Tag Archives: suburban farming

Wine Tasting on the Farm

đŸŽ¶Green acres is the place for me, Faaarm living is the life for me!đŸŽ¶

I wish it were as easy as it was on that old TV show! I was slapped with a cold hard reality check these past couple weeks. Turns out, I did not marry a farm boy. He grew up on a ranch. He explained the difference of a ranch and a farm. The simplified version: Animals not plants.

He said the only plants he took care were actual amond crops (yes, he says it without the ‘L’, there’s a whole story behind that but I’ll save it for another post). He says he has no idea how much veggie plants in planters need.

I found this out after I bought the new veggie plants.

‘What’s the difference?’ you may ask. ‘What does that change?’ you may wonder. Who wouldn’t?

The difference is, I have to keep the ‘crops’ alive and thriving. Me. Not him.

These plants are doomed.

They were so healthy and full of potential when I bought them! My history of trying out my green thumb has mostly ended poorly, I am a plant killer. I do have two thriving fruit trees, a cherry and a loquat; and two grape vines that keep coming back but don’t give me grapes. Pretty much everything else I’ve planted didn’t make it. That’s why (until now) I stick to succulents and artificial plants.

I was overly optimistic.

I planted strawberries, eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini, cantaloupe, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, blackberries and mandarin oranges. All of which are available at Manteca Grocery Outlet (with the exception of the oranges).

I did alright at first, I remembered to water them almost everyday. Almost. But then, something wonderful happened. When I forgot, Russ watered them. I forgot more often, not entirely on purpose. I figured I do it later, after work probably.

And, amazingly, the crops are doing well anyway
 It’s a suburban farm miracle!

Turns out, there’s not that big of a difference between a farm boy and a ranch boy. Lucky for me (and my plants).

Now, if I could just get my grape vines to bloom again this year
 We could stomp them into some wine!

Until then
 we continue to drink on the porch for you :^)

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2022 Rothbury Estate Sauvignon Blanc $8.99

The only on-line reviews I could find for this wine from down under were for a different year and did not match what we tasted at all. So, here’s tasting notes from the winemaker: Nose: Aromas of passionfruit, grapefruit, gooseberry and guava
Palate: Light bodied with a fresh, crisp finish.

Joe started us off with this Sauvignon Blanc, he said: oh! it’s tart. Becky tasted apple and Terry tasted grapefruit. Joe called it bright and Arvin called it brilliant. Larry thought the aroma was like walking in a garden. Connie found it light and fruity and Russ agreed – he said he could drink that. Becky thought this crisp wine would pair well with Thai food. Connie found that did pair well with the spicy salami – it toned down the spice! This is a great summer wine, my favorite for sipping while floating in the pool on a hot day.

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2020 Diora Chardonnay Monterey $5.99

I Don’t know why I even looked this one up, lol. No reviews, till we came along of course. Winemaker’s notes: This Chardonnay has a beautiful, pale golden hue with tropical aromas of pineapple that mingle with toasted oak and hints of ripe apricot, creme brĂ»lĂ©e and pear. The delicate flavors of crĂšme brĂ»lĂ©e in this white wine give way to lovely notes of key lime, white peach, and marshmallow in a medium-bodied mouthfeel.

Becky tasted oak right away in this California Chardonnay. And, a hint of peach? Russ found it smoky and Connie thought this Chard had a bit of a bite to it but I think I had it too chilled. This is a heavier Chardonnay and should’ve been served at room temperature. Becky warmed hers with her hands and it made all the difference. It pairs well with the buttery crackers, pop corn and even some plain potato chips.

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2021 Purple Cowboy Tenacious Red Paso Robles $5.99

Again! Another wine without reviews on-line. Even though WineSearcher says: This is above average in popularity for wines from Paso Robles. Greater numbers of users have been searching for this wine compared to a year ago. We’re trend setters now, lol. Here’s the Winemaker’s notes:

Tastes Like: Brambly blackberry, dark black cherry with a dusting of cocoa powder

Yummy With: Cowboy Fare – A heaping plate of barbecued Tri-tip, chile beans, garlic bread and a green salad

This was just a fun label! I couldn’t resist. Terry and Connie both liked this red blend. Connie added that she is not a red wine drinker but this is sweet and delicious, I can be converted to red. Becky thought it was jammie and Joe agreed. He added that is was full bodied. I thought it was a mellow, easy drinking drinking blend. This is a wine you could serve to a crowd.

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2019 Titan Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley $9.99

Finally! 8.7/10 from Delectable.com: Rich, dark red-ruby color. Smells as expected. Berry filled baked goods, wet earth, cherry chocolate surprise. Just a hint of olives. Even less graphite. Flavor is towards the floral. Rose petals soaked in cherry syrup. Bit of bite on the back end. Like salt licorice or a hippie black chocolate/carob cake. Smooth to start, but ends with some tight tannic kick. Better after a bit of air gets in it. Hint of tobacco leaf in there too. A pleasing Cutie of a Cab

This Cab was delectable! Larry commented on the wonderful aroma – he said this was his favorite of the night, he has definately been converted to red drinker, lol. Connie agreed, she loved this one. Arivin found it full bodied. Becky said she tastes the smoke on this and it stays on your tongue. Joe called it peppery, he said this is exactly the kind of wine that I like. Becky added that this cab makes her want a steak. This was my favorite of the night!

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#HowToHypnotizeaChicken

Front Porch Chicks!

The Front Porch has really been collecting some dust!

I would’ve just let it stay that way without Russ pushing me to clean it up for some wine tasting. It wasn’t easy considering its basically farmland now


But, let me back up a little.

Secretly, I ‘ve always wanted to be a farmer. But I’m a city girl so I didn’t even know where to start. I mean I’ve tried growing food in the past. It usually starts out fine -ish. Then it gets too hot outside and I give up. Just like a city girl would.

Then one day, for no particular reason, Russ takes me and Caliber Jack to the feed store to see the baby chicks. We pull up and he parks the car but doesn’t get out. He looks at me and announces: “We are only here to look. We are NOT getting chicks.”

I thought that was a weird announcement. Of course we’re not getting chicks. Not only do we live in suburbia, but we also have a tiny walkway-around-the-house yard. No space for farm animals. Silly man.

We go in and find the chicks; they are way in the back of the store. I could hear them chirping as we got closer. Like they were calling to me. They were separated by color in bins that were inside a giant baby chick jail that didn’t allow me to hold them. They were tiny and chirpy, and I wanted to hold as many as I could. At the same time. But the cage was locked.

Why would Russ bring me here to tease me with tiny cute farm animals that I can’t even cuddle?

I wandered away, moping around the store. Then, I remembered!

When Stefan lived in town he had chickens – the city allowed up to like four chickens I think, as long as you don’t get a rooster. (I think your neighbors turn on you when you get a rooster).

Well, this store had a three-chick limit and no roosters!

E.I.E.I.O!  We ARE getting chicks!

I told Russ the good news and picked out my chicks. I held them all three while Russ unenthusiastically got a flatbed cart and loaded it with basically one of everything.

We brought them home, set up the temporary shelter and ordered a coop for the newly expanded Front Porch. We spent the rest of the evening getting to know them so we could name them.

Meet the new Front Porch Chicks:

Rita Hayworth (redhead), Brigitte Bardot (blonde), Bettie Page (brunette)

Later, I googled ‘suburban farming’. I couldn’t believe what I found! Those people all had detailed lists of pros and cons – BEFORE they started. LOL

That’s not how we do things around here. Good thing I married a farm boy, stay tuned
.

Time for some wine!

2020 Be Human Riesling  $3.99 Manteca Grocery Outlet

88 points from WineEnthusiast.com: The aromas offer notes of flower, whole lime, citrus and herb. Off-dry, leaning sweeter citrus flavors follow. It’s a straightforward summer wine with a lot to like.

I usually would not choose a Reisling. I even started us off by telling everyone that we probably wouldn’t like this one. I expected it to be too sweet. But this light Columbia Valley wine surprised us all.

Becky said it was not overly sweet, it was on the drier side. Joe thought it tasted apple-y and pear-y. Larry thought it was too sweet on the first taste but said it was not too bad on the second. Terry: Oh! I like this, it’s sweet and nice. Like me, Leela was surprised she liked it. She said she would’ve passed it up in the store too, thinking it would be too sweet. Arvin said it was nice, he liked it. Sidenote: Halfway through wine tasting, Joe went back for more of this Reisling. He said to cleanse his pallet, lol.

2020 Knotty Vines Chardonnay $3.99 Manteca Grocery Outlet

4/5 stars from Vivino.com: Medium bodied – crisp and butter. Would purchase again.

Terry started us off with this California Chardonnay, she called it ‘sparkly’ and Leela agreed. Larry tasted grape (palm to face), then changed his answer. He described it as ‘crispy’ and Becky agreed. Connie gave it a 10+ and said it should be called Naughty. Arvin said it had a bit of a bite to it. I thought it was more like a sauvignon blanc than a chardonnay. It would be nice to sip while doing some pool floating.

2019 Sponge Cake Chardonnay  $7.99 Manteca Grocery Outlet

4.4/5 stars from Vivino.com: Very nice wine, smooth, rich, buttery, taste, strong in fruits very nice to drink alone or with fish will definitely purchase again Reminds me a little bit of Cakebread Chardonnay, great value

Becky thought this Chardonnay from Sonoma County was nice. She said it was not aged in a barrel but still had some oak notes. Joe called it earthy. Leela like this one and also found it to be a nice, easy drinking wine. Arvin said it’s alright, I like the other one better. Lol.

2018 Be Human Red Blend $4.99 Manteca Grocery Outlet

89 points from WineEnthusiast.com: This vintage offers a bounty of fruit, and this wine is a great example of it. Aromas of light toasty oak meld with plum, leading to bountiful black currant and raspberry flavors. There’s pleasing balance throughout

Right off the bat, Joe tasted licorice and anise. Becky said it tasted like candy – plum and blackberry. Leela tasted Cabernet notes in this blend, lots of berries. Terry was excited that we got the reds and downed the last sip of white in her glass. Red Blend is her favorite. Larry called it easy drinking.

2021 River & Vine Cabernet Sauvignon $7.99 Manteca Grocery Outlet

4/5 stars on Vivino.com: A decent wine with hints of blueberry and oaky tastes. It’s not as flavorful as other Cabernets that I have had but it will make a nice wine for dinner.

Larry commented on the nice aroma. Becky tasted tobacco and Larry agreed. Leela thought it was ‘thin’ and Joe agreed, calling it light. We all agreed that this is a wine that should be laid down for a season or two to really get to the description on the label.

2020 Tenet Syrah The Pundit  $6.99 Manteca Grocery Outlet

4.1/5 stars from Vivino.com: Whenever I see this label I am keen to try it & once again I’m impressed. Deep ruby. Ripe & fruity w. fresh black cherry, pure blackberry, blackcurrant & blackcurrant leaf. A slightly leafy note w. leather & tobacco. Developing. Dry. Ripe, rich & creamy w. soft blackberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, raspberry & plum. Grippy m+ tannins, m+ alc, m+ acid & med body w. good gloss to the fruit on the m+ finish. Good focus & purity w. lovely freshness on the palate.

Arvin liked this Columbia Valley “Expert” Syrah right away. Terry commented on the beautiful garnet color and Larry noticed it’s long legs. Joe said he really liked it, it’s strong and dry. Arvin added that it was smokey and very good. Leela called it peppery. Unfortunately, I can’t publish the rest of the comments as this was our sixth wine of the evening and they became NSFW.

Russ loves Chicks