Alex Bruckner's Wine Blog

 Name: Barefoot Rose Price: $7 Year: No year on bottle Region: California My review: I didn't expect to like this wine but I actually liked it a lot. It was definitely a sweet Rose as opposed to a dry one(it's from California, makes sense). There were strong strawberry flavors, almost like a strawberry shortcake. There were aslo some kiwi notes, which made it taste like a Capri-sun which I thought was kind of funny. It had a light to medium body, and it kind of reminded me of a Riesling mixed with jelly beans. Shop Review: Barefoot Rose is a refreshing wine with aromas of raspberries and juicy watermelon. Flavors of cherries and sweet citrus complement the smooth, crisp finish Wine Folly:  The primary flavors of rosé wine are red fruit, flowers, citrus, and melon, with a pleasant crunchy green flavor on the finish similar to celery or rhubarb. Of course, depending on the type of grape the rosé wine is made with will greatly vary the flavor.

 Name: Cotes du Rhone Price: $10 Region: Cotes du Rhone Year: 2021 Varieties: 65% Grenache, 35% Syrah Shop Review: *There wasn't one on the bottle and a Google search was no help finding one. Wine Folly:  Grenache (aka Garnacha) produces rich, flavorful red wines and deep, ruby-tinted rosé. The French have championed this grape in the Southern Rhône Valley but it’s original home is Spain! Syrah:  A rich, powerful, and sometimes meaty red wine that originated in the Rhône Valley of France. Syrah is the most planted grape of Australia, where they call it  Shiraz . My Review: I have mixed feelings about this wine. On the one hand, it didn't smell particularly good, it was very hot, and the tannins were a little strong for my liking. However, it had nice olive and licorice notes, a very bright flavor, and was pleasantly smooth in the mouth before swallowing. Overall, I didn't hate it and would drink it if it were given to me and I could pair it with something that would ...

 Our second wine dinner consisted of a Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc- Viognier blend with chicken tikka masala, a Yosemite Road Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon with hamburgers, and a Josh Cellars Merlot with brownies. The first pairing was a Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier blend with chicken tikka masala.       Name: Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc+Viognier     Price: $15     Region: Napa, California     Year: 2022 Shop Review: Our distinctive white blend marries the crisp, honeyed citrus fruit of Chenin Blanc(80%) with the plush body, soft floral and juicy peach notes of Viognier(20%) for a lush, versatile and delicious wine. Enjoy a glass on its own of try it alongside your favorite seafood or spicy dish. Wine Folly: It’s hard not to love Chenin Blanc’s diversity; sparkling sensations, crisp dry whites, oaked full-bodied delights, and sweet treasures with aging potential.  (Viognier): A rich, oily white wine that originates in the Northern R...

Name: Bull's Blood Egri Bikaver Year: 2020 Region: Hungary Price: $13 Shop Review: Egri Bikaver is a subtle, full-bodied wine from the Eger hills of Northern Hungary, a wine whose origin goes back to the seventieth century. The wine is matured in oak barrels, stored in the labrynth of tunnels cut into the hills that border the town of Eger. To appreciate EGRI BIKAVER at it's best, open at least one hour before drinking and serve at room temperature. Wine Folly:  Egri Bikavér means “bull’s blood” and, as the name implies, it can be a pretty badass red blend, rich in tannin and spice. Legend claims that the wine gets its name from a famous incident during the Ottoman siege of Eger in 1552, when the Hungarian troops were caught drinking copious amounts of spicy red wine by Turkish onlookers. Seeing the bloodshot eyes, red-stained beards, and fiery temperaments of the wine-drinking Hungarians, the Turkish soldiers rushed back to their captain, insisting that the Hungarians were not...

Name: Golden Gate Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Price: $15 Year: 2021 Region: Sonoma, California Shop Review: Selected from prestigious vineyards throughout California, this is a well-balanced Cabernet Sauvignon with dark fruit notes of blackberry and cherry complimented by notes of cedar and a long, lingering finish. Wine Folly:  The world’s most popular red wine grape is a natural cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux, France. Cabernet Sauvignon is loved for its high concentration and age worthiness. My Review: I liked this wine a lot. It was a nice, chill evening sort of wine. It was juicy for a Cabernet- I don't know if I would go all the way to say jammy, but definitely a full red fruit flavor. The overwhelming single flavor I noticed was blackberry.