TeSoAria 2011 Pinot Noir

Happy Holidays! After a long weekend of Christmafying our house, I need a drink. B and I just decided to open our TeSoAria 2011 Pinot Noir :) I am writing this while watching Home Alone 2, so I will keep it short and sweet.

Beautiful garnet color, smells like tobacco and cherry.  Currant to start, blackberry middle with a hint of tannins, finishes creamy vanilla. 

So nice these grapes are from Umpqua Valley, this pinot packs a punch. Not light. Not delicate. Totally up my alley. If you're interested in this wine you can head to TeSoAria's Portland tasting room at 4003 N Williams, Portland, OR 97227.

Happy Holidays!

The Best Valentine's Day A Girl (Like Me) Could Ask For!

I am not your everyday woman.  I don't care for love ballads, romantic comedy movies/TV shows, roses or chocolate.  So of course when B asked me what I would like to do for Valentine's Day this year I said I didn't care.  It seems to me that Valentine's Day always ruins even the easiest of tasks.  Men flood grocery stores in order to purchase last minute cards, flowers and chocolates.  Everyone and their mother goes out to dinner to the point where every place is so packed you even need reservations to the Red Lobster. All the bars are filled with drunken singles trying to 'mingle'.  In my mind its a bad night to go out...everything is packed and it's just not worth it.  B came home one day before V-day to inform me he had purchased some wine from our favorite vineyard TeSoAria and that we were to enjoy at least a bottle for V-day.  He had called up Cody and asked to have a 2011 Old Vine Zinfandel as well as two bottles of Noir de Noir sent to us.  B then stated his intent to drink the Old Vine Zin on V-day and proceeded to asked me what our plans were.  I don't know how it happened, but the following words came flowing out of my mouth like a Spring runoff:  

"Let's go to see A Good Day to Die Hard. It comes out on Valentine's Day and I love me some Bruce Willis!  Plus maybe there won't be a ton of people going to see it..."  

B looked at me for a bit and then followed with, "If that's what my love wants, she gets."  Muahahahaa, not only was I going see a Bruce Willis flick in the theater but I was going to get to enjoy a REALLY nice bottle of Zin. Well, we left all the details to the last minute and decided to make a quick dinner at home before the movie.  I wasn't really paying attention (as I was making dinner) when all of the sudden I thought I heard the pop of a cork.  I sort of brushed it off as either I was hearing something or B was pouring some delicious Zin.  About two minutes later I hear an obnoxious glugging sound and realized B was pouring the bottle of wine into a sort of 'to go' container.  Needless to say, I got to see John McClane travel to Russia to beat some Commie ass and effortlessly deliver one-liners, while drinking some of the best Zinfandel I have ever had.  I did not take notes however, TeSoAria's 2011 Old Vine Zin is very well rounded.  The flavors are amazing and I could easily savor a bottle all by myself :)  I will post actual tasting notes of the '11 Old Vine Zin once B let's me open another one. 

Until next time...

xoxo,
KEGW

2009 TeSoAria Pinot Noir

B and I have gotten to the point where we've gone through our stock pile of 'cheaper' priced wine.  As usual, that makes me as happy as a clam in high tide because we can start uncorking the 'good stuff'. Tonight we had the pleasure of opening TeSoAria's '09 Pinot :-) For those of you who aren't familiar with my ravings of TeSoAria, the winery is located in the Umpqua Valley (Roseburg, OR).  WWW.tesoaria.com Now I'll be honest, B and I are TeSoAria wine club members, but its because we LOVE their wines. Okay, back to the Umpqua Valley... Pinots from this region tend to be bold sometimes spicy and anything but delicate. Here in the Willamette Valley pinots are prized for their subtle fruity flavors.  We are almost spoiled by the abundance of those types of pinots here (I know, life is hard).  When we first tasted pinot from the Umpqua Valley we were intrigued by the glaring differences between the two valleys. 

This pinot was one of the first bottles we purchased from TeSoAria :-)   We cellared* this bottle for a little while and are pleased we gave it just a bit more time.  We paired this Umpqua Valley pinot with BBQ chicken, homemade macaroni and salad. The following are my tasting notes from tonight...

AbV - 12.8%
Price - Not currently available for sale, but they do have their 2011 Pinot Noir available for sale
Color - Nice n light... Almost a light plum red/purple
Swirl - Fast forming (and running) long skinny legs
Smell - Leather, raspberries

Initial Tastes - burst of berry... Blueberry, raspberry
Mid Pallet - creamy raspberry, a whisper of spice
Finish - smokey with hints of vanilla

Overall, this pinot is very tasty and I am thankful we have one more bottle to enjoy. For those of you who might never get your hands on this pinot, I urge you to go out and try a varietal you enjoy, but from a different area/valley/region...  You might just discover something you like ;-)

Cheers and Good Night.

xoxo,

wine-o

* I use the term 'cellared' loosely. I do not have any fancy way to store my wine.  I just have a wooden wine rack and a moderately heated home.

2011 Paripaso Cabernet Sauvignon

2011 Paripaso Cabernet Sauvignon ... Another gem of a find from John's Market in Multnomah Village, Portland, OR. This Cab Sauv by Paripaso was bottled and cellared by Sweet Berry Wines www.sweetberrywines.com in Paso Robles, CA.  I just want to say really quickly that Paso Robles, CA makes my all time favorite Cabernet Sauvignons.  To this date I have not had a Cab Sauv from Paso Robles, CA that I haven't thought was the BEST Cab Sauv ever ... okay there is my two cents :)

For those of you who don't know, I LOVE LOVE Cab Sauvs. When I started seriously drinking red wine, I was drinking any and every Cab Sauv I could get my hands on.  I mean I drank $3.99 bottles form Trader Joe's, I drank $7.99 bottles from 7-11 and I even would splurge and drink $11.99 bottles from Fred Meyer. The more I drank the more I wanted to explore different regions and better bottles.  All this 'discovery' certainly snow balled my love and interest in all wines.  I attribute my Cab Sauv guzzling days to my current passion for wine. Anyhow, back to this delightful bottle...

I opened and let the bottle sit for about 15 minutes before we poured our glasses.  I will say that the cork smelled like Heaven and I knew the bottle was going to be right up my alley just from smelling the cork.

The 2011 Paripaso Cabernet Sauvignon is a very dark garnet color almost black in some light.  The wine in the glass smells of tobacco, leather and black cherry.  I swear there is a faint hint of vanilla, but B doesn't think so.  The swirl test produces lethargic forming, long, skinny legs with large bauble like droplets. First taste is hard to pin down, its really just a subtle sweet melange of a different berries. All of the sudden the berry flavors peel away to reveal velvety boysenberry mid pallet, and then BOOM a bold leathery currant flavor followed by a subtle dry finish.

I immediately wanted to open a second bottle of this stuff just so that I could continue to enjoy all of the flavors (I didn't drink the whole bottle to myself, I only had two glasses; B helped me finish the bottle). Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed this bottle. I fully plan on raiding John's Market for as many bottles I can get my digits on :)

Peace, Love & Wine,
KEGW

2010 Behemoth Red Wine

I tried the 2010 Behemoth Red from Portland Wine Company (bottled in McMinville, OR) the day after B opened it.  This was another bottle from John's Market (in Multnomah Village) and at $12.99 a bottle, seems to be a great deal.  This bottle is 13.9% AbV and is a blend of grapes from both Oregon and Washington...which is why there are so many bold flavors in this 750mL carafe of red wine heaven.

As I said, B opened the 2010 Behemoth a day before I actually tried it.  He said it was a great bottle overall with big and bold flavors, and it did not have to be aerated. He tried some with me (day 2) and said it opened well and would be a great one to keep around the house.  The following are my second day tasting notes:

Super thin, very fast legs
Dark burgundy in color
Smell - cocoa, black cherry, vanilla with a hint of cinnamon 
Initial taste - smooth creamy blackberry 
Mid pallet - juicy berry 
Finish - vanilla and tobacco

I can see how (without letting this sit for 24 hours) this would be a drier finishing wine.  I will say, that day two, this wine is a great red blend. The 2010 Behemoth Red Wine would be a perfect bottle to open for a casual dinner party. I will be buying a couple of more bottles to enjoy.  I am excited to try it on the day it is opened, and will make a quick post about my tasting notes on the day of :)

Until next time...

xoxo,
KEGW

Ecosse Wine's Rouge

I picked up a mixed case of dry red wines from Mike the wine guy at John's Marketplace (http://www.yelp.com/biz/johns-marketplace-portland) last weekend, and found this gem in the lot.  I have not heard of Ecosse Wine before and found there is essentially nothing about the winery on the internet.  Their website (http://ecossewine.com/home.htm) is terrible and doesn't even have a completed 'About Us' section.  Also their Rouge is listed under the 'Coming Soon' section of the website... oh and there is no vintage year on the bottle.  Okay enough ranting, B and I decided to open this Columbia Valley red blend this evening and give her a whirl.  

B opened and directly poured two glasses, we let them sit for about 15 minutes and began to enjoy them.  Generally I aerate red blends like this, but surprisingly this red blend did not need it.  Eccose's Rouge is garnet in color and smells like a cab merlot blend might.  The swirl test produces very few light, thin legs.  Rouge starts strong with an almost airy yet dry finish.  Initial tastes include cherry, tobacco, spice and leather.  This wine rounds out mid pallet with buttery bursts of berry and finishes delightfully dry.  I found myself making little awkward slurping sounds after each swill to savor the dry finish... I then found B making fun of me for it :)

We drank this with our chili dinner and it went really well.  I think this is a very drinkable wine which would go well with most foods.  Ecosse's Rouge would be a great inexpensive option to serve at a dinner party.  Overall, I will purchase this bottle again.  I am not sure where else to purchase this bottle, but if you're in Portland, just stop by John's Market and try a bottle.

If anyone knows anything about Ecosse, I would love to learn more about the winery, so please write me.

Until next time...

xoxoxox
KEGW

TeSoAria 2010 Eponyme

B and I had our TeSoAria pick up party last Saturday at Ford Food + Drink (http://goo.gl/maps/xDOHK).  It was such an amazing evening... great people, a lot of fun, Christmas sweaters, delicious food and DELECTABLE wines!!  We purchased several bottles (of course!) three of which were TeSoAria's 2010 Eponyme...one of our all time favorite wines!  

The color is a sultry jeweled burgundy with a delicious reddish tint.  My swirl test produces slow, very skinny, long legs with gorgeous droplet shaped starts.  On the nose, the 2010 Eponyme smells like leather, cherry and a bit of tobacco.  One of the things I love the most about this wine is that you can literally open it and enjoy.  I don't have to let it sit, I don't have to aerate the Eponyme, its just straight up amazingly drinkable.  I have even re-corked a bottle, and completely enjoyed it the next day.  Now, on to how it tastes :) To start the initial taste on my pallet is buttery smooth blackberry.  Mid pallet this wine opens boldly with leather and complex tannins. The 2010 Eponyme finishes with a layered spice flavor like I have never experienced.  This wine is subtly complex and wonderful.  We have shared it with friends who prefer delicate pinot noirs and they have even appreciated this wine.  

Hands down, this is the number one wine B and I can agree on.  Our main issue with the 2010 Eponyme is keeping it in our wine cellar.  It seems like I am always begging to open a bottle, and B is always the voice of reason, "No Korin, this is really good.  We need to save it at least for a special occasion."  

TeSoAria's 2010 Eponyme is now libraried, so we are going to try really hard to keep some in our cellar.  I know this review kinda sucks, cause its not like you can go out and buy this amazingly tantalizing wine, but I will consider bribes :)

Cheers!!

xoxo,
KEGW

2011 Hahn Winery GSM

Went to the Multnomah Village First Friday this evening and ended up at John's Market (http://goo.gl/maps/jVerf) for a wine tasting of some delish wines... tasted an amazing GSM from Hahn Winery.  It was their 2011 vintage and at $8.99 a bottle, we purchased several :) 

On the nose it smells like tobacco, leather and blackberries.  The legs are fast, thin and mesmerizing :) Front pallet is an amazingly delicious melange of butter, spice and cherry.  Mid pallet brings a burst of spice and the wine finishes with a delightful currant flavor.  

We had this with Thai food and I can only imagine this would go pleasantly well with any meal... thanks Mr. Mike!  We are really glad you let us taste this evening!!

2010 Edgefield Primitivo

B and I decided to head to the McMenamins in our hood for some late night eats, brews and vines... Upon the urging of our fav waiter we tried the Primitivo. Wow! This primitivo hales from the Columbia Valley and is 13.5% abv.
Smells like tobacco and blackberry
Mid pallet is a burst of blackberries and a hint of cherry.
Finishes smooth with a bit of bark, but super wet... awesome drinkable red.  Reminds me of a Zin...  would be perfect for Thanksgiving dinner!!

Everyone should try a glass and tell me what they think :)

xoxo,
kegw

2009 WillaKenzie Kiana Pinot Noir

B and I were coming home from the Oregon coast this afternoon and stopped in at one of our favorite vineyards, WillaKenzie, for some wine tasting and to pick up a bottle for dinner.  We tasted several yummy pinots and had a bit of a tough time deciding what to take home.  While perusing the available wines for purchase, we saw the '09 Kiana.  We asked if they had a bottle open to taste and unfortunately they did not.  We have had the pleasure of tasting and purchasing a bottle of the Kiana before and knew how incredibly smooth and amazingly delicious it is. Of course, not being able to taste the '09 Kiana just made us want a bottle even more :) So B made an executive decision and asked to purchase the Kiana.  

Sidenote:  We were fortunate to taste WillaKenzie's Pinot Noir Thibaud's Couvee during our visit.  It was SO TASTEY!!!  If it were for sale we would have purchased some.  We were told it is sold exclusively to a small group of restaurants in San Francisco.  If anyone knows what these restaurants are I'd LOVE to know. I would love to grab a bite there next time I'm in San Fran.   

Anyhow, we got home and started making smoked chicken for dinner...we figured it would go real well with the '09 Kiana (we were right).  We let the bottle sit to open for about 20 minutes.  The following are my wine notes :)  

ruby in color
slow eye-droplet looking legs 
nose - tobacoo, cherry and vanilla
first - soft vanilla
mid - berry/blackberry
finish - tannins, leather, dry

If you haven't been out to WillaKenzie, GO THERE.  The grounds are gorgeous and the tasting room is spectacular.  It's located in the Ribbon Ridge...a new personal favorite area for grape growing.  Their tastings involve 6 tastes; two whites and four reds, and are $15.  They waive tasting fees with any $25 purchase.  Which isn't hard to do since most of their wines are between $30 and $50.  The bottle of Kiana B purchased was $48 and worth every last penny.  Thanks B ;)

Cheers!

xoxo,
kegw 

"It's Been a Long Time"

Holy smokes, I have so much to write about!!  For those of you who don't know, I've been in the process of moving for about the past month.  It's been a whirlwind and I am very glad to say, It's over :)  Now all settled in my new digs, I am ready to start publishing reviews I've taken while being off the radar (so to speak).  Here's a quick update...  

Firstly, we attended the TeSoAria quarterly pick up party, which was held at the Ford Building's - Ford Food & Drink (http://www.fordbuildingpdx.com/).  Neat space, great people, drool worthy food, and damn delectable wines.  After tasting the '08 Mistral as well as several other bottles, B and I decided we needed to up our quarterly bottle amount... I know, shocking right!?  We went in expecting to take away 6 bottles and instead walked away with 9.  Seems like that always happens to us :)    We also attended Savor Southern Oregon, which was held on a delightfully sunny and hot Portland afternoon in Director's Park.  What a great turn out.  The food was tastey  and it was lovely to try wine from more of Southern Oregon's vineyards.  However, I would say that at some points the music was far too loud, and I am still confused as to why there was a coffee roaster there (coffee screws up your tasters!).  We snagged  bottles of  Delfino's 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cowhorn's 2010 Grenache58, Melrose's 2008 Baco Noir, Cliff Creek Cellar's 2006 Claret and 2006 Syrah, and Agate Ridge Vineyard's 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Don't worry, I will be publishing reviews of all of the aforementioned wines, as B and I have drank all but two of the bottles we purchased that afternoon thus far.  I also joined Cliff Creek Cellar's wine club at Savor Southern Oregon and have had my first shipment from them as well (reviews to follow)!  October is here, which means Trader Joe's is stocking their shelves with some interesting inexpensive wines around this time of year.  I have (of course) been stocking up on said wines, and I will report back.  

Anyhow, I'm glad to be back typing my fingers off :)  More soon!

xxoo,
kegw

TeSoAria 2010 Syrah

Its a slightly gloomy day here in Portland, OR and in honor of the coming Autumn B really wanted to open a delicious dark red.  We went over to the old wine rack and spent some time debating what to open.  After careful consideration we chose to open one of our bottles of 2010 TeSoAria Syrah.  YAY!  

This syrah is a deep purple-ish red.  In fact, it is difficult to see through the glass because this '10 syrah is so dark.  Which I know deep dark reds are always my favorite. In doing my favorite 'swirly test' (as I like to call it) this '10 syrah revealed thin fast running legs.  

The TeSoAria 2010 Syrah has a very enticing aroma.  I smell tobacco, blackberries and spice.  B mentions that he smells pepper, which I think he does because that is what he is hoping to taste :) However, B was speaking with the wine maker and learned a fun fact about the syrah grapes.  TeSoAria's wine maker went to another grape grower to potentially purchase the syrah grapes used in his syrahs. Evidently, when the wine maker got out to the fields to inspect the grapes, he could smell the pepper from the syrah grapes and knew he wanted to purchase the grapes.  Anyhow, this syrah starts off pretty creamy with hints of raspberry and chocolate.  Mid pallet this wine explodes with an earthy blend of pepper and plum but finishes delightfully dry.  B says its good to the last drop and I whole heartily agree.

If you like syrah, you should definitely give this one a try.  

http://tesoaria.com/index.html

xoxo,

kegw

Patton Valley Vineyard 2010 Pinot Noir

Just enjoying a lovely evening with Winona, her husband (AKA J), and B.  Cracked a bottle of Patton Valley pinot and really enjoying the spice on this pinot.  Smells like blackberry, chestnuts and tobacco.  Front pallet bursts with fruit.  Mid pallet is enticingly spicy. This pinot finishes with a delightful tannin which Winona and I both appreciate.

Cheers!!

Vercingetorix Vineyard

B and I found ourselves in Newberg, OR two weekends ago and decided to hit up some vineyards for tastings.  We wanted to taste at vineyards we hadn't been to before and our first stop was Vercingetorix Vineyard AKA VX (http://www.vxvineyard.com/).  VX is located on Corral Creek Road just off of Hwy 99.  The grounds are gorgeous and you really feel like you are out in the country almost in your own oasis there.  VX only offers pinots so, if you don't like Oregon pinots don't go there :) 

On this particular day, VX was offering 5 different pinots to taste; pinot blanc, pinot gris, '09 pinot noir, '08 reserve pinot noir, and their '09 cuvee.  

The pinot blanc was far too sweet for my pallet.  Unfortunately I could not finish my glass.  This pinot blanc smelled like grapefruit and seemed extremely oakey, but the wine steward said the wine was not aged in oak barrels.  I was thinking perhaps it was cured with oak chips in the barrel...IDK.   B seemed to like it, but mentioned that he would not purchase a bottle.

The pinot gris was also too sweet for my pallet.  To me, the pinot gris tasted like strawberries and nothing else.  Unfortunately, it was an overwhelming taste.  In my wine notes, I mention that if I was already drunk, I would drink this wine on a hot day...as so long as it was served cold. 

The 2009 pinot noir unfortunately smelled like alcohol.  The '09 pinot was a light, light burgundy ...almost a bright ruby color.  To me, it tasted really dry, and I think it should sit another 2 to 3 years before it's okay to drink.

The reserve 2008 pinot noir was a very pretty burgundy color and smelled like chestnuts and boysenberries.  It was (for me) surprisingly medium bodied.  It had this amazing mid-pallet burst of bold flavors, but it quickly fizzled into a flat taste... no bueno.   

Finally, the 2009 Cuvee is made from three different pinot grapes and seemed black cherry in color.  The cuvee smelled like spice... my fav :) It tasted kinda crazy; like nothing I have tasted before. It was tarte to start and oddly sweet mid pallet, and unfortunately finished very sweet.  It was burst of concord grape, blueberry and bing cherry.  I am sorry to say it was too much fruit for me, and a very hard taste for me to adjust to. 

This all being said, if you like sweet whites and reds, definitely go visit Vercingetorix Vineyard.  I will be back here in about two years to re-try all of their offerings.  

xoxo,
kegw 

Erath Winery 2011 Oregon Pinot Gris

Erath in my fridge :)

Erath Winery (http://www.erath.com/) produces one of my all time favorite pinot gris'.  I love the 2009, 2010 and 2011 pinot gris'.  They are all just crisp, fruit forward, and not sweet.  The 2011 is my go-to hot day/night delightful refreshment.  Luckily you can find this wine at most grocery stores in Oregon and anywhere from $9.99 to $11.99 (cheaper end of the spectrum usually found at Trader Joe's).  At 13.0% AbC this gris packs a punch...

Erath 2011 Oregon pinot gris smells like melon (which I ironically hate), pear and a bit of apple.  To me, it is a very front pallet wine.  As soon as it enters your mouth it bursts with fruit (pear, apple, even a hint of citrus).  Then mid-pallet it becomes buttery and then quickly dry.  I enjoyed this bottle with some BBQ chicken, roasted corn and a giant green salad, and it really went well.  I could see this bottle making any seafood dish shine.  Honestly, I could see this bottle going well with most meals (aside from steak dinner).  

For those of you who do not know, I LOVE  red wine, and do not love white wine because most are too sweet and buttery for my taste.  This pinot gris is not sweet and my pallet truly enjoys it :) Like I said, there is a mid-pallet taste of butter, but it finishes seductively dry.  For those of you who feel the same as I do about sweet white wines, please try this pinot gris, and tell me what you think.

Until next time...

xoxo,
kegw

Mark Ryan Winery 2010 The Dissident

I was in Auburn, Washington this August visiting my sister for her bridal shower.  Her MOH set up a wine tasting afternoon at Vino at the Landing in Renton, Washington (http://www.vinoatthelanding.com/home).  The space was lovely, the hors d'oeuvers even lovelier, and the company out of this world.  We sampled many different Columbia Valley wines and at the end I ended up taking home three different bottles I found in Vino's tasting area.  One which I have been particularly itching to try is Mark Ryan's 2010 The Dissident (Mark Ryan Winery - http://www.markryanwinery.com/index.php).  I believe the bottle was around $30.  It was recommended (even though I had never tried it) and the blend alone was my sole purpose for purchasing this bottle.  Okay here goes, this bottle has the following grapes in it:

Syrah (30%)
Cabernet Sauvignon (24%)
Merlot (22%)
Cabernet Franc (7%)
Malbec (6%)
Petit Verdot (5%)

I opened it this evening and holy buckets!  The color is an extremely dark, rich plum color and its 14.6% alcohol.  It smells like blackberry, tobacco and spice.  The Dissident has fast forming, long and skinny legs which disappear almost as soon as they're formed.  It starts very 
tart, almost a combination of raspberries and black pepper.  Then unfolds into this glorious full  and rich combination of spice, fruit and even vanilla.  Finishes with a mid level tannin - *LOVE*.  

Oh its lovely for a full-bodied-wine drinker like myself to experience this extreme blend.  Just reminds me that Autumn is around the corner and I am definitely going to want more bottles of this in my cellar.  I am hoping to go up and visit the new tasting room in Woodinville, Washington soon and pick up some more treats.

xoxo,
kegw

2008 Eola Hills Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Cabernet Day everyone! I really wanted to find an Oregon cab sauv to drink this evening in honor of this great holiday that has been coined, Cabernet Day :) I headed to my local Safeway (which actually has a great selection of NW wines) to pick my evening treat.  Low and behold there was one,  count it, ONE Oregon cab sauv... 2008 Eola Hills Cabernet Sauvignon.  Well, I actually have never tried said wine, and I was very excited to do so.  I am a FAN of Eola Hills wine.  They have great pinots, and all very considerably priced.  Anywho, this cab sauv was delightfully tastey! Deep dark purple-ish red in color, this cab is delectably bold with hints of anise and black berry.  There is a hint of dryness mid pallet, but it finishes a tad buttery.  Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at the overall taste and would definitely pay $15 for another bottle.
Cheers & Happy CabDay everyone!!
xoxo,
kegw

Wine by Joe 2010 Pinot Noir

B and I love the Wine by Joe label.  Created by Joe Dobbes of Dobbes Family Estate in Dundee, OR (http://www.joedobbeswines.com/), this Pinot Noir is a superb example that inexpensive bottles of pinot can be just as complex and delicious as any $60-90 bottle.  The 2010 Pinot Noir can be purchased at grocery stores in Oregon for around $14 (online at wine.com - http://www.wine.com/V6/Wine-By-Joe-Pinot-Noir-2010/wine/116228/detail.aspx).  

The bottle is a twist off cap...I love those!  The color is on the darker side for a Willamette Valley pinot.  The legs are fast and thin and in the glass the wine smells like cherry, plum and hints of blackberry.  This pinot is a bit on the heavy side of 'medium bodied' but well rounded and tasty! Very fruit forward with a hint of spice mid palette.  The best part about the '10 Wine by Joe Pinot, is that it goes with any meal!  I had it this evening with chicken stir fry, but we've enjoyed it with anything from pizza to crab louis salads.  

Just do me a favor, go and try this pinot, and tell me what you think.  I guarantee you will enjoy it.

Until next time folks.  xoxo.
-kw

Trader Joe's Favorites

For those of you who don't know me personally, I LOVE wine.  I like to enjoy a glass after work and on the weekends.  Somehow, when ever we get together with friends I bring wine.  So I'm not only buying tastey bottles from vineyards, I'm buying bottles at grocery stores, and on a weekly basis.  Drinking wine can be expensive, but I'm all about the inexpensive jems.  I find most of said jems at Trader Joe's, and I would like to speak a bit on my four go-to's (all of which can be purchased at Trader Joe's).

LaGranja 2010 Tempranillo (AKA The Pig) is a steal of a find at $3.99 a bottle.  It has a twist top and should be aerated before consumption.  I usually just twist the top and let it sit for 5 minutes, then come back and run it through my Vinturi (if you don't have one of these and you like cheap wine, get one - http://www.vinturi.com/products/vinturi.html).  After that process its a completely different taste, smell, and experience.  It's a dark wine that tastes like raspberry, licorice and a hint of fig.  Its an easy wine, and at $3.99 a bottle, its worth trying for yourself.  It also keeps over a few days, gets better even, and is ideal for your after work glass of vino.

LaGranja 2010 Tempranillo/Garnache  (AKA The Zebra) is a dollar more expensive than The Pig at $4.99 a bottle.  Its worth your extra 'buck' as this one does not need to aerate as long and does well just poured into a glass.  It is dark in color and smells like raspberries, blackberries, and cocoa laced with coffee.  It tastes similar and has a soft tannin.  Amazing flavor for the price and a great go-to for entertaining or personal consumption.  

Albero 2009 Tempranillo Barrica is a great switch up from The Pig or The Zebra.  It's $6.99 a bottle and must be aerated.  On the nose its blackberry and spice.  Its dark in color and has fast running legs.  At first taste it's all spice, but unfolds into bold fruit flavors, and has a mellow finish.  I recommend letting this bad boy sit for at least an hour before serving. This is best used as the second bottle in an evening of entertaining.  

Caves des Papes 2010 Cotes du Rhone to me, is a go to.  I love this funky, squatty bottle AND the taste is great for every day consumption OR entertaining.  This Cotes du Rhone goes for $5.99 a bottle and does a great job of competing with more expensive bottles.  I aerate this bottle, but perhaps its just a habit with less expensive wine...as I'm not sure its necessary.  This wine is spicy and has a pleasantly dry finish. 

I usually get two to three of each of the aforementioned bottles in a mixed case along with other random bottles.  Its great on my wallet and we always have extra bottles in case we host an impromptu dinner party.

Hopefully I've inspired the budget watching folks to try something new!

xoxo,
KW

2009 Celeste Crianza Tempranillo

Just enjoying my late afternoon with a glass of this delish '09 tempranillo at Corkscrew wine bar in Sellwood.

Smells like rich tobacco, spice and blackberry.

Skinny long and fast legs.

Nice round bold flavors of tobacco and plum.  Dry finish right up B's alley, but I definitely appreciate the dryness as well.  It would go lovely with paella. Its $36 a bottle here, so I'd feel good about buying local if I do choose to purchase a bottle :)

More later. xoxo.