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Circa Pinot Grigio

Here is fun Italian Pinot Grigio that is easy on the pocket. Circa is light & fruity with refreshing citrus, peach and lemon flavors. Perfect with clams by the pool, lighter fare, or just by itself.

When your stressed out from trying to watch 3 kids by the pool while my husband sunbathes, a glass of wine helps me keep my sanity. We had this wine on the 4th and I have to say it was pleasantly refreshing and kept me from dumping my husband off the lounge chair into the pool.

Red Newt 2008

When your married, it is not often you agree on anything. However, here is a really great Riesling that we both agreed on. This Riesling is bright & refreshing with nice apple flavors. For me it was just dry enough to make it work. If  you enjoy an occassional wine and cheese evening, this Riesling  will pair up with any Chedder or Gruyere. Another top quality Riesling from New York!

As usual, my husband has it all wrong. We agree on lots of things because he has learned the "Men's Health" answer to everything "Yes Dear". Now that we have that cleared up, I really liked this Riesling even though it was not as sweet as I'm used to. I'm not much for identifying specific flavors but you can definitely taste the green apple. It results in a refreshing wine that finishes with  no burn or pucker. 

Piqueras Valcanto 2006 Monastrell

This is a very nice red made from Monastrell (Mourvedre) grown in Spain. The wine features lots of rich dark fruit flavors finishing soft and smooth. A great wine for $10!

Now for the simple review.  This is a really tasty red that is approachable even for those who are not huge fans of dryer wine styles. 

Korbel Sweet Rose'

Here is sure winner from Korbel and just in time for Valentines day! Fresh flavors of strawberry & cherry yield a nice but not overpowering sweetness finishing up medium dry and crisp.Nice quaff to have with the lady on V-day.

My husband always sounds like such a wine geek! In simple terms, this sparkling wine is real tasty, nice and sweet but not in a sickening way. Goes very well with fresh fruit. And but the way honey, you better do better then a bottle of wine for Valentines Day unless you enjoy sleeping on the pullout with all of those nice uncomfortable springs in your back!

Ridge Montebello 1997

For a wine lover, one of lifes great pleasures is pulling a bottle out of the wine cellar (or basement in my case) and being blown away. This is what occurred the night when Ridge's Montebello came to dinner. I had a childhood friend come into town, he stopped up after a long day visiting his ill grandmother. We never really get a chance to pull out a good bottle of wine, I figured this was the perfect occasion. We started out the night with a bottle of 1997 Caymus Special Selection which was incredible, probably the best wine I have ever had to this point in life. Amidst good conversation, we polished it off and I grabbed the 1997 Ridge Montebello. This wine is mostly Cabernet with a little Merlot and Petit Verdot. We all took a sip and and just looked at each other in amazement. As the saying goes "some things get better with time" and this wine was at its peak. Delicious dense blackberry fruit, olives & spices all rolled together in perfect harmony! The wine finishes effortlessly with smoothness and finesse unlike anything I have ever tasted. Even my wife who prefers sweeter style wines couldn't believe how delicious this wine was. Finding this wine is darn near impossible and will be painfully expensive. However, if you ever come across it don't pass the opportunity up! Life is short, treat yourself to this unbelievable bottle of wine!

Wow!  This really was an incredible glass of wine! and that says a lot coming from a sweeter wine drinker. Tons of flavor and a smooth as silk finish. This wine was so good that you didn't need any food (although I could imagine how good it would have gone with a nice steak). Too bad my husband didn't have the smarts to stash away a few more bottles of this wine.  

Villa Rosa Moscato D' Asti

For sweet wine lovers, this is for you! A wonderful aromatic wine with delicate sweetness and just enough fizz to keep it honest. We had this sweet sparkler with horseradish cheddar cheese (from LaRaysville Cheese Factory), crackers and apple slices, great match! Also, it is lower in alcohol 5.5%, so you don't feel guilty when you polish off the bottle!
(If you luv cheese, check out the LeRaysville Cheese Factory in Northern PA, about 30 minutes from Apalachin, NY, excellent homemade cheese right in your back yard! LeRaysville Cheese Factory RD 2 Box 71A LeRaysville, Pa.
1-800-859-5196.

Ok, so while Mark is impressed with the lower alcohol content, that is really my only disappointment (ha ha). This is acutally a very good wine. It's different... Sweet, but the fizzy kick keeps it from being too sweet. Goes great with after dinner snacks such as fruit or sweets. (Does anyone else notice that Mark's opinions are always longer than mine...?)

Mellow Max Merlot

I think may people in the wine business forget that not all folks are looking for big, dry, oaky wines. Mellow Max Merlot thumbs its nose at the the wine snobs. This red has a nice touch or sweetness in the mouth but still has a  dry finish like you would expect from a typical merlot. No sour taste, no cottonmouth, jut nice smooth red wine. At $6.99 you can't beat this wine.

How cold we not rate this wine? As we sit here drinking it, Penelope, our bassett hound, sits next to us leaving wet spots  on my leg where her snout was just laying. As the name implies, this is a very "Mellow" Merlot. It's very easy to drink. It has nice sweetness in the beginning but finishes with some dryness. No heartburn after swallowing! If you are a beginning red wine drinker. this is a good choice for you!