Varietal: Pinot Noir
Region: California – Sonoma County – USA
Cost: $21

Lighter red in color with aromas of cherry and flavors of rose petal, pomegranate, and cherry.  Time in French Oak barrels adds a hint of toasted spice on the finish.  Pairs well with lamb, pork, chicken, steak, mild cheese…pretty much anything.

Recommendations: Ah Pinot Noir…my one true love (of wine – I love my wife very much).  I’m always in the market for a good Pinot, and back in July, during a tasting at my local wine shop, I had the opportunity to try, and then buy, this Rodney Strong pinot noir.  To be honest, I had almost forgotten it was on my wine rack until the other day when grilling some pork chops and I kicked myself for forgetting about it.

Nice and light in the glass, aromas and flavors of cherry were the most noticeable to me, with just a hint spice on the end.  When paired with the grilled pork chops, the wine held up well, adding a counter note of cherry to the grilled flavor and marinade that I had added.  In short, it was a good pairing.

Most importantly, after the meal was done, the wine continued to be excellent on its own.  Pinot Noir is easily one of my favorite varietals because of how well it pairs with food or with nothing at all, and the Rodney Strong pinot did just that.  My only complaint with this bottle was that it was only 750 ml and not a larger bottle because I was definitely craving another glass after the last drop had been poured, and in the end, that’s the true mark of a good wine.

Definitely one worth picking up, especially for fans of pinot noir.

The first wine I tasted was the Monthaven Chardonnay.  I’d had this one before and it was exactly as I remembered – a touch of oakiness on the finish, but a fairly straight forward California Chardonnay that will pair well with chicken and pasta with cream sauce.  Next up was the other white I had already sampled, the Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc.  It doesn’t feature as much grapefruit as a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, but it’s still crisp and refreshing with good citrus flavors and is great for hot summer days.

Next up was the first wine I hadn’t tried before – the Big House White.  A blend of Malvasia Bianca (51%), Muscat Canelli (14%), Viognier (13%), Gruner Veltliner (10%), Pinot Gris (5%), and Riesling (4%) the wine showed the Viognier on the nose with a very floral aroma.  Tropical fruits on the palate made it a refreshing wine and one that would definitely pair well with seafood.

Moving over to the reds we started with the Big House Red (which I’m not going to list all the varietals in…there are just too many.  You can check out my previous post on it here).  A good table wine that would be perfect for a quick glass after a long day of work and for blending in with pasta sauces while cooking, none of the varietals really stand out, making it seem to have a single note, but it’s still a good table wine.

Next up was the one that I was probably looking forward to the most, the Seven.  A blended Spanish wine of Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Merlot (25%), Syrah (18%), Petit Verdot (8%), Tempranillo (8%), Grenache (8%), and Graciano (8%), there was a nice berry flavor with good tannins and a robustness that I found enjoyable and certainly made me want to pair it with some grilled red meat.

Finally was the Boho Old Vine Zinfandel.  Jammy is the best way to describe this wine, and it lacked the usual spice and pepper that I associated with Zinfandel.  That being said, this is a BBQ wine through and through.  If you’re making ribs for a summer cook-out, this is a good go-to wine.

All in all I had a great evening, the wines were all enjoyable, the location was spectacular, and the staff was incredibly helpful.  I want to thank Cork’d for hosting the event, and Lima Restaurant and Lounge for your amazing service.

Varietal: Merlot
Region: Washington – USA
Cost: $13

Dark red in the glass with aromas of blackberry and dark berry and cherry on the palate.  A slight tobacco finish with hints of smoke.  Pairs well with chicken, veggies, grilled meat, pasta.

Recommendations: Merlot has, for a while, had a bit of a bad rap.  I had been avoiding it for a while simply because I had had bad experiences with lower quality wines and it had clouded my judgement towards the entire varietal.  However, this past year has changed my opinion of the grape, with Virginia producing several high quality Merlots.  While this bottle didn’t come from Virginia (other side of the country in fact) it did continue the tradition that my home state has started of changing my opinion.

My wife and I picked up this bottle at a tasting event at our local wine shop.  We had a hard time deciding between the Merlot and the Chardonnay from this winery, but ultimately went with the Merlot.  We should have picked up more than one bottle.  The deep red color of the wine in the glass was inviting to me as I love a dark colored wine – something comforting about it to me.

The aromas of berry, particularly blackberry were present but not overwhelming, and while there were some flavors of crushed dark fruit on the palate, I mostly got cherry, which I rather enjoyed.  A hint of smoky tobacco on the finish with a smooth tannic finish made this a great wine to pair with a quick dinner of pizza and both my wife and I were wishing there was more in the bottle long after the last drop had been poured.

This is definitely a wine I would recommend, especially if you haven’t been keen on Merlot for whatever reason (I’m looking at you Sideways viewers).  If this doesn’t change your opinion on Merlot than you really don’t like it and might not ever.  Definitely one to grab.

Varietal: Zinfandel
Region: California – Sonoma – USA
Cost: $20.50

Aromas of blueberry, bramble, chocolate, and white pepper.  Crushed berries, mint, and tobacco on the palate with oak tones.  Pairs well with grilled pork chops, braised ribs, Italian sausage, calzones, lasagna, manicotti, pizza, burgers, steaks, BBQ, fried chicken, meatloaf.

Recommendations: I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been a bit wary of Zinfandel of late.  It’s not that I don’t like the grape, I’m a fan of it, especially this time of year, but I’ve seen a trend in really high alcohol content on it as of late, and of that I am not a fan.  Fortunately, the bottle of Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Zinfandel that was sent to me by the International Wine of the Month Club had a much more modest alcohol content.

Sporting 13.5% by volume, the aromas of blueberry and white pepper were able to come through on the nose, not being overwhelmed by the alcohol.  In the mouth I got tobacco and crushed berry, but none of the mint that was mentioned in the tasting notes (which is perfectly fine with me as I’m not a big fan of mint to be honest).  Paired with a quick dinner of pizza, this was a perfect pairing and one I would gladly do again.

What I found most enjoyable about this wine was the fact that I could easily imagine pairing this with just about anything that I’ll be eating this summer – pizza, burgers, steaks, sausages, or pasta.  The versatility of this wine makes it a great value and I definitely recommend grabbing a bottle if you’re looking for something to pair with your summer grilling.

Varietal: Pinot Noir
Region: California – Carneros – USA
Cost: $22

Dark plums, cherry, cola, and leather on the nose with flavors of soft vanilla, fruit, and subtle tannins with a lingering finish.  Pairs well with grilled salmon, beef, pork, turkey, and lamb.

Recommendations: After having tried the 2008 Waterstone Chardonnay, I was admittedly ready to give the 2007 Waterstone Pinot Noir a try.  I shouldn’t have waited so long.  Light red in the glass, I picked out some aroma of cherry, but the nose was overwhelmed a bit by the wine’s high alcohol content (14.3%).  It got better as the wine opened up, but it was still there.

Flavors of cherry, red fruit, and a hint of cola on the end (which weirded me out when I read about it, but was actually rather enjoyable once I tasted it), lead into a very subtle finish that was the perfect match for a dinner of salmon and orzo pasta tossed in olive oil with a bit of fresh basil and garlic thrown in.

As a big fan of Pinot Noir, I was very impressed with this wine, and while the high alcohol content was noticeable early on, the longer the wine was allowed to open, the less noticeable it became on the palate.  The flavors were well balanced and this wine would do well paired with most foods, making it a great wine to just keep around for any occasion.  At around $22 it’s perfectly priced and I definitely recommend giving it a try if you come across it.

Varietal: Sangiovese
Region: Italy – Chianti
Cost: $6

Earthy notes with subtle flavors of crushed red fruit and a nice tartness with a good tannic finish.  Pairs well with pasta, pizza, chicken, and beef.

Recommendations: I have a great wife.  I really do.  This past weekend, while we were up visiting our families, I was spending some time with mine, and she with hers.  While out with her family, they stopped into the local Wegmans and she picked me up a bottle of wine – the 2008 Le Altane Chianti.  I told you I had a great wife.

After a dinner out on Monday (for our 2nd wedding anniversary), we came home and opened up the bottle she had bought as we relaxed and let our dinner settle.  A deep red in the glass that was nothing so much as brown (not in a bad way), the wine was subtle.  A subtle earthiness with subtle flavors of red fruit, with a subtle tartness and subtle tannins on the finish.  Subtle.

Usually I like my Chianti to have a bit of kick on the finish, but as I wasn’t pairing this wine with a meal, it was nice that this one had a more subtle profile.  There was still enough going on that it would pair well with a pizza, beef, or chicken, but I would be worried about it being overwhelmed by a more robust pasta sauce.

All that being said, for less than $10, it’s hard to argue against this wine.  It’s nothing flashy, but it’s a good table wine, and as anybody that’s been here before knows, I’m a big believer in the table wine.  One worth picking up for a casual night at home, but probably not what you’ll want to pull out for the fancy dinner party.

Varietal: Tempranillo
Region: Spain – Rioja
Cost: $10

Vanilla and cherry on the nose with crushed fruit on the palate.  Pairs well with roasted chicken and grilled meats.

Recommendations: I’m a big fan of Spanish wine, Tempranillo in particular, so I was looking forward to this wine when it showed up at my office.  My wife and I took the bottle with us when we headed up to visit our parents in Northern Virginia for the Father’s Day weekend, knowing that we would all be having dinner together – and I was tired of my father picking on me for not sharing some of the samples I get.

On Saturday we opened the bottle during a dinner of grilled chicken and beef tenderloin with roasted potatoes.  The wine was lighter than I was expecting, and it was a good pairing for the beef tenderloin, but it did somewhat overwhelm the chicken for me, but that might be because the chicken wasn’t very heavily seasoned.

Flavors of crushed red fruit were prevalent with a bit of cherry on the nose, all of which went well with the aromas and flavors of the grilled meat.  That being said, I wasn’t blown away by this wine.  That’s not to say I didn’t like it, but I think I wanted more out of it and it just didn’t deliver.  Now, for $10 it’s a great value wine that will give you a wide range of pairings and is easy to drink by itself, but if you’re looking for a Tempranillo to pair with bold grilled foods that will hold up well…this isn’t it.

Not bad, worth the price, but nothing to get worked up over.

Varietal: Malbec
Region: Argentina
Cost: $20

Deep purple color with aromas of spice and berry that leads into flavors of crushed fruit, with licorice and tannins on the finish.  Pairs well with pasta, smoked meats, pizza, and really anything but seafood.

Recommendations: When I received a box of samples from the International Wine of the Month Club, I’ll admit that I was eager to open up this bottle.  My wife and I are big fans of Malbec, mostly because of how versatile the wine is.  The Urban Uco Malbec did not disappoint.  The deep purple of the wine in the glass was inviting all by itself, and the aroma of spice made it hard to take a moment before sipping the wine.

Crushed fruit and berry was immediately obvious in the mouth, which quickly faded into a licorice flavor with a subtle tannic finish.  It was great.  Paired with a dinner of pepperoni pizza, it was the perfect compliment to a simple dinner, and enjoyable well after the pizza was gone.  What was most impressive about this wine was that if I hadn’t read the label, I wouldn’t have known that the wine had 14% alcohol/volume.  Excellent job of masking a high alcohol content behind amazing flavors.

This wine has continued my growing obsession with South American wines, and if you’re a fan of wines from the region, I certainly recommend this one.  If you’ve never tried a wine from South America then I definitely recommend this one – it’s a great wine to introduce you to the great wines that our neighbor south of the Equator is producing.

Varietal: Garnacha (Grenache)
Region: Spain
Cost: $10.50

Ruby in color with aromas of fresh strawberry and raspberry, with notes of black tea, licorice, and pungent herbs.  Red berry flavors linger through till the end.  Pairs well with BBQ, chicken, and pasta.

Recommendations: I picked up this bottle after a tasting at The Wine Cellar because a) I’m a fan of Spanish wines, particularly Grenache, and b) it’s a really good value for a really good wine.  Good color in the glass, and while I didn’t get the licorice on the nose (which is fine since I don’t like licorice), I did get the notes of strawberry and raspberry.

Red fruit was pervasive throughout the wines flavor, and while I didn’t pair it with anything except a movie and some time with my wife, it was easy to drink by itself, and I could easily see pairing it with some grilled BBQ chicken or pasta. The slightly high alcohol content (14% by volume) wasn’t as noticeable as in other wines I’ve had, and allowed to open for a few minutes, it quickly passed.

If you’re in the market for a good value Grenache that goes well with food or by itself, it’s hard to argue against the Evodia, especially when you consider that it’s an Old Vines wine (made from grapes on vines planted more than 100 years ago), and that wines such as that can often be quite expensive.  Definitely one to grab if you come across it.

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.