Raymond R Collection Merlot 2004

Price: $13.50 @ Solera (Roslindale, MA)
Recommended by: wine seller at Solera
Comments: This here is a big, round, juicy Merlot. You wanna go out and get yourself a bottle. Honest. For the price, it's hard to find a wine this good. R Collection is 84% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc. This blend lends itself to a complexity that belies the sub-$15 price. Flavors of plum, blueberry, and raspberry explode on the palate, followed by pepper, vanilla, and chocolate for a long finish. We had this with eel and the pairing was ideal, although it would go great with any meat for you carnivores. Rob can't wait to get another bottle and not share it with Karie! Sideways be damned, we loves us some good Merlot.
Rating: 8/10

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot 2004

Price: $8.99 @ Gary's Liquors
Recommended by: a Wine Spectator "Best Value" wine
Comments: Can we agree with Wine Spectator two nights in a row? Say it isn't so! This wine is fantastic -- it earned every one of its 90 points. We had tried the Grand Estates Merlot before and enjoyed it, but this year's vintage is much better. Flavors of cherry and chocolate dominate the palate along with a healthy dose of blueberry, all brought together by a surprisingly long, smooth finish. For the price, this wine can't be beat. We'll be getting another bottle or two for the shelf soon!
Rating: 7.75/10

Paringa Shiraz 2005

Price: $9.99 @ Derby Street Wine & Spirits, Hingham, MA
Recommended by: We love the Paringa Sparkling Shiraz, so we wanted to give this one a try.
Comments: For once we agree with Wine Spectator! This 87-rated wine was a nice surprise. For the price, it's smooth, complex, and delicious. It's not as fruit-forward as many other Australian Shirazes; instead it has an enjoyable earthiness and balance. Additionally, the wine's long finish is unexpected for a Shiraz in this price range. We look forward to enjoying this one again soon!
Rating: 7.75/10

Corks Galore

Looking to put those used corks to practical use and don't need another bulletin board? Well, make a chair! According to BoingBoing,

Crazy for Corks: an impressive pictorial catalog of projects you can undertake with your collection of Champagne corks.

Link

I'd love to see my Golden Retriever lying in this bad boy!

Yellowtail Reserve Shiraz 2005

Price: $10.99 @ Luke's Liquors
Recommended by: we can't remember
Comments: Australia is the source of many of the Shiraz wines we've enjoyed. This one stands out among the rest for the quality and price. It's flavors are dominated by bold blackberry and some cherry, chocolate, and mocha, with a healthy dose of pepper spice as well. The wine has a fairly long taste, but not so much as the Wolf Blass Gold Label (but this is also much less expensive). We should note, however, that we like it more than the Wolf Blass Yellow Label (which costs a few dollars less).
Rating: 7.5/10

Bohemian Highway Merlot 2004

Price: $5.99 @ Luke's Liquors
Recommended by: Robert and Marjorie at Wine-O-Rama
Comments: We saw this wine near the checkout lane at Luke's and remembered that Robert and Marjorie had raved about this wine. For $6, it was definitely worth a try (what's another bottle in our already full shopping basket?)! After spending way too much money at Target and Luke's tonight, we opened this bottle as soon as we got home, and toasted another Red Sox victory over the Evil Empire. We were definitely not disappointed (in the wine or the game)! It has very distinct, bold raspberry and cherry flavors and is a bit sweeter than many Merlots. It's also much smoother than we expected. If you see this in your local wine shop, pick this one up!
Rating: 7.25/10

Conclass Rueda 2005

Price: $9.99 @ Gary's Liquors
Recommended by: enticing advertising at Gary's, and we've enjoyed other Spanish whites
Comments: This wine is just another reason to love Spanish wines! It is 70% Verdejo, 20% Viura, and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, and is a lovely pairing with our brie, tomato, avocado, and sprout sandwiches. (It would also go very nicely with seafood.) The citrus (lime and grapefruit), mineral, and acidic flavors blend very well, creating a nice, summery treat. It's probably not as good as Naia or Las Brisas, but we would definitely enjoy this again.
Rating: 7.25/10

J.W. Morris Gewurztraminer 2005

Price: $3.99 @ Trader Joe's
Recommended by: duh, the price!
Comments: Four words. Bang For Your Buck! We're big Gewurz fans, and this is the least expensive one we have found. When we saw it at Trader Joe's we had to give it a shot. And, lo and behold, it's good! Not great, mark you, but what do you expect for the price? We find flavors of apricot and lime dominating the palate with a bit of spice that really came to the fore when we paired this wine with Indian food. It might be a bit too sweet for a Gewurz and tasted more like a Riesling (more spice, please!). We found this wine comparable to Covey Run and better than some of the $10+ Gewurz and Rieslings we've had. So when you're in the mood for a nice white and want to take a step up from 2-Buck-Chuck (without shelling out much more money), this is the wine to reach for.
Rating: 6.5/10

Viña Aljibes Rosado Rosé 2005

Price: $11.99 @ Wine Gallery
Recommended by: We tried this wine in the jukebox.
Comments: We haven't tasted many Rosés, so not much to compare this to. It is a dry wine, made with Syrah and some Granache, with a nice smell of vanilla with tastes of cherry and other red berries. It reminds us of the sparkling Shiraz we really like, but without the bubbly taste, of course. We're a bit indifferent as to whether we will buy this again, but it was a nice evening treat.
Rating: 6.5/10

Enate Gewurztraminer Somontano 2003

Price: $13.99 or $14.99 @ Wine and Cheese Cask (?)
Recommended by: We love Gewurz and never had one from Spain
Comments: Tonight we had . . . wait for it . . . SUSHI! Gewurztraminer is among our favorite wines to have with sushi (perhaps only Sauvignon Blanc is better), and this one did not disappoint. It's a dry wine, with a flowery taste (and maybe a hint of honey) and spicy finish. For the price, however, it would be worth buying an Alsacian Gewurz, and still the best value is Chateau Ste. Michelle. This one was definitely worth trying, though!
Rating: 6.75/10

P.S. Go Buckeyes! Beat the Gators!

We want one!

So, for the past few days we haven't been drinking any wine worth blogging about (mmmm . . . Three Buck Chuck paired with cereal -- the breakfast of champions!). However, I did stumble across this beauty on Neatorama (one of my favorite non-wine-related blogs) today. From bornrich.org:

The unit titled The “Vin au Verre” is a synonym of “wine with glass” in French. The unit features electronic temperature control (15°/19°C for red wines, 6°/10°C for white and rose wines), anti-oxidation system, LED lighting inside and can keep up to 8 opened bottles of wine ready to serve at the perfect temperature. The storage system can preserve the wine for up to three weeks and the dispenser uses inert nitrogen gas under low pressure to push the wine out of the bottle through the spigot and thereby controlling oxidation to keep your wine tasteful.

So, if we place this on our wedding registry, would someone be so kind as to buy it for us? Please? :)

Coopers Creek Riesling 2004

Price: $12.99 @ Wine shop near Charles/MGH
Recommended by: Wine shop employee
Comments: We typically drink (and love) the Sauvignon Blancs from the Marlborough region of New Zealand and, oddly enough, this Riesling bears noticable traits of that grape. This wine is crisp, steely, and grassy, exactly as we have grown to expect of the wonderful Sauvignon Blancs of this region. Indeed, I'm not sure I can identify a single aspect of this wine that suggests it is a Riesling! Perhaps one can attribute this to the unique attributes of the terroir from which this grape is taken or perhaps one would attribute this to the fact that I am blogging about it after having consumed most of the bottle by myself (Karie being away with the family). Either way, this is a wine to enjoy with sushi (as I just did) or with spicy foods that similarly highlight the wine's strengths. I personally look forward to getting Karie's more balanced opinion when we share a bottle after she returns. Cheers!
Rating: 7/10

Naia Verdejo 2005

Price: $13.99 @ Wine and Cheese Cask (Somerville, MA)
Recommended by: Sunset Magazine (we think!)
Comments: Yet another example of why we love Spanish wines! We are munching on chips and guacamole, enjoying the blizzard-like conditions, and watching some March Madness on the tube. This wine pairs well with all of it! It's a heavier wine than Las Brisas, but shares many of the characteristics we love in that wine. It has robust flavors of lemon, lime, honey, and kiwi (and maybe some apple). You notice the crisp steeliness one finds in a Sauvignon Blanc (this wine is 100% Verdejo). We will be getting this one again soon!
Rating: 7.75/10

Estremadura Cerejeiras 2005

Price: $4.49 @ the Wine and Cheese Cask (Somerville, MA)
Recommended by: the sale rack!
Comments: This Portuguese wine is pretty unimpressive. It reminded us of Three Buck Chuck and is quite acidic. (Well duh, it is under $5! What did we expect!?!) It got a bit better as we drank it, but we still would not recommend it. Perhaps it would be a bit tastier with some food (pizza?). Sadness.
Rating: 5/10

August Kesseler "R" Riesling 2004

Price: $10.99 @ Wine and Cheese Cask (Somerville, MA)
Recommended by: Our wine blogger friends at Wine-O-Rama recommended Rieslings from the Rheingau region.
Comments: In fairness to the folks at Wine-O-Rama, they recommended Rieslings from the Rheingau region that were over $13. However, this less expensive wine is surprisingly good, particularly for the money. Our first sips revealed flavors of apricot. As we drank it, however, flavors of green apple and lime dominated. It's not too sweet, but it is definitely a Riesling. This wine probably goes great with spicy food, but we're just pairing it with a bad movie on a relaxing Sunday evening!
Rating: 7/10

Chateau d'Oupia Minervois 2005

Price: $8.99
Recommended by: wine seller at the Wine and Cheese Cask (Somerville, MA)
Comments: Zut alors! This wine is tres mal! But what should we expect from a French wine under $10? It is fruit-forward with strawberry and plum tastes, and a bit of pepper spice, but there is no finish at all. (This wine is a blend of 60% Carignan, 30% Syrah and 10% Grenache.) We will definitely not be partaking of this wine again. If you want a decent red blend under $10, make a run for Espania!
Rating: 5/10

Michael Pozzan Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Price: $13.99 @ Luke's Liquors
Recommended by: We really enjoyed the Beringer Knights Valley Cab, so we wanted to try this one.
Comments: Oh, happiness! This wine was a nice surprise. It's a young wine, but it doesn't taste immature (that sounds pretentious, doesn't it?). This wine exhibits a complex flavor dominated by cherry, blueberry, and plum. It's a fruity wine, but not overly so. Instead, it is very smooth and balanced; really amazing for the price!
Rating: 7.5/10

Smoking Loon Pinot Noir 2005

Price: $8.99 @ Luke's Liquors
Recommended by: the price
Comments: Paying less than $10 for a domestic Pinot Noir is a little scary. When Rob poured the wine into the decanter, we were not reassured. It looked a bit watery. The initial taste wasn't bad, however. But that's as good as the wine got. It has light flavors of strawberry and cherry, but there is little spice to give it an extra oomph. We will not be in a hurry to try this again.
Rating: 5/10

Foris Gewurztraminer 2003

Price: $14.99 @ Luke's Liquors

Recommended by: We wanted to try an Oregon Gewurz

Comments: We had this wine with Indian cuisine, and it was a perfect match. The spiciness of the food really brought out the spice in the Gewurz. The Foris is a bit flowery with a hint of citrus, which together hide the dryness of this wine behind sweet flavors. It's not as spicy as the Chateau Ste. Michelle, but it is definitely worth trying. If you are new to Gewurz, try the Chateau Ste. Michelle, but if you want to try a new American one, we recommend this!

Rating: 6.75/10

Marqués de Cáceres Crianza Rioja 2003

Price: $9.99 @ Luke's Liquors
Recommended by: on sale at Luke's!
Comments: We've had a fair number of Spanish reds now, and this one rates in the middle. It has a nice raspberry flavor and a decent, lasting, dry finish, but it lacks some complexity. We prefer Vina Alarba and Cortijo Crianza, to name a few Spanish blends.
Rating: 6.25/10