Wines, wines, and more wines

2006 Vintage Traminette
Fox Valley Winery
Oswego, Illinois
As far as Traminettes go, this one is a fair representation of the grape. It's light, crisp, slightly sweet without being overly so (sweeter than a Vidal Blanc). But it has a twist at the end that's not sweet at all, a bouquet that changes the entire experience of the wine. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

2007 Vidal Blanc
Sakonnet Vineyards
Little Compton, Rhode Island
A good Vidal Blanc, a good semi-sweet white wine with little to no oaky overtones. Very easy drinking, like a lot of Vidal Blancs the wine's taste changed whether drunk warm or cool. We drank it chilled, which was refreshing with a slight tang at the end. 3.5 out of 5.

Beaujolais-Villages
Georges Duboeuf
France
A super-deal at Binny's, we had to pick this up on its one-day special price. Totally worth the $5 per bottle! Beaujolais are "pick up and drink it" wines, and don't last more than a year. Very fruit-forward, big taste up front, with an oaky finish at the end. A lot of taste, this is the wine for red wine drinkers. Unless you're into really dry reds, that is... 4 out of 5.

2006 Private Selection (shiraz-merlot-cabernet sauvignon)
Domaine Wardy
Red Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
We don't normally think of Lebanon when we think of wine, but this was a good surprise. As the blend would suggest, this is a bold, dry red with a pepper flavor and overall good finish. It's definitely a wine that stands up and says hello, defying description in its own way. 3.5 out of 5. (Side note: we loved the bottle's odd shape.)

Herta's Blush
Hickory Ridge Vineyard & Winery
Ponoma, Illinois
Soft, flavorful, fruity, this was a good all-around blush. Not sweet at all, not watery like some, this was a pleasant drinking wine for the summer. We paired this with chicken, which was a good match. 3 out of 5.

2006 Zinfandel
Shannon Ridge
Oakville, Lake County, California
Good oaky flavor, this was a par for the course zinfandel. Good with steak and at a fair price, this is a good choice. It made our mouths a bit wooly, but in the good way that we expect from solid red wines. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

May Wine
Glunz Family Winery & Cellars
Grayslake, Illinois
A grape wine flavored with woodruff, this herb gave what would normally be a sugary-sweet wine a bit of bite at the end. This wine also proves the rule that white wines don't age all that well; this one tasted better last year when we first bought it. Learn from our mistake and drink this one soon after purchase. That said, this wine wasn't bad in the least. It only lost some of its sweetness to the woodruff over time, which made it slightly unbalanced. 3 out of 5, would be a 4 out of 5 had we drunk it sooner. Our bad.

2009 Traminette
Lawton Ridge Winery
Kalamazoo, Michigan
This traminette bordered on the sweet side, and had everything you'd expect from this variety of wine. We had this at E's parents' house the day of purchase, and it was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone (including E's non-wine drinking parents). Should be served slightly chilled, this deserves 4 out of 5 stars.

Vidal Blanc Reserve (semi-dry table wine)
Alto Vineyards
Alto Pass, Illinois
Unlike a lot of vidal blancs, this was really dry for a semi-dry wine. It had nice flavor, good nose, and other than being drier than expected, this was a solid vidal blanc. If you're in the mood for something more complex, this is a good wine to choose. 4 out of 5 stars.

Long time no post (part two)

And here are more wines, though not all will have notes. Sorry!

Melon Delight
Village Vintner Winery
Carpentersville, IL
Delicious and sweet. Honeydew melon, watermelon, and kiwi bring out all the best taste of melon with none of the badness. Highly recommended, will be great chilled during summer months. Even melon haters should love this; we both despise melon flavoring and most melons in general, and we can't wait to try it again.

2005 Cabernet Blush (premium dessert wine)
Lynfred Winery
Roselle, IL
Very sweet, almost syrupy. This had a woody flavor to it as well that was not unpleasant but surprising and helped balance the sweetness. Overall, a decent dessert wine.

2006 Syrah
né-go-ciant
St. Helena, CA (Terroir Napa Valley)
If you've been reading this, you know we like syrahs. Overall, they're spicy, woody, and have a distinctive bite. This syrah as a fair to good example of what a syrah should be, encompassing all of those traits. Bonus points for being reasonably priced as well.

2007 Rawson's Retreat (shiraz cabernet)
Penfolds
SE Australia
Unfortunately we don't have much memory of this one, other than knowing we enjoyed it. Penfolds almost always delivers, and we know this one fell into the "thumbs-up" category.

2007 Riesling
Substance
Walla Walla, WA
A dry riesling, but still fruit-forward and somewhat smoky with a definite bite. We enjoyed it, but do not think this is a sweet riesling. Bonus points for great labels, and extra bonus points for an awesome website.

Cherry Ginseng Wine
Traverse Bay Winery
Traverse City, MI
We took this to a party, and while other guests enjoyed it a lot, it didn't ring bells for us. Almost port-ish in quality. Good to know others enjoyed it, though.

Long time no post (part one)

It's been a long time since we updated, so we don't have notes on every wine we've tried. But we do have info on where the wine comes from, if that matters...


Cayuga White (off-dry American table wine)
Fox Creek Vineyards
Olney, IL
Crisp, somewhat spicy, and somehow still sweet. One of E's favorites. Was told this pairs well with many Asian foods, which would certainly be true. Yummy.

Vin de Tabula Rasa (white wine)
Andrew Rich Vintner
Carlton, OR (Columbia Valley)
We bought this one on a whim and enjoyed it. We didn't know what to expect at first, but found it a pleasant pairing with chicken. It's worth buying a bottle if you happen across it at your liquor store.

2008 Red Top (semi-sweet table wine)
Berryville Vineyards
Claremont, IL
We found this one at the Taste Illinois wine festival last summer, and just now got around to trying it. Red Top is juicy and fruity, but with a hint of an unexpected zing. (As a side note, we enjoy that every bottle is hand-numbered by the winery.)

2002 Merlot
Cary Talbot
Santa Rosa, CA
A good dry red, it went well with steak. Kind of woody.

Pinot Grigio
Kate & Cassie
Santa Rosa, CA
No good memories of this one, unfortunately. We know it wasn't bad, though, if that counts for anything... Nice label design, too.

Vintage Zin (American dessert wine)
Fox Valley Winery
Oswego, IL

Really, really sweet red wine, complex in flavor. This is a wine you'll either love or hate. We're split on our decision for this wine.

Spumante (American sparkling wine)
J Roget Champagne Cellars
Canadaigua, NY
An inexpensive spumante which came to us free of charge. Not the sweetest we've tried, but slightly sweet with tight bubbles that lasted for a good amount of time. A good bang for your buck.

2008 Norton (American's first red wine grape)
Illinois Cellars
Carrollton, IL
Bought because Norton was the name of E's family dog, we found this wine to be pleasant and easy to drink. Fruity, juicy, and sweet without overdoing it, this was a good all-around table wine.

January - February Wines

Verdi (spumante)
Bosca Winery, Italy
Light, semi-sweet sparkling white wine. Very refreshing but doesn't have a strong taste. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Cattleman's Red (American dry red wine)
Prairie State Winery
Genoa, Illinois
Full-bodied, oaky red with a hint of spice. Would be great with red meat. Has a strong aftertaste, but only slightly wooly feel after drinking. 4 stars.

Kishwaukee Blue (white table wine)
Prairie State Winery
Genoa, Illinois
Light, slightly fruity, slightly sweet wine with a good nose and a clean finish. The taste stayed with you but like most white wines left no wooly feel.  3.5 stars.

2008 Shiraz
Banrock Station
Kingston on Murray, South Australia
A good shiraz. Very peppery, full-bodied. Coats the entire tongue. A good buy for the price (easily found for under $10). 4 stars.

Mosel Riesling
Blue River
Germany
A gift from a coworker, this was a disappointment. Not a great riesling. Slightly sour, but not due to having turned. Dry reislings are good, but this is somewhere in between dry and sweet. Not really a semi-sweet, either. Ultimately, we're perplexed. 1 star.

Apple Wine
Hickory Creek
Buchanan, Michigan
This wine was okay. Not overly apple flavored, but a nice semi-sweet wine nonetheless. The apple adds a little extra to what would be simply an adequate wine. 3 stars.

Christmas White
Lynfred Winery
Roselle, Illinois
Forgotten until after the Christmas season was over, this was still a tasty wine for winter weather. Says to be served warm, but we had it at room temperature and were still pleased. A sweet, spicy wine, not as good as Lynfred's Christmas Red, but still a winner in its own right. 3.5 stars.

Blueberry Splash
Warner Vineyards
Paw Paw, Michigan
When they say blueberries, they mean blueberries. It tastes like blueberries as wine.  A sweet, but not syrupy, almost-dessert wine.  A nice, full-bodied flavor and aroma, and really awesome legs. 4 stars.

2007 Cotes de Provence (rose wine)
Domaine de la Sauveuse
Pugel-Ville, VAR, France
Another great find at Binny's, this time for a whopping $3. This was a very unexpected rose. An almost smoky taste with a surprisingly clean finish. Not sweet at all, and took a little getting used to when not expecting this kind of complex flavor. 3.5 stars.

2005 Calaccedo (petite sirah)
Monte Verde Vineyards
Paso Robles, California
A full-bodied red with a hint of pepper. A strong, but not unpleasant aftertaste, everything that you'd expect in a petite sirah. 3 stars.

2008 Rasenna (white wine)
Tenuta Le Velette
Orvieto, Italy
Complex, semi-sweet wine. Slightly citrus overtones, sort of spicy with a good nose, smooth finish, and nice legs. E enjoyed this one a lot. 4 stars.

Frankenmuth May Wine
St. Julian Winery
Paw Paw, Michigan
Not to be confused with Frankenmuth Wine, the Frankenmuth May Wine is the sweeter of the two offerings from St. Julian. We would not go so far as to say it's a dessert wine, but it's about as close as you can get. Sweet, with hints of spice and citrus, great for summer gatherings. Should be served chilled. (Also makes a great dessert with sorbet.) 4 stars.

Sunset Table Wine ("Sunset Truck")
Waterman Winery
Waterman, Illinois
A good, medium-dry red wine. Nothing fancy, goes down easy, but stays with you in a good way. An easy-drinking wine, this one is perfectly pleasant. 3 stars.

Early 2010 wines

2005 Marklew Chardonnay

Simonsburg - Stellenbosch, S. Africa

A refreshing chardonnay that was a big surprise to us.  Normally, chardonnays are slightly acidic and very complex.  This one was elegant in its simplicity.  It was creamy, oaky (but not overly so), and full-bodied.  3.5 out of 5 stars.

White Heron (semi-sweet white wine)

St. Julian

Paw Paw, Michigan

St. Julian has a "collection" of wines in the Heron line (red, white, and blue), all of which we've come to enjoy. These are all easy-drinking, under $10 wines that haven't steered us wrong.  (They can also be found at Meijer, which is a handy plus when outside of Michigan.)  The White Heron is pleasantly sweet, slightly acidic, with a big up-front taste and smooth finish which does not leave an aftertaste.  3 out of 5 stars.

2005 Sauternes (white bordeaux wine)

Chateau Rieussec

France

We did not know what to expect with this wine, as M found it in a snowbank in a parking lot.  (Classy, we know.)  After inspecting the bottle thoroughly, he decided it had not been tampered with and considered this a wine windfall in our favor. This is an ice wine and is supposedly a mid-priced ice wine.  It was very sweet, had a hint of honey, and not overly syrupy as is the case with some ice wines.  There was a slight citrus and spice flavor at the end.  4 out of 5 stars.

Watusi Red

Karma Vista Vineyards

Coloma, Michigan

This wine's label touts it as "a really great red table wine," and we tend to agree.  It is a sweet red wine, one which E thinks tastes of Concord grapes.  Overall, it's not a complex wine, but still satisfying.  A great wine for unwinding after a stressful day.  This is best chilled, so would be a good wine to have on hand during the summer. 3 out of 5 stars.

Holiday wine & cheese party aftermath

The week before Christmas, we decided to have a wine & cheese party for some of our friends. We did this not only because we like wine, not only because it was a good excuse to get together with people, but because M got these as early Christmas presents:

Yes, that is a winemaker nutcracker, and yes, that is a magnum of Riesling. (Or, as E likes to call it, a "big-ass bottle.")

2008 Riesling
Johann Falkenburg
Mosel, Germany
A run-of-the-mill Riesling, a little on the sweet side. A very safe bet for a party with a lot of novice wine drinkers. It was very sweet and fruity up front, but no finish. 2.5 out of 5 stars.



2007 Shiraz
Marquis Philips
SE Australia
One of E's early favorites, a peppery shiraz that has a very bold presence up front. Unfortunately, a friend at the party mentioned that it has little finish, which made E reconsider this as her favorite shiraz. Still, this is a good wine with good flavor, especially for the price. 3.5 out of 5 stars.





Pomegranate Wine
Sycamore Winery
Sycamore, Illinois
We bought this wine nearly a year ago, and we've heard that the winery has since closed. Good nose, the scent of pomegranate is very apparent. Like many fruit wines, it smelled better than it tasted. The taste was of a semi-sweet red, with little to no pomegranate taste whatsoever, all hints of fruit came from the smell. 2.5 out of 5.




State Red (dry red wine)
Prairie State Winery
Genoa, Illinois
A strong, dry red table wine, it had a nice woodiness to it. Good color, and unlike some of the other wines at the party, this had a nice finish. The taste held for up to half a minute after each sip was drunk. 3 out of 5 stars.






Almond Infusion
August Hill Winery
Utica, Illinois
(Side note: We've tried this several times, taken it to a few parties, and for some reason we can't find our previous reviews. Strange.)
We love this stuff. Plain and simple, this is the best almond infusion we've tried. Despite other Illinois wineries boasting that they have the best in the state, the August Hill vintage is hands-down the best tasting of them all. It has a nice, full almond scent and flavor. It is a semi-sweet sparkling wine that goes well with anything with which it is paired. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Raspberry Infusion
August Hill Winery
Utica, Illinois
Much like the AH Almond Infusion, this was extremely well-liked by our guests. It was crisp, light, and refreshing. The taste and smell of the raspberries were readily apparent, the bubbles were small and tight like many good champagnes. 4 out of 5 stars.





2004 Periquita
Jose Maria da Fonseca Vinhos, SA
Azeitao, Portugal
Another good find in the Sam's Wine bargain bin. (Note to Binny's, if you ever read this: you may have taken over Sam's, but until you bring back the bargain bin, you're not better.) A very dry red wine, it is very oaky up front but with a smooth finish at the end. The taste of this wine will linger in your mouth long after you're done with it. Not for the casual wine drinker. Only a few of the guests at the party liked this one. 3 out of 5 stars.


Cranberry Wine
Lynfred Winery
Roselle, Illinois
Another awesome fruit wine from Lynfred. We have had this many times in the past and will keep coming back for more. This is a very good wine for the holidays. A full-bodied cranberry wine with a very tart bite at the end. You can really taste the fruit in this wine. A rare 4.25 out of 5.





Cabernet Sauvignon
The Little Penguin
Nuriootpa, SA Australia
We bought this as an all-around table wine for the party. Despite some bad experiences with mass-market wines in the past (Yellow Tail, we're looking at you), this wasn't that bad. It didn't have the punch and pizazz that you find from "non-supermarket" wines, but this was pleasant enough. After letting it breathe in a carafe for a while, we found it was a nice, dry red which had a good up-front taste, but not much follow through. We could taste only a little amount of wood, but it had a pleasant bite at the end. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Vin Glogg
Glunz Family Winery & Cellars
Grayslake, Illinois
We bought this while visiting their store in Long Grove a few months ago. E fell in love with this spiced wine, which we have only drunk warm. It is a spicy, sweet red that, when warmed, almost evaporates on your tongue. When you think of traditional Christmas wine, this is what you think of. Most people at the party loved this. 3.5 out of 5 stars.