PJ’s Abbey – A Great Brunch in Orange

 

California "Extra Dry" Sparkling Wine

We visited PJ’s Abbey in Orange on Sunday for their lovely Champagne Brunch and some excellent Jazz.  Two members of the wonderful and incredibly talented Ryan Rost Trio play there weekly and they are some of my favorites.  I’m still trying to figure out how to get the third member of the group there, as he adds that “something special” to the sound, but I’ll take whatever I can get from these incredible musicians.

The food at PJ’s was quite good.  The portions were more appropriate than I expected, but still too much for me to scarf down on my own.  I would recommend the California Omelette.  The manager, Joseph Curtis, was very helpful and did an excellent job taking care of us.   The “champagne” that they serve for Sunday Brunch, J. Roget, can be found at BevMo for a whopping $1.99.  SERIOUSLY??  I have to be honest when I say that I rather enjoyed this California sparkling treat.  It made for a great mimosa but was actually enjoyable on its own, too.  The ambiance of the restaurant was also unique and enjoyable, as it’s a old historic church just outside the Orange Circle.

We will be visiting PJ’s Abbey again in the near future both for the food and the music.  Don’t be afraid to come out and have a great time with us!

To find homes near PJ’s Abbey in Orange, visit my website at www.KathySchager.com.

Castillo d Clavijo Rioja Crianza 2004

Reasonable wine for the price

The Castillo d Clavijo Rioja Crianza 2004 starts out strong with a wonderful nose of leather, spice, dark berry and hints of vanilla.  The palate is a little less fabulous but has nice smoky flavors of strawberry, cherry and cedar.  The finish is my least favorite part of this wine experience, but it’s not the worst I’ve had.  There is just a hint of a cough syrup flavor in the midst of the cherries in the finish, bit it’s not so overwhelming that it would prevent me from buying this wine again.  Let it breathe sufficiently before drinking and that will diminish.  Overall, not wonderful but not bad, either.  You can buy this wine for the very cost effective price of $5.99 at Total Wine in Tustin.

To find homes near Total Wine in Tustin and other hot spots in OC, visit me on the web at www.KathySchager.com.

Running With Scissors Cabernet 2006

Quite nice for the price!

I’m on my third bottle of this cab in the last several months.  It’s hard to find a decent cabernet for under $10.00, but I have to give some kudos to Running With Scissors.  This is a pretty smooth and tasty cabernet for a whopping $7.99 at Total Wine in Tustin.  On the nose, there are hints of cedar and dark berry.  The palate is rich with cassis,  cherry, earth and just a hint of raspberry, which is followed by a full but smooth finish. This wine is quite robust and is very pleasant from start to finish.  Medium to full bodied.  Don’t be afraid to try this cab.  Let it breathe for at least 10 minutes before drinking.

For information on properties for sale or for market conditions near Total Wine in Tustin, please visit my website at www.KathySchager.com.

Domaine de la Presidente Grands Classiques Cotes du Rhone 2007

Quite a lovely treat!

I’ve purchased this wine twice now, just to be absolutely sure that I liked it the second time as much as I did the first time.   It’s an interesting blend of a few varietals, including Grenache (primary) and Syrah.  On the nose, you’ll enjoy a spicy, cherry scent.  The palate bursts with an earthy and peppery flavor mixed with red berry and fruit that carries through to a very pleasant finish.  The is the best French wine I’ve had in a while (since I haven’t purchased any Chateauneuf du Pape for quite some time).   I would definitely recommend this one, especially at the fantastic price of $7.99 at Total Wine in Tustin.

For information on homes near Total Wine in Tustin or other parts of Orange County, please visit my website at www.KathySchager.com.

Shannon Ridge Zinfandel 2007

Lovely little zinfandel

I had the pleasure of picking up this delightful wine at Trader Joe’s for $5.99 in early August, 2009.  It’s always hard to know what to expect at that kind of price point, but the Shannon Ridge was a pleasure.  With toasty vanilla and berry aromas followed by a spicy, peppery red berry flavor, I was impressed already.  It finishes strong and flavorful.  What a surprisingly delicious treat! 

This wine is primarily Zinfandel with small amounts of Cab and Petite Sirah blended in.  Wonderful – I’ll be buying more of this.  To find homes near the Woodbury Trader Joe’s in Irvine, please visit me on the web at www.KathySchager.com.

Berberana Dragon Tempranillo 2006

Not bad for $5.99!

This Spanish wine was recommended to me by a gentleman I met at the last tasting I attended.  I told him I loved Tempranillo wines, and he put this one in my hands and told me to try it.   You can’t expect too much from a $5.99 bottle of wine, but this one delivered a little better than I expected.  While it wasn’t the most robust wine I’ve ever enjoyed, it had nice fruit flavors enhanced by vanilla and hints of oak.  It had a nice, spicy finish to it, and ultimately, I enjoyed it.   Don’t be afraid to try this one.  It’s a sleeper right now in the States, as its true popularity seems to be with the Dutch at this point.  Maybe I have something in common with my tiny bit of Dutch ancestry!

You can find this one at Total Wine in Tustin for $5.99.  www.totalwine.com.  To find properties located near Total Wine in Tustin, visit me on the web at www.kathyschager.com.

2006 Darioush Cabernet

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

YUM.  YUM.  YUM….  This is a gorgeously crafted wine with rich, robust flavors of blueberry, blackberry, cherry and  espresso.  You’ll also detect a little dark chocolate in the finish, which is always a treat.

From what I understand, this wine is actually 85% cab with smaller portions of Merlot, Cab Franc and Malbec making up the remaining 15%.  This wine won’t disappoint.  A higher-priced wine, but you get what you pay for with this one.   You can find it at www.napacabs.com for 79.95, or at Total Wine in Tusin for $79.99 (www.totalwine.com).

Trentatre Rosso 2007

A decent, inexpensive red from Trader Joe’s!  While I can’t say it’s one of my favorites, it certainly didn’t disappoint me.  It has aromas of plum and slight dark chocolate.  The flavor is primarily dark berries and a bit of a smokey yet fruity finish.   When I first opened it, I noticed that it resembled cough syrup on the finish.  But let it breathe a while and it will be okay.  This wine is a blend of 33.3% Cabernet, 33.3% Merlot, and 33.4% Montepulciano.  The three wines blended gives this wine its Italian name: Trentatre, meaning 33.

DeLoach 2006 Cabernet

Decent wine for the price

Ordered the DeLoach Cab with dinner and thought it was a reasonable wine for the price.  It had a very fruity nose with cassis, dark berries and herbs, followed by a palate of plum, blackberry and cedar.  The finish was nice, with a bit of spice along with the lingering berry notes.  This was a sweeter cab than I generally drink, but it was decent nonetheless.  Certainly not bad for the price. 

You can find this wine for under $10 here: http://jerichowine.com/item.asp?PID=1189

Aspaldi Crianza 2005 Rioja

Lovely Spanish wine.  I’m a big fan of 2005 European wines, particularly French and Spanish.  This one, for the price, was a nice little treat.  On the nose, strong cherry and pepper with a hint of smokey wood.  The flavor also has a tasty amount of berry and cherry flavors along with spice.  It finishes off long and strong.  It’s a young wine and the flavors and finish will certainly let you know it, but this wine is a keeper.  Best to let it age a while longer before opening.  Enjoy from Total Wine in Tustin for only $9.99!