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Price: $11.99 at Trader Joe's
Recommended by: We're fans of Gewurztraminers
Comments: We've been drinking more Chardonnay lately. Why, since other white varietals are so good? Particularly Gewurztraminer, and this one reminded us why we're such big fans. Michel Leon is fairly dry, but with some really nice fruit. It has some floral notes and a bit of spice. It was a perfect complement to the Indian food we had for dinner, and we look forward to having this wine again. Chardonnay, as we noted some years ago, kinda sucks (OK, OK ... with the exception of a few).
Rating: 7.5/10
Price: $11.99 @ Blanchard's (J.P.)
Recommended by: store advertisement
Comments: We're generally fans of domestic red blends, and this wine's blend of Syrah (75%) and Cabernet (25%) was too enticing to pass up . . . especially after drinking two orders of sake with dinner. :) It was a good call. This wine started out very fruity (mostly cherry and plum) and peppery with a strong alcohol flavor (it IS 14.5% alcohol after all). It closed with a smooth cinnamon and licorice finish. Nice. It's worth noting that this wine got better as we drank it. Next time we might decant it for a bit before partaking. However, having finished the bottle, we have no regrets and feel no pain. Cheers.
Rating: 7.25/10
Price: $12.99
Recommended by: gift from Mike
Comments: We were delighted when our friend Mike brought this wine over, but we chose poorly when we ordered Chinese food to accompany it. The Chinese food was great, the wine was great, but the pairing didn't quite work. This wine, with 60% Shiraz and 40% Malbec, will go better with other foods, particularly grilled meats. It has a nice, earthy, cherry flavor with hints of cocoa and tobacco, and it exhibits a long smooth, happy finish. For the price, this is a great wine, and we look forward to trying it again soon!
Rating: 7.5/10
Price: $10.99 @ Gary's Liquors, W. Roxbury, MA
Recommended by: 90 points by Wine Spectator
Comments: We have been drinking mostly whites this summer, but decided to switch to red tonight. We normally enjoy Spanish red blends, and this one is no exception. It was very good! It is a blend of 50% Monastrell (Mourvèdre), 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Tempranillo, and 10% Merlot. It is a dry wine but has a nice, bold fruity flavor; the variety of grapes integrate with the tannins quite nicely. We would really enjoy this with pizza!
Rating: 7/10
Price: $10.99
Recommended by: manager's selection at Macy's Liquors (W. Roxbury, MA)
Comments: We usually drink Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand (and some from Napa) and love them, but this wine will force us to think about other regions. Petit Bourgeois is a bright, tangy wine that has no shortage of flavor, yet finishes very smooth. Flavors of pineapple loom large along with a pleasant, forward grassiness. It was a great complement to our yummy veggie sandwiches on a hot summer day. Not our favorite, but we would buy this again.
Rating: 7.5/10
Price: $13.99 @ liquor store in Porter Square
Recommended by: just a domestic Gewurz we have not tried
Comments: We were not impressed by this. It doesn't even really taste like a Gewurz. There is no real exotic spice flavor that you would expect; instead it's a bouquet of flowers. A strong bouquet. There are also subtle flavors of pineapple, lime, and honey, but it's mostly a bouquet. Not terrible, but not our favorite, and we won't likely be picking this one up again soon.
Rating: 5.5/10
Price: ~$15.00
Recommended by: This was a gift, but we've had this on our wish list for a while. We think it was recommended by Sunset Magazine.
Comments: Yum. It was yum from the first sniff. Very flowery on the nose and the palate. We also smelled Fruit Loops (honest!) and tasted plum, cherry, and oak. The flavor lasted a long time, and the finish was very smooth. Lots of flavors going on in this wine. It's rather different from the California (in-yer-face-with-fruit) Cabs, but this was excellent. We're becoming huge fans of Washington State wines.
Ratings: 7.75/10
Price: $12.99 @ Blanchard's (W. Roxbury, MA)
Recommended by: wine tasting
Comments: At a wine tasting event that included many good wines, this inexpensive Spanish red stood out as a super value. It has bold flavors of bright red berries as well as blueberries (particularly in the finish). The wine consists of a "tempranillo clone" called "Tinta de Toro," and it would be a good wine at nearly twice the price. The smooth, long finish on this happy wine guarantees that we'll be getting another bottle soon! Viva la Espana!
Rating: 7.5/10
Price: $11.99 @ Blanchard's (Jamaica Plain, MA)
Recommended by: sucked in by store advertising
Comments: We totally shouldn't have opened a second bottle of wine tonight. And yet, we're so glad we did! We so rarely drink old world wine, and yet this one is really good, and a fantastic deal for the money. We found strong flavors of plum along with chocolate and black cherry, and perhaps a hint of black licorice at the end. The wine consists of 70% Merlot and the rest is Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The finish is quite long and smooth. We've never been happier to succumb to good advertising!
Rating: 7.75/10
Price: $12.99 @ Luke's Liquors (Rockland, MA)
Recommended by: we love Hess wines
Comments: Given that we're huge fans of Hess's reds, we wanted to try their Sauvignon Blanc. What a perfect evening to try it ... with sushi! It has a wonderful pineapple, peach flavor with a bit of a grassy finish. It had a bold citrus flavor but in a different way than our beloved Marlboroughs (New Zealand). And it might not be as smooth as the NZ wines, but we enjoyed it (and it got better the more we drank it). I don't think you can go wrong with Sauvignon Blancs with sushi -- it's really a perfect match. And it does have 14.5% alcohol, so it will add to your happiness, especially on a Friday evening ... with sushi.
Rating: 7/10
Price: $15.00 @ Luke's Liquors (Rockland, MA)
Recommended by: we love CSM wines!
Comments: After visiting their winery last fall and enjoying just about every Chateau Ste Michelle wine we've tried, we were excited to find one that we have not tried. This red blend has 9, yes 9, varietals -- Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Souzão, and Touriga -- and was tasty to the last drop. It got better as we drank it (not with food but just as a "hard-day-at-work-and-now-chilling-out" wine). It has flavors of cherry, chocolate, and spicy pepper with hints of raspberry and vanilla and a smooth, long finish. It still is not as tasty as our favorite domestic red blend (Artesa Elements), but we'd definitely get this one again.
Rating: 7.5/10
Price: $11.99 @ Gary's Liquors (West Roxbury, MA)
Recommended by: the description at the storeComments: This is a great Sauvignon Blanc! Today we ventured down to the Haymarket in Boston and grabbed some amazing fish (tilapia) and fresh asparagus, which turned out to be a great pairing with this wine. This Russian River Valley wine had some of the potent grassiness that we've come to enjoy in Marlborough SB along with flavors of lime and a touch of basil, but it finished with a creamy woodiness that differed from the flinty culmination typical of New Zealand varieties. We really enjoyed this one and look forward to having it again very soon.Rating: 8/10
Price: $10.99 @ Blanchard's
Recommended by: Rob's palate
Comments: Rob came back from a wine tasting with sushi and wine -- woohoo! He picked up this Napa sauvignon blanc that he had tried at the tasting. It was quite a nice surprise! It has nice grassy and lemon flavors with a smooth, slightly tangy finish. It's not exactly a winter wine, but we love sauvignon blancs with sushi! We would definitely pick this one up again.
Rating: 7.25/10
Price: $11-12 @ Spagio Cellars, Columbus, OH (we think)
Recommended by: in-store tasting
Comments: Considering the cost, this is a very nice wine. We've learned from our friends at Wine-O-Rama to keep our eyes open for German Rieslings, particularly those from the Rheingau region. This one isn't from that specific region (it's from Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, the other major Riesling-producing region), but it is very tasty. We particularly liked how dry it was and how nicely it accompanied the salmon we had for dinner. Flavors of peach dominate the palate along with flowers and mineral notes. We would definitely have this one again, particularly with any fish dish.
Rating: 7.75/10
Price: 12.98 @ Gary's Liquors
Recommended by: a "best value" wine at Gary's
Comments: Karie was in the mood for a Pinot tonight, so we picked up this relatively inexpensive Monterey County one. We knew nothing about except the sign at Gary's said that it was a "best value" wine. It has a nice cherry flavor, but it doesn't have a ton of depth. It's not one that stands out but will do in a pinch.
Rating: 6/10
Price: $10.99 @ Blanchards (JP)
Recommended by: Sunset Magazine's Steal of the Year ($15 and under)
Comments: I don't know if we agree that this is a "steal of the year," but this wine was very enjoyable. Listed as a Cabernet, Louis M. Martini Sonoma County is actually 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah, 8% Merlot and some other stuff for the rest. Flavors of cherry, plum, currant, and spicy pepper conclude with a smooth, if short finish. We have had better red wines in this price range (Columbia Crest Merlot, Michael Pozzan Cabernet, Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz), but it was pretty yummy with pizza tonight. Our review might be a bit more upbeat if the Red Sox hadn't sucked tonight.
Rating: 7/10
Price: $10.99 @ Trader Joe's
Recommended by: #64 of Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2006
Comments: Blah, blah, blah, 91 points by Wine Spectator. Blah, blah, blah, best value, blah, blah HOLY SHIT! This is a frickin' good wine!!! Damn! Big, round, smooth and delicious, the 2003 Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz is one of the best buys we've had. Be careful. The year on this one matters. We tried the 2004 and it was good, but not spectacular. But then, recently, we found a bottle of 2003 hiding amongst the rest at Trader Joe's and brought it home, and wow! Big flavors of cherry and vanilla with pepper linger with a much longer finish than you'd expect for a wine this inexpensive. We're going back tomorrow to see if there are any more hidden bottles of this stuff because it is so damn good!
Rating: 8.5/10
Price: $15.00
Recommended by: curiosity and our appreciation for Gewurztraminers
Comments: Who woulda thunk it? We wouldn't. I mean we did, but that's not the point. A good Gewurztraminer from a New Hampshire winery? Unlikely. And yet, we enjoyed this bottle very much, particularly with the seafood stew we had for dinner. While visiting three wineries in New Hampshire (Jewell Towne, Flag Hill, and Zorvino) we decided to pick up this bottle since it was made with one of our favorite grapes. Happily, this wine demonstrates juicy flavors of lemon, lime, and green apple along with a bit of spice. The finish isn't as smooth as it might be, but we were impressed by this wine and would certainly get it again. Viva New Hampshire -- Live Free or ... Drink Wine! (By the way, if you are in the New England area and want to try some good wine, check out Jewell Towne in South Hampton, NH. The folks there are very friendly, and they had the best wines by far of the three wineries. However, Flag Hill in Lee, NH, has a yummy Maple Syrup Liqueur, and their vodka made from apples is worth a try. Also, check out the Boston Globe's article on New England wineries.)
Rating: 6.5/10
Price: $10.99 @ Luke's Liquors
Recommended by: We've loved everything we've tasted from this winery.
Comments: We just got back from a wonderful week-long vacation in Colorado, and after a long, tiring day of traveling we enjoyed some sushi and this great find from our friends at Chateau Ste. Michelle. We are fans of dry Rieslings (especially Kabinetts), and this one is wonderful. We tasted lime and peach -- a crisp and refreshing summer wine. We found it very similar to CSM's Gewurztraminer, which is probably our favorite domestic Gewurz. The two wines differ in that the Gewurz has a bit more spice to it, and the dry riesling has a bit more citrus taste. However, they both rock!
Rating: 7.75/10
Price: $11.99 @ Luke's Liquors (Rockland, MA)
Recommended by: considered a "Best Value" wine by Luke's
Comments: This is our first Sonoma sauvignon blanc, but it's a good 'un. It has a very nice citrusy (grapefruit and lemon) and grassy flavor. It isn't as in-yer-face as Villa Maria, but it can compete with the Marlborough sauvignon blancs (our usual favorites) and has a smoother finish than many of them. We'd certainly get this one again, particularly on a night like tonight when we're having summer sammiches made with brie, avocado, tomato, and sprouts.
Rating: 7.5/10
Price: $11.99 at Trader Joe's
