A surprising and lovely Rose of Pinot Noir

We have some lovely friends that live down the street from us that bless our table one-two times a week with their company and yummy food. One recent evening, they also blessed us with a very nice and light Rose of Pinot Noir. My feelings for Rose are like an on-again/off-again relationship. I believe it deserves more credit than it gets but it has also been the subject of many redneck cliches and recently "trendy."

A Rose wine can be made from a variety of grapes and can be found all over the world. The rose color of the wine is created by leaving the juice in the grape skins for one to three days but then the skins are removed for fermentation, thus only allowing a light pink/rose color to impact the juice. The wine is also, therefore, lighter in taste without the influence of the tannins in the skins during fermentation.

Rose saw a huge rise in popularity in early 2012. I am not against anyone being excited about drinking wine, just against the reason for it, if that reason is only due to a trend. Drink what you love, not what is popular, can I hear an Amen?

Anyhow, Acrobat wines make one of my all time favorite and inexpensive Pinot Gris (MUST buy if you have not tried it) but I am now a fan of their Rose of Pinot Noir. Acrobat is actually the red-headed stepchild of the Kings Estate Winery in Oregon. Kings Estate is their higher level label and Acrobat is the cheaper label. Kings Estate got themselves into a tizzy a few years ago when their Acrobat Pinot Gris was outselling and outranking its Kings Estate equivalent in tastings, etc. Oooops.

Wine Momma Wine Review
Wine: Acrobat 2012 Rose of Pinot Noir
Color: Rose (duh)
Smell: Crisp, fruity
Taste: Light, smooth, strawberries, a slight tang
Where to buy it: This wine can be found locally at World Market but keep an eye out for it at any shop near you
Wine Momma Wine Review Scale: A solid 3. A great wine to pair with a summer evening and pasta, seafood, goat cheese or a light salad.

Cheers and Happy Weekend!

Grand Cayman West Indies Wine Company - the only wine tasting experience like it in the entire Caribbean

I recently returned from a great trip to Grand Cayman with some family and, of course, the first order of business was to seek out any new and exciting wine experiences. Well, to say the least, I found one.

The West Indies Wine Company. This particular wine shop/bar is owned by a businessman who has done great things for the Island. Although some local Caymanians are not fans of all the business he has started and maintained on the island, I certainly am impressed.

Enter the only wine tasting experience like it in the Caribbean -

This particular tasting room includes EIGHTY tasting experiences, ranging from wines and varietals from all over the world and varying price points. Upon entering this grand Haven, I immediately thought two things - How can I taste every one of them and still be able to get home (sadly not possible - I was a good girl) and how amazing it is that Caymanians and tourists are presented with this rare opportunity that, for $1CI, can taste a wine from half way across the world. And keep going for seventy nine more times, if you like. Think about all the awesome date nights you could have at that ONE location!

Here is what I learned from my night at West Indies Wine Company:

1. I was so excited to taste so many wines that I never sat down. I couldn't. I was too excited and anticipating that next wine. I just progressed through the entire shop reading, tasting and oogling. My poor dad eventually abandoned me for a nearby table.

2. I confirmed, again, my distaste for Italian white wine. Yuck. Someone please bring me a white that does not smell and taste like feet. BUT, atleast I gave it another try! That is key with new wines.

3. My Pinot Noir not-so-much-like-it self found a good one. It was complex, rich and heavy. And its from CA. If you can find it, try it for sure! Miura Pinot Noir from Monterey County.

4. I reached a wine lovers mountaintop. Atleast when it comes to Tempranillo. One of my all time favorite varietals. I was able to taste a wine made by one of Spain's most talented and famous winemakers, Mariano Garcia. Aalto Ps Tempranillo. Just to TASTE this wine was over $9CI (around $14) for one ounce. And I bought two of them. Although I may never be able to afford this wine, it was one of those nights when I knew I was tasting genius. It was rated 95 by Robert Parker - one of the best Palatte's in the business.

5. When I return to Grand Cayman, I will find myself slowly lingering amongst the bottles of wine goodness excited for that next great find and taste.

Cheers!

A surprising RED WINE find at your local Grocery Store.......

Inexpensive, decent and accessible red wines are so hard to find. I like my reds complex and rich and heavy....now, that's just me. You may not like your reds that way. But, if you do, we have a new one for you to try out.......

2012 Ghost Pines Zinfandel........

As you will see in the picture above, we have two different glasses out while tasting the Ghost Pines. My hubbie and I do this with almost every red to get a sense of how the bouquet and taste may differ depending on the size of the glass.....I recommend you do this as well - it is, many times, surprisingly different.

Wine Momma Wine Review
Wine: Ghost Pines 2012 Zinfandel
Color: Ruby Red
Smell: Spice, plum, chocolate
Taste: Dark cherry, spice, tannin, complex, nice soft finish
Scale: A solid 3 - but make sure you drink it in one sitting (see below)
Cost: $18 - not bad for a decent red!

Only down side: After a night sitting in the bottle after being correctly stored, the wine did not survive as well as I would have liked. So, if you buy this wine, have some friends over to enjoy it then and there.

Cheers!

Summer is here! Kick it off with this fresh and inexpensive white wine from a fresh varietal..........

I love me some white wine. Especially in the heat of summer. But, have you ever found yourself trudging to the wine fridge and finding your normal Sauv or Chardonnay and you think to yourself.....Self, I would really love some more variety in my white wine life. You have? Well then, by all means, read on.

One of my favorite white wine varietals is Viognier. Viogner is a white wine varietal that mainly grows in the French Rhone region and is typically an aromatic white. Some great CA wineries are growing it as well....and doing a great job.

Enter inexpensive and great wine  -

Pine Ridge 2012/13 Chenin Blanc/Viognier

I first encountered this wine at a great new restaurant in Orange Beach, AL on a beautiful sunny day and with a desire for a different white. This wine, at a fancy restaurant no less, was still well within our price range and delicious.

Wine Momma Wine Review
Wine: Pine Ridge 2012/13 Chenin Blanc/Viognier
Color: Light gold; almost like a beige champagne color
Smell: All green apple!
Taste: Acidic, Tart, green apple, a bit of cantaloupe and mango
Rank: A perfect 3. This wine is fantastic for the table as well as the porch on a hot summer's eve.

Where can you get it? In my neck of the woods, I found it at World Market for under $10. Check your local groceries and markets and stock up on this great wine for the summer!

Cheers!

Step aside coffee maker, make room for the Wine Machine!

The French wine industry is losing its No. 1 fans - the French. In an effort to fight that and make their high-end wine more available, enter the Wine Machine.

Click here to read the Smart Planet article

Do you think it is worth the price to experiment with and enjoy high end wines??

To be honest, I think its a great idea but wrong market at the moment. Bring it to the USA first and see it explode.

Cheers!

Grocery Store Wine Review: Meiomi Pinot Noir

The always fabulous South Alabama Wine Club met again to tackle a very important task - keeping each of you up to date on the best and worst of grocery store wines.

This week, we tried out the Meiomi Pinot Noir. If you have paid any attention while out and about at restaurants and grocery stores, you have most certainly ran across this wine. If you own a wine store, to not have this wine available right now would not make sense. America is buying it. But, is it worth the price?

For my particular palette, Pinot Noir is the toughest wine for me to enjoy. I am very finicky when it comes to Pinot's and for good reason - I believe there are many bad ones out there. It is well-known to be the most difficult grape to grow and harvest and it is, therefore, very tough to do well.

Wine Momma Wine Review
Wine: 2012 Meiomi Pinot Noir
Price: Between $22 - $30 per bottle
Smell: Leather, sweat, cough syrup
Taste: New World grape, smooth, bitter, medicinal, synthetic, a bit of spice
Color: Bright and ruby red
Outcome: A big fat FOUR (see scale on right side of the page) and almost nearly a five, but it was saved by its nice, smooth feel and a tad bit of fruit that can be considered palatable. For me, it mostly tasted like cough medicine.

I have not and never have been a fan of this wine. I am not sure why this rage of interest and love for the wine has happened, but, for me, the price is way too high for the return I receive. I thoroughly enjoyed the company this week much more than the wine.

Cheers!