Varietal: Pinot Gris
Region: France
Cost: $16

Light in the glass with aromas and flavors of pear and baked apple.  Pairs well with smoked salmon, Peking duck, or mushroom risotto.

Recommendations: Looking to try something new, and having a distinct lack of white wine in the house, my wife and I picked up this bottle after a Friday night tasting at one of our favorite Richmond wine shops.  The following day we had the opportunity to open it when we made some shrimp kabobs for dinner.  It was a good pairing.

The pear and apple were quite evident on the palate, along with just a hint of sweetness and effervescence on the finish.  Normally I would be hit or miss on the sweetness, but the shrimp we grilled was well seasoned and the kabobs also had peppers and onions, so there was a bit of heat to the dish – not to mention some roasted red pepper risotto as a side.

The sweetness of the wine did an excellent job of cutting through the heat of the meal and the effervescence was incredibly refreshing.  While I don’t know that I’d drink this wine every day, for a hot day on the deck or for pairing with spicy food, it’s definitely one I’ll keep on my radar when I want to change it up from my usual spicy food pairing of Viognier.

One worth checking out if you eat a lot of spicy food or if you’re looking for a deck wine as we finish up the summer.

Varietal: 95% Grenache; 5% Mourvedre
Region: Rhone – France
Cost: $20

Deep purple in color with aromas of leather, licorice, berry, and cassis.  Earthy flavors with dark berries and a hint of licorice and pepper.  Pairs well with pasta bolognese and beef.

Recommendations: French wine is one area where I have a serious weakness in making selections.  It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed French wine when drinking it, but only that it wasn’t a region I indulged in when I first got into wine, and as I’ve gotten older and expanded my wine horizons, it’s still been missed in favor of other regions.  I’ve decided it’s time to rectify this situation.

During a trip to my local Richmond wine shop for a tasting, I confronted the owner about my problem and asked him to help me.  He helped me pick out a couple of bottles, one of which, the 2005 Maison du Midi, was actually on the employee recommended list.  Two people recommending a wine to me is usually enough to make me buy it.

My wife and I paired the Maison du Midi with a simple dinner of pasta bolognese, and we both said the same thing about it.  Earthy.  Aromas of licorice, creme de cassis, and leather blended well with earthy flavors of dark fruit and a hint of cassis and pepper.  I very much enjoyed the wine partly because it paired quite well with the meal, and also because I’m a fan of earthy wines.

This is the second Rhone I’ve had in recent months, and it’s quickly becoming a region I’m intrigued by.  While I’m still learning about French wine, I suspect it’s going to be an education that I enjoy.  I very much enjoyed the 2005 Maison du Midi and will have to keep it in mind for future purchases.

Varietal: Syrah; Grenache
Region: France – Rhone
Cost: $20.50

Red and black fruit aromas dominate the nose with flavors of creme de cassis, herbs, and hints of pepper and spice.  Pairs well with roast leg of lamb, ratatouille, grilled meats, grilled vegetables, tomato and cream based pasta dishes, and pizza.

Recommendations: If there’s one area of blatant weakness in my wine knowledge, it’s French wine.  It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed it when I’ve partaken in it, it’s simply that I haven’t done enough with it to feel truly comfortable selecting it on my own in a store.  Because of that, I was actually quite happy when the International Wine of the Month Club sent me a sample of the Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge.

Deep purplish red in the glass, I got some aromas of berry, but the 13.5% alcohol was very prevalent.  Paired with a dinner of wheat pasta with tomato sauce and ground Italian sausage, the wine was quite enjoyable.  Juicy is the best word I can use to describe it in the mouth, with some of the berry that was on the nose coming through and pairing nicely with the sauce from the pasta.

The Guigal Cotes du Rhone is absolutely a food wine, simply because the juicy sensation that I got while eating my dinner wasn’t quite as enjoyable after the food was gone.  That’s not to say that the flavors weren’t still enjoyable, only that I found this wine better when eating something than when not.  That being said, I would definitely recommend this for a casual dinner with family and friends as it will pair well with most foods.

Varietal: Pinot Noir
Region: France
Cost: $8-$10

Light in the glass with cherry and plum on the palate.  Pairs with most food, especially pizza and grilled meats.

Recommendations: This is not the first time I’ve had Pinot Evil, and had admittedly picked up the bottle in the past simply because of the amusing name and label.  That being said, I’ve long been a fan of Pinot Noir and of finding wines that are easy on the budget.  This one fits both of those bills.

Now, I’d be lying if I said that the Pinot Evil Pinot Noir had anything more to offer than one note of fruity flavor with a slight lingering taste of alcohol that quickly dissipates, but that wouldn’t convey the true beauty of this wine.  It’s an $8 Pinot Noir.  

This wine is not going to change your world, it’s not going to change the way you think about Pinot Noir (at least not in a positive fashion), but this is hands down one of the better value wines I’ve found for a night of sitting around watching TV and munching on some delivered pizza.  You really can’t beat it.

Factor in that Pinot Evil can also be found in a box for around $23 and you’ve got the makings of a go-to table wine that’s better than the usual cheap Merlot/Cabernet blends you’ll find on the shelves of most of your bigger stores.

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (Syrah; Carginan; Grenache; Mourvedre)
Region: France
Cost: $41

Deep reddish brown in color and featuring aromas of plum, rose, violets and black fruits.  Full-flavored dark fruit on the palate that pairs well with beef, lamb, poultry, or BBQ.

Recommendations: When I got this bottle it almost seemed a shame to open it.  A 10 year old bottle of French wine doesn’t exactly find it’s way into my wine cellar every day and I kept trying to think of something special to pair it with.  Then I realized that if I kept trying to find something spectacular to enjoy it with the wine was never going to get opened.

Dark reddish-brown in color (I hate saying brown, but the complete lack of purple and the shade of red make it about the only real descriptor I can use), with subtle aromas of fruit and florals, calling this wine full-bodied would be an understatement.  The flavors of dark fruit are big and soft at the same time, and the slight tannic finish fades away as the bottle is allowed to open up – not that it needs to much.

Paired with a dinner of pasta and red sauce with some fresh herbs thrown in, the Domaine de Villemajou did a great job of neither overwhelming or being overwhelmed by the meal (I have yet to see anything or anyone be just whelmed).  After the meal it was great by itself, being full of flavor, but not demanding food to be enjoyable.

This bottle was described to me as a party wine, and I can see how it would be easy to just keep opening bottles of it while entertaining family and friends.  Bold and smooth all at once, this is a great wine for just about any meal and any company.  While I can understand that the price point may give the value wine shopper pause, it’s definitely one worth getting for a special occasion.

Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for supplying the wine for this review.

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.

Varietal: Pinot Noir
Region: France
Cost: $15 – $20

Deep garnet in color with spice on the nose that leads into flavors of raspberry and spice with balanced tannins on the finish.  Pair with pork, seafood,  or Thanksgiving dinner.

Recommendations: Originally bought for Thanksgiving dinner, this bottle didn’t get opened until the day after when the wife and I were unwinding from the whirlwind of family and food that was Turkey Day.

Paired with a dinner of munchy food, this Pinot Noir was more robust than the Kenwood Vineyards Pinot we had enjoyed the night before, with more spice and a bit more tannin on the finish, as well as a touch of effervescence that was quite refreshing.

While I can’t say that it was my favorite Pinot Noir, it was certainly enjoyable, and for the price it’s hard to beat that for a French Pinot.  Definitely worth picking up if you’re in the market for a French red wine and enjoy Pinot Noir.

Varietal: Bordeaux (60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc)
Region: France
Cost: $20.50

Ruby red in color with soft aromas with flavors to match.  Crushed berries and cedar on the nose are a lead into a smooth, slightly fruity medium-bodied red.  Pairs well with chicken, pork, and veal.

Recommendations: My first impression of this wine was that it wasn’t what I was expecting.  When I first got the bottle, I was excited about a bit, bold Bordeaux to pair with a steak or some pasta (which is what I did pair it with).  That is not the wine I drank.

Smooth and subtle is probably the best way to describe this wine, and whereas I had thought I was going to get large, full-bodied wine, instead I got a medium-bodied wine that wasn’t disappointing in and of itself, but certainly was a let-down compared to what I thought I would be drinking.

Now, that being said, this is still a very good wine.  However, if you’re expecting a full-bodied wine, you may want to look elsewhere, as this certainly isn’t it.

Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for supplying the wine for this review.

Varietal: Grenache/Syrah
Region: France
Cost: $19.50

Aromas of ripe berries, black fruits, and white pepper with hints of herbs and spice.  Smooth on the palate with a tannic finish that pairs well with steak, fried chicken, pork, bbq, hamburgers, and pizza.  Easy to enjoy now or in another year or two.

Recommendations: I was excited when I got this bottle as I’m a fan of both of these varietals, and seeing them blended made me want to open up the bottle as soon as it was delivered to me.  I found the aromas to be subtle, but certainly caught the pepper and herbs.

The wine itself was very smooth, and for as dark as it was in the glass, I found it to be much lighter on the palate than I was expecting, while still giving off the earthiness that I find is typical of French wine.  The one thing that surprised me is that the finish of the wine had a bit of alcohol to it, which is surprising considering the wine is only 12.5% by volume – certainly not high.

Paired with a New York Strip and baked potato, the alcohol finish was easy masked and the earthiness of the wine was a great match to the juiciness of the red meat.  While I certainly don’t drink a lot of French wine, I really enjoyed this one and would certainly recommend it – especially if you’re a fan of Grenache of Syrah.

Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for supplying the wine.

My wife and I had been meaning to dine their for quite a while, and finally we did last week.  We were greeted soon after entering and walked up to the counter to order our food and a bottle of wine.  The man waiting on us offered to put our bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in a bucket of ice to keep it cold (which we accepted) and invited us to choose a place to sit as he would bring our food out to us.

The atmosphere in Verde is what I love – there are a couple of high tops with chairs, a couple of tables with booths and chairs, and then a pair of very comfortable arms chairs and a couch with tables that are perfect for enjoying your meal, some wine, and the company you’re with.  We chose the two arm chairs.

Our food was soon delivered and it was delicious.  I chose their Italian Panini and my wife chose the Chicken Pesto one.  Each was freshly pressed and warm when brought out to us.  The only ones in the restaurant at for dinner (I assume they get more business at lunch than dinner), we were able to enjoy our meal and each other’s company in peace.

The menu at Verde isn’t huge, but it does have a wide range of foods that should appeal to most tastes.  Their wine selection is very impressive and they have wine available by the bottle or the glass, or to be taken with you, as well as small selection of beer.

The only complaint that I can levy against Verde is that all of their food is served in to-go style packaging as opposed to plates when you’re dining in.  I don’t know if this will change, but I suspsect it’s because they offer delivery service and most of their diners are workers on their lunch just running in to grab something to take back to the office.

If you’re in the West End of Richmond and looking for something like Panera but not Panera, I really do recommend Verde.  I’ve only been once, but I’m already planning my next trip there.  Check out their selection online at:  http://www.verdefreshfood.com .