What could be better on a blustery cold evening than to curl up on the couch with a perfectly balanced bottle of red wine? Lately this winter we have been finding ourselves doing this regularly on the weekends. Last night’s pick was Yalumba Shiraz Viognier 2007, a medium bodied red wine from South Australia. Yalumba is run by the Hill Smith family and is the oldest family run winery in Australia, turning out excellent quality wines for 150 years. This red wine is a blend of 94% shiraz and 6% viognier and is 13.5% alcohol. In the glass it has a deep purple color with the aroma of minerals and spices. Once it opened up we experienced flavors of tart fruits primarily currants and plums that were well balanced with tannins and gave this red a long and refreshing finish. We really liked this wine for it’s easy drink-ability as it wasn’t too sweet or overly dry. Yalumba Shiraz Viognier is a great everyday wine that should satisfy any red wine fan and is well priced at less than $13.
Yalumba Shiraz Viognier
Posted in Australia
Leave a comment
Devonian Red Wine
This Christmas I was given a bottle of Devonian wine from 2 very dear friends of mine with a request that I blog about it. Devonian dry red wine is produced by Anthony Road Wine Company located in the Fingerlakes region of New York State. I have been meaning to make the trip to the wineries in this region and being originally from Syracuse I really have no excuse as to why I have yet to tour that area. This particular winery uses only grapes grown in the region for all of their wines. This red variety is a blend of cabernet franc, lemberger, pinot noir, and rougeon. Some of these are aged in oak and then blended together to form the finished product. When my boyfriend and I opened the bottle we were struck with a strong cherry nose and huge black cherry flavor. This red wine is all fruit and very delicious. It is smooth and has a slight acid to it that is on the back end of the finish. This is one of several Fingerlakes wines that I have tried recently and based on what I have tasted I am hoping to make a trip there before the year’s end. Thanks to Denise and Neil for the great recommendation!
Posted in Fingerlakes
Leave a comment
Ridge Geyserville Red 2007
From time to time I will include in my blog wines that aren’t necessarily expensive but go slightly above the $25 per bottle parameter that is the premise for this blog. One such wine is from the ever popular producer Ridge out of Sonoma County, CA-the Ridge Geyserville Red 2007. Ridge has been producing highly rated red wines for over 40 years. This is the first of their wines that I have tasted. The Geyserville Red is a zinfandel blend composed of 58% zinfandel, 22% carignane, 18% petite syrah, and 2% mataro. This variety has an earthy aroma with flavors of blackberries and plums. Notes of pepper, spices, and some light oak were also present. The presence of tannins and acidity give way to a really nice finish. This wine has all the character and flavor that I look for in red. If you are looking for a good quality wine to take to a dinner party this would be an excellent choice. It retails for less than $50 per bottle and can be held for a decent period of time. Ridge Geyserville Red has been rated 91 points by Wine Spectator.
Posted in California, Zinfandel
Leave a comment
Moonstone Sake
Even though it technically isn’t wine per se, sake in American terms is referred to as rice wine. That is enough of a reason to include in this blog a recent and impressive find-Moonstone Coconut Lemongrass Sake. I am not one to drink sake on a regular basis but really enjoy drinking it with my sushi. Produced by Sakeone in Forest Grove, OR this is a Nigori Genshu sake infused with coconut and lemongrass essence. The taste is as delicious as the name sounds. Each sip is filled with a tasty combination of citrus, spices, lemongrass, and of course a light coconut flavor as it finishes on the tongue. It is creamy in appearance and has an aroma reminiscent of a tropical island. Sake is much higher in alcohol content than traditional wine and this variety is 18%. Moonstone also offers other infused flavors including asian pear, raspberry, and plum. After loving their coconut lemongrass version I am definitely going to try their other flavors as well. In addtion to sushi, this sake also pairs well with spicy cuisine and fruit based dishes. Moonstone infused sakes retail for under $12.
Posted in Sake
Leave a comment
Arboleda Sauvignon Blanc
For someone who primarily drinks red wine especially in the cold winter months I seem to be discovering quite a few white wines that I am really enjoying. Recently while preparing a delicious dinner of chicken with green curry sauce my boyfriend selected Arboleda Sauvignon Blanc, a medium bodied white that he purchased at a wine tasting. Arboleda wines are produced in the Leyda Valley located in Chile. Chilean wines are gaining in popularity based on their high quality and affordable prices. This sauvignon blanc is no exception. When poured this wine has a pretty straw color and concentrated aroma. I found it to smell rather buttery with notes of grass and minerals. The flavor of fresh tropical fruits and slight citrus was well balanced with a nice acidity. According to the wine makers notes this wine has 14 % alcohol and notes of asparagus and green chili. I didn’t really taste either of those but this wine did pair extremely well with our spicy Thai meal. This wine scored 90 points from Wine Advocate and retails under $20. Arboleda Sauvignon Blanc is another fine white wine choice and another great representation of Chilean wine making.
Posted in Sauvignon Blanc, South America
Leave a comment
