Wine Time! Wisconsin Belgian Red

A bottle of beer with over a pound of Door County cherries in every bottle.  Oh yeah.

So this isn't wine, but the brewery - New Glarus Brewing Co. - website describes Wisconsin Belgian Red like this:
You hold the marriage of wine and beer. Belgian Red is a tapestry of flavor. This beer is brewed with whole Montmorency Cherries, Wisconsin Farmed Wheat and Belgian Roasted Barleys, lagered in oak tanks and balanced by Hallertau hops we aged in our brewery one full year.

See, "...the marriage of wine and beer."  This is a totally legit review.

Newfangleddad and I had this with some delicious bacon, lettuce and avocado sandwiches and it was heaven on earth.  Buy it.  Buy it now.

I am going to sum up my review with the comments of Goblinmunke7 found on www.beeradvocate.com because, really, I couldn't say it any better:
Holy hell. This is the most ridiculous fruit beer ever. It's barely beer, and yet it's everything a fruit beer should be.

You said it Goblinmunkey7.  You said it.

Wine Time! Grande Reserve Pinot Noir Bourgogne 2008

Never judge a book by its cover, never judge a wine by its bottle...

I would sum Josephine Dubois Grande Reserve Pinot Noir Bourgogne 2008 as wildly underwhelming.  It didn't really taste like anything.  That is not to say it didn't taste like anything, however it didn't taste like anything I could identify.  That doesn't sound any better does it?  I admit that our household wine rules of $15 or under and easily accessible for purchase does not leave me with the most refined palate. 

Usually I can pick out the berry, buttery, grassy, citrusy.  Nothing in this glass of wine really inspired me to try and harder or think any more about it.  I expect to find a nice acidity in pinot noir along with an earthiness.  There just weren't any notable flavors here for me.  So while the bottle may look like an old world wine wonder - you can probably do better for the money.

Name - Grande Reserve Pinot Noir Bourgogne 2008
Purchased - Whole Foods
Actual Cost - 11.99 + tax
Price Range - 8.99 to 11.99

Wine Time! New Year Sparklers

It seems like most people see sparkling wine and Champagne as special occasion choices.  Cousin Trudie is divorcing that hairy guy with the bad teeth... You just made the last payment on the VW bus...  Your bangs finally grew out and it has been almost a week since someone mistook you for Bjork.

Newfangleddad and I drink sparkling wine often, once a month or so.  That isn't to say we don't splurge for special occasions, however, there are plenty of affordable sparkling wines available for everyday consumption.

At the suggestion of Rave Wines we picked up Gruet Brut.  It was quite crisp and the bubbles were a delight.  I can honestly say I believe it is my first ever wine from New Mexico.  It was a teeny-tiny bit more than I would ordinarily pay for an "everyday" sparkling wine, however it was clean and had a nice finish.  I found it to be worth the price tag.

Name - Gruet Brut

Purchased - Rave Wines

Actual Cost - 17.00 + tax

Price Range - 13.75 to 17.99

On a whim I picked up a random bottle of Mumm Napa Cuvee M.  It.  Makes.  Me.  Happy.  It is slightly sweet and definitely tastes of fruit, there is a hint of bread as well.  Have it with something spicy for a delicious, sweet, treat.  It was rated at 87 points by Wine Enthusiast and is definitely worth the price, especially if you can score it on sale.

Name - Mumm Napa Cuvee M

Purchased - Jewel-Osco

Actual Cost - 16.99 + tax

Price Range - 16.99 to 20.00

Whether you're celebrating posting bail, or you're having a quiet New Year's Eve at home over a game of Scrabble have a glass of something... sparkling.

Wine Time! Chime Pinot Noir

I bring pinot noir into the household quite frequently as a domestic compromise.  Newfangleddad likes white wine and while I am fond of very strong, heavy red wines (cab, merlot) he is not.  Hence the pinot noir, hanging out over at the lightest end of the red wine spectrum.  We both really enjoyed the Chime.  For him it had enough of the fruit presence and for me it had enough earthy spiciness.

Chime Pinot Noir 2009 is an Editor's Choice with 91 points in the July 2011 issue of Wine Enthusiast.

Name - Chime Pinot Noir Sonoma County 2009

Purchased - Rave Wines

Actual Cost - 14.00 + tax

Price Range - 9.95 to 17.99 (this varied greatly)

 

Then we ruined it.  For dinner we had black bean dip which is really just a whole lot of black beans, a whole lot of salsa and a whole lot of cheese.  Gah!  The Chime and the black bean dip did not like each other.  We will (will, will, will!) be buying this again, and I look forward to trying it with a pork dish or perhaps some Indian food.

Last night Newfangleddad was having some personal time looking at thousand year-old artwork and listening to Johnny Cash.  So, I finished the bottle after the kidlets were asleep while watching “Yule Log 2011” on cable.  I love that fake fire.  I loved the wine even more. 

Wine Time! 2009 Protocolo

Yummy.  A kick ass red for the price.

Name - Dominio de Eguren 2009 Protocolo Tempranillo (Vino de la Tierra de Castilla)

Purchased - Whole Foods
Actual Cost - 7.99 + tax
Price Range - 6.49 (on sale) to 9.00

The hubris in my giant melon assures me that you're hanging on my every review and you trust my viticultural judgement implicitly.  However, if you prefer a more authoritative source... This wine made Wine Enthusiast Top 100 2011 and is a best buy with 89 points.

Newfangleddad and I enjoyed it with a really awful veggie soup I crafted from the deep, dark, depths of the refrigerator crisper drawer.  The wine was nice enough that we almost didn't notice how awful the veggie soup really was.  Almost.

Wine Time! Presto Prosecco Brut

I've never met an alcohol I didn't like.  Okay, that isn't entirely true.  I'm not really on speaking terms with Southern Comfort due to a rough introduction on my 21st birthday.  That lapse in judgement aside I generally enjoy an adult beverage.

This recurring segment (Wine Time!) will be a few notes on the wine, beer and cocktails that grace my glassware.  don't expect haughty reviews; Newfangleddad and I are living on the cheap these days as we are supporting two smallish humans and one giant dog.  Life is expensive, but that doesn't mean that I want to forego my enjoyments.  So, be expecting wine and beer that is affordable (generally $15 or less) and readily available.

I'm taking the easy way out this week, as the combination of sleep deprivation and corporate America have squashed my get-up-and-go.

Name - Presto Prosecco Brut

Purchased - Whole Foods

Actual Cost - 9.99 + tax

Price Range - 8.99 (on sale) to 12.99

Sparkly and crisp.  The price makes it enjoyable anytime - no occasion required.  We were pretending it was summer with a light dinner of mozzarella, tomato and basil sandwiches on ciabatta baguette.  This would be a great summer wine for an evening on the porch, or perfect for mimosas at brunch...  I wouldn't wax poetic about it, but it tickled my nose, was $10 bucks and I could pick it up at the grocery store on the way home.  Win, win, win.