Amaze Yourself!

Sometimes you come across a wine that you have been looking for over a year or two then out of nowhere... BAM...the love of your life shows up on your front door. Sorry Megan, I still love you. Even Megan was really impressed with this gem of a wine. Little history lesson then we can start drinking. I wish that was the case in college. Oh yeah, that was the case, we went JMU!

Chinon is on the left bank of the Loire river and along the Vienne river, at the heart of the Loire Valley. Chinon is know for thier Red Wines, mainly Cabernet Franc, which makes up 99% of the regions wine production. What makes up the other 1% you may ask. Chenin Blanc makes up the other 1%. About 1500 cases make its way to the States and most of that goes to NYC and Cali High-End Restaurants with snobby owners and insane prices. Treat yourself and find this wine!

2008 Couly Dutheil "Les Chanteaux" Chinon Blanc ($18 Kroger) This Dry Style Chenin Blanc has a beautiful Pale Yellow color with clear edges. The nose punches you in the face with flavors of melons, white flowers, herbs, minerals. It's like you made a Aroma Smoothie with Honeydew, Basil, Grass, Roses, and a sack of dimes. Buy the wine and you will understand my madness. The palate is fruity, delicate and soft, and fresh and bright in the extreme. No wood, but this wine does see extended lees contact with batonnage to further its complexity and power. The lees (pronounced like the jeans) are the dead yeast cells, grape seeds, pulp, stems, skins, and tartrates that separate from the juice during wine making and aging. The great Champagnes of the world spend lots of time in the lees to add complexity to the wine without using oak. 97pts of Refined Herbal Dimes (Great Band Name)

83 Year Old Dessert in a Glass You Can Afford!

Alvear Solera 1927 Pedro Ximenez Sherry ($21)
"The impressive 1927 Pedro Ximenez Solera, from a Solera begun 83 years ago, boasts a dark amber color as well as an extraordinary nose of creme brulee, liquefied nuts, marmalade, and maple syrup. Huge and viscous, yet neither cloyingly sweet nor heavy, it is a profound effort priced unbelievably low. It is meant to be drunk alone at the end of a meal." 96 pts Robert Parker
I read this description a few months ago and thought it would be fun to try a wine that was started in 1927, or at least some of it is 83 years old. In all actuality about 1% of it is 80+ years old. I love Robert Parker but he is out there some of the time. Who wants to drink "liquefied nuts, marmalade, and maple syrup. But he is right about how great this wine is. Do you remember how sad you were as a kid when you opened your lunch box praying there was a twinkie but all your mom packed you was that stupid box of SunMaid Raisins. That is EXACTLY what this wine SMELLS and TASTES like with a hint of nuttiness and yes a syrup component on the finish. Probably because this is a dessert wine. Serve with a cheese plate after dinner or with a really good vanilla ice cream. I Love it!!!! Liquefied Awesome 95pts

Some Wines Make you Say WOW!!!

Have you every gone out to eat and it seems like everything tastes bland and nothing is exciting anymore? Then you have a bite of the chef's mothers homemade 24 layer chocolate cake (this does exist at the Strip House Steakhouse in NY and Key West) and you actually start to cry... This is how I felt the other night when I had this fabulous Single Vineyard Chilean Cabernet Sauv from Santa Rita for under $20. I found out about this wine in the Wine Spectator Top 100 wines of 2009. I usually don't drink wines that I find in WS because I don't agree with their scoring system. It seem like the more adds you have in their magazine the higher the score of your wines. Trust YOUR Tongue!!! This is the best wine I have had in 6 months.

2006 Santa Rita "Medalla Real" Cabernet Sauvignon ($19 Kroger)

Pours a dark ruby red with purple highlights. Sounds like a punk rocker! I think I will call this my Punk Rocker Wine because when you smell this wine it hits you right in the face with Black Cherries, Plums, and Dark Chocolate. Then when it hits your tongue you get a nice bit of tannins then a rush of Black Fruits mixed with subtle spice and a huge cocoa finish. The finish on this wine lasts about 15-25 seconds which is HUGE for a sub-$20 bottle. Rockin 94pts

Portugal makes Red Wine?

I thought Portugal only made Ports. Those sweet delicious after dinner drinks that I love so much! Who doesn't like something sweet after dinner, come on. A combination of five grape varieties go into port wine: Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cão, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, and Touriga Francesa. Rarely are any other grapes used. These are also the same grapes you will see in most of the table wines. I have tried about 6 different Portugal red wines but have only found a few of them to tickle my fancy. If you like not so heavy red wines you will love this next wine. Usually for me the bigger the Red Wine the better, but it is nice to see a wine that has a lot of character without having to be huge.

Domini Douro Red 2005 ($14)

Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz grapes were used in the making of this wine. Ruby red color that fades around the outside of the glass. This is not a bad thing but just lets you know it's going to be a lighter style wine. Fresh berries on the nose, Blackberry and Raspberry with a hint of smokey vanilla but not to much. A very nice but subtle blackberry and cherry notes on the palate with medium tannins but nothing over the top. Great with grilled meats or just by itself, just the way I like my wines. VERSATILE!!! Solid 89pts

Sauv Blanc with Jalapenos and Lemons

Have you ever picked up a bottle of wine and read the back of the bottle and the winemaker tells you all about how the wine tastes like a warm Sunday afternoon spent in a field of lilacs with your lover while eating rhubarb-cherry pie fresh from the oven. BOOGERS and HOGWASH!!! I hate those descriptions. This is why I should write the descriptions for wines that I try. Have fun with this wine because I know I did.

Bellingham Sauvignon Blanc 2008, South Africa ($12)
Close your eyes. "Imagine what a Jalapeno swimming in a pool of lemon and lime juices smells like." BAM you got the nose for this wine! That is exactly what this wine smells like with just a hint of a grassy herbaceousness but not as much as a New Zealand Sauv Blanc. "Now take the lemon/lime Jalapeno concoction and make a mojito out of it but substitute the mint for grass. Serve over ice and enjoy!" BAM this is what the wine taste like! The reason I am so excited is this is the first time I have tasted Jalapeno in a wine. If you don't like spicy don't worry, what you taste in the wine is the flavor of the Jalapeno without the heat. Perfect mix of Bright Citrus, Herbaceousness, Jalapeno, Balanced Acidity and just a hint of Stony Minerality on the finish. Try with Spicy Thai food to combat the heat. Also try if you are tired of New Zealand Sauv lanc. Solid 89pts

Chicken Stir-fry, South African Sauv Blanc & The Wii

I know some crazy combinations for the food and wines. The foodies and wine critics wold probably slap me on the wrist if they knew what we were doing. You have to jump out and try something new every once in awhile. Drink what you love We just got the new Wii Resort game so i made some chicken stir-fry with coconut rice and popped a bottle of South African Sauv Blanc. Yummy! And the stir-fry wasn't bad either.


2008 Boschendal Sauvignon Blanc ($13)
Megan got stone fruit on the nose. Stone fruit is a fruit that has a pit like peaches, plums, & apricots. I got fresh pineapple and grass. I got pineapple on the palate along with green apple, lime, and a mouth feel of honey and minerals with just a hint of grass. I say honey because you do pick up some sweetness in the wine but most of that comes from the warm climate and fresh fruit flavors of the wine. It's like eating honey then 30 seconds later you can still taste the honey. Megan got pineapple and floral notes on the palate with a citrus finish. Great alternative to New Zealand Sauv Blanc for $5 less. Delicious! 89pts

Cuban Food & Austrian Wine Perfect Match

Megan had her friend, Kirsten, in town Saturday night for the Ravens v Colts game (sorry babe). This was the Kirsten's first time to Richmond so we wanted to take her to one of our favorite restaurants, Kuba Kuba . We all split Empanadas (one beef & one spinach), Pork Shank, Grilled Salmon with Coconut Risotto Fritters. This wine I have had before in Chicago and loved it there so wanted to give it a shot with the Cuba fare.

2007 Loimer Gruner Veltliner "Lois"

I love the package for this wine. It screams SPRING! I'm ready for some warm weather. Gruner Veltliner (GROO-ner VELT-lie-ner) is an Austrian grape that is very similar to Sauv Blanc & Pinot Gris. Lois had a very zesty lemon, lime & spiciness on the nose. The lime really came through on the palate along with green apple and finished with great acidity and mineral notes. I love minerally white wines. I know that's not a word. I'm tired of oak in my whites. It coves up the fruit. Grapes are a fruit so therefore you should taste fruit in the wine first then the oak! Love this wine and can't wait til the summer to drink more in the hammock. 90pts

New Direction for VAWINO Blog

Wow it takes me a long time to post things. Don't worry I am still drinking plenty of wine. But I am going to change things up a little bit. Instead of boring everone with info that you probably don't want I'm going to just give you a brief rundown of the wines that I'm drinking. I'll throw in a few words of history and why I'm drinking certain wines. Then I'll finish with a score from 1-100pts just like the experts. Then you as the consumer can run out to try these wines and then post your feedback on the site. 90% of the wines you will be able to get at my Kroger or special order from any other Kroger. Let's get into the first wine.



2008 Campante Spanish White "Vina Reboreda" $11

I'm a wine geek. I'm sure you all know that. But I love trying new wines from different places. The past few weeks I have been trying wines made from grapes I have never heard of like this wines made from 40% Treixadura(Never heard of), 20% Godello (one of the oldest Spanish grapes), 20% Torrontes (staple in Argentina), 20% Palomino (never heard of).



First impression of this wine SUCKED. No nose. Watery. Lemon and Lime Water. Finished way to quick. But as the wine began to warm up in the glass I started to smell white flowers and peaches. The palate was still very light but I found out why, only 11% Alcohol. But notes of peaches and minerals came through. Americans as a rule have served their WHITES TOO COLD and their REDS TOO WARM. Put your reds in the fridge for 5 mins before serving and pull the whites out of the fridge for 5mins before serving. Serving temp for Reds: 60F Whites: 45F. Great wine for a cocktail party. Pinot Gris drinks will love this wine. 86pts



Tell me what you guys think??