Desert Wind – Sangiovese 2007

Oct 23 2009

Thinking that I had already become familiar with red wines, I was taken by surprise by Sangiovese 2007 from Desert Wind Winery.  Sitting around the table having casual conversation with two friends of mine, we popped open the bottle.  This wine, dark in color, had a scent of cherries and oak.  As I swirled the wine in the glass, the scent of berries and oak became stronger.

Taking the first sip, with an expectation of a bitter taste, my eyes opened wide.  I was taken by surprise at how the flavors of this wine reacted with my tongue.  It did not have that intense bitter taste.  Observing my friends’ facial reactions, I could tell that they were also surprised by this wine.  The taste was that of a fruity flavor and extremely smooth on the palate.  Usually red wines have a much stronger and bitter flavor that leaves an after-taste.  Not saying that the after-taste is bad, this is merely a description of how this wine coats when swiveled in your mouth.

I read the label on the bottle and it mentioned light on tannins.  What are tannins?  My friends really didn’t know, so I looked it up.  Tannins are what cause the dry flavor or the pucker of your lips when you sip a red wine.  The wine tannins come from the skins of the grape, stems and seeds.  Tannins can also come from the barrels that are used to age the wine.  Sangiovese 2007 is very light on tannins, which makes it very easy to sip and enjoy.

We could not stop talking about how delicious this wine was.  I had never tasted anything like this before. This wine would be good with just about any type of food.  I still have a lot to learn but this was a great wine.  I would definitely recommend this wine to anyone who is interested in adding a bottle to their wine rack or cellar.  Two thumbs up Desert Wind!!

Goose Ridge G3 2006 – Red Wine

Sep 15 2009

On my way to Wine Wednesday at Zinful in downtown Kennewick, I’m sitting in the van thinking that I didn’t know one wine from another. I’m not an experienced wine drinker. I never understood why people drank wine if it tasted like “that.” I always thought that wine was meant to be drunk with food. I didn’t realize that it could be an alcoholic beverage that could be drunk alone such as a beer or a margarita and that the taste is savored and compared. I come from South Texas. The common bottle of wine I would find in people’s fridge was the gallon jug of Lambrusco or the classic boxed wine. This was rolling with the “high society.” This is what I knew of as “wine.” Yeah, I can hear your reactions to that. I’m learning. I’m learning.

We grabbed a table next to Claire and Shelly . Staring at the menu, trying to figure out what kind of wine to order, Craig mentioned that I wasn’t familiar with wines and didn’t know what to order. Claire asked me if I wanted to drink a red or a white wine this evening. I thought white would be a good choice, but quickly interceded that I would prefer to drink red tonight.

With excitement, Claire suggested that we should try the Goose Ridge G3 2006. I’ve always thought that any red wine I tasted was bitter. The white wines were less bitter and had a different flavor. So okay, let’s try it out. We ordered a bottle of the G3.

The bottle arrived and my glass was poured. The initial smell of the wine came on strong. The smell of cherry and vanilla were distinctive to my nostrils. The color was a deep red and when I took the first sip, I was surprised of its rich flavor. Yes, it did have a slight “bitter” taste as a non-wine drinker would think, but it is smooth and explosive to the palate. It did not possess the heavy after-taste as other wines I have tried. This was very good.

The Goose Ridge G3 2006 is a blend of 49% Syrah, 35% Merlot and 16% Malbec. The blackberry and dark cherry flavors are blended with vanilla and toasty oak as a result of the aging process of about 20 months in oak barrels both French and American. This intensifies the flavor in your mouth.

After several glasses of this very flavorful wine, I decided that I would definitely add it to my stock list. Still being new to the wine tasting field, I have to say that this was definitely a good experience. Thanks for the recommendation Claire.

River’s Edge Pinot Noir (2007 – Red Wine)

Jul 29 2009

What do you get when you take great soil, lots of sunlight, and some hard work? Oregon wine! What do I think Oregon does REALLY well? Pinot noir!  Yes, today we talk a little about Pinot Noir.  Specifically the River’s Edge 2007 Pinot Noir, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

A little history: Pinot noir (pronounced Pino nwar), is a red wine grape.  The name is French, coming from the words “pine” & “black” or “dark”.  While grown in many places of the world, a couple that really stand out to me are the Burgundy regions of France and of course the Willamette & Umpqua valleys of Oregon.

Now, on to the tasty part.  River’s Edge winery, really does sit on the edge of the Umpqua River and produces some very fine wines.  One of my favorites from this particular hotspot, is the 2007 Pinot Noir.  Here’s my thoughts on it:

Bouquet. Aroma. Nose. All the same thing, but all VERY important in this particular wine, and in any wine or food really.  If you can smell something, you can taste it THAT much better.  Get into this bottle.  Open it up, let it set, or better yet, dump the whole thing into a decanter and give it a nice rough swirl.  Don’t be shy, you wont hurt it.  Now, pour yourself a glass, stick your nose into it, and let the smokey, fresh cigar aroma get you ready for what comes next.

Your first sip.  I’m talking earthy, dark current, cherries, and a slight vanilla undertone that pairs AMAZING with a nice seasoned pork chop.  Hell, I’ve even cooked pork IN this wine. Have a glass with a crazy goat cheese, or a nice creamy brie.  As with many pinots, it goes amazingly well.  You may notice a buttered toast finish if your palate is extra sharp!

Go out and grab a bottle for around 18 bones. You’ll be glad you did!