A drunk sommelier's Wine Review

I don't normally go to the length of naming where I am but I'll make an excellent/well timed exception. iTalico restaurant in Palo Alto totally impressed me with their timeliness and expertise in wine recommendations. Everyone should try this place and let them know one of their "blogging Bella's" recommended them. Sooo... You know how I just said I don't do white wines??? Apparently now I do 😒 But I can be forgiven as this is a moscato. Sweet, bubbly, scintillating (unlike the old guy on a date with his young pretty girl but still trying to look up my tightly crossed long legs), handsome/sexy - ode to the waiters! Wait, are we still talking about the wines?? PS: nothing like an espresso to top the night.

If I've gotta raise you, we've got a problem but not tonight.. These are some grown girl wines!!! Wow, great job to iTalico for picking all amazing wines. This is one gorgeously fragrant, medium bodied, red (Italian again, it's Italian night). It's full of flavor, floral, chocolatey - Swiss level, would be great with charcuterie - you want to impress a date with your wine knowledge? Pick this one and let it air out.

Yep! That one smelled like awful but tasted amazing!! I learned in the Tuscan hills to give wines a chance so I tried it anyway and it was delicious. I seem to remember another moldy cheese smelling brunello so maybe this is a signature? So far, 2/2 at 100% score for iTalico restaurants' wine. Great stuff, hottie wait 

Slightly acidic, medium bodied. I'll stop mentioning that it's red cause it's clear at this point that's I stick to my reds. Why? 1) I like reds better cause they are just more complex, 2) because!!! I literally just forgot lol. So anyway, return to Italian reds tonight. Loving it.

I bought this one a long time ago at cline cellars in Napa and was saving it for a great day. Well, I was dating this guy who thought he might love wine but turns out I shouldn't have opened my amazing cashmere for him. This bottle is a proper blend, the grape is close to being sweet but still just tart enough. Hints of chocolate, plum, and black cherries. This is one of those aptly named bottles I'm glad has outlasted the ex., amazing. Go get one!!!

This wine really doesn't let you down. If there is one thing that I've learned in my years of drinking, it's that champagne kills me and result in the worst hangovers ever. Therefore, no surprise that when found in pops champagne bar, I was making a beeline for the wine list. If you've read my earlier posts, I'll say no more. Otherwise, I feel the need to say it again, can't go wrong with this fragrant baby.

Chianti from Siena. This gorgeously flavored Italian is like you'd expect from Italy. It's smooth, gorgeously scented, light,  flavorful. The wine gets better as it airs out, so we got a proper decanter. Smooth finish, velvety, and pure.

Apparently it's illegal or at least frowned upon to post what grapes are used in French wine?! Anyway it's a good thing French wines are so tasty. This one smells like venison ;) maybe cause I just had it, but it tastes wonderful. Bold, earthy flavors.

Smells like mushroom, maybe that's what earthy means. Not many flavors in there but the wine itself is pretty tasty. Nothing special to report, if anything I hope this is a house wine so I can avoid the house.

You know you've picked a great bottle when your waiter has a sensory orgasm when the cork comes off. This amazingly fragrant wine tastes even better. One of my darling friends, whose tastes in wine, scotch, and food (and fashion, love, life etc) are above par, tells me you can never go wrong with a mèdoc. I hadn't tried one before but if they all have this great smell and taste, I'll pick them more often. The taste is one of blackberries, cherries, easy on the palette with a smooth finish but has a strong flavor that wakes the senses.

That's right my non readers... Back en France!! After 13k steps to champs élysées -ok we're still not quite there but we're close- we decided to stop for a glass or bottle. It's fragrant, hits you in the back of the tongue very finely, like a joyful kiss. Best laid .. Whoops, paired! Paired!! With charcuterie or something deliciously sinful like foie gras!

This particular one is a Merlot but according to local connoisseurs, for Austrian wines aka rotweine, it's best to stick to wines from Burgenland. It takes like blackberry, spicy, dry, fruit forward (yep, I just dropped that).

Côtes du Rhône! 2012 you spicy bitch or chienne? J'adore ma français. This wine is a "never let me down" sort of wine. Spicy, peppery, kiss my lips, linger on my tongue French style wine. Who needs some mediocre French kiss when you can have a côtes du rhone romance-uh-wine!

Last of the Czech lovelies for the night. This is like a port but had these awesome beautiful, vanilla, chocolate and lavender aromas. Your bf might take off with this one but that's ok if you are paired up with a chocolate dessert. Once you go chocolate...

Red wine, medium bodies, slightly spicy finish. Reminiscent of a Pinot noir, slightly tart but easy to drink grape.

I might have let on that I don't enjoy white wines. I may have to make an exception, this is a sweet Chardonnay wine, very smooth on the palette, paired with foie gras. The resulting salty and sweet balance is delicate and lovely on the tongue. Like a great kiss.