The rooibos tea latte at Starbucks is my jam on days I am too hyped up for caffeine, so when I heard about a South African company using rooibos chips as a wine preservative, my ears perked up. Audacia Winery has patented the technique, which reduced traditional preservatives like sulfur dioxide by using the natural…
Category: Non-California
Merlot, Non-California, South America
This Chilean Wine has a Chinese Label
by wineforthewin •
Let me tell you a story from my annual Oscar Party (I know, I know, the Oscars were weeks ago! Forgive me.): My friend brought over two reds from Chile, but the labels were in Chinese! Well, maybe Chinese, maybe Korean, but for sure Asian characters, and my money’s on Chinese. She bought the wine,…
Malbec, Non-California, Under $20
Review: 2012 Etc. Malbec
by wineforthewin •
When I think etcetera, I think of it as an aside, everything lumped in that category is not worth mentioning after some standout examples are thrown out first. Now, this bottle of Malbec was a nice drink, but I would say it matches it’s name, it’s not THE BEST Malbec I’ve had and it may…
Cabernet Sauvignon, Non-California, Under $10
Review: 2012 Presswork Cabernet Sauvignon
by wineforthewin •
A very talented friend of mine invited me to read his latest slasher screenplay. Slasher and good time aren’t what I’d usually pair together in a sentence, but I knew this would be fun because wine would be involved and I can handle gore on the page, even if I can’t on the screen. Before we cracked…
Chardonnay, Non-California, Under $10
Review: 2013 Terrenal Chardonnay
by wineforthewin •
My dad loves when he finds kosher wines, even though he doesn’t keep kosher. He brought this kosher Chardonnay to meet my other half’s parents for a brunch we hosted at our apartment–like three years after we’ve been dating. I know, I know, weprocrastinated. We ended up sticking to mimosas, so this bottle was left…
Non-California, Pinot Grigio, Under $10
Review: 2012 Gaetano d’Aquino Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie
by wineforthewin •
This Italian Pinot Grigio is dry with a tangy aftertaste. An apple flavor dominates here. Did I like it? Well, better said perhaps that I didn’t hate it. It was OK. The 2012 Gaetano D’Aquino Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie is a very cheap Pinot Grigio from Trader Joe’s, so that’s a plus. It’s a fruity, non-demanding…
Cabernet Sauvignon, Non-California, South Africa, Under $10
Review: 2013 Douglas Green Cabernet Sauvignon
by wineforthewin •
It’s warm, it’s fruity, it’s spicy–everything you want in a cheap cab. The 2013 Douglas Green Cabernet Sauvignon has lingering flavors of what is that, raisin? I was pleased with the smoothness of the wine, which I sipped at a pre-concert picnic with some friends. For the price, I’d buy it again. Nuts & Bolts: Winery: Douglas…
Non-California, Review, spain, Under $15
Review: 2009 Marques De Riscal Proximo Tempranillo Rioja
by wineforthewin •
On a scuba trip to Catalina Island, my other half and I attempted to hit up a wine bar on the main drag. But by the time we got inside, we were kicked out because turns out, the wine bar was actually part of a hotel and only open for guests. Boo. We asked the…
Non-California, Review, Sparkling Wine, Under $20
Review: Freixenet Cordon Negro Cava
by wineforthewin •
I’m not a constant sparkling wine drinker. Proseccos and Champagnes are a rarity in our fridge. But I had a very cute, 187 ml bottle of Freixenet Cordon Negro in my fridge the other day when I was on the hunt for wine to drink with a nice grilled fish and all we had were…
Bordeaux, Non-California, Review, Savignon Blanc, Under $10
Review: 2013 Les Portes de Bordeaux Savignon Blanc
by wineforthewin •
I was tired of not having white wine in the fridge when I was hankering for a refreshing sip on a hot summer night, so I went to Trader Joe’s and stacked up on whites. I picked up this Les Portes de Bordeaux Savignon Blanc that I hadn’t tried before. Savignon Blanc, in my mind,…