Varietals

Rancho Zabaco Double Header

May 20, 2008 Tim Lemke

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5.49K

BIG, BOLD ZIN!  That’s how Rancho Zabaco characterizes their wines.  And we checked out two of the Zinfandels they produce.  There’s a good chance you’ll see at least one of these Zins on the Zinfandel shelf at your local wine shop as Rancho Zabaco doesn’t do much other than Zinfandel. They have a couple other varietals, […]

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4.5

Review: Monte Velho Reserva Red

Cardinal Zin a Controvertial and Musical Zinfandel

May 15, 2008 Tim Lemke

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9.71K

Cardinal Zin is the epitome of a Zin with a fun name and a fun label.  In fact it’s so much fun that in 2001 it was banned in Ohio!  OK, it wasn’t banned for being too much fun specifically.  It was banned because Ohio’s state code on wine labeling forbids “advertisement or representation portraying pictures […]

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4.5

Review: Monte Velho Reserva Red

Twisted Zin Zinfandel

May 12, 2008 Tim Lemke

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5.71K

Californian Wine

Twist the top off this and celebrate a cork-free bargain.  Twisted Wines are a brand of wine that jumps out at you on the wine shelves.  The marketing guy in me loves this brand.  They have good packaging with a fun attitude, eye-popping shelf talkers and a well-designed website.  And the brand is not all […]

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4.5

Review: Monte Velho Reserva Red

Kuentz-Bas Tradition Riesling Review

May 7, 2008 Tim Lemke

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6.38K

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. […]

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More than Value: Excellence at Esporão

Renwood Sierra Foothills Zinfandel

April 28, 2008 Tim Lemke

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4.51K

The Sierra Foothills designation of Renwood Zinfandel, also know as “red label,” is the entry-level Zinfandel from Renwood Winery.  They have some more pricey Zins available, but they are mostly out of the range for Cheap Wine Ratings.  The red label wines from Renwood are produced from their younger vines and are much simpler than […]

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4.5

Review: Monte Velho Reserva Red

Alexander Valley Vineyards Zinfandel

April 21, 2008 Tim Lemke

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9.16K

The next series we’re doing on Cheap Wine Ratings is California Zinfandel.  At times Zinfandel is one of my favorite varietals but sometimes it ends up just way too sweet and jammy.  Zinfandel is really a chameleon though, as its wine can have a variety of characteristics from jar-full-of-jam fruit, to spicy, to tannic, and […]

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4.5

Review: Monte Velho Reserva Red

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Review

April 15, 2008 Tim Lemke

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25.12K

Say it with me: mon-tuh-pul-CHEE-an-no dah BROOT-zo.  It’s one of my favorite Italian wines and not just because it’s fun to say.  It’s a very approachable Italian country wine that is often overlooked.  Yet it is very enjoyable and can have as much complexity as more popular varietals.  It’s much less acidic than many other […]

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4.5

Review: Monte Velho Reserva Red

Rubiro Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

April 13, 2008 Tim Lemke

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7.52K

Rubiro Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is (from what I can tell) a second label from Villa Cervia where oenologist Rino Moretti has been producing wine since 1989. This would be a good choice if you want a red wine that’s not too aggressive.  It’s approachable and soft in every way, making it easy to pair with a variety […]

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4.5

Review: Monte Velho Reserva Red

Villa Cerrina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

April 10, 2008 Tim Lemke

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19.62K

I’ll keep this one relatively short as there’s not much to get excited about. This review adds fodder to my “there’s better places to shop for wine than Trader Joe’s” rant. Yep, it’s another wine from Trader Joe’s that rates less than 80. The fruit is soft in this one. It has a little leather […]

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4.5

Review: Monte Velho Reserva Red

Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

April 7, 2008 Tim Lemke

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13.48K

Azienda Agricola Masciarelli operates 13 estates across Abruzzo totaling about 300 hectares with lots of Montepulciano vines, plus other varietals such as Trebbiano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cococciola and one hectare of Falaghina.  They also have olive groves on many of their estates and are well known for their olive oil sold under the Cvetic […]

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4.5

Review: Monte Velho Reserva Red