Gewürz Alexander Valley Vineyards

I'm behind on my club postings. This is a Gewürztraminer grown at Alexander Valley Vineyards, a California Certified Organic Farm in Sonoma Valley. When I first opened this the other night, I was struck by the floral aroma and sweet pear flavor. It had a nice short finish. A day later, the flavors have melded and are delicate & enjoyable.

Definitely keeping my eye out for this one again (or looking to buy more online should SD shipping laws change soon). At $10/bottle, it's a steal!

From the winemaker: This wine will fool you with sweet floral aromas. The 2013 has the classic floral, sweet aromas of stone fruits, pear, rose and a hint of wet stone minerality. The flavors are similar to the aromas highlighted by tropical, spice and grapefruit flavors. I bottle this wine with a stelvin closure and recommend drinking it young.

Shooting Star Blue Franc Blaufrankisch

It's always more fun to drink with a friend. I've been a bit lacking in that department since leaving all my church-going, wine-drinking friends in Billings. So when I was faced with a Friday evening alone, I decided it was time to reach out to a group of ladies in Brookings that may include some wine drinkers: the Girl Scout leaders.

I got a taker and we enjoyed this Shooting Star Blue Franc, some Papa Murphy's Take & Bake and some great conversation! 

This was part of my new wine club, I believe the September group. This wine is fruity, fragrant with a dry short finish. A Sonoma Valley wine, Steele Winery has been around for some time. This wine is made with the Lemberger grape or the "Blau Frankisch", (actual translation, blue grape from France). The wine maker found these grapes originally in Austria, and later as being grown in Yakima Valley in Washington (though apparently no one likes the name of the grape -- reminders of the limburger cheese apparently). The winemaker in this case opted to call the grapes "Blue Franc" and uses the French currency as part of the label -- which is clever and definitely an eye catcher! As someone who will often select wines based on the label, I really like it.

A great, affordable wine! A quick online search shows it selling for around $13/bottle. I will definitely be picking up another bottle.

Shoo Fly Buzz Cut

It has been quite some time since I have had a Shoo Fly wine. I last posted about Shoo Fly in 2011, before I even started this blog. I actually haven't even seen the label in quite some time. But last week, I decided I needed a day off, so I took a vacation day and went to Sioux Falls. I needed to pick up a few things at the Girl Scout store and wanted to check out a different wine store I had heard about: JJ's Wine Spirits & Cigars. Beautiful store, LOADS of selection. Great beer selection as well -- found Big Sky Brewing and picked up a six pack of Moose Drool for Rocky. I was delighted [yes DELIGHTED] to see Shoo Fly!

I hadn't had the Buzz Cut, but decided to try it. The wine is from Adelaide South Australia. This is a cool, crisp white blend [37% Riesling, 32% Viognier, 21% Verdelho, 5% Chardonnay, 5% 

 Sauvignon Blanc]. This has an apple-y aroma with some citrus I can't quite place. Satisfying, short acidic finish.

From the tasting notes: The fruit for Shoofly’s Buzz Cut is sourced from Australia’s premier cool-climate wine region, Adelaide; this region is ideally suited for zippy, crisp white varietals. Shoofly’s Buzz Cut is made in a style for early drinking with the juice undergoing a cool, stainless steel ferment to retain the fresh varietal characters. Buzz Cut is a fresh, vibrant white blend displaying exotic fruits on the nose and refreshing apple and citrus crunch on the palate. Austere Adelaide Hills Riesling combines with exotically perfumed Viognier and tropical-fruited Verdelho to produce a mouthwatering wine offering supple, ripe fruit alongside crisp, spritzy acidity. Dashes of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc contribute a rich mouthfeel and bright, herbal edge.

JJ's also has the Merlot, so I'm sure I'll pick up a bottle on my next trip to Sioux Falls (which will hopefully be for their Riedel glass tasting featuring the wines of David-Bynum (Russian River Valley) and Rodney Strong.

The Naked Grape Red Harvest Blend

Another Cardbourdeaux! This is a great blend: juicy raspberries and plums come out in the flavor and aroma. A robust blend, medium bodied, a beautiful deep burgundy color, I think this would be great with pizza or with a steak.

I love The Naked Grape boxes! Colorful with fun quotes and, well, someone has a great job getting to be clever from the quote! I think I need to "collect" them all. 

The Naked Truth # 3: Being free is nice. Living free is better!" 

From the box: 

Here's the deal – naked is freedom. The freedom to be you while you're singing at the top of your voice in the shower or when you're playing a rockin' air drum solo to your favorite song. In freedom, there's no conforming, no hiding, and no pressure. Take The Naked Grape Harvest Red Blend for example; its unrestrained character is celebrated with smooth raspberry and robust red plum flavors. This Harvest Red toasts the freedom to blend to the beat of our own drum. So let's raise a glass to being free together – honest, real, wonderfully Naked. Bare it all.

Best part? I can enjoy another glass tonight, and another next week, and another the following week!

Prairie Storm, Strawbale Winery

A couple of weeks ago, my mother in law & I decided to take a tour of eastern South Dakota wineries. Rocky had picked up a flyer from a rest stop on our trip to Montana with a map of the SE Winery Trail. Last Sunday, we headed south on I-29 and of course, I forgot the map! So, we decided to play it by ear and go to the ones we could find easily off the interstate. The first one we came to was the Strawbale Winery in Renner SD. Despite having grown up in South Dakota, I don't believe I'd ever heard of Renner.

The winery is set a couple of miles off of the interstate and was a very beautiful drive. We really picked a good day to go. It was slightly breezy, warm. Sunny with large fluffy clouds. Strawbale [called Strawbale because they use bales of straw to insulate their buildings] was having a Sangria Sunday with live music. There were quite a few people there, but it wasn't crowded. I had actually thought it was too bad we didn't bring the girls because they would have loved running around and chasing the cats and chickens.

We walked into the tasting room and looked around at the wide variety of wines. Pretty much every fruit available is made into wine here. A tasting is $5 for 5 tastes and you get to keep the glass. We decided to share our tastings and tried to not double up on the wines! We attempted to keep track of the wines we tasted, but I have misplaced my list. I did have 3 favorites:

Black Raspberry Wine. It is a semi-sweet fruit wine. It wasn't overly sweet as I typically expect in these fruit wines, but had the tart-raspberry aroma. I think this would be a great deck wine, served chilled on a hot summer day.

Brown Cow. This is a blended red table wine fortified with brandy and flavors of chocolate, coffee and orange zest. Tasted like an orange Tootsie Pop. In a good way. This is a sipping wine -- I think this might be really good mulled with some additional orange zest -- perhaps after Thanksgiving dinner.

And now my favorite: Prairie Storm. Strawbale uses cold-climate grapes such as Frontenac, Kay Gray, Frontenac Gris, La Cresent and Valiant. Some are grown in their vineyard and others they purchase locally, which means fresher grapes! Prairie Storm is 75% dry red wine and 25% Black Currant. The tart black currant was a great finish to the dry red wine (which I assume is mostly Frontenac).

I purchased a bottle of Prairie Storm and Brown Cow. Bonnie and I decided we would definitely return to Strawbale and I'd love to take a tour.

We didn't make it to any other wineries. As we had left the map at home, we decided to try Schade winery outside of Volga, but they had already started their fall hours and are closed on Sundays [we missed the wine stomp this year]. So, when we got home, we opened the bottle of Prairie Storm and enjoyed a final glass of the day!

Delish Sauvignon Blanc

I joined a new wine club! While in Sioux Falls in July, we did some wine shopping at the Little Cellars Wine Company. For around $30/month, Nancy selects 2 wines to share. She also provides tasting notes from the winery, a page for your own tasting notes and a recipe selection. I've opted for the Wine 101 level, mostly because the idea of opening a $30 bottle of wine on a Tuesday still scares me a little!

Tonight I decided to open Delish, a Sauvignon Blanc. Today it was warmer than I expected and a cool white sounded really really good. This is a crisp, tangy Blanc with an apple, pear, lemon taste. A beautiful golden yellow color.

I enjoyed this wine. It was refreshing on a warm September evening. I think this is definitely on the list to purchase again -- though perhaps I will wait until spring as I don't think it will go well with the comfort food just around the corner!

Free the Grapes in South Dakota!

The subject is coming around again! Legislators in South Dakota are discussing compromises to allow South Dakotans the freedom to choose what wine (and possible other alcoholic drinks) they want to have available to them.

I have nothing against wine and liquor stores working with wholesalers on what to stock on their shelves. I encourage it! The wholesalers give these stores, and consumers, the best bang for their buck. They will open the doors to new and exciting choices, from established wineries and will continue to stock the old favorites, so you know you can pick up your favorite bottle. But what about the consumer in a small town with limited access?

I live in Brookings. A medium sized town. We have a few options for purchasing bottles of wine: Wal-Mart and Hy-Vee each have a small section for wines; the city of Brookings owns the liquor store with the best selection; and the Pheasant Restaurant, which offers some amazing selections when I'm looking for a true splurge (Chateau Montelena, anyone? Great wine, but at $50 a bottle, I'm probably not picking up too many). These 4 options definitely keep my wine fridge filled, and now that I'm participating in the Little Cellars Wine Company Wine of the Month Club, I shouldn't want for a bottle of wine to enjoy any night of the week.

But (of course there is a but), since leaving Virginia, I haven't had a single Virginian wine. Simply because it isn't cost effective for retail stores to work with the smaller wineries to keep bottles on the shelves. They need wine that is going to move! And I understand. I get it, really. But why should this prevent me from ordering my choices directly from the winery? I'm willing to pay a little extra to Chateau Morrisette in order to enjoy a bottle (or 2) of Our Dog Blue a couple of times a year. This is a win-win-win: I get the wine I want, the winery has a couple more sales each year and SD brings in some revenue.

The current compromise would require wineries to register with the state and pay some of the taxes that wholesalers currently pay. More details are in the Argus Leader story.

I'm hopeful the state will be able to come up with a compromise. This seems to be a good compromise from this consumers point of view. Of course, I guess I could attempt to get a job as a wholesaler and get my choices into the stores that way (anyone know how I go about applying?)

Wanderlust White, Outdoor Vino

A couple of years ago, my good wine buddy Diane introduced me to Outdoor Vino (part of the Naked Winery), which she found on a trip to her brother's in Rapid City (they have tasting rooms in Hill City & Custer, SD -- perhaps next summer, we'll make a trip to the Black Hills & visit them!. The plastic bottle is unusual, and is keeping with my willingness to try wines in vessels other than the traditional glass bottle. The plastic is light weight and recyclable (which is great as we have curbside recycling here in Brookings).

I haven't been able to find any Outdoor Vino in Brookings but finally found it at my new favorite wine store in Sioux Falls (Little Cellars Wine Company -- more on them later as I recently signed up for their club). Last trip to SF, I picked up this Wanderlust White, a crisp, slightly sweet wine; a hint of apple and honey, perfect for a warm summer evening on the deck. Or sitting inside watching "Captain America, Winter Soldier" because it's too cold to actually be ON the deck this early September evening.

A bottle runs a little under $20. Great value. I plan to contine picking up bottles each trip!

Cameron Hughes Chardonnay Lot 216

There's a lot going in here. Mostly Chardonnay, it also blends Pinot Blanc, Riesling & Muscat for a complex nose and finish. Aromas of stone fruits like nectarines and peaches. A bit oakier than I usually like, but it is bright & acidic & refreshing. This would have been great with the lobster dumplings I had over the weekend.

Wine & Painting

This seems to be the latest thing: put a bunch of women in a room, give them wine, music, and some paint and basic painting instruction and let the fun begin!

I've kinda put off attending one of these as I'm not all that artistically inclined even though it doesn't really matter and, well, any excuse to drink wine right?

This was at the South Dakota Art Museum, so I was a bit surprised to see Yellow Tail and Fish Eye wines (usually you will see J Lohr wines at events held on campus). I seem to be on a Pinot kick as I chose both Grigio and Noir last night!

The Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio is a nice Grigio. A little sweet, but not overly so. Slightly acidic not too dry.

About half way through the evening, I switched over to the Fish Eye Noir when the Delta Chi guys brought with wine downstairs and they were out of Grigio. This is a fruity noir with a hint of raspberries.

I had a lot of fun with my sister in law and 2 of her friends (and my first night out without Rocky or the girls). We are talking about doing it again the next time Uncorked Creativity is in town.

Cardbeaudeaux Pinot Noir

2 favorites in one: Pinot Noir and Cardbourdeaux!! This is a nice Pinot and well matched with Friday night pizza. I've had the Naked Grape in bottles, so I was very happy to see they have a boxed option! The box is the equivalent on 4 bottles, so at $20 for the box, this is a great deal.

I know a lot of wine "experts" frown at wine in boxes, but I have a hard time blanketly saying no to wine without trying it. Regardless of packaging, good wine is good wine & bad wine is bad wine.

Black Box Sauvignon Blanc

This is a really nice Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp, a little peachy, clean & dry. It was fermented in steel, which is evident in the crispness.

I'm liking the Black Box Wines. Definitely affordable, considering you get the equivalent of 4 bottles in one. These wines are readily available in the grocery store -- and as there's not much selection in this small town, I do believe I'll just try them all!! 

Layer Cake Malbec

I love Mendoza wines & I love Malbec so this was a great choice for me. Black berries, cocoa, & truffles add layers to this fun wine. Layer Cake winery is found in Napa Valley.

I enjoyed this with my meatloaf cupcakes & added a great dimension to the meal. I found this at the local liquor store for under $20. It's a little over my threshold, but as it seems I need to extend that and this wine is fairly easy to find, I'm not calling this a splurge. This is one of those that's hard to stop at just one glass!  "Never pass up a good layer cake." Excellent Advice!

Black Box Shiraz

A few weeks ago, on a night out, I had a wine conversation with our waiter about how box wine has improved. It's no longer just the cheap wine; it's complex, intense, layered, & better for the environment. And of course it IS cheaper. You get the equivalent of 4 bottles in one box.


Rocky & I had a rare kid-free night last weekend and he picked up a box of Black Box Shiraz for me. Black cherries, currants, hints of vanilla and oak, I live that I've been able to enjoy this all week long without worrying about how long I should wait to finish the bottle. At $21.00/box this is definitely affordable and I really want to try the other varieties!

Red Guitar, Old Vine Tempranillo Garnacha

I can't be the only person who selects wine based on the label alone, right? It was a few days before Valentine's Day and I was actually looking for an old vine Zin. Unable to find one, this caught my eye. Fun, colorful label. And typically I do enjoy Tempranilo and Spanish wines so I figured it was a win.

I have to say this is much better the 2nd day. A lite more O2 and the fruitiness really shines through. A bit dry, smooth finish. Fruity. Made in what the label calls "New World Style," but it works for these grapes. 

I'd probably pick this up again. They also make a sangria, which would be great this summer!

Conde de Valdemar Crianza

Another wine my dad brought me at Christmas. It's a bit past its prime, but a little oxygen & the second day helped refresh it. A beautiful red wine blend, mostly Tempranillo, from the Rioja region. Tastes of plum & cherry, oaky with a short finish.

Not sure how long this sat at Dad's, but a quick Google search showed this would have been best around 2009. Yesterday, I was a bit worried as the bottle had a slight vinegar smell upon first opening. It's not fabulous at this point, but not bad enough to throw out. If I were to come across this label again, I may pick up a bottle. The same google search had the price listed between $9.99 & $15.

Le Grand Pinot Noir

This is how I started & ended my weekend!!

I have enjoyed the Le Grand Noirs in the past. I picked up the Pinot help fill up my new wine fridge (post will be coming) and I had set the temp for reds. This Pinot is spicy, a little mix of cherry & raspberries. It was a great match for my Lindt sea salt chocolate the other night & the mix of popcorn chicken, broccoli and Hawaiian style pizza!

I believe this was around $12 at Hy-Vee, so slightly above my threshold, though I think I need to change my thought process on a "splurge." Finding wines under $10 here without doing a lot of duplication is tricky. The selection in Brookings is somewhat limited and I'd rather not turn this into a blog about just Flip Flop and Barefoot wines (as much as I enjoy them, that would get a tad old).

I would definitely purchase this one again. The Le Grand Noirs are easy, enjoyable & affordable.

Pinot Gris, Lange Willamette Valley

For Christmas, my dad brought me some wine from his collection. This was one. A 2005, I was tempted to keep this as a future gift for Maggie, but Pinot Gris are not known for aging well. At 8 years old, it's not too bad. Quite a bit of sediment, but still has some hints of the label's promise of Asian pear and cantaloupe. It has lost some of the typical Pinot Gris crispness that I so enjoy. The Lange winery ferments in stainless steel barrels, which helps the crispness.

The 2012 version of the Pinot Gris retails on their website for $17. A bit of a splurge, but this older version has me a bit curious. Not sure I would seek it out, but I may pick up a bottle should I happen to see it.