Oh man, do I love a good a good Syrah/Mourevadre blend. While visiting Sculpterra in Paso Robles (highly recommend a visit; the wine is delicious, but they also have an awesome sculpture garden and often have music out in the back), I picked up their Mourevadre, which actually was blended with a bit of Petit…
Category: Budget Buster
Budget Buster, Over $25, Paso Robles, Syrah, Zinfandel
Review: 2013 Zenaida Cellars Zephyr
by wineforthewin •
We came across Zenaida Cellars towards the end of a recent Paso Robles trip. It was supposed to be our last winery of the stay as we made our way out of town, but upon the recommendation of the woman serving us 10:30 a.m., we headed up the road to Ecluse. We are now members…
Budget Buster, California, Red Blend
Review: 2011 Leoness Limited Selection Ten
by wineforthewin •
Spending a weekend up in the mountains? Bring some nice reds (or if you’re like me also pack a cheap Rose for the hot tub. I brought along a 2013 Josephine Rose). I brought along the 2011 Leoness Limited Selection Ten, a supple blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Cinsaut, Grenache and Mourevadre to pair with a…
Budget Buster
Whoops, That $37.50 Bottle of Wine Is Actually $3,750
by wineforthewin •
The moral of this story, is always wear your glasses when ordering wine. A diner at Bobby Flay Steakhouse in an Atlantic City casino was tasked with ordering a bottle of wine for his party of 10–a situation I often find myself in when nobody wants to take the plunge and do the ordering. He…
Budget Buster, California, Gewürztraminer
Review: 2012 Danza del Sol Gewürztraminer
by wineforthewin •
Gervertminer. Guhvetzmeener. Guvoortztrameener. Ahhh, always so hard to pronounce, but the last transliteration is the way to go. Anyhow, this German grape makes for some sweet, fruity wine and this Temecula Valley version is no different. The 2012 Danza del Sol Gewürztraminer is a bit creamy, with hints of melon. It leaves a tingly feeling on your…
Budget Buster, California, Wine bar
Press Club in San Francisco
by wineforthewin •
I went on a business trip to San Francisco and I couldn’t just go to the city by the bay and not hit up a wine bar and snag a cheese plate or two. OK, I didn’t get a cheese plate, but I did get some lovely appetizers–squash blossoms and heirloom tomato salad? Yes, please.…
Budget Buster, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Over $25, Review
Review: 2010 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon
by wineforthewin •
With a rear beef roast and mashed potatoes swimming in garlic and butter on my plate, I sipped more than a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon from Robert Mondavi Vineyard Saturday night. Mondavi, aka the godfather of Napa Valley, made a name for himself boosting the reputation of the famed California wine region and improving wine…
Budget Buster, Interesting Fact, Non-California
What’s the most expensive wine?
by wineforthewin •
I was thinking the other day about how much would be too much to pay for a bottle of wine. Then I saw that 12 bottles of Romanee-Conti sold for $474,000–or $39,500 each– over the weekend. That was the most any case of wine has sold for at a Christie’s auction, according to Bloomberg. The case…
Budget Buster, California, Review, Santa Barbara County
Review: 2009 Kunin Roussanne
by wineforthewin •
Kunin Wines is small on production, but big on quality. I stopped by the bungalow that houses the winery on the Urban Wine Trail in Santa Barbara when I was there this summer. The tasting room is fresh and airy, a perfect locale to sip a flight of whites. My favorite Kunin was the 2009…
Barbera, Budget Buster, California, Nebbiolo, Red Blend, Sangiovese, Santa Barbara County
Review: Area 5.1 Majestic 12
by wineforthewin •
Remember how I raved about Area 5.1’s White Light? Well, I liked the winery’s Majestic 12 just as much, if not more. This red wine blend is jammm-my. Playing along with the alien theme throughout the whole wine tasting room, Majestic 12 is named after a secret committee allegedly formed in 1947 to recover a UFO that…