During all the hustle and bustle, remember to slow down and actually enjoy yourself during the holidays 🙂

I love all the decorating and baking and finding the perfect gift for people, but this year I just flat out ran out of time for decorating. And something wonderful happened, nobody noticed or at least they didn’t care enough to mention it to me. Thanks for that everyone who came to the Christmas party at my house! Unfinished ornament garland on light fixtures, half-lit garland on the stair railing and no wreath on the front door.

In my head, I thought I’d make everything perfect, but I squashed it. I shut that annoying voice right up, you know the one that makes me go overboard in everything I do. He’s been pretty quiet and I don’t even miss him. Yet.

I had planned a dessert table that belonged in a magazine. Didn’t happen. Nobody cared. We all had a good time and I plan on taking this one step further…. That’s right – all the presents that would normally be perfectly wrapped with wired bows and matching tags will all be in bags this year instead! I hope my daughter can handle it. Viva la Holiday lazy!

We skipped a couple of wine tastings this month and I for one, sure missed it! They have become a weekly event worthy of looking forward to. A welcome break during the long work week that includes a reason to drink. Cheers Hump Day!

Enjoy the Holiday remix from the Camel here:

Terry & Larry hosted Front Porch Wine Tasting this week, all the regulars were present.

That’s Becky with her Mommy Juice.

Mommy Juice White Wine and Red Wine $3.99 each, from the Central Coast

Elsewhere price $9.99

Mommy Juice is named by the Mom/Wine Maker’s kids who pointed to wine glasses everywhere they saw them and said, “that’s Mommy’s juice!” Most of the Front Porch Wine tasters do not have small kids anymore, so ‘Mommy Juice’ was interpreted a little differently… and maybe a tiny bit inappropriately. shame on us. Proceed with caution.

After we all composed ourselves, we actually liked the wine! In fact, I noticed that after we tried all four wines, people poured seconds of both the White and the Red Mommy Juice wines.

 We started with the White. Arvin said it’s got a twang to it and Terry thought it was very pleasant. Becky noticed a tartness with a little zing. Larry and Steve liked the citrus they tasted, grapefruit along with pear. I liked the fruitiness and the fun label. I think it’s very Mommy appropriate. Joe didn’t get the name and Connieonomous (she didn’t want me to use her real name) thought the bottle should have a nipple shaped bottle stopper.

Wine Maker’s notes:

Aromas of tropical fruit salad—pineapples, guava and bananas. Hints of lemon grass and citrus rind as well. Kiwi, lime and a hit of grassiness round out this very fruit forward Chardonnay. Drop the kids at a sitter and drink on a picnic with your significant other or at GNO (Girl’s Night Out).

Blend: 100% Chardonnay

Mommy Juice Red Wine: Steve immediately commented that it was not bad, Becky agreed but also said it was dry but not over-powering, which she likes. Connie said she really liked this one and Joe said it’s good. Larry also liked it and commented that he can taste the tannins. Terry was halfway into a sentence that sounded really smart – but somebody interrupted her and by the time I got to ask her what she was about to say, she forgot 😦

Wine Makers notes:

Aromas of bright berry fruits. Plums, tobacco and a subtle floral note. Full and rich flavors of blueberries, blackberries and dried cherries. Dried plums and a little anise spice round off the wonderfully smooth finish. Moderate tannins make this a wonderful wine to drink while the kids are sleeping.

Blend: 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc 3% Grenache, 2% Syrah, 2% Zinfandel, 1% Carignan, 0.5% Cinsaut, 0.5% Malbec

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2012 Pra Vinera Napa Chardonnay $2.99

Elsewhere price $9.99

Terry noticed that this light chardonnay had no bite to it and tasted a little sweet. I thought that it tasted buttery, which I have never been able to detect before! I had to ask around the room if I was right, lol. Becky thought it was savory and Steve said it was light, Arvin and Terry agreed.

From the Bottle:

Many thoughts arise when a winemaker gazes at a Field of Vines (“Pra Vinera”). They remember past struggles and past triumphs. They remember techniques that brought flavors to their peak. Their gaze takes in the vineyard’s potential, and ponders how best to capture the vines’ offering. In may ways, to a winemaker a vineyard is a field of dreams; dreams rich with the taste of the past and hope for the future.

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2012 Michel-Schlumberger California Merlot $5.99

Elsewhere price $19.99

Terry commented on the nice purple color as Steve poured the first glass. Larry liked the darker grape, he said it was high octane! Arvin said That, is a good wine. Steve said that this bottle needed to breath. After 30 minutes, it was decided by popular vote that Steve was right. Allowing the wine to breath changes the flavor, we tried it again and it was even better! (However, even though Steve may come across as the voice of reason in this situation, it should be pointed out that he lost his wine glass without even getting up from his seat.)

On-line review from my favorite Wine Snob Blogger(s) -(that is said with admiration, not spite): As it’s a younger wine, it’s less elegant than the 2011 was, but it’s richer and more assertively complex.  After about 45 minutes in a decanter, it improves considerably to show ripe flavors of blueberry / blackcurrant, Merlot pine tar, ripe red cherry, with a soft but drying earthy tannic finish.  It’s excellent now, but I expect it will hang on or even improve for the next year or so.

Big shout out to the Angie’s Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Popcorn that Terry served, it went perfectly with the merlot. The Front Porch Wine tasters actually broke out into an organized chant to get the bowl refilled.

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Don’t forget to check-out Front Porch Wine Tasting on Facebook for a chance to win two Stemless Wine Glasses from MommyJuiceWines.com

I’ll leave you this week with good advice:

Live your own life – try the Fruitcake!

~Arvin Reed