Surfrider Malibu Newton Canyon Red 2005

Posted on March 9, 2010 - 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 | Leave a Comment

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 [...]

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Trefethen Double T 2006

Posted on March 8, 2010 - 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 | Leave a Comment

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 [...]

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Virginia Wine Expo 2010 in Review

Posted on March 3, 2010 - 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

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 [...]

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Big House Red 2008

Posted on January 21, 2010 - Filed Under American Wine, California Wine, Grenache, Medium Bodied Wines, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Red Wine, Syrah, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $10, blended red wine, red table wine, sangiovese, tannat, zinfandel | Leave a Comment

Varietal: Blended Red (Sangiovese, Syrah, Carignan, Barbera, Zinfandel, Mourvedre, Montepulciano, Petit Verdot, Tannat, Aglianico, Petite Sirah, Nero d’Avola, Grenache)
Region: California – USA
Cost: $7 – $10
Cherry, raspberry, blueberry, cassis, and chocolate flavors all blend together.  Pair this wine with chicken, ground beef, pizza.
Recommendations: I’ll be the first to admit, my wife and I first paid attention [...]

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California Wine Country Day 1 – Napa Valley

Posted on October 26, 2009 - Filed Under American Wine, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, California Wine, Chardonnay, Dry Wines, French Oak Reds, French Oak Whites, Full Bodied Wines, Light Wines, Malbec, Medium Bodied Wines, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Red Wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Stainless Steel Whites, Syrah, White Wine, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $20, Wine's Under $30, Wine's Under $40, Wine's Under $50, blended red wine, zinfandel | 6 Comments

While my wife and I are back from our vacation to San Francisco, I’m just now getting around to writing about our trip, mostly because we were having so much fun I didn’t have time to sit down and write.  Fortunately, I take good notes.
While we spent the first three days in the city, on [...]

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Lake Anna Winery Spotsylvania Claret

Posted on April 8, 2009 - Filed Under American Wine, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chianti, Medium Bodied Wines, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Red Wine, Virginia Wine, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $20, tannat, touriga, wine advice | 2 Comments

Varietal:  Claret (50% Merlot; 20% Touriga; 15% Cabernet Franc; 8% Chambourcin; 4% Petite Verdot; 2% Tannat; 1% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Region:  Virginia – USA
Cost:  $15
A medium-bodied wine of ruby/garnet coloring offering flavors of herb and berry, most notably raspberry.  A slightly dry, tannic finish is reminscent of Chianti, but the overall smoothness of the wine allows it to be paired [...]

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2007 Jefferson Vineyards Petit Verdot

Posted on March 31, 2009 - Filed Under American Wine, Full Bodied Wines, Petit Verdot, Red Wine, Virginia Wine, Virginia Wine Expo, Wine Reviews, Wine's Under $20, Wine's Under $30 | Leave a Comment

Varietal:  Petit Verdot
Region:  Virginia – USA
Cost:  $19.95
Dark red fruit flavors lead into a tempering of black currant, spices, bacon, and a hint of smoky tobacco.  Tannins lend to a very dry finish to this otherwise velvety wine.  Can be enjoyed now or anytime over the next five years and will pair well with even heaviest game dishes and [...]

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