Tag Archive for easy-drinking wine

Review: 2012 Jarenincan Crnko

January 1, 2014 • 0 Comments

Bet you can’t say that five times fast.

I bought this Slovenian white blend of riesling and dry muscat hoping to drink it with a delicious meal featuring lemon garlic cod and jasmine rice, but I decided to bring this table wine to a pre-New Year’s Eve party since it’s 1-Liter size and bottle cap top make it difficult for individual consumption.

OK let’s stop right there. Yes, this wine has a bottle cap on it.

Not a screw top and not a cork. Weird, huh. It’s the wine of the people over in Slovenia, served in every country tavern and in every household, so I guess the bottle cap blends well with that scene.

That’s not the only thing weird about this number. It’s lemony and zesty and reminds me of the idea of an alcoholic Fresca.

Great for easy drinking, I decided to bring it to the pre-party because I knew it would be low-key, great for a crowd and a nice, light precursor to the Old Fashioneds and other bourbon/whiskey cocktails I’d ride for the rest of the evening, which by the way was filled with beautiful views of Los Angeles and sparklers!

The wine is hand-picked from a family vineyard in northeastern Slovenia that features fossil-rich soils. The blend changes from year to year, according to the folks at Vintage Berkeley.

Nuts and Bolts

Winery: Crnko
Type: blend of riesling and dry muscat
Origin: Slovenia
Vintage: 2012
Price: $15
Alcohol content: I left the bottle at that pre-New Year’s soiree and forgot to write this down!
When to drink: Tuck this in a picnic basket as you head out to the park on a summery day with your friends, a croquet set and this amazing lemon-feta dip.

Review: 2009 Sebastiani Zinfandel

November 21, 2013 • 0 Comments

Remember how I cracked the code behind old vine zinfandel and zinfandel? Well, since then I haven’t had much of America’s sweetheart wine and since it’s one of my favorite varietals, I had to break the dry streak.

I brought over a bottle of the 2009 Sebastiani Zinfandel to a friend’s house earlier this week and it didn’t disappoint. There’s a lightness to the juice, but a strong peppery flavor anchors down the wine and gives it a lingering aftertaste. It’s another easy-drinker that won’t knock your socks off, but you’ll have a good time drinking it up and smelling the dark cherry aroma. At least I did.

If you are a faithful reader of wineforthewin.com and you’re thinking, “Hey, Haven’t I seen that wine label to the right of the Zin before?” You’re right. You have.

Nuts and Bolts

Winery: Sebastiani
Type: Zinfandel
Origin: Sonoma County
Vintage: 2009
Price: $17.99 (I got a second one for 5 cents at the BevMo 5 cent wine sale)
Alcohol content: Unknown (I brought this to a party and forgot to look at the label for the Alcohol content. mea culpa!)
When to drink: With a hunk of meat, preferably steak, preferably tri-tip and preferably grilled.

Review: Beringer Founders’ Estate Pinot Noir and Doritos

November 20, 2013 • 0 Comments

I got tongue-tied playing Celebrity at game-night with friends. I pronounced Zach Braff as Jaques Braff and Adolf Hitler as Adolf Hilter. I blame my pronunciation faux-pas on this fruity, easy-drinking, somewhat-nutty Beringer Pinot Noir.

A deep red (well, all the wines I had on Sunday night looked deep red in the blue solo cups), this silky wine had an earthy, plummy taste. And since the flavors didn’t stick to my tongue, it didn’t overwhelm my palate when I stuffed my mouth with Doritos during a short game-playing intermission! It’s not everyday you get to pair wine with Doritos!

Nuts and Bolts

Winery: Beringer
Type: Founders’ Estate Pinot Grigio
Origin: Napa
Vintage: 2011
Price: $6.99, according to wine-searcher.com
Alcohol content: Unknown (I didn’t write it down!)
When to drink: This is another easy-drinking wine, that would do you good if your goal is to drink with friends and get buzzed on the cheap.