When I think riesling, I think flowers, apricot, honey and sweet, sweet, sweet. Not this one. Wolff Vineyards’ riesling is made in the Alsatian-style, which leads to a drier, brighter taste. Alsace lies on the border of France and Germany and the dry riesling from that region tends to be super sweet, have high acidity–which…
Tag: wine tasting
California, Over $25, Paso Robles, Red Blend
Review: 2010 Tablas Creek En Gobelet
by wineforthewin •
Friday night was frustrating. On my way to pick up the other half from the train station, I get pulled over by a cop who gives me a ticket. Then my car won’t start and the cop just drives off. Triple A comes and saves me and lover drives home. What a sucky start to…
Money Saver, Non-California, Under $15, White Blend
Review: 2012 Herdade de Gambia White Wine Blend
by wineforthewin •
I’m telling you, I’m on a Portugal kick. But this white wine blend from Herdade de Gambia was even better than the cryptically-labeled red blend I talked about a few days ago. Cloudy yellow, this wine smells like peach and oranges (yum!) and it has a smooth, drinkable je ne sais quoi quality about it.…
Interesting Fact, Musing, Non-California
Wine 101: Spit!
by wineforthewin •
When I asked Jonathon Alsop, founder of Boston Wine School, what’s the first thing you teach new students, I was surprised by his response. The first lesson in Wine 101 is how to spit, he said. How to spit!? Not what kind of grape makes what color wine or why some wines taste like tropical fruit…
Non-California, Portugal, Red Blend, Review, Under $15
Review: Casa Agricola HMR Varal Tinto
by wineforthewin •
Portugal is known for port, duh, but it’s also got blended table wines going on. I picked up a delicious red blend from Vintage Berkeley when I was visiting a friend. It’s from Casa Agricola, a winery in Alentejano, which is in the southeast area of Portugal. This wine tasted like plums, strawberry and cinnamon and…
California, Paso Robles, Port
Review: Clautiere Vineyard Port
by wineforthewin •
I had never had Port until I visited Clautiere Vineyards in Paso Robles. The winery’s tasting room is all about transporting you to a magical place of whimsy and they pull it off–especially with the secondary hat room. You’ve got to see these photos of me sporting the classiest of caps: Now that I’ve embarrassed…
Interesting Fact, Non-California, Travel
Doukenie Winery: Wine Science!
by wineforthewin •
Beer, beer, beer. The social life of a geologist is filled with it. It’s glugged after a day studying rocks, after seminars and there was even a beer made specifically for a geological conference. Leanne Wiberg, a geologist and @craterlady on Twitter, was long swirling in this beer vortex until about 10 years ago when some…
California, Chardonnay, edna valley, Under $20
Review: True Myth Chardonnay
by wineforthewin •
Getting kicked out of your apartment for three days because you’re complex is being bombed for termites is no fun. But getting to have a sleepover with friends who have bottles and bottles of True Myth Chardonnay makes up for it, at least a little bit. This week we had to pack up all of…
California, Pinot Grigio, Under $20
Review: Craftwork 2012 Pinot Grigio
by wineforthewin •
It smelled like honeydew when I stuck my nose into my first glass of Craftwork’s 2012 Pinot Grigio, but when I drank it, I forgot about that alluring scent. I expected a fruity concoction, but was distracted by the alcohol burn. The bottle says it’s 13.5%, but it tasted like more. I feel like this…
Interesting Fact, Musing, Zinfandel
Old Vine Zinfandel vs. Zinfandel
by wineforthewin •
If I was blindfolded and you put an Old Vine Zinfandel in front of me and a non-Old Vine Zinfandel, I probably couldn’t tell the difference. So I started asking around: what separates the two, flavor-wise? Ondine Chattan, winemaker at XYZin Wines told me Old Vine Zinfandels tend to brighten the characteristics of the Zinfandel grape: producing…