Surfrider Malibu Newton Canyon Red 2005
Posted on March 9, 2010
Varietal: Meritage (Merlot; Cabernet Sauvignon; Petit Verdot)
Region: California – USA
Cost: $22
Deeply colored and full bodied. Blackberry, cassis, and jammy red fruit flavors pair well with a variety of foods such as lamb chops, chicken marsala, Osso Bucco, steaks, pork, BBQ, or day old meat loaf.
Recommendations: First of all, I want to clear something up. It’s Meritage (as in “heritage”)…at the Virginia Wine Expo two weeks ago, where there were several Meritages, this became a topic of debate at several tasting tables. Ok…now on to the review.
The Surfrider Red is good. The alcohol on the nose did give way as the wine opened up more into aromas of fruit and cherry, and the red fruit flavor finished with a combination of bold tannins and earthiness that I rather enjoyed, especially since the alcohol that was on the nose didn’t come through on the palate. Read more
» Filed Under American Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, California Wine, Full Bodied Wines, Meritage, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Red Wine, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $30, blended red wine | 1 Comment
Trefethen Double T 2006
Posted on March 8, 2010
Varietal: Blended Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec)
Region: Napa, California – USA
Cost: $25
Deep color on this “Bourdeaux Blend” with silky flavors of fruit. Excellent body that pairs well with most meats or with a group of friends.
Recommendations: Well, it’s official – the last bottle from my October trip to California is finally gone. A moment of silence if we could….thank you. I had been eying my bottle of Trefethen Double T more and more recently, trying to decide what to drink it with. A recent grocery shopping trip made up my mind when my wife and I picked up a pair of excellent beef roasts.
Dark in the glass and with amazing flavors of fruit that were both silky and bold at the same time, the Double T was a great compliment to the beef, potatoes, and carrots that were my dinner on Saturday. As is my usual standard for excellent wine, the Double T was just as enjoyable after the meal was gone as it was during. Read more
» Filed Under American Wine, Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, California Wine, Full Bodied Wines, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Red Wine, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $30, blended red wine | 1 Comment
Wrongo Dongo 2008
Posted on March 5, 2010
Varietal: Monastrell
Region: Spain
Cost: $9
Dark violet color with aromas of spice on the nose and fresh fruit on the palate. Pairs well with roasts, steaks, and BBQ.
Recommendations: I will admit that the name of this bottle alone caught my eye when I was in the store. I had never heard of Monastrell before (though apparently it’s the same thing as Mourvedre, which I have heard of), so I decided to give it a try.
Opened the same night as the Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir, we paired this wine with the same cheese and crackers. Far more robust than the Pinot, the Wrong Dongo had aromas of cherry and spice with the same cherry on the palate.
While only paired with the cheese and crackers, I can see how this would pair well with a dinner of grilled or roasted meat, and certainly some BBQ. The big surprise for me was that even with the high alcohol content (15%/vol), I didn’t get a heavy alcohol taste, which has been a sticking point for me lately. Read more
» Filed Under Full Bodied Wines, Red Wine, Spanish Wine, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $10 | Leave a Comment
Pepperwood Groves Pinot Noir 2007
Posted on March 4, 2010
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Region: Chile
Cost: $10
Light to medium red in the glass with aromas of red berry, spice, and black cherry. Light on the palate with flavors of berry that will pair well with turkey.
Recommendations: I had been hearing good things about Pinot Noir from Chile, and given my love of Pinot Noir in general, I picked up this bottle while restocking my wine cellar, recently opening it while relaxing at home with my wife and parents.
Light, garnet color in the glass gave me an idea of what to expect once I tasted it, and I wasn’t surprised. Light on the palate with flavors of berry and a very subtle tanninc finish, the wine was a nice pairing for the cheese and crackers that we had out to munch on while relaxing after a light dinner out. Read more
» Filed Under Chilean Wine, Light Wines, Pinot Noir, Red Wine, South American Wine, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $10 | 1 Comment
Marques de la Real Defensa Navarra 2006
Posted on March 3, 2010
Varietal: Navarra (50% Tempranillo; 25% Merlot; 25% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Region: Spain
Cost: $11
Robust color with floral and fruit aromas. Flavors of ripe fruit that pair well with meat, pasta, or cheese.
Recommendations: I’ve become a huge fan of Spanish wines over the last few years, and so I never pass up the opportunity to enjoy one. I let the bottle open up a bit before pouring the first glass, and that’s definitely what I would recommend with this bottle. The 13% alcohol/volume of this wine could have been overwhelming if I hadn’t allowed the wine to open, and even after letting the bottle stand for a bit, I found that the wine was better after I let it sit in my glass for a few minutes.
Paired with a meal of herb-lime chicken and garlic green beans, the wine held up well without overwhelming the dish, something that I’m always wary of when pairing red wine with white meat. The flavors of crushed fruit were enjoyable without being too bold, and as the wine opened up, I definitely found myself enjoying it more and more. Read more
» Filed Under Cabernet Sauvignon, Full Bodied Wines, Merlot, Red Wine, Spanish Wine, Tempranillo, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $20, blended red wine | Leave a Comment
Virginia Wine Expo 2010 in Review
Posted on March 3, 2010
Well, the 3rd Annual Virginia Wine Expo has come and gone. I found some new vineyards and visited some old favorites. Here’s the long and short of my experience.
Athena Vineyards (http://www.athenavineyards.com)
Athena Vineyards is worth going to just to check out their unique bottle designs. Owned by former nurses, Athena Vineyards offers a great deck wine in their Lighthouse White and a nice Meritage with a good pepper finish.
Potomac Point Winery (http://www.potomacpointwinery.com)
I’ll be the first to admit that I went to Potomac Point just to pick up a few bottles of their La Belle Vie 2008 for when the weather turns warm. This year they’ve introduced a La Belle Vie Rose that was enjoyable, but not as good as the original. Read more
» Filed Under American Wine, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Dry Wines, Full Bodied Wines, Light Wines, Meritage, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Grigio, Red Wine, Riesling, Virginia Wine, Virginia Wine Expo, White Wine, Wine Reviews, white table wine | 1 Comment
Vin de Savoie Jongieux
Posted on March 1, 2010
Varietal: Jongieux
Region: France
Cost: $11
Light and crisp with aromas of tropical fruit. Green apple on the palate with a slight mineral finish complimented by just a touch of effervescence. Pairs very well with seafood.
Recommendations: I’ll be the first to admit that I had never heard of the Jongieux grape before receiving this bottle, but then I don’t drink a lot of French wine. I was told to pair it with seafood, and so I had to sit on the bottle for a bit while my wife and I got the ingredients together for a shrimp jambalaya that we had been planning for for a while. It was worth the wait.
The wine was light in the glass and the aroma of tropical fruit was present, but very subtle. Crisp and refreshing, it took me a few minutes to put my finger on the flavor, but the green apple I got was very enjoyable, and a perfect pair to the slight mineral finish that the wine offered.
Slightly effervescent, the wine as a whole was a great compliment to the slightly spicy dish of shrimp jambalaya, and would pair well with any well seasoned seafood. I can imagine this as a great compliment to a spicy peanut tilapia dish.
At the end of the day, the real question on any of my reviews is would I drink this again, and in this case – absolutely. At $11 it’s a great value for a good white wine to pair with seafood, and I’d actually pair more for it. Definitely one worth grabbing for your next seafood dinner.
Special thanks to Wine & Beer Westpark for supplying the wine for this review.
» Filed Under French Wine, Light Wines, White Wine, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $20 | Leave a Comment
Virginia Wine Expo 2010
Posted on February 26, 2010
This is just a reminder that the Virginia Wine Expo kicks off today, with the real tasting beginning tomorrow and into Sunday. It’s not too late to grab your tickets at: http://www.VirginiaWineExpo.com . Last year was a great turn-out and I’m hoping to see an even better one this year.
» Filed Under Virginia Wine, Virginia Wine Expo | Leave a Comment
Brazilio Red Wine 2006
Posted on February 25, 2010
Varietal: 50% Syrah; 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Brazil
Cost: $10
Ruby red color with aromas of crushed fruit and smoke. Smoke flavors carries through to the palate with a subtle yet robust finish. Pairs well with meats, pastas, and roasted chicken.
Recommendations: I’d never had a wine from Brazil, so I was instantly interested in this wine when I saw it in the store. While I had certainly had Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah blends before, this wasn’t anything like what I was expecting.
While I got a bit of crushed fruit on the nose and palate, the most prevalent aroma and flavors was a smokiness that I found very enjoyable. While I didn’t pair this with a meal (it had been a long weekend and I was just ready for some wine), I can imagine pairing this with grilled meat (especially if done over coals) or some roasted chicken – really anything with its own smoky flavor. Read more
» Filed Under Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, Full Bodied Wines, Red Wine, South American Wine, Syrah, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $10, Wine's Under $20, blended red wine | Leave a Comment
Codirosso Chianti 2008
Posted on February 23, 2010
Varietal: Chianti
Region: Italy
Cost: $8
Medium dark color with notes of cherry on the nose with berry on the palate. Soft tannins pair well with pastas and meats.
Recommendations: Given as how Chianti is my first love of red wine, I was excited to open up this bottle, and finally got the opportunity this past weekend. Paired with a meal of Giada’s Lasagna Rolls (which my wife adds sausage to and I recommend anybody making this meal do as well), the cherry, berry, and slight earthiness of the wine came out great.
Unlike several Chiantis I’ve had in the past, this one was really easy on the tannins which made it really enjoyable even after the meal was finished. While this certainly isn’t a life-altering Chianti, at $8 it’s easily one of the best values I’ve come across in quite a while, and definitely worth giving a try if you’re looking for a good red table wine to keep around the house.
Special thanks to Wine & Beer Westpark for supplying the wine for this review.
» Filed Under Chianti, Italian Wine, Medium Bodied Wines, Red Wine, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $10, red table wine | 1 Comment
