Wine(o) of the Weak!

I was thinking about what what to feature this week, and realized that I have not done a sparkling wine yet! So here we have Yellowglen's Pink, a sparkling wine from Australia. It is a mix of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes which gives it the pretty pink color of a Rose. Its also comes in Yellow, which is only made of Chardonnay grapes, but come on! If you have to choose between Pink and Yellow, you just gotta go for the much prettier Pink! Its sells for $9.99 and its perfect to celebrate the beautiful sunny weather we are finally able to enjoy!

Wine(o) of the Weak!

Let's pretend for a moment that because its June, that it is warm and sunny day, with perhaps a slight refreshing breeze. Let us pretend that even though it is June, that we are all not still wearing jeans, sweatshirts, and our winter coats. But alas, its is still cold, windy, and rainy. I know this is weather is to be expected for the Northwest, but seriously Mother Nature, you're fired!

Anyhoos, back to pretending. On a really hot day, once it starts to transittion from dusk to evening, sitting outside and enjoying the breeze with a glass of really cold sweet wine is just the thing to cool down. That's what the 2006 Blue Moon Reisling by Bridgeview is perfect for. Its a Southern Oregon wine that is actually sweeter than even most other rieslings. Normally I wouldn't like that, but the blend of flavors in this one meld just right. Plus, at $8.95 a bottle you can't go wrong!

Remember to chill the glass too, like you would with beer. That will keep it cooler longer for maximun refreshment. Or just go ghetto and throw a few cubes of ice in there! I won't judge.

Cheers!

The Wonk

Wine(o) of the Weak!

This week I am featuring one of my absolute faves, the Menage a Trois Red Table Wine from Folie a Deux Winery.



Despite the tres Frenchiness of the name, it is actually from Napa Valley, California. It is a pleasant blend of Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet. It goes for exactly $10, but like I always say, you can always get in on sale for a buck or two less, you GD cheapskate!

Cheers!

The Wonk

Wine(o) of the Weak!

This week's selections is a 2006 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin from California. Its a hefty and satisfying and quite delicious. My favorite pairing is with a pasta with a rich, meaty red sauce. The heaviness of the wine balances out and enhances the heaviness of the pasta nicely. And I am not too big on the pastas, so that's saying a lot.



If you want the fancy-pants review from the site, you can find it here.

So there ya have it folks! Go load up on all the naughty carbs and enjoy!

Cheers!

The Wonk

Wine(o) of the Weak! With Special Guest Star!

This week I decided to mix it up a bit and share with you one of my favorite beers, the Lagunitas Maximus IPA.



IPAs are my favorite when it comes beer, and this one in particular doesn't mess around. It is very rich and has the perfect balance of flavor with the bittersweet edge that is the distinct flavor of IPAs. It comes in a 22oz bottle and packs a 7.5 alcohol level, so its perfect to pop one open and share with a friend.

Cheers!

The Wonk

Wine(o) of the Weak!

This one is an oldie but a goodie. My parents have bee drinking Columbia Crest wine for years and it is the quintessential NW wine. I choose the Merlot this time, no matter what Paul Giamati thinks about Merlots and the people that drink them. I like Merlots, so deal with it Paul! Its a good steady wine, no tricks, which is true for all their wines. Anyway, almost all of Columbia Crest's wine are $9.99, an of course you can always find them a couple buckaroos cheaper on sale.



Cheers!

The Wonk

Wine(o) of the Weak!

This week I decided to try a white wine. I used to think that I did not like chardonnays because I felt they were too rich and oakey. Then I tried the chard from Alice White and fell in love.




Its a little sweeter than most chards, which is why I think I like it. Its also from Australia, and it turns out I have a bit of a thing for Australian wines. And I totally discovered my love for Australian (and South African) wines when I lived in Amsterdam a few years (OK, its was 10 years. Sue me.) ago before it was hip. So there. I am not sure of the exact price, but I know its under $10. I think it runs about $8 a bottle. Click here if you want to read about its fancypants accolades, not just a recommendation from a dedicated wino.

Cheers!

The Wonk

Wine(o) of the Weak!

So here we have it! This week I have chosen the 2006 Shiraz by Red Knot.



Being a Shiraz, this is a pretty heavy wine, but still quite delectable. Its from Australia, and gawd damn if the Aussies don't make some fine wine!

Click here if you want their fancypants "story" of the wine. Or don't. Its Wonk-approved. That should be all you need to know.

Cheers!

The Wonk

And Introducing....(drum roll, please)

I know that at the beginning of my blog I made lofty promises of pics of drunk celebrities, recipes, TV show reviews, etc, and I have failed you on almost all accounts. All I have done is go on and on and on about myself. BO-ring! Unless you count my "Kate and Allie" blog or my "American Idol" blog. Ok, now I feel better. To rectify this, I have decided to add a new segment to my blog called (wait for it...) the very cleverly tiltled: Wonk's Wine(o) of the Weak! This will be posted every Thursday so you have time to run out to get it and get your TGIF wind-down glass of wine on. I will be recommending decent wines that I like that will almost always be $10 or less. I live in the Pacific Northwest, which is rapidly becoming the new Napa of the wine world. I also just a couple blocks from John's Marketplace which is known for having the best and most expansive selections of beer and wine from all over the world in the Portland Area. And don't worry, I am not going to get all snooty and talk about the wine's legs and how it brings to mind summers in Rangun, yadda yadda yadda. Just that I like it.

And so here we have it! The innagural wine is the 2004 Syrah from Duck Pond Winery.

It usually sells for $10 a bottle. I like Syrahs and this is a really good one for not that much. Its very mellow and pretty light. So there you have it.

Cheers!

The Wonk


(See, I told you I wasn't going to get all snooty on you!)