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Smiling Danny

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Welcome!

Thank you for taking the time to visit my site. Here, I talk about all things wine. I share some memories of the different vineyards I have visited and You will also find some food & and wine pairings. Every now and then I will also share some recipes for some delicious wine cocktails.

Come Sip and Savor with Me!

XOXO, Smiling Danny        WSET Level 1 Award in Wines

 

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Recent Posts

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Tag: valentine

Sweet Wines with Your Sweetheart Series: Texas Gold

Sweet Wines with Your Sweetheart Series: Texas Gold

Today’s wine of choice is a dessert wine. And I thought I would do something extra special by incorporating a local favorite into the Series. All the way from Fort Worth, Tx I am sharing with you Cowtown Winery’s: Texas Gold.

Wine: Texas Gold, Cherry Chocolate

Tasting Notes: This is a dessert wine with notes of black cherry, mocha, espresso and chocolate. The notes of chocolate and cherry were added to the wine. This wine reminds me of a port so I used wine tasting glasses as my glassware of choice. The wine has a dark chocolate play on a cherry cordial due to the notes of espresso and mocha. Coffee and Chocolate lovers will absolutely love this wine. The wine is extremely sweet, so those of you who enjoy sweet wines and/or sweet desserts will fall in love with this treasure.

I hope this series has been giving you some great ideas on wines to try. Let me know which ones are your favorite thus far by commenting below or on Instagram.

XOXO, Smiling Danny

In case you are wondering: What are Tasting Glasses? Tasting glasses are little wine glasses big enough only for one ounce pours. You will usually find them at wineries. Sometimes, wineries will use these instead of full sized glasses when going through a tasting menu.

Posted on February 12, 2020Categories Wine TastingTags adventure, aroma, barrel, barrels, blogger, bon apetit, bon' appetit, bouquet, bourbon, bourbon barrels, budgeting, cabernet, cellar, challenge, champagne, charcuterie, charcuterie board, chardonnay, cheese, cherry, chocolate, clarity, class, cleaning, cocktail, cocktail recipe, cooking, cowtown, cowtown winery, credit card, credit cards, danny, date night, debt free, dessert wine, dessert wines, dry red wine, dry white wine, dry wine, education, espresso, Finance, food, food and wine, fort wort, fruit, grapes, grapevine, grapevines, healthy, healthy recipe, healthy recipes, hershey, hershey kiss, hershey's, hershey's kiss, Hill Country, hill country tour, hill country wines, lifestyle blog, lifestyle blogger, merlot, mimosa, mocha, mocktail, mocktail recipes, moscato, notes, nutritious, nutritious recipe, nutritious recipes, orange juice, pairing, pairing class, pairing education, poinsettia, recipe, Recipes, red grapes, red wine, riesling, room, Rose', salad, salu'd, sangria, saving money, savings, savings account, savings plan, smiling, smiling danny, soup, sparkling water, sparkling wine, strawberries, sweet red wine, sweet white wine, sweet wine, sweetheart, taste, tasting notes, texas, texas gold, texas wine, texas wine trail, texas wineries, tour, tours, trip, TX, vacation, valentine, valentines day, vegetables, vineyard, vineyard tour, vintage, vintor, water, white grapes, white wine, white zinfandel, Wine, wine adventures, wine and cheese, wine barrel, wine barrels, wine blog, wine blogger, wine bottle, wine bottles, wine class, wine club, wine course, wine dinner, wine education, wine enthusiast, wine enthusiasts, wine glass, wine glasses, wine influencer, wine memories, wine notes, Wine Pairing, wine pairing class, wine recipe, wine room, wine shopping, wine subscription, Wine Tasting, wine tour, wine trip, wine trips, wine vacation, wine vintage, wine wednesday, wine tastings, wineries, winery, zinfandelLeave a comment on Sweet Wines with Your Sweetheart Series: Texas Gold
Sweet Wines with Your Sweetheart Series: Roscato Rosso Dolce

Sweet Wines with Your Sweetheart Series: Roscato Rosso Dolce

Next in the Series is a Sweet Red Italian wine. This wine was recommended to me by the Wine Manager at Market Street Supermarkets.

Tasting Notes:

  • Wine: Roscato Rosso Dolce
  • Bouquet: Grape Popsicle, Cranberry Juice, and Cherry Cordial
  • Taste: Fizzy Port, Cough Syrup, Very Sweet
  • Pairing: This wine paired nicely with cheese. The cheeses of choice were Parmesan  and Babybel. I served the cheese with toasted crackers and noticed that the wine made the cheeses the star of the show. I preferred the wine with the cheese versus by itself.  20200209_142619

Vintor’s Notes:

  • Taste: Notes of cherry, blackberry and red raspberry
  • Pairing: Barbecue, spicy dishes, and pasta with red or cream sauce

 

I hope you are enjoying this series thus far. Leave a comment on here or Instagram letting me know which wine you have enjoyed the most.

XOXO, Smiling Danny

Salu’d

 

 

Posted on February 9, 2020February 9, 2020Categories Wine TastingTags 2020, adventure, aroma, babybel, barbecue, barrel, barrels, bbq, bears, berries, blackberry, blogger, bon apetit, bon' appetit, bouquet, bourbon, bourbon barrels, budgeting, cabernet, cellar, challenge, champagne, charcuterie, charcuterie board, chardonnay, cheese, cherry, cherry cordial, chocolate, clarity, class, cleaning, cocktail, cocktail recipe, cooking, cream sauce, credit card, credit cards, danny, date night, debt free, dry red wine, dry white wine, dry wine, education, february, Finance, food, food and wine, fruit, gifts, grape, grapes, grapevine, grapevines, grocer, grocery, grocery store, healthy, healthy recipe, healthy recipes, Hill Country, hill country tour, hill country wines, Italian, Italian wine, Italy, keebler, lifestyle blog, lifestyle blogger, market, market street, merlot, mimosa, mocktail, mocktail recipes, moscato, note, notes, nutritious, nutritious recipe, nutritious recipes, orange juice, pairing, pairing class, pairing education, parmesan, parmesan cheese, parmigiano, pasta, poinsettia, port, recipe, Recipes, red grapes, red raspberry, red sauce, red wine, riesling, room, roscato, Rose', roses, rosso dolce, salad, salu'd, sangria, sartori, saving money, savings, savings account, savings plan, series, smiling, smiling danny, soup, sparkling water, sparkling wine, store, strawberries, street, supermarket, sweet red, sweet red wine, sweet white wine, sweet wine, sweetheart, taste, tasting note, tasting notes, texas, texas wine, texas wine trail, texas wineries, toasteds, tour, tours, trip, united, vacation, valentine, valentines day, valentines gifts, vegetables, vineyard, vineyard tour, vintage, vintor, water, white grapes, white wine, white zinfandel, Wine, wine adventures, wine and cheese, wine barrel, wine barrels, wine blog, wine blogger, wine bottle, wine bottles, wine class, wine club, wine course, wine dinner, wine education, wine enthusiast, wine enthusiasts, wine glass, wine glasses, wine influencer, wine manager, wine memories, wine notes, Wine Pairing, wine pairing class, wine recipe, wine room, wine shopping, wine subscription, Wine Tasting, wine tour, wine trip, wine trips, wine vacation, wine vintage, wine wednesday, wine tastings, wineries, winery, xoxo, zinfandelLeave a comment on Sweet Wines with Your Sweetheart Series: Roscato Rosso Dolce
Sweet Wines with Your Sweetheart Series: Stella Rosa Moscato D’Asti

Sweet Wines with Your Sweetheart Series: Stella Rosa Moscato D’Asti

Hi Smiley’s and Wine Enthusiasts!

I am back with another Sweet Wine. This wine is indeed a SWEEeeet one but I have truly enjoyed it. The wine that I have for you this week is a Moscato D’Asti. Anytime you see D’Asti, know that the wine will be an Italian wine with a hint of effervescence.  Asti is a province in Northwest Italy. Due to the wine being sweet and low in alcohol, it is considered to be a dessert wine.

Tasting Notes:

Wine: Stella Rosa, L’Originale Moscato D’Asti, 2018

Bouquet: Green Apple, Orange/Citrus

Taste: Apricot, Honey, Effervescence. The sweetness of the wine is not overbearing.

Clarity: Clear, No legs

Pairing: Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries: The chocolate on the strawberries hi-lited the effervescence in the wine. The bitterness of the dark chocolate and the sweet wine blended together so eloquently causing a nice melted chocolate effect on the palate.

Vintor’s Pairing Suggestions: Fresh Fruit, Spicy dishes and Desserts

I hope you enjoy this wine and wine pairing as much as I did. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. Until Next Week, XOXO, Smiling Danny

Salud’

20200206_200326

 

Posted on February 7, 2020February 7, 2020Categories Wine TastingTags adventure, aroma, Asti, barrel, barrels, blogger, bon' appetit, bouquet, bourbon, bourbon barrels, budgeting, cabernet, cellar, challenge, champagne, charcuterie, charcuterie board, chardonnay, cheese, chocolate, chocolate covered strawberries, clarity, class, cleaning, cocktail, cocktail recipe, cooking, credit card, credit cards, D'Asti, danny, date night, debt free, dessert, dessert wine, dessert wines, dry red wine, dry white wine, dry wine, education, effervescence, Finance, fireplace, food, food and wine, fruit, grapes, grapevine, grapevines, healthy, healthy recipe, healthy recipes, Hill Country, hill country tour, hill country wines, Italian wine, Italian wines, Italy, Lifestyle, lifestyle blog, lifestyle blogger, low alcohol wines, low alohol, merlot, mimosa, mocktail, mocktail recipes, moscato, Moscato D'Asti, notes, nutritious, nutritious recipe, nutritious recipes, orange juice, pairing, pairing class, pairing education, poinsettia, province, recipe, Recipes, red grapes, red wine, riesling, romance, romantic, romantic valentine's, room, rosa, Rose', salad, salu'd, sangria, saving money, savings, savings account, savings plan, series, smilies, smiling, smiling danny, soup, sparkling water, sparkling wine, stella, stella rosa, stella rosa wine, stella rosa wines, strawberries, strawberry, sweet, sweet grapes, sweet red wine, sweet white wine, sweet wine, sweet wines, sweetheart, taste, tasting, tasting note, tasting notes, texas, texas wine, texas wine trail, texas wineries, tour, tours, trip, vacation, valentine, valentines day, vegetables, vineyard, vineyard tour, vintage, vintor, water, white grape, white grapes, white wine, white zinfandel, Wine, wine adventures, wine and cheese, wine barrel, wine barrels, wine blog, wine blogger, wine bottle, wine bottles, wine class, wine club, wine course, wine dinner, wine education, wine enthusiast, wine enthusiasts, wine glass, wine glasses, wine influencer, wine memories, wine notes, Wine Pairing, wine pairing class, wine recipe, wine room, wine shopping, wine subscription, Wine Tasting, wine tour, wine trip, wine trips, wine vacation, wine vintage, wine wednesday, wine tastings, wineries, winery, zinfandelLeave a comment on Sweet Wines with Your Sweetheart Series: Stella Rosa Moscato D’Asti
Sweet Wines with Your Sweetheart Series: Sparkling Rose’ by Cupcake Vineyards

Sweet Wines with Your Sweetheart Series: Sparkling Rose’ by Cupcake Vineyards

Hi Smileys!

Are you ready for Valentines Day? This month I thought that I would do a Sweet Wine Series. So each week this month I will be trying out sweet wines and leaving tasting notes right here on the blog. Consider this my labor of love as many of you know I am not a fan of sweet wine.

This week I tried the Sparkling Rose’ by Cupcake Vineyards. Unfortunately, I assumed that this would be a sweet wine especially since I found it displayed with the sweet wines; however, it is not sweet at all! This wine reminds me of a dry Prosecco. The good news about that is that this wine makes a great pairing wine for fruit and a great base for wine cocktails. The Vintor’s notes state that this wine delivers notes of raspberry, strawberry and floral. I didn’t pick up any of those notes. The Vintor also suggests pairing this wine with shrimp ceviche or fresh blooms. I tried this wine with shrimp and didn’t particularly care for it but I did enjoy it with some blueberries and grapes.  I also made a nice wine cocktail with this wine. I think that you will enjoy it, especially for those of you who enjoy spending Valentine’s Day with your friends as well.

Tasting Notes:

  • Sight: Effervescent, Rose Gold
  • Taste: Dry Prosecco
  • Bouquet: Didn’t pick up any distinguishing notes
  • Pairing: Raspberry Sorbet

Recipe: Galentine’s Cocktail/ Sparkling Wine Float

20200202_171708

  • Champagne/Sparkling Wine Flute
  • 3 Tablespoons of Talenti Raspberry Sorbetto
  • Cupcake Vineyards Sparkling Rose’

Add 3 tablespoons of Sorbet to your flute. Top off with Rose’. Salu’d.

Adding the sorbet to this wine definitely makes this a sweet treat. I hope you enjoy this wine cocktail recipe with your loved one, your friends or as a special treat for yourself.

Salu’d, XOXO Smiling Danny

 

 

Posted on February 3, 2020Categories Wine TastingTags adventure, aroma, barrel, barrels, blogger, bouquet, bourbon, bourbon barrels, budgeting, cabernet, cellar, ceviche, challenge, champagne, champagne float, champagne flutes, charcuterie, charcuterie board, chardonnay, cheese, class, cleaning, cocktail, cocktail recipe, cocktails, cooking, credit card, credit cards, crystal, crystal flutes, danny, date night, debt free, diamond ring, diamond rings, dry red wine, dry white wine, dry wine, education, Finance, fireplace, float, floral, floral notes, floral wine notes, flutes, food, food and wine, fresh blooms, fruit, galentines, gelato, grapes, grapevine, grapevines, healthy, healthy recipe, healthy recipes, Hill Country, hill country tour, hill country wines, I, Lifestyle, lifestyle blog, lifestyle blogger, merlot, mimosa, mocktail, mocktail recipes, moscato, notes, nutritious, nutritious recipe, nutritious recipes, orange juice, pairing, pairing class, pairing education, pink diamond ring, pink diamond rings, pink rose, pink roses, poinsettia, prosecco, raspberry, raspberry float, raspberry gelato, raspberry sorbet, recipe, Recipes, red grapes, red wine, riesling, room, rose petals, Rose', roses, salad, sangria, saving money, savings, savings account, savings plan, seaafood, series, shrimp, smiling, smiling danny, sorbet, sorbet float, sorbetto, soup, sparkling, sparkling rose, sparkling water, sparkling wine, sparkling wine float, strawberries, strawberry, strawberry notes, sweet red wine, sweet white wine, sweet wine, sweet wine series, sweetheart, sweethearts, talenti, talenti gelato, tasting notes, texas, texas wine, texas wine trail, texas wineries, tour, tours, trip, vacation, valentine, valentines day, vegetables, vineyard, vineyard tour, vintage, vintor, water, white grapes, white wine, white zinfandel, Wine, wine adventures, wine and cheese, wine barrel, wine barrels, wine blog, wine blogger, wine bottle, wine bottles, wine class, wine club, wine cocktail, wine cocktail recipe, wine cocktail recipes, wine course, wine dinner, wine education, wine glass, wine glasses, wine influencer, wine lifestyle, wine memories, wine notes, Wine Pairing, wine pairing class, wine recipe, wine room, wine shopping, wine subscription, Wine Tasting, wine tour, wine trip, wine trips, wine vacation, wine vintor, wine wednesday, wine tastings, wineries, winery, zinfandelLeave a comment on Sweet Wines with Your Sweetheart Series: Sparkling Rose’ by Cupcake Vineyards
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