wine list wednesday

so today im reviewing a renwood 2006 serria foothills  zinfandel - if you saw my post from last week you may remember my little rant about how im on a bit of a zin kick at the moment - so i decided to take a chance on this bottle of zin for the week and sadly i must say i was disappointed. 

over all the flavors werent bad, just unbalanced. it was kinda clumsy - like a big red apple-y black current explosion with not much else to reign it in. i must admit im partial to drier wines and dry this is not... not even a hint of it to speak of. but it you like big voluptuous fruity wines then this might be the one for you - 

food pairing : bbq ... maybe all that hot spicy savory goodness would be a nice compliment to all the fruit. 

wine list wednesday : bogle "the phantom"

a delicious red blend, this bottle of Bogle "the phantom" blends three different grapes : petite sirah, old vine zinfandel and mourvedre. and this trio is pretty great. 


ive been on a zinfandel kick for a while now (the red kinds, not the white) and this satisfies all of the things ive been loving about zins - nice big hearty flavor, fruit forward ripe berries and velvety texture but with an added mysteriousness ;) - that being a nice peppery accent and warming spice thing going on below the surface.

i love a wine that can stand up to pizza and this is just the one i think - at $15 it would be fun to get a group of friends for a friday night and make your own pizzas while sipping glasses of this. 


and you should be able to find it at wholefoods and traderjoes  

wine list wednesday : santa christina sangiovese toscana 2008

first let me make a little confession - i have a thing for the sangiovese grape. i spent a semester in florence and was captivated by the tuscan countryside. i spent as much time as i could on the rolling sun baked hills and loved every minute of it.


i think that this tuscan grape takes on the romance of its landscape. scrappy and minerally its also relaxed and calm and develops these deep dark fruit flavors. its a mouthful of wine i just want to hold onto for a minute -

& so. this week its a 9$ bottle of 2008 Santa Christina, in production since 1946, its as delightful as its price.


 really well balanced, very drinkable on its own or with food. i like the big mellow fruits present. so characteristic but always welcome. i even tasted a little hint of chocolate in there, but what i like about it (and another reason i like the sangiovese so much) is that its a great mouthful without being overpowering 


there is a little bit of merlot grape (10%) thrown in for good measure and it rounds out the whole thing perfectly. 


if you haven't tired a sangiovese or are unfamiliar with tuscan wines i think this makes. 




this would be a great friday night wine - get your friends around the table, a big salad and some pizza or pasta. perfect. 

wine list wednesday

sorry for my little absence - the end of last week was a bit crazy what with last minute flowers needed for a wedding and the holiday. but im back with my second installment of wine list wednesday. 

this week its a red its much more refined and sophisticated that the one last week - the 2005 bottle of the St. Supery cabernet sauvignon.


i was expecting a big napa cab but is delicate and light. I let it breath for about 40mins. before tasting - pretty yummy. light with rich black fruit flavors. juicy at the front and good dryness at the end. i would even through the word velvety in there.  overall very well rounded. 


18$ at safeway (thought it was on sale. i think it usually retails for about 25$)


it would be nice with lamb or even a spicy pizza. 
i would get it again.