August 24, 2009 Weekly Wine Pick – Wente

Category:  Luscious Wine Type: Cabernet Sauvignon Country:  USA – California Price: $13 Notes:  Think of black cherries dipped in chocolate with a hint of coffee. This luscious wine has tones of oak and well worth its $13 price.

Habana Libre
1440 W. Chicago
Chicago, IL 60622
312-243-3303

“¡Meter mano!” the Cubans would say for digging in. The food here is worth getting into for the price. Cuba Libre is tasty in this humble looking establishment located in West Town/Ukrainian village. I’ve tried everything from the traditional plate Ropa Vieja to the Cuban Sandwiches and I’ve never walked out disappointed. If you’re into Pork Chops, I would highly recommend them and each serving is substantial – you’ll have leftovers for lunch. Reasonably priced, I would recommend it in a heartbeat. Oh, did I mention it’s BYOB? Service is friendly.

BYOB Wine Recommendation: Twin Vines Vinho Verde at $8.99.  Inviting floral bouquet of citrus, this particular wine is crisp and balanced and oh so fun to drink this summer.

August 17, 2009 Weekly Wine Pick – Yard Dog

1. Category:  Juicy
2. Wine Type:  55% Petit Verdot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot
3. Country:  Australian
4. Price: $13
5. Notes:  The Yard dog is out and it’s making noise.  This $13 screw cap bottle has an intense bouquet of blackberry and plums.  At the first inhale, the berries and spice came through quickly, but this blend of Petit Verdot (55%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), and Merlot (15%) had so much more to offer after sitting for about 20 minutes.  To the palate it was soft and juicy with absolutely no tannins present and after breathing for a bit, the hearty Merlot flavors and musky plum followed.

July 20, 2009 Weekly Wine Pick – McManis

1. Category:  Smooth
2. Wine Type:  Merlot
3. Country:  USA – California
4. Price: $11
5. Description:  French Oak aging, ripe dark red fruits, loganberry and blackberry.  I found a bouquet of toasted oak with hints of chocolate aromas.  This wine had a great long finish and went down all to smooth.

Polka Dot Riesling - Medium Sweet

August 10, 2009 Weekly Wine Pick – Pölka-Dot (Medium Sweet)

1. Category:  Sweet
2. Wine Type:  Riesling
3. Country:  Germany
4. Price: $8
5. Notes:  For all you sweet wine lovers and you know who you are, this pleasantly peachy wine is what you need when the girls get together!  This screw top Riesling would be a crowd pleaser with a spicy Thai dish.

August 10, 2009 Weekly Wine Pick – MontGras

1. Category:  Refreshing
2. Wine Type:  Sauvignon Blanc
3. Country:  Chile
4. Price: $11
5. Notes:  ­This Chilean wine has citrus aromas of lime and grapefruit yet crisp and smooth for a hot summer day.  Easy to open screw top will surely please with sushi.