It’s that time of year again. My birthday is coming up this week, and I figure I am one of the easiest people to shop for. Head for a store that sells wine… Done! One of the most common phrases I hear is that ‘I wanted to buy you a bottle of wine, but I didn’t know what to get you’. Let me solve that problem right now. Here are a list of some of my favorite wines.
I love California wines, and I love Zinfandel. This is my favorite and I’ve tried all of them… even the $50 ones. This one comes in at $25 and still makes the top of the list. The Predator Old Vine Zinfandel is the ultimate BBQ wine, and named after the ladybugs that provide eco-friendly protection from aphids and other vineyard pests. The vines are over 50 years old and provide a rich dark fruit, smoky bacon flavors, spice and hints of oak aging. I have not found a better wine to enjoy with BBQ ribs.
I also love a California Blend… and here are 3 of my favorites. Double Decker is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Barbera so it’s a robust, yet smooth wine. The Red Rock Winery combines Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s plump, juicy and has gorgeous plum flavors with toffee notes. And the Menage a Trois California Red have 3 of my favorites, Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. All of these wines are around the $20 mark.
I also love Pinot Noir, and I mean I love Pinot Noir. This is the latest find. The Mac Murray Pinot Noir from Sonoma County in California is one of the more full-bodied Pinot wines I have tried. With classic raspberry, cherry and sandalwood flavors and smooth oak aging, it’s a great wine. At $30, a little pricier than some, but worth it. If that’s out of the price range, head to New Zealand, where they are putting out some spectacular Pinot Noir wines.
This is the wine I had last night, and it’s on sale right now. Kim Crawford Pinot Noir is $3 off coming in at about $20. Great value for a great wine. With earthy black cherry notes, this wine is incredibly food friendly, and take it from me, tastes fabulous while you’re cooking too. And the wine on the right is from the Saint Clair Family Estate winery, and they are putting out some fantastic Pinot Noir wines. I have a bottle in my rack now signed by winemaker Kyle Thompson. I don’t want to open it to drink it, so another one would be greatly appreciated.. LOL!
I also love Merlot and this delicious wine from Bogle made the list last year, and is still one of my favorites, so I’m putting it on the list again this year. This lovely Merlot is a staple in my wine rack and I just love it. The wine on the right is the Anciano Tempranillo which has been aged 7 years and at $14.99 makes this one of the best finds in the liquor store. Smooth and food friendly, you can’t go wrong with this one.
And last but not least, I do love a dessert wine, and here are my two favorites. The Borealis from Benjamin Bridge is made right here in Nova Scotia. Named after the Northern Lights, winemaker Jean-Benoit Deslauriers waited for the perfect moment to create a most perfect wine. And the other wine pictured is the Royal Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos and is one of the most highly rated Tokaji wines. Tokaji originates out of Hungary, and is rich and decadent and its sweetness is balanced by crisp acidity. Gorgeous flavors of apricot, citrus notes, grapefruit and tropical fruit, it has an incredibly long finish and each sip is a moment to savor.
I share a birthday you know with this little cutie, Prince George. He’s probably not getting a lot of wine for his birthday so feel free to send his my way.
Next week we are going to be reviewing the 90+ Program. Wines that have been rated 90 or more and comes in under $30.
Till then, Cheers
Darlene
Wine-It’s Just My Opinion 