Okay, loves. We’re back with a handful of value wine reviews that will hopefully make your evening trip to the grocer a tad more decisive as far as wine is concerned. We know the holidays are hectic. How goes the old adage? A bottle a day..? Don’t bother with stowing these away for holiday dinner. These come with a lipglossed label that reads “Drink now; worry later.”
Tisdale Pinot Noir (non-vintage) (< $5) Plummy, bright. Soft tannins. Unoffensive. Acidity and mouthfeel is reminiscent of Welch’s Grape. We’d gladly pay $4 for grape juice that takes the edge off the day.
Beringer Pinot Noir 2009 (< $10) We wouldn’t bat one eyelash at this bottle. We like a pinot with personality. This one has none. You won’t find any blueberry or snozberry here. Flavor profile is too simple and tannins are like a stage 5 clinger on the palate. Steer clear.
Redtree Pinot Noir 2010 (< $10) Fruit-forward with cherry pie and berry danish. Some acidity with soft tannins. Not much depth; an easy drink.
Redwood Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (< $10) Lime, green apple, apricot, and sweet macademia nut were all detected. Balanced acidity. We added this to a rosemary chicken breast marinade and the end result was something of a dream: delicious.
The Little Penguin Shiraz 2010 (< $10) Caramel Creams and cherry on the nose with white pepper. Dark chocolate, black fruits on the palate with some oak. Enjoyable.
Gallo Chardonnay (non-vintage) (< $10) Sweeter than most, thus one to love. Usually chards are too dry for our taste.
Sometimes, a strange thing happens when you shell out a 10 for a bottle of red - get change back - then head home to uncork, not expecting much. What you might expect is for said red to fall flat just like the other dime-a-dozen value reds you’ve tried. So, it’s a splendid surprise when you happen to fall in love at first sip (before aeration, even). It’s clear that this 2009 Frontera merlot from Concha y Toro is not like the others. The bottle was around $9 with an ABV of 12.5%.
We got blackberry and plum on the nose with tobacco and a hint of light roast coffee. The mouthfeel was particularly smooth and round. On the palate, cinnamon candies, black cherry, plum, and caramel were detected. The finish was smooth as well, lingering with the taste of berry cola. There was little acidity and soft tannins overall.
Aroma: Blackberry, plum, tobacco, coffee
Taste: Black cherry, cinnamon, plum, caramel; round, smooth
Aftertaste: Black cherry, caramel; lingers
We’d buy this by the case, so it gets our hearty stamp of approval. We do love Chilean wines.
As we settled in the night before Thanksgiving with extended family, we uncorked this newly-purchased bottle of Aconga Cabernet Sauvignon-Malbec 2010. It contains 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% malbec. Something about it seemed that it would be rather lovely for the marked-down price of $4.
The nose featured lots of black fruit and walnut. On the palate it was more peppery with blackberry and also a perceived tartness which came across as lime zest. In fact, the tartness was fairly distinct, which ended up being a turn-off. We didn’t get much of the licorice flavor that the anise of malbec usually provides, which was unfortunate.
Aroma: Black fruits, cherry, walnut
Taste: Blackberry, tart citrus, black pepper
Aftertaste: Lingers for a short while with spice and berries
Our verdict is that this is a lovely value wine, but doesn’t suit our personal taste.
Have you tried this wine (or something like it)? What did you think?
We hope everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving weekend with family and loved ones (and lovely wine). We shared food, conversation, and delicious shiraz, gewurztraminer, and carmenere wines with extended family. We will be back to posting reviews very soon.
Our Twitter account is down, unfortunately, and we are working to reactivate our account. In the meantime: Cheers! Enjoy your weekend!
Primitivo, or zinfandel, is one red that is best enjoyed in its youth. As the name suggests, it’s an Italian wine. As its flavors suggest, this one is a winner for us. This 2010 Primitivo from Pinetti Notte was around $11 with a screwcap closure and an ABV of 12.5%.
The nose before decanting was particularly vegetal and grassy. White asparagus and dandelion were detected before the fruitiness of the cherry and blackberry. The fruit aromas were enhanced as the wine breathed.
The palate echoed the fruit from the nose but turned into a savory mouthfeel of beef tenderloin with black pepper. There was acidity and firm tannins. The finish lingered with the meatiness, cherry, and tannins. Mmm, savory.
This is certainly one of our favorite value reds! We love that it’s both fruity and a bit savory. It would be perfectly paired with pasta dressed in a basil tomato sauce.
Perhaps wine should be an ideal lover: young but complex, spicy, comforting, engaging. Latin, perhaps? MontGras Reserva 2009 Carmenere comes to mind. It is our Latin lover, so to speak.
Our first experience with this carmenere was Cinco de Mayo 2011. We prepared a carne asada dinner for two and toasted with a glass of this wonderfully complex wine.
It is a deep, rich shade of purple red. There is smoke, spice, and rich berry on the nose with hints of chocolate and vanilla from the oak. The berry, spice, and oak carry you all the way to the finish with firm tannins and enough acidity to keep everything balanced.
As winter approaches here in our region, we are comforted by this varietal. “Warm me, spicy red.”
The best part is that bottle costs less than $10. With the ratings it has received, and based on our personal experience, we call this a catch.
During our trip to the supermarket last week to pick up a bottle of pinot grigio for dinner, we discovered our grocer was hosting a wine tasting for a tiny fee. Being the explorers we are, we accepted their offer and paused to taste wine, nibble on their chef’s selection of Thankgiving-inspired eats, and listen to some live jazz!
We chose to taste this 2007 cabernet sauvignon by Geyser Peak. It retails for $18 with an ABV of 15.3%.
The nose was smooth and rich with black currant and cranberry. On the palate we savored tart berries and Dr Pepper underneath from the hints of cherry and malty caramel. Tannins and acidity were mellow overall. This would make a fabulous thanksgiving wine - a perfect complement to turkey and mashed potatoes with homemade cranberry sauce.
Aroma: Smooth; black currant, cranberry
Taste: Medium-bodied; cranberry, cherry, caramel, apple peel, pear
Aftertaste: Short and smooth with berries and pear
For the price tag we were expecting a more complex cab sauv, but if you find this marked down, grab a couple bottles for family dinner!
As we devise our Christmas gift list, we ponder what we might ask for. We’d include this 2009 Swanson Pinot Grigio, along with Swanson’s recommendation of caviar (on a potato chip). Fabulous! This pairing sounds absolutely divine.
Tonight we prepared an aioli chicken dinner with green veggies and shrooms. We love to dazzle the boyfriend with our attempts at perfecting a recipe! Our vino du jour was Stone Cellars Pinot Grigio: non-vintage, 13.5% alcohol, with a perfect dinner pricetag of $8.
White wines benefit as well from decanting and this one certainly needed a breather before drinking. First sniff from the bottle brought up cheese and oak. No bueno. After decanting, the beautiful fruit in this pinot grigio emerged. We smelled honeysuckle, green apple, and some citrus. We tasted apricot and pear, and the astringency of the pineapple kicked it up quite nicely. Oak is ever-present, but not unpleasant for us.
Overall, a perfect pairing and a pleasant reunion with our favorite white! Which is your favorite white wine?
Tonight our foray led us into a local meadery to experience some of the best this craft has to offer.
If you’re unfamiliar with mead, essentially it’s produced by fermenting a mixture of honey and water. After fermentation, various flavor-enhancers can be added like fruits, spices, and even hops. The intended result is a unique and enjoyable tasting experience.
Novelty aside, craft meads are delicious! With their complex nose and flavor profiles - and alcohol content reaching up to 18% - you are sure to find a favorite and a crowd-pleaser.
Of the sampler, we loved the hopped mead - dry and aged with oak - that had the smoothness and richness of a delicious craft beer. Our other favorite was the “Apple Pie”, a spiced sweet cider mead that we liken to apple pie in a glass. On the nose we got cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple spice. On the palate we savored a smooth, sweet complexity of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg…and apple pie. Delightful!
While we’re busy drafting our Christmas list, tell us, have you tried mead? Which was your favorite?
Tisdale Pinot Noir (non-vintage) (< $5)
Redwood Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (< $10)
