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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Just when I thought I had some bad merlots I tried Dickson’s Mill Merlot. The label had some class to it, but again I was duped into thinking the label had something to do with the taste.

I found it hard to find any taste beyond the grape in this “Special Reserve”. Th taste was flat and too dry for my liking. I noticed it on sale at my local wine shop and no matter the price I won’t pick it up again.

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This week I was able to try out Cycles Gladiator’s Merlot (circa 2004). This Central Coast (California) wine could be one of the better wines I’ve had. As you may know, I get turned off by cool or fancy labels, to sell wines. I may be giving it a unfair rating due to the packaging.

Now onto what counts, the taste. This was one of the wines where I could taste to berry flavor in it. It also managed to hold it’s flavor over a few days. This makes it a good wine for people like me who enjoy a glass at dinner.

I would suggest trying this out with a pasta dish or to bring to a friends dinner party. The package & taste will be sure to impress your hosts and their guests. Enjoy.

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Although I had only tried one Italian red wine before this one I had almost given up on Italian wines. I have to tell you, that Icardi’s Barbera D’asti was really quite smooth.

Honestly I would not have tried it had it not been that some guests brought if over for dinner. I told them we were having Italian Sunday Gravy so my old friend decided the wine. She hit it right on the head.

The overall taste was pretty smooth with just a hint of fruit and very little “bit” that comes with some wines from Italy. I’d have to say I will seek this one out next time I plan on having my Sunday Gravy.

It would be worth a try of you plan on having pasta with red sauce or a red meat..or in my case, both.

Cheers to Mae Mae for the choice wine.

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This could quite possibly be the worst wine I’ve ever tasted. Usually there is not an alcohol taste in the glass when you’re sipping a red wine…not in this case. When I first tasted this I felt a need to glance back and see if there was anything wrong with the bottle…not in that case either.

I picked this up because there was a pretty good sale on it at a wine shop that opened up in my area. Although I have faith in the shop, I don’t have any faith anything coming from this California winery.

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To be honest I had almost given up on Australian merlots until someone I know told me they all come from one of three regions of Australia. I figured I’d give it a shot. I wasn’t dissappointed.

This south-eastern regional merlot was not too dry and held the flavor of plums and oak. The estate has been around since 1877 and has seen six generations of wine makers.

This is certainly a good alternate to Yellow Tail when bringing to a host’s house. It seems all too often that a bottle with a bright or eye-catching label gets bought before a much better wine at the same price point. And if that person I know is right, there really is a difference in Aussie wines.
McWilliams is a wine I would not be embarrassed to bring over to a friends because it doesn’t have a cool name.

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