The Last of the Aldi Wines

By: Cresta

I finally tried the last wine that was sent to me from Aldi back in December. I was pretty skeptical as I’d never had a Chianti, but it was better than I thought it would be for $5.99.

I can’t place the aroma I experienced when I first popped the cork on the 2009 Gonfalone (Italy) Chianti. It was interesting, sort of a syrupy cherry. It didn’t taste like it smelled though. It had ripe fruit flavors and some spice. The label says it’s a full-bodied wine but I would say it’s more medium-bodied. It’s fairly dry on the tongue as well. I chilled it a while before drinking.

I went back to have another glass a couple of days later and it was “flat.” I’m assuming this was because it lacked acidity. It definitely did not taste as good as when it was first opened.

Not one of my faves but OK for the price.

Tasty Cabernet Sauvignons

By: Cresta

Life has been completely crazy lately! I have had a chance to enjoy a couple of wines…just haven’t had much time to write about them. Here are a couple of nice Cabernet Sauvignon varieties I’ve recently tasted.

2009 Fetzer Cabernet Sauvignon. A Cab Sauv from California with flavors of black cherry, vanilla and chocolate. Medium bodied with moderate tannins, this wine is easy to drink. It paired nicely with the pork loin we had for dinner.

2010 Root: 1 Cabernet Sauvignon. Root: 1 wines are known as the “original ungrafted” wines as the grapes are grown in the ungrafted root systems of the Colchagua Valley in Chile, which results in intense, ripe fruit flavors.

This wine has a strong cherry aroma with deep flavors of tangy blackberry and vanilla. It is a full-bodied wine with soft tannins and good structure.  I’d love to eventually try the Root:1 Carmenere and Sauvignon Blanc.

You should be able to find these wines for $10-$12 each.

Pennywise – A Winery in Napa that’s Rockin

By Angela L.

Last fall I came across one of the best red’s I ever tasted. I had the Pennywise Petite Sirah, and it was bold and built like the way a Petite Sirah should be. To my curiosity, I wanted to find out about more wines from this label. I asked my local wine store Liquor City  to let me know when their Petite Sirah and other wines from Pennywise came in.

This week they came in…finally, I bought the Pennywise Cabernet Sauvignon and the Pinot Noir. Since it’s summer I cracked open the Pinot Noir. Wow, was I amazed to have tasted such a vibrant, yummy, jammy wine!

As soon as the cork comes out, there’s a hint of Root Beer. I let the wine breathe for about an hour and I could smell the hints of strawberries and cherries. This vibrant wine had tastes of cherries, plums, and strawberries right off the bat. You let it sit on your tongue and small traces of anise and some sandalwood com out.

A great summer red wine that needs to breath for about 30 – 50 minutes to taste all of it’s luscious jammy flavors. I would recommend this with a light pasta vodka creme fish dish or a pork dish of any kind. Check out their wines, the Petite Sirah and Pinot Noir are wonderful.  My suggestion, is pick up a few bottles for your collection, my advice these wines will get better with age.

**Spoiler alert: Next Blog posting from me will be on the Pennywise Cabernet Sauvignon.

Some Upcoming Wine Tastings

By: Cresta

Here are some upcoming wine tastings that I am aware of. Most require advance registration. Please share any other Cincinnati-area wine tastings you enjoy attending.

The Wine Merchant in Hyde Park

www.winemerchantcincinnati.com

Saturday, July 21: Noon-5 p.m.

Saturday Premium Wine Flight – sample four Riesling’s for $15.

Friday, July 27: 6-8 p.m.

Friday Night Tasting – Hooray Rosé. Taste a sampling of refreshing Rosé selections for $20.

Saturday, July 28: Noon-5 p.m.

Saturday Premium Wine Flight – taste four wines from Burgundy for $15.

Party Source in Bellevue

www.thepartysource.com

Wednesday, July 25: 8 p.m.

Fresh Catch Wines! Taste a variety of wines to pair with fish for $20 (includes a $5 Party Source gift card).

Deps’ Fine Wine & Spirits

Ft. Thomas and Covington

www.depsfinewine.com

Dep’s holds tastings on Fridays at both stores, 4-8 p.m. Check out their website for the theme and wine selections.

South African Red: Joostenberg Shiraz/Merlot

By: Cresta

Joostenberg Shiraz/Merlot 2009 is a full-bodied South African red blend that is rich and savory, with distinct tastes of plum and spice. It’s a fairly bold wine but with well-balanced tannins. Not too dry and very flavorsome.

Joostenberg is a fifth-generation family farm committed to natural farming and wine making. The grapes are from the organically grown vineyards of the Paarl Region in South Africa. According to the winemaker, this is an unusual blend as Shiraz and Merlot are not combined in any of the famous wine growing regions.

I thought this was best served at a cool room temp. I put the bottle in the fridge for about 30 minutes prior to drinking the first time.

I’m unsure of the cost as this was a bottle from the wine club.