All too often when you think about cabin fever an image pops in your brain about a poor family trapped indoors due to heavy snow fall and blizzard conditions. No one can go outdoors, unless of coarse, they want to endure the pains of frost bite. Then being stuck indoors for days, weeks, or months on end causes that poor family to go insane, to the point of pulling off their fingernails just to see what happens. Well than might be a bit dramatic, but you get the point.
News flash, but cabin fever does not only affect those who are blessed with the white stuff. The sun can do just as much damage to the brain. Yes, in the "Valley of the Sun," as we are so commonly referred, the very thing that makes people flock here like flies, is the very thing that fries your brain and can cause temperary insanity. Being stuck in an air-conditioned house does not sound like a punishment on the surface, but believe me, it is. I love the sun, and love living in good old Phoenix, but when the heat rises up to 120 degree with humidity, a bullet to the brain sometimes sounds like a better option. Just a walk from the house to the car is enough to call 911 because heat stroke has already kicked in. If you know anything about August in Arizona, it is humid, so when you see on the news it was 120 degrees, and people say, "well it's a dry heat," nope not in August, it is hot as hell, with a healthy dose of humidity to boot, yuck!
#1 Domaine de Beaurenard Cotes du Rhone Rose' 2009 France $10.89 (I received this as a sample from Wine Chateau, please click on the link to view this wine deal)
News flash, but cabin fever does not only affect those who are blessed with the white stuff. The sun can do just as much damage to the brain. Yes, in the "Valley of the Sun," as we are so commonly referred, the very thing that makes people flock here like flies, is the very thing that fries your brain and can cause temperary insanity. Being stuck in an air-conditioned house does not sound like a punishment on the surface, but believe me, it is. I love the sun, and love living in good old Phoenix, but when the heat rises up to 120 degree with humidity, a bullet to the brain sometimes sounds like a better option. Just a walk from the house to the car is enough to call 911 because heat stroke has already kicked in. If you know anything about August in Arizona, it is humid, so when you see on the news it was 120 degrees, and people say, "well it's a dry heat," nope not in August, it is hot as hell, with a healthy dose of humidity to boot, yuck!
Last week, I also started back coaching my local high school swim team, a "fall sport". Not sure why it is still dubbed a fall sport? And naturally it is an outdoor pool, so I am one of those lucky people who had to be outdoors during our epic heat wave. Yes, lucky me. But enough complaining already I think I have painted a pretty good picture already, time to start wineing. So how do you survive an epic heat wave, with wine of coarse! Ha! So here is a list of five wines I have enjoyed thoroughly over the last couple weeks. Now, keep in mind the notes on these wines are very limited, as my brain what pretty much on auto-pilot when these were consumed. Cheers!
#1 Domaine de Beaurenard Cotes du Rhone Rose' 2009 France $10.89 (I received this as a sample from Wine Chateau, please click on the link to view this wine deal)
We drank this wine on our wedding anniversary last Wednesday. Which is perfect because the hubby and I both adore rose'. And we paired it with sausage and mushroom pizza, an anniversary tradition for almost 10 years now due to the fact that it always lands during the first week of school, and at one point we were both teachers. Anyways, the wine was perfect! Refreshingly dry, with strawberries and raspberries, and paired very well with the pizza. And at around $11 retail, it is freaking steal.
#2 Dos Cabezas WineWorks Pink 2010 Cimarron Vineyard Cochise County Arizona. Found at Total Wine for $14.99.
Like a watermelon jolly rancher with a splash of tart raspberries, that's this wine. But, it is not sweet at all, very dry, and very perfect for summer. Made with 50% Garnacha and 50% Primitivo, and all 100% Arizona grapes. Gulped this one down evening, no food pairing, sorry. But click here to see what I have paired with this wine before. This is a solid wine, and a great price.
#3 Seven Daughters Winemakers blend NV California. Purchased at Target on clearance for $10.
Now if I have seven daughters I think I would be drinking a ton of wine, not making it! My dad only had three and it was enough to drive him insane most days! But alas, again a very gulp-able wine, perfect for 120 degree days. It is a blend of Riesling, symphony, Chardonnay, orange muscat, Gewurztraminer sauvignon blanc, and colombard grapes. The Riesling and muscat really stand out the most in this blend, with a citrus bite wrapped in a blanket of candied apple. Perfect with Thai food, and Mexican food. I believe I paired it with chips and salsa.
#4 Greek Wine Cellars Assyrtiko Santorini 2008 Greece. Found at Total Wine for $14.99
This wine is an acid trip. Man did it taste good after two hours in the heat. I meant to only drink one glass but ended up downing three! This was also my first taste of the Assyrtiko grape from Greece, and am I hooked. This is my new to go wine for summer. A nice cross between a Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. Great acid, with a splash of lemon-lime, and a nice mineral component. Just good stuff if you ask me. A must try. This wine would love to be paired with anything seafood, think Greek flavors, feta, orgenano, olives, would all love this wine. Or my perfect pairing, sitting on the sofa.
#5 Spier Chenin Blanc 2011 South Africia. Found at Total Wine for $7.99.
Chenin Blanc is the back bone of South African wine, they do an amazing job with this little talked about French grape. So elegant, balanced, and refreshing is this wine when done right, and South Africa usually knocks it out of the park. This bottle was a little disappointing at first, mainly because it needed time to open up, and I did not have the patience. So, at first it was very harsh and metallic tasting, but once it sat in the glass for about 10 minutes, the wine became happy. Then all the honed, and tropical fruit flavors jumped out and the metallic flavors faded away. A great wine for the price, and very nice with our Shrimp and pasta meal.
So there you go, five wines to get you through a heat wave and all under $15. Pretty sweet if you ask me. Hopefully you never have to endure an Arizona heat wave, but if you do, now you have some tools to make it through.
Thank you and enjoy.
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