2009 Pacific Rim Columbia Valley Riesling, $10.99

OK. I am so excited because I've got another Pacific Rim wine to blog about, and you all know how much I dig this winery. It's so funny - I'm not even a riesling fan. But I feel like whatever this vineyard puts out, between the pretty label and the screw-top and the delicious taste, I'm never dissatisfied.

This riesling is, according to the back label, medium dry, just short of medium sweet, with "aromas of jasmine, pear and apple." (It also boasts an 11.7% alcohol content, which is pretty decent for these guys.) Mmm. The best part is that I can actually smell the jasmine in this wine, in equal amounts with the pear & apple. I also smell a lot of honeysuckle in this wine, which moves slowly in a sheet down the side of the glass.

As for the taste, the first thing I think is that this wine tastes like I took the dry & sweet rieslings, mixed them together, dumped them in a glass and drank. They're not kidding when they report this wine as being a nice compromise between the two. Mid-palate, I'm getting some hints of brown sugar cube, along with gala apple & the two aforementioned flowers. The aftertaste is like a soft, warm sugar cookie, but the finish is quick.

I like this wine, though it's definitely not my favorite in a long list of Pacific Rim wines. That's cool, though. I like trying new things & experimenting with all the labels this winery has to offer. And hey, maybe someday I'll be able to blog about a wine of theirs that has higher than a 13% alcohol content, you never know. www.RiselingRules.com.

Cheers!

Kate

2009 Bogle Vineyards California Chardonnay, $11.99

OK. First of all, I'd like to say, Happy New Year! Second, I'd like to say: I love snow days.

It is snowing like a demon where I come from. I've been watching the news all morning, and this storm, the one they're calling Winter Storm Benedict, has pretty much closed the entire state. The snow is falling at 3 - 4 inches per hour & a lot of the state has already seen over 2 feet of snow. That's feet, people. Two feet.

So, since I obviously didn't go to work, what better way to spend a snow day than sipping on and blogging about wine?

Now, I know I'm a little messed up. I know that winter calls for red while summer calls for white. I'm a little backwards. I truly enjoy red in the summer & white in the winter. For me, it's a no-brainer. Cold while it's cold, warm while it's warm. Which is why I lusted over & decided upon this bottle of chard.

This is a buttery-gold chard in color, really beautiful. It's not heavy, falling in a single sheet on the side of the glass. But it sure smells heavy, with its mouth-watering butter & oak aromas. And it doesn't smell like alcohol, despite its 13.5% alcohol content. This wine is making me salivate.

And no wonder! This wine tastes heavy too, though not in mouthfeel (ARGH!!!). In taste, it's a heavyweight, luckily tasting exactly the way it smells. It smells like oak & butter, with a tight alcohol taste on the finish. It's not complicated. Also, it's not smooth the way a buttery, oakey chardonnay usually is; it's sharp, like a sauvignon blanc. There's a little bite to it.

I suspect that if you, the reader, aren't usually a fan of a buttery, oakey chard, this is a great one to try. It's got the body of a sauvignon blanc with the taste of an oak monster. Quite possibly the best of both worlds. I highly recommend it, especially at this price point. It's a better white than a lot of others for the money. Learn more at www.boglewinery.com.

Cheers!

Kate