Monday, July 30, 2007

Preston of Dry Creek Zinfandel - 2004

This is a wine that we received as a wedding gift! "Preston" is a family name for the Wine Guy, so this was an extra special gift. We also received a Preston Sauvignon Blanc, which was excellent, but unfortunately we were still too lost in wedded bliss to write about it. Sorry! Anywho....the Zinfandel. First off, it's important to know that this is an organic winery. I don't know why that is important, but thought I'd throw it in there for good measure.

The Wine Guy and I both agree that this is lighter in its body than most Zins that we have experienced. We decided it's more "medium bodied" than "light bodied" though. Wine Guy describes it as having an "Airy Spice" and I know what he means by that. It has a spice that comes at the end, right as it's going down your throat, but it's not too spicy. Up front the taste is light and fruity - loads of cherry and strawberry flavors, followed by the aforementioned spice. The Wine Guy was crazy about this one! (He did cartwheels in the living room! No, just kidding...our living room isn't big enough for that). I must admit, however, that I wasn't quite as crazy about it as he was. Although it went well with our meal of spicy chicken, Au Gratin potatoes, and corn, it didn't have the velvety richness that I have come to love with so many Zins, such as Rosenblum's. It is great to pair with a simple meal, however, and we enjoyed it as we watched TV afterwards as well.

Date tasted: 7/30/2007
Winery name & location: Preston of Dry Creek, Healdsburg, California
Grape/blend: Zinfandel - Dry Creek Valley 2004 - Old Vines/Old Cloves
Vintage: 2004
Color: medium magenta
Taste: medium bodied, fruity at first, then spicy on the finish
Aroma: fruity and dry - cherry/strawberry
Thoughts/info from wine label: The wine label does not contain any supplemental information.


Below is our rating for this wine:

Wine Gal's Five Grape Tasting Scale: OO 1/2
Wine Guy's Five Grape Tasting Scale: OOO 1/2
Well, it looks as though we don't quite agree on this one. Nevertheless, it's a nice wine and would probably pair with almost anything. Better luck agreeing next time!

Link to winery's website: www.prestonvineyards.com

Thursday, July 26, 2007

So it's been a while...and the Wine Duo got married!


We realize it has been FOREVER since we updated this site....what can we say, we've fallen victims to married bliss! We were married on December 30, 2006, in Bloomington, Indiana. It was a wonderful wedding - fun was had by all. After that we jetted off to Saint Lucia for a wonderful honeymoon, and ever since we've been busy with our jobs, school, etc.

Anywho, we hope to begin updating the blog again. We have consumed so many good wines between last year and now...it's a shame we didn't report on all of them. Oh well... Let us know if you have any recommendations for us!

Oliver Winery 2005 Shiraz


Okay, okay...so we both used to work at Oliver Winery...which can explain why we rate so many of these wines! If you are not from Indiana, so sorry, but this might be a wine you can never experience. If you are ever in Indiana, I highly recommend driving 50 minutes south of Indianapolis to experience Oliver for yourself.

Now, on to the wine description! Right now Oliver has a 2005 Shiraz, which retails for about $10.95 I believe, AND a 2004 Shiraz Reserve, which is a bit pricier at $18.95. Hands down, go for the plain old '05! This wine is a delight that can be consumed on its own very easily. Although you could pair some pasta, burgers, chicken, steak (anything really) with it, it's also fine on its own for a night in watching a movie or simply to sip as you write on your blog. ;)

The bottle describes this wine as, "Deep, dark color and loads of fruit, with a satisfying and lingering texture make this a versatile wine." The description is perfect - it truly is versatile, and while you will taste a rich fullness, you will also taste a great deal of fruit. I personally taste hints of raspberry and cherry. Wine guy describes the nose as "black cherry...definitely" and he tastes a lot of cherry as well. It is medium to full-bodied and has just a hint of a light spice.

This just in - this wine actually received a score of 92 out of 100 from Dine magazine, the highest rated wine of the magazine. Click here to read more.

Date tasted: 7/26/2007
Winery name & location: Oliver Winery, Bloomington, IN
Grape/blend: Shiraz
Vintage: 2005
Color: dark cherry red
Taste: medium to full-bodied, very fruity - raspberry and cherry, and just a light hint of spice
Aroma: very fruity - almost a full black cherry scent
Thoughts/info from wine label: See the quote from the wine label above. This wine has an alcohol content of 14.2%

This wine was consumed on its own - we did not pair it with any food. It was a nice treat to consume while we both worked on individual projects. Very smooth and easy to drink. We'll be purchasing more bottles of this wine for sure!

Below is our rating for this wine:

Wine Gal's Five Grape Tasting Scale: OOOO
Wine Guy's Five Grape Tasting Scale: OOO 1/2
Wine guy just told me that he needs to be more conservative on his voting, so he gives it 3 and a half grapes. I, on the other hand, like it so much I'm willing to give it four grapes. Go out and get some!!

Link to winery's website: www.oliverwinery.com