2008 Jean-Max Roger Sancerre Cuvee Wine Review

This was my first sauvignon blanc from Sancerre, which is from the Loire Valley and I loved it! For me, I've always loved sauvignon blanc's from New Zealand because I loved their fruitiness. But this was a very polished bottle with a great mixture of tropical fruit and minerality. I felt this was a little too dry on the back of my pallete, but my friend said she loved the dryness.

3.5 Corks out of 5

2007 Aliane Beaujolais-Villages Wine Review

Thanksgiving is over and I think we're all still full. But I couldn't neglect the wine I had. I was at my local wine shop looking for the perfect wine pairing for my turkey. Then a came across a beaujolais and I remember my old boss recommended this type of wine, so I gave this a shot (I was going to with a red burgundy or another pinot noir from Germany). I was pleasantly surprised this bottle, especially since it's been aged for two years. All the beaujolais' I've had were no more than a year old. This was a very fruity wine that balanced the aromas of the turkey and mashed potatoes. I'm very interested in trying they're other varietals.

Aliane Wines

4 out of 5 Coks

When Keyword Insertion Goes Wrong

Kudos to the PPC marketers managing these accounts. Both of you should be proud. You should all know to never use keyword insertion in any ad group with keyword misspellings!

2006 Julius Wasem & Sohne Ingelheimer Sonnenhang Spätburgunder Trocken Wine Review

I never got into pinot noir...I think I felt that was all the hype a lot of wine drinkers say how wonderful they can be. But the more and more I try pinot's not from California the more I like them. Anyway, back to my review. I was blown away with this bottle. The tannins were sliky and offered firm structure with strong hints of cherry. There was was also good balance of fruit, alcohol, and minerality. This is a must drink, especially if you have never tried a pinot from Germany before!

4.5 Corks out of 5.

2005 Chumeia Silver Nectar Wine Review

A friend at work gave me this bottle and I thought this was going to be a semi-dry bottle because those are the types of whites she digs. But to my surprise this was a very sweet wine with 75% torrontes and 25% chenin blanc. When I had my first sip I was reminded of this very good Vouvray I had way back when. I narrowly almost called this a dessert wine. The flavors of honey and peaches are very powerful with a clean and refreshing finish. The one downfall with this bottle is the lack of structure and sufficent acidity, but who cares with a fun wine like this? If you're having a picnic, on the patio on a Saturday afternoon, hanging out at the beach (I live in San Diego) or want to impress a woman with your wine knowledge, this is a bottle you must have!

4 out 5 Corks

2006 Querciabella Mongrana Wine Review

This a very affordable ($15) bottle with 50% Sangiovese with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. Before drinking this bottle I highly recommend you decant for at least an hour. This bottle was meant to be cellared for at least five years before drinking, so if you drink this young you have to decant or the tannins will over power the pallete and become austere. At 13% alcohol this is quite low for a wine of this magnitude, which is refreshing to see a winemaker not making a wine for the likes of Robert Parker who love alcoholic wines and fruit. There were intriguing aromas of herbs, lavender, and dried sour cherries. I highly recommend you find this bottle and cellar it. It will be worth it!

4.5 Corks out of 5

2001 Marques de Caceres Rioja Reserva Wine Review

This bottle cost about $25 at Costco, which is extremely cheap for a 2001 vintage. With 85% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha Tinta and Graciano this is fairly average right out of the bottle. However, after I poured the next taste through my Vinturi Aerator the tannins dramatically softened and became more manageable, but not great. There are hints of dark fruits such as black cherries and plums with spicy undertones, which probably came from the two years of aging in French oak. This is nice wine to have with buffalo burger.

Back to the aerator before I end this post. I was visiting my local wine guy and he showed me aerators for red and white wine. We opened both boxes and couldn't tell a difference. If you're going to buy one, just buy the one for reds. I use mine for whites and works just the same for the reds.

3 out of 5 Corks