ForestVille Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Vineyard: ForestVille
Location: Sonoma, CA
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Purchased: 12/31/08 - Save-Mart, Tahoe City, CA
Cost: $3.50
Rating: 4.0

This wine gets a 4.0 on every scale: taste, smell, and aftertaste. They market it at 2 for 7 dollars to get rid of it. Don't fall for it. Even at high altitude, with good company and after another bottle, I would recommend finding something better.

With that, I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year's. Let 2009 be the year of the grape. Good grapes. Grapes that make wine that tastes good and is affordable!

3 blind moose Merlot 2006

Vineyard: 3 blind moose
Location: Woodbridge, CA
Type: Merlot
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Content: 13.5

Purchased: 12/31/08 - Save-Mart, Tahoe City, CA
Cost: $5.99 (I know, I know, I'll explain...)
Rating: 6.00

I bought it cause there was a moose on the label. Hey, I like moose. Meese? But I have to say - I don't think its worth the extra dollar. It tastes fine - just about what a $5 wine would taste like.

Does have a cool label and a cool cork though. My picture of the label was a little shiny of the moose on the right, but luckily the moose on the cork is the same moose as the one on the right. Good luck, huh? And yeah - taking a picture of a wine bottle label is harder than you think. It is.

Rockbrook Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Vineyard: Rockbrook
Location: Sonoma, CA
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Purchased: 12/15/08 - BevMo, San Francisco, CA
Cost: $2.99
Rating: 5.25/10

This wine isn't too bad if you don't pay too much attention to it. The overall flavor is pretty good. If you do pay attention, however, the taste is a little more tart and acidic than it should be.

Given the fact that it only costs $2.99, however, I'm willing to forgive and forget. Additionally, it doesn't appear to be marketed as 'The Cheap Wine', which means it's less likely that someone will call you out on bringing a cheap wine to dinner. I say go for it.

Redwood Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Vineyard: Redwood Creek
Location: Modesto, CA
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol Content: 13.0%

Purchased: 12/15/08 - BevMo, San Francisco, CA
Cost: $4.99
Rating: 5.0/10

This is another one of those wines that just doesnt have much taste. It's neither good nor bad, but whatever it is, there just isn't much of it.

I'm going to use this perch to let the world know that putting apples in your chili is a good idea. However, pairing said chili with this wine isn't a good idea - unless you are one of those people who put no spices in your chili. In fact, if your chili has no flavor, then maybe this wine is the perfect pairing for it.

Diablo Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Vineyard: Diablo Creek
Location: San Luis Obispo & Ripon, CA
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Content: 13.0%

Purchased: 12/26/08 - Vons, Pasadena, CA
Cost: $4.99
Rating: 3.75

After taking the first sip of this wine, I asked myself, "Is my lip bleeding?" Not a good start in my opinion. Maybe a good purchase for those of you who are iron-deficient.

I was hoping to find a whole new selection at the Vons while visiting Southern California for the holidays, but instead I found that Vons is owned by Safeway and have a similar if not identical wine selection. Oh well. Guess I'll have to go farther and wider in order to find new markets of cheap wine.

Purple Moon Merlot 2006

Vineyard: Purple Moon
Location: Manteca, CA
Type: Merlot
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Content: 13.5%

Purchased: 12/17/08 - Trader Joe's, Mountain View, CA
Cost: $3.99
Rating: 5.75/10

Purple Moon, Purple Moon. It's a pretty boring wine, but in a good way. Seems like a wine that you can't really go wrong with. No one will dislike it, although I doubt anyone will go crazy for it either.

Purple moon, according to the back label, is referring to the color of the moon when they used to harvest the grapes. I don't think I've ever seen the moon purple, but maybe I haven't been drinking enough of last year's batch. The name definitely isn't referring to the color of the wine, which is a very rich red. I was thinking that the wine was going to be purple.

El Toqui Carmenere 2005

Vineyard: El Toqui
Location: Rapel Valley, Chile
Type: Carmenere
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol Content: 13.5%

Purchased: 12/17/08 - Trader Joe's, Mountain View, CA
Cost: $4.99
Rating: 5.25/10

Sometimes I think that I should have a taste rating that is different than an overall rating. A 2005, Chilean Carmenere is a whole lot cooler than a 2007 Merlot from Napa. While I gave it a 5.25 for taste, there is something to be said for the different taste that it offers. Even though its not the top scorer, I'd still put it up there as one of my favorites.

The taste is still on the better side of a 5. There isn't much nose, but it's pretty fruity tasting. If you leave it in your mouth for a little bit, it gets spicy and there is a spicy aftertaste as well. All of this is pretty good, but there is a bit of a metallic taste hidden in there that really keeps it from getting a higher number.

Check them out online: Casas Del Toqui.

Charles Shaw Shiraz 2007

Vineyard: Charles Shaw
Location: Napa, California
Type: Shiraz
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol Content: 13.5%

Purchased: 12/10/08 - Trader Joe's, Palo Alto, CA
Cost: $1.99
Rating: 3.25/10

Now I know that Charles Shaw makes good wine. I've had some. I know they make it cheap. I've purchased plenty. This Shiraz, however, (and the Valdiguie from a few days ago) just isn't cutting it.

It smells - bad. I mean, bad. Like shit. Somehow it doesn't taste like shit - but I had to figure that out after convincing myself to drink it after I had already decided that it smells like shit. I don't usually like to do that.

Don't worry, loyal readers -- I will find the 'Two Buck Chuck' that is both cheap AND tasty. Please, however, avoid the Shiraz. Leave that up to the Aussies.

Black Opal Shiraz 2006

Vineyard: Black Opal
Location: South Eastern Australia
Type: Shiraz
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Content: 13.5%

Purchased: 12/15/08 - BevMo, San Francisco, CA
Cost: $4.99
Rating: 4.75/10

Not a very good wine. It tastes a little off. I blame it on the screw top.

I don't know why a winery would decide that they should use a screw top instead of a cork. I'm sure there is someone out there who says that using a cork somehow preserves flavor. The flavor of this wine, however, does not need any saving. In fact, if I were in charge of Black Opal, I'd welcome people blaming the wine tasting bad on the cork rather than blaming the taste on the actual wine.

Charles Shaw Valdiguie 2008

Vineyard: Charles Shaw
Location: Napa, California
Type: Valdiguie
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Purchased: 12/10/08 - Trader Joe's, Palo Alto, CA
Cost: $1.99
Rating: 3.25

I bet they tricked a whole lot of people into buying this one. Don't! 2 Buck Chuck is definitely known for putting out some pretty good wines for unbeatable prices, but this one is absolutely not worth the $2 that it costs. It smells like a public restroom at first, and after half a bottle is smells like a clean public restroom. Fortunately, it does taste a little better than that, but not much. For some reason I think of blueberries...

El Torito Tempranillo 2007

Vineyard: El Torito
Location: Castilla, Spain
Type: Tempranillo
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol Content: 13.5%

Purchased: 12/4/08 - Cost Plus World Market, Mountain View, CA
Cost: $4.99
Rating: 5.5

I was rather disappointed with this one. It was really weak, kinda watery. Nothing about is was bad, just disappointing. 

I'd recommend it for old ladies and young children. Not that young kids should be drinking, of course. Maybe it would be better if you ate it with something even more bland, like rice cakes or tofu.

Black Swan Merlot '06 '07

Vineyard: Black Swan
Location: South Eastern Australia
Type: Merlot
Vintage: 2006 and 2007
Alcohol Content: 13.5%

Purchased: 11/30/08 - BevMo, San Francisco, CA
Cost: $4.99
Rating: '06: 7.66/10, '07: 6.66

Double header Sunday! I wanted to get a sense of whether or not there was any real difference if the only difference is the year. Turns out, there is. I'm assuming that the '06 has just been sitting on the shelf an extra year, rather than being aged in a cask for the extra time - but I have no real way of knowing that. I also have no way of knowing whether the '06 would have tasted different last year... these, the unanswerable questions of wine drinking.

What I do know, however, is that the good people of Black Swan probably would have done better focusing on the grapes rather than worrying about their label. Wine 2.0. They should also try to get their money back from whoever they paid to do the write up on the back of the bottle: "...with a velvet finish like a jazz solo 'round midnight." Really? You guys really thought that sounded good? Who knows, maybe it does in Australia.

Regardless, they were both actually pretty tasty. The 07 tasted a bit more acidic and alcoholic, the 06 a bit smoother, creamier. If you can find them both, it was fun drinking both and trying to figure out the difference. You also get to drink twice as much!

Pinot Evil Pinot Noir 2007

Vineyard: Pinot Evil
Location: Pays de l'Ile de Beauté, France
Type: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Purchased: 12/4/08 - Cost Plus World Market, Mountain View, CA
Cost: $4.99
Rating: 5.0/10

Ahhh, Le French tried to be le funny with the name. I guess I'd try to come up with a funny name too if my wine were boring. Not bad.... just not good -- boring. At first it tasted a little watery, even.

Bottles pretty cool though. And it's from France. The fact that it comes from a furniture-like store rather than a grocery store means that its less likely that other people will know about it. Yup, that's right - that means it's very likely to be the most impressive thing you can get for the least amount of money. The fact that the taste isn't offensive is an added bonus as well.

Searidge Syrah 2006

Vineyard: Searidge
Location: Napa, CA
Type: Syrah
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Purchased: 12/2/08 - SafeWay, Palo Alto, CA
Cost: $2.50
Rating: 6.25/10

This wine is actually pretty good, and the price is definitely right. The flavor is pretty mellow - sweet and fruity. I'd describe the small and aftertaste in the same way. I was a little sad when I went for another glass and there wasn't any left. I would have opened another if I had one sitting around. For $2.50, you can afford to have a couple of these laying around.

Citra Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 2006

Vineyard: Citra
Location: Abruzzi, Italy
Type: Montepulciano D'Abruzzo
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Content: 13.0%

Purchased: 11/30/08 - BevMo, San Francisco, CA
Cost: $3.99
Rating: 4.5/10

Now, I'm not going to generalize and say that all Italian wines are bad after only having one - but, I'm pretty close to saying that all cheap Italian wines are bad. Of course I'll keep drinking them if I find them for the right price, but I won't expect much. It's a hell of a boat ride from Italy, and not a cheap one. If it's still cheap enough for me to buy all the way out here, then it must have been really cheap at first. You can't be surprised at something that is that kinda cheap tasting not so great.

It's kind of a hearty wine. There is a lot of flavor, but the favor isn't very appealing. It also smells kind of bad. I don't think the fact that it is from Italy is enough for you to trick people into thinking that this is a better gift than it really is, unfortunately.

Crane Lake Petite Sirah 2005

Vineyard: Crane Lake
Location: Napa, California
Type: Petite Sirah
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Purchased: 11/19/08 - Mollie Stone's, Palo Alto, CA
Cost: $2.99
Rating: 5.75/10

We are on to our second Crane Lake wine, and I doubt it will be our last. Turns out, Crane Lake is at least made by the 2 buck Chuck folks, if it isn't actually 2 buck Chuck itself. While 2$C is a whole dollar cheaper, Trader Joe's isn't walking distance from my house, whereas Mollie Stone's is. Downside, however, is that this wine will probably suffer the same fate: despite possessing a superior taste, its recognizable name and cost will cause this wine to never truly be celebrated as it so deserves.

This stuff, like it's cousins (whether different grapes of the same label or Charles Shaw), isn't all that bad. It's a bit sweet, but not the point where I would complain about it. Not too much nose or aftertaste to it, but let's be honest, those things probably do more to confuse the idontdrinkwine drinker than anything else. Cheers.

Glen Ellen Merlot 2006

Vineyard: Glen Ellen
Location: Livermore & Ripon, California
Type: Merlot
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Content: 13.0%

Purchased: 11/16/08 - FoodsCo, San Francisco, CA
Cost: $2.99
Rating: 3.66/10

Yup, that's a webcam picture. This wine was absolutely not worth finding my camera. However, it is from FoodsCo and is exactly what you might expect.

I've created a map below, so you can view where good wine comes from and where bad wine comes from.

Doña Sol Cab Sab 2006

Vineyard: Doña Sol
Location: Sonoma, California
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Purchased: 11/20/08 - Mollie Stone's, Palo Alto, CA
Cost: $2.99
Rating: 6.25/10

Doña Sol means Lady Sun for those of you who don't speak Californian. You can see the lady herself, on the label and cork.

The wine is pretty decent. It's kinda full bodied without too much flavor, which is a weird combination, but I got nothing else for you. The cork has the lady sun on it too, which, if for some reason you find yourself having to drink wine, makes it an easy pick over your other options.

Crane Lake Shiraz 2006

Vineyard: Crane Lake
Location: Napa, California
Type: Shiraz
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Purchased: 11/19/08 - Mollie Stone's, Palo Alto, CA
Cost: $2.99
Rating: 5.75/10

It's amazing to find something so cheap at Mollie Stone's. Other than candy bars, there isn't anything cheaper in the entire store. That's an excellent first start for this wine. I was excited about it before I even got it home.

In terms of the actual wine - I can't really complain all that much about it. Tastes fine - it's nice and spicy and very full bodied. Down side is that it is labeled as cheap - probably not a great idea to bring it as a gift to a dinner. To keep around to pour into people's glasses once they've had a few - perfect.

Capolan Merlot 2005

Vineyard: Capolan
Location: Sonoma, California
Type: Merlot
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol Content: 13.5%

Purchased: 11/10/08 - Trader Joe's, Palo Alto, CA
Cost: $3.99
Rating: 6.5/10

First off - the label is very cool.  There's texture, abnormal shape, lots of color. While I wouldn't ever recommend a bad wine with a cool label, this wine is good enough to comment on it. Bring it as a gift, and I'm sure the host will find it very cool as well. It will surely aid conversation if the conversation needs aiding.

The wine itself isn't bad at all. Smells fine blah blah blah. There is a bit of a spice to it that I liked. Not so sure what an old lady would think about it, but I like Bloody Mary's and I like this Capolan. I did get a mouthful of dregs at the bottom of the last glass - I thought the glass broke in my mouth. I am happy enough with everything else to forgive and forget... this time. There is a website on the bottle that no longer works - I doubt that's a good sign (someone else got dregs too?). Go pick up a bottle or two in case the missing website is a sign that they won't be around in the future.

Black Mountain Malbec 2005

Vineyard: Black Mountain
Location: Napa, California
Type: Malbec
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Purchased: 11/10/08 - Trader Joe's, Palo Alto, CA
Cost: $3.99
Rating: 5.25/10

This wine is kinda funny. It smells bad in the glass. I like the taste - there is some kick to it. When you swallow it, there is hardly an after-taste.

Can't really make up its mind, huh? I don't know anything about wine, but I have a feeling that someone who does wouldn't be a fan. They probably like consistency. 

By the way, the lack of words in this post is by no means a lack of effort. There just isn't really anything to say. In fact, I'm considering going back and lowering the rating I gave it. Rather than doing that, I'm just going to leave it alone and call it a night. Here's hoping that tomorrow is better.

Trader Joe's Merlot 2007

Vineyard: Trader Joe's
Location: Merlot, France
Type: Merlot
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol Content: 12%

Purchased: 11/10/08 - Trader Joe's, Palo Alto, CA
Cost: $2.99
Rating: 5/10

Dear Joe,
Stick to trading. Your wine in boring.
Sincerely,
idontdrinkwine

This is a flat, dull, *yawn* of a wine. I really hope that TJ got a good deal on this vineyard and has big plans to turn it around. Most other things that TJ puts his name on are pretty tasty. The 2007 Merlot, however, is definitely not one of them. 

On the plus side, it's in no way offensive. You can barely smell and taste it. Downside - it still stains despite having not much else in common with other wines. 

As you can see from the bag that comes with the wine when you purchase it, the little pic-nic that ol' Joe is putting together does include wine, but it is not this wine.

Also, the bottle is really light. What's up with that?

Bear's Lair Cab Sab 2006

Vineyard: Bear's Lair
Location: Napa, California
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Purchased: 11/10/08 - Trader Joe's, Palo Alto, CA
Cost: $3.99
Rating: 3.5/10

Bear's Lair. Bear's Lair! This wine should be great, no? This wine should taste like the blood of a fresh kill. A man's wine! I should be able to drink a bottle of this stuff, and then break the bottle to use as a weapon to fend off the bear whose lair I'm trespassing in for some good reason.

What a disappointment! It doesn't taste all that great. I'm a big fan of tart things - this wine is tart but definitely not in a way that I like. It's not strong enough for me to either go into a bear's cave or to break the bottle to use as a weapon. If it weren't for my own personal/scientific standards I don't even think I would have finished the bottle. Maybe I should have been able to guess from the fact that the bears on the label are dancing and not mauling each other. I guess I'll know better next time.

Kono Baru Shiraz 2005

Vineyard: Kono Baru
Location: South Eastern Australia
Type: Shiraz
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol Content: 14.5%

Purchased: 11/10/08 - Trader Joe's, Palo Alto, CA
Cost: $3.99
Rating: 7.33/10

My inaugural wine entry! What an excellent wine to get started with. In fact, this wine inspired me to begin this blog. I had not planned on starting a blog - rather, my plan was to drink the wine, and just watch the food network while I eat my fancy grilled cheese and tomato soup dinner.

So, if you are in the mood for a pretty nice bottle of Shiraz with an upside down label that will invoke all of your creative powers, give this Kono Baru a try.