Year: 2018

Red

Eikendal Vineyards Rouge

Eikendal Vineyards Rouge paired with Thai-Style Turkey Stir-Fry
March 1, 2018

Is it silly to say that I was simply excited about this wine because the word ‘rouge’ was in the name? Haha! I didn’t think so either! It reminded me of how my grandmother referred to blush and how much she hated it when she saw other women wearing what she thought was too much of it. I giggled to myself. This was my second wine from Eikendal Vineyards. The first was a rosé that I tried in July of 2017 and had rated a 4.5. This red was not part of the “Lekker” line as the rosé was, which…

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White

Point Ormond Sauvignon Blanc

Point Ormond Sauvignon Blanc paired with Citrus Pulled Pork
February 22, 2018

This week, I was simply happy to be moving westward from New Zealand to Australia. I figured things had to start looking up if we moved a whole country over right? This wine was labeled in a playful way, which reminded me of the tree house we had when I was growing up. It almost made me want to get up and frolic about. The fun label matched the tagline of the company, which was, “Exciting, affordable wines of Australia.” * Point Ormond winery focuses on high acid, low alcohol wines, with an affordable price. In order to accomplish this,…

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Red

Wild River Pinot Noir

Wild River Pinot Noir paired with Piri Piri Chicken
February 14, 2018

Another day, another wine from New Zealand. Needless to say, I didn’t have high hopes. New Zealand was quickly becoming my least favorite region. Seeing that it was a pinot noir only made things worse and made me long for my favorite pinot noirs from Oregon. It’s not that I didn’t believe that New Zealand didn’t make any great wines, but I did believe that Wine Awesomeness was failing to send me any. This wine, while produced by Mount Brown Vineyards is not placed under the Mount Brown label. It exists as an offshoot of the main vineyard label. The…

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White

Iconic Wines SK Chardonnay

Iconic Wines SK Chardonnay paired with Roast Goose and Brussel Sprouts
February 7, 2018

It’s safe to say, I was pumped for this week. It was time to try another wine form Iconic Wines! Last time I received a wine from this producer, it was a Rosé. I loved the tradition of labeling the bottles with female superhero figures. It was fun and the label art was very cool and well done. According to Iconic Wines’ website, this bottle was actually referred to as “SK Chardonnay.” The SK stands for sidekick. They have also produced an “SK Cabernet Sauvignon” and claim that these wines “represent the finest wine we create at everyday drinking value.”…

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Red

Chateau Allegret Bordeaux Rouge

Chateau Allegret Bordeaux Rouge paired with Veggie Pizza
February 1, 2018

Even after last week’s only okay white from Chateau Allegret, I was still interested to see what a red would be like from the same winery and region. Since 90% of wines that come from Bordeaux are red*, I was keeping my hopes up. The label was still just as lovely as what had come on the white, but I was trying not to be too enchanted by it this time around. This wine consisted of a classic Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. These two vines originated in Bordeaux.* What better place to try these varietals from then?…

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White

Chateau Allegret Entre-deux-Mers

Chateau Allegret Entre deux Mers paired with Chocolate Mousse
January 24, 2018

I was very excited for this week! The beautiful green of the glass bottle with the intricate label was calling out to me. This would mark my first white wine from the infamous Bordeaux region. For some reason, Bordeaux is just what I think of as the quintessential wine region. It always makes me feel extra fancy saying that I’m drinking a wine from Bordeaux. It might be silly, but it is the reputation that the region has garnered. Entre-deux-Mers is the sub-region of Bordeaux, France where this wine came from. The name translates to “between two seas” in reference…

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White

Rock Point Pinot Gris

Rock Point Pinot Gris paired with Chicken Parmesan
January 17, 2018

I have to admit. I was a little more excited to taste the food I made for this week than the wine. Come on though! Who doesn’t like chicken parmesan. I was hoping this would turn out to be a great pairing that would enhance the dish altogether and make for a wonderful meal. The grapes for this wine were grown in the Pacific Northwest, which holds a special place in my heart and is my favorite wine region. I have not had a bad experience with any wine from this region yet. We could blame it on my love…

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Red

Noble Hill Wines #Simply Syrah

Noble Hill Wines #Simply Syrah paired with Pork Rinds and Guacamole
January 4, 2018

I knew this week was going to be a fun week. The label of the wine I would be trying had simply a # and a wine glass emoji on it. Too funny! It was an adorable and very on topic way to label a wine. It also lets the drinker have a little more fun with trying it out because there will be less pressure after a good round of giggles. It would also be a fun wine to share with others because of what a great conversation starter it would make. While this wine does come from Noble…

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Red

Fondo Antico Versi Rosso

Fondo Antico Versi Rosso paired with Spicy Chili and Eggs
January 4, 2018

  The closer it got to Halloween, the more intriguing this deep red wine appeared. It was that time of year when being festive means darkness, deep colors, and spooky themes. This wine had it all! Even the label seemed in on the theme with the faded outline of a vine with no growth on it, the branches ever reaching out. Fondo Antico is a winery in Sicily that was established in 1995. They grow mostly grapes indigenous to Sicily, such as Nero d’Avola, which was the main blending grape in this bottle. The climate is dry and the soil…

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