2006 St. Donatus Estate Balatonboglári Merlot

Year: 2007
Rating: "B"
Price: $6.00
Notes: medium red color, strawberry/raspberry on the nose, slightly sweet on the palate with a peppery finish. Not a bad wine but not easy to pair food with.

Sangria Recipe - aieeeeee!

Summer Sangria
# 1 1/4 liter of red wine [Omni suggests a Poggio or a red Rioja]

# 4 peaches, peeled and cut into chunks

# 2 plums, peeled and cut into chunks

# 1 orange, peeled and cut into chunks

# Juice of 1/2 an organic lemon

# Rind of 1/2 an organic lemon

# 6 strawberries, sliced

# 3 T sugar [optional]

Mix everything in a pitcher. Chill well to allow the flavors to merge. Overnight is ideal.

To serve: Spoon some wine-soaked fruit into a clear glass along with 3 ice cubes. Top with sangria.

Qupé Wine Cellars 2005 Syrah “Central Coast”

Vineyard: Qupé Wine Cellarsine Cellars
Wine: Syrah "Central Coast”

Year: 2005
Rating: "B"
Price: $18.00
Notes: Recommended by a customer in the "Wine and Cheese Cask" - Got this for valentines day '07 - Good spicy flavors not very smoky.Hints of berries

Vineyard: Casa Gualda
Wine: 2004 Sierra do Siles Tempranillo (Red)
Year: 2004
Rating: "B"
Price: $7.00
Notes: A good cheap wine

Black Mountain Vineyard 03 Cabernet Sauvignon

Vineyard: Black Mountain Vineyard
Wine: 2003 Fat Cat Cabernet Sauvignon
Year: 2003
Rating: "B"
Price: $6.00
Notes: A good cheap wine, full bodied, went well with mushrooms.Found it at Trader Joe's

Castoro Cellars Zinfusion Zinfandel

Vineyard: Castoro Cellars
Wine: Zinfusion Zinfandel
Year: 2004
Rating: "A-"
Price: $18
Notes: Paul and I had this with our New Year's Eve dinner of mushroom risotto with a red wine mushroom sauce with a side of asparagus. It was delicious and full bodied and held up well with the risotto.

The "Zinfusion" (formerly Vineyard Tribute) is a marriage of a select few vineyards that complement each other to produce a unique wine that showcases Paso Robles Zinfandel. The 2003 vintage was one of the biggest styled Zinfusions to date, and the 2004 follows suit. This wine is a Zin lovers dream wine! You will be engulfed in ripe and jammy fruit aromas and flavors as you enjoy this wine. This is a big wine and is enjoyed with rich pasta and meat entrees.

A Wine to Try - Firesteed Pinot Noir

http://www.firesteed.com/wines/pinot.htm

Bogle Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Vineyard: Bogle Vineyards
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon
Year: 2004
Rating: "B-"
Price: $10
Notes: The wine went well with our pasta and roasted eggplant tomato sauce as recommended. Good, inexpensive wine; a bit acidic and tangy for our taste, but would buy again.

From the website: Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape that takes its own sweet time, slowly lingering to ripen on the vine. We are rewarded by its reluctance. Dark, black cherries greet you on the palate, with a hint of eucalyptus and leather nestled among the fruit. Sixteen months in American barrels produced a well-integrated profile of spicy oak and pipe tobacco. The well integrated tannins leave a most welcome finish after each sip.

ZD Pinot Noir 2004

Vineyard: ZD Vineyards
Wine: 2004 Pinot Noir
Year: 2004
Rating: "A-"
Price: "?"
Notes: Had this at the Four Seasons in Carlsbad. Went well with my tangy salad with pomegranate seeds but didn't hold up as well with my fresh tomato and basil pasta dish. Otherwise, I thought this was a delicious wine--full-bodied but not loaded with tannins; zesty.


http://www.zdwines.com/pinotnoir.html

Tobin James Black Magic Petite Sirah 2004

Vineyard: Tobin James
Wine: Black Magic Petite Sirah
Year: 2004
Rating: "A"
Price: "?"
Notes: From Mom and Dad's Wine Club but it's not on the website. "Big, rich and ripe with a tremendous burst of boysenberry, a beautiful mid-palate, and a long luxurious finish with ripe, mellow tannins. Juicy is the word that will pop into your mind when this wine crosses your palate. This wine is delicious now, but will hold for many years due to its wonderful structure. Only a small amount was bottled due to the limited amount of fruit that comes from these perfect vineyards. Sorry! There are no re-orders. The club got every bottle."

Mas Donis 2004 - Spain

Name: Mas Donia - barrica 2004
Montsant
Denominacio d'Origen
Location: Spain
Price: $11.99
Rating: B

Notes: Dry, medium-bodied wine. Good with fresh, summer tomatoes. Refreshing change from full-bodied, fruity wines that we often drink. Tasty summer wine! Yum!

MT Palomar Reisling

Vineyard: MT Palomar
Wine: Reisling
Year: 2005
Rating: "A"
Price: ""
Notes: Got on trip to Temecula,hmmm :) Really liked; nice and fruity dessert wine.think i may have also had with grilled veggies,really good.


FOOTNOTE: Don't ever go to this place: it's called
VR La Cereza Vineyard & Winery, also in Temecula. We had the worst experience there. Firstly, their brochure states there is a "picnic area" yea, read: "plastic jungle gym and two decrepid picnic benches"; facing the street none the less!. I think all I can say to describe what transpired are the words "blatantly rude!". Suffice to say we made no wine purchases here so I can't comment on the quality of the wine, but if the atmosphere and service is any indication ... Yes , it was that bad ;-|

2005 Muscat Blanc

Vineyard: Bailey Vineyards, Australia
Wine: 2005 Muscat Blanc
Year: 2005
Rating: A-
Price: ""
Notes: ""

Kelly's Revenge Syrah

Vineyard: Thomas Hardy & Sons, Australia
Wine: "Kelly's Revenge" Syrah
Year: 2003
Rating: B--
Price: ""
Notes: ""

"Finca El Portillo" Syrah

Vineyard: Bodega El Portillo, Argentina
Wine: "Finca El Portillo" Syrah
Year: 2004
Rating: B+
Price: $6.99

Notes: great wine for the price

Tobin James' "Charisma"

Vineyard: Tobin James, Paso Robles,CA
Wine: "Charisma" Dessert Wine
Year: 2004
Rating: A
Price: $ Cant remember now...

Notes: Bought this around the same we sampled the "Made in the Shade" Merlot also from TJ( see Friday, February 17, 2006 post) -Waited a while to have it. Worth the wait. Sweet but not too sweet. Had a nice fruity taste,cherries or something.

Cline Syrah 2003

Vineyard: Cline Cellars Sonoma CA
Wine: Cline Syrah
Year: 2003
Rating: C+
Price: $10.00

Notes: Needed 1 1/2 hours decanting,tasted suprising better after long decant.But initially was just so,so hence the C++

Fat Bastard - Shiraz 2004

Vineyard: hills north of Nimes in France - Vin de Pays D'oc (Thierry and Guy - Fat Bastard)
Wine: Fat Bastard Shiraz
Year: 2004
Rating: C+
Price: $8.50

Notes: Needed 1 1/2 hours decanting before it tasted decent.

Santenay Ier Cru - Beaurepaire (Paul's Bday Wine)

Vineyard: Sorine & Fils - Bourgogne
Wine: Santenay Ier Cru - Beaurepaire
Year: 2002
Price: $29
Rating: B+

Comments: Had this wine on Paul's birthday. Full of flavor, yet slightly dry, medium-bodied.

Sons of Eden Grenache/Syrah

Winery: Sons of Eden, Bruassa, Australia
Wine: Grenache/Syrah
Year: 2002

Rating: B++

Notes: We had this wine at The Elephant Walk in Cambridge. It tasted like cherries, with a very fruity flavor. Medium-bodied; not very "full". It was a nice change from fuller-bodied wines.