By Corie Maue

Cheers from the Women’s Wine Council – Debbie Israel Wiens, Laura McCoy Plant, Judee Jachim Smith, (guest writer) Susan Montgomery, Carmen Micheli, Corie Maue & Sue Richter (not pictured)

I joke from time to time about how easy life would be if everyone were more like me, but the truth is, our differences make life more fun and interesting.  Quite frankly, if we all agreed on everything, life would come to a boring halt as we would have nothing to talk about.

Imagine the wine tasting:

“This is a lovely chardonnay.”

“Yes; yes it is.”

Prosciutto & Gorgonzola Flat Bread Photo – Corie Maue

YAWWWWNN!

 

 

The Women’s Wine Council loves to talk about wine just about as much as we love to sip it, so thankfully all of our palates

are quite diverse and we happily defend our favorites with passion.

We recently sampled six unique wines, and while my top two overlapped somewhat with the group, I defer to the majority rule for my recommendations.

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Our first taste of the evening earned top honors from the group: the 2010 Shannon Ridge Ranch Collection Chardonnay.  Aged in American oak barrels, this wine had all the elements that Chardonnay lovers look for.  Slight tropical aromas were joined by pear, green apple and creamy vanilla.  The palate revealed the barrel fermentation, but elegantly so with green apple, juicy pear and a hint of butteriness.  The texture of the wine was rich with a long, smooth finish.  Monk’s Meadow & Amelia’s White Wine Bruschetta Cheese Spread on crostini was the perfect match for this super summer sipper.

Also receiving rave reviews from the group was the 2009 Shannon Ridge Ranch Collection Cabernet.  The deep garnet flavor and aromas of dark berry, black cherry and spice lured us in.  What was promised in the glass delivered on the palate as flavors of dark berries and cherries swirl with creamy vanilla.  Another richly textured wine with a long finish made it a winner with my Prosciutto & Gorgonzola Flat Bread with Fresh Blueberries.

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Both wines can be found in most big box stores or on the Shannon Ridge website and sell for around $19 each.  As you browse the Shannon Ridge online store, note the opportunity to buy lamb as well.  Raised in harmony with the vineyards and processed in USDA inspected plants, grass-fed Shannon Ridge lamb is a natural pairing for your favorite earthy red wine.  Now there is a conversation starter for you!

Until next time – may your wine, food and conversation be like a great Women’s Wine Council: diverse, interesting and fun.  Cheers!

 

Corie Maue

Author Bio:

After working in all aspects of the food and beverage industry for 20 years, Corie has developed an adventuresome spirit and palate.  As an avid home cook and a member of the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association, she keeps an eye out for new trends in food, wine and travel so she can share her discoveries with her readers. In addition to her own Blog, www.LifeHalfFull.co (Balanced Living in a Slightly Off-Kilter World), she is a freelance writer, contributing food, wine and news articles to several on line and print publications.