wine Archives - Page 6 of 10 - Jen is on a Journey

Hob Nob Wines: Wicked Red Review

November 20, 2012 by The Mom Jen 7 Comments

I’ve been a red wine lover for a lot of years, but this summer I found myself turning to sweet whites that I could chill in the fridge on a warm day. As fall approached I wondered when I would return to reds.

Hob Nob wines has helped me return to my first love.

I was lucky enough to sample their newest wine, “Wicked Red.”

Featuring a blend of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Pinot Noir, this 2010 Vintage is sure to stimulate the senses with its roasted coffee, mocha, toasted hazelnut aromas and spicy notes with hints of orange zest and orange flower, which all create a smooth, flavorful texture.

It’s incredible! I served it with sides of cheese, crackers and warm dip during a birthday celebration/girlfriend get together, and it was the most popular drink by far. Everyone who tried it loved it, and it didn’t last long. The flavor is fantastic, and isn’t overwhelming in some way that limits what you can drink it with. We had a variety of foods and desserts, and it tasted great with everything. I will absolutely be purchasing this wine to keep on hand to serve to friends, or just to enjoy by the fire on a cool evening.

After viewing their website at http://www.hobnobwines.com/agegate.php, I found that they are available at quite a few retailers located in towns that I frequent, so it won’t be difficult to pick some up and try their other varietals. A big thank you to Hob Nob for allowing me to enjoy their Wicked Red with friends!

Wicked Red features sleek, best-in-class design with a Lux+ screw cap closure for easy party pouring and retails for $9.99. For more information, please visit www.hobnobwines.com, HobNob on Facebook or Twitter. Bonus holiday recipe:

HOBNOB’S WICKED RED PUNCH
12 servings

1 750-ml bottle of HobNob Wicked Red
1½ cups spiced rum
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons of orange zest
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons simple syrup
1 lime, zested

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and let sit, refrigerated for at least an hour before. If available, add one large block of ice to the bowl. Stir well before serving and garnish glass with a sugar rim and orange slice.

Merrie is writer for the Jen is on a Journey and you can also find her at her blog, Sleepless Mornings: “I’m the mother of two beautiful children, an Executive Assistant, a scrapbooker, a baker, and sometimes I’m even fun to be around!”
Product was sent for honest review, all opinions my own.

MommyJuice Wines Review

November 8, 2012 by The Mom Jen 30 Comments

Being a stay-at-home mom with 3 kids gets busier every year for me. My children are 6, 11, and almost 14 and between activities, school, and squabbles, I’m watching that clock every afternoon and counting the minutes down to when daddy gets home from work to help me out. So when dad is home, there’s still more to do like dinner, dishes, baths, and reading. Finally when the kids are all in bed, it’s parents time and time for wine!

When each of the kids were toddlers, I’d have a glass of wine and have to remind them that it was “mommy’s juice” and no they couldn’t have any when they asked for a sip. When I first saw MommyJuice wine at Target, I giggled to myself and I’m sure LOTS of mommies do, they hit it right on the nose with that name!

MommyJuice was founded and is owned by Cheryl Durzy. Being a Mom is a constant juggling act. Whether it’s play dates and homework, diapers and burp cloths, or finding that perfect balance between work and home, moms everywhere deserve a break. So tuck your kids into bed, sit down and have a glass of MommyJuice. We make a MommyJuice Red Wine (39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc 3% Grenache, 2% Syrah, 2% Zinfandel, 1% Carignan, 0.5% Cinsaut, 0.5% Malbec) and a MommyJuice White Wine (100% Monterey County Chardonnay). Both wines retail for $10 bottle.

So there are two MommyJuice wines to choose from and we got to sample both! The first one was the Red Wine that is a blend of nine different red varietals. Right off the bat the aromas are fruity and I like that in a red! Upon first taste I had to double take that I didn’t buy a sweet white because I got the berry taste and it was nice and not what I expected. I read about the anise finish and my husband is a fan of it in black licorice, he swears he could taste it on the finish. This wine would pair well with meats and even a meaty pizza! I’m really excited about this red, the price is right and the flavor is something I really enjoyed as did my husband.

I always look forward to a white, and this 100% Chardonnay from Monterey County (local to me!) was so delicious. My husband and I drank this with dinner of italian chicken and also finishing the bottle for dessert! Tropical aromas entice you with a crisp tart goodness upon tasting. The white wine is an every day wine, it’s great to share with girlfriends or enjoy at home with dinner.

I love that I can find these wines at Target, I’m there all the time, the price is great, and the wine is local to my area so it’s definitely a win-win! Visit http://mommyjuicewines.com and check out their wine, FUNNY merchandise, and gift packs that will make fabulous holiday presents!

Product was sent for honest review. All opinions are my own.

Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator

September 12, 2012 by The Mom Jen 9 Comments

As most of us who enjoy wine know, you should give a bottle of wine that you’ve just opened a chance to “breathe” before you begin drinking it. The best method for doing this is to decant it into a decanter so that it’s out of the bottle and mixing with new air. According to About.com, by “allowing wine to mix and mingle with air, the wine will typically warm up and the wine’s aromas will open up, the flavor profile will soften and mellow out a bit and the overall flavor characteristics should improve.”

Typically all wines benefit from breathing before serving — this goes for all reds and most whites. “In general, most wines will improve with as little as 15-20 minutes of air time. However, if the wine is young with high tannin levels, it will need more time to aerate before enjoying.”

Well I don’t know about you, but I don’t often have the time (or patience) to open a bottle and let it sit. Nor do I usually want to decant an entire bottle of wine just for myself. Now and then I plan ahead that much, but most evenings I’m just ready for that glass of wine to unwind with. Thanks to the geniuses at Vinturi, I no longer have to wait!

The Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator is the perfect solution to getting the air that your wine needs into it in just the few moments it takes to pour the glass.

Naturally I had to test the product, so I opened a very nice bottle of Merlot that someone had given me a while back. It had been sitting on my wine rack, eyeing me for months. I finally braved the unknown and uncorked the bottle. The very strong and heavy aroma of the wine told me that it was going to be strong and intense. I knew that this was the perfect example of a bottle that should likely sit for at least an hour before drinking. I first poured a little wine into a glass without using the aerator, and then I poured some through the aerator into a separate glass, so that I could see if there was a difference.

First I tasted the non-aerated wine, and sure enough, it was HEAVY. Very strong flavor and even felt like it had been sitting for a long time. Not bad, but very strong. Then I tasted the aerated wine. What a difference!! It tasted a bit lighter, the flavors were less intense and easier to define, and it tasted more like how I would expect it to after being decanted and left out for a period of time. The aerator absolutely accomplished what I wanted it to, and it allowed me to enjoy my wine with dinner.

I highly recommend this product to anyone who enjoys wine and knows that they prefer to open a bottle and serve it right away. Drop by www.vinturi.com and look at the various aerators they offer. On their products page you’ll see that there are unique ones available for both red and white wines, as well as spirits, and there are companion products that will help hold the aerator, which I know I will be purchasing soon! In this day and age we no longer have to wait for our delicious drinks — with the Vinturi Wine Aerator we can partake quickly and happily.

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Products were offered for honest review. All opinions our own!

Lulu B Fabulous Cocktails Review

September 5, 2012 by The Mom Jen 6 Comments

What’s your favorite adult drink, and when I say adult I mean something with alcohol that you enjoy with girlfriends, on a romantic date with you husband, or on a summer afternoon by the pool? I typically love something sweet, while my husband enjoys a zing either from bubbly or something tart.

I recently had the chance to indulge in some pre-mixed cocktails by Lulu B.

Lulu B.’s Fabulous Cocktails provide guiltless, convenient, and authentic cocktail combinations, making modern entertaining with your girlfriends easy! Each of the Lulu B. Fabulous Cocktails start with a base of premium spirits, then are infused with natural fruit, herb or chocolate flavor extracts and aromas, a la aromatherapy in a glass!

Lulu B. Chocolate Martini– Made with premium vodka, Crème de Cacao and natural chocolate flavors and aromas. Only 48 calories per serving. This was my favorite of the two drinks I tasted. I love a sweet martini and chocolate is just decadent in this drink, rich and elegant, almost like finishing off a meal with port. My husband winced at the sweetness. I would buy this again for a night in with the girls! Only 3 carbs per serving.

Lulu B. Margarita -A blend of premium tequila, Triple Sec and natural lime flavors and natural sweetener, each serving is only 38 calories. My husband enjoyed this and finished off the bottle over the course of nightcaps for a week. He likes a sharper taste with a tang where I am the opposite. I thought the tequila was overpowering and I felt like I was taking a shot rather thank drinking a margarita. 2 carbs per 1.5 oz serving my husband would drink these with Mexican food for sure.

Also available are delicious Cran Cosmo and Mojito! Now Cosmos are a favorite of mine, I’d love to give that drink a try along with Lulu B wines!

Lulu B. Fabulous Cocktails are available nationwide. A 750 ml bottle retails for $14.99. For more information, including photos and recipes, please visit Lulu B. Wine’s Facebook page and website (www.LuLuB.com).

Samples were sent for honest review.

Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails Review

August 20, 2012 by The Mom Jen 8 Comments

There has been a massive heat wave here in Central California the past few weeks. That means we’ve been spending our days outside and near the pool with drinks that are not only going to cool us down, but taste yummy! Now there’s no secret that I’m a white wine lover, it’s a perfect summer drink crisp and cold on a warm day! Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails are a new way to enjoy great-tasting wine with an added bonus of fruit flavor plus you keep them in the freezer for a slush effect…delicious!

Great for a backyard party, pool day, barbeque or casual get-together with friends and family – simply freeze, squeeze and enjoy. Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails require no mixing of ingredients, ice or blenders. Simply place the liquid pouch in the freezer for five hours, gently massage, tear open the top, squeeze to pour into a glass and enjoy a smooth frozen wine cocktail with all the great taste and same alcohol level as Arbor Mist Wines.

Each pouch pours about 2 nice glasses of wine cocktail, my first taste was the Pinot Grigio white pear flavor. My favorite wine of all time is Pinot Grigio and combine with the fruity pear, this taste was out of this world! The wine smoothie texture was crisp, not too sweet with a great balance of wine to fruit. The pear and the apple flavors give a nice tartness that I love.

My mom and husband tried the White Zinfindel and Strawberry flavor. White Zin is my mom’s favorite wine of choice, she said the combination was really sweet as strawberries tend to be. She enjoyed it but said it the high sugar content in the drinks will prevent her from buying them (44g and up per pouch). My husband would prefer this flavor heavier on the wine side to balance the sweetness of the fruit.

My brother and I tried the Merlot Blackberry and the tangy blackberry and sweet guava taste was really a nice complement to the merlot. I tend to favor white wine over red, but the added sweetness really was a hit for me on this cocktail, plus the guava flavor reminds me of Hawaii so I’m a fan of this flavor.

These pouches are fun and unique for summer and offer a new and unique taste to wine cocktails. A lot of times when I order a cocktail when dining out, I prefer the blended icy style for a refreshing twist. Plus, if you don’t have a glass handy, grab a straw and enjoy the wine cocktail right out of the pouch. We’ll play out summer with ours by the pool and definitely buy them again.