Thursday, April 18, 2013

Re-introducing Wonder Wines...with a delightful red ditty

Yep, it's been two and a half years since last I posted to this wonderful Wonder Wine blog. Between then and now, I've been hard at work tasting wines (always here to take a hit for the team and slurp back the good, the bad and the downright yucky) and now it's time to rev back up the sharesies.

Let me introduce you to Walla Walla, Washington's very own Rulo Winery Syrca 2011. A blend of 54% Cab Sauvignon and 46% Syra, this bottle lets you "relive a memory, realize a dream." (Their words, not mine...direct from the label.) The memory I relived after taking one sip of this dandy wine was of a mighty fine meal I shared with my cute husband in Verona in 2003 PK (pre-kids).

Trader Joe's carries it for ~$13 a bottle. It's a versatile wine. Delish on its own as you're prepping dinner and equally good when paired with dinner. A good bet if you're taking a bottle over to a friend's place. So long as they like red wine, you can't miss.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Leaves, pumpkins and Sauvignon Blanc

2009 Drylands Sauvignon Blanc
I generally think of Sauvignon Blanc as a summer wine. Now that I've tried this wine, I'm seriously rethinking that notion. This wine has some serious floral notes going on, but it's got a strong caramel element that grounds it. We had it with mushroom chicken stroganoff and it was impeccable.

Seattle-ites: It's on sale right now at UVillage QFC for $7.99/bottle.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Not all Beaujolais are Nouveaux

2009 Paul Etienne Beaujolais-Villages

Beaujolais has a bad rap. We think of it only as the usually mediocre wines that we slug back at American Thanksgiving, ususally after we've drunk the good Pinot Noirs. This wine is a reminder that not all Beaujolais are created equal and we should be happy that's the case! Round, full, warm and delicious--that's what this wine is. At $10 a bottle, it's worth buying not just one but two cases.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Definitely Domaine de Pajot

2009 Domaine de Pajot Les Quatre Cepages
It's taken almost 3 months to find a wine worthy of the Wonder Wine stamp o' approval and I'm happy to report that France has come through for us. Their futbol team might have been a disappointment (or embarassment, depending on your opinion) but this wine is fantastique. Crisp, bright and yet a little nutty. Goes well with just about any summer-esque fare. Best when served very cold.

Monday, May 10, 2010

A White Wine Fit for a Meadow

2008 Ross Andrew Meadow Oregon White Wine
For Mother's Day, we went wine tasting in Woodinville. We were on the prowl for the perfect white wine to go with the grilled prawn Caesar salad we planned to have for dinner. We found our winner at Ross Andrew's tasting room. At $16 a bottle, Meadow is more than most Wonder Wines. And worth every penny! A zippy blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer, it's just about the most perfect sunny weather sipping wine you could hope to find. Since it's just the beginning of summer sipping here in the NW, you might as well just get a case. You won't be sorry.

Note: For those interested, other contenders for the "Mother's Day Perfect Pairing Prize" were Mark Ryan's Viognier (always delish and, as many of you know, the marketer in me loves this brand so much I blogged about it!), J Bookwalter's 2009 Couplet (they won big points for letting mums do their tasting for free on Sunday), and Novelty Hill/Januik's Rose.