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Bloomer Creek Chardonnay & Gruner Veltliner 2016 Review

When we visited the Finger Lakes for a weekend getaway in late 2020, one winery, Bloomer Creek, was not open for tastings (only bottle sales). We placed an order at this one all the same at the request of a friend who wanted some bottles and decided to pick up a few for us to try at home thanks to their great reviews and that one of our favorite local wine shops carries them as well.

It very much was a case of “if it is good for them, it is good for us”.

The first bottle we opened was their naturally fermented, skin contact, unfiltered Chardonnay and Gruner Veltliner blend- a more unusual grape combination than we're used to but one that we have to admit, we really enjoyed.

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Maloof Wines Riesling 2019 Review – Acidic and Tropical

We always love getting interesting wines in wine clubs, and the Maloof Wines Riesling from Oregon was one such wine if only because we're not quite sure if we've ever had a Riesling from the Pacific Northwest.

We popped the bottle, took one sniff, and realized this one was interesting.

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Fattoria di Bagnolo Capro Rosso 2016 Review – A Wine to Age

Although the term Super Tuscan is more or less a marketing word used to describe high-quality wines outside of the traditional Italian designation classification when we hear the name used our ears perk up all the same if only because, on the whole, we've had some pretty stellar Super Tuscans when traveling around the region.

Fattoria di Bagnolo's Capro Rosso was one such Super Tuscan, and after visiting the vineyard on a trip to Tuscany in 2019, I was more than happy to pick up some bottles (including the delicious Fattoria di Bagnolo Chianti Riserva). In this review, we popped open a bottle of the 2016 vintage to see what the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend was like four years in.

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Julian Ostolaza Ganeta 2018 Review – Light and Crisp

Whenever we get a new varietal for our quest, we consider it a good day. Popping open the Julian Ostolaza Ganeta from Getariako Txakolina, Spain was one such day as we were able to try the varietal Hondarrabi Zuri- a grape we only recently heard about.

If a great low ABV wine for a hot summer day is something you need, this one should be on your radar.

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Bodegas Olivares Panarroz 2011 Review – An Old Cellar Find

While we have a pretty good handle on everything that can be found in our cellar, sometimes we get a bit of surprise. In many cases, this is simply finding a bottle that we thought we had already consumed. Other times it is finding out a bottle does not contain the grapes we expected. In even rarer instances, we find that a bottle is much, much older than we had originally thought.

Our Bodegas Olivares Panarroz Jumilla (GSM blend- mostly Mourvedre) was the latter. We bought this one on an impulse because we saw it was on a clearance sale from a local wine store for $8. Instinctively I saw this and bought it without thinking much at the time because, well, it was $8. But it wasn't until we went to drink it that we realize this bottle was also nine-years-old.

A pleasant surprise indeed.

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Stekar Rebulla 2018 Review – A Wild Apple Cider of a Wine

Our journey to first trying Rebulla (commonly known as Ribolla Gialla) was an interesting one.

It started when one of our favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh, the Eastern European vegan joint Apteka (a must-try if you ever visit), expanded their wine to-go menu as the result of 2020's global pandemic. As part of this, they brought in many natural wines from Eastern Europe and the Caucasus which gave us a field day in buying obscure varietals to try.

One of them was Stekar's Rebulla from Slovenia, which we immediately opened to enjoy with a feast from the restaurant. This one was funky and, to be honest, didn't really taste like wine at all!

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Ataraxia Chardonnay 2016 Review – A Truly Fabulous Chardonnay

Every so often we have a wine that we fall in love with at first sip. The South African-based Ataraxia (in Hemel-in-Aarde) offers a Chardonnay that, for us at least, won us over right away.

If an intensely acidic and fruity Chardonnay is what you see, Ataraxia's entry will certainly deliver.

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Gratavinum 2Ï€r 2016 from Priorat, Spain Review – Herby and Earthy

If you are a fan of wine with intense herb and spice notes, Gratavinum's 2Ï€r from Priorat, Spain is for you. This one is a blend of Grenache, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah and is taglined “the well rounded wine” to play off of its name.

While we thought the 2016 vintage could do with more aging beyond the 4-year age we enjoyed it at, this one was simply intriguing.

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