Air Raid!

There were planes overhead just a second ago. Really!

It's time for a marathon night of blogging! Since I don't have to book a last minute flight to Springfield, Illinois this weekend, (I thought I was at least on his short list!), tonight is a good time to reminisce about some of my favorite wine events of the past few weeks.

The fiftieth annual Chicago Air and Water Show (also referred by me as the Air Raid) took place on August 15-17. I was invited to a morning party on LaSalle Avenue, with a perfect view of the pretty boats and the big, scary planes that danced all over the sky.

Similar to the fire power in the air, each guest brought some Smokin!' California wine. Almost everyone had some cute story to share about their contribution. I brought a 2002 Merlot from Mansfield Winery, purchased last year while visiting San Francisco. Unfortunately, I suspect this one needed more decanting, and I couldn't stay past 1:00 p.m. due to my shift at The Night Thing. If you attended this party and had a taste, I would love to get your feedback!

Some of the other wines we featured are in the pictures above. One I will definitely remember was the 2001 Consetino Vintage Petite Syrah. This wine had a thick, almost maple syrup quality; it would fit perfectly with pancakes or Mom's French Toast!

In case you can't decipher the labels above, one guest provided a list of what we all brought:

2004 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs
NV Domaine Carneros Cuvee de la Pompador (Brut Rose)
2002 Mansfield Merlot Napa
2004 Mathis Grenache Sonoma
2006 Shane Syrah The Unknown Sonoma
2005 Joseph Filippi Cinq Vinobles Rancho Cucamonga
2005 Tensley Syrah Tierra Alta Vineyard Santa Barbara
2005 Duckhorn Merlot Napa
2005 Rosenblum Rock Pile Zinfandel
2005 Ridge Lytton Springs Zin blend Dry Creek Valley
1999 Foppiano Petite Sirah Sonoma
2001 Cosentino Petitie Sirah Lodi
2004 Worthy Sophia's Choice Napa Cab Merlot blend
2004 Vino Noceto Sangiovese Shenandoah Valley Amador County

Hopefully our little group can get together again, maybe around Christmas season. If you have any pictures of the planes or boats from the show, please email them to chicagopinot@gmail.com and I will add them to this post. Thanks!