Côtes du Rhône

I've been following @NormalWine on Twitter for some time and have recently started listening to their podcasts when I'm on the treadmill or track. It passes the time better than TV and I usually feel like I've learned something.

Earlier this year, they had a podcast on Côtes du Rhône, which I had heard of but never paid attention to. The podcast was funny and informative -- I learned that this is a blended wine [which I love] so I put the wine in the back of my head, just in case I spotted it ... somewhere ... I really didn't expect to find what I think of as a specialty wine here in SD. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find it at Little Wine Cellar. I couldn't remember labels that were mentioned as part of the podcast, so I bought it and hoped!

Yellow, mellow, fresh & fruity with a hint of sweet. I really enjoyed this more the 2nd day. It's amazing what a little O2 can do for wine. I enjoyed this with chicken and on its own! 

I will definitely pick this up again.

You can learn more about this winery, E. Guigal, just remember to select the English language version. I wasn't able to do that on my phone and was a little frustrated with my lack of French language skills (though to be fair, it has been over 20 years since my last French class!)

Summerland Sauvignon Blanc

It's bitter cold these past 2 weeks. Yet each time I've gone to the wine fridge, I've selected a white: best served chilled and one that makes me long to sit on the deck and watch the sky turn from light blue to deep purple. Perhaps it's my subconscious wishing for warmer weather. Or maybe I'm just grabbing the first bottle within reach.

This is a great Sauvignon Blanc from my wine club. Citrus and apple flavors lead the palate and I can really detect the steel -- especially after the bottle spent the night in the fridge. It's a little harsh with the wine so cold though I suspect the harshness will subside as the wine warms up.

Summerland is a Central California coast winery. They do have a wine club as well, and if South Dakota ever joins the 21st century, this is one I'd love to join!

Protea Chenin Blanc

Butter-yellow color, citrus-y, fresh. I'm enjoying this wine as much as I love the bottle! This Protea Chenin Blanc is a South African wine; the bottles are designed to be reused. I think it is time for me to purchase the bottle pourers I've been looking at for so many years. I think this would be nice for hand soap and would look good in my kitchen window sill.

This wine is easy [like Sunday morning], boasting pear, citrus & honeysuckle; an enjoyable drink. The entire bottle could disappear before you even realize!

I don't drink a lot of this grape, but it's nice. I think it would be better enjoyed on a summer's evening sitting by a fire or enjoying the sunset, but I will settle for drinking it this snowy, dark night listening to Maggie explain the characters in her book.

Brown Cow

Not sure if this is a South Dakota invention -- produced & bottled by Stawbale Winery. Brown Cow is 18% alcohol and therefore best for sipping over the evening. Sold only in 375 ml, it reminds me of an orange Tootsie Roll. It is fortified with brandy (hence the 18% alcohol level) and blended with chocolate, coffee and oranges. A unique drinking experience, one to be savored, not rushed through. This is a very sweet wine and probably not for everyone.

I first tried this when my mother in law & I visited the winery. We both purchased a bottle -- little did I know she was actually purchasing it as a Christmas gift for me! Well played, Bonnie!

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.