The Urban Wine Buff

07/24/2024

Who knows the wine word MACERATION? Here i have a Tempranillo Rioja Blanco. Tempranillo is a red wine grape that typically produces RED WINE. But every now and then, someone makes a white one. HOW?? Well, MACERATION (or in this case, a lack thereof) is the reason.

Most red wine grapes have white flesh. The color of the wine comes from the grape skins. MACERATION is the process of soaking the grape flesh with the skins to produce the red juice/wine. The longer the maceration process, the deeper the color. For instance, rose' wines have very little skin contact/maceration. Thus resulting in the wine being pink. For this wine, there was obviously no maceration. Therefore creating a white wine from a red grape. Pretty cool, huh?

Anyway, this wine paired well with my dinner. It wad medium-full bodied, dry, with flavors of lime and apricot. I'm not sure what the alcohol content was. But it tasted like maybe 13%.

07/12/2024

About this wine....
Naujan Bordeaux Blanc 2020
Medium Bodied
Medium Acidity
13% Alcohol
No Tannins
Dry with intense lemon, peach, and pear flavors.
$50

Bordeaux Blanc wines are white blends from the Bordeaux region or France. They are typically made of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

I got this particular bottle a few weeks ago. And it is easily one of my faves. The Sauvignon Blanc comes through with the citrus notes and bold character. And the Semillon adds body, roundness and stone fruit flavors. It tastes like a summer afternoon on a yacht.

01/31/2024

This month's book and tonight's wine:

Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe, 1959

Chakras Malbec - 2021- Mendoza, Argentina
Dry, high acidity, medium bodied, medium tannins, 13% alcohol. Tastes like black cherries, plum, cinnamon, vanilla, and warm hugs.

Paired with fuzzy socks, weighted blanket, and a dope instrumental playlist. I couldn't wait to get into it this evening. Divine!

10/31/2023

Enjoying some kid free Halloween fun at Bernie's Boo Bash. What's better than trick-or-treating with wine and candy?? Absolutely NOTHING! Anyway, i was feeling kinda spooky and adventurous. So i purchased a mystery wine along with a Pedro Ximenez Solera. Now I'm heading home to unveil the mystery and watch a scary movie. Oh! Shout out to the new store manager, Victoria! Hey girl! CHEERS!! 🥂

02/20/2023

A piece of Yesterday.....

I really like this place. Cute vibe. And they sell bottles at retail prices. I will snag a bottle of Orin Swift wine any time i have the chance. It doesn't even matter which one. This time it's Abstract Red. 🙌🍷

11/08/2022

Dinner at Four Flamingos was absolutely PERFECT! I was really looking forward to the Swordfish Steak, and it did not disappoint. The Oysters & Pearls and my Rum Burner were equally fabulous. And shout out to the bartender, Chris. Excellent engagement and service.

09/23/2022

I tasted 8 wines tonight, with this one being my favorite. It's called Para Maria. And it's a Santa Barbara blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Petit Verdot. It's dry but very much fruit forward with 13.5% alcohol. It's deep and rich with a softness to it that made me pause mid-sip to give thanks for the delectable-ness that I was tasting. Lol yall, this wine makes me wanna go home, light a candle, and throw on my plush robe. And that's exactly what I'm about to do. 😆 HAPPY FRIDAY! CHEERS! 🍷

09/19/2022

Chef Amadeus and I are hosting a series of pop up wine dinners. This one was south african themed. Stay tuned for info on the next one.

09/11/2022

This wine dinner with myself and Amadeus Chef is less than a week away. I am so excited to share what we've been working on. If you haven't gotten your ticket yet, HURRY! There are only 2 left. Snag yours at www.theurbanwinebuff.eventbrite.com

08/26/2022

I was in the mood for a "new" Zin today. Something simple & inexpensive that I could just Netflix & chill with. Today was one of those days, ya know. Well, the $7.99 price tag and the label on this one caught my eye. It's actually pretty decent. It's dry but fruity & friendly, medium bodied, with medium acidity, firm tannins, and 15 PERCENT ALCOHOL. It's oaky, with flavors of vanilla, plum, and blueberry. Nothing too deep. But overall, I like it. It could definitely be a house wine over here. Anyway, lemme finish this glass and get to bed. CHEERS! 🍷

08/11/2022

What a day, what a day.....

06/26/2022

This was really fun to watch. The main takeaway is that there are decent wines for every budget. Andre Mack is one of my favorite winemakers too! Check out his brand Maison Noir. Cheers! 🥂

Actor/comedian Kevin Hart visits Bon Appétit to go in-depth on his life and career while sampling expensive and affordable wines with sommelier André Hueston...