“Adjust your philosophy of first impressions — You should know they’re meaningless by now.” – Timothy Correa
Sometimes first impressions aren’t always spot-on. We tasted the d’Arenberg yesterday, and noted, “It’s a serviceable wine. It’s not unpleasant, it simply not remarkable.” It’s pale lemony yellow, with a mild floral aroma with a light lemon flavor and a good acid profile. It doesn’t have the classic viognier fragrance, which was initially a disappointment.
We drank it again today with a fantastic Cobb Salad from Pipes Cafe in Cardiff. The wine married nicely with all of the flavors of the salad, it didn’t overpower the food, it was a delicious liquid counter-point to the meal. We strongly suggest you check out Pipes Cafe if you’re in the North County Coastal area of San Diego. It’s one of our favorite places. It’s a low-key, unpretentious, surf hang-out. Their motto is: “No shirt. No shoes. No problem.” Make sure you say hello to Dana and tell her the Wine Harlots sent you.
The d’Arenbeg The Hermit Crab specifics: 13.5% alcohol. Screw-cap closure. Although the photo accompanying this indicates McLaren Vale, the bottle we tasted was labeled Adelaide with 72% Viognier and 28% Marsanne. Imported by Old Bridge Cellars. We purchased this at the Palomar Costco for $11 USD.
The music match is The State of Love and Trust by Pearl Jam from the soundtrack Singles. Its synergistic pick, as most of the band are Seattleites (as are the Wine Harlots) with lead singer Eddie Vedder hailing from the Harlots’ adopted town Encinitas. They will be doing shows in California before they head to Australia and New Zealand for series of seven concerts.
[...] but make sure you order a side of the fries – they’re steak cut and oh-so good) or the divine Cobb Salad. The Cobb is priced at $7.50, the most expensive thing on the menu. The only bummer for the [...]