In which I fancy myself a wine expert
One of my New Years’ resolutions was to branch out and try different kinds of wine. (Actually, it wasn’t so much a resolution as an easy addition to the list. I have to have a glass of wine with dinner! And possibly a second! I’m fulfilling my resolution!! And I’m doing it FOR HUMANITY.)
So! Starting now, I’m going to review the new wines that I sample (and by “sample” I mean “purchase a bottle and consume in its entirety, maybe not all at once, but possibly”). Oh, and probably none of this wine will cost more than $10-$12 a bottle. Because that’s how I roll.
I better add in a disclaimer here. I am in no way any sort of wine expert. I made an A in Introduction to Beverages (yes) my sophomore year in college and I have toured about five wineries in my lifetime. That pretty much sums up my qualifications as a wine critic. A sommelier I am not. But! I know what I like, and am happy to pass it along. Just don’t expect any recommendations on food pairings, because so far it seems that all wines work with frozen pizza equally well.
In preparation for my wine-tasting journey, yesterday I went to the local Spec’s with my pal BB in tow. She’s a fan of the reds, while I tend to favor whites. So I picked her brain on what reds would be good for a rookie like me. I ended up purchasing 6 bottles total – 3 reds, 3 whites. (Which lived in a box at my desk for the rest of the day since it was too hot to leave them in the car and now my coworkers think I have A Problem.)
Here’s the haul:
I decided on the Lambrusco as my first specimen. I’ll get back to the rest of those later.
According to the back label, Levata Lambrusco dell ‘Emilia is a “full-flavored Lambrusco with a refreshingly fruity character and vibrant raspberry aromas.” And I found it surprisingly good for my first real foray into the world of red wine. I chilled it – cooler than recommended – and it tastes pretty much like very strong grape juice. So, you know, it tastes like what it is. It doesn’t seem to have much of the residual bitterness that turned me off the last time I tried a red wine, but maybe that’s because I didn’t drink it at room temperature? Anyhow, I like this one and will have to try other Lambruscos for comparison in the near future.
NonSoccerMom’s rating: 3 stars out of 5.*
Have you tried this wine or something similar? If so, what did you think? If you have any suggestions or recommendations please let me know. I’m up for anything, and I hope to make this at least a weekly feature (oh, who am I kidding. I go through more than one bottle per week.)
*Rating system is completely arbitrary and is not based on any actual scale of measurement.
February 26th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
“I go through more than one bottle per week.”
Ha. More like 3-4 bottles a week.
February 26th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I’m a firm believer in “good wine is whatever YOU like”. It’s like art. If you like it, it’s good. That said, I prefer dry whites instead of sweet ones. And I prefer smooth, sweeter reds instead of the spicy, full-bodied ones. Generally speaking, I stay away from super sweet drinks (including mixed and frozen ones) because they cause re-he-healy bad hangovers.
Here are a few wines I have good luck with (and not all are labels, but types):
*Any Vinho Verde – Portugese (a light, refreshing, slightly fizzy white – lovely.)
*Yellow Tail Cabernet-Shiraz (I’m not proud of how much Yellow Tail I drink, but…meh. I like it)
*Menage A Trois California Red Wine – very easy to drink, smooth, a little sweet.
*Blackstone Merlot is a reliable, good red but needs something strong paired with it like a tomato sauce
*Sauvignon Blanc is my current fav – any from Marlborough/Australia are pretty good including the Monkey Bay label
*Also, I like the Barefoot wines for a cheap hit after a bad day.
*And now I’m done. And I need a glass of wine. Go get me some.
February 26th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Drink wine…now that is my kind of New Year’s resolution. I really have nothing much to add but I just wanted to tell you that I will be very interested to read your reviews. I always feel so clueless when I walk into the liquor store. There are just so many choices and it is so overwhelming. I’m more of a red girl myself but I like a riesling every once in awhile.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:34 am
Basically I’m a girly girl and I like the sweet white wines…Rieslings and Muscatos. I’ve never been able to enjoy red wine…but perhaps I will branch out a bit with your suggestions.
oh, and…Introduction to Beverages? Really??
February 27th, 2009 at 7:13 am
[...] wine in bulk on her lunch breaks. At this rate, we may need to build a wine cellar. She’s started blogging about her exploration of viticulture [...]
February 27th, 2009 at 7:45 am
I don’t drink wine. But we do own a bottle of that red tattoo wine you bought (we buy wines for the fun labels!)
I’m mostly turned off by the bitterness, so it’s good to know that if I chill it, that might go away.
February 27th, 2009 at 8:23 am
I actually bought that tattoo wine for the label too. Since I have a tattoo of a fleur-de-lis, how could I not?
And to answer Allison’s question, yes, I took Introduction to Beverages when I was a Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management major (for one semester). It was TEH AWESOME. Easiest A I ever made.
February 27th, 2009 at 8:43 am
Are you testing out any boxed wine?
February 27th, 2009 at 10:07 am
I didn’t know you were a RHIM major! I’m not much of a wine drinker. I usually stick with the white zins, so I’m not sure if that’s even considered a wine. It’s more like kool-aid with some liquer in it!! Maybe I can branch out per your suggestions!