Domaine de la Quilla Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie 2008

Served With: Leek and Potato Soup

Five Things: lemon, tarragon, mineral, thin, one note

COO: Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine, France

Notes: It was a hot summer day in desperate need of a cooling wine. This Muscadet wine from the Loire Valley was full of refreshment on the nose, but didn't deliver on that promise in the glass. It fared better with the soup course (leek & potato), but still felt out of balance with a relentless one note citrus profile.

Rating: Meh.

Tags: 2008, france, Loire Valley, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine, Pays Nantais

Shannon Ridge Petite Sirah 2008

Served With: Shish Kabobs

Five Things: inky, dusty, dark berries, spice, mossy evergreens and cedar

COO: North Coast, Lake County, California

Notes: A journey through a dark old temperate deciduous forest pays off with a juicy and spicy petite sirah that played off the smoked paprika on all of the kabobs elements quite nicely. This would be great for your next late night grilling session.

Website: Shannon Ridge

Rating: Very Good

Tags: Shannon Ridge, Petite Sirah, 2008, North Coast, Lake County, California

Hess Select Chardonnay Monterey 2008

Served With: Fava Bean Fettuccine

Five Things: pale gold, grapefruit, granny smith apple, low acidity, rounded

COO: Monterey, California

Notes: This started with a classic chard nose, moved onto a nice rounded mouthfeel, but the low acidity left the fruit a little short on the landing. Paired well with the fava beans and pasta however, so it wasn't a total loss.

Website: Hess Collection

Rating: Good

Tags: Hess, Chardonnay, Monterey, California, 2008

Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2008

Served With: Szechuan Green Beans and Eggplant over Rice

Five Things: pale straw, gooseberry, melon, crisp, mineral

COO: Columbia Valley, Washington

Notes: I have to admit, as much as I like Charles Smith's wines, the names are a hoot too. I don't know if it was intentional, but my first reaction upon seeing this in the store was to start humming the 1976 Blondie song "Kung Fu Girls"... As far as the wine, it didn't quite overcome the spicy Asian food, so we'll try to find something a little less intense for the next round.

Website: Charles Smith Wines

Rating: Good

Tags: columbia valley, washington, 2008, riesling, charles smith

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Served With: Frittata with Arugula, Fennel & Avocado Salad

Five Things: pale yellow, field in summer, green grass, lemon verbena, mild acidity

COO: Marlborough, New Zealand

Notes: Tasted as part of #SauvBlanc twitter event. Kim Crawford has always been a benchmark Sauvignon Blanc for me. I've had this a number of times and use it (fairly or unfairly) to reference other wines from Marlborough. But for me, this hits all the Marlborough notes -- citrus, white stones, herbaceous and ever-so-slightly sweet. Paired with a frittata and salad with fennel & avocado it was like a walk through a field on a gloriously sunny day in deep summer. Wishful thinking for March? Perhaps...

Website: Kim Crawford Wines

Rating: Very Good

Tags: Kim Crawford, Sauvignon Blanc, 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand

Pelta 2008

Served With: Fettuccine with Walnut and Ricotta Sauce.

Five Things: dark ruby, earthy pine forest, blackberry, good structure, low acidity

COO: Valencia, Spain

Notes: A tempranillo blend from Spain -- like foraging for blackberries in a old-growth pine forest after a late summer rain-storm.

Rating: Very Good

Tags: tempranillo, spain, 2008, pelta, valencia

Pircas Negras Malbec 2008

Served With: Stir-Fry

Five Things: bramble, black cherry, dusky purple, strawberry, medium finish

COO: La Rioja, Argentina

Notes: I decided to take another flyer with this paring; taking a mellow organic malbec from Argentina and putting it against a moderately spicy stir-fry. The earthiness of the malbec muted some of the spiciness from the stir-fry, but didn't really sparkle overall. Still, on the whole, this fared better than the viognier/stroganoff pairing from last night.

Website: La Riojana Co-op

Rating: Good

Tags: Pircas Negras, Malbec, 2008, La Rioja, Argentina

Les Acanthes Vin de Pays d'Oc Viognier 2008

Served With: Stroganoff

Five Things: straw, faint grapefruit, mineral, green buds, white pepper

COO: Languedoc Roussillon, France

Notes: I took a flyer on this pairing, hoping the acidity of the viognier would be up to the task of cutting through the mustard and cream sauce of the stroganoff. Alas, it was not to be. In tasting before the meal, the wine seemed a little flat and it didn't perk up against the sauce.

Rating: Good

Tags: Les Acanthes, Vin de Pays d'Oc, Viognier, 2008, Languedoc Roussillon, France

Vinos Sin-Ley Vinos de Madrid Puerta Bonita G5 2008

Served With: Tapas (Chorizo, Chickpeas, Garlic & Greens)

Five Things: ruby, morello cherry, earthy, cherry cola, soft juicy tannins

COO: Madrid, Spain

Notes: This garnacha kind of snuck up on us. By the end of the bottle we were ready to declare this our new "everyday" wine -- the kind of wine that goes well with whatever you throw at it food-wise.

Website: Vinos Sin-Ley

Rating: Very Good

Tags: garnacha, spain, madrid, tapas, 2008

Huber Guner Veltliner 2008

Served With...: Mac and Cheese with Lacinato Kale

Five Things: citrine color, mineral, crisp, apricot, floral

COO: Austria

Notes: As Gruner Veltliner's go, this was a pretty good showing all around, with an acidity that was up to the task in regards to the Mac and Cheese (and greens).

Website: http://weingut-huber.at

Rating: Very Good

Tags: gruner veltliner, 2008, austria