A Summer White Fit For A King

As much as I am currently smitten with South American vino - I have to spice things up occasionally and drink something other than my absolute favorite Malbec. That, and I think my family is starting to wonder if they are even producing wines in other countries anymore!


I was surveying the racks that held the white wine when this bottle caught my eye. A Pinot Gris from Oregon. Ok ok, I'm not so much a "lighter"-bodied wine kind of Wine O. But why not give it a try? King Estate Pinot Gris is organically grown just southwest from Eugene, Oregon. I expected this to be a light-bodied wine with perhaps a tiny bit of character. The true test, of course, was getting my grandfather to say anything other than "eh, its drinkable." My first thoughts on sipping this wine were " Man, I'm good." It was a great first sip and boy oh boy did the sips get better. My grandfather was pleased as well.

Pinot what!? The clone of Pinot Gris is grown in Italy as some as you may know it as Pinot Grigio. Depending on growing region this wine can be lighter-bodied to medium-bodied. Oregon Pinot Gris tends to be more on the medium-bodied side - Pinot Gris from California ( which they actually refer to is as Pinot Grigio because it has similar characteristics to Italian Pinot Grigio) is lighter bodied and "crisper."

King Estates Pinot Gris has tropical fruit aromas and pear on the palate. Nice lingering finish which refreshes but doesn't disappear too quickly.

So if you are in the hunt for a medium-bodied summer white, pass by those lighter Pinot Grigios from Italy and grab yourself a bottle from Oregon that won't disappear when paired with food, but will refresh AND please the palate!

King Estate Pinot Gris makes for a great summer wine. $15.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July! I wanted to share some exciting news...I am now writing for Examiner.com as the DC Wine Pairing Examiner. I have a few articles thus far and lots more to come. I will still continue to blog about awesome wines under $20. As a matter of fact I have an awesome wine I am writing about right now. Expect a post within a day!

Help a Wandering Blonde Wine O out and check out my page with the Examiner and spread the link around! Oh, and if you feel the need...subscribe to my articles. They are completly different than my blog posts.

Click to see my Examiner page:

DC Wine Pairing Examiner

Thanks and have a safe and happy 4th of July - and of course, have a great bottle of wine!

Cheers,

The Wandering Blonde Wine O

Pepper & Plum -- WAY South of the Border

If I were stranded on a desert island and had a choice of taking with me a French, Italian, Californian or South American wine -- hands down, I would take a South American wine. Its no secret that I love wines from South America. A few months ago, while scanning the aisles and chatting it up with Total Wine store manager Cyrus, I told him that I was looking for a red wine that was "peppery." Love that characteristic in red wines -- but few red wines I have tried have had a strong peppery presence. Carmenere is the vino he told me to try -- at that point in time, I had never had nor even heard of that grape variety. Obviously, I was excited to try a new grape and get some peppery flavors along the way.

A little carmenere info: Originally planted in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, France and used most likely for blending. Rarely found in France today -- the largest area planted with carmenere is in Chile. Grows mainly in the Colchagua, Rapel Valley and Maipo province. Medium bodied - deep red colors -- red fruit aromas with spice and berries on the palate. Often used to blend, but there are a handful of wineries that bottle a pure varietal carmenere.

I was handed a bottle of Anakena Carmenere $8.99 (Rapel Valley). Brought the bottle home and uncorked it. Peppery aroma: check! Peppery flavor: also check! I was, however, taken aback by the weight of the wine. Typically, this grape is more on the medium bodied side. The weight of this wine was more like a Pinot Noir. Or as my mom so nicely put it, "like drinking water with pepper." I disagree with her 100% -- but we're all entitled to our opinions. It was light bodied, but it didn't lack in flavor! Anakena also produces a carmenere that is a few bucks more - I, of course, bought it to compare. Not at all thinking that a few bucks would change the wine.... Not to say I was wrong ... but I was. Amazing what a few bucks more did. The $11.99 Anakena Caremenere had that typical medium bodied weight to it (Note: in recent posts on Pinot Noir, you might remember I prefer a heavier wine... ). This wine certainly did not lack in the carmenere characteristics. Still had that great peppery aroma/flavor with a hint of blackberries.

I couldn't just stop there trying one type of carmenere --- for educational/blog purposes - I had to try some other carmeneres! Root 1 Carmenere $12 (Colchagua Valley). Smack you in the face fruit forward! I felt like I was hit in the kisser with a plum. Of course, allowing the wine to take a breather in my glass I got some more typical carmenere flavors -- blackberry and spice. Not too much on the pepper front, but once the fruitiness backed off - I was pleased.

Out of the three I would definitely recommend the Anakena. Which one? Well, if you like Pinot Noirs - give the $8.99 a shot -- if you're like me and a slightly heartier body is your preference -- get the $11.99 carmenere.

More from the Southern hemisphere to come!

At least it didn't taste like Spam....

I don't go out of my way to buy Sauvignon Blanc's because I don't like that ever so lingering "cat urine" flavor. Granted, there are, maybe, two Sauvignon Blanc's I CAN stomach (will save that for another blog titled " cat urine got a bad rap" or "NEW ZEALAND - cat urine isn't that bad..."). I CERTAINLY, do not go out of my way to buy Riesling. Only purchased Riesling once and as soon as that petroleum aroma/flavor hit me in the face I regretted my purchase. The experience was only ENHANCED by the syrupy sweetness that followed. I don't have anything to say about Riesling, except if you have one that you think will get passed the Blonde Wine O's tough facade - bring it.

Which brings me to my next grape that I don't go out of my way to purchase - Pinot Noir.

Chill out wine snobs/people who can drop $40 on a Pinot Noir for weekly dinners. It just so happens that I like fuller bodied, more flavorful wine - If I wanted to drink water with red dye, I would get a glass turn on the sink and pop some red dye in it. But I don't. Oh man, I can already hear the sighs and the comments
" this wandering Blonde has no respect for 'good' wine". False, I love good wine - I also like good wine that is economy friendly. (If you read BETWEEN the lines, you might suspect there are Pinot's I like, but them seem to be a bit pricey).

But I digress.. My Grandfather (Jack) is a wine snob (and I mean that with the greatest amount of respect and affection) - I have yet to WOW him with my wine choices. My grandmother however, happens to like my wine choices. Thank you, Grandmommy. No disrespect to my grandfather- he just happens to LOVE good wine typically over my budget. Pinot Noir is his wine of choice. Every time he comes to dinner with my grandmother he brings a Pinot. Have they always been winners in my book? No. Have I fibbed and said they were awesome? On some occasions, especially around Christmas and my birthday. I recently decided to be honest and let him know what I think of these Pinot's. I told him to get one that wont burn up my Vera Bradley wallet that didn't taste musty. He gave two bottles of the same wine to my family. Aquinas Pinot Noir 2007 Napa Valley.

Opened the first bottle last night and, boy howdy - we have a winner. Nice, smooth, not like colored water. Hints of cherries and red berries. The color of this wine resembled that cough syrup color. Not purple like the grape cough syrup, because honestly, who likes the grape flavor? Nonetheless, I was impressed, as was my father who is on the same page in some ways about Pinot's. Tonight however, I opened the second bottle. I know with red wine you can get meaty flavors and aromas - even bacon. I don't know about you, but I like to chew my bacon, not drink it. Que Huevos! You know that commercial selling beggin' strips and how excited the dogs get and the dogs even say "bacon, bacon, bacon!". Well, that's how I am when I wake up in the morning and smell bacon. But not in my WINE. It just shows you not every bottle can be a winner and bacon is better solid. And with eggs.

I did change my feeling toward Pinot Noir's though. There are obviously some out there that may make the Blonde Wine O cut. Which most likely won't happen with Riesling, unless someone wows me... I dare you.

I believe it retails for about $14 - Grandaddy, I thank you. And my Vera Bradley wallet thanks you.