Anciano Reserva Tempranillo, 5 Years

Happy hour at home and homemade sangria led to this purchase!

Country/Region/Year

Valdepenas, Spain, 2010

Flavors Present

From the brand: A ruby coloured wine shading to brick red towards the rim. Complex aromas of balsamic and liquorice combine with vanilla, spice and rich fruit compote on the nose. Appealing ripe berry and cherry fruit flavours come through at first taste, followed by balanced tannins and a smooth, satisfying finish.

Comparable to

This tempranillo reminded me very much of pinot noir, very light with hints of chocolate flavors. It was perfect for the sangria, easy to drink on its own, but I prefer fuller-bodied wines that are more oakey. If you like pinot noir or merlot, tempranillo is right up your alley.

Alcohol Content

13%

Price

$9.99 @ Whole Foods

wine

0

Light Reds: Barefoot Pinot Noir

I recently made my first Pinot Noir purchase. I am very much into tannins and full-bodied reds, so this was totally not a normal thing. What prompted me to try this Pinot Noir was a very delicious one I recently had the opportunity to try from California. While Barefoot's Pinot Noir isn't as rich as the one I tried (which I cannot remember for the life of me; unfortunate because it was at a private club where I was a guest, and where I don't know when the next time I will have the opportunity to return), it was an acceptable Pinot Noir.

Country/Region/Year

USA, California
Barefoot doesn't put years on their wine. My assumption is that they don't age their wine and sell it right away.

Comparable to

It's hard to compare this to anything at the moment because it was my first Pinot Noir. It's very light and easy to drink. I included Pinot Noir in my post on the easiest wines to drink for that reason. If you like Merlot, this is lighter, but not much lighter.

Alcohol Content

~13%

Price

Barefoot wines are budget wines and usually run from $5.99 on sale up to over $8.00, a huge part of why they are so popular. The point of it all is a great wine at an amazing price point.

This Pinot Noir was ok, but I will delve deeper into Pinot Noirs, perhaps from some other region of California so I can continue to chase that "Pinot Noir high" I got from the brand that remains elusive to me.

wine

0

Let's Talk About Tannins

I'm not about to write up a post on  the chemical makeup of tannins; I don't find that helpful for the purposes of this blog. I'm here to give you examples of why my taste buds like tannins, and why it's only natural that I veer toward red wines with higher tannin levels. Perhaps it'll help you, too, when deciding on reds.

I like the skin of mangoes more than I like the sweet meat of mangoes.
I'll often eat the skin off of a grape before eating said grape.
I prefer my tea unsweetened.
I love neat bourbon and also bitters.
I really dislike dark chocolate.
Cinnamon can be overpowering.

What do all of these things have in common? They taste like tannins. Tannins are in tree bark, in fruit skins, and in other plants.

Tannins are usually referred to in red wines, and that's where I got the other half of the name of this blog from. I prefer full-bodied red wines, such as California Cabernet Sauvignons and Argentinian Malbecs, although I will drink pretty much any red wine out there. Once I found out what tannins were, it wasn't a surprise that I tend to like a lot of drinks on the bitter side. Have a look at the chart below. What red do you fancy?

wine

0

Top 4 Easiest Wines to Drink

Years ago when I started drinking wine, I had no idea if I would like it. It took me quite a while to define what I liked in a whine and develop my own tastes. While exploring, I often wished there was someone that could give me a rundown of the different wines and how sweet, bitter, or tart they were. After many years, I have found that there are fundamental wines anyone can drink, whether you're just starting out or just not very knowledgeable about wine. Here are five wines that are smooth, and easy to drink, and readily available in stores, bars, and restaurants.

My Taste

Please read my "About Me" section to get a more comprehensive idea of my wine preferences.

Riesling

Riesling is one of the sweetest white wines I have had the pleasure of having. It was my wine of choice for at least two years when I was living in Miami. Riesling is really good for going to happy hour for "just one drink" and especially for those just starting out because it's so easy to drink. It's very light, crisp, and refreshing, and as I mentioned before, pretty sweet, but not as sweet as say, Moscato. Most Rieslings I have drank came from Germany, but they are also made in California and likely many other places.

White Zinfandel

White Zinfandel is considered a blush and is a great alternative for people that don't want something as sweet as Riesling. I like it because of its unique taste; it's sweet but has some citrus tartiness (but not sour), and goes with almost everything. Every White Zinfandel I have ever had came from California. My favorite was from Barefoot, but I can't find it anywhere anymore. I swear, after half a glass, I already feel the warm and fuzzies. I often seek White Zinfandel out for this reason, only to be disappointed because all wines aren't made equal and they all don't make me feel that way. I find White Zinfandel's all taste very similar, though and are usually $10 or less.

Sparkling Wine

In my opinion, sparkling wine is the lightest of all the bubbles. There are different categories, so pay attention to the label if you are buying in store. If you're in a restaurant or bar, make sure to ask if it's brut or more sweet. Either way, my taste buds find sparkling wine to be the lightest and sweetest over prosecco, champagne, and especially cava. Sparkling wines are easy to drink, and I find it hard to turn down. Watch out for those hangovers, though. I always get them after over-indulging in bubbly.

Pinot Noir

It's hard for me to include red wine at all in this category because they are so mysterious to me and not necessarily easy to drink. But not everyone likes sweet wines, so I chose Pinot Noir because it is the lightest red wine I have had thus far, that's more on the dry side. So, if you are having dinner and someone else is in charge of the wine selection, you should be fine with Pinot Noir unless you just don't like red wine at all.  I recently had one from California that blew me away because I usually go for the tannins. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name because I heard Pinot Noir and had to be gently talked into it. There's a lesson there; don't judge a label by its cover! I shall find out what it was and get back.

wine

0