It Gets Muddied and Indistinguishable

I had a lot of wines today. Let me give you the list:

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Wines I had today at NWS:

Latour "Ardeche" Chardonnay

Merryvale Starmont Chardonnay

Estancia Chardonnay

Simi Chardonnay

Clos Du Bois "Calcaire" Chardonnay

Columbia Gewurztraminer

Sutter Home Chenin Blanc

Robert Mondavi Moscato d'Oro

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Wines I had today at Spezia, with Sterling:

* Jewell Viognier

Rosemblum Vintner's Cuvee Blanc

St. Suprey White Meritage

St. Suprey Red Meritage

Sequoia Grove Chardonnay

Sagelands Merlot

* Orogeny Pinot Noir

Sanford Chardonnay

Querceto Chianti Classico

Madrigal Petite Syrah

* St. Hallett "Faith" Shiraz

Provenance Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

Moon Mountain Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon

* Artesa Napa/Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon

Chapoutier Rhone Red

Baroni Fini Pinot Grigio

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I've had a few lately, too.

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Wines I had a week ago at NWS:

Schlumberger Pinot Blanc

Domaine Triennes Viognier

* Ponzi Arneis

Wirra Wirra Riesling

Carl Graff Piesporter Michelsberg

P. J. Valckenberg Liebfraumilch Kabinet (or something like that)

Leonard Kreusch Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese

* P. J. Valckenberg Trockenbeeren

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Wines I had two weeks ago at NWS:

Cavit Pinot Grigio

King Estate Pinot Gris

Luna Pinot Grigio

* King Estate Vin Glace

Niebaum Coppola Sauvignon Blanc

* Brancott Sauvignon Blanc

* Robert Mondaiv Fume Blanc

Ladoucette Pouilly-Fume

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I can't tell them apart at all. At least next week, we'll start in on the reds. Hooahh.

* signifies something I thought was exceptional or caught my interest.

Le Propriétaire

Le Propriétaire

France - Toad Hollow

That's right. Josh and I drank a bottle of this stuff. We drank it right before a party where the main drinks were a keg of Amber Bock, a keg of Woodchuck Cider, and a really old keg of Boulevard Wheat. And a counter full of liquor. And a mini fridge full of jello shots. And countless cases of countless kinds of cheap beers. Beers with names like "Best" and "Ice."

And you know what? I enjoyed this demi-wine more than anything else all night. It actually tasted more like apple juice than the Woodchuck. And despite all its bubbles, it actually made me burp less. I suppose I see it as the one little ray of innocence before all the dark crazy oozed in all around us.

I think I'll buy the last two bottles at the shop for myself. As a historical note, this label and this release is gone now, and has been replaced by a really terrible label in the spirit of Toad Hollow:

Yeah. That's not finding it's way into my store until I've got enough room for Mondoro and White Star first.

Sebastiani Chardonnay

Sebastiani Chardonnay
Sonoma 2002

There's a lot of oak in this chard. I know that's sort of the way things are going, but to me it distracts from what the grapes are actually doing. Everything else about the wine is fine but subdued behind all the wood. I really don't know what else to say. Oak and butter.

7 Deadly

Seven Deadly...Seven Deadly...

I've always wondered if this one was any good, or if it was just a marketing ploy. I mean, come on.

It's good. It's about ten dollars good, not the fifteen that it actually costs. It's full of fruit...the old standard blackberries and cassis found in zins and other juicy reds when I can't think of anything better to say about them. Frankly, it tastes just about like how a zin should, which is interesting and out of the ordinary.

Josh likes it too.

Pölka Dot Riesling

Pölka Dot Riesling
Germany 2004 - Gallo

Expect the release of this German riesling sometime in the next few months. It must not be anywhere yet ... I can't find it's picture anywhere on the internet. It's a new one from Gallo; the cynic in me wants to scream foul marketing ploy (if only the dot on the bottle were red and not pink), but having never had the German Turning Leaf Jo Riesling, I don't really have the ground to make such claims.
The juice itself is standard sweet riesling. Honestly, Gallo did much better with the surprisingly dry McWilliams Aussie Riesling. Polka Dot is drinkable for sure, but offers very little other than one more quirky choice in a German section (can you say Relax?). There's not really any intensity and there's not really any complexity. My friend Josh liked it because it tastes like apple juice. He's the same guy who really digs the cafe zin.
So drink what you like, right? I'd rather not pay $10 for this, but I'd drink it up if somebody handed me a glass.
And the umlaut. What's with the umlaut?

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Edit: Here's a picture I found of this bottle. Apparently it won some design award.

The Start of a Beverage Blog

This blog will be paired with my music blog. I'm not drinking anything right now, so this is really just an obligatory first log post. Thank you.