N/V Asotria Lounge Prosecco

We haven't had luck with Proseccco - including several that are highly rated and respected, which leads me to believe that, like most Chardonnay, it's just not our style. So, why are we drinking this? Well, it's been about a year, our palates have changed, and I got swanky new Champagne glasses so I'm hoping for a surprise with this eight dollar bottle.

The nose has some bubble gum notes. There's some Japanese gum you can get at most Asian groceries – it's a collection of seven flavors – orange, grape, melon, strawberry, peach, green apple, and a seventh that has a frog on it, but no assigned “flavor” (that I can tell). This smells like that mystery gum flavor.

Light bodied, crisp, pineapple, just a tad bit sweet, but nothing cloying.

A slightly bitter finish with some lingering tropical notes.

I'm still not a fan of Prosecco, and I don't see buying another one anytime soon, but this isn't all that bad. It's fine, if you are into this sort of thing, then it's certainly worth your while. Personally, I recommend you hunt down that Japanese gum before grabbing a bottle of this.

Wine: 6
Value: Pass

2006 Reserve Perrin Cotes du Rhone

This was eight bucks at Costco – a Cotes du Rhone with a screwcap? Hmmm. Why not?

Plum on the nose.

Tobacco, cedar, cherry – a bit short on acid – but overall not bad at all. As it opens, more strawberry comes through as well as some plum.

More strawberries on the nose and that's really about it.

Simple, but not at all bad and a nice value.

Wine: 7
Value: Yes

2005 Les Caves Joseph Bordeaux Rouge

I bought a bunch of cheap 2005 Bordeaux a while back and have been slowly hitting them. This one was seven bucks.

The big thing on the nose here is cinnamon.

Earthy, spicy, dirty, funky – some cherries as well, but this is a dirty, filthy wine with good acid and nice, velveting tannins. The fruit comes through as the bottle opens, but so does a strong, freshly tanned leather quality. I feel like I'm chewing on a leather jacket.

Dried spices linger on the finish – from the dark brown cinnamon and clove to the green oregano and basil.

Well - I'm in a phase where something be a bit too earthy is more forgivable than something too fruity. This certainly isn't great but for seven bucks who can complain?

Wine: 7
Value: Yes

N/V Lynfred Winery American Sparkling Wine

This was twenty-five big ones, which is a fair amount, but it's important to support local business. Unfortunately...

Some interesting melon notes on the nose.

More melon notes on the finish, but the whole thing just tastes artificial, walking very close to the line of unpleasant, but not quite making it. There's that fake sugar – aspartame – quality not to mention an unpleasant oiliness.

Some tropical notes, almost some kiwi flavors, come through on the finish.

Part of me feels bad even writing this, but this winery is established enough to take it – if they keep up the work and start refining their sparkling wine products, there's potential. Lynfred makes some good products – we'll be reviewing a shockingly good ten dollar bottle from them in the coming weeks – but this is a giant miss.

Wine: 3.5
Value: No

2007 Mollydooker The Scooter Merlot

Alrighty, Mollydooker's Merlot offering. It's freezing out, so a gigantic, alcohol fueled wine seemed like it would fit the bill – the going rate for this one is about $25.

A big fat nose – almost like a blueberry infused brandy. Giant alcohol, black fruit, and licorice.

A big fat palate – blackberry, big fuzzy tannins, almost a cough syrup like quality – just gigantic and somewhat dumb, there is a fortified sort of quality, just a big alcoholic burn. Unpleasant on a warm day, but sitting in a drafty apartment when it's literally ten below zero – it does hit the spot nicely. This is the sort of bottle you'll want to let open for several hours – some nice oak and vanilla notes come through after a few hours,

A big fat finish – cinnamon, clove, and an array of miscellaneous dried green spices all with loads of Twizzlers.

I liked The Boxer a lot – I don't mind over the top wines, but there's a fine line between huge and ridiculous. I can't say this one works for me.

Wine: 6
Value: No

2007 Two Lads Winery Off Dry Pinot Grigio

I've been sitting on this one for a while. We visited this winery over the summer and loved it – so much so that we'll most likely be heading back to the area with the intent of visiting these guys, L. Mawby, and the Bad Dog Deli – anything else we hit will be nothing more than gravy.

A mildly peachy nose with nectarines and a bit of green apple.

Fantastic – this is definitely off dry, the sweetness is present throughout but there's enough acid to balance it out. Loads of peach, red apple, a bit of spice – serve this to me blind, I'd probably guess this to be a Gewürztraminer.

Spicy peach pie filling on the finish.

The depth, my friends, the depth. I wrote not long ago that another Michigan Pinot Grigio made by Left Foot Charley was my favorite PG ever – this is a close second. Pinot Grigio from Michigan - who would've known?

Wine: 9
Value: Hell yes

2007 Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay

You can snag this one for about $15 at most places, but I saw it at $13 at our local Costco.

Pineapple on the nose.

Thick, actually rather sweet, not much acid, a bit buttery with a bit of vanilla hanging out. It's not bad – this is one of those things, for a "white wine" I don't really care for it, but as a "Chardonnay" is awesome. It's big and one-dimensional but it's tasty enough.

Pineapple ice cream on the finish.

I respect this wine, but I can't say I care for it. It's a bit too rich, too buttery, too sweet, and too flabby for me to really dig it.

Wine: 5.5
Value: Not our style, but it's well made and at the very least worth a “Pass.”

N/V(?) Free Run Cellars Union

This wine intrigued me at the tasting room and thus I felt compelled to grab a bottle for about eighteen bones.

Funky garbage and carob on the nose.

Very Italian like on the palate – very much like a Chianti. Less intriguing than I remember, though by no means bad – in fact, this is pretty damn good if you're into Tuscan style wines. Tart, slightly sweet strawberry, loads of acid, and some earthy, chocolatey notes.

Chocolate, cigar box, tobacco, and cherry on the finish.

I remember this being far more unique in the tasting room – perhaps it was a different batch or the bottle had been open a while. For eighteen dollars, this definitely isn't a strong value, but it's still a perfectly good wine that I'd give the go ahead to someone who enjoys Tuscan style wines but wants something a bit different.

Wine: 7
Value: Pass

N/V Patratki Greek Rose

So....we've never reviewed a Greek wine, and we recently enjoyed a dinner at a Greek restaurant where we had a nice rose. I decided to snag a bottle of this for kicks for eight bones.

Man, I struggled with this one's nose, but I finally got it. Grapes – like the skins of red seedless grapes you get at the Jewels.

Simple and quaffable – honestly....this wine is a decent thing to just drink but now that I sit and really think about it, I can't place anything....it's definitely wine. There's some alcohol and there's some mild tannins, but I can't say there's anything else. Maybe strawberry? I'm reaching.

A bit of citrus acid lingers on the finish – it doesn't taste like anything in particular, just a vaguely citric quality.

Well, there's nothing wrong here but there's nothing really here. This would be fine with something extremely spicy to wash down, mainly because a good quality rose would almost be wasted. I don't know – consume this like water isn't a ringing endorsement, but what can I tell you?

Wine: 6
Value: Pass

2007 Colombelle Vin de Des Cotes de Gascogne

This was six bucks at Costco.

A fairly strong nose – orange, vanilla, and lemon with loads of floral notes.

Peach, pineapple, grapefruit, and a bit of spice with some lime zest.

Maybe some floral notes on the finish, but it's pretty mild.

This tastes like it could be a blend of Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc but is apparently a blend of two less popular grapes – Colombard and Ugni Blanc. All this being said, while this is a fairly well structured wine, especially at the price, the combination of flavors here simply doesn't work for me. I'll rate this fairly highly because for six bones, the complexity is good -

Wine: 6
Value: Yes

2006 Pillar Box Red

I wasn't thrilled with the 2005, but for ten bones I snagged a bottle of this.

Ripe plums, leather, and some raw hamburger – maybe a blood quality - on the nose here. Did some get caught in the harvesting machine? Do they have harvesting machines? I don't think so, but now I wonder.

A fuzzy feel – cinnamon, cedar, cigar box – with some super ripe cherries and plums, less pure fruit, more jam on this – blackberry and even a bit of blueberry. I recall the 2005 having a harsh sort of burn which is not present here at all. There's some green olives hanging out in here too along with some chocolate – it all works though.

Some green spices seem to come through on the finish – dried Italian spice with some anise and a punch of black pepper.

Do note, this bottle has a ton of sediment. Keep it upright for a day or two before serving and pour slowly.

At ten bucks, it's hard to complain – in fact, this is pretty damn solid. This is definitely one of those gigantic Australian reds, so if that's your style this is certainly worth your time.

Wine: 7.5
Value: Yes

N/V Incanto Rose Vino Frizzante

This was something I saw at Trader Joe's – I sadly don't recall the price but it wasn't more than seven bucks.

A mild nose, with just a bit of candied apple.

This is a slightly carbonated wine – it has a regular cork that requires a corkscrew, but it makes a pop noise when you open it. There's no real stream of bubbles – just some hanging on the side of the glass. The bubbles give it a very interesting mouthfeel – it's not quite fizzy, but you definitely feel it. Red apple and a few toasty notes and that's it. If it didn't have the fizz, I'd probably call this quite boring but it adds a layer to make it interesting.

I get some strawberry seeds on the finsh.

This is an extremely simple wine – very little is going on – but the bubbles give it a bit of depth, and there's nothing funky or unpleasant going on. For this pricepoint, that's not bad at all.

Wine: 6
Value: Yes

N/V Gloria Ferrer Brut Sparkling Wine

I used to only see this at wine shops, but lately I've been seeing it at grocery stores – frequently on sale for as low as $13.

A fairly large, yeasty nose with all sorts of lemon.

The palate here is solid and bold – loads of light berry notes, some lime, and tart green apple. The palate is large but the mouthfeel is light and crisp, fruity and ultimately quite dry.

Lemon and lime, both juice and zest, linger on the palate.

I feel fairly strongly that this is the best sparkling wine for under $15 out there – especially in wide distribution. It's better than most things closer to $20 and even some of the more basic level Champagnes.

Wine: 8.5
Value: Hell yes

2005 Girard Petite Sirah

I've been sitting on this a while, at the $25 pricetag I figured I'd save it for a special day – like New Year's Eve.

A bit of licorice – both cherry and black – on the nose with some cinnamon notes.

I don't normally comment on color, but this wine is ridiculously dark – purple/black – do yourself a favor and don't spill this one. Bold but not over the top – a nice balance overall. Black fruit – blackberry, black plums, dark black cherries – dominate. Some nice vanilla notes plus some interesting herbal qualities. The tannins are present and give some nice depth but are very well integrated. As the bottle opens I seem to think blueberry takes over.

Blueberry and some spices stick around on the finish – a bit of clove and perhaps some tobacco.

A solid wine – I rated this higher but the more I drink it and think about it, the more I think it's just a tad simple – if a big, bold, yet smooth wine sounds like your thing, this is certainly worth it.

Wine: 8
Value: Yes

New rating system

I've updated some old wines, and new reviews from here on out will have the same system:

Wine: The rating of the wine, overall. Flavor profile, complexity, etc. This will be the same as it's been - see the side bar for descriptions of each number.

Value: Yes / Pass / No

The "Value" replaces the old "QPR" system which I think was too difficult to gauge in the current system - all that really needs to be answered is: "Is this 'worth' the asking price?"

"Yes" and "No" are straightforward - "Pass" means if there's something better easily accessible then skip it, but if you're at a store with a lousy selection and can't/don't feel like driving somewhere else, then it's fine.

N/V Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut

I tend to sit on some notes from time to time - I've noticed a ton of hits lately for people searching for sparkling wines, so I figured I'd toss up all of our saved notes.

This was $19 at Costco – I knew this was a reliable producer and I recall enjoying it before so why not?

This has a fairly big nose – loads of apples and a tad of limeade.

Very nice tart green apple with a bit of pear, there's some nice toasty notes and a bit of blue and raspberry. The bubbles are tiny and lasted with strength as we finished the bottle over several hours.

Green apple lingers on the finish, a nice amount of acid leaves the mouth watering.

This is outstanding – especially at the price. If you're looking to drop around $20, this is one of the best things to snag. Personally – if you're not crazy about sparkling wines or your palate is just developing.

Wine: 8
Value: Yes

N/V Korbel Blanc de Noirs

This was purchased at a local grocery store for $8 – our options were limited, it was cold outside, and I wasn't about to drive elsewhere or spend more than $10.

A yeasty and doughy nose with a bunch of red apple.

Crisp red apple, strawberry, toast – not bad. Like some cheaper sparklers this has a strange sweet and oily mouthfeel.

More red apple on the finish.

Well...this is one of those things...it's not great, it's not worth $8, but if you're in a bind and your local grocery store doesn't carry any cheap cavas then this will probably be your best bet. Other than the oiliness - which is mild – there's nothing really wrong here but I'd still point you to Segura Viudas or Cristalino if you don't want to spend much.

Wine: 5.5
Value: Pass

N/V Chandon Brut Reserve

This was $12 or so – you can sometimes find it a bit cheaper on sale – and it's been a while since we've had it, so I snagged a bottle.

A little bit of yeast but this is a fairly weak nose.

It starts fine but that oily, borderline metallic thing I get on some (typically cheaper) sparkling wines. A little bit of golden apple, a bit of pear, and oddly a golden raisin sort of thing comes through as well.

The golden raisin notes linger on the finish – a slightly sweet quality.

Not my style. Not terrible for the price, but for literally half this price you can grab a sparkler from Spain that will be more enjoyable – stick with Cristalino or Segura Viudas.

Wine: 5.5
Value: No

N/V Cristalino Rose Brut

Six bucks – yep – six dollars. I enjoyed the Brut from this producer so I figured I would give this a chance. You can find the Brut at many grocery stores – this one isn't quite as well distributed but you may find it rather easily.

White bread and yeast on the nose.

Light in body, bready, yeasty, and loads of berry notes. Strawberry and even some light raspberry.

The tart strawberry notes – almost a strawberry liqueur quality on the finish – with a bit of toast lingering in the background.

No flaws, no issues, an outstanding value for the price.

Wine: 7
Value: One of the better cheap ones out there - absolutely yes.

N/V Bully Hill Special Reserve Baco Noir

So long story short, I bought a bottle of this online for a coworker and grabbed a second one for myself. She mentioned loving Baco Noir, and I figured I'd try it before giving her this in case it was terrible (she had the varietal, but not from this producer). I popped this open, poured a glass with the intent of just testing it, putting it away and analyzing it later. After the first sip I felt compelled to write.

The nose is big – you don't need to swirl and the glass stinks – but in a strange, funky, earthy, sort of way – this almost smells like pure sassafras.

Weird – this is why you should try offbeat varietals – this is unlike just about any wine I've had. Funky, earthy, strawberry, raspberry, root beer, cola, fresh basil, even some mint with some tomacco (that's a tobacco/tomato hybrid). There's a hell of a lot going on here.

The finish fades rapidly with some cinnamon notes sticking around.

How is this? It's weird and fascinating. From an academic standpoint, this is phenomenal. From a “delicious” standpoint, I don't know. I do know that for a wine that's eight bones a bottle that this is once, twice, three times a bargain.

Wine: 9
Value: Shockingly great value - absolutely yes.

N/V Carlo Rossi Chianti

Look, the economy is in the toilet and if you're not scared, you're not paying attention. Is it so bad we need to resort to jug wine? Perhaps not yet – but who knows what tomorrow will bring? This four liter behemoth was $8. That's a buck fifty a bottle.

First things first, this isn't Chianti. These guys also make wines they called Burgundy and Chablis – neither are actually those wines, the US just doesn't recognize European wine rules and this company doesn't export these wines so it doesn't matter. This is “100% grape wine” which, you know, is kind of a red flag. That being said, I give everything we drink respect and we're consuming this out of Riedel glasses and at what I'd call slightly below cellar temperature.

You know, I don't know if this is a compliment to this or an insult to BN, but this smells vaguely like Beaujolais Nouveau. A funky strawberry and raspberry blend with a hint of banana.

While there's no tannins, there's a nice acidic zing and though it is sweet and somewhat grape juicy, it's not like as sickly as Concord grape wine. A bit grapey with some strawberry and maybe just a slight bit of banana as well – really, this is very much like a soft Beaujolis Nouveau. If you want something that somewhat resembles real Chianti, don't even look at this. The more air this wine sees, the more unpleasant it gets – some bitter harshness comes through and the rotten banana begins to dominatre.

I simply don't understand this. I understand White Zinfandel – it's simple, sweet, you can drink it by the magnum and forget it. This simply isn't pleasant. If I want cheap booze, I'd rather spend the money on Schlitz.

Wine: 3
Value: Terrible.

2006 La Paradou Vioginer

I snagged this a while back on sale for $6.99 – Viognier has been fairly good to us and I'm all for a cheap one.

A somewhat floral nose with some lemonade qualities.

Lemon-lime, a touch of sweetness, a solid punch of minerality, and well balanced all around. As the bottle opens some tropical fruit notes come through – pineapple mostly.

Honey and lemon rind.

Seven bucks, hell yes. It's very light bodied and would go well with any light or spicy food.

Wine: 7
Value: Outstanding - yes.

2006 Working Girl Wines Our Handyman Red

We loved their rose, but how will the red hold up?

Some spices and tart cherries, almost like a reasonable Beaujolais.

A damn shame – extraordinarily simple. Nothing going on but strawberry. It's not bad, necessarily, there are no real flaws and nothing unpleasant, it's just overly simple – a bit of acid, no tannins, and no real depth.

Strawberries on the finish.

Not at all bad, but disappointingly simple. For ten bucks, there are all sorts of “bad” wines out there, this is perhaps best saved for those new to red wine or for a hot day when you're not in the mood for a white.

Wine: 6
Value: For those intimidated by red wine - yes. For anyone else - no.

2005 Woot Cellars Central Coast Emergency Holiday Provisions

This was my first wine.woot purchase and I was content with the service. I won't name the price as the set came with six bottles and five wine bags. (If the the wine was free, each bag would be twelve bucks – hint hint).

An earthy and chocolatey nose.

I like Italian style wines so I approach this with a bias. This is interesting in that it has Old World flavors with a New World feel. It's big, bold, and flavorful but somewhat lacking in acid. It tastes mildly Italian and feels mildly Californian – earthy and funky with some earth and chocolate notes. I'm getting some cherry, blackberry, and raspberry for fruit as well, the cherries feeling somewhat candied.

Some anise comes through as well as blackberry on the finish.

We cracked this open before giving any away – I was afraid it might be terrible and I'd be ashamed to gift it and be stuck. Sadly, just the opposite has happened – I'd prefer to keep them because this is such a solid bottle. Nice depth and an exceptional QPR.

Wine: 8
Value: Excellent - absolutely yes.

2006 Bogle Petite Sirah

I was ga ga over this wine some time ago but for some reason haven't purchased it recently, so I snagged a bottle for eight bones at Costco.

This is a nose – Fran opened the bottle, poured a glass for me, and set it on the coffee table and I could smell it from the couch. Rich, dark chocolate, black fruit – blackberry, ripe black plums – it's a big, powerful nose, but not over the top.

More blackness on the palate – plum, blackberry, chocolate, ultra, dark blueberries – but I'm also getting some interesting nectarine notes along with vanilla and some herbal qualities – excellent acidic backbone yet the tannins are very mild.

Some anise notes linger on the finish as well as more chocolate, with some leather and tobacco.

For under ten bucks, you probably won't do much better. This is a solid offering of a somewhat unusual varietal, so it's a great way to expand your wine horizons.

Wine: 8
Value: Excellent value

2007 Yellow Tail Rose

I'm down with roses – I'm not so sure about Yellow Tail. Always being in the mood for a six dollar gamble, I grabbed a bottle of this.

Well, this basically tastes like White Zinfandel with a bit more acid. All strawberries. No nose or finish to speak of.

Ugh – if they just called this “Blush” I wouldn't have expected anything. By calling it a rose, I expected a rose, which this simply isn't. If you like White Zin, this may be a slightly more balanced version, but stick with your Sutter Home – you'll save a few bucks and get the same basic quality.

Wine: 4
QPR: Terrible value, skip this.

2000 Monsanto Nemo Vigneto “Il Mulino”

We've been slowing down a bit with drinking and buying wine, but when I saw this marked down to $20 from $50 I jumped on it. Seeing as we haven't done much Cabernet from Italy I figured it was worth trying. This is another wine which I didn't take a photo of, but as you'll see, still deserves your attention.

I admit I'm shocked just how “Italian” this smells – cherry, earthy, funky, spicy, loads of cedar and cigar box.

Obviously “Old World” - refined and subtle, light-medium bodied, nice tannic structure, loads of acid – all sorts of stuff going on – a bit of sassafras, tons of cedar, tobacco, cherry, some blackberry, clove, and all sorts of dried spices. As the wine opens, the fruit starts to come through – funky strawberry notes, slightly overripe and funky.

The sassafras and cedar cigar box linger for a while along with some ripe strawberry.

This, my friends, is perhaps the best Italian wine I've consumed – hell, this is probably the best bottle of wine I've had at under thirty bucks. $20 is quite the bargain here – even at $50 I'd be raving – this is outstanding.

Wine: 9.5
Value: Yes

2006 Left Food Charley Pinot Grigio

We hit this winery on our trip to Michigan and wanted to be in love but it was at the end of a long day and our palates were blown. I had a feeling while there that it was a place we would've positively loved six hours earlier so we did a tasting and I snagged a bottle of something that seemed promising. The website said this is $16, which strikes me as higher than what I'd pay, but who am I to question?

The nose is fairly bold – Asian pears really come though with some interesting berry – blueberry mainly – notes with some orange blossoms.

Golden apples, golden pears, golden apple pears – all these dominate. Also poking their heads in: orange blossoms, chamomile, key lime zest, and just a bit of vanilla bean. Fantastic acidic balance, a near perfect level of sweetness – everything here is right.

Berries, and I almost get a slight golden raisin suggestion, on the finish.

We like Pinot Grigio, but it's a varietal I've long found dull – even highly rated PG's struck me as fine for a quaff but ultimately boring – this, my friends, is the first Pinot Grigio that has excited me. Hands down, the best PG we've ever had.

Wine: 9
Value: Exceptional - yes.

2004 Saint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux

Ten bucks, sparkling wine, France....I'm game.

A little bit of dough on the nose.

Lime zest – all sorts of lime actually – a bit of white grapefruit. Nice, crisp, light bodied and a thin mouthfeel (which I tend to like on cheaper sparklers).

Red apples on the finish with a bit of nuttiness coming through on the back end.

For ten bucks this is certainly alright - easy drinking, crisp, and enjoyable – definitely better than most sparkling wines in this price range.

Wine: 7
QPR: 8

2006 Strong Arms Shiraz

We were looking around the wine shop a few months ago and this label caught my eye. I picked it up and thought it was amusing enough to spend $11 on. Upon closer inspection I saw the shelf talker saying Parker gave it 91 points, which is pretty good. My palate is pretty broad, but I've noticed that I do tend to agree with a good chunk of Parker's higher ratings.

The nose huge, as expected, peach, red licorice, and some burnt wood.

Big and bold but not quite over the top. Definitely a sweeter fruit bomb style – there's oak, mocha, and chocolate – but there's also loads of deep, dark red strawberry, black cherry, with quite a bit of stone fruit – super ripe peaches and plums.

The finish leaves a sweet sort of residue – more red licorice, with some mocha and cherries. This one lingers for quite a while.

I'd say this just a mild step down from Mollydooker's The Boxer, in scope and size – and certainly a better deal at half the price. In that sense, it's probably better than The Boxer because I can grab two bottles for the price of one of those and can actually see drinking this with a steak or a Chicago style pizza.

Wine: 8.5
QPR: 10

2001 Hutton Vale Grenache Mataro

This was a birthday gift from a friend of mine and I figured it would be worth opening.

A big and jammy nose – blackberry, super ripe plum, and a dose of chocolate.

At first, this was a bit of a surprise on the palate – I figured I'd be getting all sorts of fruit but the big thing that hits me right away is spice – black pepper and dried green spice – basil mostly. Loads of chocolate, or maybe more precisely carob, and some rich, black fruit, plus tobacco, and a punch of vanilla.

A menthol quality also comes through as the wine opens which is fairly potent on the mid palate as well as some heavy medicine/cough syrup qualities – this is a quality that in small doses I enjoy and I feel it's about right here – though it may turn some people off. After a few hours, the fruit comes forward right away and some interesting garbagey notes begin showing up.

Vanilla lingers for a while but raspberry notes stick around for well over a minute.

One of the finest wines we've had from Australia. Big and bold, but not absurd like many Aussie wines, excellent depth, and certainly a wine I'd recommend.

Wine: 9.5
QPR: Gift

N/V Freixenet Cava Brut de Noirs

This was $10 – the more I think about it, the more I think most cheap Pinot Noir based sparkling wines turn out pretty well, so why not try it out? I did find it interesting how dark this is – it's certainly a Brut de Noir and not a Blanc de Noir.

A somewhat bready nose.

The palate has some dough notes, some nice tartness, and red apple dominates.

More red apple on the finish.

Not bad at all – I'll give you it's rather simple, but there are certainly no “off” notes or issues. For the price, this is an easy recommendation.

Wine: 6.5
QPR: 8

2005 Columbia Crest Merlot Grand Estates

We had the 2004 and enjoyed it, so why not grab the 2005 at a lousy stinking seven dollars....especially with the economy in the toilet, a cheap find is always welcome.

Cherry, vanilla, and oak on the nose.

A bit of everything really, all in harmony. A dash of fruit – plums and blackberries - a pinch of acid, a hint of spice, a dollop of vanilla, and a suggestion of oak.

Some spices really come through – dried Italian spices with a slight bit of anise and menthol as well.

Day two brings more of the same though the nose is more muted and the there's quite a bit more in terms of spice on the palate and finish.

This is a no-brainer.

Wine: 7.5
QPR: 10

The Wine Ritual

Recently, Fran and I dined out at a fairly pricey restaurant and our waiter totally skipped the wine ritual – which to put it mildly – annoyed the hell out of me. This gave me the idea to throw a post on up about what the wine ritual and what is expected of you.

The first thing is the waiter (or waitress) should come out with your bottle and show it to you – you're looking the make sure it's what you ordered. You're checking the wine producer, the vintage, the varietal/region, and I suppose even the bottle size. If it looks good, shake your head, say “thanks” or “yes, that's fine.” If something is wrong, speak up right away – even if the vintage is wrong. It's possible they ran out of the vintage you ordered – or it's possible the wrong one was grabbed by mistake, I've seen significant price differences for the exact same wine but different vintages, so say something!

The waiter will then uncork the bottle. You may or may not be handed the cork – I've read this is becoming less common, in part because many more wines have screwcaps and fake corks. If the waiter hands you the cork, put it on the table. There's virtually no reason to do anything with it – if it's totally jacked up or moist then you'll know there may be a problem, but don't smell or chew it please.

The waiter will then pour a small amount into your wine glass. Taste it. Is it fine? Shake your head and “thanks.” The waiter will do the rest – usually pouring everyone at the table before you, typically ladies get poured first.

Now, I've heard of establishments where the sommelier will taste the wine first. We have yet to encounter this – I mentioned this to Fran – she found the very idea of this infuriating, where I thought it was totally fine.

What if it's not okay? This is tricky, but say something as soon as possible – not after you're halfway through the bottle. The key here is to be polite. I've, luckily, never had this problem in a restaurant.

If I picked something I simply didn't like then I wouldn't say anything – that was my error and I'll live with it. If the sommelier or waiter pushed it on me, I'd perhaps say something – when asked how I enjoy it, I may say something discreet to express my displeasure.

But what if the wine is bad – corked, perhaps? Here's how I would approach it: If the waiter is good, I'd ask him, otherwise I'd ask the sommelier or manager to try the wine and get their opinion. If you're convinced something is up and they disagree, then be tactful but firm.

Here's a pretty good article that's worth reading:
http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/wine-many-happy-returns

Personally, unless I have a conversation with the waiter about wine, I will never buy something that I know nothing about. I may not know the producer, but I'll know the region and/or varietal. (I also won't pay more than $75 for a bottle at a restaurant, and even that is pushing it.)

For example, I don't know much about old Bordeaux, I've heard it's funky and a bit of an acquired taste – some day I will buy some and try them out, but I'd feel really goofy paying three times what I can pay at a shop for something that I may wind up thinking has gone bad – but is, in fact, correct. If the place you're at has a wine list, then the odds are someone there will be able to talk to you about it – don't hesitate asking for assistance, that's why the staff is there!

N/V Kirkland Signature Brut Champagne

Whenever we go out and order Champagne, we're always asked “oh what's the occasion?” I even get asked this when buying it at the shop from time to time. Normally, there is nothing going on, we just enjoy sparkling wine, but today we're celebrating. It's been thirteen long years that I've been waiting, but at long last Chinese Democracy has come. I searched around for a wine from China but the only thing that I could seem to find was rice based, and I am not a fan of rice wine.

Toast, berries, and lemon peel.

Lemon pledge with some nice blueberry notes and some yeastiness. Other than that, this is pretty simple.

More berries on the finish – I'm thinking more strawberry – and more lemon qualities.

You know, I have to say that this is a bit disappointing. At $26 I have some expectations of complexity and while there's some depth it's certainly not interesting enough for me to get excited. Spend $10 more and get the Kirkland Brut Rose, or spend $10 less and get some Gloria Ferrer.

Wine: 6
QPR: 6

2001 Big House Wine Company Big House White

I'll admit something has been confusing me about this line – I know this as being a product of Bonny Doon – an interesting wine producer, yet this and the last Big House wine we've had have had no reference to Bonny Doon on the label. It turns out the owner of Bonny Doon sold off this label and it's not a product of the Big House Wine Company who owns a bunch of wineries and has some connection to Coca-Cola – if you thought wine wasn't big business, you are wrong, good sir.

So anyway, Big House White – ten bucks or so – and a blend of Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Malvasia Bianca, Orange Muscat, Muscat Canelli, and Marsanne.

A floral nose – with some orange blossom and chamomile notes and perhaps some grapefruit.

Fairly light in body, mostly mild white grapefruit – really, just about only white grapefruit.

White grapefruit on the finish with just a bit of floral – maybe some chamomile – notes and some grapefruit zest.

So this is where things get tricky because my number is going to look pretty low, but I still enjoy it. It's a simple, easy drinking, quaffable wine that's quite tasty, but it is by no means deep or interesting. There are no flaws other than there's just not much going on. This would be perfect with Indian or spicy Asian food.

Wine: 6.5
QPR: 8

Slightly OT – Domaine de Canton

Just a bit off topic from our typical wine consumption.

A few days ago Fran and I had a very enjoyable dinner at Graham Elliot. It was a fantastic meal and I highly recommend eating there should you be in the Chicago area anytime soon. Chef Bowles has expressed some displeasure with the whole blogging/photo taking thing so I opted not to bring my camera.

For dessert I had a piece of molten carrot cake – delicious of course – and the pairing was a glass of this – Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur.

At 28% alcohol, it's certainly potent but it's not so high that it's difficult to drink without watering it down or anything of that sort. This is all ginger – strong, potent, painful, burny ginger – if you are a fan of Reed's Ginger Ale then this is your thing. Don't mix it, don't add water, don't put it on ice, sip it at room temperature and you'll be in heaven.

The bottle was $35 and considering it's a spirit, a bottle should last you a while. Drink it with a dessert that will work with ginger – carrot cake was an excellent pairing – though I'm quite content just drinking it by itself.

2008 Domaine Dupeuble Pere et Fils Beaujolais Nouveau

Here's the new annual ritual for your friends at The Wineauxs – a few days before Beaujolais Nouveau I hear about it and say to myself “nah, not this year” - then the day comes, I'm driving by the wine shop, I say to myself “nope, not this year.” My car magically goes into the parking lot and I, like out of a Romero movie, get out of the car and buy a bottle. This was $13 which made it only slightly more expensive than others.

Bubble gum and banana on the nose.

Grape stems, tart cherry, reasonable tannic structure, banana, a slight bit of cola, chocolate, and earth, with a hint of strawberry.

Some banana comes through on the finish.

Yet again – lots of sediment here so keep the bottle upright for about day and pour it slowly.

BN used to be fun, but now that every single bottle I saw was over ten bones, there's really no way to justify playing this game anymore.. If you feel compelled to buy Beaujolais Nouveau, this is probably your best bet, but if you're looking for a decent wine or something to with Thanksgiving, I'd say look elsewhere.

Wine: 5.5
QPR: 5

2006 Dievole Pinocchio Nero d'Avola

About ten bones at various shops with a nifty looking label, why not give it a try?

A big nose – with a giant burst of fresh, ripe raspberry.

All sorts of raspberry on the palate here – good structure with enough acid to be enjoyable – but damn - this could be spiked with raspberry brandy.

The finish sees no change – loads of raspberry.

I promise not to lie - everything here is nicely balanced and fine but the flavor profile is very one dimensional. It's a decent wine for drinking with food and such, but for this sort of concentration just isn't terribly interesting.

Wine: 5.5
QPR: 5.5

N/V Maui's Winery Ulupalakua Red

Wine from Hawaii? I can hear you say it now: “wha wha WHAAAA?” Yep, it's true. This was a souvenir from my parents and I was encouraged to review it on the blog and to be honest.

The biggest thing on the nose is pineapple, which is certainly odd and I fear there's some sort of power of suggestion going on here. There is some strawberry in there as well.

Smooth and easy drinking – mild tannins, nice balanced acid, a dash of black pepper, ripe strawberry, and this is where the ol' brain can get in the way – I can't help but think I'm getting pineapple like tropical fruit notes along with some banana.

More strawberry notes on the finish.

It's a highly unusual region for wine yet it's a pretty good offering – it's nothing terribly complicated but I'd be shocked if it was.

Wine: 6.5
QPR: Gift

N/V M Lawrence Sandpiper Batch #13

This is the one wine you are forced to try at the L Mawby winery – it's the one that the Wine Spectator gave a fairly high rating to which they're clearly proud of. Going for ten bucks it was an obvious bottle to grab.

The nose reminds me of candied pink grapefruit and as the bottle opens (do sparkling wines open?) some nice hints of peach comes through.

White grapefruit notes mostly with some very nice crisp red apple, some interesting toastiness and surprisingly long lasting bubbles.

The finish presents some interesting floral and pear notes – pear cobbler perhaps – with even more toast, and no hint of the weird metallic unpleasantness you find in many cheaper sparklers.

This can only be purchased online or at the winery and to me, it's well worth the effort. If you're in the area, this is one of the wineries I'd say qualify as a “must visit.” Great stuff.

Wine: 8
QPR: 9

2006 Domaine Daniel Chotard Sancerre

Yeah – I'm a sucker, I know – I don't think I've had red wine from Sancerre before, so when I saw this bottle originally priced at $22 marked down to $10, how in the world could I resist?

A funky and earthy nose, though nothing specific jumps out.

Very light in body – but a fair amount going on. Lots of earthy notes, some faint cherry and blackberry, a fair amount of red bell pepper, a small amount of spice, a dollop of carob, but there's really not enough acid here.

Some very subtle cigar box comes through on the finish as well as cinnamon and just the faintest hint of cherry.

Well, here we are...I believe red Sancerre means Pinot Noir, if that's not the case it's certainly in the same family.

As previously established, QPR is based on what I paid – even if found on some sort of sale – if you see this for over $20, adjust accordingly.

Wine: 6
QPR: 6

2005 Sophia Slavyantsi Merlot

Six bucks and from Bulgaria – seeing as I don't think I've had Bulgarian wine it seemed like an obvious one to snag.

Virtually no nose other than some very very very light eucalyptus – sorta like the wrapper of a cough drop.

A simple, easy drinking wine – tart cherry, very light in body, enough acid to give this an excellent balance, but little to think about.

Some tart cherry fades quickly on the finish.

Overall it's an enjoyable, easy drinking wine – fine for burgers or pizza – some people would call this a “patio wine” - whatever you call it, it's enjoyable and certainly a fine value at seven dollars.

Wine: 6
QPR: 7

Lavender Crest Winery – 10/31/08

http://www.lavendercrest.com/

In planning a trip, I found that we'd be passing a winery so we plotted it out that we'd stop here for lunch. This winery is western Illinois right outside the Quad Cities – Moline and Davenport being the most well known.

The winery is set up with a browsing area right when you walk in, a tasting bar to the left, and a restaurant straight ahead. The menu is mainly sandwiches and they do have recommended pairings.

The woman working the bar was the type who didn't seem to be thrilled with someone writings notes, so my apologies for these being somewhat useless.

Ritt's Reserve: plum and garbage on the nose. Light bodied, funky, earthy, decent acid, tart cherry, and spices – bay leaf perhaps. Somewhat Italian in style.

Colona Red: this wine both smelled and tasted sweet and grapey. There were some reasonable tannins and acid that gave it some balance but overall, blah.

Miche Sepi: black cherries were all over this one – I don't have better notes but I did buy a bottle so look for that in a while.

Catch of the Day: I found this light and crisp but the finish totally ruined it with a very woody quality – something some people may like.

Sweet Temptation: somewhat like a moscato, sweet and just a tad short on acid, though still fine.

There you have it. To me, Lavender Crest is certainly worth a visit if you're driving through the area or if you live within a reasonable distance. The sandwiches we had were quite good and the facility is very nice. The winery opened in 2004 and I feel it shows promise. The wines are not stellar – but that's something that should come with time. If you're driving along I-80 then you should definitely pull off and drop in.

N/V Kracher Trockenbeerenauslese

This was on clearance for fifteen bones – a 187ml bottle was a striking fifteen dollars but Kracher is a highly reputable producer – one of the finest dessert wine producers in the world, so why not?

Honey, peaches, sugar, and dare I even say grape on the nose.

Spicy peach pie filling on the palate. Orange blossom, orange marmalade, peach jam, white pepper,

More of that spicy peach on the finish, cinnamon, even some clove, maybe some candied apple,

The bottom line here is Kracher makes fantastic wines at premium prices – this bottle is your chance to get two small servings for under $20. I've had some of the higher end Kracher offerings and while I do feel they are stronger, is a half bottle worth $80 – more than double the price per ounce? I can't say for sure, but if you're starting out with dessert wine – this is the place to start if you're interested (and you should be) in Kracher.

Wine: 9
QPR: 9.5

N/V Kirkland Brut Rose Champagne

Election night calls for Champagne – really, any night calls for Champagne, but I'd call this a special enough occasion for a $35 bottle. This is a Costco brand legitimate Champagne which Wine Spectator apparently rated at 90 points by Wine Spectator.

The nose has red apple, yeast, a bit of wax, like unscented candle wax, as well.

Ah geez – I went in cautiously optimistic but this is outstanding. Tart and bone dry, loads of toast, quite a bit of yeast, bread crust, strawberry, stone fruit - nectarine, red apple, watermelon even.

A fuzzy peachy sort of finish with loads of apple and some spicy notes....strawberry – maybe strawberry seeds – that is to say a bit of strawberry but also a somewhat earthy berrylike flavor, and a bit of unripe honeydew melon..

I'm going to go out on a limb and call this wine, which costs $35, a 10 at QPR – very few, if any, Brut Rose Champagnes are available at this pricepoint and this is solid.

Wine: 9
QPR: 10

N/V Blason de Bourgogne Blanc de Noirs

We've enjoyed other bottles in this line – they tend to have a solid QPR, so let's see what this ten dollar bottle brings. If any photography types out there have any advice on how to take a decent looking photo of a shiny label like this, please drop me a line.

I can't place the nose, basically rye bread dough is all I'm getting.

The thing about most cheaper sparkling wines is they tend to be bogged down with an oily feel that I don't much care for, or some odd lingering metallic notes. It's tough not to get a bit excited when you pop open something like this – light, crisp, and dry. Some light doughy notes, some crisp, peeled Granny Smith apples – a nice amount of tartness, but not the sharp bite of the skin.

The finish brings out some mildly exotic citrus notes – citron, pomelo, maybe some tangerine.

A bit too simple to be excellent, but a fantastic QPR and a great, easy drinking wine.

Wine: 7.5
QPR: 9

2004 Heaphy Moutere Riesling

I can't find any info on this – I have no idea where I bought it or what I paid for it.

The nose has a slight bit of gasoline.

Quite nice. Dry overall with some tart apples, almost a hard apple cider made with Granny Smith apples. Plenty of lime and some good minerality with a hint of eucalyptus oddly.

More lime – lime zest - on the finish.

Maybe, just maybe, a bit simple – but overall very enjoyable, very balanced, and very good.

Wine: 7.5
QPR: ? - recommendable if you find it for under $13.

2005 Chateau Combray Bordeaux

I'm not sure where I read or heard – but the old rule is that in good vintages you can buy cheap stuff and in bad vintages you should splurge on the big boys. 2005 was known as a great Bordeaux vintage and I'll be blunt – I grabbed every under $10 bottle I could find – this one was seven. Let's take a look.

A funky nose – earth, oak, menthol, tobacco, and some alcohol.

Let this wine open for two hours. Before this wine saw a fair amount of air, it was almost like a piece of gum. It had a burst of cherry flavor but the longer you swished and swirled the more the flavor faded. Bright tart cherry, some oak, a bit of cigar box, and a reasonable amount of dried spices – from anise to oregano to eucalyptus. The acid and tannins become more pronounced with air as well – this went from completely dull to quite reasonable. It's a simple wine, even with concentration, and as such – with mild acid, fruit, and tannins – can be deemed little more than a simple quaff.

There are some some dried spices, perhaps some cherry and cinnamon, even a touch of mint.

This has some nice Bordeaux qualities and it's tough to criticize a cheap Bordeaux that actually has some reasonable essence of the region even without the complexity and nuances. If you've never had Bordeaux, this may be a good wine to try. To me, if you just drink this wine – just consuming it with pizza or whatnot – it's fine, good in fact. The more you think about it, the less it stands up – serve this at a party, with a large group of friends, or as the third bottle at a dinner party and you'll be fine.

Wine: 6.5
QPR: 6.5

2003 Rubicon Estate Cask Cabernet Sauvignon

Rubicon – the classy Coppola winery – I've been wanting to try wine from this producer for some time but have avoided it – this half bottle ran me thirty bones, so you see why.

Big vanilla and cherry on the nose.

At first I wasn't convinced but the longer I have this in the glass the more I'm sold (in other words – decant 3+ hours) – plenty of vanilla, lots of tart cherry, some ripe strawberry, rich chocolate – not in the funky/earthy/baking chocolate kind of way, but legitimate hints of a dark chocolate candy bar, great balanced tannins.

The oak sticks around on the finish with some nice tart strawberry notes.

A great wine – excellent depth, great fruit, solid backbone – perhaps not quite worth the price, but a solid effort.

Wine: 9
QPR: N/A