Tag Archives: sauvignon blanc

Wines Galore

Just had the Decoy Zinfandel this week while watching the Met’s streaming of Don Pasquale at AMC.

We’ve a total of 50 bottles in our wine fridges and barrel now, with some doubles, like Bella’s Garden. :)


A Chicken Rice Thanksgiving

I don’t remember who initiated the idea of monthly cook-outs, but it was inspired. And very fun. So, sometime 4-5 months ago, Kathy, Maggie, Jeff and I decided that we’d cook dinners together once a month, since every time we got together, we just yakked non-stop about food. Thus far, we’ve had fondue, hot pot, beef stew… and this month, we decided we’d celebrate Thanksgiving.

Since we were meeting the Saturday before Thanksgiving, we didn’t really need to stick that closely with tradition. So the main meat of the night was chicken. Hainanese Chicken. :)

We made apple pie for dessert… can’t forget the dessert… nor the vanilla bean ice cream to dump on top of the sizzling hot pie


Boiling the chicken


Pretending to chop the chicken (I did the actual work)


What is dinner without a glass of wine? For this occasion, we broke out the Cloudy Cape Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Deliciously crisp with mouthfuls of green apples… reminds me of the H2O Clearwater Shower Gel I have in my shower… Mmm.

Dinner was yummilicious! And now we’ve realized how easy – and delectable – chicken rice is to make, I dare say we’d be making them on a fairly regular basis. The rice is just too tasty!


Shenanigans of the weekend

Another weekend flew by again, just like that.

Wine – At Fresh, a cosy little Thai/Sushi cafe, right under the Wellington train tracks. The sushi was tasty and fresh, and went down well with the wines that we brought (a Pacific Rim Riesling, and a Groth Sauvignon Blanc – which didn’t stand up to the other two SBs we had this week, the most outstanding being the Duckhorn, followed by a cheap but solidly good Kim Crawford)

Karaoke – large raucous bunch of Q’s friends and friends of friends crammed into a private karaoke bar yelling out songs

Sailing – Sailing with the (hungover) Rs, and K, who was in town for her birthday weekend. Best wind conditions yet (although the Rs might beg to differ)!!!!! It was just glorious to be out.

Hot pot – Noisy hot pot dinner with 6 girls and J. Opened the trusty Nora Albarino, followed by L’s Kim Crawford. The other girls weren’t big drinkers (though K was somewhat uncharacteristically pounding down beer), so we brewed lots of agave-sweetened roasted rice green tea instead

Climbing – K and H joined us at the gym to see what it was all about. Put in three solid hours there… gotta train up for the upcoming trip down to KY

Chinatown – Met up with my new coworker for some Cantonese dinner, even though we were feeling quite stuffed from the whole weekend of feasting

Wine – Strolled over to the Rs, to admire their new deck furniture while knocking back two bottles of chilled white (Terleto Chardonnay – crisp and refreshing, but could do with a fuller body; and the Grgich Chardonnay – oaky, buttery, and yeasty)


Tasmanian Wines: A Tasting Review

The following is a review of the wines we sampled in Tasmania. Some of the notes were written right after we stepped out of the winery; some after listening to our various (mildly tipsy) voice notes. We were not as diligent as we could have been, so in most cases, the notes center on wines we were most taken with, and do not cover each and every single wine that we tasted – around 100.

Moorilla (Hobart)
Jeff: I remember we liked the wines including the Pinots, but came away with the impression that the wines were a little pricey. They definitely are targeting the more upscale market with their erotic art labels. They also have a brewery.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Kelvedon Estate (Freycinet Vineyards)
Jeff: We went with the recommendation of our hostess at The Banc, a cosy (read, less then 10 tables) restaurant in Swansea, when she recommended the Kelvedon without hesitation. It had a beautiful nose. Very good, so much so that we bought another bottle to bring back to share.

Milton (Freycinet)
Didn’t think too much of the wines there. The pinots were a little disappointing ESP after the amazing kelvedon Pinot we had with dinner at the banc. The one wine I liked from Milton was the gerwurtz.

Jeff: This was definitely the biggest letdown of the trip, luckily it came at the start of our wine tasting tour so we forgot we even came here pretty quickly. I think their pinots were pretty forgettable, and whites were ok, but nothing that was too standout, except maybe the Gewurtz had a good nose ( If I forget which wine I liked from the winery the next day, then it probably wasn’t that good ). The lady behind the counter wasn’t too engaging and she was too busy putting scotch tape around the mouths of the stoppers.

Springvale (Freycinet)
Liked the two styles of Pinot from springvale. Bought both. The gerwurtz was not bad as well.

Springvale is reached after a long drive down a dirt track off the highway. You pull up in front of a ‘farm shack’ that houses their tasting room. (edit: Actually according to the website, the cellar door used to be a stable built by convicts in 1842!) There is something about the rustic style of the tasting room that I really like. Springvale is small and family owned, but they seem like they are open to expanding. They had someone who tried to export in the US but without success. One problem with export for them is their small production and their ability to consistently produce the quantity of wines because of the fickle nature of Tasmania’s climate.

I liked their two styles from Pinot. The cheaper, more fruit forward “Melrose” Pinot is the one that they are targeting to sell in Hong Kong. That one is made with second tier grapes blended with Pinot Meunier. Their main estate Pinot is made with the top grapes.

Later on in the trip, we opened a bottle of the Springvale Freycinet Coast Tasmania Pinot Noir 2007 we bought to go with our home cooked dinner of Italian sausage pasta. The wine was amazing, simply amazing. Very very good. Very approachable; soft. Can’t really feel the tannins; doesn’t really coat your tongue. Just goes down really well, very friendly, pairs very well with pasta and spicy sausage. Wine rounds out the pasta. Delicious wine.

Jeff: Very good, very soft, well balanced, good body, soft tannins, strawberries. Very smoooth.

Freycinet Vineyard (Freycinet)
Jeff loved the cab merlot from freycinet but since we already bought two other bottles we didn’t get that. Very few cab Sauvignon around here; they are mostly blended with cab franc or merlot. Suppose that is a cool climate thing. We had a super briny and bright Riesling. Little too tart on it’s own but so beautiful with oysters. Just rounds off perfectly. They also had another riesling that was blended with a german grape: that was just a touch sweeter; good to drink on its own. We also bought the fruit forward Pinot just cos it doesn’t have to be aged as long.

I really liked their two styles of pinot. Both styles were still less fruit forward than the other pinots we’ve tasted. The Louis Pinot is $24 and is a very good pinot at a very good price point. I thought the riesling was ok, but we bought it because it was a little extra tart but we thought that would go well with oysters (edit: it did!).

I also liked their cab merlot. It was really well balanced, full bodied and spicy, with a good strong finish.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Pipers Brook (Tamar Valley)
Giant vineyard compared to the others. More than 20 ha. Tried a whole range of wines. Loved the Riesling – bright with stone fruit and more floral than the Freycinet one. Me like. The pinots were lovely as well. The Ninth Island Pinot Noir was not aged in oak; you can smell the strawberries and some spice. The Pipers Brook was more complex – same nose of strawberries but the oak gave it a more earthy kick. Very nice! Almost tempted to get that but then we tried their blended wines, the 2005 Ninth Island Tamar and the 2004 Pipers Brook. Amazing noses!!!!!!! The latter especially. Ketchup!!!!!! Would go great with fries. Mmm.

Jeff: I really liked their Riesling, made me change my mind on Rieslings in Tasmania. Good nose and good finish. The SB was nice and light. Ninth Island was unoaked, fruit forward, light color but still good body. Pipers Brook Pinot was more complex, oaked, spicy and would pair well with meat. We also loved the blends. The 9th Island Tamar had nice big berry flavors, a light body, and good to taste alone or with appetizers. The Pipers Brook Tamar had softer tannins and a big ketchup nose. We really liked the Pinots and the Tamars, but were more taken with the Tamars so bought the two Tamars.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Jansz (Tamar Valley)
Jansz makes only sparkling. We tasted four of their wines, and even though we were quite impressed, didn’t go away with any. Perhaps sparkling just doesn’t speak to us as strongly?

Non-vintage Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – fresh apple juice.

Rose: faint blush, not as unique on the nose. No oak on the non vintages.

2004 Jansz vintage – can smell the oak on this one. Nose like like orange peel pound cakes. Actually like the chocolate orange truffle we had.

Jeff: The non vintage was very light and nice, I liked it. Vineyard was big, grand and glitzy. I remembered we liked the Vintage the best.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Daryample (Tamar Valley)
Small vineyard. Used to be family owned, but in 2007, the Sundstrup family sold to the Yalumba Group, which also owns Jansz. 2007 wines and beyond use glass corks. :) tried five wines – the SB 2008 was nice and bright with stone fruit. Wasn’t too big a fan of the Chardonnay. It wa ok but not exciting. Well they are reducing their crops of chardonnays and concentrating on the SB which we think are better anyway. Tried the 2005, 2006, and 2008 pinots. The first was very fruit forward and super light finish. The 2006 was a little more subdued on the nose with more spice than fruit but fuller bodied with longer finish. The 2008 had a completely different nose!!! I liked it. We left with the latter two.

Jeff: The SB was well balanced, very good nose ( stone fruit? ), and very good finished. 2005 Pinot had a very fruity nose. 2006 had a much fuller body and a better finish. The nose was more subdued but you get more of the spice. 2008 definitely tasted younger, could age a little more but drinkable now.

They are planning to cut down on Chardonnay production, and concentrate on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noirs. They’re also the only winery in Tasmania that uses glass cork stoppers.

The cellar door was also a pretty stark shack, pretty bare in the interior except for the wine, which is all that matters. We were greeted by this hearty fella sitting on a wooden stool behind the counter; we could have mistaken him for some shopkeeper in a small town except he was selling some very good wine. He was a cool chill guy, cheery, nice guy. It was practically a private tasting because we were the only ones there and he gave us tips on things to do and see along the route.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Delamere (Tamar Valley)
Currently 6.5 ha. The owner just bought a whole ton of cuttings. Planning to expand to 20 ha. Owns 150 ha of land. He has worked in the industry for 9 years including Oregon. Thought their blanc de Blancs was better than the one at Jansz. The Pinot was good but not the best we have had so far. The rose was interesting – floral with a slightly bitter edge. Dined on the property, in the sun with the resident dog and chickens. :)

Jeff: Shane Holloway is the the owner/winemaker here. He struck us as a little rough on the edges, hippy, laid back west coast dude. He’s been the winemaker for 9-10 years, and has worked in Oregon as well. He wants to concentrate on just chardonnay and pinot noir. Bought property 2 years ago. They have a lot of land to expand, only planted a small part of the property. Have new cuttings that they are going to plant. They market a lot through sommeliers and have them come to taste their wines and add to their wine lists. Send some to the UK and Harvard group of students. We had a good experience here because he let us lunch on the lawn with his dog and chickens.

The blanc de blanc was pretty good. Rose was not bad. The chard was ok.The Pinot was ok, not the strongest. But he said the newer plantings should be higher quality vines, the wines from those vines should be better.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Bay of Fires (Tamar Valley)
Five wineries in and my palate is getting tired. About hundred thousand cases max. Liked their Riesling. – well balanced with a good nose. Like their Chardonnay too. Lightly toasted fun nose! Light body. The 2008 Pinot noir was pretty good. Long finish nice spicy and fruity nose but the body was a little on the light side. Tannins were very soft.

Jeff: Mostly white wines. Only red is Pinot Noir. Pretty big winery with 100K max production. They source their wines from all over Tasmania (unlike the smaller wineries) and some of the other vineyards labels use the winery facilities at Bay of Fires. They had a couple of sparkling but liked their sparkling pinot noir / chardonnay. Riesling was very good. Good nose, crisp, well balanced, not too light and watery. The SB had good nose but weak body, very light color almost like water. The Pinot Noir – very light body and color. Good noise, good long drawn out finish but the body was weak and soft. Might be better with age, or not. Lacking in complexity. TPS liked it. Chardonnay was a bit oaky, more oaky than previous chards I’ve tasted in Tassie.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Grey Sands (Tamar Valley)
This winery owned by couple who also have day jobs. Tasting by appointment. We had a private tasting on a patio overlooking the slopes of the vineyard. Amazing view. They don’t make their wines but send it over to the Bay of Fires to make. Everything is pretty much done by hand.

Greysands Romanesque Glengarry Tasmania 2005 – Jeff: Blend of 3 grapes – Touriga, cab franc, cab sauv. Very interesting nose is due to the Touriga grape. sweet bbq smell.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Stefano Lubiana (Hobart)
Jeff: Tasting room is also in their winery building, a big wooden barnyard building. Monique, wife of the winemaker, poured the wines for us. She was really nice and helpful and we had her ship the wines for us to Singapore. Their Alfresco Riesling was very refreshing and light, had a good floral nose. Their other whites – chards, sauv blanc were ok. Given the two styles of chardonnay, I couldn’t really taste too much of a difference. Their oaked version was really oaked very much and wasn’t that complex. Their Pinots were also a bit weak, because I don’t remember them being spectacular, and we were a bit disappointed because the winery had gotten good reviews for their Pinot. But I remember the Merlot being very well rounded and rich and full bodied and being surprised by the quality of it.

Meadowbank Estate (Hobart)
Jeff: Stefano Lubiana recommended we go visit Meadowbank. The vineyard is pretty big (40 hectares) and they have a big fancy tasting room cum restaurant with great views but pricey food. For such a big vineyard we were surprised that they didn’t make their own wines but sent their fruit over to Frogmore Creek next door. They had some pretty good wines. We liked their chardonnay, and preferred their unoaked ‘Meadowbank’ version. Their Pinot, especially their ‘Henry James’ Pinot was very good, very rich and full bodied wine. It was our most expensive bottle too at 49.50. I also liked their regular Riesling. The FGR Riesling was too sweet. They also sell a lot of their grapes to Bay of Fires for sparkling production.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

Frogmore Creek (Hobart)
Jeff: They are also very big, and they have several labels under their control. In addition to Frogmore Creek, they also have the 42 Degrees South Label, the Wellington Label and the Rosalyn Estate Label. They have around 40 hectares (don’t remember if this includes their recent Rosalyn Estate acquisition). They also do a lot of winemaking for other vineyards as a contract winemaker including Meadowbank and Puddleduck. They had a lot of really good wine. I liked their Riesling better than Meadowbank’s. They also had a very good Gewurtz with a really big lychee nose. We liked it a lot. I also liked all three styles of their Pinot. They are all different but good in their own way, smooth, some with more tannins than the other but we decided to buy the Frogmore Creek 2007 Pinot. That Pinot had a little more tannins and a long finish. Their ruby pinot noir port was also very good, less sweet than your normal port. Their cab merlot blend was also excellent.

From 2009 Sep-Oct Tasmania

On wine, reading, and diving

Looking forward to diving in Tioman this weekend. The itinerary looks packed though, with dives from early morning through the early evening. At least I don’t have any night dives scheduled; still need to take my advanced diving for that. I wouldn’t mind a couple less dives in lieu of lounging on a beach chair by the waves with a good book in hand.

Been a while since I’ve picked up a book to read; re-reading Harry Potter and my wine books don’t count. So I stopped by the bookstore yesterday, and picked up 4 books: one on business, and three wine-related books. Hehe. I nearly bought The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It but then saw Bunny Crumpacker’s The Sex Life of Food: When Body and Soul Meet to Eat. Leafed through it – hilarious! So I got that too, along with Hugh Johnson’s Wine, a Life Uncorked and Vivienne Sosnowski’s When the Rivers Ran Red: An Amazing Story of Courage and Triumph in America’s Wine Country*.

Hehe so, even though I may have no wine to drink this weekend, at least I’ll still be able to read about it. :)

Did have some good wines this past week though:
1. Saint Clair Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Marlborough New Zealand
2. Kauri Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007, Marlborough New Zealand
3. Battle of Bosworth Shiraz Viognier 2005, McLaren Vale Australia
4. Atteca Garancha Old Vine 2006 Spain

My uncle (dad’s cousin really), a really youthful-looking dude (such that it’s hard for me to treat him as an uncle, and not a drinking buddy), went out to dinner with our family on Sunday night, and brought along the first two bottles. He’s a wine lover, and drinks quite voraciously, though only whites. He did bring a French red for us that dinner, and though we didn’t have it at dinner, he insisted that I bring it home to enjoy. :) Really liked the Saint Clair; beautifully light, with a wonderful fragrance.

I had the two reds at that said uncle’s place on Thursday evening; apparently it’s a family tradition to keep trading dinner treats back and forth – not that I mind in the least; he’s an excellent cook. The reds were both delightful on their own, but paired with his smoked salmon salad, oyster mushroom soup, and generous slabs of beef, sausages, and sea bass, the wines took on an almost cherry-like sweetness in the mouth. It was incredible, how well both wines paired with the food. Mmm.

*The LA Times on “When the Rivers Ran Red”:

When the Rivers Ran Red’ recalls Prohibition’s effect on wine country
Author Vivienne Sosnowski now has different images of the 1920s.
By Nick Owchar
August 5, 2009

Rivers and creeks overflowing with wine — was it a biblical sign of the end of the world or time for a free drink?

This singular image kept coming up as Vivienne Sosnowski talked to the elder members of Northern California wine-making families — many in their late 90s — about life after Prohibition took effect in 1920. And it’s the image that inspired the title of her book “When the Rivers Ran Red: An Amazing Story of Courage and Triumph in America’s Wine Country” (Macmillan: 256 pp., $26.95).

“When I read how the dumped wine killed plants and orchards, and how fish died, it just boggled my mind,” she said in a recent telephone interview.

“When the Rivers Ran Red” casts light on a less-understood aspect of that infamous period in American history — an era whose familiar images of Prohibition usually don’t include its effect on American wineries.
Continue reading


Wine Out

It’s no wonder I had a raging headache by the end of the evening, and couldn’t read beyond a few pages of my book before I gave up and turned off the lights. I was quite knackered, having been drinking for the past 8 hours.

Good times though, I’m really glad Violet invited me to one of her life-coaching socials. Everyone was friendly, and I had fun mingling around and talking. Amy came too, which was great, since I’ve not seen her since I left Chicago last year. Great wines too – Absolute Wines put together a lovely selection of Chilean wines, and I really appreciated that they took the time to give us a quick rundown on the history of the Chilean wine industry as well as how to taste wine. Had a good chat with the proprietor, Vivian, and I’m looking forward to possibility some DGS tasting with them, especially since they have such a varied and adventurous selections of wine – Slovakian, Israeli, etc. She said that the slowest moving wines in her store was actually the Australian wines; very heartening that there are people out there who aren’t interested in just the safe and famed French and blockbuster Australian wines.

We tasted:
1. Santa Carolina Sauvignon Blanc 2007, Central Valley, Chile
Very light wine, in terms of aroma and body, but with discernible notes of pear and citrus fruits.

2. Emiliana Adobe Chardonnay 2004, Casablanca Valley, Chile
This was a bigger wine, with tropical fruit aromas.

3. Armador Merlot 2005, Maipo Valley, Chile
The nose was very disarming – big, with scents of plums and jam. Very fun wine to drink. I would taste it again in a hurry

4. Emiliana Carmenere-Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Rapel Valley, Chile
Compared to the softer Armador, this one was more structured; you could almost taste the backbone in the wine. Some licorice and chocolate in the body.

5. Santa Carolina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Colchagua Valley
Notes of cherry and black currant, with some bell pepper aromas.

Although the event was only from 2-5pm, time passed by so quickly that by the time Charmain and Janice called me up to find out where I was, it was already nearly 6. I bade Amy and Vivian a hurried farewell and rushed to Fort Canning Park, for our evening out at Ballet Under the Stars. :)

Wow, the park was packed. Thank goodness Janice had arrived earlier to reserve a spot for us. I had just enough space to spread out my shower-curtain (complete with cute little fishes) aka picnic mat. Janice greeted me with a cup of homemade sangria (mmmmm), while Charmaine and Weiqing whipped out the fried chicken and tuna & cheese spread on bagel bits.

Truth be told though, I barely watched the performance on stage. There were way too many heads bobbing up and down in front of me, not to mention annoying little kids who darted in and out between the mats (although for the most part, they were quite polite about it). I could only make out a few of the dancers at any one time, and after a while, I became quite caught up in a wine conversation with two of Janice’s friends who joined us.

Apart from the sangria, we also had a bottle of Rose from Robert Mondavi Woodbridge that Charmain bought, as well as a bottle of Dry Creek Meritage 2006, which was very well received, for its spiciness and chocolately notes. Very, very smooth, and delicious with the chorizo that Janice had lugged back from London. :)


A Tasting of Sauvignon Blancs

I was early  for dinner at PS Cafe on Dempsey (one of my favorite restaurants), so I popped over to Culina’s to check out their wine collection and have a glass at the bar. While there, I chatted a little with the wine clerk at the store, who shared that the owner bypassed the wholesalers and bought the wines directly from the winerys. Which is why they don’t really update their collection (thumbs down in my POV), but the upside is that the prices are very much more reasonable. For instance, they are selling the Cakebread Sauvignon Blancs at S$60, which given the current exchange rate, amounts to US$40. Which is a very comparable price really, given the stiff government taxes on wines here. :)

Anyway, I was in the mood for some Sauvignon Blancs, so I ordered the Torres Fransola Sauvignon Blanc at the bar. It was served to me too chilled (thumbs down). I wasn’t at all impressed with the wine at first taste to be honest. It seemed a little too lemony in the mouthfeel at the finish, only to jump right into a big hot and almost bitter-like finish that went on and on and on. After I had let it sit for a while – and after it had warmed up – it softened some, and became more approachable. I became a little more agreeable towards it then.

But only till I ordered another glass of Sauvignon Blanc, the Seifried Estate Sauvignon Blanc Nelson, New Zealand 2008. this time at PS Cafe. At the very first sniff, my reaction was, eh, no I shouldn’t compromise on the SBs! Now, this was what a good Sauvignon Blanc should taste like: bracing, refreshing, bright fresh fruit – pineapples, lemons, and a crsip finish. Thoroughly enjoyable!

I couldn’t help it; I was on a roll with the Sauvignon Blancs, and I needed something to pair with my coconut crusted sea bass. So I ordered another glass, this time a Sileni Sauvignon Blanc Malborough, New Zealand 2007. Wow, another world of difference! Where the Seifried was like a young, graceful but lively girl, the Sileni seemed like a more mature, sophisticated lady. There was a distinct difference in the nose (I ordered the glass when I still had a little of the Seifried left in my first glass, and I had to wave off two different waiters who tried to clear it after they had given me the second glass). This one didn’t have the bright fruit, but exhibited some stone, minerally notes, along with flavors of grapefruit and a hint of lemon in the finish. Still, I quite liked it, and thought it managed to cut through the corriander and curry in my sea bass quite well.


Hot Wines

It had just rained, but the night was humid. After running around the city to two different hospitals, I was exhausted and in no mood for another social meeting with friends. Got home, rummaged the chiller in hopes of a Gruner Veltliner and found a bottle of Rawen Sauvignon Blanc from Chile Argentina 2007 instead.

I popped open the bottle, and poured my uncle, my brother, and myself a glass each. My brother immediately tipped his down the throat and drank deeply. As per usual, I lifted the glass and sniffed at the wine for a few long seconds before bringing it to my lips. Woah, an atas (Malay word for “high class”) drinker here, my brother couldn’t help commenting. Bleah I hate it when people treat me like a wine snob, but my aunt came to my rescue, having sniffed for herself the distinctly different aromas that different wine glasses can elicit.

I took a sip; my brother was watching me expectantly. Too hot, I said, there’s too much alcohol, I can feel it burning. Huh, burning? It’s not Scotch, my brother protested. We peered at the label – 13% in alcohol, indeed somewhat unusually high for a white. My uncle agreed, I can’t taste anything else of the wine, he said, declining a second pour.

So I’m still feeling dissatisfied. Perhaps I should go in search for more of that delicious Austrian peach brandy.


Wines in Singapore – Sadly Way Overpriced

To go with the excellent, excellent, home-cooked dinner tonight (tom yam bee hoon, roast chicken, sambal stingray, and soup), I picked up a bottle of 2007 Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Back in Chicago, I used to stock this bottle as one of my house wines (the others being both the red and white Skouras Greek wines); at the price of USD$10, it was an awesome, value-for-money wine to go with simple meals at home.

One would think that since Singapore is closer in proximity to New Zealand, the imported wines would be cheaper. Alas, I paid USD$20 for that same bottle today. That’s a pretty sad state of affairs I think, since even the lowest end wines – say Yellow Tail – still cost around USD$15. OUCH.

Also, anyone who could point me out to a good wine store that carries more than just the usual boring array of French and Australian wines???


Wine tasting in Santa Ctuz

So the WSJ apparently wrote about Vino Cruz in a February 15 article on wine stores that focus exclusively on regional wines and what a great opportunity it is for people to taste otherwise unavailable wines from tiny wineries.

I sampled five wines at the store today, and really liked two: the Pinot Noir and the Syrah.

2007 Albarino Bonny Doon – fermented in stainless steel; some heavy melon fruit in the nose. More tasty at the start, the finish just kinds of falls off.

2007 Storrs Sauvignon Blanc – French Bordeaux style with some oak aging. Doesn’t taste green and the finish is rounded and soft. I like it.

2005 Clos Tita Pinot Noir Cuvee – tiny winery with a total production if 350 cases. Hot nose, sting strawberries. Some kind of herby/minty flavors near the end. Full bodied wine, soft and rounded finish. I love the mouthfeel.

2006 Alfaro Family Merlot Billy K – only 60 cases of this wine is produced. Very light wine, especially following the Pinot Noir. The nose smelled a little of oak. Didn’t really think much of this one.

2005 Gatos Locos Syrah SCM – vibrant fruit, spicy finish with a hint of white pepper in the finish. Fun wine to drink!


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.