I enjoy participating in the online cooking events as much as possible.  It's a great way to find other food fanatics, see what other cooks around the world can do with the same subject matter, get food inspiration and "meet" some wonderful and interesting people.  One event that I've always shied away from though is Wine Blogging Wednesday.  Even though I've been drinking wine pretty regularly since I was *cough*thirteen*cough* and my dad was pretty vigilant about showing me how to choose wines based on vineyard, year, etc., I've always been pretty laid back in my approach.  I don't have a favourite vineyard per se or a favourite type, I don't care if it's all the rage or shunned by the public at large, and I couldn't tell the difference between a wine from California and one from France if my life depended on it.  I buy wines in a mid to low price range because I like to drink wine and can't afford $50 bottles.  Plus I'm not looking to present a bottle as a work of art to be admired from afar.  I also choose based on what I'll be drinking them with; I like reds with my heavy pasta sauces and beef, and whites with my chicken and pork.  I know the difference between a dry, semi-dry, sweet and semi-sweet and will choose according to those as well, but I have no preference for one over the other.  And while I do have old favourites from when I went to the wine lady with my dad back in Germany, a lot of the time I choose a wine based simply on its label.  Which makes this WBW a perfect fit.  Derrick over at An Obsession With Food is our host and has bade us all to judge a wine strictly because of its cover then photograph it, drink it and post what we thought about it.  Well hell, I can do that.  In fact, I can do that so well that I give you not one, not two, but three bottles.

(just a small side note:  I don't know proper "wine speak".  I never have and probably never will.  I'll tell you as best as I can how they tasted, but it won't be anything like "and the nose has a hint of mulberry" or "it played along my palate like a belly dancer from Bangkok".)

Bottle #1:  2004 Chardonnay vinted and bottled by 3 Blind Moose Cellars in Woodbridge, California
Chosen because:  Dude, there are moose...wearing sunglasses...imbibing spirits!  Karina and I giggled the entire time we were in the check-out lane.
Cost at Kroger's:  $9



Taste:  Semi-dry (which means that it'll make you pucker, but just a little bit) and very smooth; same feeling you get in your mouth from eating a granny smith apple.  At the end of swallowing it had a slight woody sweetness to it.  I liked that it didn't linger either. 

Would I buy it again:  Yes, but probably only when I had a specific meal in mind.  For drinking on its own, eh, I've had better.



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Bottle #2:  2004 Merlot Rose vinted and bottled by Vampire Vineyards in Transylvania, Romania
Chosen because:  Sarah love the vampire.  Long time.  I couldn't resist a label called Vampire with the letters styled to look like vampire teeth dripping blood.
Cost at Vine & Spirits:  $10



Taste:  Semi-sweet and just this side of hearty.  It was pleasantly sweet throughout the entire swallow and didn't linger.

Would I buy it again:  Most definitely.  This is one that was good with food (had mine with winter chowder even though Alex pointed out that a beer would go better with the soup) and all by itself.



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Bottle #3:  2003 Zinfandel (Cardinal Zin) vinted and bottled Bonny Doon Vineyards in Santa Cruz, California
Chosen because:  I loved the picture of the cardinal with horns and that crazy mustache, all dripping blood!  I have also greatly enjoyed other wines from Bonny Doon (especially their Ca'del Solo line).
Cost at Vine & Spirits:  $20



Taste:  Like a Mac truck.  This is not a wussy wine.  If you have no fortitude, don't go there.  Dry and icy like the Gobi.  Finishes off with a taste like a 12 year old Laphroaig; smoky, peaty and woody.  Lingers quite heavily.

Would I buy it again:  Oh hell yes!



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The favourite overall based on the tastings of myself, Alex and Karina (Brendan flat out refused to try any of them) was Vampire.  Second was 3 Blind Moose and last was Cardinal Zin (I was the only one who liked it).

This was a lot of fun and I might even do WBW again.  Just don't look for me to have the opinions of an expert, semi-expert or even novice wine taster.