2009 Saint-Peyre Picpoul-de- Pinet Coteaux du Languedoc (France) – Picpoul Blanc grape
From France’s Languedoc, this light white exudes the most appealing citrus flavors & minerality. A nice alternative to Pinot Grigio, it has notes of lemon & grapefruit. A perfect seafood wine, it has an affinity for shellfish! thesavorygrape.com
2009 Bogel Chardonnay (California) – Chardonnay grape
“An amazing wine, especially at this price. Fresh, intense and vibrant, with sweet pea, green apple, melon and honeysuckle notes that are full-bodied, ending with a clean, crisp finish.” Wine Spectator
2008 Gabbiano Pinot Grigio (Italy) – Pinot Grigio grape
This wine has striking floral notes in the bouquet with hints of pear and almond. It’s light-bodied and lively on the palate with flavors of green apple and melon. The finish reveals cool refreshing notes of lemon zest that hit the spot! winelegacy.com
2009 The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) – Sauvignon Blanc grape
Colour: Vibrant with a crisp and subtle green hue. Bouquet: Dried herb and gunflint compliment gooseberry, passionfruit and pungent grassy aromas.
Palate: Lime zest and white floral notes are framed by a structured yet supple mid palate. Mouth-watering acidity with the Awatere’s signature mineral background complete the persistent finish. Food Matching: Panfried calamari with coriander served with sourdough bread. thecrossings.co.nz
2009 Sakonnet Vidal Blanc (Rhode Island) – Vidal Blanc grape
Sakonnet Vineyards has pioneered the production of fine wines in Southern New England for thirty-five years. All of our estate wines reflect the favorable maritime climate found along Rhode Island’s beautiful coast. Vidal Blanc is Sakonnet Estate’s signature grape, a French hybrid able to withstand far colder conditions than we experience in Rhode Island. In addition to being hardy, it is disease resistant and can produce generous yields per ton. One of the hallmarks of the grape is its versatility, as it can be made into dry, semi-dry or dessert style wines and may be aged in either stainless steel or oak barrels. This stainless steel version exhibits silver/white colors and marine-influenced medium-pronounced white grapefruit aromas. It is light-bodied with tangy, crisp acidity. The aromas are consistent with the flavors, which also exhibit mouthwatering lemon and tart peach. The wine remains refreshing through its medium finish with a citrus aftertaste. The 2009 Vidal is an excellent food wine, due to its palate-cleansing acidity. It will compliment cheeses such as cheddar, feta and swiss along with pork and veal. The wine is particularly well suited to regional seafood, including lobster, salmon, swordfish, scallops, oysters, clams and shrimp. It marries well with cream sauces, citrus, garlic, basil pesto, cilantro, rosemary, soy sauce and sun dried tomatoes. Sakonnet.com
2009 Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages (France) – Gamay grape
Everything in the nose is back, with a vengeance. Not overdoing it, just there. Big time. The fruit is very good, with good acidity and a nice, silky, long finish. The pepper lingers in your mouth just as the tannins kick in a bit to tighten up your tongue. We didn’t expect many tannins here since the wine is primarily Gamay. Very interesting for such a popular wine. winewelfare.com
2009 Fairview Goats do Roam (South Africa) – Blend of 72% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 7% Grenache, 4% Mourvedre, 2% Carignan grapes
Vibrant ruby red colour. Spicy red fruit on the nose with hints of black cherry. Medium bodied palate, with good length and structure ending in a smooth finish. Flavours of ripe fruit and sweet oak. Goatsdoroam.com
2009 Villa San Martino Merlot (Italy) – Merlot grape
Soft, light, round and fruity, very drinkable with a slightly dry finish. ortarestaurant.com
2009 Ruffino Chianti (Italy) – Blend of Sangiovese, Cannaiolo, and Colorino grapes
Ruby red color. At the nose Chianti Ruffino features an impact of delicate yet steady flowery notes, with violet in the foreground, as it is typical of the Sangiovese based wines. The bouquet is the characterized by fruity hints of plums which lead towards a lightly spicy finish. Medium-bodied, Chianti Ruffino is characterized by a marvelous freshness that makes Chianti Ruffino a very pleasant and easy to drink wine. Persistent fruity sensations feature a long aftertaste. A young yet historical wine, which can be perfectly matched with a wide variety of traditional Tuscan and Italian dishes. suburbanwines.com
2008 Ravenswood Zinfandel (California) – Zinfandel grape
If you set out to create a classic California Zinfandel, you couldn’t do better than this wine — probably Ravenswood’s single best-known bottling. Made with grapes from every traditional Zin-growing area in the state, it’s redolent with the varietal’s trademark raspberry-and-spice character, backed by enough oak to lend it presence and sufficient structure to give it backbone. In especially ripe years, blackberries and black cherries tend to come forward, while cooler vintages show more charming red-fruit character. It isn’t any mystery that this wine is so popular: rich, full, somewhat soft and altogether delicious, it’s terrific with all kinds of food. The secret, rather, lies within Joel’s tastebuds, which confer a crowd-pleasing knockout every year. internetwines.com Bright, flashy, ripe raspberry, blackberry and vanilla flavors are wrapped around a soft sweet fruit core highlighted by scents of cinnamon. Rated 88 by Shopperswines.com