BeverageLife ~ Ladies Night, Whiskey & Wine Tastings

~ Funky cocktails over quesadillas in FoCo and a great lineup of whiskeys and wines in KC made this week's libation line up one for the books. ~ 

You say margarita, I say mix it up, & ladies night at El Monte in Fort Collins did exactly that. The Aguacate was a dream in a glass with a pineapple slice on top - Milagro Silver, avocado and pineapple puree plus lime juice - the perfect accompaniment to exotic guacamole, girl talk, and those to-die-for house made tortillas. ~ Sadie 

This was a good week for sipping on American whiskies for me. I met a friend at Julep in Kansas City earlier in the week. I enjoyed my pours of Rowan's Creek (12 year), Koval Distillery Oat, and sips of my friend's order of Julep's own blend of Angel's Envy. Over the weekend I was able to get my hands on McCarthy's Single Malt whiskey, and you know it's a good house party when that happens. I'd happily recommend any of these bottles especially with friends. - Jason

It was a special week of multiple wine tastings as spring has sprung in the Midwest! Two special events (one where I attended and one where we led) revolving around food and wine! Some really exciting offerings that have not been seen in the KCMO market in the past. Standouts included: 2011 Capcanes Peraj Ha-abib (Montsant, Spain): Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache (Garnacha) & Carignan. Deep, dark, full saturated red to red-black berry; bright notes of dark fruit and and coffee on the nose; sophisticated, elegant; rich and full-bodied; with light, soft tannins; nice long finish; lay it down for 8 to 10 years! $50-$60/bottle. Check out the little sister version as well: Peraj Petita which uses a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Merlot & Syrah. Younger, brighter and half of the price of the Ha'abib! Both come from the producer of the highest rated Kosher wines Robert Parker (Wine Advocate Magazine) has ever seen.

Another line of great wines we sampled included the Variations group from Herzog out of California. “Variations” is a celebration of the unique qualities that the Herzogs have discovered in each region – a celebration of California Cabernet Sauvignon from Chalk Hill, Alexander Valley, Paso Robles, Santa Ynez & Napa Valley. Each Variation contains the best Cabernet from either three regions (Variations Three); four regions (Variations Four) or all five regions (Variations Five). My favorite was the Variations Five. Partly due to the rich, traditional Cabernet flavors that emerged when you combine all of those amazing plots but also as it drank as the biggest of the three wines. Dark fruit, vanilla and spices on the finish. Also ageworthy for the next 5+ years. $25+/bottle but not yet sold in the Kansas or Missouri markets. All in all I was very pleased with the selections we sampled and made sure to buy up a number of these surprises for my own collection and enjoyment. - Michael

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