2022 San Cisalto Trebbiano Puglia IGT

I know everybody makes those "it's just sparkling ___" jokes, but shoo, European wine law really is quite prescriptive. The IGTs are like, bottom-tier crap, and they still have to obey fairly strict location-based restrictions. Anyway, this is my very first trebbiano. (Probably also last, but I guess you never know.) About the varietal, Wiki tells us: "It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine", and that is very real. I see myself similarly.

First taste, as is often the case, was unpleasant. Verrrrry acidic, thin, apple-y, plant-y. Not my favorite. But given a little time to b r e a t h e it gets sweeter, thicker, citrusier. Like a nice orangey apple juice. Doesn't keep super well, though. A real inverted-V wine experience. Pretty low alc (12%) and tannin/histamine, at least compared to the reds I imbibed in early summer. In the end I enjoyed it in accordance with its reputation. 

Upping my yield with some bonus content: here are all the synonyms of this grape. I bolded my favorites - Albano, Albana secco, Biancone, Blanc Auba, Blanc De Cadillac, Blancoun, Bobiano, Bonebeou, Branquinha, Brocanico, Bubbiano, Buriano, Buzzetto, Cadillac, Cadillate, Castelli, Castelli Romani, Castillone, Chator, Clairette D'Afrique, Clairette De Vence, Clairette Ronde, Engana Rapazes, Espadeiro branco, Falanchina, Greco, Gredelin, Hermitage White, Juni Blan, Malvasia Fina, Muscadet Aigre, Padeiro branco, Perugino, Procanico, Procanico Dell Isola D Elba, Procanico Portoferraio, Queue De Renard, Romani, Rossan De Nice, Rossetto, Rossola, Rossula, Roussan, Roussea, Rusciola, Saint Emilion, Saint Emilion Des Charentes, Santoro, Shiraz White, Spoletino, Talia, Trebbianello, Trebbiano, Trebbiano Della Fiamma, Trebbiano Di Cesena, Trebbiano Di Empoli, Trebbiano Di Lucca, Trebbiano Di Tortona, Trebbiano Fiorentino, Trebbiano Toscano, Trebbianone, Tribbiano, Tribbiano Forte, Ugni blanc, Bouan, Beau, Thalia, Trebbiano Romagnolo, Trebbiano Gallo and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. 

Buona notte, sostenitori ₊˚⊹♡

Overall
Cost: 6/10 [7$]
Taste: 6/10

2022 Navarro López Mañana Garnacha

This wine is so obscure I had to take my own picture (and for that I apologise). Doesn't inspire much confidence, even though I usually like Garnachas pretty well. The label even looks janky, though the cork was one of those fun new age recyclable foam deals. There's a strong tart cherry flavor - sweet - but also very very acidic. No saddle notes, though. After a day it's muted all around; less acidic but also less fruit-forward and more "Franzia". Never again the franzia times. 

Overall
Cost: 7/10 [if it existed, it'd be cheap]
Taste: 6/10 

2019 Chateau Franc-Cardinal Bordeaux

Please, look at this promotional image. This is how things were before AI.... beautiful. Anyway, you might think I'm on a wine bender with two reviews in a row, but it's really just wacky life circumstances and the power of RNG. (Too bad). This has one of the most intense Brettanomyces situations I've ever experienced. I am not a Brett bae. It smells like a sweaty saddle, and that's being generous. Since I am not attracted to horses, this is an unpleasant smell. However, the wine has high ratings, so I tried to stick it out. It does ease up if you let it breathe, and on the 2nd day the smell is much reduced. But the taste is still leather, squeaky, plastic, mulch. Farm life in a bottle. Since the darling otter (?) is serving it, I will endure, but this is really not my vibe. Decent on the acids/tannins spectra though. 

Overall
Cost: 3/10 [29$]
Taste: 5/10

2020 Brindle Ridge Merlot

Whew, when I opened this I wasn't breaking my alc triangle, but don't ask how things are going now. Anyway, it's pretty good. A strong flavor at first, like always, that made me worry it was too long in my warm house. A little like drinking a basket which once held winter potpourri. Like cinnamon, berry, wicker, and pine. Aftertaste of bright cherry. A long finish. Accidentally paired with lasagna, which was great. 

Overall
Cost: 8/10 [2.79 !]
Taste: 6/10 

2020 Ravelston Cabernet

Insane day. I found out during a routine meeting that my bosses are planning to close down the department I work in. So, I've unironically turned to the bottle. Was that wise? Surely not. But I don't regret it.... I love you, the bottle. Or at least, this bottle.

Actually, on first sip, this tasted rotten - as if it'd gone off. Not as good as their '22 cab, or so I thought. But if you let it sit! Oh! It improves so quickly. Pretty thick, not too tanniny, pleasant fruity/plummy notes. It's a grower. A breather. A good omen, perhaps. Breathe with me, blog fans.....................

 

Overall 
Cost: 6/10 [9$!]
Taste: 7/10
 

2022 New World Syrah

It's really unfortunate that both of my jobs require me to be hyperaware of "the culture" (i.e. the ways people use words in media and conversation) and how it's moving on without me. That is only tangentially related to this wine, but now I'm of the age where 2Tbsp of wine make me philosophical. Very economical. Anyway, it's spring break, so I can imbibe in 2Tbsp of wine. This wine isn't that good tasting. It also made my face very red. Stupid wine. They say it's juicy, spicy, and easy to drink, and arguably just the first two points are accurate. A lot of tannins, though it is bright. More earthy than jammy, but a little jammy. Would definitely go with red meat, but I haven't had red meat in like, 2.5 years now. By philosophical, I may have meant "depressed". Hmm. The power of wine!

Overall
Cost: 6/10 [8$!]
Taste: 5/10 

2019 Brandsen Mendoza Malbec

Haha, well. Fancy seeing wine here. It's like I'm a kid again, trying to figure out what a safe tolerance is for me without total disaster. Of course the safest bet in all cases (you hear this, kids?) is abstinence, but like lil George Clooney in Up in the Air (one of my favorite movies idec), most of my happiest memories are when I'm with people alcohol. So the juice is worth the squeeze even though I might screw it up. Also I still have a massive wine backlog to get through and no local friends who drink, so like, needs must.

This one is just OK. Malbecs always smell good, warm and woody, but they also cause me massive reflux (even when I'm not breaking the alco-seal). Nice and bright, not too thick or thin, a little sharp, a little cherry and oak, but very acidic in character even if not in flavor. And I only had a teeny bit! (We're talking 1/4 of the bottle in total; your girl is c a u t i o u s). No food pairing but if I did, some duck would hit the spot. You're welcome, duckies.

Overall
Cost: 7/10 [9$]
Taste: 6/10 

Avalon Bistro & Wine Bar

This place has a great happy hour! I'm on my no-eating-out era, but they had 5$ wine/beer, cheap apps, and 9$ cocktails (which, alas, is what counts for cheap now). Bartender was chill, patrons were mostly not students (except one who was in fact my student, but she was with her parents), and the ambiance is buzzy but not frantic. Weird rotating poster art of celebs. Syntactic logo. All in all, a nice little place. Would (ask about allergens so that I could) eat there if forced! Reminded me a bit of Iron Hill in terms of the bar/table vibes, although perhaps I just miss post-work hangs with my dear pal Janey. 

Overall
Cost: 7/10
Taste: 7/10 (I got a Stella; very good) 

2021 Richard Bruno Clarksburg Chenin Blanc

Despite appearances, I'm really not going back to my old wine-a-week lifestyle (more like seltzer and haribo lifestyle for the foreseeable)! But since the weather became nice, I did a bit of the ol' in-for-a-penny-in-for-a-pound-fallacy(?) and cracked another of my many wines-in-wait. This is one of those bizarre wine club exclusives that I didn't get as part of the wine club, but it tastes pretty good. Of course, in some ways, the experience is more valuable than the taste (drugs: taste 10/10, cost 1/10) but abstracting away from that, it's still a pleasant dry fruity white. Not fizzy, but thin and sweet, acidic, a little tart, I guess melon-y. Pretty consistent across time and temperature. I used to think that if I had a short-term terminal illness, I'd risk a bunch of restaurant chinese food and desserts, but now I think I'd just drink all the time instead. Lol. Anyway, very healthy review we have going here. To you, I recommend this wine, but also moderation! 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10 

2022 Tucana Rosé

Not me drinking a wine!!! I know, it's mad. Especially because this has been sitting in my 100 degree house for 2 years. At first blush, it tastes like it, too. Fizzy, very acidic, but a sweet start and a very burning-my-insides finish. Do I even like wine, I asked myself? Am I now allergic to wine!? And other questions. But I had simply forgot the ancient wine wisdom: stick with it and it will improve. So it was. I'm trying to be extremely moderate for many reasons, so I only had a glass per day, but each day was a bit better. No more burning, only yearning. Generally sweet strawberry/peach/cantaloupe notes. Pretty orangey pink color; screw top; South African blend. I don't think I'll be willing to risk any more wines once I'm employed again, but it was nice to experience a little nostalgia for a while. That sounds more emo than I meant it. Wine is good, and it might have increased my histamine (I mean, scientifically speaking, it certainly did) but I didn't notice any brain effects, at least not in the short term. 

Overall
Cost: 7/10 [4.50, but it's sold out]
Taste: 6/10 

2022 Sayanca Torrontes

Hello, unhealthy coping mechanism! Not wine-drinking. Just going through a backlog of old unreviewed-wine notes. Still not ideal, but could surely be worse.

The same might be said for this wine (at least according to April 2024 me). It was sweet, had a screw top, peachy notes, and was acidic but not horribly so. It may have also permanently damaged my brain, but that's probably not how things work. Still not very confident on this point.

Do I recommend it? I do not. Good riddance, wine!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

2016 Chateau Freyneau Cuvee Traditionnelle Bordeaux

Hold the phone, I found another backlogged wine review in my notes. Feels a bit like I'm doing Swedish death cleaning here, but worry not, I plan to produce many more non-wine reviews in my future. Here's the Traditionnelle dish:

This is a solid red! Warming notes, with a good body, but not too much body.

Wouldn't want to have too much body, would we, former wine superfans!? Honestly, thinking back on consuming this feels like it was another lifetime. I partied hard from age 14-18, then was a shy mostly-sober studo from 18-22, then partied hard from 22-26, then was a shy mostly-sober adult from 26-30, then partied hard from 30-34, then pondered my own existence and wondered if I'd ever party again, even though the evidence clearly indicates that I will, even if it's vis a vis medical ketamine and not wine or whatever. Or whatever!! Anyway, I lived a good life, and this wine was part of it.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10
Reflections: 4/10

2022 Montepalacio Tempranillo

I opened this wine on April 19 (2024) and am just getting around to reviewing it now. Whew. I think it may be last wine I ever review! I like wine and don't even know for sure if it triggers migraines or anything (I'm certainly suffering much more in my no-wine life than I was in my wine life), but having not had any for many months, I don't miss it as much as I thought I might. That said, when I see other people drinking on TV I get a little bit teary-eyed. Further reinforcing my allergy-induced-empathy sobriety-around-recovering-alcoholics position!! OK, we're getting a bit off track here. My tasting notes were as follows:

Dark red. Grippy! High acid! "Mature", let's say. Good but hard to avoid reflux.

Sounds pretty solid, right? I don't miss reflux though. Silver linings.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10

2022 Vistamonte Piedmonte Dolcetto

The week long heat warning in my area finally ends tonight... I have a doctor's appointment this week.... trying to cultivate "hope"... This wine didn't help, though. It's supposed to be aged 2 years, which it was, but the taste just wasn't my favorite kind of red. This was my first "Dolcetto", which is a cute name (little sweet?) but the flavor was Big Body & a Little Old. Mild rancid vibes. Sweet, yes, more merlot(?) than cab. No bite. I also got a face rash soon after drinking this last night, although that might be an unrelated heat-skin reaction??, but it put me on edge. Then again, it's just wine, so cheer up! My inner monologue needs some work. Also, the recipe sounds great but I'm still not up to it. The song was "meh". Save me, doctor! For the sake of my dear readers! ☺

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10

2022 Santiago Moscato

I'm sure this winery isn't called "Santiago", but who knows what it is. This is pretty nice. Sweet, not too fruity (mainly pear notes), not too acidic. I did get frustrated at the little logos on the back because they're too small for me to read (right now?) and seem relevant to allergy stuff, but whatever. Cute bottle otherwise, like rum. There was a little bit of a weird flavor note to me at first -- like bread or cheese or deli meat (??), but I stopped noticing it soon enough. The recipe pairing looks really good and doable, but I still can hardly make cereal without passing out, so it's another tragic no go. But the wine is good!

Overall
Cost: 5/10 [16$]
Taste: 7/10

2022 Ravelston Red Blend

I generally like Australian wines, although I'm not sure why. Maybe it's just the cultural familiarity (to NZ (which has good allergy policy) ). Anyway, I'm still doing terribly health-wise, plus there's an infestation in my kitchen that I'm unable to deal with, so it was a sad no-go on the lamby recipe pairing (which I'm sure is tasty). Maybe someday! 

The bottle actually doesn't say "red blend" like this picture; instead it lists the three grapes, which is maybe better anyway. The taste does indeed have a lot of "body"; spicy, tobacco-y, all that. Smells like a pleasant red, though. Maybe better after a bit of a sit. Gotta let it breathe like in the movies! But yeah, solid to sip, horrible to chug (not that I ever chug a wine, but you know what I mean).

Overall
Cost: 5/10 [17$]
Taste: 6/10

2022 Villa di Mare Fiano

After one+ month of constant dizziness, blurry vision, decreased cognitive ability, and nausea, parents say "why don't you just drink some alcohol to see if it helps?". I recognize that this is an absurd question, because alcohol helps with nothing physical and only temporarily mental (sometimes), but I like alcohol so I took their advice (to a super low-key extent of the teeniest portion your girl ever portioned). It did not help, but it did not really make things worse in a way I can perceive, at least. Long story short, this is a wine and I like wine. But it doesn't have mythical powers. Sad!

Flavor-wise, it's a typical fruity bouquet of white melon, sweet and tart, acidic with a strong bite. Tingly. I think I prefer reds for peace of mind, but it's refreshing and also wine. The food pairing sounds tasty and safe but I'm not up for shopping or cooking, so I sadly have to skip it. The song pairing of "Let It Go" is rude.  Hope you're doing better than I am, dear blog reader! 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

2020 Matt Iaconis Delta California Chardonnay

I can't make the food pairing, so I'm reviewing this right away. Out of the bottle, it's a pretty standard Chard -- tropical fruity and a little sweetness and tartness. But it's also got a little water to it, which I personally like. Pretty drinkable, and a cute and beachy bottle. Good vibes.

Overall
Cost: 5/10 [15$]
Taste: 7/10

2022 Castelo de Terena Red

Sorry for the multi-day break from bloggin', food fans. Nothing terrible happened to me, I'm just in a funk! Work stress, friend stress, car trouble. Adulthood, am I right? Anyway, this is a fine wine. Pretty sweet, cherry notes, and not too tart or sharp. Kind of a weird yeasty vibe at first, but it mellowed with time. No complaints, but nothing revolutionary either. 

 The same is true of the Beef Short Rib stew -- not crazy hard to make, but really fatty! Yikes! There must be a better meat for this. Also the potatoes needed more time to cook. But I actually used the wine in the recipe, which was neat. And as promised, it was better the second day. I froze some too, so hopefully that's not terrible. Good comfort food, anyway, which I needed.

Overall
Cost: 5/10 [15$]
Taste: 6/10

2020 Château Riviere Minervois

These French wines might be too fancy for me. I like the sample US/AU ones with pretty labels. Anyway, it's got a really strong flavor when you first open it, whew. I was worried the cork was too porous and it went bad, even. Tart, complex, like a pear smoked jerky or something. Maybe not my favorite. It does mellow after a few days, but it's also very acidic then. So, a big meh from me! 

The pairing of Eggplant Parm was attempted, but I clumsily and tragically dumped my whole baking sheet of breaded eggplant slices to the oven floor. So I only had the scraps of eggplant left to work with, which threw off the whole recipe and my mood. Life is pain, friends. At least it saved me some calories, I guess, IDEK. So, there was a lot of sauce and only a little eggplant, which was very sparsely breaded. Also cheese. It made my mouth burn and made me very itchy and nervous, which is stupid 'cause I've had all the ingredients before except the dried basil, which is, yanno, basil. I guess heavy tomato sauce and cheese will do that to you. It tasted fine and would probably have been really solid before I dropped it, but not worth it for the stinging mouth and possible heartburn maybe.

Overall
Cost: 4/10 [25$]
Taste: 5/10