The Dude of Food’s cool cookbook review

The Dude of Food knows wine and cooking enthusiasts will immediately realize that they have uncorked something truly magical with Karen MacNeil’s food book “Wine, Food & Friends”. This book sizzles with the culinary expertise of cooking light with the wine connoisseurship of Karen MacNeil. Award-winning author, lecturer, and television personality, Karen is a champion when it comes to knowledge of food and wine. Pair her zeal for the art of wine with more than 150 cooking light recipes and you have all the notes you need to reach new levels of gastronomical glory.

“I like the simplicity and knowledge this food book retains” says the Dude of Food

Hawkstone of Napa Valley

Barney’s Heritage Cuvee

2012

Limited release of 5491 cases

While sipping this wine, the Dude of Food felt like he had obtained a bargain. This bottle radiates heritage. From the moment you handle the bottle time slows down a little and you begin to feel the serenity of this creation. This is no fast lane wine. This wine exudes the tranquility, longevity and educated qualities of a chateau in the countryside owned by a university scholar/author. The flavors do not jump out of the glass as a sophisticated lady would not sit with her legs open. The characteristics of this wine are more subdued. They have a sense of time and are not in a hurry to get to the end. The delicate balance of depth in fruitiness, richness of earth tones and uniqueness of flavor are well balanced and make this an enjoyable bottle of wine at a reasonable price if you can find it.

Magistrate Cabernet Sauvignon

This 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley is not my favorite.

The label says Limited Production and I wonder if it is because they gave up.

While the bottle is nice, the label sophisticated and the expectations somewhat

elevated, this wine lacked thoroughness in both the richness and flavor departments.

RAVENSWOOD California Cabernet Sauvignon

Going to a party and can’t decide how much to spend and not buy some junk wine that was a waste of money and made you the indirect voice of ridicule as the tasters made their statements regarding your choice? Well there is another wine to add to the list. Reasonably priced, decent tasting. The Ravenswood line is alright.

Malbec – TERRAZAS de los Andes 2010

Another fine wine from the Mendoza region nestled in Argentina.

TERRAZAS de los Andes Reserva Malbec 2010

Produced and bottled by Terrazas de los Andes, Argentina

Selected grapes of the Mendoza region terraces, found a little more than 1,000 meters above sea level, make their way into this wine. The selectivity of this wine is probably why it is imported by the Moet Hennessy company.

Personally, this wine is almost as good as my still favorite Malbec, Bodega de ELENA. The Terrazas is kind of similar to the Elena, but I found it to be a touch lighter in body and flavor when landing on the tongue. The Terrazas is flowery and fruity. Perhaps the Terrazas could be imagined as a merlot version of the Elena if it were imagined as a cabernet of the same vinter.

The Terrazas is a good wine, reasonably priced and will be gone before the bottles of Mondavi that other people brought to the party.

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Red Rock Malbec Reserve 2010

Vinted and bottled by Red Rock winery Healdsburg, CA

1.888.271-9463

This Malbec is grown here in California, not Argentina.

The flavor of this reserve wine lacks the depth of the Bodega de ELENA Malbec, which is my current favorite. It is not a bad wine, but if looking for a reasonably priced California red, I’d go Murphy-Goode Cabernet.

Malbec – Cupcake 2011

Grown in Mendoza, Argentina.

The Dude of Food Wine Review — Cupcake 2011

Imported by Cupcake Vineyards, Livermore, CA

Grown at 2,400 feet under the shadow of the snow covered Andes mountains,

this Mendoza region wine is more talk than action. The flavors mentioned on

the back of the label mention flavors of plums, raspberries and a dark chocolate

flour less cupcake. Really?

Priced in the reasonable to cheap category, but you get what you pay for in this case.

Prefer the Sensual or Robert Mondavi over this Cupcake.

Malbec – Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2011

Mendoza, Malbec Product of Argentina

Imported by CWUS Imports, Acampo, CA

Another reasonably priced, Mendoza raised wine. This tastes very similar to the Sensual 2012 used as my Malbec standard to compare the other wines.

Grapey, but not overly. OK. Not sweet. Kind of flat. Short tongue life. On the heavy side ala a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Malbec – SENSUAL 2012

Produced & bottled by Valentin Bianchi, Mendoza, Argentina

Imported by Quintessential LLC, Napa

www.quintessentialwines.com

Reasonably priced, nicely painted and cheesily named, this Mendoza raised wine is the Malbec the Dude of Food used as my standard to compare the other wines.