James Alfred's Wine Blog

  This completes the trifecta of the Gerard Bertrand Trouble Cloudy Wines, Red, Rose and White. This White wine is 60% Chardonnay, 20% Grenache, and 20% Viognier. Alcohol 13%. My favorite of the three was the Red.

  A Sangiovese Rose from Washington. Vinted and bottled by Vino Wines, Mattawa and Quincy, Washington. Alcohol 12%. This was a disappointment. A rather sharp tasting Rose that I expected to open up, but it never did.

  A unique unfiltered and unfined rose wine by Gerard Bertrand. 40% Grenache and 60% Syrah. Alcohol 13%. A wine that is unfined and unfiltered. But, "may contain natural deposit" according to the label. https://images.salsify.com/image/upload/s--BlOCOm8o--/zhi7l0t5z9dpwyyqsnuq Bottled by Gerard Bertrand at F11100-262, France It is a unique Rose taste that fills your mouth with flavor.

Found this at the Tessco mini Mart across the street from our hotel for 3.55 pounds, or $4.73, tax included. Advantage is that it comes in a one liter paper milk bottle type container. Disadvantage is that the alcohol content is only 5%. But, it has a wonderful taste so this trip it has become our go to wine. https://penasol.com/en/

This was a gift from Royal Caribbean. Very nice lightly oaked Chardonnay which we really enjoyed. https://www.penfolds.com/en-au/koonunga-hill-chardonnay-2024-8102479.html?srsltid=AfmBOora-2XL-by4W7i1kp1UDmdIymu7bP23y2IYaX52OI5dB5gtBr1N. Alcohol 13%.

Another gift from Royal Caribbean. Cellared and bottled by Castle Rock Winery, Santa Rosa, California, but the grapes are from the Columbia Valley of Washington. This was well worth the price of free. It was a good tasting wine that we enjoyed guzzling. Here is what the winery has to say about the wine: " Our Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from grapes grown in south-facing vineyards in Washington State’s Columbia Valley, where the northern latitude and continental climate produce wines with excellent structure. This full-bodied wine has aromas of cherry and pomegranate, highlighted by clove and caramel notes. On the palate it offers flavors of ripe blackberry and cedar, ending with a smooth, harmonious finish.  This wine makes an excellent accompaniment to beef, lamb, game dishes and a variety of cheeses. With which I agree.  https://castlerockwinery.com/product/cabernet-sauvignon-columbia-valley-2/?age-verified=0a62ff1bcd Alcohol 13.5%

  A unique unfiltered and unfined red wine by Gerard Bertrand. 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah. Alcohol 13%. A wine that is unfined and unfiltered. But, "may contain natural deposit" according to the label. https://images.salsify.com/image/upload/s--BlOCOm8o--/zhi7l0t5z9dpwyyqsnuq Bottled by Gerard Bertrand at F11100-262 A very light red wine which I like better than the Rose version. I would buy again.

  A nice, easy drinking wine without any obvious faults or pluses. A good popcorn wine. Vinted and bottled by Mystified Wines, Napa, California. Alcohol 12%. https://mystifiedwines.com/winery/

  This kosher wine was an option on our cruise to Mexico on Norwegian Cruise Line. Finding it unusual that an Israeli wine would be available, I ordered it. It was on the list of wines that were available with our free meal with wine. It was a light, fruity, mostly un-oaked, un-aged Chardonnay and unremarkable. I would get it again on a cruise but probably not otherwise, unless I needed a kosher wine The wine was produced from 100% Chardonnay grapes, picked from the vineyards of the Barkan Winery in the Upper Galilee region and the Jerusalem Mountains of Israel. The label lists Oliver Fratty as the winemaker. Alcohol 12%. Produced and bottled by Barkan Wineries, Ltd., Hulda, Israel.  https://www.barkan-winery.co.il/en

  A good wine of which I bought a few bottles. Traditional tasting French Rose. Nice copper color French Rose from Protegee Gard, which is an IGP  a French wine region (Indication Géographique Protégée) known for diverse, fruity, and spicy red, white, and rosé wines from the  Rhône Valley , often using grapes like Syrah, Grenache, and  Mediterranean  varietals. It's a designation for quality regional wines, distinct from stricter AOCs, showcasing the Gard department's terroir near the Rhône River .  Syrah 70%, Grenache Noir 30%. Made and bottled by  Chateau of Campuget SAS A f30129. Alcohol 12.5%

  This was the first time I ever had wine made from the Nerello Mascalese grape, which is a Sicilian varietal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerello_mascalese Bottled by ConteTasca d'Almenta Soc. Agr. a R. L. Regaleali Estate, Sclafani Bagni https://www.tascadalmerita.it/en/wines/tenuta-regaleali-regaleali-le-rose/ A very nice dry Rose that filled your mouth. I would buy again.

  This was a delicious, dark red, aromatic full bodied wine. Wonderful. Alcohol 14.9%. Graciano is a Spanish red wine grape. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graciano. We went to the Koi Zen winery for a fundraiser for Make A Wish. The winery is an urban winery in an industrial park in northern San Diego city., 92128. They buy their grapes from various locations and make their wines in San Diego. https://koizencellars.com/

  This is the Grocery Outlet equivalent of Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck. As a 2023 Willamette Valley Oregon Pinot Noir it sounded wonderful It wasn't. Thought this was a little thin and not much taste. We bought some others for the same price and they were better Pinot Noirs. At least it had a high alcohol level of 14.5%. Cellared and Bottled by 2ns Cheapest Wine, Napa, California.

This was a very nicely flavored Pinot Grigio. I often write that I would buy the wine again.With this wine, I did buy it again. The first bottle we took over to a friend's house to have with popcorn while we watched the movie Master & Commander: the Far Side of the World with Russell Crowe.  The label reads "Fresh and Pure, Italian Inspired and Locally Produced. Winemaker Charles Smith. Produced and Bottled by Casa Smith. Quincy Washington. Alcohol 11.5%."