Day 133-2005 Cabernet Blush by Lynfred Winery came out at $20 for the first month with current price now $35

We should have bought this wine by the case when it was $20 the first month it was out for white wine club members. This wine was actually the reason we rejoined the white wine club at Lynfred. This wine is a late harvest dessert wine made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. According to the wine makers assistant at Lynfred, this wine was an accident, and in my opinion, one of the best accidents of Lynfred. This wine looks like a tawny port with legs, and slight pink and carmel hue. The wine tastes of black cherry, raisin, and some honey. This wine needs to be aerated, Troy likes it very chilled, and I like it a little cooler than room temperature. This wine is a special occasion wine. It only comes in half bottles and is way too expensive. We only have this wine because for Mother's Day, they gave us 25% off a mixed case of wine. It is too bad it is too pricey because I could easily drink a bottle of this a week.

Day 132-Peach Wine of Lynfred Winery around $11.00 a bottle

This is one of my favorite fruit wines by Lynfred Winery. Their fruit wines are made from 100% fruit and around 11% alcohol. This weekend they had their 25% case sale on fruit wines so my blogs will be about fruit wines for the next month. This wine is sweet with some tart, and tastes completely like you are eating a peach. If you like peaches, you will love this wine. It is not that fake peach taste that is orange, the wine is a pale yellow. Lyndfred made 9000 bottles of peach which is over 800 cases of peach wine, which after tasting this wine, helps me to understand why they would produce this much peach wine. This is a great summer wine, great for parties, barbeques, this is wine I would almost buy by the case to share with friends.

Day 131-Borsao 2008-$8.99 at Pop the Corks in Lake Geneva, WI

This is the second of two bottles of wine I bought at this wine shop in Lake Geneva. This wine is fruit forward, but not sweet by any measure. This wine is 75% Garnacha and 25% Tempranillo, made in Spain, and is definitely a food wine. It has the strong pepper taste on the finish, and is described by the vintner as a full bodied wine and finely textured wine and as a complement to most foods. This is a great gift for a person that you know likes Shiraz/Syrah/Cabernet wines. It is so reasonable, as most wines from Spain are, and most red drinkers will find this to be right up their alley. I would bring this to a dinner party and find it cheap enough to bring to barbecue for more than 1 bottle, but at 14% alcohol it is a bit much to be drinking all afternoon.

Day 130-2007 Late Harvest American Riesling by Lynfred Winery for $17.00

This is our favorite white wine by Lynfred with the exception of the dessert wines, basically speaking, the Cabernet Blush. We have bought this wine before, however we have not drank a bottle of this wine this year yet. This wine is crisp and slightly sweet with bright fruit flavors of citrus. This wine is perfect for the summer very light and clean. Troy thinks this would pair well with chicken and pasta, however I prefer to drink this wine as an apertif or alone. This wine is from 2007 and generally Rieslings are best drunk young, so I think I would only buy a couple of bottles of this wine if I knew I was going to drink them in a timely manner. This wine is a great wine for summer barbeques, birthday parties, and just sipping watching a ball game. It is just too pricey for me to buy on a regular basis without a good discount.

Day 129-Kracher 2002 #2 Chardonnay Trockenbeeren Auslese $20 at Binnys on sale from $50

This wine and a few other "stickies"/dessert wines were on a fire sale for $20 at Binny's for the month of June. This wine is delicious, very sweet without being cloying. This is a noble rot wine, made in the method of Sauternes with a grape we would have never guessed, Chardonnay. This wine tastes of honey, apricot, peaches. This wine was opened up tonight because Troy was having a bad day, and nothing improves a person's day like a dessert wine. The wine is so fragrant with balanced acidity and sweetness that allows a person to have more than one glass. This wine is 10.5% alcohol and could pair with any number of fruit desserts that you would find during the summer season. This wine is too good, too pricey, and too rare to be shared, give it as a gift and you will make a friend for life.

Day 128-2005 Old Vines Zinfandel by Lynfred Winery for $20 with discount

I bought this wine in a mad dash in May because this wine was in low stock which meant by the end of May this wine would be gone. This wine is not just Zinfandel, but also contains 2-3% port which mellows out this wine and makes it so smooth. I bought 2 bottles of this wine and really don't want to drink it because when the wine is gone, it really is gone and won't be replaced. This may be my favorite Zinfandel next to a late harvest Zinfandel. Troy is not completely impressed with the wine on its own, however he had a glass of ice wine before he started the Zinfandel and I am sure that the wine did not seem the same with that wine as a precursor. This wine is a special occasion wine for me due to the price and the fact it will no longer be produced. True Zinfandel fans may not like this wine due to the addition of the port, however, I think it makes it a different type of Zinfandel.

Day 127 Penascal Tempranillo Rose 2007 for $6.99 at Vintages

This wine was the steal of the Spain and Portugal tasting at Vintages 2 wks ago. This wine looks like a White Zinfandel, tastes very similar to a White Zinfandel and is in the price range of a White Zinfandel. This wine is slightly sweet, crisp with lots of fruit flavors. This is a great summer wine that could be taken to barbeques, parties, a very versatile wine. This wine is from Spain made with the tempranillo grape which I tend to not like because it is too dry. However, this wine has a very balanced acidity which does not cause the heartburn of some other rose' wines or have the especially dry finish. I will continue to buy this wine for the price and the taste it is a great alternative to White Zinfandel at a similar price.

Day 126-Bartenura 2007 of Italy Malvasia-$12.00 at Binnys

I have blogged on the Bartenura Moscato previously, and this wine tastes the exact same to me in pink. This wine is very sweet with some effervescence with a very low alcohol content of 5%. This wine tastes like sparkling juice to me. This wine is a great party wine for people that normally don't drink wine because it is a very good introductory wine with its mild sweet taste that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It is a little pricey to buy in large quantities, but to bring a couple bottles would make certain to make you very popular.

Day 125-Framboise by Lynfred Winery for $35

This wine is well over the $20 mark, however this is a full bottle not a half bottle which is typical of Framboise. This wine is pure raspberry with something added to give it the alcholoic kick and bring it up to 18% or 16% alcohol. The best way for me to describe it is a raspberry port, and after dinner drink or nightcap, excellent with chocolate. The wine is strong, my better half thought it would do well sprtized with some seltzer water, and I think it is fine on its own. It is simply a bottle of wine that will take a while to finish. Since you really would not drink this wine by the 7oz, closer to 3oz with chocolate. We actually like the raspberry wine by Lynfred better than the Framboise since it is lighter and does not have that extra infused alcohol that makes this such a heavy wine. Again, even if this came in the half bottle I would generally only bring it to friend's homes that I know like port, because if you don't like port and you do like raspberries you still my find this wine a little overwhelming.

Day 124-Edmeades 2003 Mendoncino Ridge Late Harvest Zinfandel $16.99 at Vintages and $14.99 at Binnys

We actually had 2 bottles of this wine on New Years Eve in 2009. We love late harvest wines and this one was no disappointment. It is only 375ml or a half bottle which makes it a $30 bottle of wine which is why we do not drink it very often. This wine tastes like coffee and raisins and is very similar to the Late Harvest Petite Syrah which I also find so tasty. This wine is a romantic wine and could pair which chocolate and with cheesecake. We drank this wine with dinner with various dishes, I can't remember now, but it wasn't about pairing, the wine was delicious. I have a hard time distinquishing Petite Syrah from Zinfandel especially in late harvest, but I find nothing wrong with this wine. I am drinking it with pizza this evening. Side note: I broke the cork into the bottle and my better half had to strain it through paper towel so we could have this bottle of wine this evening-that's love.

Day 123-2008 Seyval Blanc by Lynfred Winery $17 currently with an increase to $20 at the end of the month

This is a great summer wine. This is the white wine of the month of July from Lynfred Winery and won the Governor's Cup. This wine is very crisp and refreshing, however, I prefer this wine very cold, it loses something when it gets close to room temperature. This wine was drank alone and with fried chicken and fries, and I think it did better on its own. It is light, fruity a great alternative to Chardonney or Sauvignon Blanc. The vintner states that various seafood dishes pair with this wine, which is always in short supply at my house. My boyfriend found this wine to be a little too acidic, however, I did not. I would definitely buy this wine again, however, it is on the pricey side-so I would only buy it if it was in a case situation. Currently, we just bought a wine fridge that holds 25 bottles of wine, which is completely full, after a crisis last weekend where 2 of our bottles of wine tasted like vinegar. We thought it was because of improper storage and the house being too warm, so I panicked and bought the 25 wine bottle fridge, however, it is already packed and I want to buy a case of fruit wine at Lynfred at the end of the month for 25% off. And next month is the wine tasting in Long Grove were I will need to buy more wine! I may need a second wine refridgerator-though I think my whole family would kill me!

Day 122-Frei Brothers Reserve Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2007 for $15.99 from Vintages

We bought this wine at the Zinfandel tasting at this wine shop in Arlington Heights. This wine is very mellow with good fruit forward with cherries and blackberries. We found this Zinfandel to be the least tannic with the most fruit forward style moving away from the dryness of some Zinfandels that are made in the style of Cabernets. I am drinking this wine alone, since the better half is out of town and this is the third day with this wine. I have paired this wine with barbeque ribs and with chocolate and I have to say it paired better with chocolate. This is a dinner party wine, not a barbeque wine due to the price and its depth. I would only bring this wine to a dinner party where it would be appreciated versus a party where people are drinking anything without any regard for the wine.

Day 121-Sutter Home White Zinfandel 1.75liter for under $20

I did not buy this wine, but had it at a barbeque with friends. My friends who really like this wine say the 2007 White Zinfandel is terrible so she stocked up on the 2006. I think this ok wine in bulk when the people around are drinking to drink and not really paying much attention to the wine. The host was drinking right from the bottle, which we just found hilarious. The wine is the pretty pink color and is the typical white zinfandel that is renowned. I would not buy this wine myself it has no distinct character, but I would definitely drink it at a party.

Day 120-Bartenura Freisa D'Asti $11.99 at Binnys

We really like the Bartenura Moscato so we decided to try another one of there wine s from the Asti region. This wine is a dark red with a slight fizz. This wine is a semi-sweet wine with a bit of a dry aftertaste. Originally, I thought this wine tasted like vinegar, verified by my mother who does not drink that it smells like vinegar, however upon further tasting, I verified that it is not vinegar that she is smelling, it is just the wine smell that she thinks is a vinegar smell. I don't know I might just be going crazy. I will have Troy both this wine and another wine that I think has gone to vinegar before I try returning the wines. Based on the fact, I can't tell if this wine tastes like vinegar, and Troy thinks that since we have not had this wine before, that maybe it is just this wine-I have no idea it is only a 2007 and we bought it 2 wks ago at Binnys.

Day 119-Krimskoye Premium Crimean Red Champagne for $4.99 at Binnys

This is the best deal on a bottle of wine that we have ever gotten. This wine tastes just like a Lambrusco which costs $10 a bottle out of Italy. This wine is out of the Ukraine is made of Merlot and Cabernet grapes. This wine is semi-sweet and the dark grape color and little bubbles remind of Lambrusco, however as a Champagne I have never heard of these grapes being used. I have had about 4 glasses of wine this evening, so my english and grammar is going to leave something to be desired. This wine of dark purple would be a great party wine, it is very simple, very cheap, and very bubbly, a great drink for celebrating when you feel like having more than 1 glass.

Day 118-2008 Montesierra Rosado for $7.99 at Pop Your Corks or something like that in Lake Geneva, Wi

I bought this wine over the July 4th weekend in Lake Geneva, Wi. This wine shop must have been relatively new, the owner was very knowledgable about the wines and he gave free tastings on 8 wines. In addition, all the wines the shop tasted were reasonably priced at under $20. This wines smells of strawberries and fruit. The wine is a beautiful pink color and needs to be chilled before serving. The wine is 85% Tempranillo and 15% Garnacha by the Somontano vineyards out of Spain. I tried drinking this wine with chicken and noodles and found the wine did nothing for the food and vice versa. The vintner recommends spicy dishes with this wine, however, for all the fruit forward smells and flavors the wine has a dry finish. I would definitely would bring this wine to a party or a barbeque the price is right and everyone would just mistake the wine for a white zinfandel.

Day 117-Frangelico-I cant remember the vintner out of Italy at Binny's for $11.99 or under

This wine is a red sparkling wine from Italy. It did not say on the bottle what region it was from in Italy, we were thinking the Asti region, but we don't know. This wine smells like grape kool-aid powder and tastes very similar to a sparkling grape/strawberry/raspberry kool-aid. Troy obviously loved this wine and finished it off himself pretty much. This sparkling wine is pretty purple with little bubbles, this wine's bubbles are subtle, not like a champagne where they move are constantly in motion. I would bring this wine to a party since it is low in alcohol at 7.5% and is very reasonable priced. Even the people that don't like wine will like this sparkler because if you did not know better you would think that someone added some seltzer water to the grape juice.

Day 115- Everyday Red by Gluntz Winery of Illinois for $8.99

This wine is a blend of California grapes for a red table wine. This house everday red wine is good, not dry, somewhat fruit forward, goes with most food. I drank this wine by myself over the 4th of July weekend at Lake Geneva. This wine was ok, nothing bad and nothing good. This wine my guess is not of great quality and I would not buy it again, because it was just ok. It is a great value, though and would be good chilled at a summer barbeque where people are looking to drink to drink versus to drink for the taste of the wine. I am always looking for a good house red wine and this wine is just not as distinct and made as well as the Fred's Red which I thought was much better and only a dollar more.

Day 116-Sovietskoe Shapanske made in Lithunia for $6.99 at Binnys

I was looking for some sparkling wine for my mostly red wine cellar currently and it was labeled a semi-sweet sparkling wine at the right price. This wine is made in a champagne-style with tons of bubbles and very crisp with flavors and aromas of bread. This wine is a combination of grape varieties and was a hit with Troy's parents. They said it was the best $7 wine they ever had, and I agree for the value this is a great mimosa drink and a great barbeque wine. I would almost buy this wine by the case as a cheap bubbly for a party. This sprakler is clean and refreshing, without the typical dryness of a champagne.

Day 114-2001 Kracher Scheurebe Welsh Riesling Trokenbeeren Auslese #8 out of Austria for $20 at Binnys

We made a Binnys run on 6/30/09 the last day of the sale to pick up a few more "stickies." Troy's parents were coming in town and they love sweet wines, so we brought them this bottle to try. This wine has some legs and is deep gold color. The wine tastes of raisins, apricot, and honey. It is very rich and full bodied, but it doesn't hurt my teeth like some other sweet wines. I can tell this is your $50 half bottle of wine versus your $20 Icewine. This wine has a long finish, and is the perfect dessert. Troy's parents really liked this wine and we finished off the half bottle in no time. I took a few sips and it is delicious, but anything more than that is just a little much for me. This wine is for special occasions, and since we don't see his parents very much, it was a special occasion.

Day 113-Fred's Red/Hoiday Red Table Wine for $10 at Lynfred Winery in Roselle, Il

We have tasted Fred's Red before at the monthly tastings at Lynfred Winery and we have never bought it, until this last month's tasting on Father's Day when we, rather Troy was given a glass for free. In the past, the Fred's Red has been rather dry and not much to speak of. However, this vintage or batch of Fred's Red is wonderful. This wine is a blend of wines, I am guessing merlot, cabernet sauvignon, possibly petite syrah, and it is very fruit forward and totally mellow. Troy felt like pasta while drinking this wine, and I can see this wine as being a great pasta wine. This vintage of Fred's Red could be my house wine, however, unless you get this vintage/batch which was in the holiday bottles it is hit or miss on which Fred's Red you are likely to buy and since I have not found the Fred's Red in the past to be anything special, I will only buy this wine again if it is this holiday bottle. This is a great wine for a dinner party and for summer barbeques because it is light, fruit forward, and completely versatile. I have been drinking this alone, and it is very good, however with a little bread or cheese, pasta and this wine would be the house favorite.