Passages

I’m hoping that all this white wine tasting will pay off big time as spring moves into summer. I have visions of myself sitting with good friends on a Friday evening enjoying a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc and soaking up the end of a grand New England summer day. Perhaps Bogle Vineyards’ 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, this weeks [...]

Time to turn the page, as it were, for Sauvignon Blancs originating in the southern hemisphere. With the 2011 vintage in production, the 2009′s from the lower half of the globe are getting harder and harder to find regardless of price point. To kick off the southern 2010′s, this week’s “under $10″ pick is Santa [...]

While the company and movie are usually good, the wine selection hasn’t been great. This week I opted to check out two 2009 vintage Italian Pinot Noirs that were on sale at our local state liquor store. Both were under $13 on sale. Of the two the Sensi was better, but that’s not saying a [...]

Usually I write about a single wine at a time and score them as I like (or dislike) them. However, I’m a bit back-logged mainly due to a monthly tasting at a wine club I belong to and our Final Four party. So, rather than write at length about all 10 wines, here’s a quick [...]

So what’s a newish wine lover to do when repeatedly confronted with Tempranillo based wines? Go with the flow, which is usually what I do when I find myself unintentionally in a trend. After all, there must be a reason for it, right? My first exposure to this came as a wine shop sample – dark, rich [...]

I’m on a roll in the “over $10, under $20″ Sauvignon Blanc category as my last two or three selections have been quite enjoyable. This week was another great pick with Starborough 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. Clear and on the green side in color going into the glass, the Marlborough, New Zealand style citrus smells came out [...]

Usually when I spend time with my “under $10″ Sauvignon Blanc pick, I have one glass per night from to Monday to Thursday. Although I form my impressions on Monday, I give the wine the reminder of the week to add or subtract from it. By the end of the week my opinion is usually [...]

I realized after last week’s Pinot and Popcorn missive that I neglected to mention the movie – “Hereafter” via Apple TV. Before we get to this week’s movie, let us get to the wine. This week it was my friend’s turn to buy the wine. Her Pinot Noir selections were a 2008 from Fat Bastard [...]

The “over $10, under $20″ Sauvignon Blanc category can take you around the world. Impressive Sauvignon Blancs can be found “south of my border” in Chile and Argentina, or on the “left coast” in California. I adore French Sancerre from Loire, but “down under” Kiwi style New Zealand’s are at the top of my list. This [...]

So what make a wine a “Sauvignon Blanc” anyhow? The answer is “it depends”. SB’s from Australia have to be 100% of the varietal to be labled “Sauvignon Blanc”. In France, where wines are categorized by geographical area, Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre contain 100% Sauvignon Blanc.  Wines from California must contain at least 75% Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Guess [...]