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.

Paired with a dinner of grilled BBQ chicken and some mixed veggies, the full-bodied, earthy flavor of the wine did a great job of enhancing the natural smokiness of the food without overwhelming the chicken or being overwhelmed by it.  It did what wine is supposed to do – complimented the meal.

While this wine certainly isn’t life-altering in any way, it was very enjoyable both with the meal and after, and was perfect with the BBQ – something that I feel will be a bigger issue as the weather begins to warm.  For those getting ready to start grilling, the Surfrider is definitely one to consider.

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

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.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end and that’s never more true than with wine.  While I do not lament opening up the bottle, I do regret that I can’t just run out to Trefethen and pick up a bottle any time I want.  However, if you’re ever in Napa Valley, I do highly recommend a visit to them as their wine is amazing and their tasting room is a great place to spend an afternoon.

While I don’t think you’ll find the Trefethen Double T in most wine shops, if you do I highly recommend grabbing a bottle and enjoying it with dinner, with family, with friends, or with all of the above.

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.

I don’t know that this wine lives up to its name of being “wrongo”, but it was certainly interesting and worth checking out if you’re looking to expand your varietal horizons.  Paired with something off the grill it should be enjoyable and for the price it’s hard to argue against picking it up just to display.

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.

I would be interested to pair this wine with a turkey dinner, but I almost feel like it would be overwhelmed by a more robust meal.  That being said, it’s a good value for anybody looking for a Pinot Noir to keep around simply for sipping on, and its subtle flavors make it good for enjoying without food.

Worth checking out, but don’t fool yourself into believing that there aren’t better Pinot’s out there for about the same price that will be a bit more versatile.

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.

For somebody looking to get into Spanish wine, this is a great one to consider, especially at this price.  I’m always in the market for a good value wine, and this certainly fit the bill.  Worth checking out.

Special thanks to Wine & Beer Westpark for supplying the wine for this review.

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.

White Hall Vineyards (http://www.whitehallvineyards.com)
I’ve been to White Hall Vineyards before, and if you’re ever our in the Charlottesville area, I certainly recommend visiting them.  While there weren’t any of their wines that I disliked, I came away with 3 bottles of their Cabernet Franc and 3 bottles of their Viognier.

Rosemont Vineyards (http://www.rosemontofvirginia.com)
Rosemont was the first vineyard I visited to give me some truly unique flavors.  Their Vidal Blanc offered up a herb, mint finish that was new and refreshing.  Their Meritage has a clove finish that I will admit reminded me a bit of high school.

Pollak Vineyards (http://www.pollakvineyards.com)
Lime in their Durant White reminded me of South American Sauvignon Blanc.  Their Cabernet Franc had a more subtle pepper finish than many I had during the day, while their Cabernet Sauvignon offered a touch of eucalyptus.

Mountfair Vineyards (http://www.mountfair.com)
Most notable from Mountfair was their slightly effervescent Stickdog Riesling with a slight mineral finish.  Fairly refreshing and one worth considering as the weather turns warm.

Blenheim Vineyards (http://www.blenheimvineyards.com)
I really enjoyed Blenheim, and while I didn’t dislike any of their wines, I enjoyed their Viognier and Cabernet Franc the most, bringing home two bottles of the Viognier and one of the Cab Franc.  I already wish I had grabbed 3 bottles of each.

Tarara Winery (http://www.tarara.com)
I was really looking forward to Tarara, and was sadly sort of disappointed.  I went there looking forward to their Long Bomb, and while I really enjoyed their Charval with a slight mineral finish and found their 2008 Cabernet Franc to be great, but their Long Bomb Edition 2 was a bit of a let down.

Lake Anna Winery (http://www.lawinery.com)
I’m a huge fan of Lake Anna, and while I went there to try and pick up their Spotsylvania Claret (3 bottles), I can’t help but recommend their Totally White and Totally Red as quality table wines.  The Bellhaven Chardonnay is very refreshing and definitely worth considering as well.

Villa Appalaccia Winery (http://www.villaappalacia.com)
While I’ve never made any secret of the fact that I favor red wine for most occasions, I was blown away by the whites offered by Villa Appalaccia.  Not to take away from a great Toscanello (a great blend of Cab Franc, Sangiovese, and Primitivo), their Pinot Grigio, Pinot Grigio Reserve, and Simpatico are worth buying.  The Pinot Grigio is a great deck wine, and there’s not much seasfood that I wouldn’t pair the Reserve with.

First Colony Winery (http://www.firstcolonywinery.com)
The two most worth it to me were the Viognier with its light floral flavor and their Cabernet Franc with its combination bell pepper white pepper finish.

Grayhaven Winery (http://www.grayhavenwinery.com)
While certainly not the last winery that I visited, it was another one that I went to with a certain wine in mind.  Just up the road from my home, this is a vineyard that I’ve visited several times for their great, homey tasting room.  Their Cabernet Franc is always one to love, with a light color and great pepper finish.  They have a Sauvignon Blanc that I have yet to taste, but as it’s always sold out I’m assuming it’s pretty good.

Vino Curioso (http://www.vinocurioso.com)
Three years ago I found Vino Curioso at the first Virginia Wine Expo.  All these years later and I’m still in love with their Cabernet Franc (Franc the Tank) and their Cabernet Sauvignon (Snake’s Den).  Another one that I’ve never tasted the Sauvignon Blanc of because they are perpetually sold out of it.

Jefferson Vineyards (http://www.jeffersonvineyards.com)
Like many of the vineyards at the Virginia Wine Expo, I hit up Jefferson Vineyards looking for a specific wine – their Petit Verdot – which they didn’t have.  Granted, their Cabernet Franc was as good this year as it was last, but them not having their Petit Verdot available was a bit of a let down.

The 2010 Virginia Wine Expo was another roaring success, with great vineyards presenting great wine.  If you’re in the Central Virginia area, or even if you’re not, and you’re not already planning to attend next year, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to not only learn about varietals that you might not get from California, but certainly ones that taste different than those you are used to.

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: 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.

My only real complaint about this wine was that I got a bit of sediment at the end of the bottle which I always find annoying…especially when you don’t realize it’s there until it’s already in your mouth.  Still, definitely one worth picking up and one that I’ll keep in mind for the next time I’m thinking of grilling meat.

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.