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    • Wine On Wednesday: Rocket Science and Cuttings

      Posted at 12:00 pm by Lisa Cavallari
      Mar 9th

      Home Is W.T.H.I. has been trying many new wines lately and I could not pass up an opportunity to share two more with you.

      Rocket Science

      The first is called Rocket Science by Caldwell Vineyard.  It’s a little difficult to see, but the bottle is actually sort of rocket-shaped with a wider bottom that tapers in toward the top.  I have personally never visited this vineyard, but the stories I’ve heard are intriguing.  Apparently, the owner used to smuggle French vines in from Canada.  The owner also tends to prefer the f-word whenever possible; it’s even on his business card.  🙂  As you can see the wine is dark, rich and beautiful.  This red blend is made up of 8 different varietals including Syrah, Tannat and Cabernet.  You can taste plum, cranberry, coffee and mocha with an earthy finish.

      This wine can be purchased from the Caldwell website for $65.

      Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷 out of 4 wine glasses

      Cuttings

      The second one is Cuttings from Prisoner Wine Company.  (Sorry for the blurry picture above.  I was not drunk, but pretty excited to try this one so hence the shaking.  Teehee.) The name is inspired by cuttings used in vineyards to propagate new vines.  The wine is Cabernet-based, with a bit of Petite Syrah, Syrah and Zinfandel blended in to make for a robust and deep colored wine.  You will definitely taste cherry and cocoa as well as a hint of cigar box and a spicy, smooth finish.

      How does Cuttings compare to Prisoner you may wonder?  I think Prisoner still wins out, however Cuttings is a very close second.  You can find it at your local wine dealer for about $50.

      Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷 out of 4 wine glasses

      A very special thanks goes out to two awesome gals who each had us over for a spectacular meal paired with fantastic wine and most importantly, excellent company.  You both went to great lengths breaking out the fancy china and silver which always takes the occasion up a few notches from wonderful to extraordinary.  Cheers!!

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      Posted in Wine
    • Wine On Wednesday: Black Cat Vineyard

      Posted at 7:16 am by Lisa Cavallari
      Feb 24th

      Tracey At Black Cat Vineyard

      Dear Readers, sorry for the radio silence.  My old Mac needed an OS upgrade and Safari update.  After many online chats with Apple Support, I am up and running again. Fingers crossed.  Technology, you can either love it or hate it, but sometimes I need to bite the bullet and just get with the times.  I predict a new computer in the future. (Which translates to: not soon enough!)

      So much to catch up on with you all.  I have lots of wonderful wines to share with you starting with Black Cat Vineyard.  You might remember I posted about this wine over the summer and I am happy to report I was true to my word and visited this winery recently with my husband.

      The proprietor, vintner and basically, the girl who does it all herself was so fun to talk to and to finally meet in person.  Tracey has an interesting story of where she came from and how she found herself in Napa.  I will let her tell you in person because, seriously, you NEED to visit this winery.  You can taste her perfectionism in the wine; it’s smooooooth, so perfectly balanced and you can actually smell Napa when you take your first sip.  Our personal favorite was the Zinfandel with the Cabernet and Syrah in hot pursuit for second place.

      Peanut At Black Cat Vineyard

      The Black Cat name came from her very first cat when she moved to the Napa region.  He was always close by and keeping an eye on things as the work around the farm was performed.  Sadly, Black Cat has passed on, but we saw a sweet little cat named Peanut who made her presence known while we sat outside and sampled the various wines that Tracey selected.  It truly felt like heaven on earth at this vineyard.  The patio overlooked the valley and the house is nestled close to a slope of land that gently rises up behind it.  I could have sat there all day.  Tracey is truly living the life.  She takes only referrals from those who are in her wine club so if you need one just let me know.  😉

      Rating for Black Cat was hands down 🍷🍷🍷🍷 out of 4 wine glasses.  A must for anyone visiting Napa.

      Cheers!  Oh, and notice the rings around the neck of the bottles below. They are lined with velvet or some kind of absorbent material on the inside so the wine doesn’t dribble down the bottle and create a mess.  Genius!  I need to get me some of those.

      Black Cat Vineyard Wine Tasting

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      Posted in Wine | Tagged Black Cat Vineyard, Tracey Reichow
    • Chewy Rolo Cookies

      Posted at 7:03 am by Lisa Cavallari
      Jan 31st

      Rolo Ingredients

      If you are looking for something quick and easy (and tasty) to make for the big game or Valentine’s Day then give this recipe a try.  There are only 4 ingredients and they are not labor intensive to make at all.

      Ingredients

      1 box Devil’s Food cake mix (I like Duncan Hines)

      3 eggs

      1/3 cup vegetable oil

      3 packs of Rolos

      Directions

      Combine cake mix, eggs and oil in a large mixing bowl.  Place plastic wrap over top of bowl and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours to overnight.

      When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Unwrap 12 Rolos at a time and then spray hands with non-stick cooking spray because the batter can be a little sticky.  Grab a tablespoonful of cookie dough and place one Rolo in the center, add a bit more dough to completely cover the Rolo and roll into a ball.  Continue to make 11 more cookies and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.  If you like your cookies a little chewy then go for the shorter time and if you like them a little more crispy go for the full 15 minutes.  Take out of oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet before carefully removing with a spatula.  Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

      IMG_4501

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      Posted in Baking | Tagged Chewy Rolo Cookies, Rolo Cookie
    • W.O.W. Saldo

      Posted at 7:00 am by Lisa Cavallari
      Jan 20th

      Saldo_Bottle

      A little spice on a cold evening can make the long winter season a little more bearable.  This wine tastes of dark fruit with a peppery finish.  Saldo comes from the same winemakers as The Prisoner.  Just like Prisoner, this wine is smooth and robust.  It’s a Zinfandel and the grapes come from five different regions on the California coast. A smattering of grapes combined to make this wine makes much more sense in the name because Saldo means “from here and there.”

      This bottle would be perfect for a romantic dinner in February paired with smoked or spicy meats and maybe a chocolate lava cake for dessert.  You can find this simple, lovely bottle at Costco for $25.

      🍷🍷🍷🍷/4 wine glasses

      Cheers!

      Saldo

       

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      Posted in Wine
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