Lipgloss & Wine

"A Bottle a Day..." (Happy Holidays)

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:28:00 -0500

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.

What are you drinking this season?

Concha y Toro Frontera Merlot 2009 (It's love.)

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:05:00 -0500

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.

Which is your favorite merlot under $10?

Aconga Cabernet Sauvignon-Malbec 2010 Review

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:31:46 -0500

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?

Happy Thanksgiving

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:58:00 -0500

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!

Pinetti Notte Primitivo 2010 (Vino Italiano, per favore.)

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:29:00 -0500

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.

MontGras Reserva Carmenere 2009 (Warm me, spicy red)

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:01:00 -0500

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.

Geyser Peak 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Review

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:59:00 -0500

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!

Swanson, Dahling... Could You Be the One?

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:47:00 -0500

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.

Lover, are you reading this?

Stone Cellars Pinot Grigio Review (Hello, again.)

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:40:00 -0500

Pinot grigio, how we’ve missed you.

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?

Honey Wine? Yes, Please

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 02:50:00 -0500

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?

Crane Lake Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Review

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:37:00 -0500

We follow many wine blogs for recommendations and inspiration. Some articles have piqued our interest lately, including this one: Why You Should Be Drinking Cheap Wine

While we believe that a great everyday wine doesn’t need to set you back over $20, there are some that obviously, quite frankly, miss the mark. In considering wines less than $10, we tried this one from Crane Lake tonight and we were less than impressed.

The aroma was that of what we expect of a decent wine under 10 bucks. There were tart berries and a hint of warm oak after allowing to breathe for a bit. But the flavor profile of this one was nothing to write home about. Our tasting notes suggest that we would not purchase this 2010 cab sauv again.

Aroma: Cranberry, purple grapes, chocolate, nutmeg
Taste: Light-bodied; prunes and berries
Aftertaste: Very short with a mild fruitiness.

What are some of your favorite wines under $10?

8 Awesome Wine Labels 1. Labels that are both robust and...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:46:00 -0500

8 Awesome Wine Labels

1. Labels that are both robust and informative. Never shall you wonder which vino to pair with that pulled pork masterpiece. (designed by Ellie Snow)

2. Finally! A wine to match your Novembeard. The fancier the stache, the fancier the wine, according to these labels. (source)

3. Keep your pets close and your reds closer. (designed by Bailey Lauerman)

4. Morse Code is the language of love. That, or of a delicious Australian shiraz. (designed by Parallax)

5. This pour could get a bit messy. (Possum Wines)

6. There’s something comical about this label’s awesomeness. (by Mash Design for Esule wines)

7. No words. (designed by Dorian)

8. If wine is poetry, these labels narrate their contents. (designed by WORKlab)

Lindeman's Reserve Padthaway Shiraz 2010 Review (Wine and cheese, please.)

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:58:00 -0400

Tonight’s foray began with an intense craving for manchego cheese - it’s our favorite! After discovering that it is best paired with cab sauv, shiraz, or chianti, we chose shiraz. Lindeman’s 2010 Padthaway Shiraz was our quick pick, and its price was around $14 per bottle. It had a screwcap rather than a cork. Alcohol content: 13.5%

After letting this wine breathe for about an hour, we resorted to the swirl.

The nose was delightful! Beneath the berries, it reminded us of the smell of a warm latte, which we are no stranger to. The palate was medium-bodied and quite tannic with some acidity. The taste of tart berries and flat Black Cherry Vanilla Coke settled into a lingering finish of prunes and smoky oak.

We paired this wine with manchego cheese but for dinner we’d opt for beef stew (perfect for chilly weather).

Aroma - Blackberry, cranberry, black pepper, butterscotch, mocha
Taste - Medium-bodied; blackberry, prunes, vanilla
Aftertaste - Prunes, oak

Which is your favorite Shiraz?

Bay Bridge Merlot (Simple pleasures.)

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:01:00 -0400

At $4 per bottle, Bay Bridge Merlot is an extremely affordable wine and a drop in the bucket as far as experimentation is concerned. ABV 13%, cork closure. This could turn out really poorly - a watery merlot comprised of haste and reject grapes. Or, it could turn out to be a drinkable, not-so-bad value red. Let’s find out!

At first sniff this reeked of acidity, but after aerating for an hour, the wine became drinkable for our taste. It was quite pleasant, at that!

The nose hinted at strawberry and a nutty warmth. This merlot had a simple, sweet flavor profile. We would choose Bay Bridge Merlot as an everyday “wine o’clock” wine or even a dinner wine, but something different for weekends or special occasions.

Aroma - Strawberry, walnut, oak
Taste - Medium bodied; apple peel, pear, green grapes; very mild tannins
Aftertaste - This lingered with fruit for a short while; very mild but pleasant

Would you try Bay Bridge Merlot?