Evergreen Valley Vineyards 2003 Baco Noir

i love to visit wineries whenever i am traveling the country. i was in pennsylvania recently, discovering that they had about 100 wineries. the comely brunette and i visited several of these on the groundhog wine trail in the central part of the state. one stop was at evergreen valley vineyards. seems the buying public in pennsylvania like sweeter wines and all of the wineries we visited play to their audience. even the dry wines tend to be a little sweeter. the hybrid wine, baco noir, is no exception. the nose had cherries, raspberries, a little spice and some caramel notes. the palate was very fruit forward, with sweet raspberry and cherry, a little strawberry and a chocolate finish. very little in the way of tannins and the finish is not very long. if you are just beginning to try red wines, some of the offerings from pennsylvania might be the place to start. good pizza or friday night burger wine. sells for about $12.

Stonyridge Church Bay Merlot Cabernet Franc Waiheke Island 2006

entry #400 is a special red that the comely brunette and i received from our daughter. she purchased it at the stonyridge winery in new zealand and unfortunately the wine is no longer available. i have had this laying in my cellar for a couple of years and this was the perfect occasion to open it up. the blend is merlot and cab franc. the nose was loaded with black fruit, specifically cassis, black currant and a little plum. also picked up some nice anise and leather aromas. the palate was a nice, complex mixture of plum, blackberry, leather and earth. nice tannins and a somewhat jammy mouth feel with a beautiful, long finish. i am sorry to know that i won't be able to purchase more of this. excellent with grilled meats. this wine sold for about $45.

Gerard Bertrand Viognier 2007

the next post is #400 for me! #399 is another white wine. viognier is an interesting wine. some folks aren't too crazy about the floral qualities, but i find them alluring and the wines to be quite tasty. this one is no exception. the nose has lots of floral orange blossom and hyacinth, along with some nice tropical fruit. the palate is not as floral, with pears and almonds dominating the flavors. i did get a little honeysuckle but it isn't overwhelming. the wine has a little oily mouth feel, which gives it a little more depth and helps it linger on the tongue a while longer. sells for about $14. try this with some steamed seafood or pasta with a white sauce.

Kinkead Ridge Viognier/Roussanne 2009

another white wine worthy of your attention, this time from the state of ohio. the red wine loving world is going to think i have abandoned them. but fear not, red wines will return to the blog page soon. this white blend from ohio river valley producer kinkead ridge is 79% viognier and 21% roussanne. kinkead ridge produces some excellent wines in both red and white varietals. this one sells for about $15 and can be difficult to find as this was a poor year for the ohio wineries due to heavy rains during the october harvest. the nose is loaded with orange blossom notes, along with nice tropical fruit aromas too. the palate is more of the orange blossom, along with guava and i got a little honeysuckle in the finish as the wine opened up. nice finish that was crisp and acidic. fish, chicken or shellfish are great pairings with this wine.

Val de Vid Condesa Eylo Verdejo 2007

how about another white wine? i had this one at a tasting a while back and filed it away as a good patio pounder. selling for about $14, this is 100% verdejo, a spanish grown grape from the rueda region. this is an aromatic wine with nice nutty (almond) and red apple notes along with some grassy notes. the palate is citrus flavored, including lemon and grapefruit, and some grassy flavors. there are some nice mineral notes showing up in the finish. very acidic with a long finish. this is a great summer food wine. goes with just about anything. awesome summer wine. similar to a sauvignon blanc without the really heavy grapefruit. (apologies for the old label)

Tiamo Pinot Grigio 2008

i am still enjoying nice summer white wines and pinot grigio usually finds its way into the fridge when the temperature outside gets warm. this particular pinot grigio is from italy and sells for about $12. the nose has lots of apple, pear and some floral aromas. the palate is nice and crisp with peach being the dominant flavor. there are some subtle apple flavors and nice acidic and mineral notes. clean and crisp in the finish. worked well with summer fare of cheese and crackers, fruit and other nice summer snack foods. this is a good summer patio pounder.

Yellow Tail Riesling 2009

more summer time white wine for a nice price of about $8. this aussie riesling went very well with the italian dish that was served at a recent picnic. the nose had lots of citrus aromas, mostly lemon and a little lime. nice floral aromas of orange blossom also. the palate had more of the citrus and some slightly spicy notes. there was some of the orange blossom on the finish. nice, easy drinking, food friendly wine, that is perfect for all your summer time foods.

Monte Volpe Primo Bianco 2009

with the warm weather and temps nearing triple digits, crisp white wines are the order of the day. this one is a keeper. a blend of pinot grigio, tocai friulani, sauvignon blanc, pinot blanc, chenin blanc, and arneis, this white has aromas of bananas, melon, mineral, and tropical fruit. very nice start. the palate is bursting with pineapple, pear, a little grapefruit, and minerals. a little tart and a nice little kiss of sweetness in the finish. nice silky mouth feel and lingering finish. good food wine. try this with cheese, barbecued chicken on the grill, or summer salads. sells for the bargain price of $10.

Styring Vineyards "Wit" Ridgecrest Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006

i have had the pleasure of tasting quite a few vintages from styring, and this might be the last of the 'wit' line. it comes from one of the oldest ribbon ridge vineyards, ridgecrest vineyard. the same area in oregon that styring is located. the nose is loaded with blackberry, black cherry, raspberry and spice notes. a little earth on the nose also. the palate has black cherry, spice and vanilla flavors in a long finish. excellent for sipping alone, but try this with the obvious choice of salmon or maybe some grilled tuna. sells for $55 and worth every penny. and this will lay down for some time.

Sharecropper's Cabernet 2008

one more from the owen roe selection tasting i was at recently. all grapes are from the columbia valley in washington. the nose is full of ripe blueberries, dark cherry and black currant. got some nice smokey notes on the nose too. the palate has blackberry and licorice notes up front and the finish had some interesting cigar flavors. there was a little cedar in there as well. this is a nicely structured cab. not too big like some of the california cabs can be. this one sells for about $20. i am thinking grilled steak or burgers with this one.

Wise Guy Sauvignon Blanc 2009

another owen roe selection, this sauv blanc is from the outlook vineyard in the yakima valley in oregon. the nose is fresh hay and mineral notes along with some citrus notes. on the palate a nice burst of citrus, with lemon and some lime zest. very nice mineral crispness to this as well, with wet stone notes coming through. sells for about $13 and will work really well with some scallops or other seafood dishes. or makes for a nice patio pounder on a hot summer day.

Saint Gregory Pinot Noir 2006

i have tried this pinot noir in the past and got to revisit it at a recent tasting at my local wine store. this wine is from the umbrella of selections from graziano wines, and comes from 4 vineyards in 3 distinct appellations in mendocino county. a burgundian style wine, this pinot has a nose of black cherry, some spice, and some nice earthy notes. the palate is very velvety and has flavors of black cherry, black raspberry, and earth. medium tannins and a long finish. for the nice price of $18-19 (my purchase was on sale for $15), this is worth a try. and get out the grill and pick up some salmon to pair with this one.