My Golden Birthday Excursion

So there will be many posts to come and I will explain more about the trip, but I realized that it has been nearly two weeks since I returned home and there is not a single photo up.  So, I wanted to remedy that and post a brief synopsis. (As I said, I will be expounding on these experiences in the future.)

We started our journey in Chicago, waiting at the airport to board a plane to New Jersey.

When we arrived, we made our way to our hotel, the Excelsior Hotel, where I was pleasantly surprised to find a farmers market lining the streets right in front. 

Let me briefly say that everything I thought about New York was wrong.  I thought it was filthy and unsafe, and most importantly I thought I wouldn't like it.  I couldn't have been more pleased with my first experience in The Big Apple.  I saw Times Square, Central Park, The Empire State Building, The Flat Iron Building, Washington Square Park and so much more... but here are just a few pics from my time in New York.

 

When we left New York, we had wished we would have had 

more time to spend in the city, 

but our unwavering excitement for Italy remained.   

Arriving in Milan was interesting because we had  no idea what to expect, and I can say that it was possibly the smallest airport Ive ever flown into.  Nearly as soon as I de-boarded the plane a sense of complete dread came over me, I knew exactly what this dread was... here we were in Italy and I didn't know how to speak two sentences of Italian together.  This is when I realized that I will definitely learn more of the native language of any place I go in the future.  

Tired and crabby mom and I managed to get our bags and our rental car, which was an adventure all its own.   And we began to make our way to Tuscany, onward to the Hotel Sovestro.

I can't describe all of what we saw in Italy succinctly, so let me just say the two things about this trip that surprised me most, and I will post a few photo highlights.  1) Italian driving is crazy and I was surprised that for having never travelled outside the North American continent, my mother did a fabulous job dealing with the stress of driving here.  

2) Tuscany was even more beautiful than I imagined.

Our view from our hotel, I was watching the sunrise our first morning there.

 Vineyards lined the pathways to San Gimignano

The famous Duomo of Florence

There are churches everywhere in Florence.

A Street inside Montalcino

We celebrated my birthday in Montepulciano

More to come...

Wednesday Wines (under $10)

Red Diamond Chardonnay ($8.00)

If you are looking for a fruity but evenly balanced chardonnay for sipping on the porch in summer, Red Diamond is for you.  Several weeks ago I posted about a Washington chardonnay (Snoquamie), and while that one received a lot more attention from me, the Red Diamond is pretty comparable as far as quality.

In regards to flavor, however, this wine is far more fruit forward.  It has a nice balance of acidity, with a slightly creamy finish, and my only real complaint is that it has an overwhelming amount of apple notes.

While I usually prefer something a little drier, I would recommend this chardonnay for those who want to try an oaked chardonnay that doesn't have overwhelming oak flavor.  It is perfect for those who like the fruitiness of a pinot grigio, but want something slightly heavier.  All in all, I would buy this wine again for a relaxing night with my friends who prefer fruity whites.

Tasting Notes:
Color-  Straw yellow
Nose-  oak, pineapple, pear
Taste-  apple,  pear, and vanilla

Wednesday Wines (under $10)

Today I defied my own rules and made a wine selection from Aldi.  If you don't have an Aldi near you, it is a discount grocery store.  The wine they sell has been very hit or miss for me, so I generally avoid shopping for my wine there.  Today, I was extremely surprised by this bottle of Prosecco.  I wasn't even surprised at how good the wine itself was, my surprise came from the accurate description of the wine on the back of the bottle.

I make it a point to never read the back of bottles before doing a review.  I started as I always do, with my proper three sniffs.  I always start with smelling the wine three times, and try to pick out a different layer of the nose each time.  Then, I do the same with the flavor by sipping it three times.   Upon each sip I picked out a piece of the flavour profile, and when I was done, three of the four pieces I said aloud (this is something I do whenever I'm tasting, sometimes saying the flavour aloud helps me find other depths) were articulated on the back of the bottle.

It is surprising because I never trust the back of the bottle, but in this case not only was it in agreement with my taste, but it was helpful.  This is a light-bodied, moderately dry bubbly, just as the back label describes.  What I enjoyed most about this wine is that it perfectly portrayed spring turning into summer.  I experienced it all--the floral smell of a spring rain melted by the sweet warmth of the summer sun, and the delicate effervescence of the saltiness and fruitiness of an ocean breeze.

Tasting Notes:
Color-  light yellow, "champagne"
Nose-  freshly cut grass, lemon, chamomile
Taste-  green apple, lemon peel, sponge cake, and pear

My final assessment of this wine: for $6.99 if you want a delicately light wine you can do no better.  If you need a nice summer wine for easy drinking on its own or to pair with light salads and  fresh summer fruit, this is the perfect wine.  I will definitely be trying Aldi wines again.