A Wine for Tonight: 2009 Corvidae Crowe White Blend



By Kori ~ May 27th, 2010.

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2009 Corvidae Crowe White Blend from the Columbia Valley of Washington State.

Our selection criteria include:

  • A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
  • A price tag of <=$15
  • Must be widely available

Corvidae Wine Company, located in Sunnyside, Washington, is a relatively new label in the Owen Roe Winery portfolio. All of the wines are produced with Oregon and Washington fruit and retail for under $20. In Latin, Corvidae is the name for the family of birds that includes the crow, raven, jay, and magpie, birds that can often be found in Eastern Washington vineyards. Each of the Corvidae wines feature a bird and literary quote on the label. This line of wines is yet another excellent offering from winemaker David O’Reilly.

“This crisp and delightful White Blend is comprised entirely of Columbia Valley fruit. The Sauvignon Blanc provides a framework of classic fresh cut hay aromas, the Riesling and Pinot Gris balance the profile with tropical guava and peach notes, and the Muscat adds just a hint of orange peel.” –Corvidae Wine Company

2009 Corvidae Crowe White Blend (Columbia Valley, Washington): 48% Sauvignon Blanc, 19% Chenin Blanc, 18% Riesling, 13% Pinot Gris, 2% Muscat. Pale, greenish yellow. Very aromatic with beautiful floral aromas. More floral notes, apples, pears, lemon, and lime come through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish. A wonderful summer sipper, with or without food.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $10 to $12


Filed under: A Wine for Tonight, American Wine, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Washington State Wine, White Wine, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25

Reader's Comments

  1. Vivian Mycroft | May 27th, 2010 at 9:02 am

    Picked up this wine at Vino Volo at SeaTac as I caught a plane to visit family in Honolulu. Had a huge dinner with friends while there and served up this wine. The diners are just beginning to explore wine and prefer some sweetness. This one, even though it is dry, intrigued them and they enjoyed exploring how the taste changed with the different foods on the table. This is indeed a lovely, well-made, wine with lots happening on the nose and plenty of acidity to make it very food-friendly. Strongly recommend it be included in your summer line-up.

  2. Kori | May 27th, 2010 at 9:35 am

    Vivian,
    Glad to hear you and your new-to-wine friends enjoyed this wine. It should definitely be on people’s summer whites list. Cheers!