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!