Flippin' Good Deeds With flipflop Wines PLUS Moscato & Chardonnay Review

So one of the definitive moments when I realized I am truly and officially an adult was when I found a passion for wine. Until earlier this year, I had never really tried many wines. My husband on the other hand loves wine. Did my husband convince me to sample more wines? Nope! He tried for YEARS and didn't succeed. It was another man who piqued my interest in wine: Stephen, the awesome PR guy for flipflop Wines. (Stephen is probably my favorite PR person in the whole entire galaxy, by the way.) Don't worry, the hubby wasn't jealous at all since I was so easily persuaded by another man. As a matter of fact, he was pretty darn thrilled!

Alas, now that I have tried the Moscato and Chardonnay, my flipflop tour is over, as I have sampled every single delicious variation of these superior yet surprisingly frugal wines. At around $7.00 a bottle, these wines won't break the bank, and no one would ever suspect you picked these up on the cheap. flipflop Wines do not taste like your stereotypical cheap wines. In fact, they could probably be sold for several times the cost. But the folks at flipflop are cool like that, and keep their wines affordable for everyone. BIG plus in my house, since we have 3 kids, a dog, and one income! They're definitely suitable for even the most lavish of occasions, or for everyday use.

I'd love to take this opportunity to tell you about my most recent flipflop experiences.

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flipflop Chardonnay:

Chardonnay is my husband's favorite wine. That and Pinot Grigio. So we were quite excited to get to review flipflop's take on this classic, medium-bodied wine. When I think Chardonnay, I think fancy occasions, like a romantic dinner. So that's how we sampled this wine. I did my best to prepare a romantic meal, despite the fact that we have 2 babies, and we lit some candles and enjoyed our meal.

Before enjoying a semi-quiet dinner together, we opened the wine to make note of the aroma and other attributes of the Chardonnay. This wine smelled wonderful, with a slightly fruity scent that was definitely cut by the oak notes. The wine smelled perfectly balanced. But with flipflop Wines, we've pretty much come to expect that. The wine also had decent "legs", which was also a promising sign of the overall quality.

For our not-quite romantic dinner, I prepared a homemade "grown up" Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon and Baby Spinach, a Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, Spanakopita, and some crusty Garlic Bread to accompany our wine. It was delish!

The flipflop Chardonnay paired beautifully with our meal. This California wine, like all white wines, should be served chilled and kept out of direct sunlight for optimum flavor. The flipflop Chardonnay is unlike any Chardonnay we've ever had. It is medium-bodied, has a delicious, lingering finish, and has hints of pineapple and vanilla, with toasted oak notes which really give this wine that little something extra special. It is crisp, refreshing, and oh-so-good. You'd think that due to the pineapple and vanilla in the wine, it would be sweet. It isn't. It's actually more on the medium-dry side, which happens to be what my husband prefers. Needless to say, he loved this wine. I enjoyed it, too!

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flipflop Moscato:

So Stephen saved the best for last. Before I get into the details of this wine, I have to say: This is my favorite wine EVER. Period. If I had $1,000,000.00, I would easily spend a cool $100,000.00 easy on cases of this wine. I have tried a couple of different Moscatos in the past, and while I liked them, they did not even come remotely close to comparing to flipflop Moscato. This, my friends, is perfection in a bottle. This is like having creme brulee for the first time when all you've been used to is JELL-O. Yes. It's really THAT flippin' good!

When we opened this bottle, I was immediately struck by the pleasantly sweet and floral aroma. I asked Dan if I could have the whole bottle to myself. Of course, he didn't like that idea, so begrudgingly, I shared. (But I didn't like it one bit!) I actually stole a few sips out of his glass when he went to the restroom. Shh! Don't tell him!

We actually didn't go all out and prepare a full meal when we drank our Moscato. We did have fruit and an assortment of cheeses and chocolates on hand. Cheese for me, chocolate for Dan. I'm not as big a chocolate fan as my husband is, but I can add cheese to anything and be a happy, happy girl. Paired with a fantastic wine? I'm in ecstacy! That's right...The way to this gal's heart is through cheese.

Anyway, the Moscato...Oh, the Moscato. It's like Liquid Heaven! The flavor of this wine is very crisp and sweet, and leaves a wonderful, semi-sweet finish that lingers and lingers, beckoning you to take another sip. I have no idea what they put in their Moscato, but they're on to something here. They should make this their trademark wine, it's so good. The wine is a flawless balance of delectable sweetness with just a hint of crisp acidity to prevent sweet overkill. It is SO SO good. And it went very well with my cheese, too! Dan, who doesn't generally care for Moscato, even said this was by far the best he has had. We've yet to be disappointed by flipflop Wines. The creators are like the Bobby Flay's or Alex Guarnaschelli's of the wine-making world. Dionysus himself, the mythical God of Wine, would weep at the taste of flipflop Moscato. Okay...Maybe I am being a little too dramatic here, but people, I am in love. I cannot convey in words how fabulous this wine is. Try it. You'll like it. And if you don't, send it to me. I will happily take it off of your hands!


Okay, so you all can see why I love flipflop Wines, right? Well, their superior wines aren't the only reason. This is also a company with a great big heart. You may recall I told you about their involvement with Soles4Souls, a great program that donates a pair of shoes to the needy for every bottle of wine sold. Well, flipflop Wines have gone a step further, and they need YOUR help.

Their newest initiative is called the flippin' good! deeds Challenge. This, along with Soles4Souls, will make a HUGE difference in the overall quality of peoples' lives.The flippin’ good deeds Challenge is a program for bloggers to encourage their communities to clean out their closets and donate gently worn footwear. Collect as many shoes as you can and blog about your “flippin’ good deeds” and experiences from September 6, 2011 to November 15, 2011 for a chance to win a trip for two on one of our international distribution trips! That's right! One blogger who hosts a shoe drive will win a destination vacation where they can work alongside the creators of flipflop Wines distributing shoes to those who so desperately need them. You will be a part of something bigger than yourself, and you will see the impact you're making on the faces of the people you're helping. Let's face it: Doing good FEELS good. Especially when you physically see the fruits of your efforts. This could be a truly life-altering experience. I might even try myself, but I am afraid I wouldn't be too successful. I don't really know anyone in my area, and I am horribly, horribly shy. So all my blogger pals out there, check out the video below to learn more about this fantastic cause.

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Before you click off of my lovely website and discount this opportunity, think about how important this cause is. Sure, you have all heard stories from grandparents or on The Cosby Show about someone walking to school 5 miles, uphill, in the snow with newspaper wrapped around their feet instead of wearing proper shoes. Sure, you've all chuckled at the mental image and laughed at such an exaggeration. In this world, that couldn't possibly be an accurate portrayal of someone's life, right? Wrong. For millions of people, this is their reality. This is how they live. Every. Single. Day. Except many of them don't even have the luxury of a school to walk to in hopes of educating themselves. Shoes are something we, as Americans, often take for granted. We all have them. Shoot, I have 2 HUGE boxes full of my own shoes alone.

Why are shoes so important? For many, many reasons. First, they keep our feet warm. Protect them from the elements. Without proper shoes, walking would be a painful and harrowing ordeal. This is something we take for granted. We are blessed enough to live in a society where shoes are something that are a given. Everyone has them. Next, shoes help promote the overall health and well-being of society in general. We put shoes on our children to help protect their feet from getting cuts and infections. Well, in some parts of the world, that is the least of their worries. In third world countries, disease is rampant.

Being without shoes can mean serious illness or possibly even death. Just think about it. Picture it for a minute. A small child, shoeless, walking down a dirt road littered with feces and worse. Imagine that this innocent child has cuts on their tiny little feet, exposing their malnourished bodies to any germs and diseases that may be present in their environment. All it takes is one tiny germ to find its way into that cut and it could mean a death sentence to a child. Or a mother. Or a father. Or any of the people living in these communities. Not one life should be lost because someone doesn't have proper footwear. flipflop Wines GETS this, and is committed to making a difference. Won't you join them? You CAN make a difference in the lives of those so much less fortunate. So raise a glass of flipflop Wine, and know that you've helped put shoes on the feet of someone who so desperately needs them. And bloggers, take the flippin' good! deeds Challenge and help collect shoes from your community. You'll get the warm-fuzzy feeling of satisfaction from helping so many people, and you might even get a free trip out of the deal! How cool is that?!

FOR MORE INFO ON FLIPFLOP WINES:

You can learn more about flipflop Wines on their website.

You can also follow them on Facebook and on twitter to stay on top of their latest products and promotions!

You can even check out their YouTube Channel to see flipflop in action!

***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***