant and plum, alongside sweet spice and a finish that contains the perfect amount of velvet mouth feel, smoke and dark chocolate has to be a sensual experience for all wine drinkers, beginning and expert.

This truly sensual experience is probably going to be taken as a precursor to Valentines Day, which is tomorrow, but OH HOW YOU ARE WRONG! The real reason I chose this posting for today is the exact opposite……… Valentines Day is stupid. Now, many of you are probably thinking that this poor girl is just lonely and bitter, but again you are wrong. I happen to have a boyfriend and we get along very well. The reason I think Valentines Day is stupid because if you have a significant other, you should be cute, spontaneous and loving everyday, not just some day that Hallmark has decided to market and make a big deal to get big cash.

My suggestion? Go out get a bottle of this Esprit de Beaucastel and make any day a special occasion! (I found it at Cava in Capitola, but look for it at your local retailer.)

Current Mood: Accomplished and Exhausted

Current Wine Selection: Claiborne and Churchill’s Dry Gewurztraminer

While most of you were in your kitchen prepping for the Super Bowl, my mom and I were slicing, dicing, and dancing in the kitchen to get ready for the bridal shower that was moments from beginning. Why on earth did I decide to throw a bridal shower before the Super Bowl? I didn’t. I picked the date back in December in the whirl wind of homemade fudge and cookies that takes place during the holiday season.

Let me set the mood a little bit for the perfect wine that I chose for this event:

• 11 a.m.- it was windy at times, rainy at times, and sunny at times
• Women gathered drinking mimosa’s and getting to know each other
• Women sitting down eating quiche and asparagus salad
• All watching Tiffany, the bride to be, open her gifts
• Then finishing off with my mom’s famous lemon bars and my grandmother’s famous cherry cheesecakes
• The perfect wine: C&C’s Dry Gewurtz

This intense flavored wine initially hits your nose with honey and citrus, but as you take your first sip, you get an almost floral sweetness that closes with a hint of clove and the citrus (revisited from the initial aroma). Though you think it’s going to be a heavy and sweet finish, it is shockingly dry that leaves your mouth feeling clean and wanting more.

This wine went over extremely well with the variety of drinkers we had at the event and paired incredibly well with all of the foods we served. And for the record, the house cleared out at 1:30 and we were able to clean up by 2:45, and I made it to my brother’s just in time for kickoff, jumbalaya and was able to have some dry gewurztraminer for game time as well.

Cheers!

Erica Lauesen

The Moody Wine Drinker

Current Mood:  Adventurous

Selection: “Martella” Grenache 

Welcome to my first posted Mood and wine selection!

This is a definite adventure for me, so I just want to say thank you for coming along for the ride.

I will be kicking MoodyWine.com off with a Santa Cruz Mountain wine because my current location is Santa Cruz (it only makes sense). This little adventure, starting a new website, has convinced me that I need to take an adventure with a different grape variety than most people are familiar with…Grenache. Grenache is also an adventure because, as I always say, “There is good Grenache and bad Grenache, there’s nothing in between.” Martella’s is one that I would consider extraordinary!

This 2004 Grenache is a fanastic combination of raspberry and black currant, with a slight vanilla that wraps itself around your tongue in the finish. This is all complimented with a velvety smooth mouth feel that keeps the adventure going and going.

Martella wine is made by Michael Martella, the head wine maker of Thomas Fogarty, and has just received a number of awards in the San Fransisco Chronicle’s Wine Competition. All of the Martella wines are fantastic and definitely warrant an extra trip to Vinocruz, a wine shop downtown Santa Cruz, to get a bottle.

Drink this Grenache with anything from chicken fried steak to your favorite mexican dish!

Stay tuned for more additions to MoodyWine.com! It will just keep getting better and better!

Ciao!

Erica Lauesen

The Moody Wine Drinker

MoodyWine.com is going to be a weekly log of my moods and the wines that I choose for that mood.  Random?  Yes.  The concept came to me recently at the wine shop that I currently work in.  Customers are always coming in and asking me what my favorite wine is in the store.  My answer is always the same, “It depends on my mood.”  Followed by my current mood and selection.  This will basically be the same thing, but on a larger scale.  I will be covering mostly Central Coast wineries from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara.

Stay tuned and wait to see the first selection!

Erica Lauesen

The Moody Wine Drinker