Indaba Chardonnay

Name: Indaba
Color: White
Varietal: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: South Africa
Region: Western Cape
Price: $8 (on sale)
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We had this chardonnay from South Africa tonight with crab and cheese on English muffins and grilled asparagus. The meal and the wine were similar - light, easy, and delicious.

The wine was light to medium bodied, with aromas of pineapples, pears, and honey. The taste was filled with apples, honey, citrus, and a little bit of cream. The finish was fairly long and completely enjoyable. For the price (normally around $10), the Indaba Chardonnay is a fantastic value. We continue to have great luck with wines from South Africa.

Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Excelsior
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: South Africa
Region: Various
Price: $9
Stars: 4 (out of 5)



We had this delicious little South African cab last night with homemade steak sandwiches and pasta. The dinner and the wine were terrific. The aroma is strong...It's full of juicy blackberries and black cherries. The flavor is similar, but also has a hint of dark chocolate on the mid-palate. The finish isn't incredibly long, but is still very satisfying. This wine drank very well on its own, as well. We continue to have good success with wines from South Africa, which we've really focused on lately thanks to the World Cup.

The Excelsior Cabernet is an excellent bang for your buck type wine that will please most anyone.

Domaine de la Curniere Vacqueyras

Name: Domaine de la Curniere Vacqueyras
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre)
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: France
Region: Vacqueyras
Price: $17
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

I love red blends from the Vacqueyras region in the southern Rhone Valley!! The Domaine de la Curniere is a Grenache dominated blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. It's a little light in the aroma, but it's big and filling in the mouth. It has great acidity and big dark fruit flavors. It has a nice long finish and the spiciness that I expect to find in a southern Rhone red. Nothing complex, but very good.

Dombeya Amalgam

Name: Dombeya Amalgam
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz/Merlot)
Vintage: 2004
Country/State: South Africa
Region: Stellenbosch
Price: $17
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We enjoyed this red blend last night with BBQ chicken fajitas. It's another South African wine that I bought recently, and it's another winner. This wine is big and juicy, but very smooth and easy drinking. The aroma is mostly red berries. The dominant taste is red and black berries, with a little bit of spice and earth.

Aveleda Fonte Vinho Verde

Name: Aveleda Fonte Vinho Verde
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Trajadura/Loureiro/Arinto/Azal)
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Portugal
Region: Vinho Verde
Price: $8
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

I picked up this bottle of Vinho Verde to use last night in a recipe for steamed mussels. We drank the wine with the meal and finished it after dinner. We both really liked this one with the dinner and on its own.

It's a clear, pale color in the glass, and it gives off a slight fizz when you first open and pour it, but that goes away almost immediately. The nose is rather slight, just some citrus and apple aromas. The taste is primarily green apples, lemon, lime, and orange...The Aveleda Fonte is very fresh, fruity, light, and refreshing. It's an almost perfect summer wine and is terrific on its own and with light seafood dishes.

Peter Lehmann Clancy's Red

Name: Peter Lehmann Clancy's Red
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot)
Vintage: 2005
Country/State: Australia
Region: Barossa
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We've had this wine before and really liked it. It's a great blend of Shiraz, Cab, and Merlot with big, bold red and black fruit aromas and taste. It's also a touch peppery and spicy. I've found that this one really mellows and becomes even more smooth after sitting for a couple of hours. It was really nice on the second night.

We drank this last night with a rotisserie chicken and then again after dinner on its own. It's very good....smooth, soft, and delicious. It would be terrific with BBQ.

Domaine Roger Luquet Clos de Condemine

Name: Domaine Roger Luquet Clos de Condemine
Color: White
Varietal: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: France
Region: Burgundy (Macon-Villages)
Price: $15
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We had this terrific French white last night with dinner (fish and pasta)...The wine went well with dinner and was great on its own. There wasn't much going on in the nose -- mostly pear and green apple. The taste was similar to the nose, but its great minerality and clean crispness made it very enjoyable. We continue to have good luck with French whites.