September 2009

  • Oak Hollow 2003 California Zinfandel

    By lisala on 9/30/09 6:41pm
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    This is another bargain grocery purchase, at $4.99. It's from another mystery winery. Oak Hollow is in Madera, California. They appear to be owned by a distributor of European and California wines called Supreme Wines. According to their Web site, "Oak Hollow Winery nestled in the beautiful Madera region offers ten popular varieties of California wine, each with its own distinct character, at an outstanding value." I thought it would be interesting to try a California Zinfandel, since, (and this is a confession that wine experts will, apparently, find appalling) I like Sutter Home White Zinfandel. White Zinfandel was essentially a branding term concocted by Sutter Home to describe this lovely rose-colored red wine made from California Zinfandel grapes.

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  • Sagebrush Sauvignon Blanc 2008

    By lisala on 9/27/09 4:34pm
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    We picked this up sagebrushsagebrushon a whim at the local bargain grocery store. It's a very new vintage, from a winery I've never heard of; the bottle says "Sagebrush Vineyards, Pasco Washington." I can't find out anything at all about this wine, or the winery. There was a hand-written sign on the shelf under the bottles that said it was from Gordon Brothers Winery. I have no idea on what basis, but I note that the Gordon Brothers do make a rather well respected Sauvignon Blanc. The Sagebrush was a surprisingly sweet—almost dessert-wine sweet wine, but it was light, with a distinct aroma of roasted peaches, and just very slightly citrusy. It was quite enjoyable, to my surprise; it was the "youngest" bottle of professionally made wine I've ever had. Frankly, I half-way expected it to be pretty bad.

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  • Gordon Brothers 2006 Columbia valley Rose

    By lisala on 9/23/09 9:13pm
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    This is another bargain grocery store wine. It's also a bit of a mystery; except for the winemaker's own Website, this is, apparently, a nonexistent wine. The 2005 Rose is easy to find, as are a number of positive reviews; the 2006? Not so much. That's a little surprising; the Gordon Brothers and their winery are extremely well-respected.; I had their Kamiak wines in Los Angeles, where they were presented at a catered dinner for a "cause" and selected by the host as premium domestic wines. I remember him telling me conspiratorially (I was staff, not an attendee) that he totally scored on the purchase, and had even bought two cases for himself.

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  • Australian Marlargo Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2006

    By lisala on 9/21/09 4:59pm
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    I posted about the Marlargo's 2005 Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc. This bottle of 2006 appeared on the shelf of the same Bargain Grocery Store last week, and I snagged it; just in time, in fact.

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  • Australian Boonaroo Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz

    By lisala on 9/20/09 10:19pm
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    The first Boonaroo I tried was their Cabernet Sauvignon; mostly, because it was available locally in walking distance, and the price, at under $5.00 for the bottle, wasn't painful. It's a deep rich crimson-purple. It's fruity, but not without a little tannic bite. We found it's it's much better after about 45 minutes. It wasn't exactly what I'd expect from a Cabernet Sauvignon; it was a bit more plum-berry, for one thing, and so we tried another bottle a few days later. It reminded us both, quite a bit, of the Red Diamond Washington Shiraz we like.

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  • Grand Cru Vineyards, Sonoma California: Cheap or Bargain?

    By lisala on 9/15/09 11:53am
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    There is a difference between a cheap wine and a bargain wine; the word bargain implies receiving more than the price of the wine would suggest. The two wines I'm about to write about are in the "cheap" category. I've been mulling over the difference for quite some time, and these two wines, a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2006 Syrah (also known as Shiraz) from Grand Cru Vineyards both qualify. I purchased them, on a whim, at the local RiteAid on a two for $7.00 special.

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  • AU Barossa Valley Shiraz 2004

    By lisala on 9/11/09 12:33pm
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    This is another wine from Aussie Vineyards, under the AU "gold label." The Cabernet Sauvignon was so very good we went back for more, and picked up a couple bottles of the AU Barossa Valley Shiraz 2004 to try. And we'd go back for more, but they were sold out; this happens when you sell a $9.99 wine for $2.99, and then advertise the wine.

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