It Starts With A Grape

In the traditional flow of German Riesling Spatlese, this is a sweet white wine. Now, its not syrupy sweet, but just take note, if you prefer super dry, oaky white wines, it may be a tad too sweet for you. That being said, this is one of my favorite rieslings, it has a delicate nose with notes of candied apricots, and mild citrus. It has a rather creamy mouth feel, consisting of peaches and tart pears. This is accompanied by lemon zesty undertones, who’s acidity cuts the sweetness nicely, which i think makes this wine far more palatable, and increases the versatility of its fan base.  It pairs excellently with anything Thai, and an array of spicy Indian dishes. Its a fairly easy drinking wine, and its perfect for those who enjoy a mildly complex wine, but prefer it to be a little on the sweet side.

This lovely Italian is light to medium bodied, and especially easy drinking. The nose boasts tart cherries, while hinting at raisins and cloves, cloaked in a mild oak. My first sip ended up being far less fruity than expected. Though the tartness did show through, it definitely had far more oak, and less berry. Its a very clean wine, from noes to finish. It didn’t linger very long at all, which i thought worked well for this wine, sometimes you just want a nice clean finish. It would pair well with most any tomato based pasta dish, or a veal parm, chicken is a little to light for it. Though you could drink this one alone, i would recommend pairing it with food.

Upon my first sniff, it was apparent that this was going to be a delightfully spicy wine. Most distinguishably cinnamon, along with plum, and black currant. It had sort of a sweet and sour sort of thing going on with its bouquet.  Though this wine has ample fruit, I quickly realized it needed to sit open (or be decanted) for an hour or so, to really let the fruit shine through to the palate. Otherwise, its just a tad too tannic. After letting it sit for a while, its juicy fruit was fallowed nicely by a bone dry,spice filled finish. This is a good wine for sipping, but it would also pair perfectly with a hearty stew, or a berry glazed rack of lamb.

Ah, the delightfully inexpensive Vinho Verde…Traditionally Vinho Verdes are slightly effervescent, as is this one. This is a light bodied white wine with plenty of character. Its aromas are fairly vegetative, (think fresh cut grass), and earthy. Yet its also citrussy, with floral notes. Its initially almost sour, but pleasantly so, with plenty of tannin. Citrus, lemon in particular, is definitely the theme of this wine, however the are noticeable hints of green apple. Its nicely rounded around the edges, and would be particularly enjoyable on a hot summer day. It will pair well with most any Thai dish, or a lightly seasoned white fish.

So the title of this one is a little confusing, the type of white wine is an Albarina, also known as Albarino. That being said, this Spanish beauty opens up with a complex bouquet of oak, and hints of hunny ; with mostly grassy notes accompanied by a nice lemony citrus, which compliment the strong oak. Its a medium bodied wine, and a substantial amount of oak transfers over to the palate, which is perfectly balanced out by the ample, but not overpowering, citrus. There are hints of tart pineapple and other tropical fruits. This is definitely an interesting wine, but it remains easily approachable. Rosemary chicken would be a lovely pairing.

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I love Malbec, and I’m always really excited when i find an awesome one for a good price. This is one of those Malbecs. It opens with nuances of strawberry jam, black pepper, plenty of dark cherry, and subtle oak. I was surprised when a great deal of oak carried over to the palate, along with a not so surprising amount of black pepper. Its got nice upfront fruit, more subtle than expected, but the balance of french oak and fruit on the finish is perfect. Technically, its medium to heavy medium bodied, but I could see it standing up nicely to some serious grilled steak, or pork. However, drink it over pizza, or a tomato sauce based dish and your going to bring out a lot more of those fruit flavors. As for cheese, definitely Smoked Gouda.

Alright, so, i have to say, when i turned this bottle over and read of its contents, i was nothing less than intrigued. This blend,hailing from California, consists of Barbera, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Alicante Bouchet grapes. Think its a mouth full to say? Well, its a mouth full to drink! Its a beautiful shade of ruby red, with just hints of brick. This blend has a super fragrant nose, raspberry jam, sweet dark cherries and cloves, just to name a few. (At this point i became really excited) This is a huge, juicy wine, with a mouth feel like silk. All those cherries on the noes translated into ‘right off the tree’ cherries on the palate, balanced out with some serious lingering oak. Its simply a perfectly done wine, which would go great with an array of dishes; Bourbon glazed grilled steak comes to mind, or something BBQ’ed. The cheese is definitely Gorgonzola, or you could just drink it all by itself.

From France, this Pinot opens up with a lovely toasty oak on the noes, and jammy fruits including blackberry, and dark cherries. Id say its anywhere from light-medium, to medium bodied. Upfront, but pleasant fruit is first to caress your palate, with a subtle lingering oak on the finish. Its well balanced, and along the same strain as a traditional french Pinot, but with a slight new world twist. It would pair well with anything from roasted lamb, to a light beef stew. However you can certainly enjoy this one all by itself, it doesn’t need food.

A wonderfully done blend, filled with peppery spices and tart cherries. Oak and bittersweet chocolate linger on the palate, creating a silky smooth lengthy finish. The spicy Shiraz compliments this bold Cabernet perfectly. Enjoy it with anything grilled, particularly seasoned red meat and earthy veggies like asparagus or a hearty grilled squash. The strong tannins will stand up to most any full flavored dish.