Hiatus

Well, I have come to the conclusion that there is no way I can simultaneously do my job well, keep up with two blogs, manage my diabetes, and live a relatively carefree life, so something has to give.  Unfortunately, it's going to have to lead to the official abandonment of this blog, for a while at least.  Wine is still a great passion of mine, and adds a little respite from the ins and outs of living with diabetes; however, I just simply don't have the time to devote to posting reviews on here like I used to.

I started my blog on living with diabetes in November as part of the American Diabetes Association's American Diabetes Month, and there was no turning back.  I'll have to live with this disease for the rest of my life now, so I figured I might as well raise awareness and maybe pass along some insight in the process.  Therefore, I'm taking an indefinite hiatus from the wine blog world until I can devote enough time and the attention it deserves once again.  Don't worry, I will be back...I'm just not sure when.

In the meanwhile, please follow my musings on my diabetes life at http://fashionably-sweet.blogspot.com/

Much love, and wine...thepourblonde

It's been such a long, long time...And other things

My Apologies...
It goes without saying that once again, I have pretty much neglected my wine blog...this time for three entire months! I want to apologize to my readers (the few of y'all that are out there!), but I do have a good excuse to offer up, I promise =) But for that, I'm going to have to stray from the topic of wine for a bit...

And, An Excuse...
For the past several months, I've been tired. Not as in "I'm tired by the end of the day", but as in "I'm so tired that I feel like I haven't slept once I wake up and can't get out of bed in the mornings" tired. I knew something wasn't quite right, but I brushed it off as another harmless case of anemia and started taking my iron pills again. However, after a couple of months, I started having to get up in the middle of the night to guzzle water because I was so thirsty...Then, of course, I would have to get up again to go to the bathroom, and drink more water, and so on.

After about a month of that, I had a light bulb moment. You see, I'm very good at self-diagnosing. Almost every time something is going on with my body, I've identified what it is before I get to see the doctor. This time, though, I was hoping and praying I wouldn't be right.

My sister was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes a few years ago at the age of 16, and my dad found out he had Type II about two years ago. My sister, of course, has to be on insulin (and has a pump now), but my dad was able to control his through diet and exercise--he lost 30 pounds, and eats salads almost every day! Anyway, even though it was something my family had dealt with, I didn't think it would ever happen to me.

Fast-forward to a month ago, and there I was. I borrowed Dad's blood glucose meter and started testing myself over the weekend, then made an appointment Monday because my blood sugars were definitely on the high side. Monday afternoon, one of the local doctors came in after having ran some tests and told me I had Diabetes. Just like that. I had prepared myself for it in advance, so I held it together pretty well, but I couldn't help but imagine how horrible it would have been for someone who wasn't expecting it to find out that way.

At my next appointment later that week, he lectured me (seriously, he used a dry-erase board and everything) on the disease and how it works, and even though I am technically overweight by a pound or two according to Body Mass Index, he managed to make me feel like it was my "fault" that I got Diabetes because I ate like a pig. Which I don't, I swear! When I told my dad, "I guess I'll just have to eat healthier," he said, "But you already eat healthy..." Now, after having read several books on the subject, I know that you have to have the Diabetes gene(s) to get the disease, and I think the fact that I was obese as a child and preteen has something to do with having triggered its development. I guess I'll never know for sure, and wondering doesn't help, but the investigator in me wants to know!

Anyway, a month later, I'm doing just fine. I went to see the endocrinologist that my sister and dad see yesterday, and found out that mine is most likely Type II and that I'll probably be able to diet and exercise to keep my numbers down. He also alleviated a more personal concern I had about the disease--having children in the future--and reassured me that I would be fine in that respect, which came as a great relief.

Back to the Subject at Hand (Wine)
And, of course, one of my other concerns (much more minor in the greater scheme of things!) was whether or not I would be able to continue drinking wine. I did some research on the subject online and in my Diabetes books, and found out that the occasional alcoholic drink is fine as long as your numbers are good, and that since most red wines have little residual sugar, they don't have a big effect on blood sugar. Of course, the key (as with anything) is moderation. Also, an important note (especially for those with Type I or are on insulin) is that alcohol can lower your blood sugar too much--something to take into consideration when you're planning on having a drink!

Word of caution: I'm definitely not an expert and I'm not going to try to give medical advice to anyone else, but I'm glad that I'll be able to enjoy my wine much like I used to...Especially since I'm having to make so many other changes to my diet and routine! I believe that wine (mainly red) is good for you due to its natural antioxidants and other health benefits.

For further reading about wine and diabetes, I encourage you to visit the following pages:
--Wine Spectator Article on Diabetes and Wine:
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Diabetes-Patients-May-Benefit-From-Wine_4082

--WebMD Article on the future of a chemical found in red wine in treating Diabetes:
http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20091009/red-wine-chemical-may-one-day-treat-diabetes

--Wine Whines Blog:
http://blog.wineeducation.com/2007/03/diabetes-and-wine.html

--Tino's "Little Fat Wino" Diabetes Page:
http://www.littlefatwino.com/tinodiabetes.html

In the weeks to follow, I hope to upload some reviews I still have in my wine journal and look forward to tasting new and exciting wines to share with you. Today I received the order I placed on Wine.com in July (it was on hold due to the lovely Texas summer heat), so I now have another six bottles on hand to test!

Barefoot Moscato, $5

Barefoot is one of the more well-known and widely available "bargain" brands of wine, but generally unremarkable in my (limited) experience. In the past, I've sampled their Pinot Noir (which had no chance in surpassing the Robert Mondavi version I had tried just before) and their Zinfandel, which made it into "The Wine Trials 2010" but did not impress me. The brand is reasoably priced, but considering that for virtually the same cost I can get a bottle of [yellow tail], there's no contest. [yellow tail]'s wines are delicious, and especially so since they're such a steal.

That being said, my latest Barefoot endeavor was remarkably more satisfying than my previous ones. Described as "deliciously sweet" on the bottle, the pale yellow Barefoot Moscato is filled with yummy fruit and is very definitely sweet, but still balanced with just enough acidity.

On the nose, this white wine offers notes of white grape, stone fruit, and citrus. A noteable sweetness is at the forefront on the tongue, giving way to plenty of juicy fruit (peach and citrus), which continue for a very respectable finish for a cheap, less "serious" wine!

By now my readers have probably noticed that I tend to favor red varieties, but this has been my favorite white wine thus far. I think part of the reason I enjoyed it so much is because it's the most honest, straightforward wine I've tried from Barefoot. As I said, it's definitely not "serious," and it's extremely unlikely that it would impress a wine critic; however, in its playfulness it isn't trying to be something it's not, which makes me love it even more.

My Grade: ++++

2008 Montes Malbec, $11

Okay, being that tomorrow would make two months since my last post, I decided I better get with it and get some reviews on here! As with the last (unintentional) "break" I took from my blog, I do have several new wine reviews to share with you...Six, in fact! I've been so busy lately that time has been flying by at lightning speed, and I honestly didn't realize how much I've been slacking with getting my reviews posted until I counted the ones since my last post!

So, without further adieu, here it is:

I bought this one from World Market in March for $11. Montes is a Chilean winery noted for their red wines, and their Malbec is no exception. Although their Alpha Series is the more critically-acclaimed line, its higher price matches its reputation.

Purple-hued and full-bodied with plenty of jammy sour cherry, plum, and spicy American oak on the nose, it has pleasant, supple tannins that lend a nice structure and mouthfeel.

The same notes continue on the palate, with the oak nicely complementing the cherry/plum flavors. It could use a little more sweetness to balance out the acidity, but overall, a nice wine.

My Grade: ++

2007 Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel, $10

If you're a wine buff, you probably already know that Ravenswood is one of the big names in Zinfandel, and for good reason, as I recently found out. This is another of the three bottles of wine I bought at World Market in March, and I paid around $10 for it.

This full-bodied, dark ruby red Zin gives off tantalizing aromas of sour cherry, oaky vanilla, and just a hint of chocolate. On the palate, round, smooth tannins give way to intense fruit at the forefront. Spicy oak emerges to compliment the fruit flavors (cherry, other berry), leading to a nice fruit finish.

I can't say enough how impressed I was with this Zinfandel. It truly lives up to its hype, and does the Ravenswood family proud. Soft, supple tannins and a round flavor profile make this Zin a joy to drink, and it is extremely well balanced. It is full-bodied, but not heavy; fruity but not overly so; and just all-around yummy...It would be great with food, too!

My Grade: ++++

Pink by Yellowglen Australian Sparkling Wine, $10

I purchased this pink-tinted sparkling wine at World Market last month for around $10. I have to admit, that it was an impulse buy--I just couldn't resist the girly-bubbly-pink-ness of it, and so I ended up buying it along with my more "serious" wine purchases!

Upon opening the bottle and pouring myself a glass, I noted that the color is more of an orange-tinted pink instead of just pink, and there was white grape, peach, and grapefruit on the nose. At first sip, it was acidic and very bubbly, along with an almost salty quality. Next, soft peach and grapefruit flavors emerged, growing stronger as time passed to round out a nice finish.

All in all, this one was good, but I think it could use a little more of something (time?) to allow a better balance in acidity and sweetness. Soft fruit flavors carry this sparkling wine, while acidity and bubbles tend to overdominate.

My Grade: +/- to +

2008 [yellow tail] Shiraz-Cabernet, $5

An Amazing Bargain Wine--At the Right Temperature

[yellow tail] has greatly impressed me thus far with their budget-friendly, but still flavorful wines. This Shiraz-Cabernet blend is yet another example of [yellow tail]'s excellence at a price point that won't scare off an oenophile with a limited cash supply.

I bought this bottle at (yep, you guessed it!) Walmart for just under $5. I really wanted to try the Cabernet-Merlot blend, but my local Wally World didn't carry that particular variety, so I opted for this one instead.

In my original tasting of this wine, I noted that this full-bodied red wasn't bad, but not great either--just okay. The grade I then assigned it was a +, because it had good balance, but a "wierd taste at the midpoint." The next evening, I decided to try it again, this time at just a little cooler than room temperature. You see, the first time I tried it, I did so right out of the fridge. Since I had nothing to lose, I figured I better at least try and taste it at a different temperature before writing it off as a "nothing special" wine.

Upon allowing it to come close to room temperature, an amazing array of flavors and balance came forth--plum, boysenberry, oak, & spice at the forefront, with a superb balance of acidity and sweetness. Plum flavors rounded out a more-than-respectable finish. This Shiraz-Cabernet blend brings out the best characteristics of both varietals, and makes for a very, very good wine for a steal!

My Grade: ++++

Lesson learned...Temperature, temperature, temperature! I had a similar experience with Barefoot Zinfandel (see my review in March), but surprisingly it didn't readily occur to me that I would have the same issue with this variety.

I'm sure most wine experts serve their wines at precise temperatures, but I think I've found an easy rule of thumb for most bottles:

• Reds taste best at slightly cooler than room temperature rather than just out of the refrigerator--Not warm, but definitely not chilled either. I think that's the problem most people have with dry red wine--they drink it cold, which doesn't allow its true flavors to come forward, and can even make it taste "off."


• White wines, many rosé/blush wines, and sparkling wines tast best chilled, or at least at a fairly cold temperature. The richer the white wine is, the (slightly) warmer its optimal temperature.

I found a good, down-to-earth article on MSNBC's Food and Wine section about wine temperature if you're interested in learning more:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9392760/