The Good Wine Guru » Light Wines

Gravelly Ford Pinot Noir 2009

George — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:50:47 +0000

Varietal: Pinot Noir
Region: California – USA
Cost: Approx $10

Winemaker’s Notes: Rich earthiness and bold robust flavors. Pairs well with full-flavored hearty meats, stews, and soups paired with rustic bread.

My Review: You ever have one of those moments when you see a bottle of wine on your rack and have absolutely no idea where it came from? I had that moment last night with my wife when we were trying to decide which bottle of wine to open up with some chili we had made for dinner. I had no memory of the wine being purchased, was confident it wasn’t a sample that had been sent to me, and didn’t remember anybody bringing it over during one of our holiday parties, and it wasn’t until I sat down to write this review that I realized where it came from – my wife and I did buy it at a local store that was offering a free tasting. This is what age does to you.

In the glass, after spending some time in a decanter, the wine was a medium-light garnet color. It wasn’t super light, but I could still see the bottom of my glass with the wine in it. On the nose I got mostly cherry notes, though the wine didn’t have a big nose even after being allowed to open up in the decanter. In the mouth I got more of the cherry notes along with some cola on the finish and very subtle hint of effervescence. It paired well with the chili, the fruit flavor actually doing a good enough job with the chili, though I think something with a bit of spice might have been even better.

To sip on the wine after we were done eating was easy enough, and while the wine certainly didn’t blow me away, as budget Pinot Noir goes I’ve certainly had a lot worse. It didn’t set my world on fire, but if you happen across it and you’re in the market for a value Pinot Noir it’s definitely worth giving a second or third thought to.

Fisheye Pinot Grigio 2011

George — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:00:20 +0000

Varietal: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: South Eastern Australia
Cost: $7 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Light bodied with ripe peach and tropical fruit flavors. Pairs well with Korean BBQ ribs with spicy tofu soup, Teriyaki chicken with a side of pork or vegetable potstickers. An excellent wine to enjoy with our without food.

My Review: I’m somewhat hit or miss on Pinot Grigio, so when some samples showed up and there was a bottle of Pinot Grigio included I’ll admit that I hesitated. However, when the tasting notes recommended potstickers, my wife pointed out that we had some chicken potstickers that we’d been putting off cooking up and that at the very least we’d have something to pair the wine with, so that’s just what we did.

The wine had a bit more color in the glass than I was really expecting, and on the nose I got the expected notes of tropical fruit and citrus with just a touch of banana. In the mouth the wine was light and the tropical fruit and citrus carried over, and again I got notes of banana that I actually found rather enjoyable. I dislike the taste of “fake” banana and so any time banana flavor crops up I’m usually wary, but in this case it was great.

Paired with some chicken and vegetable potstickers with some white rice it was a good counter point to the meal and was surprisingly enjoyable even without the food. Now don’t get me wrong, this wine isn’t revolutionary, but for a budget white wine I was impressed with it, and I do like that it’s also available in an Octavin Home Wine Bar for those that really enjoy it and want it in larger quantities.

Barone Fini Pinot Grigio 2010

George — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:00:44 +0000

Varietal: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: Italy
Cost: $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: A reasonably priced white wine with a crisp, clean taste. With its subtle fruit flavors, this wine can be enjoyed with rich holiday meals and allows your guests to enjoy the delicious tastes of the many flavors of the holidays.

My Review: I got this, along with a few other samples, right before the holidays but only just recently got a chance to get into them. It’s been a hectic beginning to 2012. That being said, because of the hectic nature of the start of my year, some wine has been called for and my wife and I recently popped open this bottle to go with some chicken.

When I was first getting into wine a crisp Italian Pinot Grigio was one of my go-to white wines. They tended to be approachable and weren’t overly sweet or overly complex for my developing palate. As my tastes evolved I moved away from how much of it I drank, not because I found them distasteful but because I was A) busy experimenting with other grapes, and B) I found I appreciated a bit more complexity to my wines. With that in mind, I was pleasantly surprised by the 2010 Barone Fini Pinot Grigio.

Now make no mistake, there was plenty of crisp citrus notes on this wine, which was to be expected. What I found so enjoyable was this overarching taste and sensation of green that the wine gave off. You can call it cut grass or whatever you like, but at the end of the day “green” is the best descriptor I can come up with and it was great.

The wine was nice and refreshing thanks to the citrus on both the nose and on the palate, and was a nice counter note to the chicken my wife and I made which had a bit of spice to it thanks to the seasoning we used. Now I’m not going stand here and tell you that this is some life-changing wine that will inspire you to write poetry in praise of it because that would be foolish. I will, however, tell you that it’s a great value wine and that it certainly surprised me with more complexity than I was expecting when I put screw to cork and gave it a twist.

This should be a fairly easy wine to find in your local stores, but if for some reason you can’t, you can also follow this link and have it shipped directly to you.

Steininger Gruner Veltliner Grand Cru Kamptal Reserve 2009

George — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:00:14 +0000

Varietal: 100% Gruner Veltliner
Region: Austria
Cost: $24.50

My Review: I had picked up this wine last month to open up on Thanksgiving at my parents’ house, and while it made the trip up there, in the confusion of a dozen or so people drinking and talking and having fun, it just never got opened. Oh well, just meant I had to bring it back home with me and drink another time – which just happened to be last night.

As you’ll recall back in August I had an end of summer party featuring a case of white wine, among which was a bottle of Gruner Veltliner that I quite enjoyed. Because of that I had rather high hopes for the 2009 Steininger which, unfortunately, it just didn’t quite meet.

Now, that’s not to say that the wine was bad, because it wasn’t. It was a nice golden color in the glass and I got dry aromas of some apple and a little spice that carried through to a rather dry and round mouth feel that wasn’t unenjoyable and paired quite well with a dinner of salmon and mashed potatoes. That being said, I just didn’t like it as much.

Maybe I didn’t think it was quite worth the cost, or maybe I enjoyed the bit of effervescence on the one I’d had in August that I just never quite got on this bottle. Whatever it was, while I’d hesitate to call the wine bad, I just wasn’t blown away by it.

The problem I run into here is that my limited amount of experience with Gruner Veltliner has me unsure about which of the two I’ve had is more indicative of the grape. I kind of hope it’s the former because I’d like to try more Gruner in the future, especially once summer comes back around. Definitely give it a try if somebody already has a bottle open, but I don’t know that I’d say rush out and buy it either.

Foris Gewurztraminer 2008

George — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:00:18 +0000

Varietal: 100% Gewurztraminer
Region: Rogue Valley – Oregon – USA
Cost: $14.50

Winemaker’s Notes: Citrus blossom, orange peel, wildflower honey, and a hint of nutmeg are aromatically enticing. Beautifully balanced flavors of pineapple, guava, nectarine, and a trace of ginger spice are rich yet restrained, opulent, but not over the top.

My Review: I don’t think it’s any surprise by this point when I say I’m always cautious when picking a Gewurztraminer. As an Army brat I spent a good bit of time in Germany where I was exposed to bottles of it that I’m pretty sure could have been used as syrup on pancakes and waffles. That being said, it is a historically good pairing with Thanksgiving dinner, so I had grabbed a bottle from my local wine shop and took it with me last month for the feast. The bottle, however, didn’t get opened, so I brought it back home with me and opened it this past weekend with my wife.

In the glass the wine was medium light in color – not completely clear, but certainly not a rich golden color either. On the nose I got hints of honey and a touch of citrus with a roundness that spoke of spice that I just wasn’t getting personally. In the mouth the wine was subtly sweet, with good citrus notes and a bit of body on the finish. Paired with a lunch of baked brie that was drizzled with a balsamic reduction and some candied pecans the wine did a nice job of cutting through some of the richness of the brie without adding too much sweetness.

I’m not going to go out and say that this is the greatest, or driest Gewurztraminer that ever was, but if you’re as gun-shy around the grape as I am it’s not a bad choice to try and ease your way back into it until you get to the really dry choices that you won’t believe are Gewurztraminer.

If you can’t find the bottle at your local wine shop you can simply follow this link and have it shipped directly to your home or office: http://www.winezap.com/search/searchResults.cfm?r=181364

Martin Codax Albarino 2010

George — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:00:51 +0000

Varietal: 100% Albarino
Region: Rias Baixas – Spain
Cost: $15 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: A highly aromatic wine opening with a nose of tropical fruit and apple, along with a subtle herbal nuance. Led by pear and passion fruit notes, this dry, full-bodied wine boasts a fruit-forward profile, finishing with a round mouthfeel. Pairs well with seasonal shellfish and other seafood fare.

My Review: I had received this wine, along with a bottle of Torrontes, as samples for the holiday season, and as the bottle of Torrontes made its way up to Northern Virginia with me to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving, I’d been looking for a good opportunity to open this bottle. Finally one presented itself this past weekend.

I should start by saying that I probably picked the wrong food to pair this wine with. That being said, it performed admirably given the handicap I gave it. In the glass the wine was very light, nearly clear really, and on the nose I got light citrus and tropical fruit notes. In the mouth the citrus continued on and while I was expecting a hint of honey or other subtle sweetness at the end it never materialized…and that was ok.

My wife and I paired the wine with a dinner of her deconstructed chicken pot pie, and the nice acid, as compared to the subtle sweetness I was expecting, did a nice job of cutting through the creaminess of the food. Now, to be fair it still wasn’t the best pairing, and I enjoyed the wine more after the food was gone, but in a bad situation it did ok.

As a general rule I’m hit or miss on Albarino, and while I’d hesitate to call this a favorite, I did appreciate that it was something different from what I expected, and that’s often enough to give me a favorable opinion of a wine – doing something unexpected.

If you can’t find the 2010 Martin Codax Albarino in your local store (which shouldn’t be a problem), you can order it online by clicking on this link: http://www.winezap.com/search/searchResults.cfm?r=181364 .

Thanksgiving 2011 Wine Selection

George — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:00:59 +0000

There are a lot of different wine sites out there giving suggestions on what you should be pouring during your Thanksgiving festivities. Since, however, it’s been fairly well established what varietals go well with the traditional Thanksgiving feast, I thought I would change it up and let you know what I’m pouring at dinner, or rather, what I’m taking up to my parents house to pour for the army-sized feast my mother will be cooking.

2009 Coastal Vines Pinot Noir – Sonoma, CA – $10

I picked up a pair of these at my local Richmond wine shop since it would have been irresponsible of me to not show up with some Pinot Noir. While there are plenty of wine sites that will be recommending $30 and $40 bottles, I don’t see the reason to break the bank when there are perfectly serviceable bottles under $20. I’ve never had this one before, so it will be interesting to try it out on Thursday.

2010 Ponga Pinot Noir – New Zealand – $14

I’ve had other Ponga varietals before (namely Sauvignon Blanc), so I’m holding out high hopes for this being a good value wine that over-performs for the price.

2010 Alamos Torrontes – Argentina – $13 (SRP) *

Much like the Ponga, I’ve had other wines from Alamos, so I’ll be interested to try this one. For those unfamiliar with Torrontes, the best approximation I can give, and the comparison I usually use, is Viognier. Given that I live in Virginia, and that I’m not bringing any Viognier myself (sorry VA Wine Marketing Board), it seems appropriate to bring something similar.

2009 Steininger Gruner Veltliner – Austria – $25

A few months back I received a case of summer white wines to try out, and of those my favorite was a Gruner Veltliner. I found it to be light, minerally, and refreshing. Since Gewurztraminer is a popular choice for Thanksgiving, I wanted to mix it up and try something a bit different though similar. As I’ve only had one Gruner (that I remember), I’ll be interested to see if this one is as enjoyable to me as the other one.

Freixenet Cordon Rosado – Spain – $12 (SRP) *

Rose’ in general has been finding its way more and more into my wine selection, as have sparkling wines. It’s only natural that they should combine. A blend of Trepat and Garnacha grapes, this wine will probably be a good selection before and during the dinner. I may use this bottle as a way to entice my parent’s neighbors that pretty much only drink bubbles to come over for a drink at some point in the evening.

2011 Christmas at Biltmore – California – $12 (SRP) *

This one will most likely get brought out for dessert, as one of the suggested pairings is pumpkin pie. A blend of Gewurztraminer, Muscat Canelli, Chenin Blanc, and Riesling, this wine has 4% residual sugar, so it’s definitely going to need something to either cut or compliment the sweetness.

2008 Foris Gewurztraminer – Oregon – $15

Since I was grabbing some Pinot Noir to bring, I of course had to bring some Gewurztraminer as well. I’m always a bit gun-shy around this particular grape, so I had my guy at my local wine shop show me to his driest Gewurztraminer. Hoping that this will go well with the feast my mom puts out.

Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut – Spain – $18 (SRP) *

A blend of Pinot Noir and Trepat (85%/15%), it will probably be a coin flip to see if this or the other sparkling rose’ makes it to the dinner table and which one gets opened up early for cocktails before dinner. I’m leaning towards dinner with this one though.

2009 Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir – Oregon – $21

My wife and I actually bought half a case of this wine thanks to enjoying a glass of it so much at our local Flemings while there for happy hour. Since it’s rude to not share, I grabbed a bottle of this to throw into the selection that we’re taking up to Norther Virginia with us.

Hopefully you’ll all enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner and I hope you all have a safe Thanksgiving and have safe travels. If you feel like sharing what you’re pouring I’d certainly be interested to hear it.

Wines marked with a (*) were received as samples.

Biltmore Reserve Chardonnay Sonoma County 2010

George — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:00:27 +0000

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Sonoma County – California – USA
Cost: $20 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Straw, yellow-green in color with aromas of crisp coconut, pear, and citrus. Richly expressive with great mouth-feel, good acidity, and a touch of butter. Pairs well with Lobster ala creme, seafood lasagna, braised chicken, gnocchi with brown butter, Fontina cheese.

My Review: It was a helluva weekend around my house, and while I won’t go into details, suffice it to say that Saturday called for some wine. So when my wife and I decided that our dinner would be a mix of some cheese, crackers, and somosas, a crisp white wine sounded like a great idea. Fortunately we happened to have one chilled in the fridge.

The wine was very light in the glass, with hints of green running through it, and on the nose it was crisp with notes of citrus and pear. In the mouth I got apple mostly, with nice crisp acid all the way through, which did a nice job of cutting through the slight heat on the samosas and of course went just fine with some sharp cheddar and crackers. Despite the “Reserve” label, this wine is in fact un-oaked.

I’d be lying if I said this was some revolutionary wine, but around this time of year I suspect most people are more in the market for a serviceable white and red that they can serve at holiday parties, and this certainly fits that bill. It certainly won’t make anybody stand up and take notice, but it also probably won’t make them turn up their nose and search for a glass of something else.

Biltmore Estate Blanc de Blancs Methode Champenoise Brut 2007

George — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:00:10 +0000

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Russian River Valley – California – USA
Cost: $25 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Pale straw in color with aromas of freshly baked bread, honey, and lime. Slightly floral with notes of yeast, lemon, and apricot. A refreshing and balanced sparkling wine with tiny bubbles and good acidity. Pairs well with slightly spicy dishes such as crawfish etouffee, fresh seafood including halibut and oysters on the half shelll, or with soft, savory cheeses such as Brie.

My Review: So I had gone back and forth on whether to enjoy this sparkling wine with my wife by ourselves, or to take it up to my parent’s house next week to have available for Thanksgiving. It’s a good thing I opened it at home. Now, before you think I’m speaking ill of the wine, I’m not. In fact, what I was able to drink of it was quite enjoyable, with light notes of acid and apples to me and good subtle notes of honey and baked bread on the nose.

No, the reason that it’s a good thing I opened the bottle at home is because it exploded. Now, I’m not going to claim to be an expert at all things sparkling wine, but I do know how to open them without them blowing up in my face, and when I eased the cork out of the bottle, the fount of wine covered the better part of my kitchen, so it’s a good thing it happened at my house on a Monday night as opposed to at my parent’s house all over Thanksgiving dinner.

The Cork That Started an Explosion

I’m not positive, but I suspect that this cork had something to do with the explosion of wine all over my kitchen. Pretty sure my floor is going to be sticky for a while. Either way, we lost half the wine, but were able to sip at the rest, and I will say that what I was able to taste was enjoyable. Mind you, I can’t speak for certain on whether or not the wine was compromised as to what the winemaker intended, but it certainly still had plenty of tiny bubbles and good crisp flavors.

I’m certain that I just got the bad luck of the draw on this sample, and to be honest if it was going to happen to somebody, it’s better that it was me with a sample that was sent to me than somebody that purchased the wine. If you’re looking for an approachable sparkling wine to put out for your holiday dinners and parties, I think that the crisp flavors will appeal to a lot of palates, even those that don’t normally drink sparkling wine.

Blenheim Vineyards Seven Oaks Merlot 2009

George — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:00:19 +0000

Varietal: 100% Merlot
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $18

Winemaker’s Notes: A nose of chamomile, toasted marshmallow, and campfire entice the nose. Hints of red plum, dried apricots, anise, and soft cedar combine for a smooth, lingering finish.

My Review: I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m a big fan of Blenheim Vineyards and the wines that their winemaker, Kirsty Harmon, is making. So it should probably come as no surprise that during my last visit to the vineyard while hitting some vineyards with my wife that I grabbed a couple of bottles, including the 2009 Seven Oaks Merlot.

In the glass the wine was a medium light color, pushing on being garnet in color. On the nose I got an herb note that I enjoyed, and that I would find again on the palate. In the mouth I got the red plum flavors, some cedar, and a eucalyptus note on the finish that I really enjoyed, which surprises me since I’m not usually a fan of eucalyptus in anything – bad childhood memories.

Paired with a dinner of some seasoned chicken it was light enough to match up well with the seasoning I used, but had enough body that it didn’t disappear against the food either. After the food was gone, the medium-light body on the wine made it great for sipping on while watching some TV and relaxing after a long week at work.

I’d be lying if I said you shouldn’t just go out and buy everything that Kirsty is making, and I’m not quiet about trumpeting my enjoyment of their wines. If you’re in the area I recommend stopping in at their beautiful tasting room, and if not, you can visit their website at BlenheimVineyards.com and order some to have shipped to you.