Bloodstains by Agent Orange off of Living in Darkness. Lyrics: They can make things worse for me Sometimes I’d rather die They can tell me lots of things But I can’t see eye to eye Well, I know they know the way I think I know they always will But someday i’m gonna change my mind Sometimes I’d rather kill Bloodstains, Speed kills Fast cars, Cheap thrills Rich girls, Fine wine I’ve lost my sense I’ve lost control I’ve lost my mind Things seem so much different now The scene has died away I haven’t got a steady job And I’ve got no place to stay Well, it’s a futuristic modern world But things aren’t what they seem Someday you’d better wake up From this stupid fantasy Bloodstains, Speed kills Fast cars, Cheap thrills Rich girls, Fine wine I’ve lost my sense I’ve lost control I’ve lost my mind [Solo] Bloodstains, Speed kills Fast cars, Cheap thrills Rich girls, Fine wine I’ve lost my sense I’ve lost control I’ve lost my mind
Very recently we reviewed a Chilean red wine made from a Bordeaux blend. Here we review a Chilean Viognier white wine. For a relatively small country, Chile has many wine regions that are developing their own personality. The wine reviewed below comes from the Colchagua Valley situated about 80 miles (some 130 kilometers) southwest of the capital Santiago. This lovely valley with its Mediterranean climate calls itself the next Napa. In 2005 Wine Enthusiast awarded it the Best Wine Region in the world for producing world-class red wines. However, this is a white wine.
The Viognier grape has quite an unusual history. About forty years ago it was limited to some 35 acres (14 hectares) in the Rhone Valley of southeastern France. These few acres included the grapes that were transformed into Condrieu, considered the best white in the Rhone Valley. Now Viognier has become an up and coming white variety found in many countries including the United States, especially California, and in Australia. If you are tired of Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs (or even if you aren’t) you may want to try a Viognier such as this one. And next time you are in the mood for a Chilean red look for Colchagua Valley on the label. We will do so ourselves but won’t be surprised if we can’t find any in the $10 and less category.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price. Wine Reviewed Cono Sur Viognier 2008 13.7% alcohol about $8
Let’s start with the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Pale gold color; tropical fruit aromas with melon, peach and orange blossom notes; dry, medium bodied, with great acidity and flavors of grapefruit, peach, green apple and pineapple; good length on the finish. Serving Suggestion: Serve with stir-fry or wok-sautéed white meats, vegetables and creamy poultry dishes. And now for my review.
I started by sipping this wine without any food. I got the characteristic honeysuckle. It was long and slightly sweet and had pleasant acidity. The first meal included a purchased barbecued chicken leg with the paprika-dusted skin on. The sides were a slightly sweet noodle pudding and a white bean and grilled red pepper combo. With the chicken the flavor went from honeysuckle to honey. This Viognier was persistent with a note of lemon peel. I tasted lemon and orange when it was paired with the noodle pudding. But the bean and red pepper combo stole some of the wine’s fruit. Talking about fruit, I finished the glass with some orange fruit juice candy. At first I thought the pairing wasn’t very good, but I changed my mind. The wine displayed bright acidity and was almost feathery.
The second meal involved a middle-eastern dish called Kube (or Kibbe), ground beef in crushed wheat jacket slow cooked in a peppery tomato sauce. Once again I tasted honeysuckle (the dominant flavor of most Viogniers), citrus, and honey notes. I liked its sweetness. With seconds the acidity became softer.
The final meal was an omelet with sides of grilled eggplant and a grilled artichoke dip. When facing the omelet the Viognier was slightly sweet with lingering acidity. I can’t say that the wine and omelet really meshed, but an omelet isn’t much to mesh with. The artichoke dip intensified the acidity and the eggplant intensified the fruit.
Now for the cheeses. With a Brick cheese the wine became weaker. The Havarti was a better match. Even though this cheese was stronger tasting than the Brick, the wine remained fruity – go figure.
Final verdict. If you are in the market for a different white wine at a low, low price this is a good one. Personally, I am not very partial to Viogniers so I probably won’t be buying this one again in the near future. And at $40 or much more, it may be a long time before I review a Condrieu in my French fine wine column.
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but definitely prefers drinking fine French, German, or other wine. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website features a weekly review of $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines. Visit his Italian wine website .
I made homemade wine from grape juice concentrate and it tasted strikingly similiar to store bought to my suprise, but can I use other juices or are things like orange juice concentrate too acidic? How bout cranberry…I dunno, im just a wino….
There are many ways that you can enjoy drinking wines and many places where you can learn how to taste these wines. The vast majority of wine tasting can be found in wineries that cater for these events. You will be able to find many of these places in different countries but before you start traveling the world over for wine tasting you might want to explore Orange County. While you may not be expecting it you can find good wine tasting Orange County vineyards.
These vineyards produce some stunning wines like Cabernet Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Mediterranean style varietals like Pinot Gris, Syrah and Viognier to name but a few. While you may have to find information about these wine producing places in Orange County, you will definitely find this period of time that you have spent looking for wine tasting Orange County places well worth it.
The best way to enjoy wine tasting Orange County will have limo services where you can have someone else drive you to the wineries. Since there is a designated driver – your chauffer – to take your party and back home, you and your party can enjoy the day by learning all about the different wines in these wineries. You will find that some of the best wine tasting Orange County has is in found in Temecula Wine Country.
The Temecula wines are very delicious and you will enjoy the chance of seeing how the different wineries make their great wines. When you visit one of these Temecula wineries you will have the chance of wine tasting Orange County award winning Temecula wines. Some of the best wines that you can buy from the various wineries in Temecula are the classics like Chardonnay, Merlot, Viognier and others.
To make your Temecula wine tasting tour complete you can buy a few bottles of fine wine and enjoy a picnic with delicious food, great wines and a terrific panoramic view of the many Temecula wineries. Wine tasting Orange County does not stop in Temecula. You will find Santa Barbara also has some great wine tasting opportunities for you. As you drive through the various vineyards you want to stop for a while and just enjoy the scenery before you plunge back into the fascinating world of wine tasting.
Wine tasting Orange County has so much to offer to you. From the Temecula wineries in Temecula Wine Country with their marvelous varietals to Santa Barbara vineyards full of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir an even Cabernet Sauvignon, you will find fantastic chances to improve your knowledge and appreciation of fine wines.
Muna wa Wanjiru is a web administrator and has been researching and reporting on internet marketing for years. For more information on wine tasting Orange County, visit his site at