Pictured, Chill It 1C Green and Chill It 6 Clear. Not pictured, the Chill It 1 Blue that we broke

Not everything I do on here is reviewing wine. Sometimes I get to review wine related products. This happens to be one of those times. Several weeks ago some samples from Bella Vita Bags arrived for me to check out. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate and I didn’t get to use them until more recently as I wasn’t going anywhere that I would need them – namely my deck on a hot day. Fortunately the weather has changed and my wife and I have tried them out during several forays onto the deck to enjoy wine in the sun.

I received three different chiller bags to try, the Chill It 6, the Chill It 1C Green, and then Chill It 1 Blue. The Chill It 1 Blue is perfect for keeping most of your standard wine bottles chilled, though it will work for most any bottles you’re looking to keep cold to be honest (they also say it works well for liquor bottles, which I can see).

The Chill It 1C Green will also work well for most bottles, but it was larger and I think it would work better for bottles of sparking wine which tend to be a bit wider. We actually did put a bottle of sparkling in the Chill It 1C and it did a good job of keeping it cold.

The Chill It 6 is designed for beer or sodas and while this website is clearly about wine, I have to say that this may have been my favorite one since I didn’t have anything in my house beyond a much larger cooler to keep a six-pack of beer cold should I decide to take it outdoors. I see this one in particular getting a lot of use at my house as the weather continues to turn warmer.

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Tags: bella vita chill it 1 blue, bella vita Chill It 1C Green, bella vita chill it 6 clear, bella vita net bag, bella vita wine bags, wine chillers, wine products

Varietal:  Chenin Blanc
Region:  Clarksburg, California – USA
Cost:  $16 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes:  This wine opens with a melange of fruit on the nose. Initial hints of melon, juicy pear, and apple morph into honey and candied peach. Intermingling with the fruit profile is an elegant wisp of floral character that resembles apple blossom. On the palate, this wine is rich and luxuriant with luscious nectarine and white peach flavors. A strong burst of minerality drives this wine through a clean citrus finish.

My Review:  I was eager to try this wine after having tried the 2011 Clarksburg Wine Company Chenin Viognier, as I wanted to compare the blend to the straight varietal. In the glass the wine was light, being a pale yellow in color. On the nose I picked up apple and floral notes, but they were both subtle.

In the mouth the wine was crisp, with good notes of citrus and acid, though the acid wasn’t overwhelming, which was nice. On the finish there was minerality and a nice crispness that I enjoyed quite a bit. Paired with a dinner of tilapia with pesto the wine did a good job of providing a crisp, clean note to counter the fish, and probably would have worked even better if paired with a fish that had more fat.

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Tags: 2011 Clarksburg Wine Company Chenin Blanc, California wines, chenin blanc, crisp wines, White Wine, white wine reviews, wine, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $20

While the debate about what the hardest food to pair wine with usually devolves into artichokes and asparagus, sushi is regularly mentioned as being difficult to pair wine with, in part because of the myriad of flavors at work, especially when a wide range of sushi is selected. So, what are some good wine choices for sushi? Which wines can you order with confidence when ordering sushi for a meal?

Dry Rose’

Dry rose’s are good pairings for sushi that uses salmon as a focus. The crispness of the wine does a nice job of cutting through the rich fattiness of the fish. Pinot Noir is a good substitute pairing here as well as it traditionally goes well with salmon. If you decide to use pinot noir as your pairing, look for a lighter, fruitier one.

Gewurztraminer/Riesling

Both Gewurztraminer and an off-dry Riesling are good options for pairing with spicier sushi selections, such as the always popular spicy tuna rolls. Both of these varietals can run the gamut from dry with mineral notes to the sweeter side of the spectrum, so be sure to consult with your server, bartender, or sommelier to make sure you get the right one to pair with your sushi and to suit your palate. For a good substitute, look to Sauvignon Blanc, particularly those from Chile. They tend towards crisp citrus notes that are also good for pairing with spicier sushi selections.

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Tags: Aqua Restaurant, cava, gewurztraminer, gruner veltliner, pinot gris, Pinot Noir, prosecco, Riesling, salmon sushi, Sauvignon Blanc, spicy tuna rolls, sushi and wine, sushi pairing suggestions, sushi pairings

Varietal:  Sangiovese
Region:  Apulia Manduria
Cost:  $14 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes:  The long oak aging gives this wine its intense red-violet color, a rich aroma with hints of figs and other Mediterranean fruits and vanilla, and a full-bodied, warm flavor with soft tannins for a velvety finish. Ideal with roasted or braised red meats and mature and sharp cheeses such as Stilton, Blue, Romano, or Parmesan-Reggiano.

My Review:  The last of my Italian wines that showed up a few weeks ago. A dinner of surf and turf with the wife called for something red to pair with the steak, but something that wouldn’t totally overwhelm the lobster tails we tossed on the grill with them. Enter the 2010 Primitivo di Manduria.

In the glass the wine was red with slashes of violet that created an almost rusty red color. I actually like this color in my wine – not because of anything it implies about the wine, but just because I enjoy the color. On the nose I picked up vanilla and dried fruit, both of which carried over to the palate.

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Tags: 2010 Giordano Primitivo di Manduria D.O.C. "Apulia Collection", Chianti, figs, Italian wines, Red Wine, red wine reviews, sangiovese, surf and turf wine pairings, vanilla, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $20, wines

Varietal:  85% Chenin Blanc; 15% Viognier
Region:  Clarksburg, California – USA
Cost:  $16 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes:  This wine exhibits a complex bouquet of tropical fruit and floral notes. Initial impressions of melon, apricot, and mango evolve into kaffir lime and mandarin. The fruit is framed by intriguing wisps of ginger and angelica. On the palate, the wine delivers rich stone fruit and pear flavors in a lush syrupy texture. The wine finishes fresh with hints of minerality and mandarin orange.

My Review:  I’ve enjoyed the wines from Clarksburg Wine Company that I’ve had the change to try, which has mainly focused on their reds outside of a few whites that I was able to try when meeting with John Beckman last October. Recently, however, a pair of white wines from the Clarksburg Wine Company showed up for me to check out, this one and a 100% Chenin Blanc that is sure to be opened shortly.

I was interested to try the 2011 Clarksburg Wine Company Chenin Viognier given that this time of year I drink quite a bit of Virginia Viognier and I was curious to see how the bit of California Viognier blended in here would show. On the nose the wine showed tropical aromas, though I didn’t really get the floral notes that were mentioned in the notes, though I may have been searching too hard for the Viognier that I’m familiar with and missed what was there.

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Tags: 2011 Clarksburg Wine Company Chenin Viognier, blended white wine, California Wine, chenin blanc, clarksburg AVA, crisp white wines, lime, mineral notes, stone fruit, tropical aromas, viognier, White Wine, white wine reviews, wine, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $20

Varietal:  Sangiovese
Region:  Apulia, Italy
Cost:  $13 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes:  The color is a deep ruby red showing gleams of garnet. The nose is intriguing with rich fruit notes  as well as a hint of vanilla and leather. To the taste it is full-bodied with firm tannins, and a concentrated ripe red fruit flavor with a hint of spice on the finish. The wine is perfect with meat or game dishes especially if they are served with rich gravies and sauces.

My Review:  Another evening on my own, another steak to pair with some red wine. I’m not ashamed of myself. Besides, since the notes on this wine said that it paired well with red meat, it seemed logical to put that to the test. For what it’s worth, I agree with their pairing assessment.

The Essclusivo Etichetta Oro Salento was lighter colored in the glass than I was expecting, and it actually let in a good bit of light when held up. On the nose I picked up bright fruit notes with a hint of spice. In the mouth the flavors were surprisingly bright with notes of vanilla and leather as advertised, though the wine rounded out as it had more time to open up in the glass.

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Tags: bright fruit, Esclusivo Etichetta Oro Salento, leather, Red Wine, red wine reviews, sangiovese, spice, steak wines, vanilla, wine, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $20