Here we go....

The main purpose of this blog is to provide a way for my wife (Krista) and I to keep track of and easily organize wines as we buy them, drink them, and review them. We really developed a strong interest in wine in the late summer of 2008. From about August of '08 through mid-March of 2009, we have consumed approximately 35 bottles of wine. I have tried to keep track of these wines and our feelings about them, primarily through the use of Excel spreadsheets. I am hoping that this blog will allow us to accomplish some of these goals more interactively. We'll see how it goes.....

To start with, in this first post, I want to attempt to briefly summarize the wines we have experienced up until today. Subsequently, I will post more detailed notes regarding our tastings as we look to expand our palates and continue our journey of exploring the world of wine. Along the way, I will try to make notes about my wine-related influences and links to some of my favorite sources on the web. Occasionally, I may post about other life events or happenings in the world of sports and music. Who knows?

Here's what we drank from August 2008 through mid-March 2009:


Date, Color, Varietal, Name, Country/State, Region, Vintage, $Price, # Stars; Notes; Tasting Notes

8/08, Red, Shiraz/Syrah, Razor's Edge, Australia, McLaren Valley, na, $15, ****; Try to find at International Cellar in Oldsmar; wine that really got me interest in wine; want to try again

8/08, Red, Blend, Beauzeaux Red Wine, California, Central Coast, 2005, $8, ***; Zinfandel/Syrah/Petite Sirah; decent red blend; liked Menage, Marietta, or La Vieille Ferme better

8/08, Red, Blend, House Wine Red, Washington, Columbia Valley, 2005, $10, ***; Cab/Merlot/Syrah/Malbec; decent red blend; liked Menage, Marietta, or La Vieille Ferme better

9/08, White, Sauvignon Blanc, Kim Crawford, New Zealand, Marlborough, 2006, $15, ****; WS Top 100; try 2008; our go-to SB; very fresh, pear, grapefruit, grass

10/08, Red, Shiraz/Syrah, Mark Davidson, Australia, SE Australia, na, $12, ****; recommended by Ed's Fine Wines; very good Shiraz for the price

10/08, White, Blend, La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Luberon, France, Rhone, 2006, $7, *** 1/2; Grenache Blanc/Bourbolenc/Ugni Blanc/Roussanne; very good, light white blend; want to try again

10/08, Red, Blend, Menage a Trois, California, Various, na, $9, ****; Zinfandel/Merlot/Cab; one of my favorite red blends

10/08, White, Chardonnay, Canyon Oaks, California, Various, na, $4.5, *** 1/2; --; very smooth Chard, no oak, great for the price, K really likes

11/08, Red, Blend, La Vieille Ferme Red AOC Côtes du Ventoux, France, Rhone, 2006, $7, ****; Grenache/Syrah/Carignane/Cinsault; excellent value for the money; want to buy more

11/08, White, Riesling, Dr. Loosen, Germany, Mosel, 2007, $12, ****; sweet; good Riesling, fresh nose of white fruit; definitely sweet, but smooth; good with Thanksgiving turkey

11/08, Red, Pinot Noir, Angeline, California, Russian River, 2007, $15, ****; --; very smooth for a cheap PN; want to try others

11/08, Red, Blend, Marietta Old Vine Red Lot #47, California, Sonoma, na, $10, ****; Zinfandel/Syrah/Petite Sirah/Carignane; one of my favorite red blends

12/08, White, Chardonnay, Woodbridge Robert Mondavi, California, Lodi, 2007, $8, ****; "lightly oaked"; a little fuller than the Canyon Oaks, very small hint of oak

12/08, Red, Shiraz/Syrah, Jip Jip Rocks, Australia, Limestone Coast, 2006, $15, ****; --; really good nose of blackberries, dark red berries; good finish

1/09, White, Pinot Grigio, Hogue, Washington, Columbia Valley, 2007, $9, *****; WSJ highly recommended; excellent; Great pear, peach nose and taste; great body and viscosity, very nice mouth feel; long finish; had again in 3/09

1/09, Rose, Blend, Menage a Trois, California, Various, na, $9, ***; Merlot/Syrah/Gewurtztraminer ; good nose - strawberries, floral; really enjoyed 1st glass, but enjoyed less with subsequent glasses

1/09, White, Viognier, Oak Grove Reserve, California, Various, 2007, $8, **; #4 on Wine Enthusiast best values; nice floral, perfumey nose; pale gold color; not my taste - no real fruit, mostly floral tastes; nice creamy texture; great medium-full body; very short finish

1/09, Red, Shiraz/Syrah, Penfolds Wines "Koonunga Hill", Australia, SE Australia, 2006, $10, *** 1/2; had the blend of shiraz and cabernet; typical shiraz nose of blackberries, dark berries; plum color; taste of dark berries, a little jammy; tannins really softened as the wine sat and opened up

1/09, White, Sparkling, Zonin Special Cuvee Brut Prosecco, Italy, Veneto, na, $8, *** 1/2; --; very fresh, fruity nose; slightly sweet; want to try other sparklers, especially Cava

1/09, White, Pinot Grigio, Barefoot Cellars, California, Various, na, $6, ****; WSJ recommended; very refreshing taste; great value; nose of green apples, pears, kiwi; surprising long finish

1/09, Red, Nero D' Avola, Colosi Rosso, Italy, Sicily, 2006, $10, *** 1/2; very smooth; a little lighter bodied than I normally prefer; excellent nose of black cherries, blackberries, chocolate/mocha

2/09, Red, Carmenere, Casillero del Diablo, Chile, Central Valley, 2007, $9, ****; --; dark, crimson color; nice body, smooth drinking; nose of dark berries, hint of chocolate; not a long finish, but we really liked this wine; very Shiraz-like

2/09, Red, Blend, Rosso & Bianco Rosso (Francis F Coppola), California, Various, 2006, $10, ****; Zinfandel/Syrah/Cabernet; good body; vivid, tangy, a little spice from the Zin; dark cherry and blackberry nose; nice finish; very smooth, mild tannins

2/09, White, Pinot Grigio, Armani (Alfio Moriconi Selection), Italy, Venezia, 2007, $9, ***; --; pale yellow color; limited nose of pears, white fruit; smooth, easy drinking, but lacking in flavor, especially compared to the Hogue

2/09, White, Sauvignon Blanc, Babich, New Zealand, Marlborough, 2008, $11, *** 1/2; 2006 was WS Top 100; very good, crisp, clean; grassy, grapefruit nose; nice finish; really good acid

2/09, Red, Malbec, Trapiche Oak Cask, Argentina, Mendoza, 2007, $11, ****; --; very good; dark plum color; dark fruits on the nose - blackberry, plums; jammy but smooth; nice mouth feel; easy drinking; tannins really mellowed as it sat

3/09, Red, Blend, Red Guitar Navarra, Spain, Various, 2006, $10, **** 1/2; Tempranillo/Garnacha; great wine!!; ripe red fruit nose and flavor, raspberry, cranberry, cherry (K got a little bit of dark chocolate taste); long finish, very smooth; light to medium body; very easy drinking

3/09, Red, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Citra, Italy, Abruzzi, 2006, $6, ***; WSJ recommended; not bad, but not great; dark ruby color with hint of purple; rather tight nose of red fruit, not much else; a little rustic (bitter?) on the finish, making it not as smooth as other reds we've had; good flavor; dry

3/09, White, Verdejo, Martinsancho, Spain, Rueda, 2004, $12, ****; next time look for newer vintage; pretty dark golden color; medium body; reminded me of a Chardonnay but with more fruit taste, grapefruit, tart key lime; long finish

3/09, White, Albarino, Martin Codax, Spain, Rias Baixas, 2006, $14, **** 1/2; --; really loved this wine; good nose, great taste; white fruit, green apple, kiwi; clean, crisp, refreshing; nice balance; long finish; SB taste, Chard/Viognier mouthfeel and body