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A Wine Lover’s Weekly Guide To $10 Wines – A Pinot Noir From South Africa
We have reviewed several South African wines lately, and many of them have been quite successful. Pinot Noir can be a fine grape; I often am fond of it. I like its classic tastes of earth and mushrooms and the fact that it isn’t very tannic. And it’s considered food-friendly. The site where it’s made is fantastic, at the conjunction of the Pacific and the Indian ocean. It’s not only beautiful (what vineyard isn’t?) but it’s said to be a winemaker’s dream. On the down side, Pinot Noir is not usually at its best in South Africa.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Two Oceans Pinot Noir 2008 13.1% alcohol about $ 9.50 Let’s begin by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note : Pale ruby color with a slight hint of garnet; aromas of blueberry, cherry, and earth; dry, medium bodied, with flavors of toasty oak, and raspberry on the long smoky finish. Serving Suggestion : Serve with roast chicken or duck. And now for my review.
At the first sips the wine was almost mouth filling, with touches of earth. Its first pairing was with a ready-made chicken potpie. The wine was thick, earth tasting, and quite short but there was the taste of the underbrush. When I added zesty green jalapeno pepper sauce the Pinot Noir gained in roundness and perhaps length.
The next meal involved chicken meatballs and a barbecued chicken leg with a black bean, corn, chickpea, and pimento salad. This time the wine was almost hefty; it was fairly dark with lots of chocolate and good length.
My final meal was composed of hamburgers, green beans in a tomato sauce, and a salad described below. The wine was dark and had a slight aftertaste. There were dark cherries but no tannins. It was stronger with the green beans but the aftertaste remained. With the accompanying red, yellow, and orange plum and cherry tomatoes and basil leaves this Pinot Noir had a touch of harshness and not much flavor.
I ended the bottle with two local cheeses. With a virtually tasteless brick cheese the wine did not have much taste. So in a way, it was a balanced pairing. With a somewhat stronger yellow cheddar the wine perked up a bit and I tasted some oak.
Final verdict. I do not intend to buy this wine again. While it did manage some fairly good wine pairings it was far from consistent. And with all the inexpensive wines on the market that just isn’t good enough.
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Buenos Aires Cheap Flights and the Wine Roads of Argentina
Its natural beauty, history and culture make Argentina a country worth exploring, more than these, it is especially worth visiting because of its wines. The fifth leading producer of wine in the world, Argentina has eight grape-growing regions producing some of the most prestigious Malbec and Torrontes. Most of the wine production is found in the far western area of Argentina to the Andes foothills. Some of the best wine tours take you through the finest wine cellars in the province of Mendoza. Make time for Mendoza’s casinos, discos, theaters, museums, cinemas, wine bars, pubs, festivals, international cuisine and regional specialties. Two-thirds of the country’s yearly production comes from Mendoza, while the rest are produced in San Juan and La Rioja regions to the north. Catamarca, Jujuy and Salta are home to some of the world’s highest planted vineyards. Pinot noir and Chardonnay are produced in Patagonia’s southern region, covering the Río Negro and Neuquén provinces. Look for “Wine Roads” tours that include these provinces in the itinerary or time your Buenos Aires cheap flights with the National Vintage Festival, held every year on the first Saturday of March to experience the unique flavors or Argentinean wines.
Getting Around the City and Buenos Aires Cheap Flights
Buenos Aires is Argentina’s largest city. Often called “The Pearl” of South America, it showcases the intense cultural life of Argentina, dominated by tango, long coffee klatches and football. You’ll be pleased to know that there are many modes of transport available. These taxis serve the city streets 24 hours a day and you can either flag them on the streets or call for a pick up. You can either flag them on the streets or call for a pick up, the base rate is set at $ 4. 60. Flag-down rates are set at $ 4. 60, every 200 meters, 0. 46 cents is added to the base fare. These buses or colectivos have a minimum fare of $ 0. 80. Buenos Aires also has Remises or private car services with flat rates and per trip, safe and cheaper alternatives to taxis as they will always take the fastest route. Buenos Aires’ subway system is highly reliable and takes you through the city center to its outskirts. Four train terminals (Retiro, Constitución, Once and Federico Lacroze) connect the Capital Federal with the suburbs and the rest of the country. If you want to stop by Uruguay, there’s a ferry system connecting the port of Buenos Aires with the main cities of this nearby country. The city can also be discovered at your own pace aboard a bicycle, with bicycle rental operators offering tours to the Southern and Northern Circuits, as well as tours for literature, history, culture, history and ecology.
Buenos Aires Neighborhoods and Buenos Aires Cheap Flights
There are 48 barrios or neighborhoods in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Several of these have gained fame by being the home of important cultural and heritage sites, being finance centers, serving as the hot spot for the arts, or by just having wealthy residents. Make time for these neighborhoods as they are homes to important cultural and heritage sites, finance centers, and arts hot spots. Palermo, a trendy residential neighborhood with restaurants, bars and boutiques; Microcentro, home to main historical spots; San Telmo, with its colonial-style houses, cobblestone lanes, and underground nightlife; Boedo, a main Tango and historical spot that offers a variety of cafes, Tango houses, libraries, and theaters; Retiro, home of Buenos Aires’s main train station and some of the most luxurious restaurants and shopping centers. If you’re looking for a quiet stroll, head out to Belgrano. This is a peaceful neighborhood that features small shops, restaurants, architectural relics and open spaces perfect for just taking in the sights and sounds of the city.
Buenos Aires Pub Crawls and Buenos Aires Cheap Flights
Pub crawls are a great way to tour a city that you’re visiting. These involve a group of people travelling around a particular city district by foot, they visit most famous or notable pubs, bars, and watering holes while sampling the best each establishment has to offer. Fast becoming popular around the world, pub crawls present travelers an opportunity to learn about a place through local drinks and spirits. So, if you’re ever headed to Argentina, this is a good way to learn more about the country and its people, while having fun while doing it. Go on pub crawls with Buenos Aires cheap flights and get to know more about the “Paris of South America” as you meet city locals while you experience its world-famous nightlife. For approximately 20 USD, you’ll get to join fellow travelers from around the world and sample the best of Buenos Aires by night. Some pub crawl packages include free pizza, complimentary shooters at each bar you visit, drink discounts, an open bar (during registration), and free admission to a club. Take a pub crawl on your birthday and you get the tour for free.
cheap flights are widely available from April to August. Get your cheap tickets and have your fill of some of the best golfing destinations in South America. Catch some
I Love Australian Wine – A Pinot Noir From Southeastern Australia
This is our second review of Australian wine in only a few weeks. You may realize that Australia is a major wine exporter in particular supplying the United States and the United Kingdom. While this wine was bottled in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales in Australia’s southwest, the grapes come from the Geographical Indication of Beechworth in New South Wales neighbor, Victoria. Beechworth was once a great place to dig for gold and is now considered a fine wine region, especially for Chardonnay and fortified wines. If money is no object search out Giaconda’s wines, including their Pinot Noir.
Wine Reviewed Pinot Noir New South Wales (Brokenwood Winery) 2005 14.0% alcohol about $ 20 There were no marketing materials so I’ll quote the back label. “This Pinot Noir is sourced from Victoria’s exciting Beechworth region, in the lower region of the Alpine Valleys. A very hot, dry season giving concentrated flavors… This is a ripe style with background French Oak and sappy/cherry Pinot fruit. The palate has strawberry flavors and lingering soft tannins. Drink over the short term with duck and Asian dishes. Our wines are now sealed with screw cap to guarantee quality and consistency.” Re screw caps: I want to mention that when I used adjustable pliers the bottle opened nicely. And now for my review.
At the first sips the wine was quite powerful with good length and tobacco but no tannins. Its first pairing was with an over dry commercially barbecued chicken breast but its paprika-dusted skin was nice and moist. This Pinot Noir was very present with some chocolate. With the tastier chicken leg it was excessively acidic. On the upside, this wine was chewy and mouth filling. Once again there was tobacco and no tannins.
The next meal involved a middle-eastern specialty known as kube, ground beef in crushed bulgar jackets accompanied by Swiss Chard and a slightly sour, delicious broth. This Pinot Noir was thick. I even got a taste of tar and black licorice. There was a lot of body but, at the risk of repetition, there were no tannins. They didn’t seem to be missing. I tasted dark fruit, especially black cherries. I finished the meal with smoked almonds and tasted tobacco and some earth.
My final meal involved fatty beef ribs cooked slowly with soft wheat kernels and accompanied by a moderately spicy guacamole. The Pinot Noir was round and thick with a lot of oak and a good length. Its acidity worked well with the meat’s grease. Not only the meat was chewy and it presented black, black cherries. The wine retained some power and all of its length when paired with the guacamole.
Before starting on the traditional two cheeses I enjoyed some Matjes herring. The wine was long, balanced, and mouth filling. The herring did not get in the way. A local Provolone actually weakened this Pinot Noir at first its acidity became slightly harsh. A tastier Swiss slightly weakened the wine, which was still powerful and long, oaky with the taste of tobacco.
Final verdict. This wine is definitely worth buying again and again. Next time I won’t waste it on the cheese. And maybe someday I’ll try Giaconda’s offerings. You’ll be the first to know.