A Bit Different from the Norm

I know it has been a few days, but I wanted to wait until payday. It just so happened I got a nice, late birthday card with some green in it as well. So, I decided to try a local wine store I hadn't been to. It was pretty good. Decent selection, better than the small carryouts you see. I grabbed 5 bottles, that way I have some ready to roll.

As you will see, I will try to review a bunch of varieties, as well as a bunch of different labels. Some of the varieties will be common, and some will be new to both you and I.

This review is for a type you may not have heard of before. It was the house wine at an Italian place in Georgetown that my old roommate and I went to. It became a favorite of mine very quickly. As you can guess, it is an Italian variety - Montepulciano D'Abruzzo.

Wine #3 - 2001 Belmondo Montepulciano - Calmasino, Italy

This has a light aroma. It just kind of smells like a red wine, nothing special. The finish is super fast and fairly dry. The taste is not very fruity, but you get a hint of oak. The longer you let it breathe, the more fruity and less oaky it gets. This is a very light wine overall. It is a DOC, which is like the silver medal type of Italian wines. Italian government designates regions that are tops for what grapes they produce.

If you are looking for a very light, somewhat watery, but still tasty wine, this will work. I suggest letting it breathe for a while before drinking. If you want to impress a date, order this variety which most folks have never tried.

PS - I snagged this bottle for $6.09.

What a night!

So, I thought I would break into a new bottle tonight, but wasn't sure when. My dinner of chicken nuggets really didn't call for a nice wine. I started watching TV when I heard the sink or washing machine making a little noise. Only I hadn't used either in a while. Drip, drip, drip...it started to be more consistent.

Turns out, my neighbors above me flooded their washing machine and it started to leak through my ceiling light fixture. Water just came through and kept on coming. Luckily, it didn't do any real damage to my kitchen.

Needless to say, it was time to break into a bottle.

Wine #2 - 1998 Mourvedre - Horton Winery - Orange County, VA

This is the only Mourvedre that I know of, but that isn't saying too much. I looked it up, and it is a grape grown primarily in France and Spain near the Mediterranean Sea. However, this wine comes from Virginia, where I called home for a year. I first found it at the DC Wine Expo in 2001.

This wine has a very subtle bouquet, nice and light. The taste follows that pattern too. Very light, with a woody, fruity flavor. The finish is more fruity than woody. Overall, this is a nice light red. I would even suggest drinking it a little chilled. It takes a bit of the bite out of it, without losing too much flavor.

I now have the floor mopped up and am enjoying glass #2.

The First of Many

Since this is the first day of my blog focusing on lower priced wines, I figured I should at least give you one review. I wouldn't want you to have to wait too long. Plus, you will now have an idea of what to expect.

Wine #1 - Solaris Special Release - 2002 Pinot Noir - Carneros
Solaris Winery - Rutherford, CA

I enjoy a good Pinot Noir, and this is one. It has a nice fruity aroma. The flavor is very subtle, but there is one to speak of. I would say a little woody or smoky. It is a very dry Pinot Noir, which is actually kind of nice. There is no extended, lingering aftertaste. After a few drinks you will feel a warmth in your cheeks, but that is the nature of a red I guess.

Overall, I would say this is a fine wine for the price. I think I paid $9.99 for the bottle, but I know for sure it was under $10. If you enjoy a Pinot Noir, I suggest giving this one a try. It was also a staff choice from one of the employees at Total Wine and More. 2 votes - thumbs up.

Welcome to 10 Dollar Wines!

For a while now, I have been wanting to create a blog and write about something interesting, something I enjoy, something that other people might enjoy. Then, last week, it hit me. I was in one of my favorite stores in Alexandria, VA - Total Wine and More (formally called Total Beverage.) My wife and I picked out a few new wines to try, but since we are trying to buy a house in a few months, we stuck to the cheap stuff.

Eureka!

There are some other wine sites and blogs that have occasional features on bargain wines. But I figured that why not dedicate one strictly to wines that are affordable? Why not indeed.

So here you have it. 10 Dollar Wines will focus on my reviews of bottles of wine that I can find under $10. I will tell you right now, I don't have a formal wine education. I don't have a wine cellar in my apartment, nor will there be one in the new house. I just like certain wines, and I will tell you what I like or don't like. Pretty simple.

If anyone has any suggestions for wines to try, I am all ears. If any vineyards want to send me free bottles of their $10 wines, I will gladly drink them and review them.

And yes, you will get posts from me that may not be related to wine. But isn't that the beauty of a blog? Exactly.