Where we’ve been…All 48 lower…Where we are…Extensively traveling…Working and having a blast!

Where we’ve been…All 48 lower…Where we are…Extensively traveling…Working and having a blast!
LIFE IS GRAND!

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Wine Tasting 2023

 During our travels, we pick up bottles of wine, not only in the grocery stores in different states, choosing the local brands that sound good, but also during our wine tasting excursions at wineries, as we taste them, we will share our findings.

Kick’n Kolada 

Stone Hill Winery

Hermann, MO

11.5% alcohol 

While passing through Missouri, we stopped for gas and the Phillip 66 station had a wide variety of local wines, so we bought a few bottles. This one is the last one and we really don’t think we will be tasting anymore Missouri wines. This one wasn’t too sweet and sort of tasted like a Pina Colada but was not appealing to us at all.




Sweet Cat Catabaw Rose

Meramec Vineyards 

St James, MO

12% alcohol 

While passing through Missouri, we stopped for gas and the Phillip 66 station had a wide variety of local wines, so we bought a few bottles. Not as sweet as other Catabaw’s we have tasted with a very floral taste. Not one of our favorite wines and we will not be purchasing again.




Sweet Harvest Riesling

Chateau Grand Traverse, LTD 

Grand Traverse, MI

12% alcohol 

Michigan being my home State, we always have to grab a few bottles whenever we travel through the area, and this time was no exception. The sweetness on the bottle was a 4 ½ on a scale from 0 to 5. We do not agree, we think it’s more like a 3 with a very dominant apricot finish. We will not be purchasing this one again, but we do recommend for a drier wine drinker.


White Moscato 

Crown Valley Winery

Ste Genevieve, MO

10% alcohol 

 

While passing through Missouri, we stopped for gas and the Phillip 66 (Stuckey’s) station had a wide variety of local wines in their wine cart, so we bought a few bottles. This one was definitely way too sweet for us which is not usual for us. We could barely get through it, and only could when we mixed it with a drier wine we had available to use. Hopefully, the others we purchased are not as sweet.



 

Cherry Moscato

Oliver Winery & Vineyards

Bloomington, IN

6.8% alcohol 

 

The cherry and spritzer in the Moscato were delicious that toned down any sweetness that at times appears with many Moscato. Refreshing and light ending that leaves you wanting more.



 


Summerland

Northern Flow Vineyards

Clayton, NY

11.5% alcohol 

 

We picked this one at a wine tasting room in Lake Placid, New York while we visited the area. It was right at the semi dry/semi sweet balance, sort of like a dry Riesling with a pear flavor and a refreshing touch to the ending.




Fire Boat White

Coyote Moon Vineyards

Clayton, NY

We picked this one at a wine tasting room in Lake Placid, New York while we visited the area. Has an enticing taste using the Niagara Grape which is one of the frequently used grapes in the Northeast and Midwest regions. Sweet, fresh, crisp popping flavor with a clear ending that we would definitely enjoy again.


Winter White

Leelanau Wine Cellars

Omena, MI

12% alcohol 

 

A great refreshing white wine with a light finish that we picked up during our visit to Michigan. We would definitely recommend it and would purchase again.


 

Bicentennial Blush

Glades Pike Winery

Somerset, PA

 

We were just a short drive to their vineyard, but they also came to the campground while we were there. We tried a few tastes but ended up buying a few bottles of Bicentennial Blush only. Made with several types of grapes and has a tint of floral but not overwhelming, it’s sweet but dry with a refreshing end to it. 









2021 Harvest Select Sweet Riesling

Chateau Ste Michelle

Columbia Valley, WA

10.5% alcohol 

 

Given to us as a gift, it is a nice wine that is a fruity burst in our mouths but not overbearing. Not too sweet and not dry at all, leaving a crisp and refreshing ending. We had tried this one back in 2012 with a similar outcome. Would definitely recommend and we would purchase again for ourselves.

 



Brut Champagne 

Gruet Winery

Albuquerque, NM

12% alcohol 

 

Given to us as a gift, we usually do not like a brut champagne but we didn’t want to throw it down the drain so we bought some cranberry juice and made our version of a Mimosa. That did fixed the brutness of the Brut and we were able to finish the bottle and not ever purchase it for ourselves, it’s more on the high end of cost for us anyway, we try to stay under $10 and this is way over it.




White Zinfandel Moscato 

Berlinger Main & Vine

Ripon, CA

8% alcohol 

 

85% White Zinfandel 15% Moscato, found at the end of Main Street, where the shops slowly fade into the vineyards and wine country begins. Semi dry with a crispness at the end of the sip. A gifted wine from a dear friend that if we would have seen it on the shelf, we would have bought it ourselves. It really needs more Moscato percentage for our absolute liking it, otherwise it was intriguing.

 


PB&J

St. Julian Wine Company, Inc.

Paw Paw, MI 

10.5% alcohol 

What were we thinking? There are no peanuts used but it tastes just like Concord Grapes and Peanut Butter, we even had that peanut butter taste left on the roof of our mouths. It’s a novelty but we couldn’t drink it, after a few sips, we gave up.



I am Detroit

St. Julian Wine Company, Inc.

Paw Paw, MI 

NA% alcohol 

Since I’m from Detroit, this choice was a no brainer. From the shores of Lake Michigan this is fruit at its finest. It tastes like a Riesling and Moscato mashed together and it was amazingly balanced. It would pair with just about anything that has a touch of spice to it or a perfectly grilled steak.


Unsalted Cherry

SeaSalt Cellars

Fennville, MI 

12% alcohol 

Loved the bottle but the wine was not one of our favorites. It has a delicate but sweet taste to it but a bit on the sour side from the cherries. We did drink it all but we wouldn’t purchase it again.



Grand Traverse Select Riesling

Chateau Grand Traverse

Traverse City, MI 

12% alcohol 

Now this is how we love our Rieslings, sweet, fresh, and crisp. Would definitely pair with BBQ Ribs or Chicken and some Spicy StirFry. When we see this wine on the shelf again, we will purchase it.

MichMash Riesling 2019

Chateau Grand Traverse

Traverse City, MI 

12.2% alcohol 

 

A lot dryer than our normal taste buds enjoy, but it was light and fresh without any lingering dryness. Would pair well with great home cooking, that comfort food.

 

Michcato

St. Julian Wine Company, Inc.

Paw Paw, MI 

11% alcohol 


Has a sweet tone that doesn’t get sweeter as it leaves, but instead gets crispy and fresh. It’s a play on our favorite Moscato Wine and it’s so flavorful. Would pair well with a spicy meal, Tacos, Cajun, Blackened or Chinese. We did not get it from the winery but instead we picked it up at a Michigan Meijer Supermarket while in the area.


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