Smell: A little vinegary, but a hint of sweetness.
Taste: Not a very pronounced taste.
Feel: Is this wine or grape juice?

This is an easy wine to drink. I'd say good for the newbie, but a more seasoned wine drinker wouldn't have much interest. Not to knock this wine, but I think I actually don't like it very much. This is a big step for me. I mean, I've tasted bad wines for one reason or another, but this wine is decent, I just know that it's not one of my favorites. Could I be developing an actual wine palette?

Then again, it's hard to complain with a platter of cheese and crackers in front of me...

Now Using Twitter

I've started using twitter to complement the blog. I guess I can send updates through text messages on my phone. Maybe there will be some interesting stuff, maybe not...

You can see my twitter updates on the right panel of the page.

Review Number Two!

I'm trying things a little differently here on my second review. As you can see, I have a picture of an *unopened* bottle. This is a good start.

Tonight I have a Meridian again, but this time it is a Cabernet Sauvignon.

My first sip (completely sober, I might add):
The tannins immediately strike me as... hmm
Ok, the bouquet is... err...
Alright, I'll be honest, I don't really know this technical lingo.

The wine tastes strong, but not overbearing. It's good stuff. Well worth the $6. Funny story, I actually got this at a different grocery store in town. If you recall, I tried two other Meridian varieties in my first review. I also saved $6 on this bottle. They must be getting ready for a recall or something... Anyway, it went great with the pasta I had for dinner.

That brings me to the subject of pairing wine with food. I'd suggest first trying it with pasta, because frankly, you can't go wrong with pasta (unless you are my old roommate).

I'd really recommend wine with food if you find the wine to be too strong at first. A lot of wine newbies have trouble because wine is a little more intense than beer. Food can really help calm it down. And no, you should not add pop to wine, that's called pulling a "Rew."

Songs About Wine

Sometimes music and wine go hand in hand. Here are three of my favorite songs about wine:

Artist: The Cat Empire
Album: Two Shoes
Song: The Wine Song

The ultimate drunken chanting wine song. Heck, the singer sounds drunk. This song is fast (at times), fun, and catchy. You'll find yourself humming along the next day, if you can remember it...





Artist: The National
Album: Alligator
Song: All the Wine

Cool and calming. Drink wine and feel good about yourself. Maybe a little too good.

You think you're too good for school, but I got news for you... You're not!

Grab all the wine for yourself.


Artist: The Murder City Devils
Album: In Name and Blood
Song: I drink the Wine

Murder City Devils Haiku:

Resist stabbing him
Enjoy hard rock pipe organs
Feel nothing at all


Any songs that I missed?

I'll be looking for more soon.

Wine Review: Bonus Double First Review!

Ok, so I made a huge mistake.

Last week I had two new wines that I've never tried before. It would be perfect for my first review, right? Well, I made the dumb mistake of not writing the review as I was trying them. I didn't even take notes...

Both wines are from California by Meridian Vineyards. One was a 2007 Pinot Grigio, and the other a 2005 Merlot. Unfortunately, all I can recall is that the white was not too sweet, and the red was quite strong.

Let me try to salvage this review.

An interesting point is that I chose these two because I am cheap. Yep, I'm cheap. I looked at the local grocery store's wine selection and quite a few were on sale. These two were the best deal in my budget. They were $6 each on sale and a regular $11. Nothing came close to saving $5 like these two did.

This begs the question, does price have any relationship to the quality of a wine?

Well, usually, but it's not that simple.

I wish I could go to the wine isle and ask myself, "do I want a $3 stomachache tonight or just a $5 hangover tomorrow?"

I am a vino newbie myself, but I have enough of a palate to tell the difference between a merlot from a gallon jug and one from the top shelf. So my advice is this - stay away from the jugs of wine, anything that has "MD" on the label, and anything from a box. Try finding something on sale at the grocery store. Get a notebook or some way to take notes on it.

Wine isn't as simple as red or white.

Oh, and for the record, both of the Meridian wines were good.

Serving Faux Pas