I found the perfect marriage between a decadent chocolate cupcake and a velvety apricot Sauternes.

There are no words to describe this culinary climax between my love for chocolate and white wine.

Haut Charmes | Sauternes | 2007 | Appellation Sauternes Controlee | 14% | $23

Molly’s Cupcakes | 2536 North Clark Street | Chicago, IL. | (773) 883-7220 | $3.75

Hands down, Layer Cake Shiraz from South Australia was the crowd pleaser!

The dark exotic creamy layers of chocolate notes made the wine stand out from the rest. The University of Chicago Grad students from OMSA and LGBTQ couldn’t get enough of this bottle. Cheers to my new wine newbie’s… Kenneth, Madsion, Jimmy, Kasey, Sasha, Rebecca, Fiyinfolu, Sham, Hussein, Emily, Thandiwe, and Marta.

Let’s do this again!

Because that Big, Fat, Nasty wine was so….

…Good!  I’m taking this one for the team!

When you find a lusty bottle of wine that commands respect, you give it up!  This bottle of Kaleidos wine is beyond words.  Imagine exotic cherries dipped in chocolate spices that linger on your tongue.  The creaminess of the coffee flavors enhances the earthy minerals.  Oh, this is love on the taste buds.

Shut up and kiss me Syrah!

I just can’t contain myself when I find great “Every Day” wines for a bargain!

1. Category:  Vibrant
2. Wine Type:  Blend Tempranillo (80%), Granacha (5%), Mazuelo (5%) and Graciano
3. Country: Rioja, Spain
4. Price: $6.99
5. Notes:  Yet another find that has Rioja written all over it.  This blend called Antaño has plenty of character without the attitude.  You’ll find vibrant rich black cherry flavors finished with vanilla notes with every sip.   Can be enjoyed with pasta or chicken dish.  At $6.99 a bottle, I’m keeping a few in my stash.

Yet another celebrity that makes wine has emerged.  Last night at my best friend’s place, I was introduced to a great Chilean wine called Único Luis Miguel, but I never made the connection with the famous Latin Pop singer that has a Grammy under his belt – Luis Miguel.   I confess, I’m not a fan of his, but as of last night, I’ve become a fan of his wine.  I give him credit for selecting a well-known region in Chile.  Maipo Valley produces some outstanding high quality Cabernet Sauvignons and it shows in this particular bottle of Único Gran Reserva.  I highly recommend this solid wine for the price.

Wine Notes

1. Category:  Earthy, Peppery

2. Wine Type:  Cabernet Sauvignon

3. Country: Chile – Maipo Valley

4. Price: $13.00

5. Notes: Deep cherry red color with strong notes of black currant, black pepper, and a hint of earthy tobacco.  After enjoying the wine for an hour, hints of cocoa appeared.

I finally got a date with Chicago’s new wine on the scene, Apothic Red.  Vanilla notes with soft cocoa flavors that were complimented by sweet berries.  For all those first dates, it’s seriously a great wine selection.  It had character with every sip.  For the price, I highly recommend it for everyday wine.

Note:  I found it $2.00 cheaper at Binny’s compared to the $10.99 at Whole Foods in Chicago.