Oveja Negra Sauvignon Blanc Carmenère; Maule Valley, Chile

Oveja Negra Sauvignon Blanc Carmenère; Maule Valley, Chile

And to properly welcome spring, this Sauvignon Blanc Carmenère is a nice, light, fun white. The citrusy and tropical sensations of the sauvignon coordinate and complement very well with the soft and spicy flavors typical of the Carmenère grapes. This wine will flirt with your tastebuds and goes very well with salads and spicy chiles.
Bottle- $9.99

Oveja Negra Cabernet Franc Carmenère Reserva; Maule Valley, Chile

Oveja Negra Cabernet Franc Carmenère Reserva; Maule Valley, Chile

A soft, sensual red; the Cabernet Franc Carmenère has beautiful red fruit notes interspersed with hints of blackberries, spices, and slight oak. Subtle tannins also lend themselves to the sheer drinkability of this wine, making it fantastic for either cocktails or a great dinner pairing. Highly reccommended with bacon.
Bottle- $9.99

The Other; Peirano Estates, Lodi, California

The Other; Peirano Estates, Lodi, California

Short for 'This, That, and The Other', The Other is a rich, supple red with a fantastic profile- both in flavor and label. It plays between sweetness of black and boysenberries, robustness of toasted oak, and the sharpness of spice and cedar. This wine is so good, I accidentally broke a bottle of it on the floor and had a strong urge to roll around in it like a dog. Truly a 'must-try' wine.
Bottle- $10.99

Kathken Vineyards Pinot Gris; Willamette Valley, Oregon

Kathken Vineyards Pinot Gris; Willamette Valley, Oregon

 The Kathken Pinot Gris is a bright, fun wine with crisp and flirty flavor. It has a great tarty fruit balance that will dance aromas of gooseberry, citrus, and slight celery notes around your tongue. A warm welcome for spring, this will be perfect for a lazy day flying kites in the sunshine.
 

Bottle- $15.99

Menut Priorat; Martinet Vineyards, Spain

Menut Priorat; Martinet Vineyards, Spain

The Mas Martinet Menut is a big, sexy red reminiscent of the days of lounge singers draping themselves over baby grand pianos. Robust with plenty of plum and fig notes, it also carries slightly smoky hints of coffee and tobacco, lending itself to the classiness of any occasion.
Bottle- $17.99

Clos St. Thomas Les Emirs 2004; Bekka Valley, Lebanon

Clos St. Thomas Les Emirs 2004; Bekka Valley, Lebanon

This delicious Lebanese Red incorporates cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and grenache grapes. 
 
It has a delicious spice and vanilla flavor with supple, melting tannins and a beautiful long finish. Perfect with steaks and other game meat, this is a fantastic dinner wine to impress.
 
Drinks WELL past it's price point!
 
Lebanonese wine?
Lebanon is one of the oldest sites of wine production in the world. In Baalbeck, the ancient Greek city in the Bekaa Valley, the majority of vines are grown. French influence on the country is apparent in the grape varieties most commonly planted: Cinsaut, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Mourvedre, Grenache and Syrah.



Lebanon has 300 days of sunshine a year, and enjoys a burgeoning industry producing award-winning wines for export to a wide Lebanese community now living throughout the world, mainly in the UK, Europe and the United States.

History...
The Phoenicians of its coastal strip were instrumental in spreading wine and viticulture throughout the Mediterranean in ancient times. Annual production of about 600,000 cases of wine. Recently the number of wineries went from 5 in 1998 to over 30.

Sea Mist, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, California

Very polished and racy. The dimension of fruit and oak add complexity to raspberries, cherry and smoky oak followed by mocha and cedar. Good depth, a sustained dark cherry aromatic cedar finish.

Like being first in line at the kissing booth and holding 10 tickets!

Chime, Pinot Noir California

Complex Pinot Noir with notes of raspberry and cranberry. The wine is flavorful, expansive, and great for everyday! 

Pinot Noir is VERY food friendly and this one is no exception.

The ultimate food wine is Pinot Noir!

Why? 

It's a red wine, moderate tannin (tannin is named after Tannat a grape grown in Uruguay) loves meats!

Figs, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries

Leaner meats veal, chicken, turkey, rabbit, any game bird, and filets pork, and duck
Smoked, wood-roasted, braised

Truffles, mushrooms, peppercorns, coriander and horseradish

Vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, onions and peppers

Brie, Camembert, Cheddar, and Jack

Oregon restaurants love to serve Pinot Noir with their prized salmon dishes like wood grilled salmon

Chime, Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, California

Spent a week tasting and picking new Pinot Noir and found some great ones...

Chime wine! 

Fancy:

Anderson Valley Pinot Noir possesses "Northern High bush" blueberry and "Mountain Black" Cherries! Black trumpet mushrooms and freshly crushed leaves swirl with around hugging various fruits along the way.

For the rest of us:

Flavorful, soft, and lush mouth-feel transcending into a long and caressing finish. I do not know which had more fun, me or the wine?