Price: $9 bottle
Type: Riesling & Pinot Blanc blend
Cork: attractively decorated natural
Rating: 8
Purchased: don't remember
This is a lovely white table wine. I like the enjoyable price point, the casual labels (which look like they could be glued on by any home vintner with a laser printer), and most of all, the taste.
I've already admitted I'm partial to Rieslings, so it shouldn't be much surprise that I enjoy this wine. It went beautifully with a dinner of grilled chicken, garlic pasta, and green beans.
It is slightly sweet with a subtle fruit flavor, reminiscent of peaches or apricots. The attractive scent promises exactly what follows (unlike many whites which smell delightful but taste entirely different.) It flows smoothly on the tongue, not drying but not cloying.
This is definitely a wine I'll buy again.
Incidentally, the brothers Alex and Erik who designed both the wine and the label. donate fifty cents for every bottle sold to the Liliana S. Bartholomaus fund. The fund supports breast cancer treatment and research. This bottle is a good choice all around.
Untested Wine Recommendations
I have no idea whether these will be any good or not, but the following have been recommended.
Reds:
Dona Paula Los Cardos Malbec ~$8
Bolla 2001 (red wine blend) ~$9
Bodega Wineart Malbec ~$15
Whites:
Chateau Ste. Michelle Johannisberg Riesling ~$9
Firestone Gewurtzraminer ~$9
Villa Maria Private Bin Riesling ~13
Price: $13 bottle
Type: Pinot Noir
Cork: attractive natural cork decorated with name and logo
Rating: 8
Purchased: Liquor Barn
This was one of the first reds I remember liking, so when it came time to give it a review, I expected to give it a resounding 10. Imagine my surprise when my memory of this wine didn't hold up to the reality.
Now, don't get me wrong. It's a wine I'll definitely buy again, but since starting this blog experiment, I've found wines I like even better.
This is a mildly scented red with a medium dark color. It's pleasantly sweet on the tongue, not too tannic, but with a mild bitter aftertaste. All in all, I'd say it's a mild wine, but without being boring. I think it would be an excellent choice for beer or white wine drinkers who are just venturing into the world of reds. It's neither overwhelming nor watery. It's good with a well flavored but not (hot) spicy meal. If you drink it with a hot meal, the spices will overwhelm the wine's flavor.
I'll buy this one again, specifically for meals flavored with herbs rather than curry.
Price: $16 bottle
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Cork: attractive natural printed with bold logo
Rating: 4
Purchased: gift
I'm beginning to collect enough data to see trends. I know one of the things I dislike about Chardonnay is the oak flavor other people seem to enjoy so much. It seems I'm not partial to Cabernet Sauvignons for the same reason.
I realize that there are those who will denouce me as an infidel for not appreciating the (arguably) most popular white and red in the US, but this blog is for my personal reference. I don't have to like oaky wines just because they're popular.
So, if you're a white wine drinker who likes Chardonnay, you'll probably like Cabernet Sauvignon. If you don't, then steer away. That said, I've found Cabernet Sauvignon blends well in the many American and Australian house wines. I won't avoid blends just because it is included. It can add a richness of flavor as long as it's one taste among many.
I liked the Aaku (previous review) a little better than the Ravenswood. This one has almost no nose and a flat, uninteresting flavor with a dull, bitter finish. Like the Aaku, I wouldn't discretely push it over towards my husband if it were served at dinner, but it's not a wine I'll buy for myself.
Aaku Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $7/bottle
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Cork: plain jane natural
Rating: 5
Purchased: World Market
So much for the cute label theory. And to think, I was doing so well.
This is a pretty average wine. It's the kind of thing I wouldn't discretely hide behind a napkin at a restaurant, but I won't buy a second glass, much less another bottle.
I find this one a little too bitter, a little too tannic, and a little too bland. There aren't any intriguing subtleties which make me think a second try will bring out something I didn't notice the first time around. It's just not an impressive wine.
Price: $10 bottle
Type: Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedere blend
Cork: plain jane natural
Rating: 10
Purchased: World Market
Trust your friendly local winesellers. They know whereof they speak. I stopped by our new World Market Wines today hoping to find some of the oh so tasty White Shiraz we picked up on our last trip to Jungle Jim's. They didn't have any White Shiraz, but they did have a lot of the wines I've favorably reviewed here displayed on prominent endcaps. This made me feel like I was in their target demographic, so I browsed the somewhat small store feeling completely at ease.
Based on the other bottles I brought to the counter, the wine seller recommended I try The Stump Jump. I am so glad I listened!
Looking over my previous blog entries, it seems I'm partial to blends, and this is no exception. The wine is 80% Grenache, 14% Shiraz, and 6% Mourvedre. I'm starting to understand why Australia has become such a dominant force in the world wine market. The Australians are willing to try new things. They also have a lighthearted attitude which frustrates stuffy old world wine snobs. I approve.
The Stump Jump starts with a strong, fruity boquet that practically jumps out of the bottle. Remember, I like spicy foods, so strong flavors appeal to me. You don't need to stuff your nose into a glass to appreciate this wine's aroma. It comes to you.
On the tongue, it's a fantastic blend of sweet and tannic, beautifully balanced for my tastes. The balance leaves it slightly tart without drying the tongue. I taste a strong cherry flavor, but this is more like LifeSavers cherry than actual fruit. Since I love my LifeSavers, this is fine by me.
It goes well with spicy food (almost a prerequisite for my table wines). I liked it so much I had a half glass after dinner. On its own, I'd only bump it down to a 9.
This is a tasty wine. I will definitely buy it again.
Price: $9
Type: Pinot Noir
Cork: natural cork with name printed on side
Rating: 6
This isn't a bad wine, but it's not terribly impressive, either. I find it both watery and boring on the tongue. The mild scent is equally uninspiring. Again, it's not bad, it's just not exceptional. I've paid a lot more for a lot worse at restaurants.
On the other hand, a new wine drinker might like it. It takes awhile to develop a taste for red wines. If you know someone who still cringes at the sight of reds, this one is mild and inoffensive enough that it might be a good gateway wine to darker reds. It's not too bitter, not too sweet, not too tannic - well, it's not too anything. It just is.
Price: $9 bottle or $4/glass
Type: red blend
Cork: plain jane artificial
Rating: 9
I first had Goats do Roam at the late Abyssinia restaurant here in Louisville. When I saw it at our local Liquor Barn, I had to pick up a bottle.
As you can tell from the rating, this is a wine I really enjoy. It goes beautifully with spicy foods, such as Ethiopian or Indian. The full aroma wafts out as soon as you open the bottle. You can tell from the scent this is going to be a tasty wine.
It rolls smoothly along the tongue, a medium bodied wine that isn't too drying. I'd say it has a distinctly spicy finish, which is probably why it pairs so well with spicy foods. There's a generic fruitiness to it I can't quite pin down. Not cherries, not blackberries - more a Minute Maid Fruit Punch idealized vision of "fruitiness."
There's a slight bitter bite at the end, but unlike many wines which finish bitter, I think in this case it adds a pleasant kick to the spicy finish.
Goats do Roam Red is a blend of Pinotage, Shiraz, Cinsault, Grenache, Gamay Noir, and Carignan. With the notable exception of Shiraz, I've never heard of these grapes. I'm very glad the people at Charles Back wineries have, though. This is a tasty wine I'll definitely want on the table the next time I'm making spicy food.
