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This Pepperwood Pinot Noir was my first venture in the Pinot world.  I was a little reluctant to pick one up, mostly due to the fact that it was the wine of choice for Miles in Sideways.  With that said, I actually enjoyed this wine a lot.

I am constantly talking about labels and how deceptive they are but this was the best label/wine match I’ve seen to date.  The class of the design of the bottle matched the taste of the wine, to a tee.  This Napa Valley wine had some complex flavors, but not enough to overwhelm.  There was just the right amount of a dry taste to satisfy, but again, not enough to overwhelm.

The only reason I gave this wine the rating I have is due to the fact that this is the first Pinot I’ve tasted with a critical sense.  I would recommend it and have it again myself.

written by tom

Count another for the label and name…After many months with melots I’ve decided to head to another aisle of my local wine shop.  I fell into the temptation of getting this Barefoot because of the price (less than $7) and yes, the label.

Here’s the low-down: I’m not too impressed when I wine is too dry.  I also like some flavor in my glass.  The Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon was a little too dry for me.  Although the label claims the wine inside has “…robust flavors of wild berries and currants.”  there was little evidence of it.

I wouldn’t check this out no matter the price.  If you’re looking for something around this price check out the new Yellow Bird.

written by tom

When I walked into my local wine shop this week I noticed that there was a new Yellow Bird on sale. The label and region was different from the terrible Yellow Bird Merlot I tried a few months ago. The Merlot was from California and this Cabernet was from Australia.

When I was getting rung up the manager told me that Yellow Bird changed their juice distributor. That would explain the regional difference. They also changed their logo design (I’m guessing) to reflect the change of juice and taste.

I had my hesitations toward trying this considering that the other Yellow Bird was terrible. The Cabernet had quite a bit of flavor and was good enough to try again. It’s not my favorite yet, but worth a shot.

written by tom

When we had some friends over the other night for Sunday Gravy they brought over two bottles of red wine. After my half of a bottle and their one full bottle was gone we decided to open up the Saint-Amour Cabert Sauvignon.

I have never tried French wine, mostly because I haven’t seen too many in my local shops. This wine had a nice hearty taste to it, which complimented the Italian fare we were enjoying. This wine was not dry (which I like), very smooth, and left a nice finish after trying a few sips.

This wine made me leap to my next variety, Cabernet Sauvignon.

written by tom

I was recommended this wine by a manager at my local wine shop when I asked if they had any McWilliam’s Merlot.

This wine is also from South Eastern Australia and compare very well to the McWilliams. The region has mountains that are covered with volcanic ash, which helps the grapes grow with more flavor.

This wine was so good that I plan on picking up the their Cabernet Sauvignon when I soon venture into that variety.

written by tom