Coppo 2006 Barbera d'Asti Camp du Rouss

A fresh entry in the festival of Barbera, a celebration of one of my favorite general-purpose reds.

Near-opaque wine, violet at the edges.

Cherry and plum smell, leather and basil, evidence of some young oak which doesn't intrude.

Cherry and plum fruit flavors, bright with Barbera-typical acidity.

A fine medium-bodied bottle for $19.99, suitable for a lighter lunch or dinner.

Icardi 2008 Barbera d'Asti Tabaren

Dark clear ruby color.

Black cherry smell, oak, wet leather.

Plum and black cherry fruit flavors, new oak spice, vibrant with tart acid.

Good food-friendly medium-weight bottle of wine for $15.99.

More and more, I find Barbera an unfussy accompaniment to a simple dinner. Tonight I declare the festival of Barbera!

Monticello Vineyards 2005 Napa Valley Oak Knoll District Merlot Estate Grown Corley Family

I aerated this vigorously and let it then rest for about two hours before drinking.

Dark ruby color.

Oak / berry / cherry smell.

Cherry / berry flavors, juicy, delicious. Oak is always noticeable but does not dominate.

Good bottle for $29.99, matches nicely with steak and vegetables (with rice.)

I enjoyed Sideways well enough but am not convinced that it has any opinions worth basing my life on or otherwise following).

Micheal Pozzan 2007 Napa Valley Pinot Noir

Very dark garnet color, transparent under strong light.

Ripe blackberry smell, blueberry, wet leather.

Blackberry, strawberry, cherry flavors, a bit of chocolate at the end. Restrained oak.

Full-bodied wine, powerful but well-balanced. Good value for $18.99.

Anders-Lane "Marley" 2008 Carneros Chardonnay

One of the dangers of concentrating on unfamiliar grape varieties is ignoring the popular justly-famous varieties. Chardonnay is one variety I've been mostly ignoring.

Very pale straw color.

Clean ripe apple and peach smells.

There's a touch of residual sweetness in the apple flavor, which I don't appreciate and an absence of oak, which I don't miss.

Accetable bottle for $19.99, as much as I'd prefer it bone-dry, I recognize that would probably hurt sales.

The "Marley" label is a brand of Anders-Lane, but I don't see it on their website. It may be a proprietary cooperation to them and my local internet wine-store.

Matteo Correggia 2008 Roero Arneis

Golden straw color, some petillance visible.

Peach and apple smells, almonds, lime.

Dry apple and pear flavors, crisp acidity, petillant on the tongue.

This is my introduction to Arneis, a grape brought back from near-extinction in the last 4 decades.

An excellent bottle for $13.95, wants to be served a little bit warmer then the average white wine.

Blockheadia ringnosii 2006 Sonoma County Zinfandel

Medium-dark garnet color, a bit of petillance forms on the glass.

Toasted oak dominates the smell, tobacco, cherry/berry in the background.

Tart cherry flavor, woody notes, only a hint of alcohol warmth in the finish, quite surprising in a wine of 15% ABV, effect can creep on up you a bit from such a fruity, food-friendly wine.

Very good bottle for $27.99, a pleasant surprise from restaurateur Michael Ouellette. The faux-Linnean name is not explained.

iGreco Filo 2008 Calabria Greco Bianco

Color of straw, some petillance on the glass.

Smells of peach, apple, and clean laundry.

Dry fruity flavor, peach and apple, mineral and saline character, petillance on the tongue.

Very good bottle for $17.99.

I'm not certain that this wine is made from the same grape variety used in the DOC Greco di Tufo, but I think it is.

Pannonhalmi Apatsagi Pinceszet 2007 Pinot Noir

Clear medium-dark garnet color, some pinpoint bubbles form on the glass.

Oak and leather smells, very organic-seeming but clean with no bacterial problems evident.

Oak, cherry, a trace of menthol, ends with food-friendly acid.

This is, I think, my first red from Hungary, and I realize I'm forgiving an oak component that is prominent to a degree which I would not so forgive in a wine from another country, but I remain convinced that the wines of Hungary remain worth exploring and even supporting.

So, bottom-line, this is nice, a good match for a medium-bodied dinner, even if a bit oaky. I matched this with a baked ham dinner and I pronounce it a win!