It’s the beginning of a new month, which means it’s time for some new wine finds. I’m really trying to focus on wines that are affordable, accessible, and of course “umm, umm, good.”
This month, I hope to challenge your palate and knowledge when it comes to white wine and satisfy my red wine drinkers with a blend that will knock your socks off. Get ready as I introduce you to my March wine finds.
2020 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier White Blend
I’m really excited to share this white blend with you. I’ve seen this wine on Instagram, but for some reason I didn’t think very highly of it. I’ll be honest and share that I thought it was a low budget wine. Well, I was wrong.
Before I get into the tasting notes of this white blend, let me provide a little background on it.
Pine Ridge Vineyards is located in Napa Valley and is known for incorporating sustainability practices into its winemaking. This is a unique blend that is comprised of 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% Viognier. For those not familiar, Chenin Blanc is a white grape variety grown throughout the world, most notably in the Loire Valley of France and South Africa. Chenin Blanc is so versatile. It can range on the spectrum from dry to sweet, and even come served as a sparkling wine. Viognier (“Vee-own-yay”) is another wine that you don’t see very often at your local grocery store. Viognier is a full-bodied white wine (very similar to Chardonnay) that originated in southern France. It will have some sugar on the palate, but it’s almost always made in a dry (i.e. no residual grape sugar) style. So, what happens when you blend these two together?
O-M-Geezy! I’m not even going to beat around the bush with this one. I absolutely LOVED this white blend. Chenin Blanc and Viognier are a match made in heaven. CB+ V = 4Ever!
Let’s start off with the aromas. This partnership is like a tropical bomb. I’m getting green apple, peach, with some lemony citrus-ness. You can even detect a little sweetness, which may remind you of honeysuckle. It smells like I should be on a beach surrounded by palm trees having a glass. Now, this is a medium bodied white. I’m getting a lot of those tropical flavors on the palate. I dunno…it’s not sweet though, but those fruit flavors are very front and center, which make it very enjoyable. It has a hint of acidity with a nice finish. I feel like if you’re a fan of A.) sweeter wines or B. you’re a big red drinker and don’t like many whites (i.e. my cousin Mo), I really do think that you’d enjoy this wine. I’d like think of this blend as Sauvignon Blanc’s fun little sister. Again, I want to note that based off of my description this is NOT a super sweet wine. It has a hint of off-dryness that makes it very approachable, which I think you’ll appreciate if you’re not big on dry wines. You can find this wine for $12 at Trader Joe’s, Total Wine, and I think Target may have it as well.
2018 Conundrum Red Blend
One of my good friends is a big fan of Conundrum. For a minute, he was always bringing it up to me.
LOL…I put that gif in here on purpose because I have a feeling he’s going to read this after I post it on social media. Anyways, he was kind enough to gift me a bottle last month. So, let’s see if this bottle is as good as he claims.
The 2018 Red Conundrum is a blend of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes sourced from vineyards in California. According to the Director of Winemaking Charlie Wagner this wine is both lighthearted and serious. On the nose, I got aromas of dark cherries and this really pretty floral scent. I don’t know flowers that well, so I can’t say what type, but I know it reminds me of floral potpourri. Now, this wine is something special on the palate. For it to be a blend, it’s not heavy at all. It’s actually feels pretty light and maybe that’s because it’s so smooth. I got a lot of those dark berry flavors with some chocolate. This blend is extremely approachable if you’re not into super dry reds. The fruit flavors are just wrapped up in this wine’s velvety goodness. You don’t even notice any tannins. Oh and Mr. Wagner recommends that you serve this red blend slightly chilled. I’m sure the women in my family would love Conundrum! You can easily find this wine at Kroger, Ralph’s, or a Total Wine for about $21.
So, what do you think? Did any of these wines peek your interest? I hope they did. Let me know if you’ve tried of these wines or plan to in the future. Until next time…glasses up!
