Tasting Notes: 2012 Sutter Home Pink Pinot Grigio

Appearance: Pours an almost transparent peachy pink.  After swirling, you get a film which seems to pool down the glass, rather than legs that run.

Aroma:  Slight peach and stone fruit, with a sharp acidity (lemon and grapefruit).

Mouthfeel:  Light on the tongue, although a little bit of a syrupy feel after it goes down.

Flavors:  Definitely heavy on the peach.  Also get a little bit of melon, kiwi, and a touch of strawberry.  The citrus notes from the nose are absent, although it finishes with an acidity which leaves the mouth watering.  A lingering finish of peach, and the strawberry becomes more prominent in the finish than it was on the palate.

Overall:  This is, I guess, what you would expect from a pink wine from Sutter Home.  Like other low-end pink pinot grigios I've tried, it is interesting how different it is from a traditional pinot grigio.  The flavors and the mouth feel both have a definite sweetness to them which white pinot grigios lack.  While hardly complex or refined, the flavors are pleasant, and I would consider drinking this again on a hot summer day, as it is a refreshing, easy drinking wine.

Tasting Notes: 2013 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough

Appearance: Very light yellow, almost white, translucent.  No legs whatsoever.

Aroma:  It's all citrus to me.  A hint of lemon and lime, but primarily grapefruit.

Mouthfeel:  Light, rolls right off the tongue.  A little bit of acidity leaves your mouth watering.

Flavors:  Refreshingly acidic and citrusy.  Lemons, limes, a hint of fresh cut grass, and a decent amount of grapefruit, though the grapefruit is not as prominent as it is on the nose.  Just a hint of melon to cut through the acidity here.

Overall:  Not my personal favorite, because I have an aversion to grapefruit.  But the grapefruit is not nearly as overwhelming as the nose left me to expect.  A pretty well balanced Sauv Blanc with citrus, a little tropical fruit, and just a touch of grass, so something for almost every Sauv Blanc drinker.  Not one I would buy for myself, but definitely one I would take to a party or suggest to someone who likes Sauv Blanc and doesn't mind that grapefruit.

Tasting Notes: 2011 "It's a Headsnapper" Sauvignon Blanc

This is a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that I'm not 100% sure how I came across.  It may have been a gift from a rep or distributor honestly, so without doing more research, I have no idea how much it costs or where it might be available.

Appearance: Pours a very light, very clear golden color, as expected from a sauv blanc.  No legs.

Aromas:  I get a little bit of tropical fruit, kiwi, melon, etc. but mostly acidity, in the form of grapefruit with a slight touch of lime.

Mouthfeel:  Incredibly light, rolls right off the tongue.

Flavors:  Bold.  Starts out very fruity, with kiwi, and melon, and finishes with a lot of acidity, both lime and tart green apple.  Don't get any of the grapefruit I got on the nose on the palate with this one.  Pretty crisp finish, although there's a slight lingering green apple flavor.

Overall:  My kind of sauvignon blanc.  Still light, crisp, and drinkable, but not shy with the flavors.  The contrast between the very soft but bold tropical fruit flavors at the front and the lime and green apple at the finish is great, and makes you want to take another sip to really appreciate both sets of flavor.  Definitely a wine I'll be trying to find in the near future.

Tasting Notes: Fetzer 2011 Goosefoot Road Riesling

Appearance: Pours a fairly dark, but clear honey/golden color.  Legs are slow to form and slow to come down the glass.

Aroma: Sweet, honey aromas.

Mouthfeel:  Medium bodied, slightly thicker/heavier on the finish, but not quite syrupy.

Flavor: Mild peach and apricot flavors, a little more honey.  Sweet in the start, but has a fairly clean, almost dry finish with a decent amount of acidity.

Overall:  A good, middle of the road riesling.  A lot of "sweet" flavors, with peach, apricot, and honey, but not as sugary or syrupy as some "sweet" rieslings.  Finishes with no residual, syrupy aftertaste, making it an easy wine to pair with either sweet or spicy foods, and not overload the palate with sugar.  This is a wine I could drink outside on a hot day, or definitely with food.

Tasting Notes: 2011 Trefethen Family Vineyards Chardonnay

Appearance: Bright, straw yellow.  Very little in the way of legs.

Aroma: Bright, citrus, lemon, just a touch of butter/creaminess.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied.

Flavors: Refreshing, crisp, slightly acidic, and with more prominent wood notes than on the nose, although only a little bit of butter.  More the fresh, woody, oaky, flavor, than the malolactic flavor a lot of heavily oaked chardonnays have.  Lingering citrus and oak finish.

Overall:  A balanced chardonnay.  Not super tart or acidic like some 100% stainless California Chardonnays can be.  But also not completely overcome by malolactic fermentation.  Very little butter flavors, and definitely still light and crisp, rather than creamy like some oaked Chardonnays.  Probably not a favorite for fans of either super citrusy, fresh, or super buttery, creamy Chardonnays, but a good balance of the two.

Tasting Notes: 2012 Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Appearance: Pours a light, straw yellow color.  No legs.
Aroma: Grapefruit, a touch of lemon, and a slightly herbaceous aroma.
Mouthfeel: Light, smooth, rolls right across the palate.
Flavors: Bright, fresh, tropical fruit on the front.  A touch of grapefruit toward the end, but nothing overwhelming.  Smoother, more lingering finish than most sauvignon blancs, leaving a fresh, bright, tropical fruit (melon, pineapple, a little grapefruit) lingering.  A little bit of an herbaceous taste, but definitely more fruit forward.

Overall: I was really pleasantly surprised by this one.  It is pretty balanced.  Dry but still fruity.  A touch of herbaceous aroma and flavor which gives it some structure, but very strong fruit notes as well.  There are definitely some grapefruit notes, but they don't overpower the ripe melon, pineapple, or herbaceous flavors, which I appreciated.  Will definitely drink this one again.

Tasting Notes: 2010 Kunin Wines Alisos Vineyard Guwertzraminer

Appearance: Deep, bright golden yellow.  Legs which slowly slide down the glass back to the wine.

Aroma: A lot going on.  A little acidity, maybe lemon, a sweetness of ripe  fruit and honey, and an herbaceous/earthy aroma as well.

Mouthfeel: Medium-heavy body, leaves kind of a film behind.

Flavor: I get a pretty strong alcohol/boozy note off of this one, along with a kind of earthy/herbaceous/floral/savory note, maybe a bit of bell pepper or other green veggies.  Finish is very herbal/floral, and leaves a lavendar or rose flavor in the mouth well after drinking.

Overall:  Interesting wine.  Fruity and floral without being sweet.  Have to be in the right mood, but could enjoy this wine on its own.  Pairing with food would take some thought, as it is pretty bold in both body and flavor, so traditional fish/chicken/light salad white wine pairings might not work out so well.  The only thing that I find slightly off-putting is the distinct alcohol flavor mid-palate.  As opposed to some other high alcohol wines, where there is a hot feeling throughout, but not a lot of ethyl flavor at any one point, this one has a distinct moment where ethanol is all you're getting, then goes back to its more pleasant flavors.

Tasting Notes: 2011 Star Lane Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

This wine is a Sauvignon Blanc out of the U.S.'s newest (unless I missed something) AVA, the Happy Canyon AVA in Santa Barbara County.

Appearance: Bright, bold, yellow, color.  No legs when swirled in glass.

Aroma: Very strong lemon and grapefruit.  Even when the bottle was opened, before pouring, it gives off a very fresh citrus smell. 

Mouthfeel: Light and smooth, a little bit of tart astringency leaves the mouth dried out at the end.

Flavor: Very, very, grapefruit forward.  Get a hint of tropical fruit in the middle of the palate, and the finish is back to graprefruit, and lingers for quite some time.  I can't really pick up much past the almost astringent grapefruit flavor.

Overall: I'm not a grapefruit fan, so Sauvignon Blancs are kind of hit or miss with me.  This wine has a pleasent aroma, beautiful color, and a very drinkable, refreshing body.  If I didn't have such a strong dislike of grapefruit, this seems like it would be a great, refreshing, drinkable white on a  hot summer day.  Probably not one that I will personally go out of my way to drink again, though.

Tasting Notes: 2011 DaVinci Pinot Grigio

Appearance: Light, clear, straw-yellow.  No legs.

Aroma: Bright floral, lemon, mineral notes on the bouquet.

Mouthfeel: Light, rolls right through the mouth.

Flavors:  Crisp, dry, smooth.  Slight green apple or pear notes, without being overly tart.  A tiny bit of a grapefruit acidity.  Bright floral finish, which doesn't cut off right away, but doesn't linger either.

Overall:  I really liked this one.  Manages to be light, crisp, dry, and refreshing, without being boring.  Lots of different flavors here, but still pretty clean flavor-wise.  Usually I need food to really make a pinot grigio grab my attention, but this one stood out on its own.  Would be great with food, but also great to drink outside on a hot summer day.

Tasting Notes: Barefoot Pinot Grigio

Appearance: Very light, white-ish, a touch of green.  Poured almost effervescent, with bubbles rising as it poured.  No legs when swirled.

Aroma: Mild, but a touch of lemon and grapefruit.

Mouthfeel: Light, rolls right off the tongue, but not as light as some pinot grigios.

Flavor: A little more fruit than I was expecting from a pinot grigio.  A bit of lemon, also a little bit of peach, not as much minearlity as I was expecting, and actually slightly sweet.  Finishes with a slight alcohol flavor, and a little bit creamy.  Not a sharp, crisp finish, but also doesn't linger.

Overall: Interesting wine.  Not as awful as I was expecting for something under $6.  In fact, I actually kind of liked it.  Definitely not true to the pinot grigio varietal though.  Although lighter than a chardonnay, it was not as light or drinkable as most pinot grigios.  Instead of the rich, mineral notes, it had a lot of fruit, and was actually slightly sweet.  Personally, I love pinot grigio with food, but usually find it a little too light and kind of boring on its own.  This wine would probably not pair well with typical pinot grigio pairings, but is actually kind of enjoyable on its own.  Definitely not the greatest wine, but for a $6 bottle from Barefoot, not the worst either.

Tasting Notes: Barefoot Moscato

First, let me explain how I wound up drinking this wine.
I live alone, and like to cook.  Every time I go to the store to find something to cook, I try to pick a wine, beer, or cocktail to go with what I'm making, just to challenge/test my own pairing abilities and knowledge.
The other night, I cooked Asian-inpsired chicken lettuce wraps.  Pairing wine and beer with Asian and Latin food is always fun, since these cultures are not big wine and beer drinkers, meaning that there aren't really "conventional"or "traditional"pairings to go with.  Also, the spice in a lot of Asian food means you can usually pick a relatively sweet wine, which you would not usually drink with a main course, to balance the spice and heat.  Vons didn't have a huge selection of pre-chilled sweeter white wines, so this is the one I chose.  Of course, I forgot to add the onions and the ginger to my wraps, which means the pairing wasn't quite as perfect as I would have liked.  Now for the fun part:

Appearance: Pretty light, almost clear, very little straw or golden coloring on this one.  Legs were more like smudges than clean streaks running down the glass.

Aroma: Honey and booze.

Body/mouth feel: Medium.  Not as syrupy/thick as the appearance, aroma, and sweetness would suggest.

Flavors: Honey on the beginning of the palate, peaches after that, with a fairly long, honey finish.

Overall impressions: For being a $4 bottle of wine, not too terrible.  Moscatos, especially inexpensive ones, run a risk of being almost too sweet, and syrupy sweet.  This one fit the profile.  Would be nice if it had just a touch of acidity, or a little more carbonation, to cut through the sweetness, but overall, a great value at $4.  Probably would have been better had the food I paired it with had  a little more heat/spice to it, or paired with a dessert, rather than a main.

Thanks for reading, and as always, feel free to leave comments, questions, or suggestions for future posts in the comments, by e-mail (livingbuzzed@gmail.com), or Tweet me (@livingbuzzed).