Wannabe Wino

The time of year has come where humidity has descended on the District and we have retreated into the air conditioning. When we do venture out, it's rarely without a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Thus I made one of my trips to Total Wine to scoop up a couple cases of cheap Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa.

One of those bottles (all of which came in under $9 a bottle) was a 2007 Arakena Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. It clocked in at 13% alcohol by volume and had a plastic closure.

On the nose I found lemon grass, grass, citrus, and lychee. I swear I almost thought I found the cat pee that you see in some Sancerre, but it disappeared so quickly that I think perhaps I imagined it. In the mouth I got peach, lemon, and grass. The wine was tart and a little bitter on the back of the palate. The wine was tasty, but not as refreshing as others I've had.

I've been drinking this bottle of wine for quite a long time, and probably should have gotten around to reviewing it well over a year ago when I first had a glass. My favorite bar in DC, Hamiltons, has this on their wine menu, and the bartender always has a glass almost poured for me as I come up the stairs!

So when I saw the bottle of Veramonte Reserva Sauvignon Blanc at MV Wine and Spirits in Madison, CT, I had to pick it up, just so I could finally write about it! Dr. Debs over on Good Wine Under $20 wrote up the 2007 vintage recently, but I actually have the 2006 to tell you about. And it is the one I've been drinking for about a year. From Dr. Debs' notes however, I gather the 2007 is just as worth it as the 2006.

The bottle cost $11.95 and clocked in at 13.5% alcohol by volume. It hails from the Casablanca Valley of Chile.

On the nose, the wine smelled crisp, citrus, floral, and wine. In th mouth, the wine showed flavors of lime, and citrus. Overall the wine was crisp, tart, racy, and refreshing, with a good acidic backbone. I think this is a really great value for the bottle, and a nice alternative to a New Zealand or South African Sauvignon Blanc.

The wine photos coming up for the next month or so were mostly taken in kitchens other than my own. We consumed A LOT of wine over the Christmas holiday and I am just caught up enough to start writing about it.

One of the first was a 2005 De Martino Organic Sauvignon Blanc. It hails from the Maipo Valley of Chile, has a real cork closure, clocked in at 12.5% alcohol by volume and cost about $10 at MV Wine and Spirit in Madison, CT.

On the nose I found lemon, flowers, grass, and peach. In the mouth, the wine showed citrus, lemon, and tropical fruit. It was crisp, but not nearly as tart as New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. I think the Chile style is good one for wine drinkers who want a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc but who can't stand the mouth-puckering acidity of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Definitely a good buy at this price point.

You'd be drinking Sauvignon Blanc like it was going out of style too if you were living in 99+ degree weather with 100% humidity. It's rough to sleep, even with AC going full blast because it's still hot, so don't deny me my Sauvignon Blanc...if I can't sleep well, I might as well enjoy a glass of wine!

The wine was a 2006 Anakena Sauvignon Blanc from the Central Coast of Chile. It was 13% alcohol and cost me $6.50 at Total Wine. I've been digging the Sauvignon Blancs from Chile lately, but sadly, this was not my favorite bottle so far. I was a bit disappointed as a fellow shopper told me it was fabulous, and the store recommended it as a top pick. I think my expectations were too high!

The nose displayed tropical fruit and green apples. It smelled tart. In the mouth there were lemons and white grapefruit. It had racing, mouth-puckering acidity and was very refreshing. However, the acidity was too much for me! I love the tart wines, but I don't want to feel like I've been eating a bag of sour candy for an hour after I've had a glass of wine.

If for nothing else, you can count on me to keep it coming with the Sauvignon Blancs this summer. We have had the hottest week I ever remember in DC this week and I was very thankful I had made a trip to Total Wine for cheap and cheerful Sauvignon Blanc!

The bottle was a 2006 Santa Maria Sauvignon Blanc. The wine hails from the Central Valley of Chile (perhaps beginning to replace New Zealand as my favorite place for inexpensive and delicious Sauvignon Blanc), clocks in at 13% alcohol by volume and cost me $7.99 at Total Wine.

On the nose I found tropical fruit, hay and the gooseberry I usually expect to find in New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. It also had a slightly herbal note on the nose. The wine was heavier in the mouth than I had expected based on the nose, with grapefruit and tangy citrus. It could also be described as herbaceous in the mouth. Overall the wine was crisp and refreshing and definitely one of my favorite inexpensive Sauvignon Blancs to date.

The wine is a 2006 Cantavida Sauvignon Blanc. Cantavida? Literally I think that means "sing life." Cantar is a verb that means "to sing" and "canta" is a conjugated form of the verb, meaning "he, she, or it sings." So "Life Sings" or "Sing Life?" I guess it can also mean to gossip in Chile, so that could be it too, since this is a Chilean wine....who knows, enough Spanish Lesson for today!

I picked this bottle up at Total Wine for $6.99, it hails from the Central Coast of Chile, it had a plastic cork closure, and was 13.5% alcohol by volume.

The wine was very aromatic. This was one of my favorite bargains at Total Wine and will be finding its way into my rotation of everyday wines. On the nose there were lemons, limes, passionfruits and other tropical fruits. A fruit salad in a glass! Not to mention the grapefruit. In the mouth, the wine was crisp with excellent acidity. The flavors showed lemons, so much grapefruit and green apples. I would certainly call this wine a refreshing palate cleanser and a pick-me-up for the hot, humid, VA summers.