KinKead Ridge 2008 Viognier - An Excellent Break in a Stressed Life

Well, it's been an exhausting week or so around here, and it's nice to relax a bit and just write about something that really put a smile on my face tonight - a 2008 Kinkead Ridge Viognier/Roussanne blend. Before I get into the wine, I'll just make a note to thank all those who have wished my father well over the last week. He has been in the hospital since last Wednesday, and we're still not totally in the clear, but hopefully things are looking upward. There's an interesting story between he and my love of wine that I'll have to blog about sometime soon.

Anyway, on to the wine...this is a white from one of my favorite Ohio River Valley wineries that we picked up last weekend, and wow do I love it! I know Ron and Nancy out at Kinkead Ridge are very excited about this wine and after tasting it I understand why. This wine is SO refreshing and flavorful all at the same time - it made a wonderful pairing with our cajun shrimp and pasta alfredo tonight! It's a 57% Viognier, 43% Roussanne blend and I detect a bit of honeysuckle on the nose in addition to the fruit forward aromas. In your mouth the wine has just a tinge of tingliness and I actually noticed a bit of spice, almost like ginger or something, again, in addition to the very flavorful fruit notes like orange and pear.

I've always been a big fan or Ron's red wines such as his 2006 Revelation Red and before that the 2005 Syrah, but this white may actually be my favorite wine he has produced. The wine runs $15.95 a bottle and is well worth that. For a list of where to find Kinkead Ridge wines, click here. If you're in the Southern Ohio area, I would really encourage you to visit Kinkead Ridge on a Saturday afternoon and check out all they have to offer. For me, tonight's glass offered a nice relaxing break from some of the stress I've had the past week or so. Tentative plans are to head to Napa next week, so I should have plenty to blog about soon. Happy tasting all, hope you enjoy the first miracle!

A Wine with a Witty Name

Wow, has it been a long time since I blogged about wine!! It's amazing how finding 15 minutes to talk about something you love seems to become so difficult as our daily lives begin to overwhelm us. Here's a toast to hoping we are all always able to slow down and enjoy the things that truly make life enjoyable.

Well, to get back into things, tonight I tried a wine with a really witty name - Goats Do Roam! Of course playing off the French region, this wine actually comes from South Africa. They make a Red, White and a Rose, tonight we had the white. It was a very nice and refreshing wine for a warm summer evening. We've had some long days at work, so just ordered a pizza and opened a bottle for dinner this evening. The nose had hints of pear and in the mouth it created a nice tingly sensation and tasted of apple and pear. I think the cost was below $10 which so many of the good South African wines are currently, so I would consider it a very good buy. We have a bottle of the Goats Do Roam Red which we'll try at a later date, I'll let you know how that one goes. Hope you have all been enjoying the first miracle!

Wine Tasting Notes for 3-25-09

Ok, tonight's a fun very affordable wine. My wife made brushetta for dinner and decided to open a bottle of CK Mondavi Chardonnay to go with it. This is a wine that retails for under $10 and can be found almost anywhere. Although it's a Chardonnay this drinks as a much fruitier and less dry wine than you might expect from a Chardonnay. On the nose I get aromas of fruits such as pineapple and peach. Upon first sip I get the usual buttery note typical of a Chardonnay. In your mouth it's all fruit and reminds me more of a Pinot Grigio than a Chardonnay. This is a good wine for a meal with a little spice and for just sipping on a hot summer day (which by the way it's not here in good old Cincy, rained pretty much all day). Anyway, for the taste and the price I'd definitely recommend this anytime your looking for a fun white wine. Hope you have some sometime and as always, enjoy the first miracle!