#128 Schioppettino

The final wine of the day was this Furlan Castelcosa schioppettino. I found this to be one of the most interesting wines in the quest so far. It has the nose of a big Southern Rhone red (read barnyard) leading me to expect a big wine with loads of tannin. Instead its a delicately sweet wine which is impossibly easy to drink. I have discovered that this grape has made its way to Sonoma County CA. I will absolutely be seeking out more of this grape. Thankfully it was able to come back from the brink of extinction.

#127 Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano)

Zenato's "San Benedetto" Lugana was the surprising highlight of today's tasting. Ugni blanc is a grape widely used to make cognac and isn't commonly found in a pure white wine.

I am impressed with this wine's structure. Its refreshing without being simple and at $13 it is a wine I will buy again

#126 Seyval Blanc

Lynfred Winery produces this interesting white wine from the deep suburbs of Chicago Illinois. (check out the winery link for an impressive location).

This is a seyval blanc. It has a really fresh nose but surprises with a sweet taste and finishes with something perhaps a little metallic. One of us thought it tasted like "sugar water" and indeed it did improve with a few clean ice cubes to dilute and chill. It is a pricey $15 but the winery looks like it might be worth a visit if in the area.

#125 Inzolia

Another Sicilian white with that Mediterranean feel. Slightly tart and dry with distinct minerality. Perfect for a cool drink on a sunny porch. $9 not too much to pay for this one.

#124 Aligote

"Bourgogne Aligoté, cépage Aligoté : vieux cépage bourguignon, ce vin blanc a des qualités reconnues. Sa robe or et ses reflets verts libèrent des arômes de raisins mûrs. A servir avec charcuteries, fruits de mer, fritures et andouillettes."

Which could possibly (if everything were in fact possible) be translated to "A refreshing and not too complex white wine suitable for an afternoon in the sun... and a decent value at $12".

#123 Vignoles

Michigan bubbly here made entirely of Vignoles.

Nose is yeasty apples, dry on the palate and a grape finish. This is a surprisingly strong wine revealing some real zing. We smoothed it out by turning it into a lazy Sunday afternoon mimosa.

Which led into.....

#122 Ruche

Blogger is acting up tonight so I will be brief. Luca Ferraris "Bric D' Bianc" Ruche di Castagnole 2006 is Mother's day wine #2. This one was served with grilled filet mignon paired with a cheddar potato cake, balsamic marinated portabella mushrooms with parmesan, and simple green beans. The bracing tannins this wine possesses was a nice counterbalance to the richer meal.

Its a $16 wine that reminded me at first like a Cotes du Rhone but then seemed more like a light weight Barolo. It has beautiful aromatics, sharp tannins and a clean finish. Further research reveals that this wine is from Piedmont and does (according to wiki) share some resemblance to its elegant neighbor Nebbiolo.

#121 Vernaccia

Mother's day dinner opens with a Vernaccia this year. First course is a few large prawns marinated in garlic and oil and a few hot peppers and then cooked over charcoal on our new (just opened but 2 years old) cast iron hibachi. I go into detail because there just isn't all that much about the wine to write about. This one is a thin, dry, 12.5% alcohol $10 wine with enough acidity to hold up to the prawns.

#120 Muscadelle

There's our little Muscadelle on the right. I had their Mauzac this March and hope some day to get a hold of their Len de L'el (that's him off to the left).

This is a sweet one. Tastes and smells a bit like Concord grape jelly with a hint of smoke (or is that cedar) and a thick sweet finish. I think this wine begs to be served cold and young with, or perhaps in place of, desert.

#119 Bonarda

A very cool label and a dangerously drinkable wine. This was an enjoyable surprise. Astute followers of this blog of which there are a total of one will notice that Bonarda was already claimed as a grape varietal on January 15th 2008 (Varietal #14). However further study on the Bonarda grape reveals that the Italian version (which this wine is) and the Argentinian version (Wine #14) are NOT the same grape. An Argentinian Bonarda is really a Charbono.... Who knew? Well we all do now.

That said, this was an enjoyable wine. My first taste tonight reminded me of the first taste of wine I ever had. There is something slightly hot, wispingly herbaceous, and rapidly vanishing about this one. It's a $16 wine and it wont be easy to find here. If I lived near the winery I suspect this would be a front runner for my house wine.

#118 Orange Muscat

Robert Hall Orange Muscat at wine varietal #118 earns its place in this quest's history as the first Costco wine to make the list! Oh sure I always browse the wine at Costco when I drop in to buy eggs and milk but I have never found a varietal yet to be checked off. This one weighed in at $14 so I took a "chance". (We all know it was going in the cart... heck it almost had a Wii and a Wii fit as company.... next to the eggs and milk of course... and the $700 air compressor that I know I am going to need some day). I fear I digress lets focus on the wine.

This one has an enticingly perfumed nose of delicate flowers and fresh laundry. It is sweet without being cloying and has a wispy citrus orange finish. This is a wine I would like to try to work into a pairing menu. I would say it is a desert wine trapped in a table wine's bottle and it has the potential to raise some eyebrows. 118 varietals into the quest and I am still being surprised... thank you!