2010 Danais Cabernet Sauvignon

Brad Smith-Napa Valley, California

The label reads 2014 SF Chronicle Gold

I tried this lovely wine at Silenus Vinters in Napa. The smell was refreshing and relaxing I wanted it to be a candle. On my 1-5 Scale I gave it a 4+ for flavor and smoothness. At the time I tasted it, it was being sold for $36 a bottle.

I now use the vivino app on my cell phone and it will tell me the nearest place I can purchase a certain label. See if it is near you and give it a try. This is a good one to sip alone or share with friends!

Ste Genevieve~ Sweet Red

Fort Stockton, Texas Wine

The label reads “This light to medium-bodied sweet wine is crimson in color. It exhibits subtle flavors of wild berries and plums, and has a well balanced finished that is sweet, soft and fruity.”

My favorite part of this wine is the gorgeous red color. I enjoy twirling it around and around in my wine glass, and take a small sip. I say a small sip because it is sweet. I put Sveet down in my notes for wines that I think are too sweet. This wine isn’t too sweet but it is bordering on the limits of my sweet wine palate. What is enjoyable about this wine is that it is sweet but not in the least acidic. The finish is smooth without a hint of after taste. The flavor is all up front and straight forward and ends with a happy ending.

Ste Genevieve’s Sweet Red is my first Texas Wine. I can’t wait to sip more!

Silver Vines Winery~ Chardonnay

This Chardonnay is a high altitude wine. The grapes are from the Palisades region of Colorado. The winery sits in downtown Arvada, a cute railroad town in Colorado.

Now for the tasting- the wine looks like champagne. It appears that it has carbonation but it certainly does not. The color is a pale yellow, the aroma is floral. The TASTE is crisp almost like a green apple with a slight buttery note. If I recall  the wine was aged in oak barrels, but it tastes more like stainless steal, perhaps it was an even aging of the two.

For white wine lovers. Not my friends who have a sweet tooth though. This is a refreshing Chardonnay and a good indication of what Colorado wine has to offer <3

“Wine is the most civilized thing in the world”- Ernest Hemingway

Surely it is perfectly healthy to Wine A Bit, everything in life in moderation, I always say. Go ahead try it and you will feel better.

“Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages” – Louis Pasteur

(Not quite, there is such thing as too much of a good thing. Louis Pasteur did research on micro fermentation on beer, wine and milk and he is known for proving that airborne microbes are the cause of disease, as well as creating the rabies vaccine and the anthrax vaccine).

“Louis Pasteur.” Louis Pasteur. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Aug. 2014. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/louis_pasteur.htm>.

Flying Fox Vineyard~ White Table
Vidal Blanc & Traminette ~Virginia 2012
The label reads “This wine pairs well with spicy food. And it is a perfect choice for sipping on the porch on a summer evening.”

This white wine blend of Vidal Blanc and Traminette grapes is a wine you want to drink chilled, on a warm sunny day. The color of this 2012 is crystal clear, and it smells of sugar and spice and everything nice with a hint of floral notes. This is another white I’d like to refer to as “crisp” with a bubbly-like taste to it. The winemaker claims it is perfect to sip on a summer evening, I’m also thinking on picnics, in the hot tub, or any time.

If you are familiar with Vidal Blanc and Traminette you know this to be a sweeter wine. Give it a try though, it is a less sweet version of a plain Vidal. And my sweet tooths out there it is sweet enough trust me.

Bodie Vineyards~ Rochette Rouge Red
Powhatan, Virginia 2009
The label reads “semi-dry red wine of the Buffalo Grape. It has a marvelous grape aroma, and is best served with red meat such as beef, pasta or with any dark chocolate.”

This red wine made from the “Buffalo Grape” is a deep purple bordering on blackness. It is such a unique color that I enjoyed swirling it around and around in my wine glass. The bouquet was deep as well. It had a classic red wine smell, and it tasted well balanced and near perfection. The “Buffalo Grape” is an inter-specific hybrid which originated in New York and only one winemaker that I know of is growing it here in Virginia.

If you are a loyal varietal kind of person, what are you afraid of? This is a good wine to wet your lips with. Now if you are new to wine, you can brag that you have tasted Virginia’s take on the beloved New York grape.

Daveste~ La Brisa
Reisling 2011, North Carolina

On a trip to Charlotte North Carolina the beau and I stopped at Daveste Vineyards and we were not disappointed.

This Riesling was on the sweet end of things, but not so much that it would turn away dry wine fans. It had notes of honey suckle and it was easy to drink. I have a tendency to favor the Rieslings that are crisp and almost taste as if they were carbonated. This Riesling was one of those refreshing types.

I can easily recommend Daveste’s La Brisa to sweet wine drinkers because it has enough hints of residual sugar that it could nearly pass. Red wine lovers I’m sure could appreciate this fun Riesling, however it may not be your first choice wine. Support east coast vineyards and give it a try!