As 2009 draws to a close, it seems appropriate to reflect on all that was good and bad in our first year of public Swirling. Since pbpulse.com first launched in late April, we’ve been sharing our thoughts and asking for yours. We’ve learned a lot about wine in the past 8 months and it’s been a pleasure to share our journey. Here’s a look back at our best, worst, and most memorable wine experiences of 2009:

Favorite Wine of the Year (under $25)

Dry and Earthy: 2005 Cruz Alta Malbec President Reserve (now labeled as Chairman’s Blend)

We tried the 2005 President Reserve for the first time back in October and chose it as one of four to pour at the March of Dimes Signature Chefs and Wine extravaganza in Boca Raton. What we loved the most about this wine was its amazing aroma. Not only did we want to jump in the glass, we wanted to hang out and possibly swim a few laps in the luxuriousness.

Dry tried the 2006 Cruz Alta Malbec Chairman’s Blend a few weeks ago and was again blown away by the complex and inviting nose. “This one is a great value for the money and one I’m sure to enjoy again and again in 2010.”

Sweet: 2007 Dr. Heidemanns Bernkastel Spatlese Riesling

We’ve tried this wine a few times over the year and it seems to get better each time! It’s elegant, balanced and lovely. All of the Swirl Girls love this wine for its great balance of sweet stone fruits and zesty acidity.

Bold: 2007 Brazin (B)Old Vine Zinfandel

We tried this wine at a pre-tasting for the Palm Beach Food and Wine festival and I chose it as the one I’d pour the night of the event. I didn’t choose my wine because of its name, but I might as well have. The 2007 Brazin (B)Old Vine Zinfandel had a nose that was sigh-worthy – big, deep sighs after big breaths of this rich wine. It was a whole bouquet of flowers and vanilla and yumminess.

Favorite Wine of the Year (over $25)

Dry: 2005 Chateau Dauzac Margaux

We actually tried this at the same time as my under $25 favorite, for the March of Dimes Signature Chefs and Wine extravaganza. What an event, and what a wine! Rating 92 points from Wine Spectator and bringing the best Bordeaux has to offer, this is a wine to hold close to your heart and nurse all night. With an elegant aroma, soft berry fruits, velvety tannins and a lingering finish, this is one to splurge on a case and savor for years to come. It’s certainly worth the price tag ($49.99 at Total Wine) for a special occasion.

Sweet: 2000 Tokay Aszu

Tokay is Hungary’s finest wine and was lauded by Louis XIV as the “Wine of Kings, the King of Wines.” I first tasted this Tokay during a special dinner with close friends. At the time, it was the most expensive bottle I’d bought ($49.99), but I felt strongly we needed to try it.

The wine tasted like liquid gold. It covered the whole palate with a luxurious opulence. It was rich and decadent, and the perfect end to a memorable night.

Earthy: 2005 Andrew Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

I tried this at a monthly “Ladies Wine Night” at Salotto Ristorante Italiano in Delray Beach. The idea for the event was fermented (sorry, dear readers, couldn’t resist) by Angie Worthing in the spring of 2009 as a way to explore affordable wines with other women and to include some business networking in this trying economy. It started at her house with guests each bringing a bottle and a snack, and, after rotating through a few more homes, is now held at Salotto.

The 2005 Andrew Lane Cabernet ($16 glass/$60 bottle) was the epitome of a fine cab from a world-class region – smooth tannins, balanced, rich and velvety. It had a full, warm aroma of blackberries on the nose, with a hint of spice. And on the palate, it was fruit-forward with layers of flavors, big and structured, but soft. This is a wine that illustrates the gulf between everyday cabernets and those worth opening the wallet wide for.

Down –the-drain award:

Dry: 2006 Z-52 Zinfandel, Truchard Vineyard, Napa Valley

Just a few weeks ago, Earthy and I raided our wine samples for a bottle to bring along to a holiday gathering. As Swirl Girls, we get sent a lot of wine to review. Some of it we love, and some of it we don’t. The 2006 Z-52 Zinfandel from Truchard Vineyard falls into that second category. Both Earthy and I agreed that the wine was fairly bland and almost tasted watered-down. I tasted an almost artificial, candied element in the wine that I found somewhat unpleasant. We didn’t finish the bottle and don’t plan on drinking it again.

But don’t rule out Z-52 altogether. Sweet and I tasted their less expensive Zinfandel from Lodi (see review here)in early December and found that a good value for the $12 price tag.

Sweet: 2007 Petite/Petit

This was another wine sample that falls into that second category. It’s a blend of 85 percent Petite Sirah and 15 percent Petit Verdot from the Lodi region of California. This wine and I were not friends. On the palate, it was unbalanced, too tannic and had a spicy mouth feel. I felt like the edges were ragged and pointy. After the first try, I stopped drinking it and let it breathe for a couple of hours. And then I tried again. No better. My glass went down the drain.

Favorite local tasting

Dry and Earthy: Friday night wine tastings, La Dolce Vita

This is the “Cheers” of wine bars, where most everybody knows your name. It’s small and cozy, and always full of gregarious souls who love to celebrate wine. Every Friday, co-owner Asher White presents a varied selection, from the bubbly to the fortified. White’s goal for his wine tastings is not necessarily to feature any specific region or grape, but to choose wines with flavors that flow seamlessly from one bottle to the next. And he always knows the story behind each wine he pours.

Sweet: California vs. Italy tasting, Chill Wine Merchants

There are cool tastings, there are fun tastings, and then there are tastings that really, really blow you away. The California vs. Italy tasting at Chill Wine falls into the last category. It wasn’t just the quantity of wine (28 bottles) , the lively turnout, or the fact Pete Meyaart (chief wine geek at Chill) donates all the proceeds to different charities or causes. All of that stuff is awesome on its own. But this time, it was the amazing quality of the wine he poured and the concept of highlighting two highly acclaimed and very different winemaking regions for comparison.

Pete also gets really knowledgeable people to pour and talk wine. This time, I had a great time talking to Mark Spivak, whose radio show “Uncorked” runs each week on WXEL 90.7 FM. I really appreciated the time he took to really explain about the style of each Italian wine. It meant a lot to me and I feel like I truly learned a lot from the event.

At the end of the night, I learned something important about myself. As much as I swoon for Bordeaux or dig the sweet dessert wines of Europe, I think I am a New World Girl. Thanks to Pete for helping me on my journey of self-discovery and for a truly memorable tasting.

Favorite Wine Event

Dry and Earthy: Beer vs. Wine Showdown Dinner (and our victory over the Brew Crew)

We’ve had the pleasure of participating in some really great wine events this year. But Dry and Earthy’s hands-down favorite was our triumphant victory over the Beer Crew at the Beer vs. Wine Showdown Dinner at Cooks Inc. in Jupiter.

What makes the victory so sweet is the fact that this was really beer territory. Even the restaurant’s loyal beer clientele, “Beer spoken here” t-shirts, and the Brew Crew’s gimmick stout served in coffee cups could not sway the results. We’ve heard the Brew Crew is still reeling from the defeat. Not that we’re bragging….

Sweet and Bold: Palm Beach Food and Wine Festival

Both our blonde SG’s loved this event for the relaxed setting and the interesting people. Says Bold: “It was the best organized, had a nice setting, great wine, and the most interest in wine from the attendees. Sweet adds: “It was small so you really had time to talk wine to people and get to know them. The people who attended were passionate wine lovers.”

Most heavenly food/wine pairing

Sweet and Dry: 2007 Terre Degli Arimanni Pinot Grigio with oven roasted Chilean sea bass and a tomato caper vinaigrette

We tried this pairing during a 5-course summer white wine dinner at Sweet’s house in July. This pairing was a landslide victory for favorite of the night. Dry says: “The dish was a bit of an experiment. The original recipe called for salmon, red wine vinegar and suggested pairing with a rosé. I decided to go with Chilean sea bass and make a white wine vinaigrette with lemon. I was a bit worried about how the flavors would all come together. But this time I struck gold.”

Sweet adds: “This is a perfect example of how to adapt a recipe to fit a wine, and how important it is for the flavors to all work together. In this case, the wine made the food taste better, and the food made the wine taste better. Everything was perfect.”

Earthy: 2007 Zolo Torrontés with grilled romaine salad and roasted garlic dressing

When your carnivore-loving guests exclaim, “who needs meat?!” at your vegetarian barbeque, you’ve probably been pretty successful at cooking up some tasty dishes from the grill. And if you’ve successfully paired wine with those dishes, then you’ve got admirers for life.

Being the only vegetarian Swirl Girl, one of my goals has been to explore vegetarian wine pairings and give the ol’ filet/cabernet a run for its status as a swoon-inducing marriage. So we got the party started at the “Earthy” casa over Labor Day weekend, splitting heads of lettuce, slurping summery soup and slicing meaty mushrooms.

Since first tasting the 2007 Zolo Torrontés ($11.99) at an event at ABC Fine Wine, I’d been saving the bottle I bought that night for a special occasion in which I could introduce friends to what I think is a fabulous find. Grilled romaine hearts meet white grape torrontés. These two became fast friends, dare I say lovers? I felt like a beaming matchmaker. The grilling brought depth to the romaine with its smoky flavor, and, in turn, the lettuce, with its acidic dressing, brought the wine flavors forward.

Most memorable wine experience

Dry: Decadent pre-tasting at the Ritz-Carlton

We always try to do a pre-tasting before participating and pouring wine at a local event. As journalists, we need to be sure that the wines we write about and recommend at an event are wines that we ourselves have tried and feel strongly about.

In preparation for the Palm Beach Food and Wine Festival, the Swirl Girls were invited for a pre-tasting at The Ritz-Carlton. The Ritz hosted us in the Angle Restaurant, which is often used for private parties. The gold brocade walls, black velvet drapes, long onyx main table, chandeliers, mirrors and polished wood surroundings made us feel like royalty. The atmosphere, the wines, the company, the amazing food and the superb service all made the evening one that I’ll remember forever.

Bold: Meeting and helping other local wine lovers

I really love meeting everyone who has read our column and found information in it that was helpful. If the column made them try something new, then that was worth the most to me. Recently, a woman I know read our Thanksgiving article and tried the Domaine Ste. Michelle on our recommendation. She liked the wine so much, she bought a few cases to serve at her daughter’s wedding!

Sweet: Barrel-tasting at Del Dotto in Napa Valley

I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the experience of the cave tour and barrel tasting at Del Dotto winery. The caves we toured were hand dug in 1885 by Chinese laborers and were one of the oldest wineries in Napa Valley. Our tour guide Ray took us through the caves, pausing here and there to extract wine straight from the barrel and pour them into our waiting glasses.

Their cabernet sauvignon and cabernet francs were absolutely incredible. But then he took us in the back to an unmarked barrel, looked around covertly, and extracted the wine.

I have never had a wine that brought tears to my eyes, that made me feel like I had jumped off a cliff and was floating on clouds, a wine that took away pain and worry and though and reality. I had just tried the 2007 St. Helena Mountain Colbert French Oak Block 1 Cabernet Sauvignon, which scored 97 points from Robert Parker. And there was no going back.

Earthy: My dad’s 80th birthday celebration

My dad turned 80 this year on December 4th. My brother, sister and I all gathered at my sister’s house in upstate New York for a surprise weekend celebration. It was the first time we’d all been together this year, and it was like a big familial wine tasting. My dad and I went shopping twice over the course of three days, each buying and sharing some of our favorite wines with each other and the rest of the family. But the most memorable bottle was probably my dad’s 1994 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone, which he had bought years ago in France and saved for a special occasion.

Looking ahead to 2010:

2009 has been a great year for the Swirl Girls. We’ve wined, we’ve dined, and we’ve been very merry. We may be slightly sad to see it go, but we know that 2010 will be even better. There are plenty of great wines to try (looking forward to seeing more of those 2007 vintages on the shelves) and even more upcoming local wine events. We look forward to meeting more local wine lovers and sharing stories with you.

We’ve got some big plans for 2010, including organizing and hosting our own Swirl Girls tastings. Check back to the blog in early January for more details on these events and others.

Until then, raise a glass with us at midnight and toast to good wine, great friends and a happy and healthy 2010.

Cheers!

~ Sweet, Dry, Earthy & Bold