Washington Hills Gewurztraminer 2006

VARIETAL: Gewurztraminer
REGION: Columbia Valley, Washington
PRICE: $7.99
It isn't often that I take three sips of a wine and hastily dispose of the remainder in my sink. I have only one word to adequately describe my experience with this wine: blech! I bought it to accompany my weekly Indian fix and as usual, before dinner, I readied my notepad and poured myself a glass. It smelled fine. Not as aromatic as Gewurtz should be in my opinion, but it seemed drinkable. And then, BLECH!! Pixie stix meets overripe grapes. I spit it out and did my due diligence. I waited to taste it with dinner before making my final judgment. After all, sometimes wine tastes better with food. Ugh. Why did I bother? Unappealing and overall undrinkable. If you want to give it the benefit of the doubt it could very well be a bad bottle or just past its prime. But as for me, I'll be steering clear of Washington Hills wines for a while. I'm still shuddering. . .

Read More in: White Wine | Wine Tasting Notes

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To Market, To Market - Bread & Wine Bag

I love it and I hate it . . . where to begin?
I LOVE the idea of a bread and wine bag to take to the market. It is very laid-back-European and of course, appeals to my inner conservationist. I've often wondered how I could keep my wine bottle(s) from crushing delicate produce in my floppy, pocket-less canvas satchel. This leather version from Rebecca Minkoff is an adorable solution.

HOWEVER, I'm disinclined to pay $185 for a leather bag that will doubtless encounter all manner of leaks, spills, and sweaty refrigerated foods. How about a cheap, fun canvas or burlap version? Way more my speed. I don't think you need to spend a fortune to conserve. Oxymoron, anyone? These days being "green" is often synonymous with spending green.

That said, if you have the disposable income, by all means splurge. And then keep coming back to us for cheap, fun picks to fill the wine pocket.

Via NOTCOT

Read More in: Swanky Wine Fridays | Wine Accessories

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Monthly Roundup - July

White Wine

Wine Accessories

Wine Tasting Notes

Drinking from a Drop - Fubiz™

Check out this crazy cool carafe. Definitely not the most practical for wine--the base is only about 10cm--but it might work for sake or for a romantic dinner for two. The water droplet design is breathtaking. And I love that the cup, carafe and tray are a fluid, self-contained unit. Check out more photos after the jump.

Via Fubiz

Cat's Phee on a Gooseberry Bush 2007

VARIETAL: Sauvignon Blanc
REGION: New Zealand
PRICE: $10
Remember that pucker you got when you first popped a Lemonhead in your mouth? Well amplify that about ten times and you'll get this extremely vibrant New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of cut grass and a certain l'eau du chat that the name implies are a little sharp. Explosions of zesty lime follow on your palate and reinforce the racy nature of this wine. I love the irreverence of the name, but I do wish the wine was a little more well rounded. Fun and refreshing, but a little one-dimensional.

I found mine at Cost Plus World Market, but if you require further investigation, check out the Coopers Creek site.

Read More in: White Wine | Wine Tasting Notes

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Drunken Horse Wine Holder

Kitchy doesn't quite cover this little gem. I want to hate it--but a little part of me smiles inside when I see it because it is exactly the sort of thing my grandfather would have proudly displayed on his bar, among the collectible antique car, covered wagon and train shaped bottles of Jack Daniels and Jim Beam. Not sure if he would have used it as a wine holder, but I'm sure he would have used it to hold a bottle of something.

Via Fosfor

Snoqualmie Nearly Naked Gewürztraminer 2006

VARIETAL: Gewurztraminer
REGION: Columbia Valley, Washington
PRICE: $12

From the folks at Snoqualmie, their 'Nearly Naked' designation indicates that minimal non-organic production methods are used--in other words, the grapes are organic (though not certified) and as much as possible, they've tried to let the grapes do all the work. And, as many certified organic wines die on your palate before they've fully evolved, I think they have made the right decision. This wine is both delicate and unctuous. A lovely orange blossom bouquet is punctuated with shots of fragrant spice. In true Gewurz style, the floral and spice notes are layered with juicy fruit viscosity that clings to your taste buds, bursting with ripe stone fruit flavors. A refreshingly crisp mineral finish adds polish and dimension. We took this when invited to dinner with some friends--they prepared a sumptuous Indian dinner for us and the Nearly Naked Gewurztraminer was the perfect complement to every dish.

I found mine at Whole Foods, but they have a retail distribution page on their site that is fairly up-to-date. Snoqualmie Winery

Read More in: White Wine | Wine Tasting Notes

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Silverado Miller Ranch Sauvignon Blanc 2006

VARIETAL(S): Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon
REGION: Napa Valley, California
PRICE: $15
Lovely, light and oh-so-summery, this sauvignon blanc shines. It is a pale golden yellow with bright citrus scents accentuated by a palate that is soft, yet crisp with ripe melon and golden apple flavors. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, stand by for the palate cleansing citrus and a clean stony finish. It s so easy to drink I found myself slurping a little. Great on its own, but even more lovely with light seafood fare.

I probably wouldn't pay full price for it, but luckily I found mine on sale at a local market. If you can't find it locally, you can find it here: Silverado Sauvignon Blanc

Read More in: White Wine | Wine Tasting Notes

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Have Wine Will Travel - Gallo's New Wine Purse

While it is certainly a novel idea, I'm not sure the wine handbag (or wine in a box that looks like a handbag) is the wave of the future. A little too kitchy for my taste--though I am a rose fanatic--and I'm sure I would not settle on White Grenache as my rose of choice. A resounding, YIKES! But check it out for yourselves:

This package won best design and packaging prize at the 2008 Drink Business awards, for its clutch-style handbag box. Now perhaps I am just not the right kind of woman, but I found the strapline "White Grenache - loved by women almost as much as they love their handbags", a tad condescending. "Appealing directly to the rosé wine consumer" - does the love of rosé equal a love of handbags? Apparently so; according to Tesco, where it is being sold, the package has been "incredibly successful". Posted on TheDieline by Natasha Chetiyawardana

Crazy Like a Fox - KitFox Vineyards (Part 1 of 3)

Maybe I should say, "crazy for the fox." I have four new wines to bring you, but I don't want to hit you all at once so I'm going to split them into pairs. I really want you to remember these wines and relish them as much as I have relished tasting them. So when you have a minute, check out KitFox Vineyards. They're a small California property but it is remarkably evident, they have big heart.

The Vogel family have been farming the land for four generations (nuts before wine) and have the unique distinction of being the sole producers in the upstart Salado Creek AVA. And they seem to possess the requisite passion for growing the grapes as well as turning them into wine -- stunning wine, but more on that later.

I'll be honest, I was a little nervous -- I really wanted to like the wines because I like their story. I'm a sucker for a strong family business. Add to that the classic and upscale bottle styling and a cheeky marketing campaign and I'm drawn in before the first glass is poured. So what happens if the wines are mediocre? It happens. I've seen it before. Great packaging, great story, okay wine. As I hinted above, that is not the case here. They sent me four wines to try and I followed up with a little light reading and the best part of this gig, lots of tasting. Tune in for Part 2.