2007 Pink Truck, $11

It's been a while since I've had a chance to post a wine review, mainly due to the fact that my husband and I are in the process of trying to buy a house. If you've ever been through that maze, you know how much time is involved in the process, and how stressful it is. It's a good thing that I have a decent wine supply on hand, because it's really nice to have a glass at the end of those especially hectic days!

With that out of the way, I thought I would tell you about the first wine I've bought on recommendation from a friend/family member, a blush/rosé known aptly as Pink Truck. It's an off-dry (slightly sweet), pinkish-rose-red light-bodied wine from Red Truck Winery of California. I purchased it last month on Wine.com for $11.

It gives off aromas of strawberry, raspberry, orange, white grape, and, of course, alcohol. The same notes are found o nthe palate, with an acidic "bite" at the forefront that gradually resides into pleasant fruit flavors. The finish is decent, but somewhat weak.

This wine has fairly good balance, although I would have liked for it to have had just a bit more sweetness (or a little less acidity)--but then again, it's called an off-dry wine for a reason! The fruit flavors are delicate, but harmonious.

Although I prefer the Canyon Wind Desert Rosé over this bottle, it's still a nice, straightforward rose wine. My mom, whom I shared the second half of the bottle with, really loved this one. It definitely has an undeniably universal appeal, and who wouldn't love its creative and nostalgic label?!

My Grade: ++

2008 Canyon Wind Desert Rosé, $14

Last night, I decided that rather than finishing the bottle of Barefoot Zinfandel, I wanted to try something a little lighter. I had been chilling my Canyon Wind Desert Rosé in the fridge for the past several days, waiting for an excuse to open it. Figuring that the first Tuesday in March was a good enough reason to uncork a special bottle of wine, I did just that.

Let me just say, what a way to celebrate the first hints of spring! This Rosé evoked the sense of warmer days to come, something that I'm very much looking forward to.

Canyon Wind's Desert Rosé is described on the label as a semi-sweet wine, and that it is--pleasantly sweet, with just enough acidity to balance it out. The nose is ripe with aromas of white grape, strawberries, and just a trace of peach. On the palate, there is plenty of red berry (strawberry & raspberry), as well as a touch of peach rounding out the background.

My Grade: ++++

All in all, this is the best rose/blush wine I've tasted thus far. The bright sweetness and berry flavor pairs extremely well with the rosy pinkish-red color...For some reason, most rose wines are always a tad disappointing for me, just because something that is such a joyfully feminine color should be at least a little sweet, in my mind anyway.

Maybe that's just me, but then again, wine is a highly subjective subject. What tastes good to one person may repel another, as with anything else that draws an opinion. I've stressed it before and I'll say it again--just because I may like (or dislike) a wine, doesn't mean that you will love (or hate) it too. I think that should be Lesson #1 in any wine tasting class--"good" wine is whatever tastes good to you, not what someone else hails as "worthy". Lesson #2, and the whole purpose behind this blog: "good" wine doesn't have to cost an arm or a leg, or even a pinky finger. A $100 bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is worthless to you if you don't like the oaky, dry flavors of Cabernet, and a $5 Riesling can taste better than bottles that cost twice or three times as much. It's all about what you like. And finding out what that may be is a process of trial and error, but I assure you that the journey will be as good or better than the end result.

A White Zinfandel & A Sparkling Anniversary

For the past two nights, my hubby and I have eaten off ourbeautiful new ivory Waechtersbach dishware that we received as wedding gifts. The night before last, my mom and "little" brother (who is half a foot taller than I am) came over and I made Arroz con Pollo (A spanish dish--"Rice with Chicken") for dinner. My dad missed out since he was gone on business, but we had a good time regardless.

We ate the chicken and rice, baked beans, green beans, salad, and dinner rolls. I opened a 2007 Clear Bottle Bay White Zinfandel to go with our meal, although my mom and I were the only ones that drank any of it--my husband and brother opted for Coke instead.

2007 Clear Bottle Bay White Zinfandel, $7

I found this White Zinfandel to be just okay for my taste...It wasn't bad persay, but it's not something I'll buy again. As far as White Zinfandel goes, this fit the varietal to a T. It tasted very similar to the Sutter Home version I had over our honeymoon. That bottle seemed to improve after a couple of days of being open, but I'll have to rely on my mom's assessment on this one, because I sent the rest of the bottle home with her.

The Clear Bottle Bay White Zin was acidic first and foremost, and as sweet as it was, it somehow just didn't balance well on the palate. The strawberry flavors were nice, but the fruit tended to be overpowered by the acid as well. Overall, it was a light, zippy (though I'm not sure in a good way) wine that would probably taste better on a hot summer day.

My Grade: +/-

Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto 2008, $25

Last night was mine and my new hubby's one month "anniversary", so I made a nicer-than-usual dinner to celebrate. We ate off our new dishes again (which, by the way, make everything look more elegant!), and opened a celebratory bottle of Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto, which is a (slightly more expensive) sparkling wine from Italy.

My ever-so-helpful husband had to uncork the bottle, because I tend to have a deep-seated fear of things that go "POP" at unexpected moments, i.e., biscuit cans...I'm sure I'll have to get over it someday, but at this point in time, there usually seems to be someone around to enable me =]

Anyway, I poured a glass of the Banfi for myself, then offered a sip to my husband, who as most of you probably know by now isn't a wine drinker. At all. Surprisingly (after some coaxing to actually try it), he didn't make a horrible face, and although he said he'd still stick to his Bud Light, this was the best wine he'd tasted so far. I'll count that as a success any day, even though he went right back to his beer and didn't touch the wine again. Oh well...you can't make anyone love something just because you do, no matter how hard you try!

This sparkling cranberry-hued wine is brimming with fruit, both on the nose and the palate. It's sweet, but not too much so, as it has enough acid to balance it out. Rasberries and strawberries dominate on the tongue, with a touch of rose petals at the back if you take the time to really taste it. You wouldn't think rose petals could possibly taste good, but somehow they do, at least in this wine!

I think while drinking this wine, it would be impossible not to share in some of the joy it imparts. It's bright red, it's fruity, and it's sparkling with carbonation. How can you get more happy than that?!

My Grade: +++

A French Rose: 2008 La Vieille Ferme, $8

This is the first rose wine I've reviewed for this blog, and I have to say it proved to be a worthy one. I bought this bottle at World Market a month ago, and it cost around $8.

This is one of three varieties offered by La Vieille Ferme (the other two being a red and a white), and comes from Rhône Valley Vineyards in the Côtes du Ventoux AOC, which is located near the Côtes du Rhône appellation.

>>Appellation d'origine contrôlée (or AOC, for short) is a French term that certifies that a wine is made from specific grapes from the area stated on the label, and that it is produced in a certain way.

La Vieille Ferme Rose is made from Cinsault (50%), Grenache (40%), and Syrah (10%) grapes. It is a medium-bodied wine that is light red in color, and gives off aromas of red berry (strawberry, cranberry, etc.), grape, and a slightly earthy scent. It has very little sweetness or tannins and is moderate in terms of fruit and acidity.

On a side note, I finally figured out after some time that the word "Récolte" on the label means "crop or vintage," as in "Vintage: 2008", and is not part of the name of the wine itself! That just goes to show that you learn something new everyday, and more so, it seems, when it comes to the wine world! =)

At the onset, acidity overwhelms with this one, but slowly fades away and balances out as fruit flavors appear. In the 30-45 second time frame, harmony is reached as the flavors and acidity balance further, and from 45 seconds onward, this balance continues as the flavors gently reside.

All in all, this rose is a dry, delicate wine that is pleasant but nothing to write home about. It would be great with appetizers, or as a good compromise to offer a divided group of red and white wine lovers.

My Grade: + or ++

(I'm on the fence as far as the grade to assign this one...As I said, it's nothing terribly exciting, but it's also a good, strong, straightforward rose.)

Canyon Wind Cellars Wine Tasting

While we were on our honeymoon, I somehow convinced my husband (the obstinate beer man) to venture over to the Canyon Wind Cellars tasting room in Georgetown, Colorado. Canyon Wind's vineyard is located in Palisade, Colorado, where they produce a wide variety of wines using sustainable (eco-friendly) practices. While my hubby stood by (obviously bored with the wine talk), I sampled several of Canyon Wind's red varieties. Keep in mind that I only had a couple of sips of each and didn't bring my wine journal along with me, so I won't be able to go into much detail about the nuances of each one. Also, since I wasn't able to do a "proper" tasting of these wines, I'm not going to assign a grade to them--I simply don't remember enough about each one.

Merlot
Described by the maker as "One of our most successful and popular wines...The nose has nice scents of cherry and cedar. A medium bodied, balanced red with a soft full mouth feel. This wine is perfectly suited for a picnic or a black tie dinner," this was a fairly straightforward, balanced merlot. Nothing "off" about this one; it was pleasant to both the nose and the mouth. I'm sad I left without picking up a bottle of this one, especially since Canyon Wind only ships within Colorado.

Syrah

"A wonderfully intense version of this popular varietal with a deep, rich color. Coffee and fruit aromas abound. On the palate it is a well balanced, and richly flavored wine with a long finish. Perfect for hearty meats and stews." This wine had a much more powerful quality than the merlot; there was nothing delicate about it. That's not to say it was unpleasant in any way; it would simply require a similarly substantial food to stand up to its intense flavors.

Tempranillo

"This red wine is originally from northern Spain and has now found a home in Colorado. A lighter red with a nose of bright cherry, smoke, and spice." Although Canyon Wind only offers this short and simple description, this wine is arguably deserving of much more. It was a delightfully spicy red wine, and evoked the sultriness of its country of origin. The man behind the counter suggested pairing this one with Mexican or Italian food, both of which I can see this one working beautifully with. This one impressed me so much that I decided to buy a bottle of it to take home, so I'll be reviewing it in more detail in the future.

Petit Verdot

"One of the noble Bordeaux varietals. This wine is a dark, tannic, and rich with exceptionally deep color, great weight and structure. A must try...with great pepper overtones!" Out of all the wines I tasted at Canyon Wind, this one was without a doubt the most interesting one. The gentleman behind the counter instructed me to really take my time with this one, and rightfully so. He told me to imagine what a rose would taste like if it was melted into a wine...And that is exactly what this one tasted like! Now I'll be the first to say that eating (or drinking) a rose never sounded appealing, but against all odds, this wine pulls it off. It was a little too different for my taste, but it was definitely an adventure in and of itself!

Desert Rosé

"Based on our Cabernet varietal, this Rosé has a beautiful youthful color. Bright fruit aromas of strawberries and raspberries burst from the glass. On the palate there is an array of red berry flavors. The balancing acid provides a nice crisp finish making this wine a drink for all occasions." This was the last wine I tasted, and was also the sweetest by far. Marked as Canyon Wind's dessert wine, this rosé was intensely fruity with overtones of red berries both on the nose and the palate. Although it arguably lacked the complexity of the other wines Canyon Wind offers, it had an innocent appeal that can't be denied...I bought two bottles of this variety, one for myself and one as a gift for my mom!