2007 CEV Chardonnay Musque

12.4% Abv
Colio Estate Vineyards
Harrow, Ontario, Canada

This has a big apple profile. There is a slight tartness of a green apple on the palate mixed with the freshness of a Fuji apple. I also like that peach like taste. The spice from the acidity keeps things interesting.

Buy: Pick up a bottle.

visit: coliowinery.com

Bry Estate Off-Dry Riesling 2007: Tasting

Bry Estate Winery is located in Traverse City, Michigan, USA. This 13% abv white wine has a very soft straw like color. The aroma is fresh fruit and the taste follows. The white peach taste makes for a nice summer day drink. There is a slight citrus note and delicate spice. Overall, a refreshing white wine that would pair well with salad, shellfish or white fish. I enjoyed this bottle with a shrimp pasta dinner.

Fess Parker 2008 Chardonnay: Review

Santa Barbara County

Fess Parker Winery

On the bottle, ‘Flavors of ripe apple, butter, lemon and melon are perfectly balanced with light toasty oak on the palate.’

They always have a really good written description on their bottles of wine. As a wine drinker I really appreciate a well written description. First, it can help me in the selection of the wine. Then, if I have not had the wine before, it prepares me for some or all of the flavors I am going to experience.

To me this Chardonnay has a nice green apple taste and a slight lemon taste. The lemon is not bitter like ‘lemon rind,’ or puckering like ‘lemon juice.’ It is a very pleasing lemon taste. I could not place the other notes so, that is when I checked the list on the bottle. Melon and butter was left that I did not get.

First the butter, I don’t get it except for a descriptor of the mouthfeel – ‘buttery smooth’. The mouthfeel is smooth like butter. When I started thinking about the melon note that was the other flavor that I could not place. To me it is like a honey dew melon.

This is a perfect white wine for a hot summer day. Very fresh tasting notes and a fine smooth texture to please your palate.

Dizzy Daisy Michigan White Wine 2008: Review

Dizzy Daisy Winery and Vineyard
Bad Axe, Michigan

This 11% abv white wine has a very nice fresh fruit aroma and a light straw appearance.

The fruit flavor is just wonderful on a summer day. The pear, nectarine, white peach, green grapes, with a light touch of lime in the background are some of the flavors this wine has to offer. I would recommend this wine as a must buy.

I plan to make a visit to this winery this week or next and I’ll have to find out more about this ‘White Wine.’ I also hope they have some left to sell.

Smith and Hook 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon: Tasting

I bought this wine while I was out to dinner. This wine went well with dinner. It is not a big Cabernet and did not come across as being complex. When I got home and I had just the wine by itself I then got to experience the true flavors.

By itself there was a stronger bell pepper and a cherry flavor. This was an interesting combination. Actually, I was starting to think I really didn’t like this wine. Then, I decided to have some cheese and a cigar with the wine. The flavor of the wine was better again. There was a better berry flavor to mix with the cherry notes. The bell pepper profile was still there but, not as noticeable.

This wine needs to be paired up with something. By itself I found it ‘strange interesting’ and with food it was at least ok.

Buy: I am Iffy on this one. I would say find another Cab.

Pink Peppercorn

Pink pepper is not related to black pepper. It is not even a peppercorn. Pink pepper is native to Brazil. The aroma is aromatic compared to black peppers pungent smell or white peppers musky smell. The taste of this berry is sweet and mild. When I tasted the pink peppercorn I remember being surprised with the sweet taste. This is good to grind over your filet mignon or pork tenderloins, according to gourmetsleuth.com. Now the guy at Spice Merchants told me it is not good to leave the pink peppercorns in a grinder (all pink being used) because they have more moisture in them compared to the black pepper family. So, they do not grind up as nice as real peppercorns. That is way we see them mixed in with the other peppercorns and not by themself.

Green Peppercorn

Green pepper is the one most of us probably know nothing about. We may have seen it in the clear pepper grinders mixed in with the other peppercorns. Green peppercorns are black peppercorns, just picked earlier off the plant. So, we could say they are under-ripe peppercorns. They are mild in their flavor and that is one reason to mix them in the grinder with the other stronger ‘hotter’ peppercorns. Green pepper is good to use on vegetables and sauces. When I tasted the different peppercorn I thought it tasted like the black peppercorn without the big bite. I think I’ll be getting a new pepper grinder to have on hand for the green peppercorns.

Tomorrow Pink Peppercorn Posting

White Peppercorn

White pepper is black pepper without the outer crust of the berry. Whitepepper.com has a brief explanation on white pepper. The flavor is usually cleaner. I don’t think it has that citrus bite like the black pepper. When I tested the white peppercorn, I did not get that citrus bite but what I did get was a hotter taste. When I taste the fine grind white pepper in a jar (wet the end of your finger and tap the white pepper) I defiantly get a softer pepper taste. No citrus. Remember that nice pungent smell of black pepper? Well, forget it when you smell white pepper. Whole white peppercorns smell bad. They are musky or like my wife (the bloodhound) said, ‘this smells like shit.’ White pepper does not have a pleasant aroma but, the taste if very good.

Tomorrow Green Peppercorn Posting