Las Brisas Rueda

Name: Las Brisas
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Verdejo/Viura/Sauvignon Blanc)
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: Spain
Region: Rueda
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

This was our second wine from Rueda in the past month and we really enjoyed it, much like the last one (Naia). This wine is another terrific summer wine option. It's very crisp, fresh, and refreshing with good acidity and balance. It features delicious peach and apricot flavors and was very to easy to drink...We polished off this bottle very quickly.

Graham Beck Chardonnay/Viognier

Name: Graham Beck
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Chardonnay/Viognier)
Vintage: 2010
Country/State: South Africa
Region: Western Cape
Price: $10
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

This was a nice white blend, mostly Chardonnay but with a nice touch of Viognier, that we enjoyed with dinner (chicken, with a white wine sauce, made with this same wine)...This wine had a nice nose and taste dominated by peaches and pears, with some lime. It was big and rich, but still crisp and fresh. It went well with the dinner and was also very good on its own. Another South African winner!

Boutari Moschofilero

Name: Boutari Moschofilero
Color: White
Varietal: Moschofilero
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: Greece
Region: Martinia
Price: $13
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)

We had this wine (our first from Greece) with dinner last night (fish with a corn salsa relish), and it was excellent. It was our first experience with a Moschofilero and it definitely won't be the last. I hope I can find more of this varietal from other producers to see how it compares to this one from Boutari.

The wine was light and fresh, clean and bright. It's a very easy drinking wine, perfect for sipping on its own or with light dishes. It has less than 12% alcohol, so it won't weigh you down. It has flavors of crisp green apples and pears, lots of pears, with a bit of grapefruit and citrus at the end. It's not very complex, just delicious. We finished this bottle very quickly!

Naia Verdejo

Name: Naia Verdejo
Color: White
Varietal: Verdejo
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: Spain
Region: Rueda
Price: $13
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We had this wonderful Verdejo from Spain last night and really enjoyed it. This wine was packing a wallop of grapefruit, kiwi, and citrus. It had a medium body with a really nice mouthfeel. The finish was long and the wine was terrific. I would definitely recommend this wine and will look for more Verdejos to try soon.

Prima Voce Super Tuscan

Name: Prima Voce
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Syrah)
Vintage: 2005
Country/State: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Price: $15
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)


We had this mini-Super Tuscan blend last night and it was OK. It definitely needed some air, so I poured it in the decanter for an hour or so. After that, most of the heat blew off, but it still was missing something to me. I picked up on some cherry and vanilla flavors with some earthiness, but it was really too oaky for my taste. The tannins were nice, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to find this one again.

Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel

Name: Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel
Color: Red
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: California
Region: Lodi
Price: $8
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We had the Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel this weekend and really enjoyed it...For the price, less than $10, it is an extremely good bargain. It's nothing to get too excited about but it definitely fits the bill for a great value wine. We remembered liking this wine when we tried it at the Safety Harbor Wine Festival. The flavors and aromas are of big, dark fruits, with cherry and vanilla. The tannins were smooth and the finish was medium in length...All in all, a very good wine.

I also just realized that it's been quite awhile since we've had wine at home to post about. We've had a few glasses at restaurants, most notably a terrific Pinot Noir at Carmel Cafe & Wine Bar that I really need to track down. But our drinking at home has slowed down a bit...We need to fix that!!!