Our 59th wine tasting dinner on Friday evening was one of our best ever. We enjoyed the evening with wonderful friends, Mom’s (LaGayle) delicious meal, and a fabulous set of wines. Not only were all the wines good to excellent but they are all outstanding values. Never before have all six wines from one of our dinners received a QPR score of 5 bangs for your buck. If you enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon blends, you can’t go wrong by picking up any one of these bottles.

Unlike many of our previous wine tasting dinners, this set of wines did not hail from any one particular country, state, or region. Three different countries (U.S., Australia, and France) and two states (Washington and California) were represented. The common factor is that all six wines contain some Cabernet Sauvignon. Although, as you will see below, the percentages of Cab and other varietals vary.

Remember, all of these wines are good, but here’s a rundown of the group consensus rankings from 1st to last (regions listed in parentheses):

2004 Sebastiani Secolo (Sonoma County, California): 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec, 7% Merlot, 1% Petite Sirah. Dense, deep purple with aromas of smoke, licorice, and green pepper. Dark fruits and pepper come through on the palate. Well-balanced with smooth tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winerz.com (California), $27.00

2002 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve (Columbia Valley, Washington): 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot. Blackberries and dill pickle on the nose. More black fruits revealed on the palate. Robust, lively acidity, medium to full-bodied, and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: K&L Wine Merchants (California), $21.99

2000 Chateau Moulin Riche (Saint-Julien, Medoc, Bordeaux, France): 60-65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30-35% Merlot, and some Petit Verdot. A mix of barnyard and perfume aromas with a hint of nail polish. Tastes better than it smells. Flavors of mint and blackcurrant. Probably could benefit from decanting.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Our cost, $20.00; unfortunately, no longer available

2004 Peter Lehmann Clancy’s (Barossa Valley, Australia): 43% Shiraz, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. Vegetal aromas and flavors, especially asparagus and green pepper. Some dark fruits emerge on the palate. Well-balanced.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: MadWine (Seattle), $13.99

2005 Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet (Columbia Valley, Washington): Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Much lighter and paler than the others. Aromas and flavors of cherry and caramel. A bit of funk on the finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: WinoWorld (Idaho), $7.38 [2004 is the currently available vintage]; probably can also be found at your local wine outlet

2006 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet (South Australia, Australia): 78% Shiraz, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark fruits dominate. Bold tannins. A little young; could benefit from some more bottle aging.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine Exchange (California), $7.99; probably can also be found at your local wine outlet

“A clue that you’re buying wine at the wrong store: The proprietor gives samples in a Big Gulp cup.” –Malcolm Kushner

First, look for a wine shop, not a supermarket or liquor store that sells primarily beer and hard liquor. Notice the temperature when you walk in the door. Make sure it almost feels a little cool to you. Also, notice whether the wine stock looks fresh, not dank and dusty.

Ideally the shop will organize its wines by country or region or varietal. Ask the wine steward what their system is for displaying wines. That will also give you a clue as to whether the staff really knows wine and can answer questions intelligently. Fortunately, many independent wine shops are owned and managed by bright wine enthusiasts who could be making a lot more money elsewhere but simply love working in the wine industry. (Photo by booleansplit)

Suggestion: Start with one section of the shop (Australian Shiraz, Washington Cabernet Sauvignon, California Zinfandel, or whatever interests you) and get comfortable with that one type of wine before moving on to a new section. Also, tell the wine steward the price-range that fits your budget and ask when they usually run specials.

Keep in mind that once a wine merchant has “put his money where his mouth is,” he will be tempted to “put his mouth where his money is,” as Andrew Sharp says in his excellent book, Winetaster’s Secrets. In other words, once a wine merchant has invested a lot of money in a particular wine for his inventory, he needs to sell it. Your best protection against being ripped off is experience. Start with some of our recommendations in this blog and then venture out by trying new wines your wine steward recommends as a comparison. Then keep good notes, keep tasting, and see how fast your wine confidence grows.

Also, give your wine steward feedback based on your notes. Don’t just say, “I didn’t like that last bottle you sold me.” Be more specific. Say something like, “That ABC Chardonnay was too oaky and had a buttery taste I really didn’t enjoy.” That way he can steer you in the direction of another wine that you may enjoy more.

Dad (John) and I ventured into Esquin Wine Merchants on Saturday looking to pick up a bottle or two of French Cabernet Franc for the upcoming Wine Blogging Wednesday. While we were there, we were able to taste some more Washington wines and have another excellent Washington wine book signed by the author.

Like last week’s tasting at Esquin, there were two stations featuring Washington wine. We started at the Gilbert Cellars station and had the pleasure to meet Sean Gilbert, general manager and co-winemaker of Gilbert Cellars. Sean is a really nice guy, and he and his family are producing some excellent wines at their four year old winery. Their vineyards are located near Mattawa and Wiley City, Washington, and they will be opening a tasting room in downtown Yakima this June.

Steve Roberts was on hand signing his new book, WineTrails of Washington. This guidebook contains 608-full color pages covering 228 Washington wineries. It is divided into 32 unique WineTrails. It is a beautiful book with detailed information on each winery. You will not find wine reviews here, but you will find winery descriptions, contact information, hours, maps, and more to help you make the most of your visits to Washington wine country. This book should be on the shelf of every wine-lover in Washington and anyone else planning to visit. Also, bookmark Steve’s WineTrailsNW website as he is constantly updating his Washington winery database.

After a nice visit with Steve, we finished up our tasting with the second station featuring the wines of Woodinville Wine Cellars. Overall, we were not as impressed with the Woodinville wines.

Here’s a rundown of the five wines we tasted in my personal order of preference:

2005 Gilbert Cellars Syrah: Luscious black fruits and pepper on both the nose and the palate. Full bodied, velvety mouth-feel, and a lingering, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $24.99

2004 Gilbert Cellars Claret: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot. Dark fruits, particularly blackcurrant, highlight this smooth wine. Well-balanced with light tannins.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $17.99

2005 Gilbert Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Syrah. Flavors of blackberry and licorice lead to soft tannins. Not as robust as most cabs, medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $24.99

2005 Woodinville Wine Cellars Syrah: 99% Syrah, 1% Viognier. Too oaky on the nose. Better on the palate but not very complex.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $28.99

2006 Woodinville Wine Cellars Sauvignon Blanc: Aromas of pear and citrus. Fruit flavors muted by butter and oak.
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $16.99

It seems that many people really place importance on what foods that they have with their wines. I agree that a wine changes in taste with foods that are served with it; however, I personally do not think that one has to go overboard with a lot of fancy gourmet meals to enjoy a good wine. This coming Friday evening we will be hosting #59 in our series of Wine Tasting Dinners. At this tasting dinner, we will be comparing six Cabernet Sauvignon Blends in a single-blind tasting. Single-blind means that we know the varietal but not the individual wines, producers, or prices.

Of course, we always think of red meat with red wine, and at Wine Peeps, we do like our steak—highly seasoned steak! I’ve recently learned that salt softens the tannins in the wine, so now I realize why our steak is so good with young Cab-based wines. I prepare the meat 24 hours ahead of time with an assortment of seasonings and spices, and as a result the wine and steak really do bring out the best in each other.

Here is our menu for Friday night, which is typical for one of our tasting dinners featuring wines with some body and tannins like a Cab-based wine. We’ll begin the evening with a sparkling wine as an aperitif, usually a brut. Then dinner begins with sipping tomato basil soup from a sherry glass. The soup will be followed with a mixed green salad. The main course is a beef tenderloin steak cooked on the grill, green beans seasoned with red onions and roasted red peppers, and rosemary/garlic sweet potatoes. Our dessert will be a German chocolate treat topped with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Below is the dessert recipe:

German Chocolate Pie
From Gingerbread and all the trimmings, a cookbook from the Waxahachie (Texas) Junior Service League, Inc., submitted by Gay DeHay.
(I’ve modified the recipe; therefore, in italics to the right of the original, I’ve put what I do.)

1 stick oleo (1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread—gluten and dairy free. Note: If a regular butter or margarine is not used, be sure to use a product that can be used for baking.)
9 squares or 1/2 package German Chocolate
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour (I use a gluten free flour.)
3 beaten eggs (3/4 cup Nulaid ReddiEgg—egg substitute)
1 teaspoon vanilla (1 teaspoon pure almond extract)
1 cup pecans
Whipped cream (Cool Whip)
Shaved chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine and melt together oleo (buttery spread) and German chocolate. Mix sugar and flour; add eggs (egg substitute) and chocolate mixture. Add vanilla (pure almond extract) and pecans last. Grease pie pan (I divide the batter equally into 8 small ramekins that have been sprayed with Pam and arrange them onto a cookie sheet.) Bake for 25 minutes. Serve with whipped cream (Cool Whip) and garnish with shaved chocolate. Serves 8. If baked as a pie, serves 6-8.

If you’ve never attended or hosted a wine tasting dinner, you ought to try one. They are great fun, and we’ve found them to be a great way to learn more about wine. Next Monday, Kori will give you a tasting dinner report and her reviews and a ranking of the wines from Friday’s tasting dinner.

“Though the Wine Advocate has been bellowing it for years, it is worth repeating: Columbia Crest is the source of some of the finest values in the world. I am awestruck that winemaker Ray Einberger and his team can produce such quality in industrial-size quantities.” –Pierre Rovani, Wine Advocate, April 2006

If you want to just make life simple and not have to take the time to learn about all the different wine producers around the world, it’s nice to find a winery in your own backyard that makes almost everything you might want consistently well and at a price you can afford. For those of us in Washington State, that winery is Columbia Crest. And, the good news for those of you who don’t live in Washington, Columbia Crest wines are readily available nationwide as well. In our own blind tastings throughout the years, Columbia Crest wines have almost always finished at or near the top, no matter what the varietal nor whether we’re tasting reds or whites. And the best part is that they are usually one of the easiest wines on the pocketbook in the tasting.

“The challenge for me is to deliver wines that beat all expectations year after year at all levels.” –Ray Einberger, Head Winemaker, Columbia Crest

The most remarkable thing about the quality that Columbia Crest is able to consistently produce is the volume at which they are producing it. Under Einberger’s leadership, the Columbia Crest winemaking team has produced more 90+ scoring bottles of wine than any other winery in the world. Columbia Crest has several different lines, all of which offer outstanding quality and value: the economical Two Vines (1 million cases per year, retails for approximately $6/bottle), the Grand Estates (750,000 cases per year, retails for approximately $10/bottle), and the Reserve (20,000 cases per year, retails for approximately $25-30/bottle).

I couldn’t agree more with wine writer/judge Bob Woehler who said,

“Few things turn me on like finding a great cabernet sauvignon for under $10. That’s exactly what happened at January’s [2006] Wine Press Northwest tasting of 128 cabs when Columbia Crest’s everyday 2002 Grand Estates placed in the top six of the judging with an outstanding rating. Wine Press Northwest’s ‘outstanding’ rating is equivalent to a gold medal.”

While variety is the spice of life, and we like many different wines from many different regions of the world, you can’t go wrong with Columbia Crest if you need to pick up a bottle for dinner tonight.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Comfort Wines theme of the 43rd edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday. It forced me to take a break, relax, and enjoy one of my favorite wines. Joel of Wine Life Today has posted the roundup summarizing all those who participated. Unfortunately, the Wine Peeps didn’t get much love from Joel. While all four of us participated and each wrote about our experience, he only referenced me and proceeded to refer to me as a “he.” Considering that he has a newborn daughter at home, I’ll give him a pass this time. But if you missed our March WBW post, you should check it out. We each relaxed with a different wine—all of which we highly recommend based on Quality and QPR. In fact, all four are “5 bangs for your buck” wines.

With WBW #43 in the rearview mirror, we can now look ahead to WBW #44 hosted by Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV. During episode #426 yesterday, Gary announced that the theme for the April edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday is French Cabernet Franc. So grab a bottle of Chinon, Bourgueil, or another French Cab Franc and join us on Wednesday, April 2, as the Wine Peeps and other wine bloggers share our thoughts, reviews, and so on. If you’d like to participate, just leave a comment on Gary’s episode #426 with a link to your post or with your review if you don’t have a blog. Just like everything with Gary and his Vayniacs, it should be interesting!

And, finally, one last reminder about the Wine Blogging Wednesday new logo contest. Visit the WBW website for more information or submit your logo idea via email to winebloggingwednesday@gmail.com on or before March 31.

On Saturday, we spent part of our afternoon at Esquin Wine Merchants here in Seattle for a book signing and wine tasting. Paul Gregutt was there signing his book, Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide. This book is an excellent resource for anyone wishing to learn more about Washington wine or planning a trip to Washington wine country. We have read Paul Gregutt’s work for years (in the Seattle Times, Wine Enthusiast, and now this book) so it was a pleasure to finally have the opportunity to meet him.

After having our books signed and visiting briefly with Paul, we headed to the back of the store for a tasting of some Washington wines. There were two stations, one featuring six wines from various wineries and the other featuring five wines from Milbrandt Vineyards. Milbrandt Vineyards is based in Mattawa, Washington, but they will be opening a brand new tasting room in Prosser, Washington’s Vintner’s Village on May 24, 2008.

To be honest, none of the wines just knocked my socks off but here are the ones I liked the best from this tasting:

2005 Seven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley: Blackberries and black currant with a hint of chocolate on both the nose and the palate. Well-balanced and smooth with a medium-plus finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $24.99; Guy du Vin (Oregon), $27.50

2006 Milbrandt Traditions Riesling: Off-dry but not too sweet. Crisp with flavors of peach and citrus.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $11.99; Marketview Liquor (New York), $9.99

2005 Milbrandt Legacy Syrah: Aromas of black fruit and spice. Pleasant and fruit-forward with notes of black pepper. A lingering but slightly rough finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $23.99; Winerz (California), $20.80

2005 Saviah Columbia Valley Big Sky Cuvee: 57% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc. Pleasant, smooth, fruit-forward wine with flavors of black cherry and a medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $35.99; American Winery (Washington), $35.00

Our good friends, Ross of Decanted and his wife Alison, recently hosted the Zinfandel Olympics. Over the course of six weeks, a group of us gathered weekly to taste a number of Zinfandels. The rough format (with a few exceptions) was that in each of the preliminary five rounds, we tasted six Zins, each from a different appellation. Generally, five of the six were from California and the sixth was from Washington or Oregon. Being Washingtonians, we wanted to see if Washington Zinfandels could stack up with California which is considered the “home” of Zinfandel.

We tasted a total of 31 different Zinfandels (26 from California, 3 from Washington, and 2 from Oregon). Last Wednesday was the Championship Round which included the winners from each of the first five rounds plus two wild card entries. Considering that there were only five non-California wines in the entire event, I think that it is quite remarkable that one Washington and one Oregon wine made the Championships as winners of a previous round. While they did not medal in the Championships, they certainly made a good showing. So while California continues to make excellent Zinfandels, I encourage you to branch out and try some Zins from Washington and Oregon as well.

“Zinfandel is immensely successful and popular for all levels of wine from blends to fresh, light versions and to galumphing sticky blackstrap. The best have excellent balance, a lively raspberry flavor and seem to mature indefinitely.” –Hugh Johnson, wine writer

Here’s a rundown of the Championship Round from 1st (Gold Medal) through 7th place in the group rankings:

GOLD MEDAL
2004 DeLoach Forgotten Vines Zinfandel: Aromas open up and improve the longer the bottle is open. Nice red fruit on the palate. A lot going on in this wine. Smooth and well-balanced with ripe tannins, good acidity, and a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: PrimoVino (Colorado), $27.00

SILVER MEDAL
2004 Turley Pesenti Vineyard Zinfandel: Lots of raspberry on the nose. Slightly sweet aromas. Fruit forward with bold tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine Ranger Cellars (California), $57.00

BRONZE MEDAL
2005 Carlisle “Carlisle Vineyard” Zinfandel: Blackberry and vegetal aromas. Medium body, good acidity, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: J.J. Buckley Fine Wines (California), $49.99

2005 Seghesio Home Ranch Zinfandel
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $36.00

2002 Zefina Zinfandel (Columbia Valley—Washington)
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $20.00

2004 Ridge Vineyards York Creek Zinfandel
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $33.00

2006 Sineann Old Vine Zinfandel (Columbia Valley—Oregon)
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $36.00

To learn more about Zinfandel—the grape, the wine, and its history, check out the ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) website.

“We can compete very favorably in producing top table and varietal wines with any other region in the United States.” –Walter Clore, Father of the Washington Wine Industry, 1969

After traveling over much of the world of wine, I truly believe that Washington State produces great wine and is one of the most exciting wine regions out there. For those of you who are not familiar with Washington State, it is important to note that Washington DC (the nation’s capital) and Washington State are on opposite sides of the country. Washington State is on the west coast of the United States in what is known affectionately as the great Pacific Northwest. From north to south on the west coast are the states of Washington, Oregon, and California.

Pierre Rovani was solely responsible for reviewing the wines of Washington State for Robert Parker’s influential Wine Advocate newsletter for a number of years. He was a keynote speaker at Taste Washington, an annual event put on by the Washington Wine Commission, in 2006. Unfortunately, I was not able to hear him speak, but Paul Gregutt, Wine Adviser for the Seattle Times, recounted some of his speech in one of his articles shortly after the event. According to Gregutt, Rovani told the audience:

“I can tell you that two of the highest scores in the [upcoming] issue go to Washington wines [2002 and 2003 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignons received perfect scores of 100 points]. Across the board, expensive to value, Washington leads the pack. I think Washington’s growers are at the peak of their profession. The vineyards are making incredible fruit. The future is unbelievably bright. We’re not talking potential. You’ve achieved it.”

Rovani went on to speak about the quality of Washington Cabernet Sauvignon, calling it “the best in the world.” He finished by enumerating numerous advantages that Washington enjoys—a perfect climate, great land, and control of water via irrigation.

It was a combination of Washington wine pioneer Wally Updycke’s vision, big money, and a commitment to high quality that allowed Walter Clore’s predictions in 1969 to come true. There are now over 500 wineries in the state of Washington, and Washington is now second only to California in USA wine production. As we’ve stated previously, we started out on our wine journey tasting Washington wines. We liked them then and we still like them now. While many wine critics contend that the best Merlots in the USA come from Washington, and we’d have to agree, our favorite Washington wines today are Cabs and Syrahs.

“The state turns out Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah—and increasingly Cabernet Franc, in a style that has given Washington a distinct identity in the world of wine.” –Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator

We’ll be devoting some future posts to giving you specific recommendations on Washington wines in coming weeks and months.

Also, this year’s Taste Washington is coming up on April 5 and 6 in Seattle. April 5 is education day with a number of seminars led by wine industry professionals at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center, and April 6 is the Grand Tasting at Qwest Field Event Center featuring a host of Washington wineries and restaurants. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the Taste Washington website.

Over the years, I have tried a number of Chardonnays. Truth be known, it might have been the first wine that I ever tasted. Since it is generally the white wine offered at banquets, weddings, and the like, there is a good chance that it was the first white wine that you tasted too. Even so, as I’ve mentioned before, I am not a fan of Chardonnay, especially very buttery, oaky Chardonnay which is the most common style in the United States.

This story by Lynn Hoffman sums up the irony of Chardonnay:

“At a wine tasting, I asked the nice young sommelier with the perfectly shaven head what he thought of Chardonnay. He pursed his lips and said, ‘I sell a lot of Chardonnay, but I never drink it.’ He drew out the word ‘never’ to make sure I understood.

At a charity dinner, I asked a beautiful brunette the same question. ‘Chardonnay,’ she said. ‘It reminds me of my ex-sister-in-law.’ How’s that? ‘Boring and a little bit sour.’

I asked the man in the wine shop what his best selling variety is. ‘Chardonnay, hands down.’”

So what’s going on? Why are all these people buying Chardonnay, even those who don’t really like Chardonnay? I believe many wine consumers buy Chardonnay because they think they’re supposed to buy it. It’s what they think knowledgeable, sophisticated white wine drinkers buy. Maybe it is, if you are talking about high-end White Burgundy (Chardonnay) from France that most of us cannot afford on a regular basis. But most of the American Chardonnay I’ve tasted in the mid to lower price range is very mediocre.

One of the reasons that Chardonnay is so common is that it is a very versatile grape that grows well in many places throughout the world. Chardonnay grapes themselves have fairly neutral flavors which is why I believe many winemakers tend to over-oak their Chardonnays in an effort to get something out of them.

While Chardonnay may be known as the Queen of white grapes, I believe that there are a number of other white varietals that have more to offer the average white wine drinker.

With all that said, I am happy to report that I have finally found a Chardonnay that I like, the 2006 Yalumba Y Series Unwooded Chardonnay from Australia. The key for me is the “unwooded” part. Without oak aging, Yalumba is forced to be more diligent in their winemaking to capture the true flavors of the grape.

From the Yalumba website:

“Our unwooded chardonnay style is captured by picking the grapes when the flavours are fresh and lively, and the vineyards chosen for making this wine are those possessing lifted tropical flavours.”

2006 Yalumba Y Series Unwooded Chardonnay: Bright with tropical fruit aromas. Refreshing, pineapple and grapefruit flavors, crisp acidity, and a nice, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: WebWine.com (California), $9.90