Twisted Old Vine Zinfandel

Twisted Old Vine Zinfandel 2008 California 1.5L Wine & Spirits $13.99
www.twistedwine.com
Also available in a Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Grigio.

"Twisted Zin is truly an unrivaled experience! Does an explosion of blackberry jam, chocolate covered cherries, spicy nutmeg, and luscious ripe plum sound appealing? We thought so.

This Zin is just as comfortable flying solo as it is paired with saucy short ribs, BBQ chicken, hearty chili, or even dark fudge brownies."

Again, I don't think this is one of my favorites / the kind of wine I usually enjoy, but it was definitely good and I recommend it. Dry, but not too dry. It comes in a 1.5L bottle, so it lasted me almost a week - it went well with pizza, popcorn, chocolate chip cookies, and Reuben casserole.

Things To Do With Bad Wine

The Wine Miser's Crappy Wine Tips:

#1 Make it a spritzer, add Sprite or 7 Up until the wine is palatable.
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#2 make Sangria with it. Add Lemon and Fruit Juice to taste.
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#3 Cook with it.
- Make Coq au Vin
- Wine Vinegar
- Risotto
- Poach with it

Zweigelt 2008- Austrian Cherry
Since I like the German wine so much I asked for assistance on something comparable since they are out of Dornfelder and will not get any in before summer. They rotate regions where they buy the wine. The woman at the store recommended Zweigelt 2008- Austrian Cherry 12.99/bottle

Label-TASTE Deep ruby red, dark cherry already on the nose, full

and juicy on the palate; round, dark cherry fruit, some spice

tones and smooth tannins, compact, round body.

FOOD Fascinating to steak, but also perfect to good pasta

and pizza!

GRAPE Zweigelt has pronounced fruit aromas: cherry and

sour cherry, a variety of berries plus a discreet spiciness.

This grape variety was raised in 1922 in Austria and remains

the most important grape for Austrian red wine.

My opinion- I did not like this at all. Not sweet enough for me. I really expected this to taste like Dornfelder and was disappointed.

Recent Purchases!!

Bought 3 bottles of wine from your recomendations, and I can't wait to try them. Darn vertigo is hindering the process and Glenn had a bad cold--so it would have been hard to rate the sleepiness factor (Glenn/Glass).
I brought home: Fat Bastard Pinot Noir, Dornfelder, and BV Cab Sauv.
Also, another bottle of the yummy Pazzo--love that stuff! Pazzo by the way, means 'crazy' in Italian--hmm, maybe that is why i like it...

Big House Red 2006

This is a nice inexpensive wine--around $8.00. It has a homemade wine taste rather than a smooth one. Fruity. It has a rating of a Glenn/Glass--those familiar with the Man/Truck theory will understand this. One glass and Glenn fell asleep--potent stuff.

The back of the bottle is too long to type in but it says this is a blend of about 5 or more different grapes. It also has a handy screw top if you don't have a fancy bottle topper.

Shelton Vineyards

If you need a refreshing sweet wine for Brunch or a lite lunch, this is a good choice. My Father and Mother-in-law (Marv and Carol) brought this back from one of their favorite stop-overs to Florida. The Hampton Inn in the Yadkin Valley has wine tasting and Wine Bar. The wine is a Reisling and claims to be 'Light-Bodied' and 'Slightly Sweet'. It was really tasty with our brunch of ham, potato salad, and straberry shortcake. Of course, it passed my junk-food test also, by going well with potato chips!
http://www.sheltonvineyards.com/?shelton=41

Sutter Home

Sutter Home Merlot California 2008

I would call this wine a dry wine. It did not taste bad, however it would not be my first choice. I like my wine more on the sweet side, with that said the more of it that I drank the more I didn't mind the dryness in it.

Beaulieu - BV Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Beaulieu - BV Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Point# 92
Price: $19.99

ONE of my Favorites

A Bordeaux blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Malbec and 0.5% Petit Verdot.

The symphony of aromas and flavors in our 2006 Beaulieu Vineyard Napa Valley cabernet Sauvignon comes from vineyards located in diverse regions of the valley. With each swirl and sip, velvety layers of blackberry, ripe Santa Rosa plum, chocolate, violet and mineral are revealed. Each vineyard's clone, soil, mesoclimate, exposure and cultivation techniques contributed to the wine's complex fruit expression, while barrel aging added soft oak naunces.

Critical acclaim:
No one else in Napa Valley could produce a Cabernet of this pedigree, at this price, besides Beaulieu. They bring their century of experience, as well as their vineyards, to produce this fine, dry wine. It reeks of classicism, from the purity of structure to the refined, Bordeaux-like black currant and cedar flavors. An AMAZING accomplishment.

Silverado Miller Ranch sauvignon Blanc 2008

Silverado Miller Ranch Sauvignon Blanc 2008

points #92

Price: $18.29

Brilliant pale straw color with a green tinge. Intensely fresh aromatics - orange blossom, lime, honeydew melon, mineral and juniper. Fresh flavors echo the aromas. Juicy citrus flavors and a lively acidity entice you to have another glass.

Critical acclaim:

This wine includes a small portion of semillion (6%), which adds some richness to the texture. The flavor of peaches shows the ripeness of the wine. Scents of chamomile add flavor depth, while the texture is meaty enough to serve with roast veal.

Yes I would buy this again very tasty

Chairman Select "Atlas Peak"

Chairman's Selection

Atlas Peak claret Napa 2004

Quated at $86.00 sale price $29.99

The wine Enthusiast 86 points "Very soft in structure, with ripely jammy cherry, blackberry and raspberry flavors edged with chocolate, anise and cinnamon. Good but one-dimensional.

This wine may be "good" at $86.00. but at $29.99 it's incredible. Loads of cherry chcolate fruit, intertwined with hints of cinnamon. Silky smooth tannins. Not a lot of complexities but a delicious California Cabernet. Truly one of the best values in the Chairman's Selection.

I liked this alot

"FAT bastard" Chardonnay (2008)

I'd had a variety of Fat Bastard a long time ago and seemed to remember liking it. So last weekend I picked up a bottle of the Chardonnay.

I can't describe it except full bodied - just as the label describes - I liked it. Definitely would drink again and try another variety.

Thierry & Guy Fat Bastard Wine Company, France
www.fatbastard.com
Label is very traditional, but then there's the fun gold hippo.
Purchased at Wine & Spirits, Center Twp. - $11.99

Back label says:
"The Origin of the FAT bastard
Good friends Thierry (renowned French winemaker) & Guy (British wine industry rebel [read the website - I like this guy]) created FAT bastard almost by accident. It started out as an experiment Thierry had been doing in the back of his cellar, leaving a barrel "on the lees" (yeast cells). He didn't know what to expect, but when the friends tried the wine, Thierry exclaimed.. "Now zat iz what you call eh Phet bast-ard!" (read with a strong French accent). This very British expression perfectly described the wine's wonderful color and round, rich palate so that's what they called it."

"No-one remembers exactly where the hippo came from."

Gnarly Head Merlot (2009)

Late birthday celebration a few weeks ago with family - it also happened to be St. Patrick's day - 4 of us took down two bottles of this so there ya go. It was good.

Has a woodsy/oaky and raspberry flavor. Beautiful dark coloring. Not too dry. Not normally a Merlot fan but I really liked this one.

Gnarly Head Cellars, Manteca, CA
www.gnarlyhead.com
Restaurant price was $22 / bottle.

Check out the website - this is a fun line of wines - I definitely want to try some of their other varieties.

Red Cat

About a month ago, I picked up a bottle of Red Cat - simply based on the label depicting a red cat in a hot tub - fun stuff.

I found it very clear, clean and light. Loved it. I'm the only who drinks wine in my house so thanks to my Vaccu-Vin, a bottle can last me three days if I'm just drinking with dinner. I had this particular bottle with lasagna and then various party foods the next day - awesome both times.

Red Cat Finger Lakes Red Wine
Hazlitt Vineyards / Hazlitt's Red Cat Cellars Hammondsport, NY14840
www.hazlitt1852.com
Purchased at Wine & Spirits Center Twp, PA.

Back label says:
"Serve the original hot tub legend and make your next gathering an occasion. This versatile semi-sweet wine is great with pizza, burgers, wings, or snacks. Grab a Red Cat & Get Your Party Started! Serve chilled. Serve often."

Okay- I figure since I finished the last glass of the german red, I would move onto the Dog Tail Vineyards-Fire Hydrant Red (California Red wine). Not a winner in my eyes. Fun label but that's about as far as it goes. Taste like rubbing alcohol going down. Now I am out of alcohol!!!

I just finished a bottle of German red wine. The guy at the liquor store recommended for a person like me that doesn't really know the difference between red wines. The name of it is Dornfelder- 2008er Heimersheimer Rotenfels. This was a perfect red wine for me. It wasn't too sweet but had a nice flavor. It was super cheap- 8.99 a bottle, I think.

FAT CAT, SMOKING LOON, RED BICYCLETTE, PAZZO

I promise to create a better format for this--just have to figure it out first.
I want to add a "Glenn decimal" rating for alcohol content. My husband's voice gets louder the more alcohol. If he is talking loudly after one glass --look out! .And pics--one step at a t
ime however

Favorites so far:

All under 15.00 ( I will keep track of the price the next time around)

FAT CAT---Pinot Noir 2008--California

SMOKNING LOON--Pinot Noir 2007--California

RED BICYCLETTE--Pinot Noir 2008--France ***so good we bought a few more bottles***

$17.00 and was a Director's choice, but is was the sign promising it to be 'peppery' that made me buy it. Well, there was no pepper taste, but I loved it anyway.

PAZZO--prorietary red wine 'Call Me Crazy' 2006--California **smooth as silk, Glenn was sleepy after 2 glasses**

Not-so-Favorites:

To be fair, I have been in a Pinot Noir mood. Usually I like really stong, grows hair on your chest wines, but these left a really strong after taste that was not appealing. I might give another grape a chance from the same winery.

Plunger Head--Zinfanel 2008
3 Blind Moose--Cabernet Sauvignon 2007


Surprise of the week:

Pitcher of red Sangria from Houlihan's--$12.00 and quite delicious if you like something that is refreshing and completely missing any alcohol taste. Great sipping it outside at the Robinson Mall while people watching.

...a beginning

This blog is dedicated to friends and family who love wine but know nothing about it. All we know is that we like what we like and we don't need any snooty waiters, books, or couch-experts to tell us we are wrong. We simply want to share our wine buying/drinking experience with each other and say things like--"it really tastes good with popcorn" or "it made that ugly Monday meeting go away".

A wise restaurateur/wine maker from Beaver, PA told a crowd at a Wine Tasting in Sewickley, stop thinking price and quality are the same. Buy what tastes good to you, chill red wine if you like, and start having some fun.

So....if you drank a bottle that you liked, let us know. If you know the price, fine, if you can describe it beyond , " It was good", fine.

My picks that last few weeks have been solely based on cool labels and this has worked out pretty well so far. Maybe I'll try by country next.