Knocked Off My Feet By Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc

I can't say enough good things about Spec's, here in Houston. Their employees are well trained, highly knowledgable and genuinely helpful.

While I am a wine novice, I'm very selective. I am able to describe what I like about a wine and I'm able to distinguish flavors and aromas. I might not call it the right thing in wine terminology, but I'm working to get there!

So, a helpful gentleman at Spec's asked me what I liked. I told him that I prefer concentrated citrus, less grassy, high acidity, clean (preferably stainless steel vat... NO oak or smoky flavor of any kind), and preferably a tart aftertaste.

He grew excited and passionate as he told me that he preferred the same flavors, and he had some definite recommendations for me. One of the recommendations was Dashwood, a wine from Marlborough, New Zealand.

My review: I love the flavors... all of them. I found this wine a very balanced blend of sweet and tart with a kick-tail aftertaste that I loved. I couldn't identify all of flavors, but after reading the comments below, I think it was the kiwi that I really tasted, and the coconut that made it so smooth. The screw-top cap captured the flavors just perfectly!

Spec's price: $13.23.

My summation: The Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc 2005 knocked me off my feet (no pun intended)! I will definitely drink this wine again. I will definitely drive to the store with it at the top of my list. I might just have found a new favorite!

And here's what knowledgable folks have to say:

Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc 2005
NZ Herald - VIVA magazine
Joelle Thomson - 21 September, 2005
"Talk about sunshine in a glass! Its flinty Awatere style mingles with the passionfruit flavours of warm vineyards on the Wairau Plains. Fantastic value for money, and sealed with a screwcap."

Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Otago Daily Times - Charmian Smith 31 August, 2005
"Dashwood has a stylish new label, oodles of lush ripe fruit - melon, mango, kiwi - a suggestion of coconut and a crisp tingly finish. It's already attractive and will develop over the summer."

March 17: The Anniversary of Mom's Death

I'm a quarter Irish descent. And in my younger years, I celebrated St Patrick's Day with fervor. March 17, 1998 was no different. I arrived at work, decked in green. I had my "If you're close enough to read this, you're close enough to buy me a beer." pin in my pocket. I was primed to hit the Irish bars with friends after the workday.

And then, at 9:15 in the morning... I got the call.

Mom was gone.My heart sank. And life would never be the same.

The next few days, weeks, months were and are a blur. My life had been so focused on Mom's illness and needs, and my worries and prayers... that I literally didn't know what to do with myself.

I found myself letting go... of so many emotions, so many rules, so many restrictions. Nothing mattered any more. And everything mattered so much more.

Losing your Mother changes a daughter. I remember when Mom lost hers. Once she awakened from the inevitable daze (that I now realize... I didn't even remotely understand at the time), there was a drastic shift in her priorities. I experienced the same awakening.

The reason for yesterday's post...

Mom was critically ill for so many years, and I really didn't have anyone to lean on for support. My Dad (and hands down, Mom's and my best friend) had already passed away in 1992.

To this day, I have a hard time remembering Mom healthy and happy. Those (nearly) six years, combined with all of the other losses, stripped me of my fond and surely favorite memories.

Yesterday, I tried to step back in time. I tried to remember some of the things that Mom loved. And if given the opportunity today, I would shower her in all of her joys!