Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin 2010

This wine just joined my list of favorite wines.  I really enjoyed both the bouquet and the taste. It has a wonderful full aroma of fruit and spice. The taste is full-bodied and long lasting.

I would recommend this wine to any fan of "spicy" wines such as other Zinfandels and Shiraz/Syrah. I also think this is a great crossover wine for those wanting to expand their palate, yet find Syrahs typically too spicy/peppery.

**And yes I know I wrote "clody" not "cloudy" in the sheet below, but since it is an image I can't change it.

Little Black Dress Pinot Grigio 2010

Yes, that light color in the picture is the color of this wine. Yes, that light color reflects the light taste of this wine. Yes, that light taste is why I am not a fan of this wine.

The overall taste of this wine is enjoyable, and worth a shot if the descriptions below sound interesting to you. It is just not what I look for in my Pinots. The most enjoyable thing about this wine was the hint of pear. The least enjoyable thing was how drying this white was. I like tannins and drying wines, but normally I look for that in my reds. I did appreciate the length that the flavor lasted after drinking and the fact that it was a fairly full-bodied white.

Overall I would probably buy this wine on sale for a gift of someone I knew was a Pinot Grigio lover or for a party if it was on sale. Otherwise, I, personally, would not buy this wine again.

Waterbrook Melange Noir 2008

This wine is a perfect example of how spending a bit more on wine isn't always a safe bet. This also creates a big disappointment as well because you spend that extra bit on your wine and you get something lack luster or even bad.

There was nothing great about this wine. When wines are blended, the wine is normally at least interesting even if not tasty. This wine was 100% boring. It had a light basic wine bouquet. The taste was short and basic with no finish to speak of.  In plainer terms, this was like drinking watered down wine. There was some variety in the taste as all wines (even the worst) will have. There was nothing undrinkable about this wine and no unpleasant taste, but there was nothing exciting or enjoyable about it either. That is what I look for in a wine. I truthfully wouldn't even cook with this wine because I am not sure it would really add that much flavor to the dish.

If someone serves you this wine or gifts it to you, don't worry you won't spit it back out, but don't expect an interesting blend with different flavors and finishes.  It's just a wine.

Little Black Dress Chardonnay 2010

I was pleasantly surprised by this wine. Chardonnay is normally my least favorite of the whites because of the Vanilla and Oak tendencies (same reason I do not normally like Merlots). This Chard, however, was quite enjoyable. But on the other had, those that normally like Chards, would find this a bit contrived and not what you would normally expect from one.  So for the same reason I would prefer this over other Chardonnays, would be the reason why many would not.

As already mentioned there is not a strong oakiness to this Chard, however, it is still present. I personally did not taste any vanilla and am usually rather sensitive to it.  I did taste a citrus fruit hint though. The other reason why I was so surprised I enjoyed this wine so much is the bouquet was so light I could barely smell anything. I have had water that had a stronger odor than this wine.

This is a good neutral white to serve at parties, or to have for a day when you want a white wine, but not really sure what kind. If you are wanting something specific, or want to have a varietal that is true to its tendencies, this is not the wine for you.



Rosenblum Syrah 2009

I wish I had a bottle now! This stuff was so tasty. This is probably one of my favorite reds I have ever had.  I am a big fan of the Shiraz/Syrah wines right now (Fun Fact: Shiraz is what Syrah goes by in Australia & New Zealand).

This wine had a wonderful bouquet with a full fruity and spicy aroma. The taste was smooth and pleasing.  It was a very full-bodied wine that stayed true to the spicy notes that Syrahs are so often known for. I also enjoyed the fruity plum taste that is so often missing in most Shirazes.

If I did not have this blog where I need to try different wines and new ones I have not tried, I would have bought at least 4 bottles of this wine, especially at the sale price!

Little Black Dress Merlot 2010

This was a wine had the opportunity to taste at a wine tasting a few days ago.  This was my favorite of the 3 Little Black Dress wines I tried (the other two were whites).  Forgive me if this description is a bit short. I only had a tasting size, so I could only get so much information out of it (a full glass really helps).

I am not always a fan of Merlots because of the typical oaky notes, but this one I really did enjoy.  It was a bit fruitier than most Merlots I have tried.  If I was hosting a dinner party, I would definitely make sure to have a bottle of this for those Merlot lovers.  It is an affordable price and easy to drink.

Copa di Vino Pinot Grigio Single Serving

I saw these cute little guys at a Binny's and they were giving out free samples. These are single 4oz servings of wines. I tried the reisling and what quite pleased so I bought another reisling, cabernet sauvignon, and this pinot grigio.  Well, this pinot is terrible.  It is bitingly acidic.  The flavor is dull on top of that.  The reisling is ok and fairly enjoyable, but this was not.  I could drink this wine if I had to to be polite, but I hope no one would serve this to me out of politeness.

I sure hope the Cab is going to be better than this.  For $3, go to a Trader Joe's and get a bottle of Charles Schawb or spend $5 more on a Columbia Crest or such. The single serving idea is great, but obviously has a way to go before it can serve a wide variety of tasty wine. Truthfully I doubt that it will ever become a top notch wine because anyone that really enjoys a wine, will want a full bottle of it.

Oh well, it was worth a shot and that is what this blog is about. I truthfully I hope I come across just as many bad wines as I do good so I can save people the disappointment of opening up a bad bottle of wine.





Alamos Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Argentina is known for it's reds, but Malbecs and Zinfs mainly.  This Cab was about what I expected from an Argentinian Cab.  It was pleasant, drinkable, forgettable.  I did try their Malbec as well (no specific review for it though) and it was quite good.  I would suggest going for their Malbec if you are wanting to go for a wine by Alamos, if you are wanting a Cab, stay tuned for a better recommendation.

It isn't a bad wine, just I have had better for $10-13 as far as Cabs go.  The taste was smooth and strong, but the finish was short lasting and I prefer a long lasting finish on my reds.  My biggest problem with this wine is there was debris at the bottom of the bottle & it came out in the last glass poured. The other issue was the tannins were very strong and caused this wine to be very drying. 

This isn't a wine to impress, but easily drinkable by anyone that can enjoy a dry red.



Two Vines Columbia Crest 2010 Gewurztraminer

This isn't my favorite Gewurzt. It has more acidity than I like in mine (I prefer that in my Rieslings), I like mine smoother.  I also would classify this as a semi-sweet and I am partial to a semi-dry.  Now if you are a fan of semi-sweet Rieslings, then this would be a good introduction to Gewurztraminer.  My rating for this is on overall quality of the wine.  If I were rating this on a scale of 1-10 on just how much I like it, it would probably on get a 6.5 in my opinion, but I am a dry girl when it comes to wine & humor. 

This is not a wine that everyone will like, so I would not have this as your only option at dinner parties. I also prefer the basic Columbia Crest Gewurzt to their Two Vines (the one the review is about). 

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I'd like to say thanks to Delta Sharp for being so quick in developing this awesome logo for me! 

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Altavins Domus Pensi Red Wine 2008 40% Garnatxa Peluda 40% Samso 20% Syrah

My first wine review! So at the bottom of every review (well most, there might be some impromptu tastings I don't have this available to me), I will have this chart with facts about the wine and my impressions.  This is for someone who wants more than just the basics.  The tastings are based on my opinion on a 1-10 scale, 10 being great or the highest.

This is a Spanish red blend of a Garnacha (Grenache) and Carinena (Carignan), with a Syrah as well.  A pleasant red wine with a hint of spice yet with a full juicy flavor.

In other words, if you don't like Shiraz or Syrah because they taste burnt or peppery, you probably won't like this one.  If you just feel like those wine are typically too drying (as tannins not sweetness), then you might like this. This is a good basic wine that, in my opinion, would fall in the semi-dry category, not necessarily because of sweetness but the juiciness is strong for a red.

My favorite thing about this wine: I feel like I am drinking a Spanish wine.  I'm not sure how to describe it, but give me some paella and I'd say Ole!

My least favorite thing about this wine: It's a bit too juicy for me.  I like my reds dry, but that is a personal preference.  There aren't any huge flaws with this wine, so I had to pick something.

Enjoy!

 

Basic Tools of a Wine Bar

I understand that most of you might have a few of these items already, but I have compiled a brief list of a few basic items I feel are near necessary for a wine bar (of any caliber). 

#1.

A Wine Aerator Price Range: $10 - $40+

The one I use (and so do other members of my family) is by Vinturi.  They are $40+ in stores, but you can find them a bit cheaper on Amazon.  There are other brands out there as cheap as $10 for a spout, but I can't speak as to the amount of difference they make in the wine.

Now, why would you need one of these?  A common practice is to decant a wine after opening it to let it "breath".  This takes a while, but truly does help restore the intended taste of the wine that has been sitting in an air tight bottle for who knows how long.  An aerator (at least I know a Vinturi) helps do this immediately. 

The best way I can summarize what this does is "to open up the taste of the wine".  I find I notice more with reds than whites.  I always do a little taste non-aerated, then a little taste aerated just to see the difference the first time I try a wine.  This doesn't need to be done if you are drinking a bottle of wine you opened more than a day ago typically.  Too much air can be a bad thing (that is why the bottles are corked air-tight.

 #2

Wine Stopper Price Range $5 - $30

My personal favorite type of stopper is one with a lever as pictured above.  Although, Rabbit does make a good rubber stopper that keeps the air out well, but I wouldn't trust it not to leak on my floor, so I only use those for whites I keep in the fridge.  You can also go really high tech and get a stopper/pump combo to "suck" out the air, which supposedly can extend your opened wine's shelf life up to 30 days. 

I don't know about you, but wine doesn't typically last 30 days in my house once it is opened. 

Why would you need these and not just use the cork again? Two reasons. First, as I mentioned, too much air is a bad thing and these little guys are going to help keep more air out.  Second, sometimes corks break or don't want to fit back in.

#3

Foil Cutter Price Range $5-$15

A foil cutter isn't as important so much as the fact that you make sure you take the foil off wine bottles so you don't dull your corkscrew.  Also, if you don't take the foil off you can get foil falling into you wine (learned that the hard way). 


Other Basics:

Wine Glasses- Solo cups don't cut it after college, so go ahead, break down & spend a couple bucks at Wal-Mart and pick up 4-8 glasses.  Also just so you know the different shapes are for different wines (I can't really tell a difference when drinking but it is fun to know which one is for which, I listed the pictures below if you want to know too).

Corkscrew/pump/Rabbit/etc- Unless you are going into a bar fight and need a shiv, it's the only way to open a bottle of wine

Wine Cooler- I don't have one of these as of now, but I plan to get one soon.  You can get singles used on craigslist for as little as $25 or a 20 bottle cooler new for $200+.  These are handy to get your wine to the correct temperature and to do it quickly if you decide to have a white spur of the moment.

 White Wine Glass, More of a V shape at the bottom.

Red Wine Glass, More of a bowl shape at Bottom and typically a larger mouth.

What is Your Favorite Wine?

About Me

I am in my twenties and have been married for about two years.  I also work full time at a salon (which I LOVE!) My husband and I also have the cutest sheltie ever named Rikku. 
We are newlywed homebodies and enjoy just watching movies as well as playing video games together.  You will learn more I guess as you read my blog.


I enjoy wine and I hope that this blog will enhance my knowledge of it.  I also helps that it will help others found out their favorite wines.  Remember guys, everything in moderation!