The Good Wine Guru » tropical fruit

Big House White 2010

George — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:00:42 +0000

Varietal: 22.7% Malvasia Bianca; 15.9% Gruner Veltliner; 15.7% Sauvignon Blanc; 9.2% Gewurztraminer; 7.9% Riesling; 7.3% Chenin Blanc; 6.1% Muscat Canelli; 5.2% Viognier; 4.5% Verdelho; 4.4% Albarino; 1.1% Pinot Gris
Region: California – USA
Cost: $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Big House wines are a rebellious mix of non-traditional grape varieties destined to give the imbiber a new experience. To wit this year’s prisoner is a captivating blend of aromatic whites that span the distance of the Alps themselves. With a nose that carries the vibrancy of spring and white flowers and lychee fruit that surround the senses. The palate opens up to tropical fruits, dried apricot, and white peaches. This wine finishes strong with a cleansing citrus zest that lingers. Pairs with fresh fish, Asian cuisine, or even Sunday morning fruit salads.

My Review: I’m a big proponent of tables wines, and I feel as though that’s a niche that Big House wines has embraced and possibly even tried to make their own. Looking at the list of wines that are put into the bottle it’s almost disappointing to not see one labeled “kitchen sink”. There are times when a wine can try and do too much and end up falling flat, and while I’m not going to go so far as to proclaim the 2010 Big House White an amazing wine, for a $10 table wine, you can do a lot worse.

On the nose I didn’t get much, though some of the white flower aroma did come through. In the mouth there were competing flavors of citrus and honeysuckle and dried apricot that gave this just overarching tropical fruit flavor that was light and somewhat refreshing. Paired with a dinner of chicken and cheesy potatoes the wine was a nice counterpoint to the bit of heat that was in the seasoning on the chicken and to the thickness of the potatoes.

I’d be lying if I said this was a life-altering wine, but as $10 white table wines go, it’s average at worst. If you’re looking for a light white wine with tropical notes and a hint of some of the sweeter varietals you’d be remiss to at least not consider the 2010 Big House White.

Biltmore Reserve Chardonnay 2010

George — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:00:20 +0000

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Region: North Carolina – USA
Cost: $15 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Straw-yellow in color with aromas of butter, lemon, wild strawberry, pear, and apple. Slight hints of oak and butter with citrus and ruby red grapefruit nuances followed by a nice lingering acidity. A nicely balanced fruit-forward wine. Pairs well with mussels, oysters Rockafeller, scallops wrapped in bacon, prawns, oak plank salmon, Asiago and Gouda cheese, and pasta with Alfredo sauce.

My Review: With some salmon in the oven, last night I decided that some Chardonnay sounded good. Fortunately I had a bottle of 2010 Biltmore Reserve Chardonnay in the fridge, so it was easy enough to make my decision a reality. It was obvious from the moment I stuck my nose in the glass that the wine had spent some time in oak, so I warned my wife before she could try any as she’s not a fan of oaked Chardonnay.

As for the aromas I got, I picked up the typical butter notes with some apple and a touch of banana. In the mouth there was a good balance of acidity and oak, with tropical notes and a nice nutty finish that I found quite appealing. The wine paired well with the salmon and some orzo pasta that we cooked up, and thanks to a light oak/nutty finish, it was easy enough to drink after the food was gone.

I know that my wife doesn’t prefer oaked Chardonnay, but even she tried the wine again after it had some time to open up and admitted that the oak wasn’t really that bad on it, so if you’re not a fan of oak on your Chardonnay, I’d still say give this one a try as it’s not overwhelming.

If you can’t find the 2010 Biltmore Reserve Chardonnay at your local store (and I’ve yet to see them at mine), you can follow this link and have it shipped directly to you at your work or home.

Biltmore Chardonnay Sur Lies NV American

George — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:00:43 +0000

Varietal: Chardonnay with a touch of Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc
Region: 71% California; 29% North Carolina
Cost: $11 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Yellow/green in color with aromas of tropical fruit, pineapple, peach, persimmon, and mint. In the mouth the wine is fresh and fruity with a touch of butter; a smooth wine with a medium body. Pairs well with seafood, chicken, pasta, and light dishes.

My Review: I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure what to expect out of this bottle. Not only did I not know what the percentages on the blend were (though I’d make a rough guess that the Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc account for less than 10% of the wine), but blending two grapes not just from different regions in a state, but from different states, seemed odd to me.

The wine was rather dark in the glass, a nice robust yellow and on the nose I got the typical Chardonnay notes of tropical fruit and pineapple. In the mouth I got more of the tropical notes with just a hint of citrus that I’ll chalk up to the “touch” of Sauvignon Blanc in the wine. Some of the wine had seen barrels, but I was pleased by how soft the finish on the wine was, especially given my wife’s distaste for oaked Chardonnay.

Paired with a dinner of grilled chicken that had been liberally seasoned and some asparagus the overall crispness of the wine did a nice job of cutting through the bit of heat on the chicken. After the food was gone it was enjoyable enough to sip on. All in all the wine wasn’t a total disappointment, though I’ll also say it didn’t really grab my attention. I think my wife summed it up best when she described the wine as “not bad” with a shrug.

If you want to give the Biltmore Chardonnay Sur Lies a try and can’t find it in your local store, you can follow this link and order it online.

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2009

George — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:00:44 +0000

Varietal: Sauvigon Blanc
Region: New Zealand
Cost: $10 – $13

Pale green in color with aromas of citrus, tropical fruit, and herbs. Flavors of pineapple with a herbaceous and clean finish. Pairs well with shellfish, asparagus dishes, summer salads.

Recommendations: On Friday while shopping for groceries, my wife and I also picked up a bottle of the 2009 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc – we had been looking at it for a while when stopping in the store and we have a big lack of white wine in the house at the moment. On Sunday we opened it up to pair with a dinner of bacon wrapped scallops and butter noodles.

If I had to pick two words to describe this wine it would be “green” and “citrus”. On the nose the tropical fruits and citrus were prevalent, and in the mouth, pineapple, herbs, and a nice clean finish with a hint of acid made this a nice wine to sip on. The citrus and acid did a nice job of cutting through the rich flavors of the meal, but it was light enough to be enjoyed while the meal was cooking, especially on a warm day.

While this certainly isn’t a ground-breaking Sauvignon Blanc, for around $10 it’s not a bad wine to pick up for a casual seafood dinner with your significant other. While you’ll see me drinking fewer of these wines as we head into fall (I’m a sucker for Sauvignon Blanc on the deck), we’ve still a few hot days left so try to get in some deck time with a crisp wine while you can.

If you can’t find the 2009 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc in a store near you, you can order it from here.

Brancott “B” Sauvignon Blanc 2008

George — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:00:19 +0000

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: New Zealand
Cost: $26

Pale straw in color with hints of green and featuring blackcurrant and gooseberry on the nose with concentrated fruit and tropical fruit on the palate. Pairs well with crab, salmon, chicken, and cheeses.

Recommendations: This time of year, I drink a lot of Sauvignon Blanc, which is why I’m always happy to get a sample sent my way. I’d never heard of Brancott Winery before I got this wine, but the description sounded good and like I said, I like Sauvignon Blanc this time of year.

I didn’t really catch the hints of green in the glass, but the wine was certainly straw colored and given as how I’m not particularly familiar with gooseberry, I mostly got citrus on the nose. On the palate the wine was full of citrus with a finish of lemon-grass. Paired with a dinner of salmon and risotto, the Brancott B did a great job of cutting the richness of the risotto and the fattiness of the salmon.

My only real complaint with this wine is the cost. While it’s certainly not a rip-off at $26, I feel as though I can get a quality Sauvignon Blanc for less. That being said, I would still recommend this wine, especially for a dinner of seafood.

Vin de Savoie Jongieux

George — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:00:03 +0000

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.

Domaine du Grand Chemin Vin de Pays Duche’ d’Uzes

Gray Ghost Victorian White

George — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:35:01 +0000

Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $14.50

Light and fruity Chardonnay with no oak. Pineapple and tropical flavors with a semi-dry finish. Pair with spicy food or light fare.

Recommendations: Given as how my wife isn’t a fan of oaked Chardonnay, we were certainly intrigued by this one when we first tried it. The semi-dry finish wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but it wasn’t bad, it just isn’t meant to be paired with everything.

We paired this wine with a light lunch (cheese, crackers, hummus, wings, etc) and I really do believe that that’s the best way to enjoy this wine. This is a great white to enjoy out on the deck on a hot day or to pair with some spicy food while watching the game. As table wines go, it’s a good one.

If you’re looking for something that’s got a bit of residual sugar but isn’t sweet, this is definitely what you’re looking for. While summer is quickly leaving us, it won’t be long before we’re all spending time out on the deck again, so stock up now.

2008 Spier Sauvignon Blanc

George — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:00:30 +0000

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: South Africa
Cost: $9

Light and crisp, with flavors of tropical fruit and citrus. Light on the nose with a more golden color than is typical for Sauvignon Blanc. Pairs well with chicken, pork, or seafood.

Recommendation: I bought this mostly out of a desire to try something new, and because I wanted something to pair with the pork chops I knew I was having for dinner that night. While the Spier Sauvignon Blanc isn’t my favorite, it has certainly opened me up to the world of South African Sauvignon Blancs in a very positive light.

Not nearly as citrusy as the Sauvignon Blancs from South America or even New Zealand, this white wine paired well with my grilled pork chops. I’m not sure if this would work as well for a lighter meal of appetizers or with something overly spicy, but as an alternative to Pinot Grigio or for those that don’t enjoy the citrus of many Sauvignon Blancs, this is a good pick. For the price it’s hard to pass up, especially if you’re interested in trying wine from South Africa.