Vino

When I first started drinking, I hated the taste of everything I tried: wine, beer, gin, jager (well, I still hate jager...). But I also knew/recognize/accepted that I had been brought up on fruit punch and soda, and so my taste buds were not ready for anything grown up. I pushed through the initial shock so that I could make up my own mind about what I liked and didn't.

Some of the first wines I could handle were sweet wines like Chenin Blanc or Riesling. MLEIV hated all sweet wines from the start, so we didn't drink them much. Now that I've spent many years trying to understand wine, I've come back to Riesling and have decided that I like it quite a bit, as long as its not too sweet.

This Reuscher-Haart kabinett style Riesling fits the bill just right. It was part of my "wine-merchant's case" from 2007. It is a very dry, solid wine. Lots of pear and lime scent, good feel and a nice finish. It would go with any number of dishes, particularly anything creamy.
three-out-of-four winos

On the sweeter end of the Riesling spectrum is the Hogue Cellars Riesling. I had some of this during my recent stay in Virginia and it worked really well as an after-dinner wine. For some reason, I had a very hard time finding any good Port out there. But given the terrible restaurant selection in the far-flung DC Exurbs where I was staying, I'm not surprised. In any case, if you want something a little bit sweet, this is an excellent, affordable, wine from Washington state (where many great Rieslings are hiding in plain site).
two-out-of-four winos

Also from Washington State is the Chateau St. Michelle Eroica Riesling. It is made in a partnership with a famous German winemaker and is kind of a standard-bearer for American Rieslings. I tried a bottle a few weeks back when I was getting curious about Riesling and thought it was a bit sweeter than the Reuscher-Haart, but less than the Hogue. Definitely a great wine.
three-out-of-four winos

Last year for my birthday, MLEIV got me a case of wine. It was chosen by a wine merchant who was recommended by the best sommelier I've found (Jeff at the now-closed Cascadia Restaurant). The wine merchant put together a case of wine where each bottle represented something interesting and new.

Some were fabulous finds, others were not-so-good. But it was an amazing experience, over the next year, to try them, take notes, and expand my wine-understanding.

I thought it might be a good way to keep track of what I liked by posting notes here.

The first one I tried is a Spanish version of Grenache (Garnacha) from a winery in Calatayud in the Aragon region called Las Rocas de San Alejandro.

Grenache is one of the most widely grown grapes in the world, but is usually mixed with other grapes rather than being on its own. Since most American wines are single grapes, it doesn't show up here much at all. I have had some Grenache-heavy mixes before and liked it, so I was excited for this one.

It did not disappoint.

It had a a bit of apple, and green pepper, and blackberry. I'm not a real wine expert, but those are the aromas I noticed.

If you like red wine in general, this is something you should definitely try.

9 out of 10 winos.