Wine Witch - Fantastic, Affordable Wine Suggestions

This was the first wine I tasted at the Modavi tent during Harvest in the Square in NYC. It was a very pleasant aperitif. My husband and I enjoyed another bottle last night along with chicken in a light cream sauce. Still liked it. There is a lot of very boring Pinot Grigio out there, but this one is livelier than most. The Private Selection Pinot Grigio is jazzed up with the addition of a little Gerwurztraminer and several other varietals.

Continue reading Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Grigio 2006 California $11

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WOW! This is a whole lotta wine for $12 (actually I paid $10.99) - a total 5 rating. If you have been reading this blog, you know the Wine Witch does not dish 5’s out very often. If you like big, in your face reds, but no edges, go out and find this one now.

Continue reading Robert Mondavi Private Selection Vinetta 2005 California $12

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If you have been keeping up with this blog, you will know that the Wine Witch is not the biggest fan of Chardonnay. I just have this thing about chewing on tree trunks while trying to enjoy my wine. Nothing wrong with it - just not my thing. So beware, if you enjoy big, buttery, oaky Chardonnays - this one is not for you. However, it is just perfect for me.

Continue reading Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay 2006 California $12

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The Wine Witch had a totally cool experience the other night. I was fortunate enough to attend the 13th annual Harvest in the Square event hosted by the Union Square Partnership. This was a fundraiser to support the maintenance and beautification of Union Square Park which is a vibrant oasis in Manhattan. There is always something going on there from superb people watching to the magical Christmas Market. Harvest in the Square is the premier event.

Continue reading Lucky 13 for Harvest in the Square

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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.

Continue reading Strategies to Get the Most Out of Your Next Wine Tasting

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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.

Continue reading Rosemount Traminer Riesling Diamond Label 2007 Australia

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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.

Continue reading The Wishing Tree Shiraz 2006 Australia

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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.

Continue reading Picnic Perfect Plastic

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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.

Continue reading Francis Coppola Diamond Collection, Claret California Black Label 2006 $15

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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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No, this is not an homage to Kermit the Frog. It’s just that there are a lot of “green” words being thrown around in the wine world right now and it can be pretty confusing to wine drinkers that care about the planet. The Wine Witch is going to try and sort this out.

There are three main concepts - Sustainable, Organic, and Biodynamic. Within Organic and Biodynamic, the winery can be either non-certified or certified. My head is already spinning and I have done the research for this blog.

Continue reading It’s Not Easy Being Green

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The Wine Witch really dithered about a rating for the Brancott Pinot Noir.  I had this wine last night and the experience was a little schizo.  The first taste was a WOW and then it was more of a Hmm as I went on.  The final conclusion was that I liked it, but did not love it.

On the plus side - this is a decent Pinot Noir under $15.  Pinot Noirs at this price point are few and far between.  This wine is also wonderfully smooooth - not an edge anywhere.  In the glass the color is a bold ruby red which you would expect in a more expensive Pinot.  It also has a nice touch of spice, which the Wine Witch always finds attractive.

Continue reading Brancott Pinot Noir 2006 New Zealand

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All right, before beginning need to admit a certain bias here. The Wine Witch LOVES Sauvignon Blanc. It is my favorite white varietal - especially when considering a $15 cap. While there is a lot of really bad Chardonnay out there in this price range, there is almost a limitless supply of very good Sauvignon Blanc.

Continue reading Pepperwood Grove Sauvignon Blanc 2007 California $10

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The Wine Witch really vacilated between a 3.5 and a 4 for this one. Remember the ratings here are purely based on the drinking pleasure for the dollar paid. I have said it before and I will say it again, it is difficult to find value priced Pinot Noirs - such a finicky grape. Bottom line, if you are considering the 2006 Castle Rock Pinot Noir just on the basis of the price point for this varietal, it is a 4. As a red compared to other <$15 reds, it is more of a 3.5. In either case it is pretty nice stuff.

Continue reading Castle Rock Pinot Noir 2006 California

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For those of you of a certain age the name Fess Parker might ring a bell - Davey Crockett?? While anyway, Fess retired his coon skin cap quite some time ago and turned his talents to making some pretty good wine.

The 2006 White Reisling is the perfect summer sipper. This offering is on the drier side of Reisling, which is a real plus in the Wine Witch’s book. The nose is of apricots with a bit of a floral hint. Even though this is a drier Reisling, there are some honey overtones in the first sip which are quite pleasant. It then turns quite crisp with some subtle peach in the background.

Continue reading Fess Parker White Reisling 2006 California

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Well the Wine Witch just returned from a Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas. It was fabulous. Went with the extended family which made it even more fun.

This was our very first cruise so you need to understand that any comments here are from a narrow perspective. Many of the seasoned “old salts” that we spoke to told us that we would get “ripped off” with the cost of booze. I have to tell you that I did not find that the case at all.

Continue reading Boozing While Cruising

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You gotta love the cheek - the Magnificnet Wine Company - House White or Red. Well they are allowed to be cheeky, because they deliver. The label looks like an art project your kid brother made in kindergarten. It does not inspire purchasing confidence. However, on a recommendation for the House White from a trusted wino, the Wine Witch took a chance. The chance paid off.

Continue reading House White 2006, House Red 2005, The Magnificent Wine Company, Washington

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Blackstone is another very reliable and widely available California producer. They cover most of the major varietals. While Sonoma is the base of their first label, they also have a presence in Monterey county. Everyone thinks of Napa and Sonoma as the heart of the California wine industry, but the Central Coast is certainly up and coming. In the Wine Witch’s opinion Chardonnay seem to work best here.

Continue reading Blackstone Monterey Chardonnay 2006 California

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The Wine Witch loves Pinot Noir as much as the hero of Sideways. The constant challenge is finding Pinot Noirs under the$15 threshold set for this blog. So often the ones that make the price cut have an unpleasant metallic thing going on in the background.

Continue reading Blackstone California Pinot Noir 2006

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This is a tough question.  Typically these boxes contain 3 liters of wine which equals 4 regular bottles.  You usually pay about the price you would for 3 or less bottles, so it is like getting a bottle free.  The boxes come with a handy little spout, which make them ideal for parties.  Probably, the best feature is that the wine inside the box is in an air tight plastic bag so any leftovers stay as fresh as they started.  However, it the wine any good?  After all wine in boxes has always been a source of ridicule among “serious” wine lovers.

Continue reading Wine in Cardboard Boxes - Worth the Convenience?

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Here is a Chardonnay that can satisfy both the die hard Chardonnay drinkers in your life and those of you who prefer your wines a bit more fruit forward and a little less oaked.  It also comes in a 1.5 ML size for about $12-14.  This is a super bargain and well worth seeking out.  That should not prove to be too much of a hassle as it is pretty well distributed.

Continue reading Talus Collection Chardonnay Lodi 2006 California $8

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Jacob’s Creek is another large Australian producer of value wines.  For most varietals they offer both a regular and a reserve offering.  In my experience it is worth the extra $3 or $4 bucks when it comes to the reds, but I enjoy the regular whites about as much.  It is truly hard to go wrong with this producer.

Continue reading Jacob’s Creek Shiraz Reserve 2005 Australia $12

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Wow! That name is a mouthful. Breaking it apart - Concha y Toro is the producer - Casillero del Diablo is the name given to their reserve wine - Carmenere is the grape. There is a bit of a legend around the Casillero del Diablo. Don Melchoir, the original owner, found the local peasants drinking the product. Trying to scare them out of draining the profits, he told them that the best wine was stored in the “Cellar of the Devil”. Supposedly it worked.

Continue reading Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Carmenere 2006 Chile $10

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If the name, Greg Norman, sounds familiar to you, it should. He was quite a famous golfer whose second career is making some very nice wine. He is also an Aussie making wine in California. Pretty much all of his wines are less than $20, which certainly endears him to the Wine Witch.

Continue reading Greg Norman California Estates Petite Sirah 2005 $15

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The Wine Witch is not proud - she reads Wine Spectator. The rather expensive subscription is worth it for the Smart Buys and Best Value reviews in every issue. Some of the most exciting moments occur when Wine Spectator comes to the same conclusion that I already have. Positive affirmation is always a good thing.

Continue reading Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc Marborough Regional Collection 2007 New Zealand

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