2007 Wollersheim Pinot Noir

A Wisconsin Pinot Noir - yep. Who knew? Fifteen bucks with some distribution in Illinois, I snagged this at Binny's.

Cherry cola and a bit of trashy funkiness on the nose - good stuff.

A bit bigger than I expected, a bit sweeter, but at the same time undeniably Pinot Noir. Cherry, cola, a bit of cedar, and a big punch of black licorice.

Black licorice - quite strongly in fact - lingers on the finish.

I can see this wine polarizing people - it has some of the varietal funk I like, but it's likely a tad too big and sweet for most fans. That being said, if you're interested in trying a wine from Wisconsin you could do much worse. When you consider that this is a $15 Pinot Noir from an odd region, this is a solid deal.

Score: 86

2008 Wollersheim Winery Prairie Fume

Many places in Wisconsin have this wine available - if shelf talkers are to believed it is the number one selling Wisconsin wine (or is it wine in Wisconsin?...I think the former). This is made with 100% Seyval Blanc. Through the winery it's nine bucks, but figure a few bucks more if you shop elsewhere.

Lime and slate on the nose - a bit of air and grapefruit comes through. A bit more and some grassy notes come through.

Lime seems to dominate, with pink grapefruit, some pithy qualities as well. I don't often get the whole "slate" thing, but this definitely is bringing it through. My initial thought was this wine was flabby but with a bit of air it seems to balance itself out. A tad sweet, but not by no means cloyingly so. Low alcohol - 10% - though still dangerous as you can easily drink an entire bottle with little thought.

A very mild pink grapefruit quality is what lingers on the finish.

At nine bucks I cannot complain - a great picnic and/or patio and/or Ravinia wine. The price is right, the balance is good, and overall we have just a crisp, easy drinking wine. If you wish Sauvignon Blancs were just a bit sweeter and more approachable, this will be up your alley.

Score: 86

2007 Parallel 44 Meditation

Another Wisconsin wine - this one from Parallel 44, which is located outside Green Bay, a bit out of the way so you're unlikely to stumble upon it, but worth a visit if for no other reason than to try some Wisconsin wine made with local grapes. A warning, hybrid grapes are kind of weird, a bit funky, an acquired taste, if you will - but they're also most likely different from anything you've encountered before, so it's worth a look - this one is made with Frontenac.

The first night:
Thick and sweet - very much a cherry dominated wine - you'd almost think it was infused with cherries or had cherry brandy added, as well as some grapey notes. Smooth drinking, low on tannin but certainly high in alcohol.

Several days later:
This has totally change to a wine dominated with blackberry. A blackberry liqueur quality overwhelms on both the nose and palate. A very slight anise quality comes through - subtly - on the back palate.

This half bottle goes for about $18 and I'd say that's about spot on. It's big, fruity, heavy enough for a cold night - a dessert wine for those not into the sweeter light wines and not crazy about the nuttiness of Ports.

Wine: 7
Value: Yep

2003 Captain's Walk Sangiovese

Captain's Walk is a winery in Green Bay, Wisconsin that we rather enjoyed, not only for the wine, but also for the friendliest staff I've encountered at any establishment anywhere.

Cinnamon and cherry on the nose.

Mostly cherry and strawberry with a barnyard quality. Loads of black pepper with vanilla, cinnamon, and clove. Very nice balance, smooth, easy drinking, and fairly low on tannin.

Green spice - oregano and such - comes through on the finish.

Nineteen bucks is nothing to sneeze at so I do have some reservations with what you get - however, I think there is enough going on, not only in the wine, but simply the fact that it's from Green Bay, Wisconsin that I give a recommendation. I would say if you see this at retail and you're within a few hours of Green Bay, skip it and make a trip over the winery and try a bunch of what they have to offer.

Wine: 7
Value: Sure

N/V (?) Botham Vineyards Riesling

We were in Wisconsin and I saw a section of “local wine” at a shop we were visiting so I figured to grab this one for about ten bones.

The nose here is artificial peach – like a peach Jolly Rancher.

At 10.4% alcohol this one is very light and dangerously quaffable. Very smooth – not a lot of acid, and while it's sweet there's a nice balance here – very light bodied. Mild peachy notes – imagine the syrup of canned peaches but watered down severely. That's about it really.

The finish's peachy notes linger for a surprisingly long time.

So this one depends on what you like I suppose – I prefer my Rieslings a bit sharper, but this one just seems to work for me. It's easy drinking and simple – if that makes you cringe then avoid it but I occasionally go for this type of thing and it more than works as a picnic or patio wine.

N/V Stones Throw Winery Red Table Wine (MAM edition)

We recently took a trip to the Milwaukee Art Museum and I noticed they had two wines for sale. I picked up the bottle and noticed it was produce by Stone’s Throw Winery, which we’ve had some good luck with, so I picked it up at $16. This is a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Carignane.

The nose is a bit funky, lots of earth, tobacco, tar, plus alcohol and a bit of blackberry.

The palate has a strange funk to it—perhaps from the Carignane–but it’s not a bad thing. I’d almost refer to this as “muddy”....there’s a lot going on, but it’s all just sort blending together, not much is really jumping out. Imagine putting black pepper in boysenberry jam, spreading it on toast, dropping it on the floor, picking it up, and licking it.

And the odd thing about it all.....that’s a good thing. Some nice tannins come through on the back palate and there’s quite a bit of acid. It’s skirting the fine line between balanced and too acidic though so I’d say serve it with food.

The finish immediately hits you with currants and then fades with some dirt, but does fade fairly quickly.

Is it worth $16? Seeing as some portion of the price went to the art museum, I say yes. Bravo to the Milwaukee Art Museum and Stone’s Throw for making a decent and real wine (I’d bet a White Zinfandel would sell better but standards are important). If you’re at the museum, give this a whirl.

2005 Stone’s Throw Riesling

Stone’s Throw is a Wisconsin based winery which gets their grapes from California–this Riesling, in particular, comes from Monterey County. This one retails for $17.

I get lots of peaches on this one, with some spice–think of a lighter peach pie filling. I’m also getting plenty of apricot. It is a bit flabby though, there’s not enough acid and it has a very strange structure (or lack of). It’s not really a bad wine, but it’s certainly not a $17 bottle.

I’d recommend giving some of Stone’s Throw’s wines a chance, especially if you’re in the area and can visit the winery (we have yet to, but plan on it) but I’m not sure that, at this price point, this one can be strongly recommended

N/V Stone’s Throw Winery Field Blend Red

After having the Stone’s Throw White I had a good idea what to expect with this—light bodied, smooth drinking, somewhat simple, and acceptable.

And....I was right. For a $10 bottle of wine, you can do far worse. A mystery blend of grapes, I can’t pick any out....if I had to compare it to anything I’d say a very light Chianti. Nothing bold or firm like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz, this is far lighter. Fruit right away--cherries and blackberries-–though present, there's not much oak or spice, but there’s a bit of earth to give it some balance.

A simple red wine, fine for the price, and a good one for a simple meal or picnic. You can do better for your money if you’re looking for complexity and oak, but if you want a good wine you can enjoy without worry this is another fine one.

N/V Stone’s Throw Winery Field Blend White

Stone’s Throw is a winery in Door County, Wisconsin. Most of the wineries in the area focus on fruit wine, but this one gets their grapes shipped in from California and consider themselves to be a bit more serious.

The Field Blends are the cheapest wines they offer in red and white at $10 a pop. No varietal information, just a miscellaneous blend that is from a field not designated for one type of grape.

Basically, we have a very simple, easy drinking, and perfectly acceptable wine. Citrus notes, a bit of lemon and even some citron. A hint of acid to balance it out a bit, but not a whole lot....this is a fruity, sweet wine that’s perfect for a picnic or BBQ on a hot day.

If I had to compare this to a varietal, I’d say I pick up a hint of Pinot Grigio....sweet, quaffable, and good with salads, burgers, and the like.

If you want something you can just drink and enjoy without worrying about the subtle hints on the nose and such, this is a good wine to have.