Scary Oak World

Seriously, see the article The Oak Factor - By Heather Britton.

Cusumano Insolia 2004

The first of our purchases from last week's wine tasting at the Village Wine Market. This white comes from Sicily & its Insolia grape. It's an easy-drinking summer white with tastes of mint and apple.

The Wine Spectator said: A tight white, with fresh herb and peachy character. Medium-bodied, with bright lemon, apple character. Long, lively finish. Drink now. 25,000 cases made.

Shawn - I think you will like it. No scary oak. $12.99 locally.

House Wine

I never purchased this before because of the label. How good could it be if they don't take the time to produce a decent label? I had been told many times that this is a good wine and they were right. It is very drinkable and the price, around $10 cannot be ignored. House Wine is produced by the Magnificent Wine Company from Columbia Valley. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Syrah.

Village Wine Market

Hey, why not review a store? It was the first visit there for Mary and me. We attended the tasting tonight which features 25 different varietals for $10 a head. Good deal.

I like the layout of the store. Walls are painted a rusty red - definitely appropriate. The tall racks are around the outside walls. Each bin has a little shelf so that a representative bottle can sit upright for easy browsing. In the center are 3 or 4 groupings with waist-high shelves and boxes/bins of certain wines. They have lots of stock but there is also ample room to wander around.

There were 3 tasting tables in corners of the store so the crowd was spread out (I counted about 50 people when we left) and we didn't have trouble getting our pours. Sometimes there was a short line but no jostling or elbowing!

And did we buy? Yes:

2004 MontGras Carmenere Reserva, Chile $9.99 (red)
2004 Vina Godeval Godello, Spain $12.99 (white)
- refreshing
2004 Cusumano Insolia, Sicily, Italy $12.99 (white)
- slight mint taste, drinks easy
2004 Sancerre, Daniel Chotard, France $18.99 (white)
2004 Domain Felines Jourdan Picpoul de Pinet, France $11.99 (white)
- refreshing, good to serve for a group
2004 Tir Na Nog Grenache, Australia $24.99 (red)
- soft grapey finish, very good. The guy pouring said he thought it was the best of the night.

Stay tuned for the blogs.

Blackstone Merlot 2003

How many times have we had this California wine? Plenty - but it hasn't been blogged. This merlot strong on fruit in a cherry or blackberry way with a nice smoothness. Not expensive - $10 to $11. Also suitable for one's book club.

Cartlidge & Brown Chardonnay 2004

This is a nice wine that you would be happy to serve to your Pompous Literary Society on a Wednesday night. It has good fruit tones without much oak. Interesting observation that the flavors changed quite a bit as the temperature changed. Available locally for about $10-11.

This is my first try of the Chardonnay; they also make a Pinot Noir that I had several times about 2 months ago. I don't have any notes on it but we liked it. Price point is similar.