Beaulieu Vineyard Carneros Pinot Noir 2006 (California)

Good solid, under $20 Pinot Noir. True to varietal color, bright light red. Vibrant nose of strawberry,sour cherry, rose petals, earth, and smoke.
On the palate, pretty full bodied for a Pinot; nice texture to this with a cherry pie like flavor, subtle cocoa notes. Finish was on the short side. A touch hot on the end. 

Serve this full-flavored Pinot Noir with wild mushroom pasta, roast duck or chicken, rich fish, try salmon with spiced red wine sauce.

Barista Pinotage 2009 (South Africa)

Interesting wine, from the Western cape of South Africa. Many of you may know Barista is to coffee as Sommelier is to wine so the label in it's self is very telling. I would not normally purchase a wine with such a name, knowing full well there will be quite a bit of coffee flavor. I enjoy both coffee and wine but not especially together, now my friend Rita always has her cup of Joe and whatever else she is drinking even it is wine, lol. I had a sample at a tasting and ended up purchasing a bottle just for kicks, I figured this wine would pair well with something, perhaps great on a cold night with snow.

Deep red full-bodied wine that has a burst of intense rich dark coffee and chocolate aromas with hints of plum mulberry and pomegranate. On the palate more coffee, a bit of sweet vanilla and dark cocoa swirl on your tongue with a lingering finish that has a touch of spice.

This wine would pair well with desserts such as chocolate eclairs, Boston cream pie and many meat or creamy casserole dishes. Would I purchase this wine again? Maybe. I am glad that I tried it never the less.

For an interesting video on this wine go to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iks5_PizGWU

Sin Zin Zinfandel 2009 (California)

I am a Zinfandel fan as it is a very versatile wine, able to be drank alone and pairs with a variety of foods.

On the pour this wine was dark red. This wine was bright and had an expressive nose bursting with red fruits and a bit if leather. The palate was loaded with raspberries, strawberries, leather and black pepper with a hint of licorice. The aroma took me back to my childhood, days of riding in my grandpas old car with leather seats. It was not bad, I might purchase it again but I have had many Zinfandel's I like better. The bacchanalian label adds interest to the bottle.

Kungfu Girl 2010 Riesling (Washington)

I was fully prepared to dislike this wine.  I generally distrust huge production outfits with gimmicky cartoon labels, and cheap New World Riesling often ends up being an übersweet disaster. The label was inspired by the movie Kill Bill, the scene in which Lucy Liu and Uma Thurman fight it out in the snow.

The wine was much less sweet than I expected from low-budget, mass-produced, US Riesling — it was actually almost fully dry (i.e. it had almost no residual sugar left) and had potent, cheek-puckering acidity.

In the glass this wine was a very pale straw color and a slight effervescence which reminded me of my favorite German Rieslings from the Mosel Valley. The nose was crisp, tart and green:  Granny Smith apple, grapefruit, lime and grass with a touch of pineapple and an aroma like bath salts, sort of like walking into a spa.  The main note on the attack was a clean mineral flavour, which led into waves of vibrant sour apple, pear and grapefruit in the
mid-palate. Aromatic, smooth and tasty with pleasant minerality, off-dry with an obscure but thoughtful finish.

Wine Jargon Notes:

attack/midpalate/finish = when you taste a wine, the initial taste impression you get is called the attack; the final taste impression as and after you swallow is the finish; everything in between is the midpalate.

 

New World/Old World = Old World wines are those that come from Europe; New World wines are those from non-European locations like the US, Australia, South America, etc

  

California karma Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (California)

California karma Cabernet Sauvignon, the name alone is interesting enough to make you want to purchase a bottle, that is if you believe in Karma and I do. I purchased this bottle for $14, not a bad price for an every-day Cabernet Sauvignon and from PASO ROBLES.

In the glass this wine is deep red with aromas of black cherry, spice and oak. On the palate this wine was a bit tannic but given time to breath it is just fine. Quite a bit of berry flavor and a hint of oak, perhaps a touch of fresh apple. Very pleasant , well rounded every day wine with a nice finish. Allow to breath a bit, perhaps even decant this one!

 

Spann Vineyards Betsy's Backacher Semillon-Chardonnay 2010 (California)

This wine is 60% Semillon and 40% Chardonnay and produced by SPANN Vineyards out of California. Rated 89 by Wine Enthusiast, not that it matters we all like what we like and have different palates.

Interesting wine to say the least, I purchased this wine for $16 and was not sure what to expect but I enjoy Semillon and Chardonnay so I gave it a try. This is a great wine! Everyone needs a couple of bottles!

In the glass this wine was light yellow with aromas of pineapple and creamy vanilla with a touch of exotic notes. On the Palate apricots, more exotic fruit notes with pineapple and vanilla. This wine is full-bodied and just a touch of sweetness yet complex with a nice finish.

This wine would pair well with Almond Trout, Salmon and many cream sauce dishes. Also great to drink by it's self.

For more information on SPANN Vineyards visit their website at http://spannvineyards.com/index.html

Snoqualmie Naked Riesling 2009 (Washington)

This wine was a bit sweet than I anticipated but very good nevertheless.

On the pour this wine is light yellow colored and opens with a mild pineapple bouquet with a touch of iced tea. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, and very easy to drink. The flavor profile is a tasty iced tea with a hint of lemon and cantaloupe. The finish is semi-sweet and very pleasant.

This wine is great alone or would pair well with cheeses and spicy foods.

To view more abou this wine and other Snoqualime wine go to http://www.snoqualmie.com/Wines