Deep dark purple nearly black hue with aromas of ripe plum, luscious sweet black berry, sweet smoked dark berry fruit,
Palate--Incredibly intense, dense flavors of rich, ripe dark berry fruit with tar, rich sweet spice, textured thick structure, and a finish that won't stop.
Another Trader Joe's show stopper at $10 that will blow your socks off! I only bought one bottle but will definitely be buying MANY more! Raise a glass!
Hints for an upscale restaurant with a voluminous wine list:
The wine "catalogue" is brought to your table and your first thought is, "Is there a Cliff's Notes version of this encyclopedia of fruit of the vine? You pass trying to figure it all out by choosing a $10 glass of wine you "think" you may have heard of.
Trying to keep this brief but meaningful here are some rules of thumb:
1. decide--if you can--whether you might want, red, white, rosé or sparkling.
2. If you have a preference for a particular country, look for such a highlight.
--You're narrowing the mysteries down--
3. *In a list of wines, the better "value" wines tend to be listed in the middle!
--Better value means the markup is less than on other wines.--
4. I have found that most "nicer" restaurants that have a "designated wine person" are excited to make a recommendation for you base on what you tell them. Be honest about your wine IQ, tell them your price range (speaking of by the bottle here) and I have always been impressed how well they do!
Hints for a routine, limited wine list in a "normal" restaurant:
Look at the price of your wine by the bottle versus by the glass (if offered). Wine by the glass is PRICEY! A bottle (750ml) of wine yields 5- 4 ounce pours or 4-5 ounce pours. So if you are planning to have two glasses of wine each for you and your company, do the math! A $32 bottle of wine, is cheaper than buying 4 glasses of the same wine for $9 a glass.
Another rule of thumb is that a bottle of wine that costs double what you could buy the wine for in a store is a pretty decent value! Restaurants make big money off their alcohol sales sometimes pushing their markup to 150% over retail.
Needless to say, I rarely buy wine when I go out to eat. I can't stand being gouged, paying for 1 glass of wine for what I KNOW I could buy the whole bottle for from my local supermarket!
Very pale straw hue with aromas of gentle lime, vanilla, and green apple.
Palate--Off dry, with fruity core and creamy beams of vanilla bean, lime, citrus and a peppy finish that lingers.
I grabbed this at a local wine shop for $14. I have not had a Chenin Blanc in ages and now I wonder why not. I LOVE Chenin Blanc! This is a South African version which they do very well.
Chenin Blanc had a metamorphosis about 20 years ago going from a crappy, cloying jug wine to an admirable white wine pairing well with lobster, seafood, some white cheesy pastas, and even some Asian fare. Give it a shot and raise a glass!
You've probably seen it if not even requested it, you order a white wine and you have a couple cubes put in it. Warning--Professional opinion only: Drinking anything is a personal choice. Every person likes what they like! There is NO authoritative "right or wrong" when it comes to matters of personal preference.
I have seen people push away a glass of very pricey wine saying, "I don't care for it." That's fair! But that doesn't equal, "it is an inferior wine." So what about adding some ice to a glass of bubbly or Prosecco, or Chardonnay? Well, there have been a few times--very few--when a wine was served so warm that it was hardly potable. No time to throw it in the freezer for 20 minutes so in goes the ice.
You have just altered what you actually purchased by watering it down and all the "master" and craft that went into the production of that wine is now destroyed. BUT--YOU like what you like, so drink up.
Let me use this as an illustration: Living in Maine we enjoy lobster and we served our children lobster when they old enough to make decisions about such matters. Our daughter put ketchup on hers; a lot of ketchup... so we never served her lobster again. She is an adult now and I don't think she has ever bought lobster for herself. But if she did and she paid for it, have it at! But not on my dime.
One last tip--if you order a bottle of wine at a restaurant ask them how the wine is being stored. Both red and white and rosé should be temperature controlled but that costs money. (Good restaurants will do this but honestly I go to very few "good" restaurants where this would be the practise.) So I rarely order wine when dining out.
Stay tuned for more information about buying wine when you're out!
Very nice dark, garnet with intensity, aromas of beautiful seet red and dark berries above the rim, the slightest suggestion of mint, and savory spices.
Palate--Full bodied, delicious berry flavors in balance with savory spices and a ristic note. The finish lingers for a good while with surprising heft.
I reviewed this wine just a couple months ago and I don't remember it this way but I know I liked it.
Here is my quote from my initial review--"I'll reserve my assessment for another bottle which I have laid down for a bit. Even at $9 the jury is still out." Well I LOVE this wine and it is absolutely the 92 points Mr. Suckling gave it when he reviewed it. I paid $9 for it and will grab more if I have the chance. Raise a glass!
*Palate--Not a great first impression with sour, awkward, bland taste, clunky structure. All in all--this is PLONK! Dump it...
*Ok--PLEASE read THIS! This is a Charles Shaw wine and he makes excellent wines. So this HAS to be a flawed bottle for reason I cannot fathom since it has a screw top. Additionally, I found that the great James Suckling rated this a 91 point wine and after following his career and reviews with the Wine Spectator for more than a decade, I trust his reviews. So however it happened, this is NOT a fair review of this wine.
Pin prick bubbles on a gentle light golden hue. Aromas of vanilla and lime.
Palate--Pretty scant on flavor but nicely constructed with a fleeting lemon lime-finish.
This Trader Joe's exclusive (I believe) is $7 and I mean what do you want for $7? Truth is, it is crisp, lively, fun in the glass and if you ice it down, it is refreshing and easy to quaff.
One interesting side note--my wife made Hooters' Hot Wings last night which you would normally think BEER or even a gin and tonic. But wine? Well the truth is, this Spanish sparkler was pleasant in tamping down the heat without any strange mouth feel with such a pairing. So at $7, on balance, I have to say, raise a glass!
Nearly translucent hue with aromas Lemon rind, sweet melon with a spicy kick
Palate--Slow out of the gate, with subdued fruit but lively acid and more fruit emerging as it warms up. Thinner kind of structure, with more fruit--Granny Smith apple- and a touch of tropical fruit salad.
This is a bit of a disappointment from Wente, a producer with whom I began my wine journey back in the mid 70's. I am not tasting the 90 - points the Wine Enthusiast gave this wine nor the profile. At $14 this is a pass for me!
Palate--"Sweet" first impression but it is NOT sweet, but fruity! Nicely crafted with loads of perky Zinfandel grapes, dark berry nuances, with vibrant structure and a lovely finish.
Reviewed many times because I drink a lot of it because it is a value--$10--and a great bargain for the price. Pair it with any thing on the grill! And raise a glass!!!
Palate--Tart, thickish mouth feel, dark berry and bright cherry.
This is a "Super Tuscan" created by the legendary "La Lecciaia!" (Super Tuscan ia a wine that does not adhere to the regulatory laws of Tuscany regarding grape composition etc.) This is a blend of Sangiovese--"the" grape of Tuscany--Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Super Tuscans can get quite pricey especially from this producer heading north of $100 a bottle. This was $10 in 2014 on release. Normally an inexpensive wine like this does not have the potential to age beyond 4-5 years but when your "must" is in the hands of a master, anything is possible. This was a wonderful treat found in my daughter's humble inventory. We had it with homemade pizza in a pizza oven and we raised a glass!
Medium bodied, lovely garnet hue with aromas of red berries straw/raspberries and bright red candies.
Palate--Lively acidic structure--a bit harsh perhaps--with mouth filling flavors of tart red berries and mellower berries mid palate and a quick finish.
This offering from Bogle--generally a value wine would have benefited from 1/2 hour in the fridge. It is simply too warm to present its best. This sourced wine from "California fruit" is "ok" but needs to be slightly chilled. Expect to pay a bout $10. But you find better for the same price point.
Palate--Nice mouth feel and first impression of notable Zinfandel fruit with structured mid-palate with everything quite integrated with a nice finish that lingers.
This multiply reviewed Zin at $7 is absolutely ridiculous. I bought a case plus and if any are left when I return (this is out of state) I will buy another case. Raise a glass!
Palate--Again--a bit unusual first impression with strained Zinfandel flavors with uni-dimensional profile that seems like it may be improving with some air. The finish is essentially non-existent.
I don't believe I have ever had this particular Zin (obviously bottled for Trader Joe's exclusively) and it is unimpressive when compared to the numerous other offerings now at the same price point. For the time being I am giving this a big PASS! *If it improves with air, I will update this. It did not improve and in fact became bitter. Dump down the drain...
Hmmm...At Trader Joe's today and I am bewildered by the price hikes on many of the wines I generally buy there. Their Scotto Zin--which I have reviewed many times and is a bargain-- at $8 is now $10. Zins I just paid $10 for there are now $11 and $12. So instead of buy 6-12 bottles of their zins which is pretty much my norm, I bought 2.
Light straw hue with aromas of lovely mown grass, citrus, lime, kiwi.
Palate--Vibrant, grassy front palate with lovely lemon/lime mid-palate, with off-dry fruitiness, and a nuance of vanilla curd in the finish. Structure is wonderfully acidic to cleanse that palate after rich, fatty sauces, gravies, etc.
I used to drink a lot more New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and I don't remember why I dropped off. It fills such an important food pairing purpose with rich buttery sauces and the goodness of fresh Maine lobster with "Steamer Clams" which is what was on my menu tonight. It is clean, tasty, balanced and at $7 how can you not buy it up! Raise a glass.
A heftier garnet hue than most Pinot Noirs with an interesting and unique aroma of Spruce above the rim in passing, with red raspberry fruit, and a not quite "minty" presence--again unique!
Palate--Very first impression is of seasoning wood. (I just came in from putting a tarp over our 4 cords of wood for the winter) Raspberry and slightly tart structure finishing with a a fleeting reminder of what you just drank.
This is truly an unusual style of Pinot for me. I "think" I like it but not quite sure. Perhaps it will change on breathing. I paid $22 for this Willamette Valley Pinot and I'm still uncertain. I will add to this review when I have it with dinner (stir fry) and it has had more time to open.
Classic light crystalline magenta hue with aromas of truly beautiful hard cinnamon candies, milk chocolate on the edge--again very subtle, sweet pie spices.
Palate--elegant first impression with a zesty spicy mid palate with an integrated loveliness of crafted fruit, nuanced ruby red grapefruit and a warm inviting finish that lingers and screams MORE!
Castle Rock is one of my fave Pinots they do it so well and at a bargain of $10 it is a must to have on hand ALL the time! Raise a glass!
Cherry hue with bricking at the rim showing its age! Aromas of spicy lighter red berries, with and edge of red grapefruit!
Palate--Lovely, integrated front palate with loads of luscious red berry and spice Zinfandel fruit.
This wine is trending out with age but is still lovely now and drinking very well. Don't hold onto this and at $8 it is fabulous so raise a glass!
Deep nearly black hue with aromas of deep dark blackberries with a twinge of gree at the rim and very light savory spice.
Palate--Smokey first impression, robust structure, loads of rich ripe dark berries and black pepper and smoke on the finish.
Previously reviewed just a month ago with similar notes, this Chilean blend is quite nice even at its "too warm" serving temp which is my fault. I will chill it down some before another glass. Remember that the adage about red wines should be served at "room temp" was a carry over from the days of yore when "room Temp" meant around 55 degrees in some big old castle or Chateau. So unless you have a temperature controlled cellar don't hesitate to chill your reds down before serving. (20 minutes before serving or 30 if your wine has been sitting in an 85 degree kitchen.)
$9 marked down from $26 it's a no brainer--Raise a glass!
Lovely golden hue with pin prick bubbles and aromas of fresh autumn apples and a touch of pear.
Palate--Lively bubbles with a nice crisp presentation of sweet/tart apple and a clean finish.
This is my own production consisting of 16 bottles. For years I had a hobby vineyard (12 vines) of Marachel Foch wine grapes. After 17 bottlings of plonk I found two wineries that produced this obscure, cold weather hearty grape and they were both terrible. Mine were actually better but still pretty bad so I switched to apple wine since I had apples available to me. I have produced roughly 1-2 cases per year and they are delicious. So I continue to this day. Raise a glass!
Very pale straw hue with sweet baking spices, pear, green apple
Palate--Fruit filled, off dry first impression with a rather fleeting mid palate and finish. It could benefit from a bit more acid, but it is not off putting.This is not the best offering Ste. Michelle has produced and is rather disappointing. It finishes with a slight peachy ending which is very nice but still lacking from what they used to produce.
This runs around $12 and is "OK" but it could be much better. I am paring it with charcoal grilled bratwurst and it will be a nice foil to the stone ground mustard, sauteed onions and green peppers. Give this grape another chance and then compare it with one made in Alsace! Two very different styles, both wonderful when done well!
