Tasting Notes

Tasting notes for individual wines.

Wines From Purple Wine Company

Almost everyone looks for good value with every purchase they make. Wine is no exception. Do we all enjoy those special $40 and above wines? Absolutely. But the reality is most of us cannot afford to drink them on a daily basis. So, we look for the best value possible for our every day wines, so we can still afford to drink those more expensive wines for special occasions. Purple Wine Company knows this about us. And to that end, have produced a line of inexpensive, everyday wines for us to enjoy.

Wine and Music — Of Course They Go Together

Karl Wente is fifth-generation winemaker at Wente Vineyards, and was recently named in Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 40 Under 40: America’s Tastemakers. Winemaking isn’t Karl’s only passion, he also has a serious interest in music. Let’s see how wine and music go together.

Summer Sippers

The theme for Thursday night’s wine tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton was “Summer Sippers”. George and Gail put together a group of six wines that meet their definition of Summer Sippers, that is white wines with lots of flavor, good acidity and not much perceivable sugar.

Tannat — One of Our New Favorites

This is a varietal we were introduced to by our good friend, Dave. One Monday night, a couple of years ago, he brought a bottle of 2008 Pasos Vineyards (1) Tannat. It was inky dark, had complex dark fruit flavors with eucalyptus and perfumed scents. The tannins were substantial, but well integrated. We loved the combination of fruit flavors and big tannins. This experience with Tannat was enough to prompt us to look for it on wine lists and in wine stores.

Chile — Carménère and Cabernet Sauvignon

The tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton last Thursday night was all about Chile. We tasted six wines, two of which George told us were Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Carmenere. Our assignment for the evening was to identify the two Cabernets. As an aside, George wanted us to think about whether Carmenere could be a substitute for Cabernet Sauvignon.

A Twisted Journey to Twisted Wines

A couple of weeks ago Nancy and I went up Highway 4 to Bear Valley, Ca. to do some cross country skiing. We go several times each year and usually go straight up and back. This time, though, our trip took a twisted turn.