What a long, strange trip it’s been.
Ten years ago today, I decided to start a food and wine blog because….well, because I like wine and LOVE food. That might explain my belly. But I digress…
I just thought it might be fun to jot down my thoughts. Mostly for myself, but I thought others might enjoy it. I never expected it to go for a decade+, and never expected it to reach so many people I don’t know.
Oh, and the money. OH THE MONEY. Since monetizing the blog (adding ads) a few years ago, I have earned…..drumroll please…..
TWELVE DOLLARS AND SIXTY ONE CENTS!
Oh, and that’s AMERICAN dollars, folks! Oh, it’s good to be rolling in it.
Of course, I haven’t actually GOT any of that money; they only pay it out once you get a sweet, sweet Benjamin. So, I should get paid for this blog in only about (does math)…..21 more years.
Anyhow, please don’t be jealous. It’s unbecoming.
The very first wine I reviewed, Church & State 2008 Coyote Bowl Meritage. At the time, I was using a 10 point scale, and apparently at the time I didn’t care much for Cabernet. Or Merlot. LOL.
“Coyote Bowl” refers to the area of the Okanagan, about 10 miles south of Oliver, where the grapes are harvested. This winery also has grapes on Vancouver Island.
This is a blend of the usual “big three” red Meritage grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Ironically these are generally not our favorite three red grapes (in fact, they might be our least favorite of the grapes readily available in BC). As Paul Giamatti so eloquently put it in “Sideways”: “I’ve come to never expect greatness from a Cab Franc”. I agree, in fact I’ve yet to find a single varietal Cab Franc that I enjoy.
This wine, however, is terrific. The big, bold bouquet is so exquisite that I didn’t want to take my nose out of the glass to taste the wine!
On the palate, this wine is rich and smooth. It is absolutely ready to drink right now, and would probably only be improved by another year or two in the bottle. According to the C&S website, it’s good to drink “now through 2015”. I have no doubt this would be a terrific wine to cellar for a year or two more, but it’s good enough now that I expect we’ll be picking up another bottle or two for “now” drinking.
This wine retails for $35 and is a solid value at that price point.
Rating: 8.5/10
That’s a lot of info on one wine; imagine if I provided that much detail on EVERY wine I’ve reviewed on this site? I’m not sure the exact number of reviews, but once I have finished compiling them into a spreadsheet, I’ll have an idea. It will be around 3000, maybe more. But that’s a story for another day. For today, let’s take a look back at the 10 best wines I have reviewed on this site over the last decade!
Starting up the countdown just down the road in Washington State, where they make some pretty damn fine Cabernet, I must say!
At #9, we’ll stay in the US and go a bit further down the coast, to find my top-rated Syrah!
Eighth up, another spectacular wine that looks pretty similar to the 10th entry on this list!
At #7, some would call this the “King of wines”, and there’s nothing really comparable to a really special Barolo. This was the very first Barolo I ever had, and I’ve never had it’s equal.
Coming in at #6, the best Chardonnay I’ve ever had. I’m still dreaming of this one.
At #5, a spectacular wine from a winery you have likely all heard of, one of Napa’s best!
At #4, a wine my wife says I underrated. Yes, underrated. Pinot doesn’t get much better than this. NOTHING gets much better than this.
Coming in at #3, the closest I have ever come to giving a table wine 100 points!
If you know me at all, it won’t surprise you to see that numbers 1 and 2 are both Ice wines. Since I can’t really choose between the two, let’s call it a “perfect tie”.
That’s it for today ! Thanks for reading this blog, and thanks for coming along on this crazy journey, whether or not you’ve been with me for years or this is your first time visiting; I appreciate it and home you’ve had fun.
Next up: Wines I’ve featured on the vlog recently get the full blog treatment and reviews. Stay tuned!
Confessions of a Huge Wine-R 