Tavola Rosso » Reviews

2005 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon

Mark Stoltz — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:07:22 +0000

Estate grown Napa cab for $30? Believe or not the ‘05 Palladian cab is just that. While most California cabs keep going for ‘big’ and ‘complex’ – which usually means oak, too much blending and and extra $30 on average – the Palladian is content with showcasing great Oakville fruit from a single vineyard.

If you’ve read more than two wine reviews you know the authors of this site are big on terroir. The Palladian isn’t shooting for your private cellar or trophy case, but instead to be great with that great steak your grilling this summer. And it succeeds quite well!

Borsao Tres Picos Granacha

Mark Stoltz — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 17:54:22 +0000

Our wine of choice at dinner last night was a Spanish grenache, Borsao’s Tres Picos. The last grenache we had was from Washington’s Alexandria Nicole winery, so we were eager to look for the differences. Right off the bat Isabell simply said, “Tastes like a Spanish wine.” The wine took a while to open up, but had excellent berry fruit and earthiness to it. I like wines like these because they are not too fruit forward, they have structure and balance. Ultimately they are great food wines and the Tres Picos is a perfect choice for a backyard cookout (or cook-in if you’ve been in Seattle the last couple of weeks).

The Braja Region of Spain, home of Borsao’s Tres Picos

2005 Alexandria Nicole Grenache

Mark Stoltz — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:19:54 +0000

A couple of nights ago my wife and I had a very nice Washington wine, the 2005 Alexandria Nicole Grenache. Normally the grenache varietal is reserved for blending into more prominent red wines like cabernet sauvignon and merlot. But recently we have seen more and more traditional blending grapes showcased on their own. And we have to say, Alexandria Nicole has a winner here.

Here are the winemaker’s notes:

“This Sun-Worshiper thrives on the intense heat and direct sun-light it receives from the top of Destiny Ridge Vineyards. Our Grenache is planted in sandy soils overlaying broken basalt and overlooks the majestic Columbia River. The rugged wind that blows down the Columbia adds additional stress to the vines and helps produce the provocative aromas of blackberries, raspberries, earth, sandstone and grapefruit; followed by a wine with huge body, fabulous concentration, and wonderful minerality in the finish.”

Amazon-ingly Fresh

Elizabeth O'Connor — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:33:13 +0000

I placed an order with AmazonFresh on Wednesday and I was pleasantly surprised with the transaction, and thought I’d share. The fresh produce arrived before 6 AM on Thursday; clean and packaged nicely. Aside from fruits and vegetables, I bought some prosciutto and Italian sausages (they arrived in a temperature-controlled bag with ice pack). Even better, there is no delivery fee for orders over $25 and they threw in a “produce sampler” as a token of their gratitude for our business. I love free goodies!

Before I go any further, for those of you who aren’t familiar with Seattle’s newest online grocery service, AmazonFresh has built its business to fit your lifestyle. Its online store front allows you to select from a growing selection of fresh, high-quality products, all accessible to you 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year.

Highlights of the experience:

Easy to manage. The site enables you to shop by aisle (i.e. produce, bakery, deli) or specialty (i.e. gluten free, kosher, low fat).
The search progress can get pretty granular if need be. For example, you can search within the artisan bread or bakery snacks categories, both of which are within the broader Bakery aisle. As you cruise through this virtual store, you can select the item and quantity and it’ll appear on the right hand side in your “cart”.
One of my favorite features is called “save to list” which allows you to tag an item you purchase frequently.
You don’t need to be home for the delivery. After you select your items, you choose a day/time to have groceries delivered (either before dawn or during the day).
Household & cleaning, health & beauty and pet care items are also available.

Lowlights:

AmazonFresh only delivers to residents in select zip codes so I encourage you to confirm you live in one of these neighborhoods before place an order. I’d hate for you to experience the frustration that my friend did today when she learned this.
Some products require a minimum purchase. For example, you have to purchase a minimum of two small, yellow onions.

What more do you want, a service that unloads the groceries and places them safely into your fridge? AmazonFresh offers expanding selection, great prices and convenient service.