Henry Brochard Sauvignon Blanc 2010

warmer weather is upon us in the northeast, and that means patio pounders! i lean on the white wines more in the warmer months for their refreshing capabilities. this one from france is good for that reason and priced right at about $15. the nose is citrus, apple, mineral, and a little more citrus. the palate has lots of tropical fruit flavors (guava, grapefruit peel, lemon), some nice mineral notes, and a little gooseberry. snappy and tart on the tongue with a crisp finish, this one is great by itself, but also works with any lighter summer foods.

Stoutridge Vineyard Merlot 2008

after a little hiatus i am back with another wine from this new york producer. the merlot from stoutridge is made with grapes from long island. it is 90% merlot and 10% cab franc. it sells for about $26 and is like all their other wine, made in the old world style, unfiltered and unfined. the nose has some nice blackberry, earth and an interesting mint note. the palate is very interesting, with funky earth, lush blackberry and plum, and some nice soft tannins. awesome sipping wine! works with red meats or chicken as well. this wine is unfortunately can only be purchased at the winery. if you make it to new york and visit the shawangunk wine trail, it is well worth your time and money.

Keesha Rosé 2008

i am always searching for decent rosés' and i think i found one in this little $10 gem from california. it is a blend of mostly zinfandel, (which may be why it appealed to me), along with pinot noir, syrah, and petite sirah. the nose has some nice tropical notes as well as some floral aromas. the palate is a little bolder than many of the rosés' i have tried. lots of cranberry and a little bit of floral (rose petal). this is definitely dry and it has a nice finish. could be a nice food companion, but give it a try alone first. it was excellent as an after dinner glass!

Bortoluzzi Pinot Grigio 2008

the wife and i dined at an italian restaurant recently and shared this bottle with our meal. we both ordered chicken dishes and the wine was perfect with both. selling for about $15, this italian white has a nose of mangos, some slight citrus, and nice mineral aromas. the palate was full of tropical fruit and had some very nice, crisp minerality. very nice acidity and decent finish. this is a definite food wine and will be one to visit if you like a good patio pounder for the upcoming warmer weather.

Stoutridge Vineyard Seyval Blanc 2008

when ever we have visitors or friends who like to taste wine, we always make a stop at stoutridge vineyard in marlboro, ny. stoutridge is located on the shawangunk wine trail. they produce some really nice wines from grapes that are native to new york. all are made in old world style and are unfiltered and will age quite a while. (we have a couple bottles of their whites that are now 10 years old and are excellent). their seyval blanc is lower in alcohol (12.5%) and has a nose of citrus, a little apple, honeysuckle and some earth notes. the palate is a very interesting combination of the same characteristics that you find on the nose. there is a zing on the tongue that almost makes you feel like you are drinking champagne. lots of citrus and honeysuckle notes. i got some nice earth notes too. good wine for seafood (i think lobster or shrimp would be best). sells for about $15.

Home Grown Family Harvest Red 2008

a traditional california field blend of syrah, barbera, and petite sirah at about 1/3 of each. the wine is a field blend, which means all three varietals are harvested at the same time. they try to time the harvest to get the maximum out of each varietal since they don't all ripen at the same time. they are all blended together right away. this wine sees no oak, which can be a good thing. the nose has blueberry and black cherry, with a little herbal aroma (grassy) thrown in. the palate is a fruit forward, juicy mix of black cherry, black raspberry, licorice, and a little chocolate. a little tannic at first, decant this one for a bit. after a good decanting this red is silky on the tongue and the flavors of the fruit are more pronounced. enjoy this one all alone, or if you must, have it with meatloaf, other red meat dishes, or italian foods. sells for about $12-15.

St. Innocent Pinot Noir Villages Cuvée 2009

nothing like a good willamette valley pinot noir to go with a salmon dinner. the comely brunette and i enjoyed this on recently after having it recommended by my local wine store (thanks pete!). i stray from the budget wines every once and a while and this one is a bit more than i usually spend. it retails for about $35, but it can be found quite a bit cheaper than that on-line. the nose has lots of cherry, strawberry, floral notes and some spice. the palate is a delicate blend of cherry and red raspberry, with some nice floral notes and a beautiful spicy, peppery finish. the wine definitely needed to be decanted first for about an hour. well worth a try if you can find it. it is popular and sells out quickly.

Warwick Valley Winery Cabernet Franc 2009

this is my second posting for this new york winery on the shawangunk wine trail. a definite winning effort from the folks at warwick valley. this red sells for about $16 and has aromas of black cherry, some smoke, black currant and a little oak. the palate is fruit forward with black currant, more black cherry, some nice cigar notes, and some slightly earthy flavors. the wine is very light on the palate and has a medium length finish. good pizza wine or try it with some italian fare.

Two Oceans Merlot 2009

once again i am visiting a wine from south africa. and once again, i am impressed with the flavor and the price. south africa is one wine region that is really starting to turn out some nice wines. this merlot sells for about $9 and is definitely worth a try. the nose has nice fruit aromas of strawberry and some earthy notes. the palate has blackberry, black cherry, some nice chocolate and some smokey earth notes. i also got a little green pepper note in the finish. this is a good wine with red sauce pasta dishes and hard cheeses. or try it after dinner with some dark chocolate.

Foxglove Chardonnay 2009

unoaked chardonnays like this one are so appealing for one reason. you can taste the fruit, not the oak. the nose has lots of citrus, honeysuckle and apple. this also sees no malolactic fermentation, which takes out the buttery mouth feel. what is left is a beautiful expression of crisp fruit. lots of lemon, pear, honey and a nice zesty finish. this chardonnay sells for about $16 and is worth every penny. makes a good patio pounder or try it with some salmon, a salad, cheese or shrimp.

Chateau Petit Courret 2009 Bordeaux

i have to admit it is difficult for me to not open a bordeaux when i only pay about $10 for the bottle. no sense laying it down for several years when i can go pick up another bottle if i like it well enough. this one falls into that zone. the nose was a not too over the top with nice red and black cherry notes, some cocoa and earth notes. the palate was a nice black cherry, slightly dusty earth and some spice notes. potential on this one is very much there if you have the patience to wait several years for this one to improve. because of the soft tannins, this is good with most red meat dishes.