One of My Favorite Sauvignon Blancs

By: Cresta

I recently bought a bottle of Brancott Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 after first trying it at P.F. Chang’s a few weeks ago. It is now one of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs.

Brancott Sauvignon Blanc has a pale straw color with a hint of green.  It is aromatic with distinct smells of pineapple and grapefruit.  An intensely fruity wine with flavors of gooseberry, tropical fruit and lemon-lime, but well-balanced with its invigorating high acidity.

Marlborough is one of New Zealand’s sunniest, driest areas. Lots of sunshine combined with cool nights and a long growing season helps promote the lively fruit flavors for which this region is famous. Brancott Vineyard is where the original Sauvignon Blanc vines were planted.

And, just this week Brancott Estate launched a new smartphone app (compatible with Apple and Android) called World’s Most Curious Bottle. There are 14 ‘unique consumer experiences’ on the free app, including entertainment, food pairings, tasting notes and more. Users can unlock the experiences by scanning the QR code on the new Brancott Estate labels…pretty cool. Cheers!

A Great Artist with his Name on Some Decent Wines

By Angela

Growing up under a successful watercolor artist (my mom) I was constantly surrounded by all types of artist and art. I love the fact that when wine comes together with art it makes me all giddy inside. That’s what I thought about when I tried Ed Hardy wines for the first time…now I know a lot of you out there are saying oh yeah the guy that makes the loud t-shirts.

I must admit I’ve always loved his color choices and his tattoo art. When I heard about his wines I didn’t want to try them, I thought they were probably over done and they’re just out there for the name. But recently I hosted a wine tasting and one of the wines was the Ed Hardy Moscato. I really enjoyed it, it was a drier moscato not a typical sugary sweet Californian Moscato. It had tastes of peach and melon and it was refreshing. I looked at the label and saw that the grapes were grown and bottled in France. The price was right too: $7.99 a bottle.

After trying that I bought a different wine, the demi-sec Diamond Sparkling Rose`. Great wine it wasn’t bitter and it wasn’t sweet it was a blend of dry with a hint of sweet. The blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Pinot Noir tasted perfect, this was light with a hint of cream, berries, and a little yeast after taste.

Now with this being said, I haven’t tried any of the other wines. I believe I like these 2 wines because they are inexpensive, light, and you do not have to over think them. Plus they are pretty bottles to look at after you’re finished with them. Great wines for a night with friends. What’s your thoughts on Ed Hardy Wine please give me some feed back on the other wines.

Aldi Does Sell Wines and they’re a Great Purchase

by Angela

A couple of weeks ago Cresta shared with us that Aldi Grocery stores sell wines. I thought I would check it out, and what I found was a pretty great deal. I purchased 4 different bottles of wines from Aldi all priced under $7; none of the other wines were over $9. Here’s my reviews of the 4 wines I purchased.

• Landshut Riesling $5.99 – Had a wonderful floral bouquet with tastes of honey and sweet melon. I would have to agree with Cresta that this is a very sweet Riesling but this would be perfect if your having asian spicy foods. This wine would pair with spicy Thai foods, hearty seafood stew, or served as a great desert wine.
• Villa Malizia Pinot Grigio $5.99 – A very light and crisp Pinot Grigio that had tastes of citrus and pear. It actually tasted better after it warmed up a little. (I decided stop chilling and drink it at room temperature.) This is a great summer wine that you can pair with salads, fish dishes, and light pasta dishes. I really enjoyed this Pinot Grigio.
• Gonfalone Chianti $6.79 – This is not your typical Chianti, it was very light but with some tannins and had tastes of smoke and leather. It was light like a Pinot Noir but had some characteristics of a Syrah. I personally didn’t enjoy it BUT if you are into a light Pinot Noir then this is your bottle to buy.
• Toca Diamonte Malbec $5.99 – This by far was my favorite one. The bouquet was black cherry and a hint of floral and tastes of clove, oak, berry, and black cherry. I really enjoyed this wine, I wanted to grill a steak after having a few sips of the wine. This would definitely compliment a great steak, hearty pasta dishes, or just drank alone with friends. If you’re into big hearty wines this is a great one for the price.

I can’t wait to go back and try other wines that Aldi has to offer. If you have an Aldi Grocery store in your neighborhood just remember you can pick up some wine for dinner while you’re grocery shopping.

Vibrant, Tangy Sauvignon Blanc

By: Cresta

I really enjoyed this wine. Benziger Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma-Lake Counties 2009.

Strong citrus aroma with a hint of floral. Medium-bodied, tart and tangy with flavors of lemon, lime and green apple. This wine has a vibrant finish, fresh, crisp and firm with a generous kick of acidity.

And you can feel good about drinking it! As if you need an excuse. The Benziger Family Winery is dedicated to green winemaking and its Certified Sustainable Grape Growing Program. The grapes for this Sauvignon Blanc were grown with certified sustainable farming methods. That wine growing philosophy is displayed in the elemental symbols on the bottle’s label. Around $15.

Have you tried any great wines lately? Please share.

Hello Vino! Cool App for Any Wine Lover

By: Cresta

I recently downloaded an app to my iPhone so that I have notes handy when I’m in the wine aisle or out at a restaurant. Hello Vino is a great app for any wine lover, with many options to choose from. You can download the app for iPhone or Android, and it’s FREE.

You can choose a wine:

• To go with a specific meal or food.  Select the food – from pizza to cheese to dessert – and Hello Vino will provide suggestions on the best wine pairing.
• For an occasion. Whether it’s a gift, special holiday or a tasting party, get suggestions on the type of wine you should consider, including at least three specific recommendations.
• By taste preference. The app selects the best wines to fit your taste, whether that’s red, white, pink. Dry, fruity, sweet.
• By country, then by region. Know that you prefer wines from Argentina? Tap that and Hello Vino provides different regions to choose from, then at least three specific recommendations.
• There’s also a section dedicated to Holiday Wines and Gifts.

This app includes a search function so that you may search by brand name, food pairing and taste preference. There’s also a wine label image recognition function (but you must purchase label scanner credits to use this). The My Wines tab allows you to save favorites, as well as wines that you’d like to try (Wishlist). There’s also a Reviews tab with two-minute audio reviews of select wines. Give the wine a thumbs up and save it to your shopping list. Share the wine on Facebook or Tweet it. Each wine highlights tasting notes and includes an average price.

You can download this app from the iTunes App Store and the Android Market. Or visit www.hellovino.com.