Valentine Weekend Wine

With the opening of Fifty Shades of Grey movie on Valentines weekend, it set the stage for all kinds  of celebrations, parties and get togethers that will no doubt continue for weeks to come.

I can't think of a more perfect wine combo for upcoming viewing parties than these two: Fifty Shades of Grey and Casillero del Diablo Devil's Collection.

Both wines come in at under $20 so they won't break the bank for your parties.

Casillero del Diablo, means the Cellar of the Devil.....naughty. It is an award winning blend of carmenere, cabernet sauvignon and syrah from Chile, (from the well established Concha y Toro brand) with flavors of plum, cherry and chocolate, easy drinking on its own or with salty appetizers (insert joke here.)

Fifty Shades is obviously targeted to fans of the book and the movie, an obvious choice for pre or post movie parties. A blend of petite sirah and syrah, its both fruity and spicy, good for pizza and burgers for certain.

Enjoy the party. Cheers!

Diving Into The Devil's Cellar For Halloween

Photo: Casillero del Diablo

Halloween is always a fun party and there are certainly a lot of clever wine labels suited for the season. But a fun label doesn't guarantee a good glass. So one of my go to wines this time of year, comes from Concha y Toro; Casillero del Diablo.

Translated, the label means "Devil's Cellar" and goes back to an old tale from Concha y Toro's founder, Don Melchor. He started a rumor that a devil lived in the cellar of his Chilean winery,  hoping it would keep the thieves out. The folklore lives on and today you'll find the devil on the bottle, just above the label.

I opened a Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay and Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon for pumpkin carving festivities this week. The cab is full of plums and cherries with a little toast; good with our grilled meats and nutty appetizers. It was also nice to drink on its own.

The chardonnay has some apple, citrus and a bit of vanilla so I thought it would compliment our caramel fondu; apples and pretzels for dipping. Not only was it a great pairing but the salty toasted pumpkin seeds, hot out of the oven, were also a good accompaniment.

The best part about these wines is the value. You can find an array of Casillero del Diablo in the $10-$15 range; perfect to keep for house wine not only this time of year, but all year long.

The winery is currently running a costume contest on twitter and Facebook for a DSLR camera, so post your photos for a chance to win.

Wine Wednesday, Concha y Toro

It's Wine Wednesday! April 17th is Malbec World Day. Why wait? I decided to make the entire month of April a celebration of Malbec.

Instead of starting out with an obvious selection from Argentina, the Malbec making capital of the world, I'm going to neighboring Chile. Check out the 2011 Reserva Casillero del Diablo from Concha y Toro. I love the story behind the name of this wine, which translates to the Cellar of the Devil. Back in the day, the owner sent word that there was a Devil in his cellar, to keep people from stealing the wine that was stored there. It's a well made and affordable collection, under $15 for this bottle. It tasted great with the fajitas I had for lunch! Here's a short video with more info (better quality next week...promise!)