Graziano Chenin Blanc 2007

looking for a good summer time food wine? try this $10 chenin blanc from graziano wines, mendocino county. this white is dry and crisp, and has aromas of melons, pears and apples. the wine is aged in neutral french oak. the palate has lots of pear and mineral flavors, along with some nice yeast flavors in the finish. i like the way the wine finishes clean and crisp, with nice acidity. as for pairing with food, try this with a  nice summer salad, or it will work well with grilled fish or chicken.

Viking Vineyards Chambourcin (NV)

i opened this bottle that was purchased at this northern ohio vineyard this year for about $15. chambourcin is a grape that does very well in colder climates and some ohio wineries use it solo as well as a blending grape. the nose was plum, blueberry, some nice earth notes and i also got some floral (violet) aromas. the palate had lots of fruit with black cherry, some strawberry and an interesting spicy clove note in the finish. easy drinking red that went well with cheese and crackers and the next night by itself. the vineyard is well worth the visit near kent state. very nice setting and lots of nice wines to taste.

Loredona Monterey Riesling 2008

we recently had a dinner of italian casserole with cole slaw and it was an outdoor affair. ordinarily i would go for a red but being outside in warm weather i decided to pick up some white wines. this riesling was one of the choices. the nose was white peaches, pears, some orange blossom and honey. the palate was limes and tropical fruit notes, along with a little apricot and some mineral in the finish. a little sweet for my taste but it seemed to work well with the spicy food. this is not the drier riesling i prefer from northern areas of oregon and washington, and i would probably drink this as a compliment to dessert rather than with the meal. sells for about $10.

Three Oaks Cellars Red 2008

every once in a while you get to try something unique. i tried this red wine a week or so ago that few will get to try and that you can't purchase in a store. produced at a do it yourself wine shop, makewinewithus.com, this wine is a blend of cab, amador zinfandel, and carignane. the nose was loaded with blackberry, cherry, earth and after the wine had been in the glass for a bit, some nice chocolate aromas. the palate was beautifully fruit forward, with raspberry, cherry, more of the earthy notes, and chocolate. the tannins were well balanced and the finish was long and lush. a good food wine, especially as we had it with a salad and left over slices of filet mignon over the top, and olive bread. the bread especially brought out some nice rye flavors in the wine. awesome job by three totowa, jersey guys: mario, jimmy and jason. thanks for the bottle! looking forward to trying more from you. keep up the great work.

Mirth Chardonnay 2009

i tasted this 100% stainless steel chardonnay recently at my local wine store. this is from owen roe winery who produce some very nice wines at much higher prices. i have been very intrigued by with the unoaked chards lately. they show off the true taste of the grape that the heavily oaked chards of california don't do very well. this one sells for about $13 (really nice price for this wine) and has a nose of citrus, pear and a little mineral. the palate is crisp and clean with flavors of lemons and golden delicious apples. there is a little tropical fruit and some nice mineral notes as well. good summer time white for sipping out on the deck or enjoying with lighter foods. grilled chicken or shrimp time!

Styring Vineyards "Shameless" 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

oregon wine producer styring, known for their pint noir, have jumped into the cabernet pool with this offering. grapes were harvested in the columbia valley in oregon. i had the pleasure of tasting this recently and was not disappointed. lots of dark fruit; blackberry, plum, and black cherry on the nose. there was also some licorice and a little tar as well. the palate was full of the juicy fruit of blackberry, along with some plum flavors. well balanced tannins and a very full mouth feel. nice anise and a little leathery earth in the finish. at the tasting we had this with an overly spiced lamb which took a little away from this wine. this would work well with red meat and pork dishes, as well as lamb without too much spice. sells for $45.

Vinos de Arganza Flavium Crianza Bierzo 2005

the comely brunette and i enjoyed this bottle of 100% mencia from spain recently. mencia is usually quite fragrant on the nose and is lighter in taste. this one fell into that category for sure. much bigger on the nose than on the palate. still quite drinkable and interesting enough to revisit at some time in the future. sells for about $11 making it attractive to those on a tight budget. the nose had some cedar, and orange along with sour cherry, and a earthy, meaty quality. on the palate, raspberry, cranberry, some subtle asparagus notes, and a little earth. nothing huge, and a medium finish. i would suggest decanting this as it did open up and soften as we finished the bottle. pasta and meat dishes would work with this one.

Stoutridge Hudson Heritage White 2007

one more from new york winery stoutridge on the shawangunk wine trail. selling for $16, this is a blend of 70% seyval blanc, 10% cayuga white, 10% pinot gris, 5% chardonnay, and 5% riesling. this is completely different from the previous white i wrote about. much drier and more mineral in flavor, this blend has a nose of citrus and tropical fruit with some cheese and sweaty notes as well. i also got a little orange blossom note in this as it opened up. the palate was filled with lemon and guava fruit. it almost had an effervescence to it. nice mineral and grassy notes as well. perfect wine for seafood dishes. grilled shrimp time is here and this would be a good choice.

Stoutridge Glen Vidal Blanc 2001

i have been very excited about the wines of new york lately and this one is no exception. the stoutridge winery (http://www.stoutridge.com/index.php) produces old world style wines and this vidal blanc is no exception. still excellent at this advanced age for a white wine, it has a nose of peaches, honeysuckle, and a little pear. the palate is fruit sweet but not overpoweringly so, it tastes of the peach and honeysuckle you get on the nose. i also got some nice floral notes as well. works well with fish and seafood dinners and sells for about $16 and can be purchased at the winery. well worth the stop if you are in the new york area.

Millbrook Hunt Country Red (NV)

one more from millbrook winery in new york's hudson valley region. hunt country red is a blend of 58% merlot, 26% cab franc, 8% zinfandel, 8% cab sauvignon. this was a wine we tried on our tour and purchased a couple bottles. i thought it was good at the tasting but was even more impressed with the bottle we opened last night. interesting nose of blackberry, spice, earth and tobacco. the palate was full of black raspberry, a little plum, and nice earth notes. very tannic to begin with, the wine mellowed a great deal as we enjoyed this with a nice filet mignon, baked potato and asparagus dinner. excellent red meat wine that will stand up to bigger foods. very fruit forward and jammy. sells for about $16.

Millbrook Tocai Friulano 2009 Hudson River Region

here is another beautiful white food wine from our recent visit to millbrook vineyards in new york. tocai friulano is native to italy with a climate very similar to the millbrook winery. all the grapes are grown on the millbrook vineyard estate and aged in stainless steel. this is a medium bodied white wine that the comely brunette and i were very impressed with. the nose is loaded with citrus and pineapple, followed by some nice mineral tones. the palate is lemons, pears, and leechy nut (kind of floral in taste). very crisp and acidic, this white finishes clean and impressive. sells for about $18 and is great with salads (which we had with tuna over the top), or asian foods.

Millbrook Unoaked Chardonnay 2009 New York State

the baldwinegeek apologizes for the long gap between posts. travel and no computer access recently. but lots to write about, including this unoaked chardonnay from the hudson valley wine region. millbrook winery (http://millbrookwine.com/index.php) is a beautiful vineyard producing some excellent wines from grapes grown on the property as well as grapes grown in the finger lakes and long island areas. the also import some cab and merlot grapes from california. as for this unoaked chardonnay, the nose has lots of citrus, pear and a little mineral. on the palate, a beautiful fruity explosion of citrus, apple, and pear, with some crisp acidity and nice clean finish. really nice food wine that will work with asian cuisine as well as seafood or cheese and crackers. sells for about $16.