Okay, so I kind of stopped writing here a while back. But I'm bringing it back. I'm getting married in 8 days, and then off on my honeymoon for 3 weeks, however, after that wine reviews will be coming fast and furious. So, please stay tuned.

HR 5034

I know this isn't a wine review, but I think it is imperative that we stop this bill, contact your legislator.

http://vinespot.blogspot.com/2010/08/just-say-no-to-hr5034.html

Thanks,

Chris

2008 Long Duck Viognier

So last night we decided I decided to try another viognier to make up for the relatively weak one we had previously. I went down to Wine Squared (Denton, TX) and picked out the 2008 Long Duck Viognier. This is a french viognier and cost $12.98.

We drank the wine with dinner, which was chicken marinated in a blend of spices from Penzy's (who sells awesome spices). With the chicken we had some potatoes and a salad with a homemade dijon mustard dressing. First of all, dinner was fantastic. We finally got the propane grill cleaned and in usable condition, which was no small feat. Angela was scrubbing the grill and she looked like she had just stepped out of a swimming pool. After we got cleaned up the wine was quite refreshing.

It had a tinge of sweetness and none of the sour aftertaste of the White Knight viognier. It wasn't fruity in anyway just had enough sweet to make it taste crisp and refreshing. We served it very cold, it spent about 2 hours in the fridge before we touched it. With dinner it was fantastic. Normally, I find viogniers are too sweet to drink with dinner, but this one was perfect. I would highly recommend that people try this on a warm summer's day with something grilled. It was one of my favorite whites, and I think would please the palate of even the most discerning wine critic.

This wine received 4 grapes out of 5.

2008 White Knight Viognier*

I apologize for anyone who read this blog regularly (thanks mom). It's been a while since I posted and this has to do with the fact that I'm currently studying for my doctoral comprehensive exams. I have to pass these exams to finish my Ph.D. so the wine drinking has been kept to a minimum, but despite this I had a glass of 2008 White Knight Viognier.

I bought this bottle thinking it was warm out, and that I could use a wine with a little sweetness. It was from Clarksburg, CA and cost $11 at Whole Foods in Plano, TX (you can probably get it at your local Whole Foods). Well, I unscrewed the top (which despite my dad's belief does not mean that the wine is bad), and poured a glass for Angela and me respectively.

Well, it wasn't at all what I expected. There was almost no sweetness to it and I was disappointed. It almost had a bit of a sour flavor like the finish on a Pinot Gris/Grigio. Beyond the sourness (which I have learned means it has a high level of acid) I didn't find it to be very flavorful. I have had many viogniers, usually from Virginia, before and this one did not measure up to the others. I was disappointed by the lack of flavor. We (along with Angie Nichols) finished the bottle before dinner, which is a shame, I would've liked to have tasted it with dinner (which was tilapia that was covered in flour, pepper and lemon and then sauteed in olive oil). But alas, I didn't have a chance to try it with dinner. I don't think it would've made any difference, because in my experience flavorless wine mixed with flavorful food leads to an even more flavorless wine. Overall, this wine was subpar, and for the price, I don't think it's worth the money.

This wine receive 2 grapes out of 5.

*I couldn't find a picture of this bottle to upload, but that doesn't matter as I don't recommend you buy it.

Next Wine

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, I haven't had wine in a while. I'm studying for my comprehensive exams, Angela is out of town, and I'm broke. All three of these factors have combined to create a perfect storm of winelessness. But I am posting here in a desire to get feedback on which wine I should make next. I am leaning towards a Malbec or a Petite Syrah, however, Zinfandel is not out of the question. Any suggestions?

2009 Italo Cescon Chardonnay

Apparently I can't find a good picture of the bottle, so I'll describe it. It is a tall dark bottle with an old style looking label, and a yellow string holding a piece of grape vine in it (apparently this is called a "tralcetto"). This is an Italian whine, and obviously a white wine (being a chardonnay), and a very delicious one at that.

Angela and I went down to Wine Squared last night, as she had a rough day and I had spent 3:30 hours studying. We decided it was a white wine day, as it was warm out and we wanted to sit outside. The owner/sommelier Brook Ray suggested we try the Italo Cescon Chardonnay, and we are very thankful for this.

Angela said she tasted lemon in the wine. I don't have a palate as good as her's, but it was certainly a wine with fruity flavors. There was no oak flavors, which in my opinion is good (I hate white wine with heavy oak flavors. White wine is supposed to be light, a lot of oak overpowers everything. If I want to taste oak, I'll eat a tree). This was a refreshing wine that we both enjoyed thoroughly. I think it would've been good with any light food such as grilled vegetables, salad, maybe even cheese. In sum, this was a fantastic white wine and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good chardonnay.

This wine receives 4 grapes out of 5.

2007 Martin Codax Ergo Tempranillo

This wine is red wine from the Rioja region of Spain. I must confess this is not the first time Angela and I have had this particular wine, and it is quite good. We purchased this bottle for $9.99 at the local Kroger here in Denton. Angela originally wanted white wine with dinner, but when she saw that they had this wine she insisted that we get it. We originally bought it because it has a lute on the label and lutes are awesome.

Yesterday was an interesting day. It was my day off from studying so we went out to Lake Ray Roberts for a few hours and floated around (it was 93 degrees but overcast, I used SPF 50 and still got pink, gotta love Texas). We then went directly from the lake to pick up a few things for dinner. I left my ID in the car because Angela was buying. The little 18 year old power hungry, snot nosed Kroger attendant insisted that I also get my ID, so I had to leave the store, walk to the far end of the parking lot (everyone who's ever been to that Kroger knows that you want to avoid the parking lot at all costs), get my ID, bring it in and show it to this kid, because I look like I'm under 21 (I also might add we were buying jalapenos, Advil and a few other necessities. Yeah all those kids looking to get drunk on a Friday night are buying wine and jalapenos, come on).

Well, we got home and Angela began cooking dinner. We had sweet potatos, asparagus in balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper shrimp with jalapenos and shallots. It was delicious and not too spicy and the wine complimented it greatly. This tempranillo was not a thick or full-bodied wine like a malbec or syrah (pettite or otherwise). It was light and full of flavor. It was not overwhelmingly sweet or oakey, I would call it balanced. It was a little juicy. It didn't overwhelm the food (not that anything could have, dinner was delicious and full of flavor). But if I were eating a light meal that wasn't overly flavorful, this wine would be at the top of my list. All in all, I would highly recommend this wine to anyone who wants a good medium-bodied red.

This wine receives 3.85 grapes out of 5.