Wine Wednesday: Coppola Rosso 2007

Francis Ford Coppola's Claret was one of my very first "favourite" wines. Unfortunately, $30 is just too much to spend on an everyday drinking wine -- it's a bottle to save for a special occasion. Coppola produced Rosso and Bianco as his "wines for everyday life" to preserve the Italian tradition of serving simple but tasty wines.

Coppola's Rosso 2007 is a much cheaper, versatile, flavorful wine. Deep magenta in colour, this wine tastes of black cherry and raspberries with a bit of cloves. This wine is light on tannins, so it's easy to drink with any meal. We thought it was a rather wimpy red considering its deep colour until we had it with souvlaki, pitas, and hummus. It tasted even better with these garlicky foods.

home again, home again, jiggity jig

I absolutely adore the mountains. And sunshine. I'm a little bit more freckled now, but my goggle tan has subsided a bit (thankfully!). Taking a snowboarding breather half way down the mountain, goggles on, backs warmed by the sun, was bliss. I needed it. I needed daily soaks in the hot tub and giggles until my face hurt. I needed to drink wine with my best friend in Calgary and take a break from school and from work; no obligations for just one week.
This is a baby. It consists of lemons, sugar and vodka. Seriously, that's all. It's deadly. We drank three of them. There were eight of us, so it was okay. We also curled it, you know, to mix it up Olympic style.

It was weird to come back to school work and laundry. I'm trying to push through this course and this year, but there are exciting things that I don't want to rush past too quickly (like vacations!). I recently found out that my convocation date has been pushed (pulled?) from November 2011 to June 2011, which means I'll have to complete my requirements, including my research paper, much more quickly. Don't get me wrong, convocating in Victoria, B.C. in June > than a rainy weekend in November, but it just seems like I'm spinning too fast.

Wine Wednesday: Grey Monk 2007 Pinot Noir

This bottle was another "Hey, it's the Olympics, we need to drink Canadian wine!" pick. Though we didn't hit up Grey Monk while in the Okanagan, we've been on the lookout for good Canadian wines. Mostly, we've been disappointed that wine and liquor stores, though there are many in Edmonton, don't even begin to touch on how many amazing Canadian wines there are.

After we drank the Amicitia from Dunham & Froese, we craved another red but wanted something light enough to go with dessert. We picked this bottle to drink while stuffing our faces with apple crisp.

This earthy wine has light-moderate tannins, and smells like berries (strawberries, cranberries and raspberries in particular) with a bit of vanilla and honey. It's smooth and complemented our dessert, and our Canadian spirit, perfectly.

Wine Wednesday: Dunham and Froese 2007 Amicitia Red

We drank this bottle on Valentine's Day, it was an appropriate pairing with steak and the Olympics (go Canada, go!) B and I traveled to the Okanagan in September 2009 and tasted a lot of wine; we fell in love with both varietals left at Dunham & Froese. Most of what they made was sold out, and it's not hard to imagine why.

Amicitia – pronounced ah-mee-CHEE-tee-ah – is a big, bold red built around 64% Cabernet Franc and 17% Syrah, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot adding complexity to the blend.

B and I picked out plum, spicy black currant, chocolate flavours, with just a hint of mint and tobacco (in a good way). It's a relatively affordable Canadian wine (under $30, and well worth it) that smells, and tastes, delicious.

Maybe one of the best things about Dunham & Froese is its location at the Covert Farm, just north of Oliver, British Columbia. The winery is a partnership of two couples, Eugene and Shelly Covert and Crystal and Kirby Froese. The Amicitia label (Latin for friendship) honours the friendship behind this partnership. If you are ever in the area, check out Covert Farms; their fresh, 0rganic food is incredible. We sat on the patio to enjoy the view and experience the most delicious vegetables I've ever popped in my mouth. You can also pick your own fruit and veggies if you want.

As we were drinking this, we were discussing how this is a "must stop" on our next trip to the region. Though, now that I've found you can order wine online, we may not need to wait that long.

heart-shaped

After my essay was completed, it was just the two of us.

In our home. With a make-shift antenna made from bunny ears, our broom, and duct tape. I swear my wine glass lacked fingerprints until the men's moguls. Maybe it was because we were on bottle number two and I have a fear of breaking the Riedel.

I'm thankful to live with my best friend. Someone who makes killer breakfast and pretends to watch Grey's Anatomy with me and the old roomie while we eat. Someone who tries to teach me guitar chords after he serenades me. Someone who keeps playing games with me, no matter how cranky I get when he [cheats] wins. Someone who suggests words games, even though he knows his chances of victory are slim (maybe that's why he suggests them, now that think about it). Someone who supports crack-pot ideas like getting my Masters. I'm glad we travel well together and get to explore new places. That we have the most wonderful friends that anyone could hope for. I'm glad for the soccer team that brought us together. That we both have such wonderful families and that we're taking time this year to travel to destinations other than their homes.

I'm glad that at the end of the day, everything else melts away and it's just the two of us.

Girltalk

"My therapist has put you in my web," she explained with a glass of wine in her hand. We were alternating handfuls from the giant bowl of popcorn in front of us, post-Grey's Anatomy. "She told me that I need some normal friends, and I said I have one -- you!" Her big smile always lifts my spirits.

We've been stuck together for almost four years; hard to believe. I rented a room from a boy I occassionally made out with, and she sublet from his sister. I had job applications out across the country, but somehow I ended up here and she followed. We've had our moments, as most roomates have, but she's one of those people that you just can't shake (and don't want to). She's fiercely loyal, gives her entire being to everyone she loves and everything she does, and she's got a great rack.

We went out dancing, pre-PJs, popcorn, and Grey's Anatomy. It felt like the old days in our new city, but the crowd was a bit creepier. I had to fight the urge to yell "Leggings are not pants!" and we contemplated whether the girl in the crochet dress was wearing lace panties, or if there was a word pasted across her behind. We tried out the latin beats and happily danced to some 90's hits before heading back to my place for a girly sleepover.

Weekends like this cement the importance of old friends. There was also a phone call from four of my highschool ladies that left my brain buzzing with memories and an exercise letting new friends move away -- but Calgary is only a short roadtrip away.

currently coveting

This camera bag from Ketti Handbags is incredible. I already have one cute camera bag, but this one is way cuter. Oh, to be able to stuff my camera in a protected bag like this instead of lugging it around shoved in my regular purse (terrible, I know). I just hate how I have to take a bag for gear and a bag for my wallet and miscellany; I could throw all of my things in here no problem!