For all of you sweet white wine drinkers – this one’s for you!

I haven’t had a white in a while so with summer in full swing I grabbed a bottle of Riesling from Mosel, Germany.  This vineyard boasts that it is in a region filled with steep slate hills that contribute to the fine flavor of this wine because the slate helps the grapes mature in a cooler climate.

The smell is definitely citrusy (is that a word?) and floral.  The flavor is rich with peach and citrus.  The bottle says there is some mineral flavors but I didn’t taste any.  Since I’m a red wine person, I could only have about a glass and a half because of the sweetness.  However, I’ll screw the cap back on and go back to this nice white when I want a cold wine on a hot day.

Recommend:  Yes – if you are a sweet white wine drinker

Price:  Around $8 – $10

Since I spent a week on the West Coast stayed with that theme for me wine I selected a red from Oregon.  This was an impulse buy while grocery shopping.  For around $8 I figured I’d give it a shot and not lose too much. 

This Pinot is very pale in color; “washed out” is how one website described the color.  It smelled like a big bowl of fruit – cherries especially - and I wasn’t looking forward to the taste.  I was pleasantly surprised though after the first sip.  While Pinot Noirs are not one of my favorite reds, this one wasn’t too sweet.  It has some acidity that helped balance out the cherry flavor.  Overall if I had to drink a Pinot Noir, I’d choose this one because it wasn’t too fruity or bland.

Recommend:  If you like less sweet Pinot Noirs

Price: Around $8 on sale

While shopping on the island of Coronado, CA I came across a wine shop called Wine Styles.  This great little shop had a nice wine bar, a great selection of wine by the bottle and a cute retail section with everything “wine”. 

Dale, one of the owners, offered me a glass of wine while I browsed the store so I took this opportunity to taste my wine of the week.  I asked Dale for a bold red and he chose a Malbec from Argentina.  Since I had a Malbec last week, I almost asked for something different. But he spoke very highly of this wine so I took him up on his offer.  I also ordered a cheese plate of seasonal cheeses which went great with the wine.

Since my allergies were in high gear this week, I really could not smell anything other than fruit.  The website says I should smell plums and tobacco.  I think my taste was a little off too, but I did notice a spice in the flavor – maybe it was the tobacco.  I also thought there was just a hint of black licorice in the finish.  There was a nice balance of tannins that made the wine dry, but not too dry.

Recommend:  Absolutely

Price: $15

If you happen to be in Coronado on Orange Ave., swing by and try a wine or two with Dale and his wife.  http://www.winestyles.net/coronado

Friends brought this nice red wine out after a recent cookout.  Unlike most Malbecs that are from Chile or Argentina, this Malbec is from CA and has a very dark and pleasing color. 

We did not aerate this wine but we did use large red wine glasses that allowed this wine to breathe nicely after it was poured.  Berries were very evident in the aroma and I thought I smelled some vanilla as well.  It also had an earthy smell that some at the table described as “musty cheese”.  I didn’t get that aroma, but I guess I haven’t been around musty cheese in a while so I could have missed it.  The website uses “dusty cocoa powder” as one of the descriptors – maybe that was it?

The berries and even some cherry was the first flavor that came through.  The tannins were light so it was not too dry; but it was not sweet either.  I think the vanilla came out in the taste as the wine opened up in the glass.  The winery site says there are some floral  notes in the wine, but I didn’t notice those flavors – usually I don’t like wines that are floral-heavy.  Overall this was a nice, balance red wine that could be enjoyed with a steak, pizza, or even a meatier fish. 

Recommend:  Yes

Price:  Around $10