Well, not exactly; yes, President Lincolns portrait was glaring down at us like no other picture could in the world. Maybe it was the 20 foot high ceilings, or the history of being in a vintage Springfield, Illinois classic restaurant, but the “Presidential cloud” was in the house!

Springfield IL, is known for many things such as being the home of our 16th President Abraham Lincoln, the capital of Illinois, and of course the town where Bart Simpson lives

As well, one place that stands out in Springfield is their oldest restaurant, Maldaner’s. They’ve been serving regional and seasonal local favorites since 1884 and known as the hot spot to visit.

Maldaner’s is known for their beef wellington, so as I always say, when in “rome” eat like the romans do ! I ordered the beef and was in the mood for a local Illinois wine to accompany my meal, but they did not have any. So, I went with an old, but classic Napa Merlot favorite of mine Stag’s Leap 2006. It went, as expected, perfectly with the juiciness of the beef and it’s nice earthy notes were delightful.

Take a look at WCTV in action at this landmark restaurant, and add this to the list of places you should visit!

Cheers,

JustJess

Do you know how to properly pronounce Clos Du Bois? If you’re like me, not fluent in French, and butchered the name, take a look at their site.

Not only do they have a rockstar website with their food pairings & “how-to” section for wine, but there is a button you can click to listen to the proper pronunciation for Clos Du Bois.

At first glance, this Wal-Mart wine for about $13.97 seemed like I was going to be going home with a French wine. Then I took a closer glance and noticed it’s actually from Sonoma’s County’s Alexander and Dry Creek Valley in CA. I wonder how many people shopping at WAL-MART actually take the time to look at the small print on this wine and are not deceived ?!

Either way, this California fruit bomb wine proved to be a winner. It’s deep plum, chocolate and raspberry notes, complimented the toasted vanilla on the palate making this a wonderful, smooth pairing with your next filet mignon or even lasagna dinner.

Take a look at WCTV in action to see is this Merlot will make your night as well!

Cheers,

JustJess

Steak night and the perfect under $10 dollar bottle of wine can all be made possible at … your local Wal-Mart. Yes, Wal-Mart ! I wonder if Mr. Trump shops for his wine there yet ?

I have seen Red Diamond Merlot on many wine lists in restaurants, that probably Mr. Trump dines at, and had never tried it. So I was excited to crack this Washington state wine open.

For right under 10 bucks, this wine is an earthy-spice bomb. Hints of vanilla and cherry aromas are followed by juicy plum, red berry and oaky flavors that would make this a perfect compliment with your char-grilled steak or a wood-oven fired pizza .

Take a peak at Wine Channel TV in action to see if this “cheap” wine would make your dinner special!

PS – Mr. Trump, if you read this, how about you and I go on Letterman to prove him wrong on his “Top 10 Reasons why Wal-Mart wine sucks” ?!

Cheers,

JustJess

Are you having a steak tonight and looking for a perfect under $20 bottle of wine to complement it? I know I am! I’m cooking up my famous juicy skirt-steak and found a winner to compliment it.

I had to look no further than my nearest grocery store for the Sebastiani 2006 Merlot from Sonoma County to hit the spot.

This rich Merlot has juicy, black cherry pie aromas,  cherry and cranberry flavors with a hint of chocolate and oaky vanilla. The wine is 81% Merlot, 7% Malbec, and the rest is a mixture.

The earthy hints of Malbec really came out, and would make this a delicious pairing w/ that steak or even some nice juicy pork chops!

I would think about getting this wine again, but for around the same price point I might go with Wal-Mart’s Casillero Del Diablo wine that I reviewed previously.

Check out WCTV in action with Sebastiani Merlot to see if it would make your night!

Cheers,

JustJess

Red teeth rock.

Especially when you’re drinking Red Rock Merlot in the hot Florida sun

I stopped by the Blue Martini in Tampa, Florida for a nice Happy Hour drink at this infamous martini hot spot.

Definitely a great people watching spot

Since wine is not their go-to item, I wanted to see if they had some decent vino….And I found a hidden gem !

Watch this video to see what I found out!

Cheers!

J

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL is known to be the home of Anna Nicole Smith’s death.

But now it can be known as the place Wal-Mart’s Little Penguin South Eastern Australian Merlot 08′ made a name for itself

This $4.97 merlot’s blackberry and green pepper notes has some sweet packaging and flavor to boot.

I’m not saying this is the best new world merlot I’ve ever had, the sweetness gets to you after and WILL call for some Tylenol .. I could feel my head pounding an hour later…but for under 10 Bucks this baby won’t be going down my drain !

Check out why this wine made my stay at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino even better!