Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence Rosé 2010

i was fortunate to try a rosé that was to my liking at my local wine store. this one sells for the nice price of $11 and is sourced from 5 different grape varieties; grenache, cinsault, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and mourvedre. it has a beautiful salmon pink color and has a nose of citrus and spice. the palate is loaded with raspberry, strawberry and a little melon and finishes with mineral and pepper notes. good complexity that appeals to a red wine lover like myself. definitely works as a warm weather quencher but try it with asian food or that friday night pizza.

Delle Venezie Giovello Pinot Grigio 2010

this white is another possible patio pounder. selling for about $10, it is very light bodied. the nose has some peach and floral notes, along with a little citrus. the palate is very light, with lemon and mineral flavors and maybe a little floral there too. i was not overly impressed with this one because it was so light on the palate that it left me wanting more. if you are looking for a white wine that is very subtle, give this one a try and let me know what you think.

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.

Man O'War Sauvignon Blanc 2009

new zealand has gotten a reputation for their very nice sauvignon blancs, and this one, selling for about $11, is fairly typical of this new zealand varietal. the nose has lots of tropical notes, some nice herbal and grassy aromas. and a little touch of spice. the palate is very crisp, with lots of guava, grapefruit and some mineral notes. this is followed by a spicy finish. this will work well with a variety of lighter foods, with seafoods or aisian fare. i would look for this to be a nice summer patio pounder as well.

Chateau Haut Maginet Bordeaux 2009

this is a white bordeaux and was purchased at my local wine storre for about $12. the blend is 60% sauvignon blanc, 20% muscadelle, 20% semillon. this is an excellent food wine. the nose was citrus, floral, and some earthy aromas. the palate had lots of the sauvignon blanc characteristics of citrus flavors. lemon peel, some melon and a little bit of that french earth. mineral notes and a nice clean finish make this a perfect food wine. try it with any seafoods, sushi or lighter meals.

Salneval Albariño Rias Baixas 2009

it has been a while since i have tried an albarino. to this point i have been most impressed with this little know grape from spain. and this continues with salneval. selling for about $13, this white has a nice citrus and herbal nose, with a little floral aromas too. the palate is crisp and clean, with flavors of citrus (mainly lime) and pear. there is some nice mineral notes and a hint of some mint in the finish. this one will work with seafood and chicken, veggie pizza, or with a nice salad. i tried it with cheese and crackers for a late evening snack. well worth a try, and it will be a very nice patio pounder when warm weather returns.

Beyond Sauvignon Blanc 2009

this is the last white from the south african wines i have been writing about. cooler weather is starting to arrive which means more reds. beyond is from the costal region known for their white wines. this one sells for the nice price of about $11. if you are a sauv blanc drinker, this is worth a try. the nose is citrus and a little melon. nice mineral notes on the nose too. the palate has lots of lime up front, followed by some interesting green pepper notes. it finishes with crisp mineral notes and some nice herbal flavors. good with many different foods, but i enjoyed by itself after dinner.

Ercavio Blanco 2009

a brief break from the south african tour for this warm weather white from spain. not much warm weather left if you are in the northern tier states, but this one is a nice light wine. the nose is pears, a little floral, and some green apple. the palate is crisp and light , with granny smith apples and pears along with some nice mineral notes. slight tropical note as well. i would refer to this one as sauv blanc light. good with salads, light fish and seafood, or as a patio wine all by itself. sells for about $10.

Indaba Chenin Blanc 2009

over the course of the next several weeks i am going to be tasting some wines from an area of the world that deserves a closer look. the under-rated area of south africa. they've been making wine there for 350 years and are producing some very nice, and in many cases, very affordable wines. the indaba brand is almost 15 years old and are from winemaker bruwer raats. this chenin blanc will compete with your favorite pinot grigio for time on your patio while the warm weather still prevails. sells for about $10, but i found it in a new york wine shop for $8, it has a nose of pears, tropical fruit, a little melon and citrus, and i got a little floral note too. the palate is very crisp with apple, pear, and honey flavors up front. there were nice mineral and tropical (pineapple) notes in the mid palate, followed by some violet in the finish. nice, clean finish. refreshing white to enjoy alone or with salad or seafood.

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)

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.

Brancott Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2007

i am off to new zealand with this sauvignon blanc. a great summer time wine, sauv blanc can be great with lots of summer fare and this one is no exception. selling for about $18, this sauv blanc has a nose of citrus and passion fruit. the palate was citrus, most notably grapefruit, and some green pepper. nice mineral notes at the finish. as i said, this one will work with summer fare, like grilled shrimp or nice salads. well worth the price. i revisited this today and got some really big tropical fruit on the palate, guava and passion fruit. very complex, very nice sauv blanc.

Viking Vineyards Chardonnay

i had the pleasure of visiting viking vineyards winery in kent, ohio recently, tasting some very nice ohio wines. the chardonnay was one of the standout wines for me. this is aged in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation with, so the wine is true to the flavor of the grape. nice and crisp a fruity, without the oak and butter you get from a california style chard. the nose was peaches and a little mango. the palate was more of the same, with some nice mineral notes as well. beautifully crisp and fruity. nice price too, selling for about $15. if you ever get the chance to visit, the winery is open year round and is in a gorgeous setting. great weekend get-away! thanks to our host dana and jeff nelson at viking and to the comely brunette, nati-lite and the crabby grape and the feisty tomato for the company. sorry for the lack of a label picture. subbed in a picture of the deck at the winery.
here is a link to the viking web site: http://www.vikingvineyards.com/index.php

Tall Horse Sauvignon Blanc 2007

we are getting into that warm weather white wine season and i saw this new offering on my local grocery chain shelf for the really nice price of $8. tall horse is from south africa and i don't remember having a south african sauvignon blanc before. time to try one. the nose was minerals and a little herbs and grass. interesting yellow color on this one by the way. the palate was light and crisp, with nice mineral and light tropical fruit notes. nothing like the grapefruity new zealand sauv blancs. i really liked this one a lot. great patio pounder for this summer. serve it with grilled shrimp or just salads and lighter cheese. well worth a try.

A to Z 2008 Pinot Blanc

a little white wine during the colder months can cleanse the palate and prepare you for more good red wine. gave this offering from A to Z a try recently. i have enjoyed some of their other varietals so i was hoping this one would be on par with the fine work they have previously produced. the nose was full of citrus, melon, and minerals. good start! the palate was an initial explosion of pineapple, followed by peaches and floral flavors, finishing in crisp mineral notes. a nice, well balanced white wine that sells for about $12-14 and will pair with tomato based pasta dishes or seafood.

Alamos 2007 Viognier

i don't buy very much white wine during colder weather months, keeping a bottle or two in the fridge for that occasional glass of wine. i have always been a fan of alamos, especially their malbec, so i decided to try their viognier. the nose is pears and a little citrus, with some nice floral aromas as well. on the palate, a crisp peach and mineral combination, with a little floral note at the finish. very light, easy drinking wine that will work well with seafood and spicy asian food. sells for about $12.

Zaca Mesa 2006 Viognier

i would like to apologize for the lack of posts lately. the baldwinegeek has been traveling a bit lately and i have not been very good bout writing. i have however tried some nice wines and will be a bit more diligent in getting things on-line for you to read and taste and hopefully give me feedback. the most recent white i tasted was from a vineyard i have blogged on before…zaca mesa, which is in santa barbara california and they are known for their wonderful red blends. i tried this white while in new york with the comely brunette. the nose was peaches and a nice floral note of white flowers. very fruit forward aroma. i was planning white fish for dinner and hoped this would work with it. the palate was a drier viognier than i expected, which was a pleasant surprise. the flavors were green apple, some melon, and a nice mineral finish. very crisp, very food friendly with the fish. very soft mouth feel based on the wine spending just a little time in french oak after the initial stainless aging. priced at about $18, a worthy white. and their 08 scored a 90 in wine enthusiast!

Riondo Pinot Grigio Spago D'Oro 2007

in new york with the comely brunette and of course drinking a little wine. great places to buy wine here. lots of wine stores around that sell quite a few italian varietals. we tried this nice pinot grigio that sold for about $10. nose of apples, pears and some really nice floral notes. the taste was pears and jasmine with some crisp mineral notes in a medium length finish. very clean, bright pinot grigio, and well worth the price. good food wine. we enjoyed this with chicken, red potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Yalumba 2008 Y Series Unwooded Chardonnay

we go off to australia again for this unwooded chardonnay. with warmer weather starting to show up, the patio pounder whites will get a lot more focus. this one falls into the good priced ($12-13) and well worth it category. the nose has some tropical notes with aromas of pineapple and melon, but there was also a really nice floral note as well. the taste was very clean, with mango and mineral notes coming through. grapefruit flavors came through in the finish. a good wine for grilled chicken or pork, this will be one to remember for this summer.

Black Opal 2007 Chardonnay

if you are a regular visitor to this blog you will notice the reds tend to get a bit more attention. i will try to sneak in a few whites like this one from time to time during the colder weather. i tend to enjoy white wines like this one when the warmer weather is with us. black opal chardonnay is from australia. we were enjoying a dinner of tilapia so a nice crisp white was in order. the nose was citrus, peach, and i also got a nice herbal note as well. the flavors were lemon zest, a little melon, and some nice crisp mineral notes. is had a very pleasant, clean finish and really paired well with the fish and asparagus. and it sells for about $8 which makes it a big hit at my home.