"Try the Beaujolais! It's richer! And fruitier!" --Cosmo Kramer, Seinfeld

Date Purchased - 11/22/06
Price - under $15
Date Tasted - 11/26/06
Vintage - 2005
Winery - Georges Duboeuf
Varietal - Gamay
Country/Region - Beaujolais-Villages
Color - it looks exactly like Welche's Cran-Grape juice
Aroma - blackberry
Taste - sweet & tart
Thoughts - like, like, like
Food Pairings - spicy mexican, maybe
Website - "Georges Duboeuf is the king of Beaujolais for a reason. His ability to spot a good wine and his marketing genius are the subjects of many an article. Most importantly, though, his wines are good and inexpensive.

Beaujolais-Villages is a simple, fruity red wine from the Beaujolais region of France, produced from the Gamay grape. Nicely drinkable, easy to pair with pretty much anything (I had it with pizza), this is a fun wine that proves not every wine coming from France is for the snooty. Although Beaujolais-Villages works at room temperature, it is traditionally served cooler than other reds, chilled to fifty-two degrees Fahrenheit. Its aroma is of ripe berries with a hint of something else, something floral (violet?)."
from another blog

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Riesling Qualitatswein

Let me set the stage for you. December '05. Carter & I hosted a Christmas Party for our closest friends. This included dirty Santa & wonderful hor d'oeuvre's(that I made). Tommy & Eric come in with their gift for Dirty Santa, it was a Bombay Saphire gift set. They also have a gift for me. A bottle of Riesling that is shaped like a black cat. They tied a red velvet ribbon around the neck with a GIANT, gaudy, fake diamond. I was in love. I had just begun my voyage into the world of wine. At that time, rieslings were my favorite. I liked the sweet stuff. alot. With everything going on before & after Christmas, I didn't get a chance to drink this bottle. Once I had time to uncork a bottle and enjoy it, I found rieslings to be too sweet. I was a little sad, but I didn't want to waste this.

So I kept this bottle.

It moved with me when I moved from Tulsa to Austin. Once settled in our new home, Tina showed me a recipe. Pears & Grapes baked in Riesling and topped with whipped cream. This is the perfect chance to use my gift. We decided to wait until Thanksgiving. This would be our desert.

We slaved in the kitchen to make the perfect Thanksgiving dinner for two(actually we ordered our food from Tuscany Cafe & Wine Bar where I work). We ate so much food and then we were stuffed. We weren't hungry for our homemade desert. We let it cool off, in the hopes that we would be hungry in 20 minutes. But we weren't. We tried it anyways. The grapes were disgusting. The pears, on the other hand, were tasty. We put this in the refrigerator to eat later. We did try the wine also. It was fantastic. Sadly, there was not even enough left for one glass. Was this a waste of a good bottle of wine? Only time will tell......When we eat our delicious pears.

Date Purchased - Dec 2005
Price - gift
Date Tasted - 11/23/06
Varietal - Riesling
Vintage - 2003
Country/Region - Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
Color - light straw
Aroma - actually, it kind of smells like paint thinner.
Taste - VERY fruit forward, no acid at all. super sweet. flavor lasts for quite some time.
Thoughts - its ok
Food Pairings - pears & possibly strawberries

Penfold's Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet

Date Purchased - 11/22/06
Price - under $15
Date Tasted - 11/23/06
Varietal - Blend - Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage - 2004
Country/Region - South East Australia
Color - clear & bright brick red
Aroma - almost nutty. smells very acidic
Taste - sweet, not dry. slightly oaky. lots of pepper
Thoughts - yum
Food Pairings - We had this with Turkey & Ham. It was good. I think it would also go well with BBQ.
Website & Tasting Notes - Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet is very much a reflection of the Penfolds winemaking style and philosophy. Sourced from premium vineyards across South Australia, the wine is known for its full-flavoured style with excellent varietal fruit, firm yet well-rounded structure and balanced oak.
Penfold's Koonunga Hill

Voga Quattro

Date Purchased - 11/22/06
Price - under $15
Date Tasted - 11/24/06
Varietal - Blend - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinot Noir
Vintage - 2005
Country/Region - Italy
Taste - sweet & slightly acidic
Thoughts - i don't like this one
Food Pairings - chocolate
Website - Voga

Peirano Estate's The Other

Date Purchased - 11/19/06
Price - $14.99
Date Tasted - 11/19/06
Varietal - blend, 70% Syrah, 20% Petite Sirah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage - non-vintage
Country/Region -Lodi, California
Color - clear, blood red
Aroma - deep & hearty, flowery???, dark chocolate, white pepper. like Target's brand Choxie's Hot Chocolate
Taste - spicy yet mild.
Thoughts - another easy to drink wine.
Food Pairings - chocolate.
Website - Peirano Estates

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrive

Date Purchased - 11/16/06
Price - $13.99
Date Tasted - 11/16/06
Varietal - Gamay
Vintage - 2006 Nouveau
Country/Region - Beaujolais, France
Color - so red, it looks black; until held to the light.
Taste & Aroma - smells like banana runts. tastes like heaven.
Thoughts - wondeful. better than last year. the smell won me over.
Food Pairings - I had it with pizza. It was good.
Website - Wine Without Rules

Sokol Blosser Evolution #9

Date Purchased - 11/13/06
Price - $15.99
Date Tasted - 11/13/06
Varietal - blend
Vintage - 10th edition
Country/Region - Oregon
Color - the color of an inside of a pear
Thoughts - i love this wine. its better than the 9th edition. smoother.
Food Pairings - had it with some teryaki chicken. wonderful. fantastic with chocolate
Website - Evolution

Date Purchased - August 2006
Price - $17
Date Tasted - 11/11/06
Varietal - Blend, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel
Vintage - non-vintage
Country/Region - Oregon
Color - no debris. dark magenta
Taste & Aroma - delicious, smells like pepper & spice. Can taste pepper, spice & berries of some sort.
Thoughts - I LOVE this wine. Carter and I looked for it EVERYWHERE in OK. We had people checking in CA & TX and they were unable to find it. One day, out of the blue, Carter found it on one of the distributors websites. He ordered the only case they had left. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this.
Food Pairings - choclate. chicken. New York style cheesecake.
Website - Sokol Blosser

Los Cardos - Malbec - 2005

Purchased - October 2006
Tasted - October 2006
Varietal - Malbec
Country/Region - Argentina
Thoughts - Decent enough for a Malbec.
Website - Dona Paula Wines

Vampire - Pinot Noir - 2004

Purchased - October 2006
Tasted - November 2006
Grape or Blend - Pinot Noir
Region - Transylvania
Thoughts - tastes watered down. bad.
Website - Vampire Vineyards

Smoking Loon - Pinot Noir - 2005

Purchased - October 2006
Tasted - November 2006
Grape or Blend - Pinot Noir
Winemaker's Comments - Brilliant garnet color with seductive rose petal green tea aroma. The palate is ripe with heavily extracted cherry and strawberry flavors with a slight astringency akin to pomegranate seeds.
Serving Suggestions - This very generously fruit driven wine is a must with smoked game hen with bitter greens or Wild Salmon with a rich Béarnaise Sauce and roasted beets with a champagne vinaigrette.
Thoughts - Very smooth. Easy to drink.
Website - Smoking Loon Pinot Noir

Sokol Blosser - Evolution #9 - Chill. Pour. Sip. Chill.

Sokol Blosser Winery - Oregon

Purchased - December 2005(haven't yet opened this bottle)
Tasted - November 2005(at Vintage 1740)
Grape or Blend - Chardonnay Blend. 9th edition.
Color - Bright. Clear. Amber.
Taste & Aroma - Smooth & Subtle. Sweet. Dry. Fruity.
Thoughts - My favorite wine so far. Love. Love. Love. Can't wait to try the 10th Edition
Website - "Every new bottling has its own subtle and fresh personality. The 9 grapes tie together perfectly, creating a smooth, layered white wine that can hold its own or stand up to just about any food pairing you dare to serve it with. It is extraordinarily food-friendly, from light salads to the hottest fusion-style cuisine. Regarding the question we're most often asked: 'Were you trying to do this or did your leftovers happen to work well together?' We'll let the success of Evolution speak for itself."

Voga - Pinot Grigio

Veneto, Italy

Purchased - 12/24/2005
Tasted - 12/24/2005, 11/7/2006
Grape or Blend - Pinot Grigio
Color - Light. Bright.
Taste & Aroma - As the website said "Crisp and refreshing, with good fruit intensity up front, all leading into a subtle and soft finish."
Food Pairings - We had this with Christmas Eve dinner. It went very well with our meal. Sweet ham, mashed potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes.
Thoughts - I will definitely buy more of this. It was wonderful
Website - "Crisp and refreshing, with good fruit intensity up front, all leading into a subtle and soft finish. Great packaging and makes a perfect gift. Get in on the new trend in Pinot Grigio."

Opened 2nd bottle on 11/7/06. Still tastes wonderful. May have been able to last another year.

Georges Duboeuf - Beaujolais Noveau 2005

Georges Duboeuf - France - Burgandy region

Purchased - November 2005
Tasted - November 2005, January 2006
Grape or Blend - Gamay
Color - it's actually the same color as my sheets which are aptly named "wine"
Taste & Aroma - I'm still trying to learn how to describe these characteristics about wine. The only thing I'm sure of is that I like it. Alot.

Food Pairings - We had a bottle with Thanksgiving Dinner. Went very well.

Thoughts - A very nice light red wine.  
Website - "Georges Duboeuf says, "I am so bowled over by this marvelous crop that I am convinced of the exceptional quality of the fast approaching vintage."

10 fascinating facts about this wine every wine lover should know
1. Beaujolais [BOE-zjoh-lay] Nouveau is always released the third Thursday of November, regardless of the start of the harvest.
2. The region of Beaujolais is 34 miles long from north to south and 7 to 9 miles wide. There are nearly 4,000 grape growers who make their living in this picturesque region just north of France's third largest city, Lyon.
3. All the grapes in the Beaujolais region must be picked by hand. These are the only vineyards, along with Champagne, where hand harvesting is mandatory.
4. Gamay (Gamay noir à Jus Blanc) is the only grape permitted for Beaujolais. While certain California wineries may label their wine "Gamay Beaujolais" this is not the same grape variety as what is grown in France, and is quite different in taste and growing habits.
5. Beaujolais Nouveau cannot be made from grapes grown in the 10 crus (great growths) of Beaujolais-only from grapes coming from the appellations of Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages.
6. Beaujolais Nouveau owes its easy drinkability to a winemaking process called carbonic maceration—also called whole berry fermentation. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the wine, without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins.
7. Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be drunk young-in average vintages it should be consumed by the following May after its release. However, in excellent vintages (such as 2000) the wine can live much longer and can be enjoyed until the next harvest rolls around.
8. Serve Beaujolais Nouveau slightly cool, at about 55 degrees Fahrenheit-the wine is more refreshing and its forward fruit more apparent than if you serve it at room temperature.
9. Approximately 1/3 of the entire crop of the Beaujolais region is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau.
10. The region of Beaujolais is known for its fabulous food. The famed Paul Bocuse Restaurant is just minutes from the heart of Beaujolais, as is Georges Blanc's eponymous culinary temple. These great restaurants have plenty of Beaujolais on their wine lists. This quintessential food wine goes well with either haute cuisine or Tuesday night's meat loaf."

 

http://www.intowine.com/beaujolais2.html