3 wines before Midnight with Midnight Cellars wines

The note from Nat was 'just bottled on 4/28 Save for a bit". So we did. 

We always look forward to trying new wines. We also love to receive wines in the mail unsolicited. Whats more is both of these things are made even better when we... woah! Getting ahead of ourselves.We finally go together to drink these wine and see how they stack up.  Lets start by telling you what we received  from Midnight Cellars in Paso  Robles.. 

 

Kiwi started us off with the 2013 Full Moon Red -

VARIETAL COMPOSITION 50% Syrah 40% Zinfandel 10% Merlot AVA Paso Robles, CA SOIL TYPES Sandy Loam TECHNICAL NOTES Alcohol 14.7% Residual Sugar 0.80% Titratable Acidity 0.778 pH 3.11 CASE PRODUCTION 2400

Easy to access with a screw cap has a nice and bright red fruit nose which carries right onto the palate where the red fruit is joined by purple and blue fruits with a medium palate weight and a nice clean finish with soft tannin's. This is a lovely drinking wine that drinks way above its price point and before you know it the bottle is empty and you are looking for more. This is a great midweek wine that will go with all kinds of food and at a price that will not make you hesitate to open that second bottle. A **** wine with a solid six plus that you will enjoy anytime.

Next up it was the 2013 Cabernet Franc "Moonlight"  This is one impressive Cab Franc!

VARIETAL COMPOSITION 100% Cabernet Franc AVA El Pomar District Paso Robles, CA SOIL TYPES Limestone & Shale TECHNICAL NOTES Alcohol 14.1% Residual Sugar 0.02 Titratable Acidity .620 pH 3.45 CASE PRODUCTION 135.

As we gave our taste pour a good sniff well looked up and smiled.  This is one lovely Cab Franc that gives off  lovely red raspberry and black cherry on the nose. The palate is sublimely  infused with flavors of raspberry, cranberry and ripe strawberry on the palate. Soft yet solid flavor, this wine has a  light palate weight and well-integrated tannin's. A *** wine that scores a solid 7. 

Last but not least was the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon "Nebula" We love a good Cabernet and this example from Midnight Cellars does not disappoint. VARIETAL COMPOSITION 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Merlot AVA Paso Robles, CA SOIL COMPOSITION Limestone & Shale CASE PRODUCTION 815 ACCOLADES 90 Points - Vinous TECHNICAL NOTES Alcohol 15.6% Residual Sugar 0.05% Titratable Acidity 0.679 pH 3.47.

Purple, black fruit and oak on the nose with black and blue fruit with tobacco and cedar on the palate. With medium to full body weight with nice balance and structure that lingers nicely on the finish with well-rounded tannin's. A *** wine that rates a 7. 

As we consumed these lovely wines we realized we have never been to Midnight Cellars in Paso Robles. We know its hard to believe. That being said we were impressed enough we will be paying them a visit in the near future to discover what other wines they have. 

Happy Tasting Adventures,

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

How to arrive healthy on vacation.

The best tip for flying. 

While most people think that the  “recycled” air you breathe in while flying in planes is the main cause of illnesses, it really isn't. Wait, what you ask? Look, the air is constantly filtered through hospital-grade HEPA filters at a rate of approximately a complete scrub every five - six minutes meaning it's some of the cleanest air you will ever breathe.

What you really need to watch out for are all the other germ covered surfaces. While the trays are far and away the germiest part of a plane (don’t rest any food on it without a napkin or prior to wiping down), there are other surfaces like the armrests, seat belts, remote controls, touch screens and buttons and handles in the lavatory that are truly disgustingly dirty and are cleaned sparingly at best due to time constraints.

Wipe down your area with some sort of bacteria killing cleaning wipe!  Open every thing and wipe it down. Pull out the remote and really scrub the whole thing including the cable. The tray is obvious but don't forget the latch and don't forget to wipe after food trays have been put on your tray.. Armrests all around and if by the window, don't forget the shade and anywhere you may contact or touch. 
Not to say you need to clean the dunny, but wash your hands and wipe them once seated again. You may need to moisturize according to our wives as the wipes can be drying (we would not know about that).

So there it is, the big sickness saving tip you have been waiting for.  Cheers to your health!

From our experience this is the best travel tip to avoid getting sick on or after your holiday. After dozens of flights both domestic and international we swear by this approach.

Happy Travel Adventures,

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Winewalkabout #europeanvacation

Our Viking Vacation, Day 1

Lufthansa 

It's always an exciting time as you embark upon your trip. The joy of being in an airport 2 hours ahead of your flight and guessing on traffic to get to SFO so you don't get stressed.

At the airport a solid 3 hours early and ready to go. This was going to be an epic Viking River Cruise and #euopeanvacation. Why does this hashtag have a certain familiarity? Anyhow, this was not our first trip to Europe but it was our first flights with Lufthansa. How would it be? Where would they stack up against other airlines we have flown with? Well let us say it felt a bit underwhelming. We left 30 min late. Not finished loading the catering. Not very German but may have nothing to do with them. Efficient and effective flight crew without much else (may we say stereotypical German).

So was it good or bad? It was actually neither. Food? OK. Wine and beer, OK. Entertainment system was OK with limited options and pretty clunky. 

Overall we give  a rating of  'Yeah it's OK'. We did end up arriving on time in Frankfurt. Just as well as we had to hike 24 gates to the end of the terminal go downstairs and hike back 24 gates (not very German). The second leg from Frankfurt to Paris was short and over in no time. Getting off and getting luggage easy enough and just as advertised, as we exited our Viking host was there to greet and take care of us.

From here our #europeanvacation now start. 

Happy Travel Adventures,

Cheers,

WineWalkabout