Hey, Wine Not?

Friday Monkey Shiraz (7/10) ($8)

heywinenot — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:44:52 +0000

This Australian Shiraz has sharp flavors of dark cherry at first and then finishes with some softer berry flavors, I tasted some raspberry. The light tannins bring a delightful tartness without being too harsh. Let this one sit in the glass for a few minutes after you pour it, it evolves nicely with some breathing room. Plus, it looks beautiful in the glass and I highly suggest you swirl it around a bit and enjoy the ruby colors. This is a good selection for an interesting table wine to pair with pasta dishes with complex tomato based sauces or well spiced seafood.

Overall rating- 7/10

Friday Monkey Chardonnay (6.5/10) ($8)

heywinenot — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:28:25 +0000

Not one of the best Chardonnay I have had, but decent for this price point. Like the other Friday Monkey wines we have reviewed, this Australian Chardonnay was very drinkable and smooth. It has a great melon flavor, I found it to be like honeydew. Its a very refreshing white that will be best enjoyed after being chilled in the fridge. This would go well with a fruit salad, but i recommend chicken with an apricot or pineapple sauce.

Overall Rating- 6.5/10

2008 Friday Monkey Chardonnay

The Wait Malbec Rosé 2008 (7.5/10) ($11)

heywinenot — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:52:22 +0000

This is our first Rosé review and the first Malbec Rosé that we have ever tried. We were both excited to check it out. This Argentine has beautiful color in the bottle and in the glass, a brilliant shade of light pink. It smells very sweet in the glass, we found the best way to describe it was candy apple. As per the recommendation on the bottle, we first sipped this chilled and it was pretty disappointing. We waited it out, however, and tried it again at room temperature finding it to be quite enjoyable. We continued to taste the candy flavors, something like a green apple Jolly Rancher with hints of cinnamon. If you like Malbec Rosé, this is worth trying as a value option.

The Wait suggests you try it with salads, pasta, and spicy Asian dishes. We think they were dead on with the Asian dish recommendation. Go for something with ginger, the spices will compliment each other nicely. This was one of the most interesting bottles we have tasted yet, evolving beautifully in the glass. Pour one out and let it sit for a bit, you will be delightfully suprised.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

The Wait Malbec Rose

Asunto de Vino Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (7/10) ($9)

heywinenot — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:43:05 +0000

This Chilean White is a great example of a Sauvignon Blanc. It is refreshing with light citrus fruit flavors and has a crisp finish that goes with most dry white wines. We picked up some lime and grapefruit flavors, a good tartness that goes away with a sweet finish. If you like Sauvignon Blanc, this is a solid value option as a table wine paired well with fish or on its own. I can see it being delightful drinking this chilled while sitting outside on a hot day.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Asunto de Vino Sauvignon Blanc

Friday Monkey Cabernet Shiraz 2008 ~$9.00

heywinenot — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:13:55 +0000

Having recently been introduced to Friday Monkey wine brands, I am pleased with what I have just tasted. Sampling the 2008 Cabernet Shiraz, I can suggest this wine is a solid choice, especially at a sub $10 price point. It offers an excellent introduction to a blend less explored by those new to wines and delivers pleasant flavors and aromas, achieving a good balance between sweetness and depth. It deliverers a nice fruit flavor initially that develops into an earthy dryness as the flavors are processed to counter it. While not a particularly complex wine, it succeeds at what it attempts. I can commend the results of the 70% Cabernet Sauvignon/30% Shiraz blend, picking up on the strengths of each component. Overall, this is a good value and a recommended purchase. This wine would be well suited to serve at small gatherings where fruit and desserts may be served.

Rating: 8.5 of 10 points.

Friday Monkey Cabernet Shiraz

Tobacco Farms Turn Into New Wine Regions in the U.S.

heywinenot — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:02:17 +0000

I read an interesting article that will come out in the Wall Street Journal tomorrow morning about the transition from Tobacco farming since the federal subsidies ended and with increased competiton internationally. Many former tobacco farmers are choosing to start small vineyards on their smaller farms. There are many state-run programs to help farmers with the transition; the article features stories from North Carolina and Virginia. The article also touches on wine tourism in Virginia and the state’s growing reputation from Wine Spectator blind taste tests.

Check out the article here, being a marketing major I found it very interesting.

Wine Tasting 101- Short Video

heywinenot — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:25:28 +0000

A short little video on wine tasting

College Food and Wine Pairing #1: The Burger

heywinenot — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:33:05 +0000

Ever wondered what wines would go well with a burger? We’re going to throw you a few suggestions to try the next time you want to grill with a little more class.

Terrazas Malbec ($10/bottle) (8/10)- This classic Argentinian Malbec has a soft taste with plum flavors. This is an excellent value at $10 a bottle; a great wine to have around for almost all of your drinking needs. It would go great with any grilled red meat, perfect to pair with that burger with grilled onions and ketchup.

Ravenswood Sonoma County Zinfandel ($15/bottle) (7/10)- If you’re into the robust flavors of Shiraz, then you may want to try a California Zinfandel. Where as a Shiraz will wow you with the flashy moves of an agile running back, a good Zinfandel will be the fullback that lowers his head and knocks you on your ass on the way to a hard earned first down. Ravenswood is a quality and affordable Zinfandel producer; their Sonoma County Zin is a little harsh but features great raspberry flavor. Try it with a charcoal grilled bacon cheeseburger or that late night pepper steak dish from your favorite Chinese food place.

Yellow Tail Shiraz-Cabernet ($7/bottle) (6.5/10)- This blend from the juggernaut of Australian wine is widely available, very affordable, and will go well with almost any burger combination. In my opinion, one of yellow tail’s better blends. The deep fruit flavors are palpable, but won’t overpower most pairings.

Huntington Petite Sirah 2006 (6/10) ($12)

heywinenot — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:05:10 +0000

First, a bit about Petite Syrah…

This was my first petite sirah in recent memory. It shares a lot of the same robust characteristics as a Syrah/Shiraz, which can be attributed to their shared origins in the ancient grape world. If you’d like to read more about this varietal, check out this article

The Huntington was a decent dinner wine. It had strong dark cherry flavors with some spice to it, maybe some cinnamon. It had a short finish, nothing special. I tried this deep red with a variety of small plates at Swanky Bubbles in Cherry Hill, but it didn’t compliment anything that I was eating. This 2006 California wine is a good selection for a night out at a bar, but I wouldn’t recommend it for any food pairings.

Huntington Petit Sirah California 2006

Carabiner Bottle Opener

heywinenot — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:01:24 +0000

Just spent a great day in Burlington, VT and may have found another answer to life’s greatest problems. I was shopping in the local Urban Outfitters, checking out all of the things that were very cool but priced just to the point where it would be slightly painful to purchase anything. And then I saw a Carabiner Bottle Opener. Its a great key chain/conversation starter that opens capped and corked bottles. You can also get them online as custom printed giveaways. Check out this article on more cool wine openers.