SeaGlass Sauvignon Blanc

SeaGlass Sauvignon Blanc

2011

Costco

$7.99

This bottle is an example of buying a wine based solely on its label.  My mother has a thing for collecting sea glass on beaches so you can guess how tickled pink she was finding this wine.  We decided we'd all give it a try.

We opened this bottle soon after finishing off the Kirkland Signature Pinot Grigio.  We all know that after a few glasses of wine, everything you eat or drink tastes better.  We suspect that our opinion of this wine may have been a tad skewed due to already having some alcohol in our systems.  I can certainly say that we enjoyed this a lot more than the Pinot Grigio.

This Sauvignon Blanc is a light straw color, with a lot of lemon and lime on the nose.  The taste was very light, crisp, and refreshing, with a balanced acidity and wasn't too dry.  Flavors of lemon and grapefruit were very prominent and my father mentioned a hint of lemongrass.  It lacked the mineral profile of the Pinot Grigio and I found it a lot more palatable.

It tastes good and goes down easy but it lacks complexity.  For a Sauvignon Blanc, it's not bad and the price makes it a great value.  I would certainly pick it up again, even if only to see if it's still as good as I remember it.  It's an oaked chardonnay lover's worst nightmare.

SCORE: 7/10

Kirkland Signature 2011 Pinot Grigio

My parents take full credit for introducing me to wine.  While other young adults my age were out drinking PBR and Budweiser at college parties, I was sitting on the screened in porch with them, sipping on white zinfandel.  

So the other day, I told my mom and dad about my recent interest in starting a wine blog, and they were more than happy to help contribute with some selections from their wine cellar... er, um basement...

Kirkland Signature Pinot Grigio

Costco

$7.99 (or so I'm told)

Now I was fairly unfamiliar with what an Italian Pinot Grigio is supposed to taste like.  This wine gave me a pretty good lesson in the basics.

The wine is very pale, almost to the point of being completely clear.  There was a lot of citrus on the nose with hints of green apple.  The taste was very light and crisp with flavors of pineapple, peaches, and distinct mineral undertones.  While I couldn't begin to explain what 'minerals' taste like, it's unmistakable in this Pinot Grigio.  The acidity is noticeable but it's well balanced.  The finish was soft and lingering.  We drank this with a meal of grilled garlic basil pork chops and the flavor of the meat kind of overwhelmed the wine.  

This wine is not very complex but it's not bad.  It's just... very average.  I wouldn't whip this out if you want to impress your friends.  It's a wine that everyone can enjoy but not everyone will remember.  I probably would choose something else over this if given a choice.

SCORE: 5/10

Yellow Tail Chardonnay

Yellow Tail Chardonnay

Harris Teeter

2 for $10 (on special)

I'd always put off buying Yellow Tail because it was one of those 'mainstream mass produced' wines; something I foolishly avoid due to my affection for American wines and those from small local wineries...

(like "You've probably never heard of it" Vineyards)

But then I got over myself.

A recent bad experience with a questionable bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay had me running for the hills and searching for something different and upon finding a 2 for $10 special at my neighborhood Harris Teeter, I jumped on it.  I picked up a bottle of Chardonnay and Cab Sauv to try.

The wine is a light golden straw color with a clean fruity nose of peaches, pineapples, and oranges.

The first sip was a bit sharp and acidic and seemed to overwhelm my taste buds, but I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it smoothed out.  Most affordable chardonnays that I've tried are fermented in stainless steel so I might expect a crisp flavor with only slight hints of vanilla at the very end and not much else.  This chardonnay has a long finish that's creamy with a hint of smoky oak that lingers on the tongue.  Now I don't know if they ferment their chardonnay in oak, but it certainly tastes like they do.

It's a little sweet for a chardonnay and that makes for easy drinking.  While not one of the best I've ever tasted, it's definitely not the worst.  In conclusion, Yellow Tail Chardonnay is a pleasant and refreshing wine; great to accompany a weekday meal or just to sip on the porch.

SCORE: 6/10

Allow me to introduce myself...

First things first...

Call me Pen.  I'm a hip (HA!) twenty-something living a stone's throw away from the nation's capital.  

(Tasting at Barboursville Vineyards, Barboursville, VA)

  

My taste in wines is varied, but sometimes I'm just afraid to grab a bottle of the shelf.  I sometimes put a lot of my trust in snooth and cellar tracker reviews, but sometimes there’s just no information out there.  

My main problem is, once I find a wine I like, I have a tendency to stick to it and not wander from the beaten path.  How boring.

Another problem:  I’m poor.  Sure, I used to be able to drop $40 on a bottle of wine like it was nothing, but those weren't made to be chugged with Steakums on a Tuesday night.  I see a pretty label with a tantalizing description, but my fear of wasting money on a wine I'm not sure I'll even like holds me back.  This blog is to get me over that fear.


Upon moving to this area, with a plethora of great restaurants within walking distance, I promised myself that I wouldn't try the same thing off the menu twice.  Every time I went somewhere, I couldn't order something I'd had there before.  So why not apply that same rule for wine?

I had my first experience with wine tasting at the Montpelier Wine Festival, here in Virginia.  Every year, 24 wineries are chosen by lottery to bring out their best for people to try on the beautiful grounds of James Madison’s home turf.  Before this, my wine experience was Beringer and whatever was on special at BJ’s that my parents picked up.

After going through my first official tasting at Democracy Vineyard's tent - The heavens opened and a flight of angels descended with a flourish of trumpets and I suddenly realized that I didn’t know shit anything about wine.  I still don't.  I don't know how to pick out the finer notes of peaches, minerals, tobacco, wet dogs, etc., in a wine, but I think I'm getting better at it.

So the point of this blog is to document my journey through the world that is wine.  I've tried hundreds, but did not do a thorough job documenting it.  In fact, all I have are winery pamphlets covered in unrecognizable scribbles with arrows pointing up or down.

If you would like me to try a wine, let me know.  I’m up for anything and I crave suggestions.  Even if it's something you've never tried personally, but have been curious.  I'll try it for you.  Go on, dare me.

THERE IS ONLY ONE RULE:

All wine must be under $15 a bottle

I live in the Northern Virginia area and I have access to Harris Teeter, Total Wine, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Costco, Target, Walmart, not to mention some smaller wine 'boutiques' within walking distance such as The Curious Grape and Cheesetique.  I have a myriad of wine vendor choices, so don't hesitate to throw an idea my way.  

So, why "Wine of the Evening"?  

One of my favorite things to do is to open a bottle of wine after a hard day of work and just enjoy it.  I would post a micro review on Twitter with a picture to show my followers what particular wine I was partaking in.  I always start those tweets with "Wine of the Evening" so the name stuck.  This blog was created with the intent of fleshing out those Twitter micro-reviews.

Bottoms up! :)