Clearance Wine Quickie: Toasted Head Merlot 2015

Flashback February on the blog still has one more day left to go but this was marked down to a ridiculous price so I figured why not?  Cherry in color with aromas of plums, blackberries, vanilla, and cocoa powder. On the palate it's sweet and flabby with flavors of plums, cherry syrup, and pencil. Blah. Toasted Head is very clearly not owned by the Giguiere's anymore (who sold it and created Matchbook, which I love). If I wanted some sugar berry wine of jug quality I'd take CR Fortissimo over this Merlot every day of the week.

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Clearance Wine Quickie: Wither Hills Rosé of Pinot Noir 2016

Flashback February is still in full swing on the blog but with the Rosé 2018 vintage presells really heating up as spring inches closer, I nabbed this little gem from two vintages ago off the clearance rack. It's a beautiful watermelon color with aromas of cantaloupe, strawberry, and white pepper. On the palate it's like sucking on strawberry and watermelon Jolly Ranchers with a dash of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. Yum yum! It's still drinking AWESOME and I suggest picking it up yourself if you come across it.

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Valentine's Wine Review: Castello del Poggio Sweet Rosé

Here's a wine that's nice and sweet just like your Valentine... me. Smooches! And I'm putting it out there with plenty of time for you to go out and pick one up for yourself before the actual day.

This is a rosé with a little frizzante sparkle made from Muscat and Pinot Noir out of Acqui in Piedmont, Italy. It has a 7% ABV and that's all I really know about it. But that's okay because this is clearly a wine that is meant for some fun and shouldn't really be taken seriously. Put your snobbery aside, lover.

With this review I do have some "romantic" cocktail recipes that you can make with this wine, too.

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Joey Casco is #12 on The Sommeliers Choice Awards "Top Wine Influencers In 2019 You Need to Pay Attention To"

I had been planning on, starting in March, upping my game and rededicating my efforts to bring you the content that you expect from me on the blog and social media, after a rough 2018 where I could only really afford the time to just get by with consistent but rushed content and limited social media interaction.

So this feels good. This feels really good. :)

Onward with 2019! I'm really looking forward to it!

CHECK OUT THE LIST

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It's Flashback February!

For the third year in a row it's time to take a step back and give some attention to the past. A different article from yesteryear will be featured every day on the blog and on social media. And a different meme will be featured sometime in the morning or afternoon just on social media. It's actually quite a busy month for one that is intended to be a break from writing. Huh. I should rethink this annual event.

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February Wine Pick: Emilio Hidalgo Fino Sherry

It's February again and that means I've got a fortified wine to warm you up in between the shovelings! And this year I'm going with a Fino Sherry!

Sherry just isn't for cooking. You should be drinking it more than you cook with it because it really is delicious when you buy a good one and not one of those sodium overdose cooking sherries. Sherry has a very specific oxidized and saline profile. Fino is a specific kind of Sherry that spends time in the barrel under a layer of yeast called the flor, which lends its unique character.  A little bit about the winery: Bodegas Emilio Hidalgo was founded in 1874 and is currently run by its fifth generation of Hidalgo's.

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