When I first started this website a lot of people commented that I must love Trader Joe’s because of all the bargains they have on wine.  And as much as I wanted to love Trader Joe’s, I just never became a big fan.  Most of the wines I tasted from them were nothing special, albeit they were dirt cheap — which is something I always love.  Plus there’s something about the folks working there that just seems inauthentic to me… they’re way too happy and remind me of flair-clad servers at TGI Fridays.

Anyway, while it seems like everyone I meet associates Trader Joe’s with dirt cheap wine, they are not the only one in that game.  The folks from Aldi sent a few of their wines our way to taste and I’d say they’re giving TJ’s some competition.  I’ve never been an Aldi shopper, so I had no idea they were carrying wines and I was a little surprised when they showed up.

I’ll admit that I was a little bit skeptical at first.  But as I looked them over, I saw a few things that were both intriguing and reassuring.  First, I was surprised to see the regions on the wines, Chianti, Napa Valley and Mosel.  Then I was reassured when I checked the alcohol levels and found them to be appropriate for the styles.  Sometimes I’ve found that really cheap wine will have an alcohol level that’s lower than normal, resulting in thin, bland wine, but that wasn’t the case here.  I also liked the backside of the labels, which has helpful graphics for folks who don’t know their wine well yet.

Now I will say that none of these wines absolutely blew me away, but none of them were bad either.  And for the dirt cheap prices, they are some bargains!

Gonfalone Chianti 2009

I’m a big fan of Chianti, but if I have a choice I’m usually going to select a Chianti Classico versus a Chianti.  I expect that a lot of wine consumers aren’t clear on the differences between Chianti and Chianti Classico and that’s an unfortunate circumstance of the names being so similar.  And I could confuse you even more by going into the other sub-types of Chianti.  But basic difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico is the region of production.  While Chianti comes from a rather broad region in Tuscany, Chianti Classico comes from a more limited region, selected for the quality of its grapes.  There are some other differences too, but I’ll leave it at that for now.  And while I tend to prefer Chianti Classico, I was pleasantly surprised by this Chianti from Gonfalone.

The nose on this wine is nice.  It shows well balanced raspberry, nutmeg, strawberry and perfume aromas with moderate intensity.  The palate is dry and offers plenty of ripe fruit flavors, like raspberry, plum and sour cherry, plus a little bit of spice.  Where it misses is on the acidity, which is more restrained than I would expect for a Chianti, although it’s not terribly off the mark.  The finish is decent, with lingering raspberry tea flavors.  Overall, it smells and tastes nice, but lacks some vibrancy due to the restrained acidity.

For the price, this is an extreme value.

Wine: Gonfalone Chianti 
Variety: Chianti
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 84
Price: $5.99

Walker Napa Valley Red Wine 2007

The color is a brownish, brick red.  It doesn’t have the bright red color of most young red blends, but then as a 2007, it ‘s not so young anymore.  I was actually a touch surprised to see them carrying a 2007.  Although it doesn’t say this anywhere on the bottle, this wine is a blend of merlot, syrah and cabernet sauvignon.

The nose on this wine shows cherry and plum aromas, as well as quite a bit of oak, which takes on nutmeg and cedar characteristics in this one.  The oak is a little heavy, but not offensively so.  The palate is medium bodied, which is exactly what the label says.  It does have some nice fruit flavors on the palate that give a touch of sweetness and touch of tart, such as raspberry, plum and strawberry.  There are some subtle tannins too.  The finish is a continuation of the fruit flavors with a bit of residual sugar leaving a slightly sweet flavor on your tongue.  This isn’t a wine that I’m going to rant and rave about, but it’s OK for what it is and still quite a value.

Wine: Walker
Variety: Red blend
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 83
Price: $7.99

Landshut Riesling

When I saw this wine I cringed a bit because I’ve tasted far too many bad, sweet rieslings in the past and I was skeptical.  But then I saw that it was from Mosel, which gave me some reassurance.  But the proof is ultimately with what’s in the bottle and I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

The nose is a little tight, but shows expecable aromas for a riesling, like honeysuckle, apple and lime.  The palate is sweet, with peach, apple and lime flavors.  It has enough acidity to bring it to life on your tongue, although a little more acidity would help the overall balance with the sweetness.  It finishes long, with lingering sweet apple flavors.

Wine: Landshut
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 9.5%
Rating: 83
Price: $4.99

Disclosure: These wines were received as a media sample.

When you look at the picture on the label of a bottle of Tesch wine it may conjure up images in your mind of an old German winemaker continuing the traditions from previous generations of winemakers.  But that impression would be far from the reality.

The man pictured on these labels is the great grandfather of Dr. Martin Tesch, a relatively young winemaker who has been running Weingut Tesch since 1996.  And while the vineyard has been family run since 1723, Tesch isn’t really continuing the traditions of the past — he’s reinventing Weingut Tesch with a rock & roll sensibility.

Since taking over, Dr. Martin Tesch has done away several under-performing wine varieties and now produces mostly riesling.  And when it comes to riesling, he boldly shunned the sweet rieslings they were previously known for in favor of drier riesling.  The initial response when he did so was harsh criticism and a 40% drop in sales.  But he quickly found a new audience for his wines and hasn’t looked back.  His reinvention was ultimately a huge success.

Dr. Tesch has even written a book on riesling and rock & roll called Riesling People Volume 1.  OK, “written” might be an exaggeration, since the book is mostly pictures.

The vineyard is in the Nahe region of Germany.  Which, of course, is along the Nahe river.

Tesch has several different rieslings available and Unplugged is the entry level.  This is a fairly subtle riesling with aromas of flinty mineral, bath salts, lime and orange blossom — which is what I like most about it.  The palate has restrained fruit, lime and green apple, and pronounced mineral characteristics.  The finish has a citrus and lingering saltiness.  This is a very dry riesling, and as dry rieslings go it’s a good value.

Wine: Weingut Tesch Riesling Unplugged
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 11.5%
Rating:  86
Price: $15.00

Find Weingut Tesch Riesling Unplugged with Snooth

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

Tonight we’re continuing our look at riesling, and heading back to Germany.  This one from Weingut Josef Leitz is from the Rheingau region of Germany.  Rheingau basically translates to mean “Rhine region” and this region is situated along the banks of the Rhine river.  Riesling is also the dominant grape here, accounting for nearly 80% of wine grapes grown in this region.

Like many winemaking families in Germany, the Leitz family has a long history of winemaking — dating back to 1744.  But there have been some disruptions to that tradition over the years and it hasn’t always been a primary focus of the family.  But since 1985 it has been, when Johannes Leitz took over the winery.  And within the past 10 years, the winery has grown dramatically.

One thing that can be a bit challenging with this wine is the name.  It’s not atypical for German wines to have ridiculously long names.  But as bad as this one looks, it’s not that hard to say.  Try it.  Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Rosengarten Kabinett.

This riesling is also a little more expensive than our typical wines here, with a suggested retail of $22.00.  But with that as the “suggested” price, there’s a good chance that it actually sells for under 20 bucks.

A glance at the alcohol level might have you suspecting this to be a sweet riesling, but you’d be wrong.  Wines with a “Kabinett” designation are the lightest wines you’ll find from Germany, and they are typically semi-sweet, but can be dry or off dry.  This one is off dry.

The aromas are light, with characteristics of soft honeysuckle, citrus and salts.  It has a slight, but very well balanced sweetness on the palate.  The flavors are green apple and grapefruit up front with a finish that’s a blend of salty minerals and citrus.  It’s an outstanding, light and refreshing wine.

Wine: Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Rosengarten Kabinett
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 8.5%
Rating:  90
Price: $22.00

Find Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Rosengarten Kabinett with Snooth

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

I’ve commented before on how riesling gets a bad rap in the US, particularly domestic riesling.  I’ve also commented that it’s often a misunderstood wine in the US.  Consumers might taste an overly-sweet, poorly made domestic riesling and they slander the varietal as a whole.  This is unfortunate, but I think the tide is turning thanks to producers who do understand riesling and are working hard to make high-quality domestic riesling — and to change the reputation of this wine.

Many of the best domestic rieslings I’ve tasted in the past few years have come from Washington State, and Pacific Rim is one brand that’s on this list.  I only see this trend growing, too.  With more consumers not only discovering riesling, but discovering Washington State wines as well.

Pacific Rim is one company that is really standing out when it comes to riesling.  It’s their specialty.  It’s not all they do, but it’s most of what they do.  Pacific Rim Dry Riesling was first released in 1992 by Bonny Doon Vineyard, but in 2006 a group of former Bonny Doon folks opened Pacific Rim as it’s own winery.

One of the things I really appreciate about Pacific Rim, besides the fact that they make some killer riesling, is that their wine labels not only include the percent of alcohol, but also the residual sugar.  I think this is a smart move to help educate consumers about the different styles of riesling.  And while it’s particularly useful with riesling, I wish other producers would do this with other varietals too.  It would help consumers make more well-informed decisions when they purchase wine.

Pacific Rim offers a good variety of riesling too, ranging from bone dry to medium dry to medium sweet to sweet.  In the dry category, they have five different rieslings.  But I’ve only had the opportunity to taste a couple.  Both were outstanding.

Pacific Rim Dry Riesling, Columbia Valley 2007

This wine has a nice powerful nose, particularly for such an inexpensive dry riesling.  Intense floral aromas, with pear and orange peel notes adding layers of complexity.  The palate has outstanding concentration, outstanding acidity and outstanding flavors, like grapefruit, pear and mineral.  The finish is also loaded with pear flavors — but it’s still dry, not sweet.  Simply put, this is a phenomenal riesling for the price.

Wine: Pacific Rim Columbia Valley Dry Riesling
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating:  90
Price: $11.00

Find Pacific Rim 2007 Columbia Valley Dry Riesling with Snooth

Pacific Rim Wallula Vineyard Riesling 2007

Aromas of cold cream (yes, I’m serious and no, it’s not a turn off), honeysuckle, herbs and grapefruit aromas make this a really interesting wine.  The palate of this one is centered in grapefruit flavors.  It also has some apple, some pear and some mineral, but the grapefruit makes it sing.  The acidity is perfect.  The finish still has plenty of grapefruit, but apple flavors emerge with more intensity and good length.  This is a few bucks more than the Columbia Valley Dry Riesling, but it’s still a very good wine.

Wine: Pacific Rim Wallula Vineyard Riesling
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 12.3%
Rating:  89
Price: $19.00

Find Pacific Rim 2007 Wallula Vineyard Riesling with Snooth

Last week we reviewed a nice — and very affordable — German riesling from the Rheinhessen region, Fritz’s Riesling.  And tonight we’re checking out another riesling from the Rheinhessen region.

The Weingut Groebe estate was established way back in 1625, so these folks have been making riesling for more than a few years.  You might notice that the labels on these wines say 1763, and that is the year the family started bearing the coat of arms — which is also on their labels.  I’ve always wanted a coat of arms, but no luck for me there.  Oh sure, I’ve gotten the random junk mail trying to sell me my “official” family coat of arms, but I’m not that gullible.  In the case of Groebe, the coat of arms is legit.  And it includes the cross of St. Andrew’s in it, which is an old Christian symbol for wine.

But moving beyond the coat of arms, I know you’re interested in the wine.  And this particular one is good.  Really good.  OK, it’s excellent!

There’s a lot of complexity on the nose of this riesling.  It’s a little bit floral, a little bit mineral and a little bit lemon/lime.  It’s very well balanced and interesting to smell (yes, I’m nerdy in that way).  The palate is dry and presents a crisp acidity with a myriad of apple, citrus and mineral flavors.  The concentration of the flavors is just right too.  The finish is exceptionally long with a tangy citrus aftertaste that is just delightful.

This wine is a couple bucks more expensive than the Fritz’s we reviewed last week, but it’s still under $20.  And I’d say it’s worth the splurge.

Wine: Groebe Aulerde Westhofen
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13%
Rating:  91
Price: $17.00

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

One of the things that bums me out about the US wine scene (for lack of a better term) is how so many people dislike riesling — or at least think they dislike it.  But it’s really a wine that’s not well understood by many people, particularly in the US.  I too have been guilty of this in the past.  I attribute this misunderstanding mostly to domestic riesling.  There are some good domestic rieslings, so I don’t want to paint in totally broad strokes, but there are plenty that leave something to be desired.

I’ve heard many consumers complain about American riesling being too sweet.  But this is just an example of how many consumers don’t understand riesling.  The problem isn’t necessarily the sweetness, it’s the fact that that sweetness isn’t balanced with acid.  And let’s be clear, not all rieslings are sweet.  Rieslings from any region can run the gamut from bone dry to syrupy sweet.

In my opinion, if you want to understand and appreciate riesling, you should really start with old world rieslings from Germany, Austria and the Alsace region of France.  They just tend to be more consistently well balanced than many of their American counterparts.  While some of these old world rieslings can get pricey, there are still plenty of great deals to be found.  And that takes us to a German riesling called Fritz’s Riesling.

Fritz’s is a brand that produces one thing, riesling.  And they offer just one riesling, Fritz’s Riesling.  There aren’t six different versions of riesling available from Fritz’s, just one.  And that’s all you need.

The color is light straw and it’s crystal clear.  On the nose this wine has aromas of lemon, green apple, honeysuckle and flint.  The floral honeysuckle and the flint are what really make this wine interesting. In the mouth it’s like a tart apple.  It has a touch of sour and a touch of sweet at the same time.  Apple flavors are the most prominent, but there’s also a touch of citrus and a touch of pear.  The finish is clean and has a decent length.  And most importantly, it’s well balanced.

This isn’t a riesling to tuck away in the cellar and age, but one to enjoy now.  It may not be the absolute best old world riesling you’ll find, but it’s a very good one.  And for the price, it’s even better.  I would definitely recommend checking out this wine.  In the coming days I’ll highlight some other good riesling to try.

Wine: Fritz’s
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 10.5%
Rating:  88
Price: $13.00

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

It’s time once again for Wine Blogging Wednesday and the host this month is Tim at Winecast.  For those stumbling upon this who don’t know what Wine Blogging Wednesday is, it’s a monthly event when wine bloggers from around the globe all write about a common topic.  The theme this month, for WBW #45, is Old World Riesling.

With Old World Riesling as the theme, you can check out about 50 other wine blogs today and discover a wide breadth of European Rieslings.  Some reviewers will feature sweet Rieslings and others, like me, will highlight the dry ones.  

Remember that syrupy-sweet stuff you were served the last time you had Riesling (the time when you declared that you don’t like Riesling because it’s too sweet), forget about that.  Dry Riesling is delightful and is typically dominated with mineral and citrus flavors.  Some of the German ones may also have a petroleum characteristic to them.

The Riesling I chose to review is Kuentz-Bas Tradition from the Alsace region on the eastern border of France.  This is a region well known for its white wines, Gewürztraminer and Riesling in particular.  Kuentz-Bas has been producing wines in this region since 1795, so I guess you could say they have a bit of experience.

Kuentz-Bas Tradition 2005

I am pleasantly surprised by the intensity of the nose of this wine.  It’s not overbearing, but it’s more intense than I expected.  Honeydew melon and floral notes are the dominant aromas, but there is also a bit of mineral smell like the wet rocks from a crisp, clean mountain stream.  That mineral aspect dominates the palate.  It is like pulling one of those rocks from the stream and sucking on it.  Picture one of those well-worn, rounded, granite-based rocks.  There is also a good amount of lime flavor mid-palate with a crisp acidity.  The finish brings a subtle pineapple flavor to the tongue.  It’s a long finish too—I can walk away from this for a few minutes and I’m still enjoying the aftertaste.

This is a great example of a dry, old world Riesling at a decent price, $14.99.  If you’re someone who has always avoided Riesling because you think it’s too sweet, I suggest you give this one a try.

Wine: Kuentz-Bas Tradition
Varietal: Riesling
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 89
Price Paid: $14.99