Wine Club 68:

Date: March 28th, 2015
Host: Andrea
Served: baked brie, cous cous, green bean almondine, chili-crusted tilapia, coconut-crusted tilapia, pie

Sandstone Ridge Frontenac Gris NV (Wisconsin, USA), purchased at Wisconsin State Fair

Andrea says (15.5): Golden yellow, very transparent. Smelled like minerals and green apple. Nice fruity flavor - green apple, cherry and peach. Nice acid. I'd drink it again. went well with the fish.














Laya Almansa 2013 70% Garnache + 30% Monastrell. 14% alcohol, purchased at Otto's.

Andrea says (17.5): Dark purple and opaque. Smelled like vinegar, but good, aged, balsamic. Nice, smokey and peppery aromas. Also smelled of dark fruits - blackberry and black cherry. I liked the flavor! Tangy - pepper, vanilla, blackberry. I really enjoyed it. Also went well with the fish.














Yalumba Viognier 2013 (South Australia) 14.1% alcohol, purchased at Otto's.

Andrea says

♥ Wine Club 67: BBQ Ribs & Big Reds. Oh, yeah!

Date: February 21, 2015
Host: Kim
Served: BBQ ribs, potato salad. Brie bonus!
Bonus bottles! Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Cupcake Angel Food

Spell Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (CA, USA) 14.8% alcohol, $17 on sale at Waterford
♥ Love love love ♥ : This wine scored 18 or higher with each of us.

Christine says (19): Dark ruby. Plush, red fruit, tobacco, very slight violets, cherries. Full body. Cherry taste, nice acidity, well integrated tannins. Kymm said cinnamon, and I agree. And figs as it opens up. I tried this at a store tasting and knew we'd love it. Luckily, Kymm was making BBQ ribs so I could bring the wine right away! 

Andrea says (19): A pretty fushia color. I loved the smell! Earthy - brown sugar, anise, blackberry, raspberry and brown sugar. Surprisingly sweet! Jammy with brown sugar, cinnamon and berries. great with the ribs.








Kunin Zinfandel 2008 (Paso Robles, CA, USA) 15.6% alcohol, $22 at Waterford

Christine says (14.5): Dark wine color/Burgundy. Fresh air/violet smell. Light and delicate, for Zin. Black raspberry and peppercorn aromas. Big, full body, lots of tannins, not much fruit...blackberry. Some tingling acids. Vanilla taste. Fig smell on this one, too, as it opens up. I knocked it mostly on bouquet and overall, whether I liked it. And this one was just OK.

Andrea says (19): This was a good night for me for wine. Two 19's! A brick red color, looked like pomegranate juice. Nice aroma. Jam and tobacco with hints of strawberry, vanilla and pepper. The taste was sweet. Good tannins, really lingers on the tongue. Good body. Pomegranite, cinnamon, vanilla, strawberry and cranberry. I really liked it.

Wine Club 66: Slow Cooker & Bread Machine

Date: September 12, 2014
Host: Christine
Served:

Green Fin White Table Wine 2011 (CA, USA) 11% alcohol, $5 at Trader Joe's

Christine says (12): comments pending

Kim says (14.5):Wonderful smell of pear, fruit, floral... specifically lilacs and other purple flowers (maybe freesia or hosta). Surprised by the contrast in taste... slightly tart, and lacked complexity on the finish.

Andrea says (17): Golden yellow color. Smelled nice! Like honey, lemon, clover and floral. I liked the taste but could only really place honey as a flavor. Nice body, nice tartness, nice acid. An overall winner. I'd definitely drink this again.









Small Vineyards Discovery Chianti 2010 (Italy) 12.5 % alcohol, $10 on sale at Waterford
75% Sangiovese

Christine says (8): comments pending

Kim says (12.5): Aroma of vanilla and spice, faint rot when I swirled (but I didn't make a note of whether this was good or bad... for instance, could have just been the smell of wet leaves in the fall). But I have the feeling since I didn't expand on my thought, that it was bad rot.. I did penalize the finish a bit because it lacked complexity... finish was long due to acid.

Andrea says (12): Blood red color. Smelled earthy and dusty. I got a little brown sugar, bacon, and currant. I tasted pie cherries and cranberry. Sort of tart. Thin bodied, not my favorite.

Wine Club 65: Italian Meal at Andrea's

Date: August 22, 2014
Host: Andrea
Served: Marinated grilled chicken, Crudite, Cheesy pull-apart bread, Tuscan spinach bean soup

Rizzi Azienda Vitivinicola Dolcetto d'Alba 2012 (Alba, Italy) 13% alcohol, $15 at Otto's

Christine says (11): Dark burgundy color; aromas of cherry, strawberry, very slight herb. Very subtle smell, almost a non-smell. Blueberry taste, light body, moderate acidity. Good with the chicken. 

Kim says (15): Bright edges and smelled like... wine. Shocker, I know! I felt this was a solid, straightforward wine. Likened this to Wolftrap but slightly more refined. I enjoyed this Rizzi more than the Ensemble even though this scored lower, and I agree with Christine... went really well with the chicken!

Andrea says (14.5): I liked this wine more that my score reflected. Cranberry color with long legs. Sort of a dull earthy smell with some hints of strawberry and cocoa. Nice acid and a little tart. Flavors of strawberry, cranberry and blueberry.









Ensemble Red Wine 2010 (CA, USA) 13.6% alcohol, $6 at Otto's

Christine says (13): Claret color. Jammy smell of dark red fruits, definite savory undertones...could it be carrots? Tart cherry taste, plus strawberries, nice and puckery, little finish. Very fruity. Super-short finish, somewhat reminiscent of beer. I liked it with the soup.

Kim says (16.5): smelled like pectin, peach baby food, adhesive, dark berries, sugar and sediment. Fruit forward without being too sweet. Tasted like Welch's grape juice and was excellent with the bread and soup.

Andrea says (16): Brick red, bloody color. My first impression of the smell...feet! Second impression was a little better. Jammy, strawberry and floral. Smelled a little like baby food? Also had some yeasty-bread and alcohol aromas. I liked the taste! Very sweet, vanilla and cherry.

Wine Club 16: Tarantas Sparkling Rosé, Pacific Rim Riesling

Date: July 13th, 2012
Host: Kim
Bonus bottles: Ned Pinot Gris, Georg de Boeuf Beaujolais Villages.