A review of Riondo Sparkling Pinot Grigo NV

Last weekend I was told to try Riondo Sparkling Pinot Grigo NV. Naturally I said yes, because I love sparkling wines and I really like Riondo wines.

I chilled the bottle at proper temperature and I had my champagne flute waiting. When I poured it, it was a beautiful gold color with small bubbles perfect for a sparkling. The taste was drier than a normal glass of Pinot Grigo and it tasted like someone mixed it with club soda. It was very disappointing to me. 

I would not recommend purchasing this for any occasion or to drink as a sparkling wine. You'll be disappointed and want to mix it with something else. Do not try to mix it with orange juice to make a Mimosa because it will taste like orange flavored wine. Some grapes are not meant to be made into sparkling wines, this is one of them. 

Some sparkling Riondo alternatives:   

1. Pink, Spago Argento: Love this sparkling it's fruity, light, and has a hint of sweetness.  
2. Prosecco, Spago Nero: Another prefect sparkling that taste like the perfect Prosecco. 

Cheers to all

 

A drink recipe from my amateur bar tending recipe book

Hello all,
In my spare time I like to come up with my own recipes for drinks. This is a recipe that I came up with while waiting for my Italian dinner to finish baking. I thought about some of the key ingredients that are in a lot of Italian drinks or foods for example vanilla, lemon, and white wine. What I came up with was something called Italian Sparkle.  Its light, has a hint of vanilla, and it adds to any dish.


The Italian Sparkle
¾ bottle of dry white wine
1 ½ oz of Ginger Ale
10 oz of club soda
1 ½ oz of Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup
¾ oz of lemon juice
2 oz of Apricot Brandy
Mix in chilled pitcher
Chill champagne flutes or wine glasses
Garnish the flutes or glasses with lemon slice
Serves – 8 champagne flutes

***This recipe can also be found on http://www.wine-girl.net/
I recently started writing for wine-girl.net, please check it out.

Cheers,
Angela

Upcoming Wine festivals to visit

Hello all,

There are some great inexpensive wine festivals coming up (I'm sure you'll see me at all of them) and I'd like to share them with you.

The Swiss Wine Festival - Vevay, IN (about 5 minutes past Belterra Casino)
When: August 25th - 28th
Where: 101 Ferry Street, Vevay, IN 47043
About: This is a great festival, they have live music, wine tastings, beer tastings, river boat cruises, grape stomping contest (which I'm all ready registered for), food, arts & crafts, and much much more.
Cost: It's $4 to get into the festival and if you want to taste all of the wines in the wine pavilion that's $15 per person or $25 for two people. There are quite a few wineries on the Indiana wine trail that participate in the wine tasting, I believe they have over 35 wines to try. The wine pavilion will be open till 10pm for tastings. Now the beer tent will be open till 1am and have live music.
Check out their website: http://www.swisswinefestival.org/



Vinoklet Art & Wine Festival - Cincinnati, OH

When: September 10th (noon - 10pm) & 11th (1 - 7pm)
Where: Vinoklet Winery at 11069 Colerain Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45252
About: This festival has been running for 13 years now and they have over 50 artist showing and selling their art work! Live music, awesome food, and you can buy wines by the glass or by the bottle. Or you can buy a sampling of 6 wines for only $5.
Website: http://www.vinokletwines.com

Northern Kentucky Wine Festival - Covington, KY
When: October 15 from 3 - 10pm
Where:  Main Strasse Village on the Sixth Street Promenade at the Goose Girl Fountain.
About: Northern Kentucky will be hosting it's sixth annual wine festival at MainStrasse Village. Kentucky wineries will be featured on the Sixth Street Promenade at the Goose Girl Fountain. Each guest will be given a souvenir wine glass and four sample tickets. Additional sample tickets and glasses, bottles and cases of wine can be purchased. There will also be food, artisans and live entertainment. Rain or shine. Must be 21 to attend.
Cost: $10 includes a souvenir wine glass and four sample tickets.
Website: http://www.mainstrasse.org/

Jungle Jim's Wine International Festival - Fairfield OH
When: November 18th & 19th
Where: Jungle Jim's Upstairs in their convention/reception hall 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, OH
About: This festival is very similar to the Cincinnati International Festival that happens in March. I've been to this festival before and it rocked, all the wineries come from all over the globe! Your ticket price includes a small booklet that has all the wineries listed with all the wines you'll be tasting, a wine glass, and some lite bite food to try. It's a great time and I look forward to this festival every year.
Cost: TBA on the website
Website: http://www.junglejims.com/winefest/

Hopefully I'll see you all at one of these festivals! Please publish if you're going to one of the festivals and which one below or publish a question for me on any of the festivals.

Cheers,
Angela

Clombia Crest Winery...A Winery thats Kicking A** and Taking Names

It use to be that Columbia Crest made everyday wines that you would find in your chain grocery stores and in my opinion they weren't that great. I just viewed them as a mass-produced wine that didn't really get into the complexity of the grapes and what they can achieve.

Recently, I've noticed a change in this winery. I went to a wine tasting that had H3 Columbia Crest Wines and I was shocked. I had the Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Les Chevaux Red, and the Cabernet Sauvignon, all extraordinary wines. Here were my thoughts:

1. Chardonnay- I'm really picky about Chardonnay because I prefer the French not so much oak traditional flavor. Usually I shy away from California Chards (too buttery and sugary) but I tried this one. The first taste was apples and pear then came a hint of oak with a little bit of vanilla. Now this is not an overdone typical Chard, the natural surrounding flavors come out and it blossoms in your mouth. It got 89 points by the Wine Spectator and it's only about $15 a bottle. It's worth every penny, a great wine for the summer. http://www.columbiacrest.com/HorseHeavenHills/release/179
2. Pinot Gris - I love Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio so I knew I would like it. It was very citrus and usually you'd get that from a Sauvignon Blanc, but it was mixed with a flowery taste. It was very smooth to the taste no twinging in the jaws. The words that come to mind crisp, light, and clean. Another 89 from the Wine Spectator and only $15 a bottle, I recommend you pick up a few bottles. http://www.columbiacrest.com/HorseHeavenHills/release/180
3. Les Chevaux Red - Holy Moley this wine ROCKED! What a wine, right up my alley a big red. This red wine blend consists of 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 18% Syrah, 10% Malbec, and 3% Cabernet Franc. There were so many different flavors, a little oak, a little licorice, some black cherry, some berry, and a small amount of tannins. The legs on this wine took forever to seep back into the bottom of the glass; I knew that this was a great wine. 91 points from the wine spectator and only $15, I would suggest getting some nice juicy stakes and share a bottle with close friends for dinner. http://www.columbiacrest.com/HorseHeavenHills/release/178
4. 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon - Okay so not as big as the red wine above but still a great cab. 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 3% Syrah, and 2% Malbec. I suggest that you let this bad boy breathe for an hour or so before drinking, it opens up the wine more. Right off the bat I tasted a little jammy taste of berries. Some hints of earth but once it breathed I tasted oak and licorice. Good Cab for the price, $15, I would suggest picking up a few bottles and opening them in a couple of years and got an 88 rating from the Wine Spectator. http://www.columbiacrest.com/HorseHeavenHills/release/176

The last wine I will rave about from these guys is the 2008 Grand Estates Amitage Red Wine. This is by far my favorite from this winery. It received an 89 from the Wine Spectator and it's only $10 a bottle. Find the nearest wine store and clear them out of this wine! One of the best red wines I've ever tried. A great dry wine with hints of plum, spice, and berries that have a smooth finish. Columbia Crest really know how to blend their grapes, 64% Merlot, 19% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4.5% Malbec. I had this with a petite filet with blue cheese crumbled over it and I tell you it was the best. Even trying the cheese with the wine was great. This can be enjoyed with blue cheese, meats, and alone.  http://www.columbiacrest.com/grandEstates/release/435

Let me know what your favorite Columbia Crest wines are and share some stories below in the comments section.

Cheers,
Angela

A Florida Winery that I love for the summer

Recently I went to Florida for a vacation and my boyfriend and I were shopping in an outside strip mall area called Johns Pass in Madeira Florida. We came across a little wine shop called Vino Florida, and of course I had to walk in. They had a wine bar, beer bar, wine slushies, a whole selection of wines and wine wine trinkets, and the room where the wines were made.  Of course I couldn't say no to the FREE wine tastings. The first wine I tasted is my favorite, it was a blend called Cisa. The wine was a Sauvignon Blanc with Key Lime blended. The tastes of Key Lime, Grapefruit, and a crisp clean finish a Sauvignon Blanc should have. It was a little sweet from the Key Limes and a dry smooth finish. I liked this wine so much I bought 3 bottles to bring home to drink. http://www.thefloridawinery.com/viflci.html

Another great wine was their Sangria, I tried their red Sangria and it was so refreshing. The tastes of oranges, cherries, and apples stood out the most for me. It was chilled and it comes in a 1.5 liter bottle, which is the perfect size for parties. Buy one of these bottles and have some friends over and enjoy! http://www.thefloridawinery.com/viflse.html

Now not only do they have wines made from grapes but they also have wines made from other fruit. I tried a wine called Vino Florida ORWI, it was a wine made from 100% oranges. It was awesome it was like drinking Sunday brunch, this tasted like a Mimosa but not as tart. It was sweet and clean and fruity. http://www.thefloridawinery.com/viflor.html

They even had wine slushies, that's right wine slushies! These were heavenly drinks that are perfect for the summer. I had the Raspberry Wine freeze; it was sweet and had the hint of raspberry and wine. You can buy the mix and blend it with whatever wine, and ice and you have the perfect summer drink. They come in 5 different flavors: Strawberry, Raspberry, Pina Colada, Mango, and Key Lime Margarita. http://www.thefloridawinery.com/wine-freeze.html

Now you might be wondering why I'm writing about a local Florida winery? Well the greatest answer is they ship anywhere in the country so go shop! This great winery has a bottle of wine for everyone. Check out their website at http://www.thefloridawinery.com/index.html.  If you're ever in St.
Pete's or Madeira Florida, I suggest you stop in and have a glass of wine at the wine bar.

Cheers,
Angela Laible

Rosé wines for the Summer

Recently I had a few friends over for a Rosé wine tasting.

I picked 5 Rosé wines to taste, here's my ratings or thoughts.

Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2010: ...What can I say about this South African wonderful contender? Well for starters it's only $10.99 per bottle. This is the perfect summer wine for hearty red wine drinkers, if you like your beefy Cabs then you'll love this bottle. In the last 10 years, it's been rated in the Wine Spectator for 80+ points. Mulderbosch should be chilled and then served about 30 minutes after its been chilled. The taste has hints of strawberry, pepper, and a hint of melon. As it breathes its bouquet just blossoms (no pun intended.) I approve go out and buy a few bottles

Coteaux d'Ancenis Gamay 2009: A french Rosé made from Gamay grapes (known to make the cheerful red wine, Beaujolais) from the Loire Valley. This was a Rosé that I would serve slightly chilled, DO NOT SERVE REFRIGERATED. At first I could taste a hint of bitter apple, but then once I let it breathe it had a hint of raspberry. Something I'd serve with apples and a sharp cheese. It was okay, retail any where from $6 - 9.

Korbel Sweet Rosé Sparkling: Okay...(sigh) well it's sweet and very beautiful to look at in the flute. The taste was all over the place, it was like they tried to put everything in this wine. It had tastes of a young peppery/fruity Pinot Noir, Gamay, and a tiny bit of young non aged Zinfandel. Hey if you like a sweet wine then this is your pick. It had tastes of sugar, fermented sugar, and melon. It was too sweet for me.

Oliver Estates Soft Rosé: This is how a nice summer sweet Rosé blend should taste like. Oliver Estates is from Indiana http://www.oliverwinery.com/softrose this is the only website I will plug. First off, it's only $8 a bottle but don't let that get ya. The soft Rosé is sweet with no after taste. Of course not it's 100% Gamay grapes, very jammy. You will taste hints of sugar, concord grape, and black cherry. Go purchase this if you like sweet, it will go well with dark chocolate!!!

Biere et Fils Coteaux 2010 Rosé: I've been saving the best for last. This bad boy has a 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 20% cab...can I get an AMEN. This was a light color wine, almost peach. Trying and capturing a taste of crisp, smooth, Grenche.  The Rosé shares tastes of strawberry, melon, and pear but it was perfectly balanced. This goes with cheeses but this wine I want to buy a case for home.

Cheers and drink,
Angela

Things on my mind:

Sweet Wines for the Summer

Okay so a few friends have been asking about sweet wines for the summer. I have a few in mind, reds and whites.

Let's start off with Reds:

• My all time favorite is a port from Terra d'oro, Zinfandel Port (http://terradorowinery.com/zinfandel-port.php). This sweet port is best enjoyed with dark chocolate. I recommend opening it and let it breathe for a couple of hours before drinking. I think it tastes the best once open and drank the next day. The taste is jammy with hints of berries and oak, a wine that's perfect for dessert. The more the port breathes tastes of cocoa, caramel, and raisin pops out. This wine retails anywhere from $10 - 15 depending on state and wine shop. 
• The next red is more of a fruity red that never fails. George Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau (http://www.duboeuf.com/index.php?lang=en#/en/page/Selection/Beaujolais-Fleurs-Beaujolais) wine doesn't need to breathe it's ready to drink. The light red wine that has hints of strawberry and cherry and is great with cheese or drank by itself. Retails for about $10.
• The Ridge Winery in Indiana makes a wonderful Blackberry Red Wine. This was a 2008 Silver Medal Winner (http://www.theridgewinery.com/index.html this winery is on the Indiana wine trail and it's about 45 minutes away from Cincinnati) is a great wine served chilled or at room temperature. They have a couple more wines that are sweet and they have a beautiful tasting room/deck that overlooks the Ohio River. Retails for about $12.

White Wines:

• It's all about the Germans!!! Leonard Kreusch (http://www.kreuschwines.com/german.html) has a whole line of sweet whites that are very inexpensive, so drink up. My first pick is the Kabinett white; it's a sweet white that doesn't hurt your jaw when drinking. The wine has hints of pear and apple and it retails for $5. Remember just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's bad! My second pick is the Liebfraumilch Rheinhessen. Oh my I love this wine, it's sweet to the taste but has a finish of a fruity white. Another one with Pear flavors and also retails for $5. You can find all of his wines at Kroger. 
• Terra D'oro (http://terradorowinery.com/moscato.php)...and the Italians come in second for great white wines in my book. Terra D'oro has a wonderful Moscato that's perfect for a hot day. This wine is best served chilled and paired with fruits, cheeses, or drank by itself. If you like the taste of peach, melon, or honey this is the wine for you. This wine retails for about $8 a bottle. 
• Bianco Dolce Lambrusco Dell'Emilia (Party Source has it on sale for $5.99 and it's another Italian) This light white wine has a little bit of bubble and is best served chilled. It has hints of melon and cherry to the taste. My recommendation is to buy it buy the case so it's in your wine collection for the summer! I love this wine; everyone that I serve it to loves it. 
• And last but definitely never least is Kentucky's very own Elk Creek (http://www.elkcreekvineyards.com/). I have two picks from this winery.  First of course is their Gewurztraminer, this has cantaloupe and citrus to the taste. (Their Riesling is a great sweet wine as well) The Gewurztraminer is perfect served chilled and its $19. The next one is Viognier, I had this the other night, and it has a finish like a Chardonnay with out the oak taste. This fruity wine is only $10. It's a clean wine that has tastes of honey and floral. It's perfect with chicken and light dinner pairings. 

These are my sweet wine picks for the summer, so drink up and enjoy. Remember if you live in the Greater Cincinnati area you can always email me and I can recommend wines for your party, dinner party, collection or whatever. I will meet you and pick wines to your budget and taste. I will charge you a small travel fee for my travel and time (I come cheap lol). My email is angela.laible@insightbb.com.

Cheers,

Angela