The Twentysomething Sommelier

Like most people, I’ve had plenty of Spanish reds.  A Spanish white wine?  I wasn’t so sure.  However, this bottle of Las Colinas Del Ebro 2007 Garnacha Blanca came recommended at the local liquor store, and at $9.99, I was more than willing to give it a shot.

I poured a glass, and my initial reaction was that this was going to be way too sweet–it smelled floral, overpoweringly so, very fruity, almost sugary.  I was expecting the taste of a sweet Riesling, and honestly, wasn’t too excited.  But it tasted incredible–it had the crispness and character of a Pinot Grigio, without any bitterness.  The flavor was of citrus and herbs, with a bit of apple to smooth it out.

We drank this with sauteed pork, red potatoes, and lemon–thank you Martha Stewart.  The wine was perfect with the light, citrusy meal.  No question, I would buy this bottle again.  We saved the bottle to finish off the next night–tasted just as wonderful after a day.

The bottom line: Perfect for sipping on the patio.

Buying a house is a lengthy, tedious, soul-sucking process.  Not that I haven’t felt like drinking wine; I’ve just been spending every free moment crusing real estate sites.  But now, there is light at the end of the tunnel!  And so I’m catching up on reviewing all of the wines that have helped us through the process.

The most recent bottle was a 2007 Spanish Rioja–at $9.99, it was one of our neighborhood wine store’s featured bottles.  It is 100% Tempranillo grapes, from La Rioja Alta region.  Being on the lighter side of reds, we decided to pair it with a bowl of chicken enchilada soup after a long day of skiing.

I’m not sure if this is a wine that would age well or not, but my instict was that it was too young.  It wasn’t as smooth as I would like, and the sharpness overwhelmed the taste of the fruit.  This was an okay wine, it was drinkable, but not anything I would jump to buy again.

The bottom line: I wouldn’t bother.

This is a little late for New Year’s Eve, but file it away.  Champagne isn’t the only wine that can sparkle.  This is a bottle of Paringa 2006 Sparkling Shiraz, bought for around $12.

Shiraz…sparkling?  Yeah.

This wine is a lot of fun to drink.  It would be a great Shiraz without the sparkle, somewhat dry and just enough fruit; the bubbles only make it better.  If you’re like most people, you’ve probably never had red wine sparkling.  I hadn’t in years–long enough to have no idea if we should drink it chilled or at room temperature.

The Shiraz outweighed the sparkling, and we decided to try it off the shelf.  Tasty, but not quite right.  Time to cool it down.

Once cooled, it was great.  Not a wine for everyday drinking, but a fun way to celebrate without being the tenth person to bring a bottle of Champagne to the party.  I would suggest having it with something to ate–we drank it after dinner, and the flavor wasn’t quite light enough to go it alone.

The bottom line: Take a chance on it!

I don’t have a better picture of this wine, and that’s fine–you just need to recognize it to avoid it.  This was an $8 bottle of Chardonnay, recommended by the liquor store (not my normal store, figures), and I thought it was worth a try.  I opened it in the morning–didn’t think to taste it (it was 6am!), just poured it in my Crock Pot.  Came home looking forward to the rest of the bottle and a hot dinner.

This wine–it was like some sort of byproduct of chemistry lab.  That’s really the only way I can think to describe it.  It was sour, and pungent, and bitter, and just no good.  It went right down the drain.  Not only that, but my chicken had cooked in it all day.  Awesome.

The bottom line:  Run.

We’ve had this bottle sitting on rack since before Christmas, and finally decided to open it.  I have a hard time finding inexpensive Cabernets I like–everything seems to be too vinegary or strong, with no sense of subtlety.

This bottle was around $13, and the year got 91 points from Wine & Spirits. It is described as ‘intensely ripe’ and ‘concentrated blackberry and black cherry’.  I would have to agree–’intense’ and ‘concentrated’ describe it pretty well.  It almost had a hint of black licorice, and the first sips were pretty overpowering.

A few minutes in the glass did help–this was certainly a drinkable wine.  Not as smooth as I’d like, but after calming down it was downright tasty.  I’d pair this with red meat, something with flavor enough to hold its own.

The bottom line: I wouldn’t pay more than $15, but a good choice

Tonight’s wine was White Truck, a 2007 Pinot Grigio from Napa.  My uncle brought a bottle of Red Truck’s California Red to Christmas dinner, and I was pretty impressed.  I cooked a shrimp recipe that called for a bit of white wine, and decided to give White Truck a try.

After the first sip, Ben’s response was “boring.”  With the meal, it did taste a bit better.  It had everything a Pinot Grigio should have–citrusy without being overwhelming, a bit of a thickness without being strong.  Everything was there–just not enough of it.

At $9.99, this is an inexpensive bottle–but not quite cheap enough to make it worth it.  Not a bad introduction to Pinot Grigios, but if you’re looking for something interesting, look elsewhere.

The bottom line: Try Campanile’s Pinot Grigio instead.

Happy 2009!  It’s been a couple of months since I’ve updated, and since I didn’t stop drinking wine suddenly, I have a lot to catch up on!  I’m planning to jump in and get caught up as I can.

This bottle was a Christmas gift from my brother–he told the clerk he wanted a Super Tuscan and was asked “How super?”  Whatever his answer was, it was good.  This wine is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 25% Syrah, and earned 90 points from Wine Spectator.  It sells for about $27 (sorry Matt, I know it was a gift, I had to do my research!)

According to Wine Spectator, this wine is best to drink after 2010.  Whoops–not that I wanted to wait anyway!  On the first sip, it was strong and lively.  We let it breathe before drinking the rest, which probably helped do the wine justice–if I can’t wait until 2010, I can give it ten minutes in the open.  The rest of the bottle was clear and fruity, and as promised, a hint of tannins, but not as overwhelming as they can get.

This bottle was a great treat, exactly what I would expect from a superbly made Tuscan red.  It would pair perfectly with a heavy pasta dish.

The bottom line: Worth the splurge for a special dinner.

Tonight’s wine was a J. Lohr 2006 Paso Robles merlot, which was about a $12 bottle.  This is a California wine, from the Estrella River area of Paso Robles.  Apparently Jerry Lohr “practices the French system of planting each grape variety in its ideal appellation.”  Sounds good to me!

I opened this bottle to go with a pasta with a vodka cream sauce, one of my all-time favorite recipes.  The first sip wasn’t bad–a little strong,  full-bodied, but sadly, a hint of vinegar.  It did go great with dinner, enough flavor to compliment the meal without overpowering (and there was no hint of a vinegar-y taste after breathing).  Honestly, were this an $8 bottle, it would be remarkable.  At $12, it wasn’t outstanding, but with so many awful cheap merlots out there, it’s not a bad bet.

The bottom line: Not outstanding, but if you feel like merlot, not a bad choice.

Back from a two-month hiatus (getting married is hard work!), and ready for some more wine.  The most recent bottle is a Chessman Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir.  This was an $11 bottle of wine, purchased to go with barbequed ribs and a variety of wine tastes.

The wine was drinkable immediately, and incredibly smooth.  It paired wonderfully with the barbequed ribs–I think pinot noirs are turning into my favorite barbeque wine!  This bottle was almost a little too smooth for my tastes, not quite as complex as I’ve found with other pinots.  My mom, who generally prefers whites, really enjoyed it–it wasn’t too strong or overpowering.

The bottom line: A great red for a crowd with a variety of palates.