The Desert WIne Guy - Cruz Alta - Cabernet Sauvignon

Cruz Alta


   Today's review is on a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Cruz Alta which is located in Mendoza Argentina. I attempted some research on the name Cruz Alta but the only thing I can find is the following "Cruz Alta is a brand of wines produced in the Mendoza province of Argentina. These are value-priced wines made from traditional regional grapes such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay available in standard releases and reservas". This was written by someone named Amanda Schuster who it turns out is a writer / consultant for Wine & Spirits magazine. The wine boasts, on the bottle that it is of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon in nature and that that is aged for 10 months in 50% new French Oak. Does that make a superb wine? We will soon see. Today's tasting, by the way will be done with my new Waterford, Robert Mondavi crystal wine glass. These cost $50 dollars for two. By the way, wine glasses will be the topic of my next post so keep posted.

   The wine itself was bought from Total Wine & Spirits here in las Vegas and just reading the label does make it sound interesting and worth buying for around $12. To start off this is a corked bottle which I like over a screw cap (yes it matters to me). Lets, however move on to the meat of the article. The wine has a strong Oak and Blackberry bouquet which I found very appealing. The bouquet was very powerful and it did lead me to believe that the wine was going to be a powerful Cabernet. Powerful Cabernet, is that what I said? Well.....I guess smells can be deceiving. The wine opens up to Blackberry and Dark Cherry. There are very slight Tannins that do increase slightly as the wine breaths. I started off by not liking this wine but as it opened up I started to discover that it had a very....consistent aroma and taste that I rather enjoyed. The wine was very nice. It was a medium bodied Cabernet and I rather enjoyed it. The Blackberry and light Cherry notes still persisted however, it opened up (after an hour) to a very decent wine. The bouquet was powerful (ill say it again). I know I keep harping on the bouquet but buy a bottle and pour a small amount and let me know what you think. The Tannins are at the perfect level and actually compliment the wine and add to the appeal. There are just the right amount of Tanning to set the wine off. The wine can be held for at least another year without any problem and still enjoyed.
  Here is the bottom line. Buy, buy, buy. Did I say buy? I think that for around $12 you need to sample the bouquet on his wine. If you stop there you are still a winner but while you have it opened and the music in on and the wife (or husband) and kids are gone you might as well enjoy it :). I recommend that the wine Decant for at least an hour ands a half before drinking. Yes, I know that is a long time but the wine deserves it and after tasting it, you will realize that.

                                                                                                         The Desert Wine Guy

The Desert Wine Guy - Fun Summer Drink, Riesling Mojito

Riesling Mojito


Directions:

Rim pint glass with lime wedge and dip rim in sugar. Set aside.
Place Riesling, lemonade and mint leaves in cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously to crush mint leaves.
Pour into prepared sugar rimmed pint glas



Description:

Recipe: Drinks
Prep Time: 5 to 15 mins
Ingredients
4 ounces Barefoot Riesling Wine
2 ounces Lemonade
8 large or 12 small fresh Mint Leaves
Lime Wedge & Sugar – for garnish

The Desert WIne Guy - Barefoot (E&J Gallo) Merlot

Barefoot Merlot

 OK folks here is my latest wine review. Today we will review a Merlot by Barefoot (E&J Gallo). The label is actually owned by E&J Gallo label (http://barefootwine.com/our-wines/red-wines/merlot) which is the largest family owned winery in the United States. The label was created in 1965 by Davis Bynum when he made a wine called Bynum Burgandy, however  (as the website says) ".... our spirited ways really began with our founders, Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey". Barefoot Sellers itself was actually started in 1986 by Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey who their website says "took a sleepy label and gave it sole". In 2005 the label joined with  E. & J. Gallo winery. They also market under the label Impression® Red Blend. It is marketed as a middle class or "average Joe" wine. The website is focused on fun, excitement & good times. The label is geared toward the "Barbeque by the pool crowd".

  There is no year listed on the bottle of Barefoot Merlot however the bottle does say that it won a Double Gold Medal at the 2007 International Eastern Wine Competition. For starters the initial taste is of black cherry that is also how it finishes. There are slight Tannins in the wine I sensed a slightly watery end along with the Black Cherry although it is not terrible and believe it or not does not detract form the wine. There is also the heavy impact of Oak you can taste its influence in the wine. I believe that the wine is marketed at the proper price point and to the proper consumer judging by it;s website. The wine does open up and I suggest Decanting for a half hour to 45 minutes. This does develop the wine into a decent wine actually, especially for 5-6 dollars. If you are in a hurry you will not get the true taste of the wine (yes it does matter). This should also you enough time for you change yourself and the kids into bathing suits and to grab the suntan lotion and towel.
 
  OK here is he bottom line. The wine is marketed perfectly. Excitement, being lazy around the pool with friends (do not try to impress them). The price point is correct and the taste is in line with its marketed consumer. The wine is a decent wine for a good time on a fun day. It is however, not for serious wine drinking nor is it meant for serious wine drinking. This does not mean that I don't recommend the wine, I actually do. I simply believe that like our favorite wines it has it's time and place. Here is the last word. On a sunny day get to the pool or park for a picnic and bring a couple of bottles along with you. The friends who are use to drinking a cheap wine that never develops will love the wine and you.

                                                                                                       The Desert Wine Guy

The Desert Wine Guy - On Wine Storage

   You have just arrived back home from Napa Valley or your favorite wine region and have spent a little more than you planned to on your wine purchases. You may have intended to only spend a couple of dollars for each bottle you bought, maybe $30. Well guess what......you spent a little more than you planned. "The winery was so beautiful" you say. "The experience of tasting was so well done". "The staff was so friendly" and yes the wine was so good.....and expensive. Well anyway you did it. You went ahead and took the plunge. The wine (good or bad) is now yours. Whether this is your first bottle you have ever purchased that you thought about storing or you are have a few bottles put away on a shelf. You have now decided that it is time to finally store your wine correctly. Now what? The answer is laid out in this article so read on. You can’t just simply drink "your good wine" it for any reason so what you have to store it away. Today we will deal with just how to do that. To start with there are a few things you need to know about wine storage.

     Light:   There are a few things that will affect the wine and eventual the taste of that wine. The first item we will discuss is light. Strong, direct light can ruin a bottle of wine.   Light-bodied white wines are most susceptible to being damaged or ruined by light. Most wineries store their wine in wood or corrugated boxes. Keeping wine away from all light may not be possible or practicle but eliminating extended periods of time your wine spends in strong light is to be avoided.

     Humidity:  There is conflicting opinions as to what the perfect level of humidity is or even whether humidity is even important at all. Whatever the opinions are this writer feels that maintain some form of humidity is beneficial. If I had my way I would maintain humidity of at least at 55 – 75 % although once again I will repeat that the jury here is still out.

     Temperature:   This is a very important part of wine storage. Different types of wine should be stored at different temperatures which is why a dual zone wine storage area is advisable. In general temperatures above 77 degrees Fahrenheit for extended periods of time will ruin a wine. A more delicate wine such a a Riesling will be more apt to ruin as opposed to say Madeira which is made with high heat. On the other extreme wine that is exposed to cold temperatures such as freezing will destroy the cork by causing the wine to expand which will push the cork out and allow air into the bottle. Very large temperature changes like moving the wine from room temperature to a refrigerator frequently can cause chemical reactions which will alter the wine. The experts at Rosehill wine Cellars for instance recommend that wines be kept between 40 -65 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep in mind also that the cooler the temperature at storage the slower the wine will age. Since wine aging is affected by temperature we can speed up or slow this down.  If a wine will be stored for short term then a temperature of 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit are acceptable. After researching many different articles I myself have come to the conclusion that the perfect temperature is 55 degrees Fahrenheit which is what mine is set at.

     Position of bottle:  Most of us are aware that the overwhelming majority of wine racks store wine bottles on their sides. The reasoning is that this position allows the cork to maintain some portion of itself wet which continues to keep the cork from drying out. The exception to this rule is for Champagne and Sparkling wines which seem to age better if kept upright. The recommended positioning of most wines is on its side.


                                                                                                        The Desert Wine Guy