Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio 2010: Review

12.5% abv

Around $23.00 Port Austin Market

SantaMargherita.com

Product of Italy

Appearance: light straw or what I like to call it ‘lemon water’

Aroma: light, touch of citrus meat, hint of floral

Flavors: this is citrus all the way.  Last night I fixed Ahi Tuna and I made a citrus side of pink grapefruit, lemon, lime and orange with a few slices of kiwi.  This wine reminds me of that pink grapefruit, lemon, and lime bite that I had with dinner.

Now, this bottle has been open for two days.  What I remember from the other night when I opened it is that it was kind of boring with just a hint of the citrus note and not much else. 

Open up a bottle and find out for yourself.  If it seems a little uneventful the day you open it don’t worry just save it for the next day.   

Mouthfeel: twang of citrus on the tongue, little body weight on the palate from the citrus note. 

My Strength Rating: 5.5

Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc 2009: Review

Duckhorn Vineyards

Napa Valley

St. Helena, California, USA

Duckhorn.com

$29.00 The Fine Wine Source (Livonia, MI)

Appearance: light straw

Aroma: light and fresh summer fruit

Flavors: wonderful mixture of tropical and citrus; tropical notes remind me of guava and papaya with a light squirt of citrus (not bitter).

Mouthfeel: crisp, fresh, and truly refreshing.  Has an elegant feel for a white wine. 

My Strength Rating: 2.5/3

There are not too many white wines that could hold up to this heat, did I say it was 92 – it is now 97, there are not too many white wines I like when they get warm.  And, yes reds have no chance in this heat.  That is why I don’t drink to many red wines in the summer.  But, remember I am not a big white wine drinker.  I think the point I want to make is the difference between some inexpensive (cheap) whites and some moderate to higher end whites.  The cheap ones seem to develop an unpleasant tasting note as they warm up.  So, the second point is keep em’ chilled!!!

One nice thing about this white wine is that as it warmed up (it’s 92 degrees out here) it did not develop any bitter or strange tasting notes. 

I am going to pair this Duckhorn with my favorite mild-medium cigar. 

Visit CigarPostings for the pairing.

Arcturos 2009 Riesling: Review

Black Star Farms

Traverse City, Michigan, USA

11% abv

$31.00 a bottle at The Bank Restaurant

Around $15 retail

Blackstarfarms.com

Aroma: fresh white fruits

Flavors: I think of it this way; a lot pear with a squirt of red grapefruit then a touch of pineapple and squeeze some fresh apples.  How do you describe it?

This is a really wonderful white wine.  I plan to buy some when I get a chance. 

Mouthfeel: the acidity is fine, semi-dry feel on the palate, the wonderful fruit notes linger on the palate, I really don’t want to eat anything with this tasty white.  I think you will want to drink this all by itself too.   

My Strength Rating: 2.5 – a super tasty summertime wine

Jackson Triggs Vidal Icewine 2007 and 2006 Tasting

Proprietors’ Reserve

2006 & 07

10.5% abv

187ml bottle

Just over $20.00 a bottle

Jackson-Triggs Estate Wines

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

The two different vintages look almost the same.  Both are golden yellow , the 06 might be a tad lighter but, you could not tell the difference riding by on a horse. 

The aroma on both is sweet.  Honey is the main profile.  The 07 reminds me of honey dipped tropical and the 06 reminds me of honey dipped peaches. 

Flavor 2006: Oh is that beautiful, sweet honey dipped summertime fruits.  Peaches, nectarine, sweet apple

Flavor 2007: Oh do I love ice wine, this one reminds me of honey dipped tropical fruits; papaya and mango and then there is a splash of summertime nectarine.

When you drink this wine you should use an Ice Wine glass which holds about 50ml. And, that is all you should drink of this lovely sweet wine. The sugar content is really high.

The Jackson Triggs Vidal Ice Wine has a fantastic summertime fresh fruit and tropical fruity flavor. The papaya and mango covers the tropical and the nectarine covers the summertime fruit. That sweet, syrupy, ripe nectarine in a glass.

Mad Housewife Chardonnay 2008: Review

13.5% abv

Mad Housewife Cellars

St. Helena, Napa County, California, USA

Madhousewifecellars.com

Alright, I am not expecting much from this bottle.  My neighbor gave it to me and knowing them this bottle had to me no more than $5.00. 

Appearance: bright pale yellow

Aroma: tropical, melon like when chilled.  When this wine warms up it is cat pee all the way.  Sorry, they don’t call it cat pee any more it is called, guava. 

Flavors: tropical fruits with a squirt of red grapefruit, apple, melon.  Actually, this is not all that bad.  Let me call it decent.  And, if it is as cheap as I think it is – then, this is a pretty good deal. 

Now, when this wine gets warm the flavor changes.  There is a tart muddled fruity flavor with a dusty cinnamon note.

Mouthfeel: nice acidity to give you that red grapefruit slightly tart note.  Structure seems lacking.  The flavors seem muddled and there is a slight mineral watery edge. 

I found the wine at the local grocery store for $6.60 a bottle. 

On the back of the bottle it reads: “Somewhere near the cool shadows of the laundry room.  Past the litter box and between the plastic yard toys.  This is your time.  Time to enjoy a moment to yourself.  A moment without the madness.  The dishes can wait.  Dinner be damned.”

Toasted Head 2010 Untamed White: Review

White Blend: 70% Viognier, 27% Chardonnay, and 3% Moscato

13.5% abv

Toasted Head Winery

Woodbridge, California, USA

Toastedhead.com
Visit CigarPostings for the cigar pairing with this wine

Appearance: very light straw

Aroma: honey dipped tropical fruits; I swear that I notice a delicate spice now and then.

Flavors: luscious tropical fruit flavors, solid white wine body and structure coming from the Viognier grape, Pleasing honey like sweet notes coming from the Moscato. 

50% of the fermentation time was spent in French oak barrels and this helps to give this white a little fuller body feel for a white wine.

This white wine tastes like all the good things of summer.  Peaches, pears, mangos, and on and on.  You could play the game, What flavor am I tasting right now?  with this wine.     

Mouthfeel: alcohol warmth dominates the lingering aftertaste of peach, apricot and a pink peppercorn note (pepper from the alcohol).  

My Strength Rating: 4.5 - I really like the body feel and the lingering notes that play on the palate. 

Cavit Collection Pinot Grigio 2010: Review

Delle Venerie

Indicazione Geografica Tipica

Trento, Italy

CavitCollection.com

12% abv

$9.50 a bottle

Appearance: colored lemon water

Aroma: light and fresh apple, pear

Flavors and mouthfeel: crisp, ultra-light, refreshing, fuji apple with a hint of Granny Smith, pear, touch of citrus.

My Strength Rating: 1 – a decent white wine, tasty for the price range

Barefoot Pinot Grigio: Review

12.5% abv

Modesto, California, USA

No Vintage

around $9.00

Barefootwine.com

Appearance: water with a squirt of lemon in it

Aroma: very light, clean, lemon meat

Flavors and Mouthfeel: a light and clean citrus zip.  There is a fizzy carbonated feel. 

My Strength Rating: 1.5

To the Point: I don’t think I liked that fizzy feel.  Order water and add a squirt of lemon wedge into the glass then add a dash of Sprite and you have this wine. 

Mendocino Vineyards Chardonnay 2009: Review

Mendocino County Made with Organic Grapes

Geyserville, California, USA

13.5% abv

Appearance: bright crystal sunny yellow

Aroma: light fresh summer fruits with a hint of citrus meat

Flavors: the lively citrus profile reminds me of lemon meat and red grapefruit.  It also reminds me of mineral water with a heavy dose of fresh lemon.  There is a good undertone of sweet tropical fruits with splash of fresh tart apple. 

Mouthfeel: acidity on the finish, nice fresh fruits linger on the palate for a short spell. 

My Strength Rating: 4 – a very tasty mild-medium white wine. 

Pair this with white fish or shell fish, summer salad.  I personally would never pair this with salmon, for one I do not like salmon with any type of lemon sauce.  Don’t take a tasty fish like salmon and put lemon on it.  Why do you put lemon on white fish or that breaded white fish?  Because it tastes like nothing so, you have to add lemon.  Just the same reason Americans put a lime in beer – because the beer tastes like nothing otherwise.   

Visit CigarPostings for the cigar pairing

Gnarly Head Pinot Grigio 2008: Review

13% abv

Gnarly Head Cellars

Manteca, California, USA

Gnarlyhead.com

Gift from Dorthy

Appearance: a crystal golden wheat color

Aroma: pear and apple

Flavors: apple pear (see picture), jazz apple, nice spiciness with a faint touch of pink peppercorn on the finish. 

Mouthfeel: this is a nice bold Pinot Grigio, medium bodied white, interesting flavors on the tongue and a nice spice that lingers on the aftertaste. 

My Strength Rating: 4.5

Here is what they say on the bottle, “This racy wine takes off with aromas of ginger and pineapple.  Crisp flavors of pears, apples and stone fruit flood the palate and the finish ‘kicks out’ with style and grace.”

I like their description.  I can go for the ginger note they describe.  I am not picking up on the pineapple note – how about you, if you have tried it?

To the Point: I really enjoyed this wine.  Had prawns and scallop kabobs for dinner and this wine was very nice with the kabobs. 

July is White Wine Month

A beautiful summer day and a white wine is the way to go.  So, chill yourself a bottle and find your favorite chair (outside) and enjoy the experience. 

I will be reviewing some white wines this month.  I am not a big white wine drinker.  I usually enjoy a few during the summer months and that is it for me.  Doing this blog I have become comfortable reviewing reds and I enjoy the challenge it brings. 

Now, this is going to be a big challenge for me.  One, I am not comfortable reviewing white wines probably because I have not reviewed many on this blog. 

In doing a little homework for whites I think I’ll have to look at them like Belgian Beers.  There are a lot of tropical fruit notes, apples, pears, citrus, and stone fruits.  I really like reviewing Belgian Beers so this might be better than I thought.  I’ll just be wondering what happened to the malts and hops. 

For you Red Wine Drinker who say, ‘I only drink reds.’  Well, it’s time to lose that attitude.  There are some great flavors to enjoy drinking good quality whites.  And, whites are great to enjoy on a hot summer day unlike some reds.   

I use to have that attitude towards whites as well.  It usually comes from trying a white wine at a restaurant that is low in quality, usually over sweetened and lacking character.  So, if I can lose that attitude so can you.  From what I have found it has helped me to enjoy my reds that much more. 

You can go to my cigar blog to read the white wine and cigar pairings as well.  Yes, white wines and cigars do pair well together.  You have to know what you are pairing and that is what the cigar blog is all about.  I will pair some good ones together and I will plan some that will collide in taste. 

Summertime is here so let’s experience the beauty of white wines.