Wine Witch - Fantastic, Affordable Wine Suggestions

One of life’s great pleasures for us winos is working our way through a progressive flight of wines. You could organize your own event with friends or attend a wine dinner sponsored by a local restaurant. However, the very best way to do this is a winery tour.

There are over 6,000 wineries in the United States. I believe just about every state has at least one. Since wine is an agricultural product requiring certain growing conditions, wineries tend to be conveniently clustered together - think Napa Valley. This allows you to make a day of it and sample the wares of several labels. To get the most of your experience, here are a few tips.

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Boy that name is a mouthful. Don’t let it scare you. Traminer is short for Gewurztraminer, so this wine is a blend of Gewurztraminer and Riesling. Traminer is a very misunderstood grape. I think people are afraid to try it because they cannot pronounce it. In German Gewurz means spiced, so wines made from this grape have spicy and crisp characteristics. Good stuff.

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The Wine Witch always likes validation of her opinions (don’t we all?). Anyway the Wine Spectator recently gave Wishing Tree Shiraz 89 points. I would consider this a rave review from this esteemed publication for a wine under $10.

This is a wine that starts slow and then builds as you sip. Nice and purple in the glass with the expected cherries in the nose. The flavor has a pleasant tartness with the blackberries winning out over the initial cherries. A bit of a tannin bite at the end, but that smooths out with a couple of swirls. You gotta love the screw cap. Obviously a wine to buy and consume in short order. A great red for your next barbeque or just to enjoy on its own.

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Pardon the alliteration - couldn’t resist.  What we are talking about here is a  solution to the age old problem of serving wine in the great outdoors.   The Wine Witch has discovered GoVino wineglasses (www.govinowine.com).

If you are like me, you have always been reluctant to bring some of your better wine to outdoor events.  How many times have you endured sipping from paper cups, flimsy plastic, or worst of all styrofoam.  You simply cannot subject good wine to these conditions.  GoVino has come to the rescue with a brilliant solution.

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The Coppola Diamond Claret is kissing the top end of the Wine Witch’s $15 limit. I have found this wine on sale for $14-15, but truth be told the average retail is more like $17-18. Close enough for a quality red. For you greenies out there, the Copola wines are considered Sustainable, Organic, and Biodynamic although not officially certified as such. See my recent blog “It’s Not Easy Being Green” for some background on these terms.

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Submitted by Sabina
If you’re looking for a great summer wine, this “pinot grigio blush” is just the ticket. Neither sweet nor tart, this wine has a peachy taste and is both crisp and airy. Although it is at least part pinot grigio, you won’t find that typically tangy citrus flavor or even a zingy aroma here. Just a floral coolness. I would recommend pairing this light wine with salads or a light dessert like fruit.

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