Hey, Wine Not?

Shingleback Shiraz 2006 (8.5/10) ($15)

Jan 19

Posted by heywinenot in bottle review, wine | No Comments

I had this Australian Shiraz at Red Stone Grill in Cherry Hill, NJ with an amazing applewood fire grilled New York Strip (I highly recommend it if you get a chance.) The wine came as a recommendation from the server and it was pretty good. Wine tip: If you’re in a restaurant and want to try something new, ask the servers. They’ll be trained on the wine list and should be able to recommend something that you’ll enjoy. They may ask what sort of wine you like, so know a grape varietal or two to give them something to work with.

All in all, it passes the Yellowtail litmus test (its better than its yellowtail equivalent). Its got deep fruit flavors and its very well balanced. And it won a bunch of awards in Australia, so it can’t be that bad of a choice.

Shingleback Shiraz

Tags: 2006, australian shiraz, bottle review, Shingle Back, Shingleback, shiraz, Syrah, wine, wine review, yellow tail, yellowtail

Old Vine Bin 50 (9/10) ($12)

Dec 16

Posted by heywinenot in Uncategorized | No Comments

The successor to Old Vine Bin 49, this blend from California of mostly Zinfandel is packed with flavors, bursting with plum and spice. Even smoother than 49, but with less of the spicy bite (whether you prefer more spicy or smoother is a matter of preference). I’m a huge fan of Bin 50 and bought my first case of wine of these bottles.

Old Vine Bin 50

Tags: American Wine, bin 49, bin 50, california, California Wine, cheap wine, cheap wine review, Marietta, old vine bin 50, red wine, red wine under $15, review, under 15, value wine, wine, wine review, zinfandel

Yarden Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (6/10) ($13)

Dec 10

Posted by heywinenot in bottle review, wine | No Comments

This is an Israeli wine from a vineyard near the Galilee, in the northern part of the country. This vineyard has a great reputation for their Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, but this Sauvignon Blanc was… eh. At this price point, it’s really not worth it as a table wine, you can find one much better for $5 less in most bottle shops. This is a Kosher wine, so it’s not a bad option as a gift for your favorite Jew, but I would suggest trying to find the Merlot or Cab. Definitely a better option as a kosher wine than what you will find most places.

Tags: $15 wine, 2006, cheap wine, cheap wine review, galilee, israel, israeli wine, kosher wine review, review, Sauvignon Blanc, value wine, wine, wine less than $15, yarden, Yarden wine

Buying Wine in College Park, MD

Nov 2

Posted by heywinenot in wine | No Comments

I’ve had a lot of people ask me lately about where they should do their wine shopping near the University of Maryland. I’ve put together a short list of my top 3 wine retailers in College Park, MD and why I buy from each one…

1. ?Village Pump Liquors- Village pump is a quick ride down Greenbelt Rd, on the way to Giant and the Beltway Plaza Mall from campus. Village Pump has the best wine selection in the area, featuring selection from the old world (Italy, France) as well a fantastic new world selection (South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, and Chile). Village Pump has reasonable prices and 10% off wine every Wednesday. ?(Bonus: Village Pump has a great beer selection with many microbrews.)

2. Shoppers- Next time you are doing your grocery run, stop into the back corner wine and beer section. While they may not have the wide selection of Village Pump, Shoppers will fulfill all of your Franzia and Yellow Tail needs, along with many other widely carried wineries. They have a nice selection of California wines, but other regions are lacking.

3. #1 Liquors- With decent prices and an average selection, #1 made the list because of their convenience. With the closest location to the campus (right next to the University View), #1 should be your stop for that gift bottle that you forgot to buy. It is also probably the best bet if you don’t have automobile transportation (take the blue bus to/from the View if you don’t feel like walking)

Let me know what you think or if you know of another place that should be on this list.

Tags: #1 liquors, buy wine college park, college, College park, maryland, shoppers college park, umd, umd wine, university of maryland, village pump, wine, wine shop

Citra Montepulciano (8/10) ($11 for 1.5 liter)

Nov 2

Posted by heywinenot in bottle review, wine | No Comments

This wonderful bottle was awesome. Montepulciano has a great rep for going well with pasta and tomato based sauces. The?Citra?did not dissapoint, going beautifully with that $3 can of Prego and pasta at your local store. Great plum flavor with some balanced spice of basil and oregano. This would be my best recommendation for a wine to pair with pasta.

Tags: cheap wine, cheap wine review, Citra, Italian Wine, wine review

Black Swan Shiraz-Merlot (7/10) ($6)

Sep 25

Posted by heywinenot in bottle review, wine | No Comments

Black Swan tends to undercut its main competition, [yellowtail], by at least a dollar or two on each varietal or blend. That being said, there doesn’t seem to be a drop off in quality. Similar flavors to Friday Monkey, this Australian blend has a few simple flavors. Though it did not have much of a scent, there was great dark berry favor from the shiraz and very good plum from the merlot. The fruity flavors compliment eachother well with a smooth finish that features? a little pepper. A good choice for pairing with spicy foods, I tried it with a spicy asian sitr fry.

Overall Rating- 7/10

Black Swan Shiraz Merlot

Tags: Australia, australian wine, Black Swan, Friday Monkey, merlot, red wine, shiraz, Shiraz Merlot, wine, yellowtail

Old Vine Bin 49 Red (8/10) ($12)

Sep 21

Posted by heywinenot in bottle review, wine | 1 Comment

This is an excellent Zinfindel-based blend out of California. It has a beautiful ruby red color, great, deep fruit flavors, and an extraordinarily smooth finish, which is uncharacteristic of a Zin. This is a very versatile bottle that is very drinkable and would pair up well with many meals. I would suggest pairing with a second glass.

Overall Rating- 8/10

Marietta Old Vine Bin 49 Red

Tags: American Wine, bin 47, bin 48, bin 49, blend. Old Vine, california, California Wine, fruity, jammy, Marietta, USA wine, wine, zinfandel

Cavit Pinot Grigio (7.5/10) ($9)

Sep 15

Posted by heywinenot in bottle review, wine | No Comments

Cavit has been my choice of Pinot Grigio for a while now. Every vintage has been good to me with very crisp and dry flavors. The feeling of citrus comes through, but I did not find the flavors distinguishable. I tasted this Italian Pinot Grigio with an apple crisp desert and it was “seamless.” This is an excellent wine to balance out sweetness in a dish, but it is also wonderful on its own. Remember to chill the bottle before enjoying.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Cavit Pinot Grigio

Tags: Cavit, Cavit Pinot Grigion, cheap pinot grigio, cheap wine, Italian Pinot Grigio, Italian Wine, Italy, pinot grigio, value wine, wine

Barefoot Chardonnay (8/10) ($6)

Sep 15

Posted by heywinenot in bottle review, wine | No Comments

Barefoot is a widely available brand of very inexpensive wine coming from California. I was surprised to see such quality at only $6 a bottle; the individual flavors were easy to identify and very enjoyable. First comes a smooth green apple, followed by some light peaches and honeydew on soft finish. Throughout, the wine had a bit of creaminess to it, making it much less likely to offend than a strong red. The balance of sweetness and depth is great, especially with such well defined flavors. I tasted this paired with a chicken breast stuffed with feta cheese and prosciutto, but it is a good pairing decision for any baked or lightly grilled chicken. I look forward to tasting more barefoot, this is a great value and a good buy.

Overall rating: 8/10

Barefoot Chardonnay

Tags: barefoot, barefoot chardonnay, barefoot wine, california chardonnay, California Wine, chardonnay, cheap wine, value wine, white wine less than $10, wine, wine less than $10

The Wait 2008 Torrontes (7.5/10) ($12)

Sep 9

Posted by heywinenot in bottle review, wine | No Comments

This is one of the better whites I have had recently. The nose is very pretty and has a distinctive tart smell; I was pulling out grapefruit immediately with a little bit of pineapple. It has a light and citrus filled mouth feel. The wine tastes of even more grapefruit and a little bit of depth and smokiness. The bottle recommends meats and strong cheeses, but I would add grilled fruits, like a grilled pineapples or peaches. This may just be the perfect wine for that burger with a grilled pineapple slice on top. This wine was enjoyable and a good choice for an uncommon white.

Overall Score- 7.5/10

The Wait Torrontes 2008

Tags: 2008, argentina, argentine wine, argentinian wine, cheap white wine, cheap wine, The Wait, Torrontes, value wine, wine, wine of argentina, Wine under 15

Hey, Wine Not?

Two guys giving wine the old college try

Shingleback Shiraz 2006 (8.5/10) ($15)

Old Vine Bin 50 (9/10) ($12)

Yarden Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (6/10) ($13)

Buying Wine in College Park, MD

Citra Montepulciano (8/10) ($11 for 1.5 liter)

Black Swan Shiraz-Merlot (7/10) ($6)

Old Vine Bin 49 Red (8/10) ($12)

Cavit Pinot Grigio (7.5/10) ($9)

Barefoot Chardonnay (8/10) ($6)

The Wait 2008 Torrontes (7.5/10) ($12)

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