Wines I Enjoy

Simply Naked, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010, California

2013-03-23T18:22:00.004-04:00

Simply Naked, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010, California

Price: $7.00 per bottle

The idea one this wine is to use stainless steel vat, not an oak vat to create the wine. I have not tried their other Naked wine, but this did not work with the Cabernet grape. There was some fruit, but it was masked by a heavy graphite flavor. Normally, I like some tone of graphite of the finish. The was more then tones it overtook the entire taste of the wine. We did not enjoy the wine at all, will not be purchasing again.

2013-01-12T17:06:00.000-05:00

Randall Grahm, Close But No Cigare, 2011, California

Price: $5 per bottle

Deep red wine with a nice bouquet. There is a plenty of fruit on the palette. Plum and cherry tone were noted, with a dry finish. The wine was smooth, with some tannins of the finish. We had this wine with spaghetti and red sauce. It was a good pairing, the red sauce enhanced the flavor of the wine.

Close But No Cigare is a blend of76% Mourvedre, 12% Syrah.and 12% Gernache. We purchase this as part of a special package from NakedWines.com. I recommend that you try this wine.

2013-01-04T17:28:00.000-05:00

Accord, Chardonnay, 2009,Santa Maria, California

Price $5 per bottle

I am not a big Chardonnay fan, but this one had some character. Typical straw yellow color with a light bouquet. There was citrus on each sip. Grapefruit and pineapple were the most noticeable. The finish was clean and smooth. We have this with Champagne cheese, the flavors balanced nicely.

We purchase this as part of a case special from nakedwines.com.

Tisdale, Cabernet Sauvignon, California

2012-11-09T21:23:00.000-05:00

Tisdale, Cabernet Sauvignon, California

Price: $5 per bottle

This was a very good wine to drink. It was a medium body red wine with cherry tones. The cherry was found on both the nose and the taste buds. It was very smooth with no tannins and a nice finish. The label said "Cabernet Sauvignon", but it did not have the characteristics I like in a Cabernet . It is a very good red table wine for every day drinking. This is a easy drinking wine either with food or will out.

I will be buying another bottle or two in the future.

Tisdale, Pinot Noir, California

2012-11-06T21:27:00.000-05:00

Tisdale, Pinot Noir, California

Price: $5.00

This is a inexpensive wine, but it was good. The bouquet was not a burst of aromas, the taste was the same. It was smooth, no odd flavors. There was some cherry tone. Overall this is an easy drinking wine, without much character. You could easily have a second or third glass.

This wine exceeded my expectation for the price, if it was $10 a bottle I would not have enjoyed it as much.

Banfi, Col Di Sasso, 2010, Cabernet Sauvignon - Sangiovese, Toscana, Italy

2012-11-04T19:55:00.000-05:00

Banfi, Col Di Sasso, 2010, Cabernet Sauvignon - Sangiovese, Toscana, Italy

Price: $8 per bottle

This was a good blend of two wines that we both enjoy. The wine had a dark red and purple color. The was some dark fruit on the nose. The there was a good amount of fruit on the palette, with cherry tones. We had this with a sirloin broiled in the oven, too cold for the charcoal grill. The wine pair well with the steak. With the low tannins of the wine, it could easily be sipped without foods. At this price we will be looking for this wine again.

Campo Viejo, 2010, Rioja, Spain

2012-10-24T12:12:00.001-04:00

Campo Viejo, 2010, Rioja, Spain

Price: $12 per bottle

Nice nose with a lot of dark fruit. The dark red wine was dry with some tannins. The dark fruit was present on the palette, with some hints of dark cherry.

The wine was very enjoyable, we will be looking for a second bottle.

Benaza Mencia, Tinto, 2010, Spain

2012-10-11T20:00:00.000-04:00

Benaza Mencia, Tinto, 2010, Spain

Price: $11 per bottle

I had not heard of Tinto, then a saw a Marketview Liquor video discussing this wine. So we purchased a bottle. Tinto is a dark red wine, the nose has some dark fruit on it, but is not overwhelming. The first taste you notice the dryness of the wine and some earthy tones. There is a hint of fruit. We had this wine with some Italian hot sausage links with peppers, onions and provolone cheese and a roll. The wine was well paired with the hot spicy sausage sandwich.

We are ready to purchase another bottle of this wine.

Robert Mondavi, 2010, Select Meritage, California

2012-10-03T20:12:00.000-04:00

Robert Mondavi, 2010, Select Meritage, California

Price: $11 per bottle

The inviting dark red color of the wine started my taste bud going, I just finished grilling a couple of tenderloin steaks. There was some dark fruit on the nose. This was a well balance dry wine, with a very small amount of tannins. It was difficult to tell which was better the steak or the wine, one bit of steak, then one sip of wine. They complemented each other wonderfully.

At this price we will be looking for this wine again.

Chateau Ste Michelle, 2008, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington

2012-09-05T20:46:00.000-04:00

Chateau Ste Michelle, 2008, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington

Price –$12.99

We have drank this Ste Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon before, the 2006 and 2007 vintages. Nice to know the price has not gone up.

The wine has a blackberry aroma. The dark ruby red wine went nice with the grill sirloin steaks we had for dinner. A dry wine with mellow tannins on the finish, perfect match for the juicy steak. The wine was well balanced with the blackberry fruit being the dominate flavor. After dinner I had a second glass with some Yancey Steakhouse Onion cheese, local western New York State cheese .

We will need to purchase the 2009 vintage next time.

White Springs, 2009, Fume Blanc, Finger Lakes, NY

2012-08-29T11:29:00.002-04:00

White Springs, 2009, Fume Blanc, Finger Lakes, NY

Price: $15 per bottle

Drinkable wine but not memorable. Grapefruit tones were present on the nose and while sipping the wine. The finish was smooth. Good on a warm summer evening. But I could find several other Fume Blanc in the $8 - $10 per bottle price range.

White Spring, NV, Pinot Gris, Finger Lakes, NY

2012-08-21T19:26:00.003-04:00

White Spring, NV, Pinot Gris, Finger Lakes, NY

Price: $18 per bottle

The wine had a nice citrus nose. Pineapple, grapefruit and sour apple tones were present. This was a nice wine, but nothing to write home about. At $18 a bottle this wine was way over priced, $7 would have been a better match.

Brotherhood, 2010, Riesling, Washingtonville, NY

2012-08-02T10:31:00.001-04:00

Brotherhood, 2010, Riesling, Washingtonville, NY

Price: $10 per bottle

Light yellow color, with a little citrus on the nose. The wine had a slight bit of crispness allowing the citrus flavors to come though. The finish exposed some of the wine sweetness, with peach tones. We had the Riesling with chicken on the grill and baked beans. This was a nice pairing. Would I purchase this again? Maybe, if I was at winery and doing some tasting, I would probably buy a bottle. If I was at the wine store, probably not.

Brotherhood, 2010, Pinot Noir, Washingtonville, NY

2012-07-29T19:14:00.000-04:00

Brotherhood, 2010, Pinot Noir, Washingtonville, NY

Price: $15 per bottle

The wine was cherry red and a little cloudy. The were some cherry on the nose. The first taste was a little bland, the cherry flavor was present, but muted. The finish was dry with some tannins. It reminded me of drinking a flat Coca Cola, the flavors were there, but there was no effervescence Overall the wines is very drinkable, better priced at $7 a bottle.

Konzelelmann, 2009, Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Canada

2012-07-28T19:17:00.000-04:00

Konzelelmann, 2009, Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Canada

Price: About $12 a bottle

This wine was light and crisp, this citrus tones on the nose and the taste buds. The finish had a nice tartness to it, asking for you to have another sip. It was refreshing to drink on a warm summer evening. We purchased it last summer while visiting Niagara on the lake. We will need to stop back and purchase another bottle.

Alamos, 2010 , Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza Argentina

2012-07-18T20:29:00.000-04:00

Alamos, 2010 , Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza Argentina
Price $8 per bottle

Finally a relatively cool night, so we start the grill and put a couple a steaks on the grill. We opened a bottle of cabernet sauvignon. The wine was dark ruby red, and had a nose of dark black berries. Lots of black bery of the palette with a dry finish. There were some tannins on the finish. This wine when well with the charred tenderloin steaks. The wine needed the flavorful steak, to balance the full body flavors of the wine. The wine would not match well with finger foods and just sipping alone, maybe with a strong cheese.

We will purchase again.

Brotherhood, 2011, Dry Riesling, Washingtonville, NY

2012-07-15T20:24:00.000-04:00

Brotherhood, 2011, Dry Riesling, Washingtonville, NY

Price: $10 per bottle

We visited the Brotherhood winery in Washingtownville, NY. While ther we had lunch in their Vinum Café, I had a Kobe Burger, was topped with a fried egg, and lots of fresh greens. It was great. There were a lot of other interesting items on the menu. I highly suggest trying this for lunch or dinner.

Of course after lunch we headed over to the wine store and purchase the Dry Riesling and a couple of other bottles.

The Riesling has a lite yellow color, there is not much of a nose. There was some citrus flavors on the taste bud, and a dry finish. It was missing that nice crisp finish that I expect with a dry Riesling. Over all this was a good wine, it would have been better priced at $8 per bottle. Hopefully, we will stop by the winery again, maybe take the tour. It is the oldest continuous operating winery in the USA. Part of that is because it was exempted from prohibition, because they supplied wines for the clergy.

Herman J Wiemer, 2010, Semi-Dry Riesling, Finger Lake, NY

2012-07-09T20:45:00.000-04:00

Herman J Wiemer, 2010, Semi-Dry Riesling, Finger Lake, NY

Price: $17 per bottle

The wines starts off with a nice citrus aroma. There are tones of grapefruit of the palette, with some peach in the finish. A little effervescence add a little party atmosphere to wine. The wine was very refreshing and enjoyable to drink on a hot evening.

If I had the money to experiment, I would open a Dr Frank's semi dry Riesling and try them side by side. I do not know how the experts can remember the taste and textures of the wines to compare them when there has been several days, weeks or month between the tasting. But, I am not ready to open two bottles at the same time just for an experiment.

McGregor, 2009, Sereksiya, Finger Lakes, NY

2012-06-30T19:46:00.000-04:00

McGregor, 2009, Sereksiya, Finger Lakes, NY

Price: $15 per bottle

Dark purple wine color. Bold wine with plenty of fruit on the nose. Numerous favors are found on the first sip. Black cherry and different spices were present. The finish was dry and smooth. I did not notice any tannins. Because it was warm, we had the bottle in the refrigerator for about fifteen minute before drinking. I believe this is what brought out the black cherry, as the wine warmed up it change of taste. More of the spices and earth tones came to the front as the wine warmed. We left the bottle in the refrigerators, while drinking the first. The second glass followed the same pattern as the first. We had this with burgers and corn from the grill. The grilled meat was a suggested match from the bottle label, it was a good pairing.

Sereksiya is a grape originally cultivated in the south of Moldova and in Romania. When you Google "Sereksiya" you either get links to McGregor's or articles about McGregor's Sereksiya.

Yes, we will purchase again.

McGregor, Seyval Blanc, 2009, Finger Lakes, NY

2012-06-27T19:29:00.001-04:00

McGregor, Seyval Blanc, 2009, Finger Lakes, NY

Price: $13 per Bottle

The first thing you notice about this wine is the golden yellow color. The wine has a wonderful citrus bouquet. A nice crisp wine, with hints of grapefruit and lemon on the palette. The finish is tart, it will make you pucker. I love it.

We are sipping this out of a McGregor glass. McGregor's gave us the glasses as part of the wine tasting, we did while visiting the Finger Lakes. McGregor's was a great stop, we were there early, before limo's and buses arrived. For five dollar, we had a cheese plate, five samples of wine (they were nice, I had seven) and the glass. However, when we purchase several bottles of wine, the five dollar charge went away.

We are doing our job in buying local.

Hermann J Wiemer, Frost Cuvee, 2010, Finger Lakes, NY

2012-06-23T18:00:00.000-04:00

Hermann J Wiemer, Frost Cuvee, 2010, Finger Lakes, NY

Price: $12 per bottle

The Frost Cuvee is a blend of Riesling, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer. We purchased it touring the Finger Lakes.During first sip many different spices that come through on the palate. My palate is not good enough to distinguish and point out the different tastes, however I know that the wine is good. We had this on the back deck while eating some Yancy Fancy Cheese (a local New York cheese) and crackers. Although, this wine could be sipped without any food. As we drank the wine the flavor of the spices seamed to change, or I was just able to discover other flavors. This is a great wine for a warm summer evening. It would pair it with food that had it own spicy flavor, Buffalo Chicken wing, hot Italian sausage, etc.

We purchased two bottle so we will have one a little later this summer.

Row House Cellars, Red Table Wine, NA, Finger Lakes NY

2012-06-14T09:37:00.000-04:00

Row House Cellars, Red Table Wine, NA, Finger Lakes NY
Price: $12

This was not a very good wine, it had a chemical taste made any good characteristics of the wine irrelevant. Not much else to say about it. I would not purchase again for any price.

Chateau Paillas, 2007, Cahors, France

2012-05-28T13:51:00.000-04:00

Chateau Paillas, 2007, Cahors, France

Price: Unknown received as a gift

It is always nice to receive a bottle of wine as a gift. I was told that this wine was basically a French Malbec. The wine had a dark red color, there was some fruit on the nose. The wine was smooth and well balanced. I detected some hints of black cherry, graphite and cedar. It is a full to medium body wine with some mild tannins. When comparing with some Argentina Malbec I found this wine to be more complex, with softer tones and flavor then it's South American cousin. I had this with a sirloin steak from the grill.

I would like to find this and purchase a bottle for myself.

St Francis, 2007, Zinfandel, Sonoma County, California

2012-05-09T20:16:00.001-04:00

St Francis, 2007, Zinfandel, Sonoma County, California

Price $14 per bottle

The is a full bodied wine, dark ruby red color. Full rich aroma, with dark fruit. There is black cherry and other fruit on the on the taste buds. The finish had earthy and some cedar tones. The Zinfandel was smooth and well balanced. We recorked the wine and had some the next two night. The third night, it was still good, but some of the wines original character was lost.

I recommend this wine to anyone looking for a good wine just sipping with cheese and crackers or a hardy meal.

Benaz, 2010, Mencia, Spain

2012-04-29T10:41:00.002-04:00

Benaz, 2010, Mencia, Spain

Price: $11 per bottle

Dark red wine, not much of a nose, however a little fruit is present. The wine was smooth, well balanced and dry. There was some dark fruit on the taste buds, some spices and earthy tones. For a dry red wine it had very little tannins. This was enjoyable when sipping alone, but this wine would be best with a nice meal. We had a simple meal of spaghetti and sauce. This pair very well with the Mencia, more fruit came out on the palate. The wine was a sweeter, while drinking the second glass. I am not certain if this was the food pairing or the wine had more time to breath.

I am going to buy another bottle or two of this wine.