Kluge Vineyards "Albemarle Simply Red" 2002

7 Screwcaps

A Virginia selection, Albemarle doesn't represent the best of what Virginia has to offer. This wine would have been much better if drank about a year earlier. While you can tell that this old gal had a lot to offer in her day, she is on her way down, looking into her golden years. Still with a LOT of cherry taste, this proprietary red finishes off quick with a borderline insipid alcohol taste. Still decent enough for barbecues, drink it quickly.

Byron Pinot Noir 2002 Santa Maria Valley

8 1/6 Screwcaps

Actually, at first, I thought that this wine was as about as impressive as a second Democratic Presidential Debate on the Logo network. Too much fruit and no balance. Then it opened up.

Having been cooling down in the fridge for about 20 minutes, I took this baby out and gave her another chance. She didn't disappoint. She, along with many of her sisters from Santa Maria Valley are just fantastic pinots that generally can be found at a reasonable price point ($16.99 on this one). It had a very distinctive taste in it of pommegranite and cherry that was intense on the front of the palate. Wood, more like cedar than oak capped it off for a good accompanying bouquet. Perfect with pork or duck, give it a try over the next year.

Kestrel Cabernet Sauvignon Washington State 2003

7 1/2 Screwcaps

This is a lesson learned in Washington State wine making. Unless it is just Syrah, try to avoid drinking "single varietal wines."* This has happened in the past with single varietal wines in that they offer little balance and no complexity. Even though this one tastes like it has a hint of merlot and cabernet franc, there is little reward for them having been included.

Middle and front palate are awoken by some vanilla, fig and plum, and the taste dies off almost immediately. Don't get me wrong. This isn't the worst wine, but for half the price, one can find many wines from the same area that are much better.


*Single Varietal Wines mostly are wines that contain at least 80-85% of the grape listed on the bottle. Depending on where you are, the law will vary. However, even though they may be blended for specific taste, they will still mostly only show the primary grape used.

Bodegas Naia 2005 Rueda

8 2/5 Screwcaps

How does one explain love at first sip? To just preface this, the Wineteam currently resides in the Southeast United States. We are currently breaking streaks for the most times that someone has left their oven on and open because we just passed 100+ degree heat for the whatever time. On days like this, admittedly are days to crack open a cold, cheap beer. The Wineteam was out of beer and wasn't about to get in a car for fear of melting on the way. Naia was the saving grace that kept this reviewer cooler than Fonzie.
This crisp lemon zesty soulmate for seafood was as refreshing as the price tag that came with it. For under $10, this wine is an excellent value and is just as pleasing as any sauvignon blanc or chardonnay. Give it a try today with grouper or trout and you will be just as happy as I was.

North Coast Brewery "Cru d'Or" Organic Beer

9 Screwcaps

Let us start out by saying that it should not matter if this beer is organic or not. I don't care how many times that it tells you that it is organic, if this beer had reconstituted strychnine, there would still be no hesitation to drink this beer.
OK, before we talk about taste, let's talk product. This is a high-gravity beer. To put simply, it has more sugar than conventional beer (Budweiser, 4-5% alcohol content). The more sugar there is, the more that sugar can be transformed/fermented into alcohol(8+ percent), just like wine.
That having been said, not all the sugar in this beer is fermented into alcohol (probably a purposeful move by the brewmaster), leaving a hint of maple syrup on the palate. This medium bodied baby is so smooth, he could make your girlfriend dump you. Quickly.
Try this wherever you see it and enjoy!