Vino Keeno, The Grapevine for the Recreational Wino

One of my favorite blogs is Waiter Rant. The anonymous writer is a career waiter in an upscale New York bistro. His writing vacillates from poetic to angry and is always engaging and entertaining. He’s a classic blogger.

Last December, he posted a primer on the ritual of ordering wine in a restaurant. It is aptly named, How to Order Wine Without Looking Like an Asshole. Subtle, no?

Never having worked in a restaurant, I learned a lot about the waiter/customer wine tango from the waiter’s point of view. But I also got busted. It’s right there, shouting out in all capital letters from number nine: DO NOT SMELL THE CORK!

Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is WebWino, and I am a cork sniffer.

I’m trying to mend my ways. Actually, lately I’ve been sniffing the cork to see if I’m smelling wine or cork. And darnit if he’s not right… I smell cork.

What about you? Care to take a stand on your position of cork-sniffery?

2001 Flora Springs Trilogy
$68 at Morton’s Steakhouse

According to the Label:
Tightly focused on a rich, vibrant beam of blackberry, wild berry and black cherry, this wine is intense and concentrated, finishing with firm, ripe tannins and a long, intricate aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Rabbi Tuchman says:
This Meritage is a perennial favorite for my wife and I. It starts out with a pepper and smoky oak flavor but moves into licorice, chocolate and finally ends with a cherry finish. We have never been disappointed with a bottle of this wine. My wife enjoyed it with salmon and it went extremely well with my warm rare steak. Definitely worth the money even if it was above the retail ($49).

The next Wine Blogging Wednesday theme has been announced. Pick a white wine, just make sure that it is “Anything But Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Riesling.”

This is sure to challenge me considering I’m not much of a white wine drinker, and the only ones I’ve liked in the past have been Chardonnays. Regardless, send me your reviews and I’ll get them posted on the next WBW, which is April 12. Cheers!

2005 Bridgeview Blue Moon Riesling
$9 (OK, so we’re big on cheap wines)
[Welcome to the world of the "Recreational Wino!" -WebWino]

“We make wines for what people drink, not for what wine critics write about,” said Bob Kerivan owner of Bridgeview Vineyards in this 2004 article.

Old Jag says:
I’d have to agree with Kerivan. This nice Riesling from Oregon is not too acidic, but flavorful with hints of apple, apricot and grapefruit. Doesn’t hurt that it has been called a “Best Buy” by by the Wine Spectator and the Wine Enthusiast. We keep bottles of this on hand and we’ve always enjoyed it.

d’Arenberg 2004 Stump Jump Red Wine, WBW
10.99-ish

WebWino says:
When I was searching the wine shop for my WBW wine, this one jumped right out at me. No pun intended. As a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre it passed the Rhone varietal test! Hooray! The guy at the wine shop seemed to warn me excessively that this wine was really spicy, so I really didn’t know what was in store for me. Especially since I’m not sure I’ve ever tasted Mourvèdre grapes before.

While I recoginized a peppery taste, it does not dominate the flavor of this wine at all. I find the wine really pleasant, and as it opened up over the evening, the berry flavor became more pronounced. I guess that would make sense considering all three grapes have either blackberry or raspberry attributes. (Thank you Wikipedia!)

Called “the Australian version of a French Côtes du Rhône,” The Stump Jump is made up of 50% Grenache, 26% Shiraz and 24% Mourvèdre.

This wine review is a part of Wine Blogging Wednesday #19, When in Rhone. Thanks to Grape Lady and Wineaux (below) for sending in their reviews as well!

Click here to buy The Stump Jump and other wines online.

2003 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Parallèle 45 Côtes du Rhône Red Wine, WBW
$7.99

Wineaux says:
I had just read about the WBW theme before going out to dinner with friend and spotting this wine on the wine list. I’m not sure if it is cheating to review a wine based on a glass at a restaurant as opposed to the whole bottle in controlled environment, but we decided to throw caution into the wind and each had a glass.

We weren’t sure what to expect, but I can assure you we were both pleasantly surprised. The wine was light and smooth. We agreed that it was a nice non-intrusive flavor. I’d say it can go with most foods, considering my friend combined it with chicken schnitzel, and I with butternut squash lasagna. That might be the litmus test. If it tastes good with schnitzel and squash, it’d taste good with anything.

This red wine is 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. I’d recommend this wine for someone learning to appreciate wine. A nice easygoing blend for starters… or for finishers!

Click here to buy Parallèle 45 Côtes du Rhône and other wines online.

2002 Lions Peak Viognier, WBW
$14.99

Grape Lady says:
I’m always willing to try a Viognier, but they are all different and often I don’t care for them. Since I like a dry white wine with flavor, I think the sweet description on the label is misleading. This almost drinks like a chardonnay with just a hint of sweetness on the finish. It is very creamy and smooth. Goes well with many foods or just to sip.

Label says:
Viognier is a classical French Rhone wine with a perfume aromas of ripe apricots, melons and blossoms.

St. Francis Winery 2002 Red
11.99

WebWino says:
OK, I’ll admit it. I bought this wine because it was an inexpensive red with a neato label. Didn’t hurt that the guy in the wine shop recomended it. Or that the label said “perfect for grilled foods” and we were grilling burgers that night. I know… burgers? I’m not that much of a hard sell, obviously.

Regardless, this was a really good wine. And for the first time, I actually experienced what the label promised. It read: Red is a succlent blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, Grenache and Sangiovese. It is a full-bodied wine filled with luscious ripe red fruit flavors and spicy aromas…”

What I noted while drinking it was “grapey (full-bodied) with a spicy finish.” OK, aromas… finish… whatever.

Party bonus for the label with the red splattered paint look. Extra points for the fact they have 12 different versions of the label. Not too crazy about the synthetic cork although it looked kinda cool because it was black. Also from the “Huh?” files, the web address listed on the label has no mention of this Red wine on their list. Almost like they aren’t claiming it. Oh well, I will.