I don’t drink many Rieslings, mostly because I’m not a huge fan of sweetness in my wines. Rieslings are however considered to be amongst the greatest age-worthy white wines, and they aren’t always very sweet, if at all. I very much enjoyed a Riesling recently while visiting Long Island Wine Country at Paumanok Vineyards so when I spotted the Dr. Wagner Riesling Kabinett at my local Costco I decided to give it a try.
Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc | Costco Wine Reviews
Chances are that you’ve either seen or know of the Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. It’s usually prominently displayed in every supermarket wine section across across America. So today at The Fermented Fruit my mission of unearthing the wine bargains we’re all searching for continues. I love these missions; and I love Sauvignon Blanc too.
La Marca Prosecco Review | Understated & Elegant
Perhaps taking a cue from the success of Veuve Clicquot’s inescapable bright orange label, the La Marca Prosecco boasts an elegant and eye catching blue label which certainly stands out amongst a sea of wine labels. But we mustn’t get too distracted by pretty labels and well executed marketing! What’s behind the label and inside the bottle is far more important.
I was intrigued to learn that the La Marca is the only Prosecco producer from Veneto, Italy to have earned the honorable distinction of “Top 100 Wines of the Year” for it’s Prosecco by Wine Spectator. This leads me to believe that the La Marca Prosecco could very well have some serious potential. Now let’s investigate the La Marca Prosecco…
J Pinot Gris Review | J Vineyards & Winery
This summer in Washington D.C. has been surprisingly mild and beautiful – which for me translates to being unusually conducive to patio wine sipping. Such opportunities call for a wine that is crisp and refreshing, but my favorite sippers are those with a bit of depth and complexity to keep things interesting.
Lunetta Prosecco | Top Sparkling Wines | Costco Wine Review
There could never be enough good Champagne alternatives in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong…I’d be happy to drink in its sunshine all the time, but for those of us born without a trust fund we must look to places outside of the Champagne like California, Spain, other wine growing regions of France or in the case of the Lunetta Prosecco: Italy.
Hess Select Cabernet Review | Your House Cabernet Has Arrived!
On a recent trip to Costco in Arlington I was originally on the hunt for one of my new favorite Spanish bargains, the Tarima Hill Old Vine Monastrell, when I spotted the Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2011.
I had tasted prior vintages by the glass at several restaurants who pour this as their house Cabernet Sauvignon, but I had never actually committed to a full bottle. It’s not often you order house wine that actually tastes somewhat varietally correct and like…real wine. I decided at under $12 it was about time to pull the trigger and give it a shot.
Tarima Hill Monastrell Review | Costco Wine Review
Bodegas Volver produces the Tarima Hill Monastrell 2011 with fruit from it’s vineyard holdings of approximately 834 acres spread across the Spanish wine regions of Alicante, Jumilla and La Mancha. Of those impressive holdings (which the winery has plans to expand further), 457 acres are located in the Alicante. Despite having a history of wine production for over 2,000 years, Alicante is still better known for it’s beaches than it’s wines.
It’s reputation of producing cheap, bulk wine is quickly transforming as a new generation of vanguard winemakers produce bold reds with superb extraction and balance at price points few other, if any, wine regions can match.
Big Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Big Vine Wines is cooperative of industry professionals based in the Oxbow District of Napa Valley. With two state of the art production facilities (One in Napa and one in Dry Creek) they leverage their extensive relationships within the wine industry to bring appellation-specific wines of incredible quality and value.
Though the business model of Big Vine includes purchasing already crafted wine lots, the Big Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 was handcrafted from scratch by none other than Scott McCloed of Rubicon. One of my absolute favorite wines is still Napa Cabernet and I welcome any iteration that has the character and style that I’ve come to expect without the high price tag all wine lovers have come to expect!
Domaine Lafage Novellum Chardonnay
With summer right around the corner it’s time to break out the white wine! There’s something about this time of year that has wanting Rosé, Spanish Cava, Italian Prosecco, Sauvignon Blanc, Vinho Verde, Albarino and of course, Chardonnay!
Whether it be an aperitif, paired with an alfresco meal or simply to sip on the patio with friends, summer calls for something crisp and refreshing. Does the Novellum Chardonnay 2013, a custom cuvee brought to us by the talented Jean-Marc Lafage of Domaine Lafage winery and veritable power-importer Eric Solomon, get the job done at a decent price? Let’s find out…
Meerlust Rubicon 2007 | Meerlust Estate Winery
Since 1756 and under the stewardship of eight generations of the Myburgh family the Meerlust Estate has been producing world-class wine in Stellenbosch, South Africa – namely the Meerlust Rubicon. It’s predominantly clay soils engender vines that are cooled by evening ocean air in the summertime, allowing for optimal growing conditions and slowly ripening fruit.
The idea to craft ‘Rubicon” on the estate, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, was inspired by Nico Myburgh’s time in Bordeaux. He identified that the terroir of the Eerste River Valley in South Africa was similar to that of Bordeaux’s Gironde River, being composed of clay and granite soils cooled by sea breezes.
