Fun with Wine: Tasting Value-Priced Wines

Fun With Wine is an events-oriented wine group, with an interesting, eclectic set of wine-related events happening mostly around New York City.

Recently, the group held a tasting of value-priced wines, complete with fondue appetizers to accompany the wines. Some popular and familiar wines in the bunch. Here are some brief tasting notes from the event, along with links to current inventory of the top-rated wines at the WineZap site:

Sparkling Wine

Marques de Gelida Cava 2005 - transparent in the glass; light sweet hay aromas; light dry mousse-style finish - 2 stars out of five

White Wines

Astica Torrontes 2007 (Argentina) - yellow, green tint in the glass; bold sweet grass aromas; perfumed, dry, acidy, 2+ stars out of five for incredible nose

St. Laurent Muscadet Cotes de Grand Lieu (France) - light yellow in the glass; shy aroma; mild smooth balanced mouthfeel - 2 stars out of five

Setzer Gruner Veltliner NV 2007 (Austria) - clear, yellow tint in the glass; shy, oaky aroma; bright acids in the mouth - 2 stars out of five

Red Wines

Villadoro Montepulciano d Abruzzo 2007 (Italy) medium red in the glass; round old world aroma; tannic fruit is the predominant note in the mouth - 2 stars out of five

Les Deux Rives Corbieres Rouge (Grenache/Syrah from France) 2007 - mid dark red in the glass; shy fruit aromas; smooth minerally middle on the palate, clean even finish - 3 stars out of five

Rapitala Nero d'Avola 2007 (Italy) - mid deep red in the glass; red grape aromas; round easy fruit in the mouth - 3 stars out of five

Altesino Rosso di Altesino 2007 (Italy) mid red in the glass; old-world barny raspberry aroma; bright berry on the tongue - 2+ stars out of five, with the plus for BRIGHTNESS

J Lohr Paso Robles Cabernet 2006 (California) mid dark red in the glass; rich, layered aromatics; even mid rich fruit, blended tannins on the palate - 3+ stars out of five, with the plus for class and richness.

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2005 (Australia) - mid deep red in the glass; shy fruit aromas; smooth, even, mineral style on the palate; brief finish - 2+ stars out of five, with the plus for class

Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel (California) mid deep red in the glass;, round, purple aromas; bright, even raspberry on the palate - 2+ stars out of five

Three Rings Shiraz 2007 (Australia) - deep red opaque in the glass; smooth furry Aussie purple aromas; mid even fruit on the palate, finishing with lengthy tannins - 3+ stars out of five