Archive for the ‘Wine’ Category
01/31/2017
January 31, 2017
Unpretentious, that’s what a good table wine is. This is a wine which sits on the dinner table, gets passed around, doesn’t get in the way of the food, and doesn’t get in the way of the conversation. When the bottle’s empty someone grabs another bottle off the kitchen counter and the cycle repeats.
The wine has a mild earthy taste with just enough roughness around the edge to get your attention for a moment. There’s not much aroma to go along with a medium red color that makes the wine look watery. There’s not much bad about the wine. In fact it’s a nice wine. It’s just not the star of the show like some wines want to be. Good and unpretentious, that’s what a table wine should be. And for a price of $4.49 a bottle it’s easy to fill up that kitchen counter.
Tags:2015, argentina, la finca, mendoza, price, red wine, review, reviews, tempranillo, tj, tj's, trader joe's, wine
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 2 Comments »
01/25/2017
January 25, 2017
Aside from the most difficult screw cap I’ve ever encountered, this was a “sweet” wine. Well not sweet in the sweet taste sense, rather sweet as in very nice. The wine actually was slightly sweet to match the faint fruity apple flavor. The wine had a medium acidity as measured by my stomach and throat, but not enough to require medication. For me, this is one wine where a little bit of chill brings out the best qualities.
The wine comes from the Vouvray region of the Loire Valley in France. Although the bottle doesn’t specify the grape, that region is famous for the Chenin Blanc grape. That grape is likely the source of the juice that ultimately became this wine.
The wine generally gets above average reviews on the web, with some thinking it too sweet for their tastes. For me, a person who generally avoids white wines, I really liked this one. Price $7.99.
Tags:2015, chenin blanc, france, lacheteau, price, review, reviews, tj, tj's, trader joe's, vouvray, white wine, wine
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 6 Comments »
01/14/2017
January 14, 2017
There’s a deep ruby-red color in the glass and a hint of vinegar on the cork. A strange wet wood aroma emanates from the glass on first pour. This aroma diminished after exposure to air. In the mouth the wine seemed to change with each sip. It was an interesting experience that I suspect would create much conversation around the table as each person might have a different taste experience. Most of those changes were neutral to slightly positive. One or two of the changes were slightly negative. While not the finest example of a Bordeaux wine and possibly not even a good example, overall, the wine was drinkable and enjoyable.
Day two, with the wine exposed to air from the original uncorking and an overnight stoppered storage in the refrigerator, the wine produced some fruity overtones – for a short time. Gone was the wet wood aroma. Still present was one of the negatives, a slight off-taste at the back of the throat.
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Tags:2014, bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, chateau mayne guyon, inexpensive wines, merlot, red wine, review, table wine, trader joe's, wine review
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 4 Comments »
12/24/2016
December 24, 2016
Can organic grapes make an inexpensive California wine good? On first opening, the cork had a fairly strong scent of vinegar reminding me of our first-generation next-door neighbor when I was growing up, who used to press his own grapes and make large barrels of wine in his backyard. He’d give my parents some bottles which generally turned to vinegar in a few weeks. But man, those few weeks were fun.
I doubt this one will turn to vinegar even if it has no sulfites added. And that, no added sulfites, is another reason I picked this up off the shelf. How many wines do you see with no, added sulfites?
Being a blend per the label, the wine is non-vintage and non-varietal (although a 2015 Trader Joe ad claims this is 100% Merlot). Umm, well, if we go with the label, that leaves out cutting and pasting from some Merlot review. But that’s another reason this wine reminds me of that backyard brew so many years ago. There’s no telling exactly what went into the bottle
What came out of the bottle is a fairly smooth mildly dry red table wine that’s very drinkable once you realize that red wines don’t really have to taste the same. This one will puzzle your taste buds into saying, what is that? When they give up trying to answer that question they’ll say, I like it. The only possible negative is a strange earthy taste that’s really not very objectionable once you get used to it. Maybe the taste is a bit of young tannins or maybe they do ferment in old wooden barrels? I don’t know if being organic had anything to do with it, but this inexpensive wine is good.
Growing up, we ate a lot of pasta with a thick red sauce that started as canned whole tomatoes and olive oil in tins, both from the old country, washed down with the backyard wine. This wine brings back pleasant memories. Price $5.99.
Tags:california, inexpensive wines, red wine, review, roule rouge, table wine, trader joe's, wine review
Posted in food, Trader Joe's, Wine | 4 Comments »
12/10/2016
December 10, 2016
This is another fine wine from Italy at Trader Joe’s for a very reasonable price considering the quality. The wine is dry and totally smooth with an earthy mouth feel and enough bite/character to separate this from a lesser Chianti. This is possibly the most enjoyable wine I’ve had in 2016.
You may ask, what does the word Classico add to a Chianti? Chianti Classico specifically refers to an official area within the Chianti region of Italy. That specific area was also the first in what’s now the Chianti region to attempt to define and regulate its wine. Being the first to define the Chianti wine, and predating the official Italian regulations, the wine gets to wear the “classic” designation. Along with the geographical requirements, a Chianti Classico wine has a different set of production regulations which separate a Classico from the standard Chianti designation. After that it’s up to the skill and pride of the winemaker to produce a quality product. In this bottle, there is an overabundance of skill and pride producing a very very nice wine. Price $9.99.
Tags:2014, chianti classico, docg, Il Tarocco, inexpensive wines, italy, red wine, review, table wine, trader joe's, wine review
Posted in food, Trader Joe's, Wine | 3 Comments »
11/19/2016
November 18, 2016
This one is different. Read on.
There’s very little aroma when first uncorked. On first pour, the wine is ruby-red and much lighter than a typical red wine. The first sip reveals a mild semi-sweet fruity wine as the bottle claims. There’s nothing intricate in the taste and at the same time nothing bad in the taste.
This wine is all about your expectations. If you’re looking for something to savor and spend the night discussing the intricacies of Merlots and where this stands in that continuum, this wine is not for you. If you’re looking for something to have at home with dinner, or just want something to sip, relax with, and not have to in any way think about what’s in the glass, this will serve that purpose. With some mild red-sauced pasta, the wine worked well.
The key difference here, if you haven’t picked up on it, is the word semi-sweet. This is a style of wine not usually found on the shelves outside of Hungary where this wine is made. The sweetness of the wine is noticeable but not sickeningly sweet like some really horrible wines. This is a nice good quality wine with a different flavor profile. Price $5.99
Tags:2015, Balatonboglari, garamvari, hungary, merlot, price, review, reviews, St. Donatus, tj, tj's, trader joe's, wine
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 17 Comments »
10/29/2016
October 29, 2016
If you like house white wines from an open bar at a convention or similar gathering, you’ll like this more than me. If that doesn’t appeal to you, leave this one on the shelf and look for a better white wine. In fact those past generally bad convention white wines are the main reason I avoid white wines today.
Lacking any sweetness and having a stomach churning acidity half the bottle ended up being recycled back to sea. Perhaps in a millennium it will come back as a red. We can only hope. Price: $3.99
Tags:2016, price, review, reviews, tj, tj's, trader joe's, Vinas Chilenas rose, white wine, wine
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 4 Comments »
10/18/2016
October 18, 2016
This is surprisingly good for $2.89. But there are better out there for a few dollars more. A weak red color for a Cab, leads to a slightly fruity aroma in the glass changing to an aroma of a rough red table wine. Nothing bad so far. The first sip is a little fruity and slightly sweet. In subsequent sips the sweetness is gone. There are no tannins to speak of which is consistent with the semi-dry description on the label. Maybe some oak, or something close to oak in the taste. The only negative is a somewhat strange type of astringency causing excessive cheek puckering. Don’t ask for pictures. I’m not sure it’s a Cab, if you’re expecting what’s commonly expected of a Cab.
Pairing with some leftover restaurant grilled chicken and chorizo (think spicy), it was not the best companion. The spicy food added to that cheek pucker.
The problem I’ve had in the past with very inexpensive wines (like $2 Chuck) is that the quality varies widely from bottle to bottle. I don’t know if that’s the case here, I’ve only had this one bottle. Would I buy it again? If I did it would only be to see how the next bottle changes from this one. For 3 or 4 dollars more it’s possible to get a much better red wine that’s consistently good – think Italian, think Tuscany, think DOCG, think sangiovese grapes. If you’re on a tight budget or think puckered cheeks are cute or just say one day, what the heck, give this a try. Otherwise pop for the extra few dollars. On the other hand if you’re at a major retailer that “also sells wine”, looking for a $10 bottle of wine, save yourself a few dollars and buy this one. Chances are this will be just as good. Price $2.89.
Tags:aldi, cabernet sauvignon, california, cheap wine, price, review, reviews, wine, winking owl
Posted in ALDI, Wine | Leave a Comment »
10/09/2016
October 9, 2016
For a Cab, the color is a medium-red. This one tastes like a Cab. Mild tannins, a little bit of oak and the grapes add the character and the dryness of a Cab. There are no off-tastes unlike this recently reviewed wine. This is a fairly good wine, but not a very good or great Cab. There’s still quite a bit of roughness about this one. It’s not as smooth as a better Cab.
Cabs are on the stronger side of the wine taste scale. If your preferences run towards milder wines, this one is probably not for you. It would be hard to find an everyday food that would overpower this wine. On the other hand, this wine would overpower most milder foods. This was a September ALDI’s Wine Of The Month. However, it also seems to be a regular on the ALDI wine shelves. At $6.99 a bottle, this is a value price compared to a similar quality California Cab elsewhere.
Tags:aldi, cabernet, cabernet sauvignon, california, central coast, price, review, wine
Posted in ALDI, Wine | 2 Comments »
10/01/2016
September 30, 2016
I’m not sure how I acquired this wine (probably a gift), but I wish I hadn’t. With a medicinal taste that forced a face scrunch, there wasn’t much enjoyment in this wine.
Comparing to a fair amount of reviews on the net, my experience is surprising. The general reviews for this wine are quite good. That was not my experience from first opening, after exposure to air, and after a couple of days in the frig. Perhaps the wine is too young or I had a bad bottle but, unless you receive it as a gift, I’d pass on giving it a second chance. Based on the net, the wine is priced in the $10 to $20 range.
Tags:california, daryl rex groom, drg, Pinot Noir, red wine, review, russian river valley, sonoma, wine, wine review
Posted in food, Wine | 7 Comments »
January 31, 2017
Ain't Found A Good Title Blog 