I just read an article in Wine Enthusiast that Riesling is one of the fastest-growing wine varieties on the market. According to the article, people are looking for crisp-bright wines; of course, Riesling fits that bill. Our first wine says it pairs well with chicken, fish, and spicy cuisines.

Nero D’Avola is known for its dark fruit-driven flavors, full-bodied, and medium to medium-high tannins. In addition to the dark fruit, may get flavors of licorice, tobacco, and pepper.

Meritage is a wine blended with the Bordeaux grape varieties, typically from outside of Bordeaux. The five Bordeaux grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petite Verdot. Pronounced like “heritage”.

Tonight, we try these three wines from Trader Joe’s.

1. 2023 Emma Reichart Dry Riesling, purchased for $5.99. Aromas of apricot, honeysuckle, citrus, minerality, and green apple. This wine comes from Germany with 11.5% alcohol.
2. 2022 Epicuro Nero D’Avola is from Sicilia DOP. Trader Joe’s had this wine for $5.99. Fermented and aged in stainless steel. It has 13.7 g/L of residual sugar making this an off-dry wine. Reverse Wine Snob says aromas of red berry and cherry cough drop fruit, with touches of licorice and spice. Less complex but still a very affordable example of Nero d’Avola. It has 12.5% alcohol.
3. 2022 Roustabout Meritage from Paso Robles, California. Purchased for $7.99. Aromas of dark fruit with cola, tobacco, and pepper. Many reviews mention a jammy or over ripe fruit taste. 13.6% alcohol. This wine has 44% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc.

Next week we are learning more about blind tasting. We are also going to reminisce about the 70’s.

Viognier is a full-bodied white wine. Primary flavors of tangerine, peach, mango, honeysuckle, and rose. Cooler climate styles have greater citrus and floral traits with more acid and crispness. These wines are typically aged in stainless steel. Warmer climate Viognier is barrel aged, goes through malolactic fermentation, and therefore has richer tastes such as apricot, rose, and vanilla. These wines have less acidity and more creaminess. Viognier has become more popular in recent years with more plantings in California.

Languedoc in the South of France is located south of the Rhone Valley and stretches to the Mediterranean Sea. It is west of Provence and the French Riviera along the Mediterranean and extends west into the Pyrenees Mountains.

Tonight, we try these three wines from Trader Joe’s.

1. 2023 Honey Moon Viognier, purchased for $5.99. Aromas of peach, apricot, and honeysuckle. Flavors of honey, mango, and nectar. Floral scents, lush, full-bodied. This wine comes from California. 13.5% alcohol. Pairs with many cheeses, fish, white meats, and spicy foods. Hard to find much information, but two websites said it does not have residual sugar, even though it has a sweet taste. Many reviews also said it is a great summer sipper all by itself. Both of us scored this wine a 2 out of 5.
2. 2024 Carayon La Rose is from the Languedoc in the South of France. Trader Joe’s had this wine for $6.99. It has strawberry and fruit aromas and tastes. It is crisp yet ripe. It has 12.5% alcohol. Denise scored a 2. Dennis scored a
3. 2023 Rain Cloud red blend from Napa, California. Purchased for $6.99. Aromas of blackberry, cherry, and currant, with hints of vanilla and spice. Many reviews mention a jammy taste. 14.5% alcohol. According to the Blonde Voyage Nashville, this wine is made with 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Petite Syrah. Denise scored a 3 and Dennis scored a 2.

Next week we will continue our tasting of Trader Joe’s wines.

I had never done a ten-year vertical wine-tasting and didn’t know what to expect. A vertical tasting is done with the same wine variety from the same winery and maybe even from the same vineyards, but for different years.

However, if you get the chance, take it. I was very impressed. You can taste how the wine changes over time, and with information regarding the growing conditions for each year, you can also taste how the weather affects the wine.

Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, Missouri, is one of the best in the state. Norton is the Missouri State Grape. Norton is also called Cynthiana which is the State Grape in Arkansas.

Because of its acid and tannins, Norton wine can age well. It is known for its flavors of plum, tart cherries, blackberries, and earthiness and spice.

Tonight, we talk about the Ten-Year Norton Vertical Wine Tasting that we did at Stone Hill Winery.

Next week we are hunting for a great Trader Joe’s wine. We will try to describe the three wines we taste and help you decide which wine you need to try next. We will be tasting:

1. 2023 Emma Reichart Dry Riesling, purchased for $5.99. Aromas of apricot and grapefruit. It is crisp and dry with notes of mineral, almonds, and herbs. This wine comes from Germany. 11.5% alcohol.
2. 2022 Roustabout Meritage from Paso Robles. Trader Joe’s had this wine for $7.99. Meritage is a Bordeaux Red Blend made up of 44% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Franc. The bottle says silky tannins. Notes of black cherries, blueberries, and cigar box. Some hints of dark chocolate and expresso. 13.6% alcohol.
3. 2022 Epicuro Nero D’Avola from Sicilia DOC. Purchased for $5.99. Aromas of blackberry, black currant, forest floor, and pepper. RWS gives it a 7.0 rating and recommends BUY.