Wine Reviews You can Use

Summer is here--for most of us but for we here in Maine this Memorial Day is rainy, dark, and 50 degrees.  But we cling to what we know and that is a great Summer is coming even if short lived.So get out of your comfort zone this Summer and find the thrill of glorious well made wines that will not kill your retirement savings.  For those hot Summer days poolside, on the  porch, or under the shade tree,  throw some bottles of wines you've never tried.  Forsake the kangaroo and footprint labels and look for inexpensive but well made wines you can chug if you wish.  The most under rated varietal is Riesling! With various styles to choose from what you'll find in the grocery store is domestic gems mixed in with plenty of plonk.   What is plonk? Well,  White Zinfandel for one.  Sure its popular but it is crap. For the same price or literally a couple bucks more, you can actually grab wine that is well made, tastes like wine rather than what ...

  Beautiful opaqueish deep purple with aromas of thick mocha, a slight vegetal suggestion with a spicy rim and remnant of fresh, sweet bright berries with a touch of floral nuances. Palate--Thickish texture, with hefty foundation supporting the intense, rich, dark berry fruit and finish that clings to your palate.   This is a big, mouth filling wine from Argentia and a great value for the price around $10.  I will be looking for more of this and will lay a couple bottles down to see what the future does to them. These will be drinking fine for the next 8 years or so.  Raise a glass and well done to to the folks at ZOLO sustainably farmed vintners!

  Nice deep garnet hue with aromas abounding of lovely, tantalizing fruit above the rim. Deeper in the bowl there is lovely, pronounced fruity spice, a touch of grapefruit rind Palate--Nice palate first impression of pronounced, finessed fruit, lovely big berry flavors, a midline streak of pleasant bitters, and a zesty finish of more lovely Zin fruit. This Trader Joe's fave is around $8.50 and is a nice super value Zin. Pair it with BBQ, anything smoky, pizza, Italian and well, just about whatever you want.   Raise a glass!

  Aubergine hue with aromas of *tennis shoe, savory fruit Palate--Juicy presentation with vibrant red fruit, squeaky tannins, needs sometime to open up. *Sometimes adjectives used in wine reviews are troubling. Tennis shoe does not sound like a positive attribute but then neither is "tar" "lead pencil" and numerous other off the wall descriptors which are not at all negatives.  That is the case here. :)  A pleasant Barbera and a solid value at the $10 price point. Raise a glass (with or without tennis shoes!) 

Straw hue with aromas of gentle vanilla, lime, more vanilla, and citrus. Palate-- Fresh, clean, teensy pin prick bubbles, creamy texture, fresh clean finish that lingers a bit. If you want a great summer bubbly with no animals on the label, tastes like real wine than a manufactured wine beverage, this is a great summer choice. It's a Trader Joe's regular and runs $10.  Raise a glass, sit on your deck or pool side and enjoy!

  Burnt garnet hue with bricking at the rim and beyond; definitely showing its age!  Aromas of wonderful spring daffodils, Hyacinths, I kid you not, subtle aged cherry notes.      Palate--Definitely at its peak and a beyond, but is a marvelous and exemplary showing of a Gamay that can hold its own even after 8 years which is amazing! It is still perky, still has some life, but needs to be drunk NOW. It is very enjoyable and exciting to see this grape do so well which is a credit to the vintner(s) who created this!   Gamay is the premier grape of Beaujolais which can range from the very simplest of joys (Beaujolais Nouveaux) to the Beaujolais Cru which can have structure, finesse and even elegance. I don't remember what I paid for this but it was probably a steal around $12.  Raise a glass!     

Garnet hue with remnants of a youthful purple.  Aromas of spicy cherry,  Palate--Youthful fruitiness, bright cherry and simple red berry goodness with a finish of spice. This simple Portuguese blend is easy drinking, bright, and just one of those "don't analyze it, just enjoy it" kind of wines.  At around $8 it is simple and enjoyable quaff so raise a glass!