Last night’s celebration with my dear friend Vera was an adventure. As we hopped from restaurant to restaurant in search of a perfect place for our bottle, we stumbled across Caro Mio. This Uptown Italian eatery was just right for our bottle of Herman Story – Nuts & Bolts.
This lively Syrah took all of our two hour dinner before it opened up into a splendid chocolate cake covered in elderberries. The wine made a smooth entrance, stayed awhile, and made a graceful and long smoky exit. Loved it!
Caro Mio
1825 W. Wilson Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640
773-275-5000
1. Category: Silky, Vanilla
2. Wine Type: Pinot Noir
3. Country: USA – California
4. Price: $6.99
5. Notes: It’s Monday and you’ve spent a lot this past weekend, what wine can you enjoy on a low budget? Barefoot is the answer! This wine has lots of vanilla and spice for only$ 6.99.
1. Category: Citrus, Lime, Herbs
2. Wine Type: Sauvignon Blanc
3. Country: Chile – Valle Central
4. Price: $9.00
5. Notes: This refreshing citrus and light floral wine is sure to go good with a vegetable pizza. Ranalli’s in Andersonville (Chicago) has free wifi. Wine, WiFi, and Pizza…this place rocks for a wine techno geek!
1. Category: Spicy with Oak
2. Wine Type: Pinot Noir
3. Country: USA – California
4. Price: $9.99
5. Notes: Had a bad day? This wine is sure to make it all better with oak, pomegranates, and cherries flavors. Easy to drink and doesn’t require much more thought. Seriously put a warm smile on my face.
1. Category: Toasty
2. Wine Type: Tempranillo
3. Country: Spain – Jumilla
4. Price: $15
5. Notes: On a cold day in the Midwest, this particular bottle of Tempranillo is just comforting. It has plenty of dark rip fruit flavors along with some hints of vanilla, but the comforting part comes with the nice touch of nutmeg and clove somewhere in between. This 2004 vintage 2004 Crianza can keep me warm anytime!
1. Category: Juicy
2. Wine Type: Tempranillo
3. Country: Spain
4. Price: $3.99
5. Notes: Don’t pay attention to the label! This Tempranillo is going to impress you for the price – seriously a RECESSION proof wine. This juicy wine goes down smoothly, has character, and ends even better than when it started …all for just $3.99(Trader Joe’s) . Does it get any better than this?
Spending the last few months in Spain and rediscovering Granacha has made me fall in love all over again. Alto Moncayo Veraton is one of my latest finds that I need to share with the world. This smokey, earthy, oh so sexy wine has smooth tannins that are highlighted with hints of cocoa. This bottle will complimented just about any meal.
November 7, 2009 Weekly Wine Pick – Ménage à Trois Red
1. Category: Lusty
2. Wine Type: Zinfandel, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon
3. Country: USA – California
4. Price: $8.99
5. Notes: Three lusty grapes play well together to create a mouthful of juicy flavors. This sassy wine has hints of blackberry, smooth cocoa middle, and a satin finish. This wine will NOT tease, but please you with a happy ending.
There’s some serious pimping at the Chemically Imbalanced Theater. If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind “pimprove” (pimp improv), you have to make it to the Friday night act. The 3 man pimp show is like no other. I’m not sure if it’s the ghetto fabulous pimping, outfits, or roasting on some of the audience, but this show is drop dead hilarious. For about $16 and your preferred wine bottle, you can have a good time for under $25…I know I did and it doesn’t get any better than that! Check out one of their videos:
