Tasting Notes Archives

Wines From Lesser-Known Regions

November 22, 2013 by Nancy (CSW) 2 comments

At a recent Thursday night tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton, Pete presented the wines for the tasting. Gail asked him for suggestions as to topics for the tasting and they eventually settled on wines that are not the “usual suspects”. It gave us a chance to learn about some smaller wine regions and taste the wines. It was a fun evening that took us on a tour of European wines.

Zonin Family of Wines — Wines For The Holidays

November 15, 2013 by Nancy (CSW) Comments are Disabled

The Holidays are upon us. From now until January, there will be a series of social events to attend, not to mention family gatherings. What to serve, what to take along? Here are two suggestions. We recently received samples from Zonin USA for tasting. Here is our impression and how you might enjoy them.

Inexpensive Napa/Sonoma Reds – Moniz Family Wines

November 10, 2013 by Peter Comments are Disabled

Napa and Sonoma red wines for under $20? You won’t find very many, however, the other day by chance we ran into a vintner who sells red wine from those areas and for less than $20 per bottle.

2010 Bordeaux — Saint-Julien

October 24, 2013 by Nancy (CSW) Comments are Disabled

We have found much to like about the 2010 Bordeaux vintage. Lots of fruit flavors, a variable amount of complexity, plenty of tannins and modest wood influence, to name just a few of our favorite qualities. We continued our tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton with Bordeaux from Saint-Julien.

2007 Winged Paradise Mountain Syrah — “Once In a Generation”

October 22, 2013 by Nancy (CSW) Comments are Disabled

Winemaker Ross Rankin has proved himself a patient man. This wine project began in 2007. Every year he tasted, considered the flavors, decided not to bottle. Finally, the flavors he desired were there. He bottled and has now released his 2007 Winged Paradise Mountain Syrah.

2010 Bordeaux Continued — Margaux

October 19, 2013 by Nancy (CSW) Comments are Disabled

Our exploration of the 2010 Bordeaux vintage continues with a tasting from the Margaux AOC at a recent Thursday night wine tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton. We will continue to taste our way through the 2010 Bordeaux vintage all during the month of October.

Celebrating Wines From South Africa

October 16, 2013 by Nancy (CSW) Comments are Disabled

We recently had the opportunity to taste six wines from South Africa, many of which were new to us. We joined together with other participants via Twitter to discuss the wines. The event was sponsored by Whole Foods Market as part of their promotion of Wines of South Africa. Tasting new wines always provides the opportunity to learn about the location and history of the producing wineries. I enjoy this part almost as much as sipping the wine.

I Forgot How Much I Like Merlot

October 10, 2013 by Nancy (CSW) 2 comments

I first became aware of the global social media event #MerlotMe via Twitter. It’s a social initiative to remind us to enjoy Merlot during the month of October. We recently celebrated Merlot with a few of our wine friends. It was fun!

2010 Bordeaux — Our First Taste of the Vintage

October 9, 2013 by Nancy (CSW) Comments are Disabled

October has been declared Bordeaux month at Fine Wines of Stockton. Every Thursday night during the month, we will be tasting a group of six Bordeaux from the 2010 vintage. Yipee. This is my favorite series of tastings every year.

Southern Oregon Wines — Hidden Gems

October 4, 2013 by Nancy (CSW) 2 comments

A recent Thursday night wine tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton highlighted wines from southern Oregon, specifically from the Applegate Valley AVA. Area wineries produce mostly a modest volume from a large range of wine varieties. Interesting wines.