Discount December!

Since we all spend so much money in December on the holidays, I thought I'd end my year off with a month of discovering good, cheap wines. Do you have any suggestions? The cheaper (but still good), the better.

So far this month, I've had my old faithful Fuzion shiraz malbec blend. It's under $10 at the NSLC. It's pretty good for the price.

Then I was out with some friends last weekend, and I had taken a bottle of Fuzion with me. I meant to go pick up a more expensive bottle, but time ran out, so I grabbed the bottle I had at home. I felt bad taking the $10 bottle to share, and felt that I had to tell the girls that it was only $10. Luckily, they weren`t insulted, and were instead adding it to their list of cheap wines. And one of the other girls suggested another good, cheap wine that is her go-to bottle, so I picked it up this week.

I usually stayed away from South African wines as I hadn`t yet found one that I really liked. But, since it was just around $10, I picked it up. I was pleasantly surprised. It was quite nice for the price.

So, I guess my next step will be to head to Port of Wines and ask for some suggestions. I am a little afraid trying $10 wines. Not that I`ll waste a lot of money if I don`t like them, and could then keep them for cooking, but I`d rather them be drinkable!

Any suggestions on what else I should try?

Carmenere

Trying to be a little more proactive on this wine blogging so I'm not just rooting through my recycling bag to write a blog post on what I've tried...

I headed over to Port of Wines on my lunch break and told them I was looking for a carmenere to try this weekend. The lady working there (who is always helpful) pointed me to a few, and told me that this one is good. It was $19.99, so I decided to pick up a bottle. This will be my one more expensive bottle of the month. (I usually try to stay around $15.)

She also mentioned the Carmen carmeneres. I'll try to find those the next time I pick up a bottle. Again, noting this partially for my blog, but mainly just as a reminder for myself in the future.

Hopefully, this proactive post will help me to remember to post when I actually open the bottle this weekend. Here goes nothing...

Yummy Wines!

My recycling goes out tonight, and it is time for me to put out those wine bottles that have been collecting on my counter! I've been saving the bottles so I could write them down. Weeks have gone by, and usually, I just chuck them in the recycling before I get a chance to remember what they were.

First, I brought a bottle of Rutherford Predator home with me from Napa Valley. Sounds tough, doesn't it? The LCBO has a good description of the flavors of this old vine zin.

I really did love the name, and the cute little ladybug on the label. But most of all, it was just yummy. This was on our second winery stop of the day, and I'd already tasted about six other wines. But this one, I had to buy. It was smoky, and big. Actually, when I opened the bottle at home, it wasn't as smoky as I remembered from the tasting. But it was still really good. We can't buy this one in Nova Scotia right now, I don't think, so I'll have to take another trip to California to get another bottle. Too bad. (Or pick some up in Ontario...)

Then to finish off October, I picked up a bottle of Bonterra Zinfandel. It's an organic wine from California. It surprised me. It wasn't nearly as fruity as I was expecting. It was more mellow than I would have thought a zin would be. I guess there is more to zin than my limited experience had taught me. I really enjoyed sipping that one, and will definitely pick up more in the future. I got that bottle at Port of Wines for under $20.

When November started, I realized that I was out of countries that I wanted to try. So I decided to pick a grape that I wasn't as familiar with and sample a few of those this month. For November, I picked carmenere.  I picked up a bottle of Concha y Toro Casillero Del Diablo. I've had carmeneres in blends before, but I think this was the first time I've bought it not in a blend. It snelled like it was going to be big and spicy (if I remember correctly), but it was really mellow. I really liked it.

I'm looking forward to trying some more carmeneres over the month. Got any good ones to recommend?

Lazy Blogger

So, I didn't blog at all in October. Oops. Not that I'm a regular blogger anyway, so I don't think anyone really noticed.

Running - I ran my half marathon in San Francisco. It was hilly. It was great. I really enjoyed the run, and I was really thankful that my injury derailed my plans to attempt a personal best. I enjoyed the trip to San Fran, and wasn't anxious before the race since I had no set goals. I think that having no time goals on a traveled to race is the best way to do it. I was able to drink wine the night before the race and not worry about how it would affect me the next day. And, when in California, you really should drink the wine.

Reading - I've been reading. Actually, I've been listening more than reading. I have been enjoying many e-books on my iPod on the walks to work. I haven't kept track of those that I've read or listened to, though. So I can't really comment much on that. Terrible reading update.

Resolutions - Heading to San Fran, I knew that October would be my month to try USA wines. I really enjoyed the wines of October. I topped it off with a day trip to Napa Valley to visit four vineyards and sample their wares. That was a lovely day trip, even if I did start out a little hungover after some post race celebrations with my friend the night before. However, sampling wines at 10 a.m. does wonders for lifting the hangover. As does a large latte from Peet's on the bus ride up to Napa.

I realize that this post is a terrible update as there are really no details! But, let's just say that in October, I was focused more on living life and enjoying the moments instead of writing them all down. When I have more time in the future, I may go back and fill in some details on some of my favorite things.

Australian August is Over, September Starts!

I spent August sipping on some Australian wines. I knew that would be an easy month for picking some yummy wines. I did attempt to buy new ones that I hadn't tried, and was fairly successful until the last week when I went with Wolfblass.

I stuck with mostly shiraz or shiraz cabernet blends. I tried a pinot noir as well. I really enjoyed the shiraz. I'd been on such a cab sauv kick lately that it was a nice switch to shiraz blends. I didn't really track them this time, though. I'm getting lazy. I know that will come back to bite me later when I'm looking for a good bottle of red from Australia, but I'm sure I'll work it out then.

So for September, I've decided to not pick a country. I'm going with small countries. I don't have to stick to one particular country, but can choose from any smaller region. I picked up a bottle of Wolftrap syrah last night from South Africa. It was a bit spicy for my taste, but not bad once I got a taste for it. I also picked up a bottle from Lebanon, but I haven't opened that yet.

If you have any suggestions for good reds from smaller countries, feel free to share. I want to tie in Germany and New Zealand as well, but find they are better for whites, and I really wanted to focus on reds this year.

Australia for August

Yum. This is going to be a yummy month. We're 11 days into August, and I've tried only 2 Australians so far. I'm getting really bad at blogging about the wines I'm tasting. I try to leave the bottles on the counter of the kitchen to remind myself to write about what I'm tasting, but then if I don't blog for a while, it looks like (a) I have a drinking problem as the bottles pile up, and (b) I'm starting a fruit fly farm. The bottles are all out for recycling now, so I have to try to remember.

I know I had shiraz. Two of them, actually. I've been enjoying so many cab sauv blends that I am really trying to get away from them this month and try some different varieties. I actually really enjoyed the shiraz. It was spicy, dry, and really yummy to drink without food. Eventually, I will remember the name of the companies that I tried, and then I will post those. I believe the second was a Peter Lehman. The first, I'll just have to look at the NSLC and I'm sure seeing the bottle will trigger my memory.

So I'll have to pick up something different this weekend. Any recommendations? I'm trying to stay away from cab sauv unless you have a name of a bottle that I need to try! What else is your favorite from Australia?

Nova 7

I finally tried Nova 7! I meant to for years, but there didn't seem to be an occasion that called for picking up a bottle, and I didn't want to splurge and buy a bottle to drink alone. But, since I'm tasting Canadian wines this month, I decided it was time to treat myself to a bottle.

After getting home from the movies Friday night, I cracked open the bottle, thinking a friend would join me. She was busy. Oh well, it was already open, and sparkling wine doesn't stay fizzy too long, so I attempted to take care of the whole bottle. It was a good effort.

The first two glasses were lovely. Sweet, tart, bubbly, tasty, everything I like in a sparkling wine. It tasted a lot like a bubbly muscat. I definitely enjoyed it. But I think a glass or two is my limit for sweet wines. I gave up after I realized I wasn't enjoying it anymore, and just hoped that the rest would be half decent the next day.

I drank the rest Saturday afternoon. It was flat, but still pretty tasty. I filled a wine glass with ice and it was a nice tasty treat.

Verdict - I'd buy it again, but definitely would make sure I had someone to share it with.

NS and BC

I guess next I should really try to find an Ontario wine to try.

I picked up a bottle of Jost Leon Millot earlier this week. It's listed as a "gold medal winner". It was nice. It was a bit lighter than my usual taste of wines, but it was nice and I did enjoy it.

Then a friend came over for dinner and was nice enough to bring a bottle of Canadian as well. This one was from BC, from Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery in the Okanagan Valley. It is a Haynes Barn Merlot Cabernet. It was also nice. Spicy.

I'm not sure I'd buy either again, just because they are not my taste. I'm really starting to get a taste for what I like, and so far, Canadian wines just don't quite rank up there on my fave list. I should really try some whites. I will buy a bottle of Nova 7 this month since I STILL haven't tried it.

Coast to Coast Canadian Wine

I'm enjoying Canadian wines for July so far. Actually, now that I'm writing this post, I realize I should get to the NSLC today and pick up another bottle for this week.

Anyway... So far, I've tried a bottle from NS and one from BC. NS wines are easily available here in Halifax, but other areas in Canada are available only in very limited supply. I couldn't find many of the recommended wines that friends from other areas suggested.

First up was Jost Marechal Foch. I'd had this one before, so really, I knew I'd like it. It's not as heavy as the reds I usually drink, but it has a nice flavor, almost tastes heavier than it really is. I really should have blogged while drinking it, or at least shortly after finishing the bottle. Right now, all I can say is that it is nice and somewhat light, but enjoyable. And it is a good price, around $15, I think.

Next, I went to Port of Wines to get some help. Friends had suggested a wine from Osoyoos Larose. The bottle they recommended was $47... I got what the sales lady described as the "baby" version of that wine ($25ish) - Petales d'Osoyoos. She described it as a bordeaux blend. It was very yummy. It was dry, tannic, and very full bodied (I think - if I am using the terms correctly). I really enjoyed it. I will get a bottle of that one again. Actually, it really made me want to take a trip to BC wine country.

Going Canadian for July

I dropped off my wine resolution for the month of June. I kind of lost the desire to pick a country and it was feeling like work. Tasting wine should never feel like work! So I took a breather. I just bought a bottle of whatever I wanted, when I wanted. And I did end up revisiting some of the wines that I discovered earlier this year.

At the start of July, I wondered if I would continue with my resolution, or revamp it somehow. Then I went to a BBQ at my friends' house on Saturday night. When I called to see what I could bring, R told me that I would get to taste a glass of their mystery wine. When I got there, she told me to pour a glass, and pointed to the bottle in the brown paper bag on the counter. Turns out, they pull a bottle from the basement every Saturday and drink it out of the paper bag, not revealing what the wine is until the bottle is empty. How fun! Now, for me, I only buy 1-2 bottles at a time, so that wouldn't be much of a surprise, but these guys buy many more than 1-2 at a time!

I sipped at my mystery wine and in my head, I thought "cab sauv". I didn't want to totally embarrass myself and say it out loud, so when I got home that night, I bbm'ed some friends and told them I thought it was a cab. I figured limiting to a cab instead of a cab sauv might give me a better chance of being right.  R emailed the next day to let me know what it was - a cab sauv from Chile. I was right!!!!

That moment solidified that I really have been enjoying my education in wine varieties and regions, and I decided it was time to pick another country and get going for July. R had suggested that since Canada Day had just passed, maybe I should try Canada. So, that's what I'm doing.

Please let me know what your favorite wines are from Canada! I know a few of the Nova Scotia companies, and may explore a few more here, but would be interested in trying some new ones from other provinces.

Break from my Resoltion

I'm taking a break from my wine resolution right now. Partially because I didn't know which country to pick this month, and partially because I'm trying to not spend money on frivolous things for a while. (See, I just bought a Vespa and would really like to get my debt paid off ASAP...)

So, that means, for the month of June, I can buy whatever wine I want.

I was at a race last month, and asked someone on my team to just pick me up a bottle of red, whatever she felt like. I gave her $20. She got me a bottle of Wolfblass something or other. It was a cab sauv blend, and it was GOOD. It was something I wouldn't have normally picked up with my resolution since I was trying to try NEW brands. Well, new to me. But it was good. Have I mentioned that it was good?

After that, I picked up a bottle - a cab sauv - from South Africa. I thought maybe South Africa would be my country for June. It wasn't good. So, I decided I was going to just buy whatever bottle I want, when I want it, in June. See, the sun is out (sometimes) and I don't always feel like wine. Sometimes in June, I just want a beer after work. And picking wines for my resolution was starting to feel like work. Whenever wine feels like work, that's just wrong...

On Friday, I decided I wanted to get a nice bottle of wine for the weekend. I stopped at the little NSLC at the ferry, and wanted to get a bottle of that Chilean Trio that I'd had in the winter. I'd loved it so much. So, I picked up a bottle and opened it Friday night. On the first sip, I thought "huh, this isn't nearly as good as I remember." I had another glass last night, two, actually, and enjoyed it a bit more, but wondered if I actually got the wrong bottle.

So, in my post from February, I wrote about the Concha Y Toro Trio Reserva Cab Sauv, Shiraz, Cab Franc, 2008. And, looking at the (empty) bottle on my table, I have the Concha Y Toro Trio Reserva MERLOT, Carmenere, Cab Sauv. Ding ding ding!!! That's why it isn't as good as I remembered! It's not the same wine! Yep, sticking with my opinion of merlots... Not my fave. Though this wine is not bad. Just not as fruity as I like. 

California Wine Fair

I scored some cheap tickets to the California Wine Fair last night for myself and two friends. Well, another friend scored them for us, then couldn't go, and I'm sad she didn't get to come with us. But, cheap tickets were still scored, and three of us got to drink a lot of yummy wine for only $25. 

I'd never been to a wine fair before, so it was pretty overwhelming. So many wines, and no idea where to start! For the first hour or so, my friends and I just wandered from table to table. We had a few companies that we knew of, and made sure to hit them. Then after an hour, I sent a message to my friend who knows her wines, and she looked up who was there and told us which ones not to miss. She was such a help! The booths didn't list the price of the wines, so it was hard to tell which ones were the "good" ones without a little help from my friend. 

So this is what I tried, and in parenthesis are any notes I made while trying (very short notes!): 

• Anders-Lane Artisan
• Estrada Creek, Syrah, 2007, California
• Estrada Creek, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008, California (ok)
• Bonterra
• Syrah, 2008, Mendocino (ok)
• Cline Cellars
• Pinot Noir not listed in the booklet (yum!)
• Oakley, Red Blend, 2009, California (good for summer sipping)
• Firestone Discoveries
• Merlot, 2007, California (good for a merlot)
• Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007, California (yum!)
• Hess Collection Winery
• Allomi Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, 2008, Napa Valley
• Hess Select, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008, Mendocino-Lake-Napa
• Ironstone Vineyards
• Old Vine Zinfandel, 2009, Lodi (good)
• J. Lohr Winery
• Falcon's Perch, Pinot Noir, 2009, Monterey
• Vineyard Series, Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007, Paso Robles (yum!)
• Petit Syrah not listed in the booklet
• Kenwood Vineyards
• Zinfandel, 2007, Sonoma County (yum)
• Michael David Winery
• Petit Syrah not listed in the booklet
• 7 Deadly Zins, Zinfandel, 2008, Lodi (already knew I liked this one a lot!)
• Earthquake, Zinfandel, 2008, Lodi (thick/full, yum!)
• Rutherford Wine Co.
• Rutherford Ranch, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008, Napa Valley
• Tamas Estates
• Zinfandel, 2008, Central Coast
• Trinchero Family Vineyards
• Napa Cellars, Zinfandel, 2008, Napa (ok)
• The Show, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007, California (light, smooth, good)

Wow. Now that I write them all down, I see  that I tasted a LOT of wines last night in a two hour period. Mind you, they poured just a tiny bit, maybe two mouthfuls, but I'd only sip at it, then dump it out. How many glasses of wine does 21 sips work out to being anyway? Haha. 

I discovered that of California wines, I like the zins and the cabernets. The syrahs, pinot noirs, and merlots didn't really do much for me, and I really stayed away from them anyway. I was really surprised with how much I liked the Firestone wines because all I could picture was Andrew Firestone from The Bachelor, and really didn't expect to like the wine! 

I've been slack on my resolution

Not a single post on Spanish wines in April. I apologize. I didn't even write down which ones I tried after the first post in March. I was away for two weeks, in Hawaii, and while we did get one Spanish wine, we got into a Californian zone for a bit there.

All I can really say about Spanish wines is that I tried the tempranillos, and I liked them.

I'm onto Italy right now, and have already recycled two of the bottles without writing down what they were. I'm not loving Italy. I suspected I wouldn't as I have heard it is similar in France as to being a good wine to go along with food. I like my wine to be a good drinking wine without food. I don't really drink wine with food. I like a glass, on its own, while I relax at night.

The first Italian I had was a chianti. While it was definitely drinkable and nice enough, it just wasn't my taste. The second was a valpolicelli. I knew I'd like it. And it was fine.

I'm not even halfway through my resolution year, and I'm getting tired of it. I have learned a lot already, though, and will continue to truck on through the year.

Busy Wednesday

Reading - Finished my audio book that I'd been listening to - The Lilac Bus by Maeve Binchy. The book is about all the people who take the "lilac bus" every weekend from Dublin to a small town of Rathdune. (Excuse my spelling as when you're listening to the audio book instead of reading, you don't get the spellings!) Each chapter was about a different character. It was a good book, but I like a little more info about the characters! To me, I need good character development to really love a book. With this one, I wanted more of each character. I know that she often has characters that recur in different stories, and maybe if I read more about these characters in another book, I'd be content. I know that has happened with other books of hers that I've read in the past. But it was interesting.

I've got a lot of reading to do in the next while. Quite a few books came in from the library recently: One Day,  Secret Daughter, After, The Social Animal, and Water for Elephants. All with a three week expiry. Water for Elephants is an audio book, so I'll listen to that on commutes and get that taken care of, but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with the other ebooks! I hope I get them all read.

Running - Great hill workout tonight! Six hills. Total of 10k. Not bad for a Wednesday.

Resolutions - I picked up a bottle of Spanish wine a few days ago at Port of Wines. I got a bottle of Hoya de Cadenas which is a tempranillo cab sauv blend. I'm still not any better at picking out flavors. It's a nice dark red/purple. It smells fruity and sweet. It has a nice, full flavor, thick, long aftertaste. Maybe it tastes like cherrys? I like it. The first night I had a glass, I thought it was ok. Tonight, I am really enjoying it.

Destination, Spain!

I was at dinner with my friend Saturday night, and we were looking at the wine list. "What country are you on now?" he asked. Good question. I had done 3-4 weeks in Argentina, and felt that I should move to a new country. I pondered having a glass of the one Argentinian Malbec on the menu, but I knew I would love it, so that seemed to be a bit of a cop out for my quest to try new wines.

My friend, who I'm pretty sure isn't much of a wine drinker, tried something new himself. He took my advice and went with an Australian wine. While I've learned a lot about wine in the past three months, I don't feel that I can advise others on what to drink. I know what I like, but I'm still not very good at describing why I like it.

There was a lot of Australian on the menu. I'm saving Australia for later since they have so much selection. I've had many Australian wines in the past. I'm thinking I'll drink more of them in the summer or fall. Until then, I wanted a smaller country. So, there was one Spanish wine on the menu, and I decided to try that.

I had a glass of the Osborne Tempranillo & Shiraz, from Tierra de Castille, Spain. I have no idea what Tempranillo is. Never heard of it. But I knew I liked Shiraz. The glass came and it was a nice rich color. It wasn't overly spicy on the nose. It was tasty, but a more mellow taste than some of the others that I seem to be loving lately. It was actually a really good match for drinking with my food, I think.

I'm excited to try some more of Spain these next few weeks. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Yummy Bonarda

Not to give anything away with the title, but bonarda is yummy! What is bonarda, you ask? Funny, I asked that same question just yesterday....

I went to the NSLC at Scotia Square yesterday to browse. I thought I might move on from Argentina since I already know I love Argentinian malbecs. But, I couldn't decide which country to visit next. I thought about South Africa, but a friend said she doesn't like it, and I trust her opinion on wines. I was going to get a cab sauv from Argentina, but didn't feel like it since I also know I like those. Then I saw the Las Moras black label Bonarda 2008.

The bottle says deep fruit and nice floral aromas, deep purple colour with blue tones. It states that it has hints of blackberries, coffee, mint, violets and chocolate, and has a long lasting after taste. I pondered. Then the third helpful clerk came up and asked if I needed help. This time I said "what is bonarda, and is it good?" Then, he told me that it is a grape only bring grown in Argentina now, and is similar to a cab sauv, but with more of a white pepper taste. "But is it good?" "Yes." So I bought a bottle. I don't remember the price. $16-17, I think.

We had a great chat about the wine, and I wasn't disappointed. It tastes different. I'm still not good with placing the aromas and tastes that they say it has. It's definitely dark in color, and has a nice smell. I guess I can smell the floral aroma. I can feel the tannins when I take a sip. I can taste spice. I can't describe how it is different, might just be the spiciness of it. But I definitely like it.

I'm glad I tried something new!

Malbec is Yummy

I skipped a weekend and didn't get a bottle of wine the weekend before this past one. I know, I know. But it's actually starting to feel like work to get wine every week, so I took a week off. This past week, I picked up a bottle on the way home from work.

Sticking with Argentina, I picked up another malbec. This time, I got the Trapiche Broquel 2008 which was around $17. It sat on my counter for about 5 days before I actually broke into it. Shocking. I just didn't feel like a glass last week. I can tell you that if I had a bottle here right now, I'd open it. But, that's this week.

When I realized that it was Saturday and I hadn't yet opened it, I realized that I needed help. I emailed my friend and invited her over to help me drink it. And drink it, we did. It was quite tasty. I can't really describe it other than saying that it was yummy. I know I like malbecs from Argentina. I should try a different type of wine from Argentina, and I may this weekend if I make it to a larger wine store with more choice. Or, I may just switch to a new country. We'll see.

Final French

I am have finished up my month of France a little bit early. I've gotten a good taste for the French wines, and they are not my favorite. But, I did pick up a bottle on the weekend so I could make my stew that called for a cup of wine.

I got a bottle of "Chante-Clair". I picked it because of the picture of the rooster on the front label. It was a heavier wine, mix of a few grapes, though it didn't say which, meant to be drank (drunk?) with or without food. This is more my type of wine, something that is made to drink on its own.

I'm now moving on to Argentina for a few weeks, and then may move on again after a few weeks. We'll see.

More February French

After so many glasses of French wine two weeks ago, I really haven't had much of a taste for wine this month. But, since I wanted to give France a good chance, I picked up a bottle on Thursday at Port of Wines when I was killing time downtown after work.

I got a bottle of Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Reserve "Vieilles Vignes", recolte 2008, Pierre Andre au Chateau de Corton Andre. I still don't have the knack for how French wines are labelled. I'm assuming Chateau de Corton Andre is the brand.

I now see what they mean when they say that French wines are usually made to drink with food. This is a very light wine. I can't identify anything in particular in the nose other than spice. It is a thin burgundy in color (funny that, being a burgundy and all...) and is somewhat transparent. It's dry, and I can't identify any fruits, though I never can.

It's nice. It's not something I would pick up every day, but maybe if I were serving food, and wanted a nice light wine, I would get this. I enjoy it, but I prefer a more full bodied wine.

I did try a French white last week while out at Obladee. I had a glass of Paul Zinck Pinot Gris from Alsace. It was really tasty. I really enjoyed this wine, and found it went quite well with the bread and cheese we were having. I didn't take any other notes, but can remember that it was sweet, fruity, and crisp. I had to stop myself from drinking it fast. I really enjoyed it and it was hard to just sip.

Next weekend will be my last French weekend. I have tried a few now, and will probably get a Bordeaux for next weekend. I'm thinking ahead to March, and think that it will be another new world country. Maybe Argentina. But, I may save Argentina for April.

Four French Wines

I picked up my first bottle of French wine last week for the weekend. I got a 2009 Beaujolais Superieur from Bouchard Aine & Fils. It was about $16 at the NSLC, I believe. I opened it Thursday night and had a glass. I found it very light, and quite fruity. It almost reminded me of candy in a way. It wasn't overly sweet, but had a definite sweet taste. I quite enjoyed it.

Then Friday night, I went to Obladee (wine bar) with a friend, and decided to drink French wine there, as well. Turns out, I had too many glasses of French wine that night. Oops. But I did try all three reds that they had on the menu - 09 Domaine de Cristia Cotes Du Rhone, Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaujolais-Villages, and the Chateau Des Erles Corbieres La Recaoufa. Of these three, the Cotes Du Rhone was definitely my favorite, and then the Beaujolais-Villages was second.

I think I may just take the next two weekends off of French wines, and save up for the last weekend and get a nice bottle. I kind of blew my wine budget on Friday. When you're buying by the glass, it adds up a lot more quickly than when you buy a bottle.