The study of wine is known as Oenology...but I'm too busy drinking to study. So, I choose Winography. I drink it and then I tell you what I drank. Enjoy my drinking...
Vintage: 2007 Price Range: $25 Producer: Stags' Leap Winery Region & Country: Napa, California, USA Grape Variety: Viognier Recommended By: Wine Club
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 7/6/2009 Place & Date Tasted: Home - 7/30/2009
Appearance: Very light in color; full-bodied; color similar to the pulp of a lemon Nose: Smells ashy like champagne; chalk, apple, floral Taste: Sweeter than the scent; lots of sweet fruit flavor; slightly acidic with a vague champagne taste Finish: Dry, but the sweetness lingers in a good way Overall Impression: If you have never liked champagnes that much, but enjoy a white wine, this is for you. The smell, color and some taste is exactly like a champagne, but without the bubbles! It also has a yummy sweetness and not that ashy taste that most champagnes tend to have.
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 3/2/2009 Place & Date Tasted: Home - 7/25/2009
Appearance: Deep, glossy purple; light-bodied Nose: Over-ripened berries and some spices; there is an unpleasant smell of something, but I can't quite put my finger on it Taste: Sweet, almost sour fruit; starts of tasting juicy Finish: Dries up and acidic; the sweetness lingers with a hint of ash Overall Impression: This was definitely not the best Pinot Noir I've had, but I would say it's pretty average. Christie couldn't say anything when she tasted it because she informed me that she was going to gag. I wasn't that dramatic about it. I think the sourness of the fruit seems to throw off the taste.
Vintage: 2005 Price Range: $20 Producer: R Wines Region & Country: Eastwood, Australia Grape Variety: Grenache Recommended By: Easter Gift from Erika Swain
*Nothing says "Happy Easter" than presenting someone with a bottle
Place & Date Purchased: The Swain's, Chicago, IL - 4/12/2009 Place & Date Tasted: Home - 7/24/2009
Appearance: Glossy, slightly translucent and yet cloudy; full-bodied Nose: Strawberry jam and cherries; strong fruit scent Taste: Sweet berry taste that has a juicy smoothness at first and then also has a spicy kick to it Finish: Dry, lingers and slightly acidic Overall Impression: When I was presented this wine, I seriously didn't know what to expect. After tasting it, I loved it. After discussing with Erika that I loved it, she was surprised. She said that when she had it, it tasted like "wine and cigarettes" to her. So, I'm wondering if the following is the reason: A) Our taste buds are completely different B) She was probably smoking cigarettes while drinking it C) She had a bad bottle
It could be a number of things. Here's another thing I'm pondering. If it was so bad, why was she giving it to me? Erika, you got some 'splaining to do. But I thought that this was a fantastic Grenache! I loved the boldness and the finish. I loved how it smelled like jam, but it didn't taste like it. And for the price, you can't go wrong. Overall Rating: 96/100 Overall Value: ***** / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2006 Price Range: $13 Producer: Withington Vineyards Region & Country: Western Cape, South Africa Grape Variety: Chardonnay Recommended By: Dean w/ Winestyles
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 1/6/2009 Place & Date Tasted: Home - 7/23/2009
Appearance: Brilliant, light and pale gold; full-bodied Nose: Artificial lemon (like lemonade), perfume and oak Taste: Lemon, yet some lime; a little creamy; earth and oak; light on the tongue Finish: Lingers; you can taste a powerful amount of alcohol - a warm burn Overall Impression: This was a different type of Chardonnay. I found it more average than others, but definitely not in a bad way. This wine definitely had more citrus than creaminess, but overall had a great taste.
Vintage: N/A Price Range: $9 Producer: Bully Hill Vineyards Region & Country: Hammondsport, NY, USA Grape Variety: Seyval Blanc Recommended By: A gift from Erika & Larry Swain
Place & Date Purchased: The Swain's Home, Chicago, IL - 11/24/2008 Place & Date Tasted: Home - 7/19/2009 Dinner: Ropa Vija Sandwich (extremely spicy...I thought I was going to die.)
Appearance: Bright, pale yellow; light-bodied Nose: Light & sweet; apple, pears and honey Taste: Sweet, creamy and light honey taste; fair green apple Finish: Lingers slightly with a good sweetness Overall Impression: Yum Yum very good! When you look at the bottle, it describes it as a dry wine. I really didn't think it was as dry as the "meter" on the bottle said. I do believe this would be a better stand-alone wine. Once I finished that sandwich and got the burn out of my mouth, the wine was so much better. I love that the texture is creamy and smooth! It was a wonderful simple wine. Overall Rating: 95/100 Overall Value: **** / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2007 Price Range: $22 Producer: Simonsig Region & Country: Koelenhof, South Africa Grape Variety: Brut Rose (Pinotage, 90%; Pinot Noir, 10%) Recommended By: Wineclub
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 12/8/2008 Place & Date Tasted: Home - 7/13/2009
Appearance: Dark pink; very bubbly Nose: Slight fruit with a little grapefruit scent Taste: Sweet with tangy bubbles; slightly acidic Finish: Sweet and smooth aftertaste Overall Impression: This was a great sparkling wine. It didn't have an overpowering sweetness or that ashy taste that some others get. This was more of a dessert bubbly.
Vintage: 2007 Price Range: $12 Producer: Blackstone Winery Region & Country: Napa Valley, California, USA Grape Variety: Chardonnay Recommended By: N/A
Place & Date Purchased: Dominick's Grocery, Chicago, IL - 4/25/2009 Place & Date Tasted: Home - 7/5/2009
Appearance: Pale gold; clean and brilliant; full-bodied Nose: Green apples and sweet perfume; some herbs Taste: Sweet and crisp, greet apples; hint of pear; perfume and floral Finish: Lingers with a creaminess and a good slight tartness Overall Impression: I think this is the nice summer wine that you can bring to a party on a beach. It's very casual and not pricey. It just haves a summer flavor to it with the flowers and fruit. The crisp taste and sweet goodness makes it a very nice Chardonnay. Overall Rating: 87/100 Overall Value: **** / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2006 Price Range: $23 Producer: Mosby Winery Region & Country: Buellton, California Grape Variety: Dolcetto Recommended By: N/A
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 1/31/2009 Place & Date Tasted: Home - 7/1/2009
Appearance: Deep, cherry red; full-bodied Nose: Vibrant, smells juicy, cherry, candy apple sweet Taste: Juicy cherry; huge burst of fruit, but with a lite texture Finish: Lingers smoothly with sweetness on the tongue Overall Impression: This Dolcetto definitely goes right up there with some of the other great Cabs & Malbecs I have tried. The explosion of fruit boldness is something I love most about reds, but it is so lite. It is not heavy, so it seems like the perfect summer, stand alone wine. It actually has a delicious, mouth-watering flavor. Overall Rating: 97/100 Overall Value: **** / 5 Stars
I grew up in the south and I still like to consider myself a "southern girl." Oh yes, American by birth, yet Southern by the grace of God. I now live up north where the people talk funny and wear shoes. Just kidding.
I really would like to say that I'm a simple kind of girl, but my friends usually disagree by telling me how horrible I am and how complicated I can be. That's why they love me, or so I've been told.
Vintage: 2007
Posts
