Good Morning!

I watched so much basketball over the weekend, both men’s and women’s hoops. I love all live sports because you just never know for sure the outcome. It is exciting to see what happens. It is such a human thing to be a great team but for some reason the shots will not fall or the ref’s make a bad call. Or sometimes a lesser team figures out a way to contain your best player and the rest of the team fails to produce.

I love the teams who are unexpected to win, make it further than anyone (except the alumni) thought they could go. In the men’s bracket this year the final four are Butler, VCU, UConn and Kentucky. 3 of the top seeded teams were gone before any armchair expert would have imagined. The women’s bracket is not quite down to the final four yet, but less “Cinderella” teams seem to make it into the finals of the women’s games. I do remember, a few years back, Ball State (my alma mater) upset Tennessee in an early round and it shocked everyone.

Why am I discussing the teams and the powerhouses of college basketball, when you want to know how my Final four in wine compared and who I picked as my personal champion? I figured something out about my wines and these teams during this time of year. They all have heart and a great story behind them. They are better because of something extra. These four wines, I had during special circumstances, with friends or at events that might have heightened my awareness. This might have created an edge over other wines because of my emotional connection to them. Let me explain.

Here are my final four wines:

Region 1 “World around Reds, with a few California Reds too”

Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
I tried this wine in Austin, TX at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, New Year’s Eve. It was for a friends’ birthday and there were 5 of my closest friends with me and the evening was starting off with friends from Indianapolis flying in to meet us for the weekend. I remember the first time I breathed in this wine, the aromas, the mouth feel and even what I was wearing….so you can see I have a big emotional attachment to this awesome wine.

Region 2 “Wonderful Pinots, a few Chards and Sauvignon Blancs”

Merry Edwards Coopersmith Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007
Last summer I was so fortunate to meet and introduce Merry Edwards, the winemaker, in Napa, CA at the Women for Winesense event, celebrating 25 years in educating women in wine. She might be the most humble, lovely soul I have ever met and some day I hope to make a Pinot Noir that will be half as good as her wine and I will feel very successful. I have had Merry’s wines many times before but never her Coopersmith Vineyard Pinot Noir, it rocked my world…so you can see why I love this wine.

Region 3 “The White Region”

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1998
This big bubble machine surprised me for a number of reasons. The millions and millions of pin point bubbles just never stopped! I also enjoyed this wine on New Year’s eve in Austin, TX. We had it as our dessert and it was perfect. It is light and refreshing with also being huge, rich, creamy and round…I have no words from how it can be two things at the same time, but it was and is one of the wines that had a great impact on a fantastic evening.

Region 4 “Big Ass Reds”

Joseph Phelps California Insignia 2005
I had this wine while I was traveling this past year in Washington DC. I was there to visit wineries in Virginia and visit my friend Jon who lives and at one point worked for our President. I had never been to DC and it also happened to be my birthday week too. I visited dozens of museums and the pure patriotic feel of our nation’s capital might have heightened my senses, it might have made the wine bigger and who knows, but I remember that wine and the beautiful balance I felt and all the smoothness I enjoyed for hours from this great California wine. The evening and the wine was “spot on”.

Since I have tried all these wines I have bought cases of all but one…I need to save a few more pennies before I can splurge on the last case.

OK enough suspense my wines moving into the final tasting will be

Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
VS.
Merry Edwards Coopersmith Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007

Tomorrow I will unveil the winner and give you my prediction for the final teams in the actually NCAA Basketball tournament!

Happy Monday Everyone!

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi