Wineslob's Wine Review

[Wineslob]

I thought I'd resurrect something that I haven't done for almost 10 years.

Whenever I feel like it (   ) I'll review some wine(s).  No set dates.

I will be use a scoring system that's based on the 20 point system.

From my old site (it's still up/changed my age)

Well, I am 52 years old and I have been drinking wine for over 20 years. I don't have any degrees in wine tasting only past experience. My father is one of the founding members of The Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine, so wine has always been a part of our family life. I have been lucky enough to attend some wonderful wine tasting events over the years and have also gone wine tasting many times in the California wine regions.

I firmly believe in inexpensive good wine. I am also not afraid to call crap, crap! I have no affiliations with any wine group, winery, etc...

My mission is to taste wines, usually with a meal and tell you what I think, no holds barred. While it's nice to enjoy the expensive wines, I am doing reviews on everyday drinking wines that are easy to find at a local store. When possible, I will list the price I paid for the wine and where I got it.

I'll post as I try some "new" stuff. Maybe some Merlot.    

edit:

I'll add a price/value score also based on the 20 point system.

[Wineslob]

The Vine Yard, 2007 Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc.

Alcohol: 13.3 %

Available at Fresh and Easy, 8.99 a bottle.

Score:  13/20

Value:  12/20


Ruby red and bright around the rim this wine is pretty true to it's variety. The nose is woody with under currents of briar and dark fruits.
The mouthfeel is lacking, being a bit thin with slightly rough, somewhat bitter tannins.
Food helps bring out more of the fruit components, thought the palate does remain rather one dimensional and is short on length.
This is an Ok, not great, wine, given it's price point, and does go fairly well with beef, and heavier fare. Personally, I'd rather find a Cabernet Sauvigon nearer this price.

Fresh and Easy is a West Coast store chain, so availability will be limited. If one is in your area, I would suggest picking up a single bottle just to see if it's your "cup of tea".

[Eupher]

WS, have you had occasion to try Cupcake Vineyards "Red Velvet?"

It's a vineyard out of Livermore, CA. Mrs. E raves about this wine and the bottle I picked up for her yesterday is a 2009 vintage. I think I paid about $9 for it.

I could quote the label and how they describe this particular wine, but only if you'd like to know. I know virtually nothing about wine, don't drink the stuff, so I'm just curious as to your impression of it if you've sampled any of it.

[whiffleball]

Good, I can ask some advice!  I don't drink much except for an occasional inexpensive very sweet dessert wine, but I need help for my husband.

I want to get him something really nice for Christmas.  He likes dry white.  I would spend as much as $120 since this is a special gift.  It doesn't have to come from any particular area.

Also, do you know anything about those Wine of the Month Clubs or whatever it is they're called?  I haven't checked to see if I could order online from GA, but would be interested if you knew anything about a good one.

[Wineslob]

Eu, no Cupcake yet, though I do see it all over the place.


Wiffle, try Trader Joes, they have 2 Sauv Blancs from NZ, (New Zealand) right around 8-9 bucks and are damn near as good as Cloudy Bay, which means they are GREAT.


Avoid the wine of the month clubs. Unless you get into the expensive monthly one, say around $100 a month(many times bi-monthly or quarterly), you get crummy wines. I was in a "budget" one and the wines were never very good.

[whiffleball]

Well, I guess the husband will be getting a few bottles instead of just one.  Thanks for the tips!  You've just saved me some bucks.

[Linda]

I am not much of a drinker at all but I do like Reisling wines, especially the ones from the Rhine river in Germany.

Do you know of any other good white wines that would compare to the German Reislings?

[shadeaux]

German Reislings

I used to LOVE that wine but it's rather expensive for such a small bottle.  I'm no expert but having tasted it many times, the closest I can compare it to is Old South muscadine wine.

http://oldsouthwinery.com/OurWines.aspx

The Bayou Blue and Southern Belle are the best white wines I have ever tasted.  Their Rose' Miss Scarlett has an incredible taste. 

Not expensive, you can order online. Depending on where you wine shop, they may have it.  If you're a regular at your spirit store, the owner will order some to keep just for you. Where we shopped they did. I thought that was so nice.

Seriously, if you can find it, try it.

[Eupher]

I spent a significant amount of time in Germany and some of it in the Nahe region, so I'm somewhat familiar with Rieslings though I couldn't name a brand if my life depended on it.

As I understand it (again, I'm no expert), Rieslings are a white wine that run the gamut - dry (halbtrocken or trocken) to slightly sweet (Spätlese) to very sweet dessert wines (Auslese and Beerenauslese). And it's even used to produce the German sparkling wines, known as Sekt.

When I lived in the Nahe River valley (Bad Kreuznach), right around this time of year the vintners were harvesting grapes. In late November, you could actually smell the wine in the air as it began to ferment (not a very pleasant smell, btw, certainly not as welcome as fresh-baked bread).

As most of the vineyards were located on relatively steep slopes, the workers would trek up and down between rows carrying large plastic tubs on their backs in which they'd put the bunches of grapes as they picked 'em. Then they'd dump the tubs in a small trailer pulled by a tractor of some type and go back for another load. It looked like exhausting work.

Leaving some of the grapes on the vine until the first frost would yield the sweeter wines, and especially those that had come from frozen grapes (Eiswein). Extremely sweet and mostly used as a delicate sauce on desserts.

[Linda]

German Rieslings

I used to LOVE that wine but it's rather expensive for such a small bottle.  I'm no expert but having tasted it many times, the closest I can compare it to is Old South muscadine wine.

http://oldsouthwinery.com/OurWines.aspx

The Bayou Blue and Southern Belle are the best white wines I have ever tasted.  Their Rose' Miss Scarlett has an incredible taste.  

Not expensive, you can order online. Depending on where you wine shop, they may have it.  If you're a regular at your spirit store, the owner will order some to keep just for you. Where we shopped they did. I thought that was so nice.

Seriously, if you can find it, try it.

I live in Florida and all of the Official Florida Winers have to make at least one wine made with the muscadine grape. I have tried all of them and I don't care for the flavor, for me it is too strong.  I will check out your other suggestions though....thank you for them.

I spent a significant amount of time in Germany and some of it in the Nahe region, so I'm somewhat familiar with Rieslings though I couldn't name a brand if my life depended on it.

As I understand it (again, I'm no expert), Rieslings are a white wine that run the gamut - dry (halbtrocken or trocken) to slightly sweet (Spätlese) to very sweet dessert wines (Auslese and Beerenauslese). And it's even used to produce the German sparkling wines, known as Sekt.

When I lived in the Nahe River valley (Bad Kreuznach), right around this time of year the vintners were harvesting grapes. In late November, you could actually smell the wine in the air as it began to ferment (not a very pleasant smell, btw, certainly not as welcome as fresh-baked bread).

As most of the vineyards were located on relatively steep slopes, the workers would trek up and down between rows carrying large plastic tubs on their backs in which they'd put the bunches of grapes as they picked 'em. Then they'd dump the tubs in a small trailer pulled by a tractor of some type and go back for another load. It looked like exhausting work.

Leaving some of the grapes on the vine until the first frost would yield the sweeter wines, and especially those that had come from frozen grapes (Eiswein). Extremely sweet and mostly used as a delicate sauce on desserts.

All true, the grapes on the side of the hills on the Rhine have a slight charcoal flaovr in them from the coal powered train that passes by each day. From what I was told when we were there is they stopped the coal powered train for awhile (progress) but when the harvest came in, the flavor of the wine had changed and they restarted the coal powered train to get the right flavor back into the grapes and wine. An the one I liked best was the halbtrocken.

We even had about 200 bottled made with our own label. My hubby was an MP and we had the MP insignia and Company name put on the label. We shared our buy with all of the troops in my hubbys company and brought the rest home with us. It was fun and a very memerable experience.

[Wineslob]

I don't get Rieslings very often as they are quite expensive (Dr Loosen ) for "decent" wines.
 There is a "Riesling" (Pacific Rim Dry
  Riesling) at Grocery Outlet (not like a real Riesling but enjoyable). Alsatian whites are less pricey and somewhat close to Reslings as an alternative.

[Linda]

Thanks for the info, I will keep my eyes open for those brands and give them a try.

[Wineslob]

I haven't done a full review of these wines, notice the plural, but for now (I'll do a full review later) IF you can find them, look for Norman Vineyards, especially the 2005 Petite Sirah. It's $3.99 at the "Gross Out".

I'm quite certain it's unfined and unfiltered, judging from the amount of sediment in the bottle(s).

Super wine at a super price. 

[IassaFTots]

Riesling is my favorite white wine.  Texas is making some that are pretty good, especially Becker Vineyards.  I love that place.  Hard to find up here (still in Texas), so I typically buy some Schwartzkatz and be done with it.