Peregrine Hill Chardonnay

I bought this wine a while back from a Specs tasting because it was only $6. At the time, I thought it was a pretty decent, if simple, white wine that would just be a drinkable table wine. I haven't tasted it again until now, and I must say I'm not that impressed.

For one thing, the smell is a bit weird. It smells a bit like pineapple juice (and tastes like it too!). The color is a dark yellow which is a little weird, and it looks thick like jello. The wine just isn't that appealing overall, but the taste is actually ok. It's just kinda there - nothing too interesting.

I also decided it was time to bust out some of my old cheeses that have been in the fridge for probably like a month... don't worry, they are still delicious! Time to get rid of them though. On the left is some Beemster cheese, and I don't even know exactly what kind, as the wrapper is half gone. On the right is grand queso, which is manchego like - oily and rich. Delicious!

Note: Those white spots on the cheese are NOT mold. It's just aged and a little jagged.

Most Popular White Wine in the World

Yellow Tail Chardonnay is the most popular white wine in the world apparently, so I had to see what all the fuss is about. I remember having Yellow Tail in college, and it was probably the first wine I ever had. I think its not considered very high class among real wine drinkers, and its so cheap that there can't be too much to it. So then why is it so amazingly popular, selling I BELIEVE around 20 million bottles a year? I had to find out.

I found this wine on sale at HEB for an unbelievable $4.99 and decided to test it out. As I poured myself a glass, I cringed at what would be coming, basically expecting the worst. However, on first taste it wasn't that bad at all! It was not oaky or buttery, or anything that I would expect a chardonnay to taste like. In fact, it was a little sweet and fruity - very drinkable! I couldn't really pick out any distinct tastes, although it did smell like grapefruit and oranges. Then, the more I drank it, the less I started to like it. It's not a wine to savor. In fact, it started to just taste like alcoholic apple juice.

Overall, this wine gets like a 4. Its not good or really bad, but is a little unpleasant and something I probably wouldn't buy again. It was only $5 but for $6 or 7 you can actually find a few decent wines. I also bought the Yellow Tail Shiraz (most popular red wine in the world) and will be trying that as well soon! :)

Tilia Chardonnay

I got this chardonnay at a Whole Foods tasting probably close to 6 months ago and just now opened it. They were doing a tasting of probably 10 wines all from Argentina including about 5 malbecs, which was REALLY cool to be able to taste so many similar wines together. Our favorite ended up being this atypical chardonnay!

Its fresh and juicy with lots of fruit flavors and was wonderful to drink. Im always on the lookout for inexpensive chardonnays to keep around and this one is one of my favorites so far. Its not as interesting as the Printhie Chardonnay, but definitely more subtle and easy to drink. Its a bit cheaper too, around $11 or 12 and I would probably buy it again if I saw it somewhere on sale.

Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay

This is another one of those wines I've had for a year or two and it was just time to drink. Im not a big fan of chardonnays, so I think I was putting this one off. I originally bought it back when a nearby HEB had a clearance sale on some of their wines (originally $16).

I was pretty pleased with this wine! For a chardonnay, it was not what I was expecting, which is the usual oak and vanilla overkill. It was fruity and light with a lot of citrus and apple flavors. Yum!

Speaking of Chardonnays, I read the Wall Street Journal's wine reviews and they frequently write about chardonnays - a hot topic I suppose. Here is one about the best chardonnays under $20, and there was another one recently about high end chardonnays and which were the best. I cant find it now (ugh) but when I do, I would like to try one of the amazing ones sometime to see WHAT a really good chardonnay is supposed to taste like. I dont think I know!

Also, I usually do not drink wine with meals and I wonder if that greatly affects my opinions of them. I've heard that some wines are definitely better with certain flavors, so maybe some of the wines I dont like on here would be amazing with the right foods? I usually end up picking a wine after dinner, mostly with cheese, but maybe I will try pairing some wines with some foods in the future.

Printhie Chardonnay

This is one of the wines I bought a few months ago at a Specs tasting because it was so interesting and different from many chardonnays I've tried in the past. Normally I don't like chardonnays because I think of 2 things: oak and vanilla. I have actually tried quite a few through tastings because it seems to be a popular type of wine, but have rarely found one that has any kind of actual flavor.

This Printhie Chardonnay is completely different though. Its from Australia, and I think one of the things that makes it taste so good is that its actually 90% chardonnay and 10% viognier I believe. There was another Printhie wine being sampled (I think sauvignon blanc) and it too was mixed with a little viognier and it was good as well! It is very creamy without tasting like vanilla, and it actually tastes like fruit. I still have some left so I will take better note of those flavors the next time I drink it.

One of the main things that struck me was the smell. It almost smelled like something was toasted or smokey, and a little nutty. I don't think I've ever smelled this before in a wine so it definitely caught my attention.

When I first tasted this wine at Specs I loved it and had to buy it because it was so unique. At a higher price point than I am used to (around $17) it makes me think that there may be hope for me and chardonnays. I really liked this wine and enjoyed drinking it and tasting it again, but I'm not sure it will be added to my list of wines I love and have to keep on hand.

Specs Wine Tasting

I remember it seemed like May was just full of wine events, with 2 specs tastings, a wine festival, and wine circle meeting. June, however, has been soooo busy with summer school and a lot of other stuff going on, and it was finally time for a Specs wednesday wine tasting! WOW what a tasting! As usual, I didn't recognize any of the wines on the list except 2 from Geyser Peak (which turned out not to be very good).

Overall this month's wines were just amazing! Most of them were at least ok or good, but there were 5 stand out wines this time. One of the ones I ended up buying was the Prelada Cresta Azul which was said to be a "needle wine". Its a very slightly carbonated white wine and when you drink it, it feels like tiny needles are pricking your tongue!

I also ended up getting a very interesting chardonnay. I usually despise chardonnays, as I think they are very bland and bitter and are just too oaky and vanilla flavored. The Printhie chardonnay was GREAT though. It was uncharacteristically fruity, and has some odd flavors. One of the cool things about it is that its 95% chardonnay and 5% viognier, so that might explain why it was so good. Almost equally delicious was the Printhie Shiraz which also had a splash of viognier in it - a very yummy combination!

One of the best wines of the night was the King Estate Pinot Noir - it was $22 and soooo smooth. So many flavors, and it just melted on your tongue! I couldn't decide about getting this one because of the price, but kind of wish I had now. There was also a sparkling pink wine called Villa Rogole Fiorosa Brachetto which was sweet, bubbly, and refreshing. It was so good I was going to get this one until I found out it was only 7% alcohol! Thats like not even a wine! Anyway, I will still keep it in mind if I'm ever in the mood for something super light and refreshing. Finally, there was an amazing white blend of 3 grapes I had never heard of. Le Lune & Le Prune Orvieto Classico was also a maybe to buy, but with so many delicious wines I couldn't get them all!

The cheese selections tonight were kind of meh except for one cheese - the Memoire Gouda with truffles. It was just... I cant even explain. It was super creamy and the truffles gave it this earthy robust undertone that was seriously one of the best cheeses I've tried in a long time. If it wasn't $35/lb and I didn't already have 4 cheeses in my fridge it would be in my possession. As soon as I finish some up, it will be the next cheese I buy. In fact, that truffle gouda paired with the pinor noir would just be heaven in my mouth.