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.